Hindsight Is 2020

[America Needs R'hllor]

A transcript of Gov. Kate Brown's interview in the Political Blog of Tal Schneider



Hello, viewers, thank you for tuning in. We have a special guest here today- Democratic Presidential Candidate Kate Brown, the Governor of Oregon. As you know, our interview won't be completely ordinary- I will ask the first two questions, and the rest will be chosen from the questions sent to us by readers and members of our WhatsApp group, mainly from Israeli political circles. So without further delay- welcome, Governor, and thank you for being with us here today. How are you feeling these days, standing for the first time in the national spotlight?
Thank you for having me, it's good to be here. I'm feeling alright. I've campaigned before, and I've heard my name before on national news, but never really like this. It's humbling, to be honest with you.

The Democratic field is swiftly growing, and it seems to be potentially one of the biggest Democratic fields ever. Why do you think voters should elect you over bigger, more known names?
A lot of these Democratic candidates have opposing Donald Trump as their claim to fame. That's why they're so well-known, I think. But most of the candidates don't have a record of actually leading a state and doing things to improve the lives of their constituents, and that's something I know how to do and would be able to do as President.

Governor, we both have to admit that your name recognition is relatively low, compared to many of your opponents in the primaries. Why do you think it is so? Is it a matter of charisma, accomplishments or simply luck?
Is this going to be every question? But to answer it, I think it's a matter of luck and geography. Oregon isn't a swing state, it's not where the national campaigns are fought. And the work of governing effectively for your people isn't as headline-grabbing as filibustering or taking part in reality show politics.

Now, for questions sent to us by our readers and members of our WhatsApp group. First, a question from a reader, Jordan Fishman. "Governor Brown, you're the first openly Bisexual Governor of a State. Compared to Homosexuality, Bisexuality is still relatively unknown and suffers from a negative picture in the eyes of people- do you plan to address this?
Over the last several years, the LGBT community has lost a lot of the stigma they've had to deal with. More people than ever, especially young people, know a bisexual person or at least understand the concept of bisexuality. I think just seeing somebody on the stage, who's been a successful governor and has a chance to be President, who's bisexual will do a lot to ease the remaining stigma.

A question submitted by Eli Ben-Yehuda, a Parliamentarian aide from Jerusalem: "Governor Brown, do you think you have a chance to emerge as the victor from this field? What would be your strategy for this?
Thankfully the DNC learned what neither party knew four years ago, which is that an open and level playing field is the only way to stop terrible candidates from representing the party on the national stage. I think I can make a strong case for myself at the debates, and I think the more people know about me, the more they'll like.

[Blackacre]

Update: in light of Xavier Becerra leaving Congress to become California AG, I've changed my 2018 post. Joaquin Castro STENY HOYER is now House Speaker.

The first change was because Becerra is gone. Second change is because I realised that Hoyer isn't going to retire if he's about to become Speaker of the House. Not yet, anyway. Joaquin Castro has been promoted to Majority Leader

[jburnx2]

I'm really new, but could I take Chuck Todd from MSNBC as a pundit?

[Blackacre]

I'm really new, but could I take Chuck Todd from MSNBC as a pundit?

You sure can!

[Blackacre]

Thursday, April 4th, 2019


If you had any doubts, let me end them. I am officially running for re-election for President of the United States! Three years ago, the people of this tremendous country sent a message to Washington that we need a change. You should see what happened, it’s like nobody got the memo! I remember saying to myself, how am I supposed to Make America Great Again when the corrupt Washington Establishment fights the will of the people at every turn? Americans are sick and tired of having their voices silenced, and next year we’ll send me back to Washington and we’ll send everyone who didn’t listen to us outta here!


We all knew it was coming. Though some expected Cruz’s announcement to force his hand earlier than normal, President Donald J. Trump actually kicked off his re-election campaign exactly eight years to the day after then-President Barack Obama launched his re-election campaign. He appears to be angling not only for a landslide re-election with yuge margins, but also to target both Democratic and Republican opponents who have thwarted him in his first term. Given the 2020 Senate map, this includes Democratic Senators from states Trump either won or kept close, like Peters, (D-MI) Franken, (D-MN) Shaheen, (D-NH) and Warner, (D-VA) but also Republicans who have opposed him, like Collins, (R-ME) Sasse, (R-NE) and McConnell, (R-KY) the latter being noteworthy for not abolishing the filibuster and thus, in the President’s eyes, being responsible for The Wall, the Trump Infrastructure Bill, and another crack at the Muslim Registry never reaching his desk.


Right after the announcement, President Trump received endorsements from Vice President Pence, RNC Chair Ivanka Trump, and Senators like Ron Johnson and Richard Burr. Senate Majority Leader McConnell and House Minority Leader Ryan, however, notably stayed mum. In addition, RNC Chair Ivanka Trump revealed in a written statement that no debates were being planned between Trump and Cruz.


If Your State’s Primary Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For? (Republicans)
President Trump: 77%
Sen. Cruz: 22%


President Trump is the clear favourite over Senator Cruz, and even though Cruz is technically polling above every single Democrat, it looks a lot bleaker for him because the RNC is completely behind the Incumbent President.


Next time: While we are by no means done with candidate announcements, we’ll take a look at the campaigns in action at this early stage!

[jburnx2]

Meet The Press - April 7, 2019

CHUCK TODD: This Sunday, Donald Trump, re-election, and Ted Cruz. President Trump officially launched his re-election bid this past Thursday, and is already facing primary challenges from Senator Ted Cruz. This morning, we are analyzing the Trump presidency and Cruz's chances.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: "If you had any doubts, let me end them. I am officially running for re-election for President of the United States! Three years ago, the people of this tremendous country sent a message to Washington that we need a change. You should see what happened, it’s like nobody got the memo!"
CHUCK TODD: This story, plus an angry tweet from the President about Ted Cruz's candidacy--

"Lyin' Ted Cruz is trying to run for President again. That's cute. I thrashed him once and I'll do it again. Sad!"

