Hiro11

A good place to start is this episode of This American Life, it's entertaining and covers a lot of the topic:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/490...-with-benefits

Here's a Forbes article with a bit more detail:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/theapot.../#6b9238294b6d

Both of these sources are hardly comprehensive, there's always another side to the story. All of this is debatable. Still, I find the evidence of colossal waste and outright fraud in SSDI to be pretty compelling.

Giantaxe

Based on voting figures and polls, 538 this weekend had both Buttigieg and Klobuchar at less than 1 in 100 chance of being the nominee. But I certainly agree both were pressured to withdraw prior to Super Tuesday, just as some Republican candidates were in '16 to try and prevent Trump from being the nominee.

scrubbedexpat099

What surprised me was not so much them pulling out, but coming out on the stump for Biden, all best buddies now. No doubt a product of what were called smoke filled rooms. I sort of expected the CNN panel was going to get bigger.

Beto, remember him?, also came out for Biden and that was not obvious.

Giantaxe

I thought that was really obnoxious. It reminded me of when Trump brought Chris Christie on stage after the latter withdrew from the race. And then treated him like shit... lol.

scrubbedexpat099

That certainly was, wonder what he actually got out of it?

Steerpike

So are we looking at a 4-way split now? Biden, Bloomberg, Bernie, Warren? If the 'establishment' want to stop Bernie, then the Bloomberg/Biden situation is going to be interesting. I'm assuming that Bloomberg and Biden will steal from each other, allowing Bernie to get more delegates. I'd personally prefer Bloomberg to Biden but strategically, not sure how best to proceed. I am still sitting on my mail-in ballot for AZ .... . I could hold my nose and vote for Biden if it would keep Sanders out.

538 seems bullish on Biden - Biden is now about twice as likely as Sanders to win a plurality of pledged delegates, (https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...f-uncertainty/ )

scrubbedexpat099

I am assuming Warren will be next out as she is in the Bernie lane, will she then support Biden or Bernie?

They seem to be doing their best to limit Bloomberg, what could he be offered?

Jerseygirl

I thought it had been pretty obvious for a while that the others would back off, probably cutting some sort of deal with the Dem party to back Biden. Similar to what happened 12 years ago, Hillary was promised the nomination in 2016, if she stood aside for Obama in 2008.

Giantaxe

Trump or Christie? Trump gets Christie to give him a nod in the hopes of picking up voters who previously supported Christie. Christie gets the hope of picking up an administration position if Trump wins the election. Of course, Jared Kushner,as it turned out, scotched any chances for Christie:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ations-hit-job

scrubbedexpat099

I was thinking of Christie.

carcajou

Where are all the Usual Suspects? Do they not have any comment about Sanders' implosion? Sanders actually won but it's all the fault of the primary rules he won't be the nominee?

The rumour, and it has been out for some while, is that there is a Biden deal with Klobuchar for Vice President, and that Klobuchar's main motivation in running was to position herself for that.

Congratulations to Joe Biden. The Bernie Bros are unlikely to play nice but his coalition doesn't need them.

scrubbedexpat099

Warren imploded

Now down to 2 old white men.

Nutmegger

Bloomberg is gone.

Leslie

What do you mean "implosion". The race has tightened up, which is completely normal. Anybody who says they know what's going to happen now is just lying. Nobody knows.

Giantaxe

It will be pretty funny if no one wins a majority of the delegates but Biden "wins" the popular vote.