Re: 2020 Election
 

This is going to be a huge issue and there will be much gnashing of teeth over it by the time the election rolls around. It's a fair generalization to say that Republicans are the majority in rural areas, while Democrats are the majority in urban areas. The need for Social Distancing is far greater in urban areas, and thus, it's the urban areas that need mail-in and/or, early voting. Republicans know this, and in states where Republicans control the voting process, they will fight mail-in and/or early voting with all their strength. Now, what I don't know is, who / what body gets to control the voting process in each state? Is it the state government in all cases, and thus, essentially the Governor?

Re: 2020 Election
 

Klobuchar seems the likeliest and would be a good choice. Very impressive senator.

Kaine was an awful choice. I had never heard of him before he was selected, but his campaigning and debate performance were lackluster, at best.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Not so much MIA, more like MCO and TPA. ;)

I did hear something about two virtual town halls in the last day or two (or could even have been today) down in this neck of the woods, didn't take much notice as I'd have to be reeeeaaalllly bored to tune in to that kind of thing.

Re: 2020 Election
 

In most states, the party that holds the governorship holds the power as regards elections. I think Red states simply aren't going to open up access to early/postal voting. After all, their tactic has been precisely the reverse:- limit access to registration/voting as much as they can

Re: 2020 Election
 

In the Bunker.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Where he is letting Donald self-destruct.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Tim Kaine was a very good choice as VP. He was a rising star in the Democratic Party and had a solid track record of electoral success behind him. He was also on Obama's short-list in 2008.

Kaine first came to national prominence in 2005. He was Mark Warner's Lieutenant Governor but won a come-from-behind victory in the gubernatorial election that year - this was before Virginia was considered a swing state, when no Democrat had won it at the presidential level in 40-odd years. It was considered a grand stroke of bipartisan appeal, a solid Democrat winning in a red state, he parlayed that into a Senate seat later on.

Kaine was very, very, very well-known in Democratic circles prior to 2016. His selection was considered a safe, conventional pick. He would have become Presidential timber had she won. By the time 2016 rolled around, Virginia had already been won twice at the Presidential election and was considered largely "flipped" - appeal there was not a major consideration by Hillary.

As a side note Kaine's Senate win in 2012 also saved us from George Allen 2.0, who is like George W Bush only dumber. Allen (as Senator) was considered the front-runner to be Bush's heir until he suffered an upset loss to Jim Webb in 2006. When Allen lost that election, that really threw the entire Republican field into disarray heading into 2008 - he was the conservative Republican's pick for 08 and much of the machinery had already committed to him, but his Senate loss to Webb knocked him out and there was nobody left standing for Conservatives to rally around. It takes time to organise and mount a serious Presidential campaign and by the time Allen lost, it was too late for someone else serious to jump in. So McCain ultimately got in but only with lukewarm "base" support. Allen tried to get his seat back in 2012 but Kaine beat him.

That little tale is a great example of why Usual Suspect-style extremism needs to be rejected, and leads to Boiler's point. Do not confuse progressive activists with Usual Suspects, who aren't activists, they are extremists. Progressive activists understand that the Democratic Party needs to be a Big Tent and that moderates like Kaine and Jon Tester in Montana, who never would pass muster or get support from extremists, need to be given the space to operate if Democrats are going to win power. So much of what happens on Presidential Election Day actually gets set in stone by so much that happens in lower races before like the Allen-Webb Virginia 06 Senate race highlights.

But the Hillary fallout has tarnished Kaine and he's finished as a national party force. I keep saying to Usual Suspects who keep chasing Russiagate the way a kitten chases a bouncy ball down a corridor: If Beltway insiders really thought that was to blame for Clinton's defeat, wouldn't these people all have other jobs and be in demand, instead of getting blacklisted? Gore was in demand. Lieberman ran for President in 2004. Hillary? Kaine? Mook? Nobody will touch them. Guess why?

Boiler, if Usual Suspects (not progressive activists) want Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders or Christine Blasey Ford, who cares? If they want to stomp their feet and say they are going to flirt with a boutique minor party candidate if they don't get their way, that's fine. Hope the door doesn't hit their backsides on the way out of the party. The party base is already unified behind Biden and did so very quickly, and Usual Suspects are clustered in states Biden is already going to win by 15-20 points anyways. This isn't UK style party politics where it actually matters what student union nutters and extremists think. We do not need to pander to them or even pretend to take them seriously. Bernie Sanders could not even get consistently above 30% support in a Democratic primary field that is the fueled by activists. Joe Biden is not losing sleep over Bernie Bros.

Having a Republican governor, does not preclude a Democratic Senator from being a VP pick. If someone is the best choice to help win the White House, that is the pick, regardless of any (probably short-term) senate ramifications.

Re: 2020 Election
 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...1fc_story.html

WaPo article dealing with the pluses and minuses of the different VP candidates.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Good to see you reading a quality news source.

Re: 2020 Election
 

I also read WaPo.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Desperately, rather, and I wouldn't say the party base, but the rich donors and the establishment. Buttigieg and Klobuchar hastily dropped out without contesting Super Tuesday and backed Biden following just one Biden win (S.Carolina) after someone there endorsed him, because the priority was to not have a socialist president.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Biden accuser Tara Reade calls for him to drop out of presidential race
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...biden-drop-outLater on Thursday, Kelly released the first clip from the interview, in which she asked Reade if she thought Biden should drop out. “I wish he would,” Reade said. “He won’t, but I wish he would.”

Asked what she would like to say to Biden, Reade replied: “I want to say, you and I were there, Joe Biden. Please step forward and be held accountable. You should not be running on character for the president of the United States.”

It has not yet been announced when and in what form the full interview will run, although it is expected to be broadcast soon.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Character does not appear to be an issue as far as Trump is concerned doe's it? Trump vs Biden on character where do you stand on that?
Personally I'd like to see an alternative to Biden for the Democrats.

Anyone but anyone has to be better the than the present clown in the White House, I'm sure you must agree.

Re: 2020 Election
 

Well I would not vote for either of them, the Dems have the option to put forward a passable candidate, they should take it.

Re: 2020 Election
 

The Dems control the process, nominate somebody reasonable and they will walk it.