--are just the latest examples of why Trump's hot-headed personality could cost him re-election next November.
How will the president's attitude affect the election? Plus, a new Republican primary poll, and what that means for President Trump.
ANNOUNCER: From NBC News in Washington, this is Meet The Press with Chuck Todd.
CHUCK TODD: Good Sunday morning and welcome to Meet The Press. The 2020 Presidential campaign is just kicking off, with the race wide open on the Democrats' side after their devastating losses in the 2016 elections. However, this morning, we are focusing on the primary campaign on the Republicans' side, with Donald Trump officially launching his re-election campaign and Ted Cruz reaching significant numbers in the latest Republican primary poll.

Pres. Donald Trump: 77%
Sen. Ted Cruz: 22%

What does this mean for President Trump in 2020? As of now, it doesn't look like very good news. While these numbers show that the President, at this point in time, would breeze through the primary, nearly a fourth of Republican primary voters are supporting Senator Cruz's candidacy. Cruz, who launched his campaign just over two weeks ago--
SEN. TED CRUZ: "Three years ago, I voted for Donald Drumpf for President. It is the single biggest regret of my life. He is a compulsive liar, a man who has proven himself undeserving of our trust."
CHUCK TODD: --also ran in the 2016 Republican primaries, and came second place behind President Trump. While not yet reaching the heights of his candidacy in 2020, where some polls showed him leading Donald Trump nationally, he's taking a significant amount of support from the President.
While President Obama in 2012 received only 88% of the Democratic primary vote, there hasn't been a legitimate contested primary against an incumbent President since 1992. Now, I've seen many comparisons of Cruz's candidacy to Ted Kennedy's in 1980, when he ran against President Jimmy Carter in the Democratic primaries, but there were polls that showed Kennedy leading the incumbent President in the national primary 58-25 back then. This poll shows the President leading 77-22. If anything, this is more similar to the 1992 primary, where political advisor Pat Buchanan ran against President George H.W. Bush, and while he came close to winning the New Hampshire primary, he ended up losing every primary and took around 20% of the primary vote.
That did, however, have a negative effect on Bush's standing in the general election, and he ended up losing the popular vote by 6 percentage points and lost the Electoral College in a landslide, becoming the last president to lose re-election.
TED CRUZ: "He promised to repeal Obamacare, it still exists. He promised to cut spending, but if I weren’t in the Senate he’d have spent trillions more on wasteful government programs that we cannot afford. The deficit has soared, our liberties are being taken away, and it’s all because of a man who cares almost as little about the Constitution as his predecessor. This man cannot be our President."
CHUCK TODD: Senator Cruz isn't the only one feeling betrayed. Many Republican voters are disappointed in Trump's failure to follow through on campaign promises and policies. It's very possible that 2020 could be the year for the Democrats to recover, and make Trump the first one-term president since Bush.

(BORING REST OF EPISODE PLAYS OUT)

CHUCK TODD:That's all for today. We want to wish you a very safe day, and happy Election Season. We're back next week because if it's Sunday, it's Meet the Press. Have a great day.

(END OF TRANSCRIPT)

[Blackacre]

Wednesday, April 10th, 2019


If The Iowa Caucuses Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For?
Gov. Wolf: 16%
Sen. Franken: 14%
Sen. Baldwin: 13%
Gov. Brown: 10%
Sen. Wyden: 7%
Sen. Warren: 6%
Mayor de Blasio: 6%
Gov. Cuomo: 4%
Sen. Cantwell: 2%
Sen. Booker: 1%


While Warren, de Blasio, and Wyden led the national field, in Iowa the midwestern candidates dominated. Wolf, Franken, and Baldwin all visited Iowa several times already, and all have some degree of experience winning over a similar audience.


If The New Hampshire Primaries Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For?
Sen. Warren: 15%
Sen. Wyden: 14%
Gov. Brown: 11%
Mayor de Blasio: 10%
Sen. Cantwell: 10%
Gov. Cuomo: 7%
Sen. Booker: 7%
Sen. Franken: 4%
Gov. Wolf: 4%
Sen. Baldwin: 2%


In New Hampshire, meanwhile, the early favourite matched more closely to the early national favourites. The liberal firebrand from next door and the civil libertarian were both great fits for New Hampshire, and for candidates like Cuomo and Booker, low numbers here surely caused a few sleepless nights. Nevertheless, these were April numbers, with precious little predictive power. Four years prior, Scott Walker was the Iowa frontrunner after all.


The campaigns were also vying for endorsements. The establishment of old was shattered after Clinton’s loss three years ago, so even if there was a clear frontrunner to coalesce around, the coalescing wouldn’t have happened. At this stage, the early endorsements mostly came from the candidates’ home states. Sen. Casey endorsing Gov. Wolf or Sen. Klobuchar endorsing Sen. Franken, for example. The only one that really did anything was Governor Feingold’s endorsement of Senator Baldwin. Potential high-profile endorsers like Sanders, Schumer, and Newsom were content to sit this one out, on the grounds that they liked everybody.


If you’re going by crowd size at rallies, Warren stood out. She commanded crowds that rivaled those of Bernie Sanders. Wyden and de Blasio boasted similar enthusiasm at rallies, while candidates like Franken seemed to fly under the radar.


Next time: A Democratic heavyweight shakes everything up with their announcement

[Blackacre]

Author's note: The Louisiana Senate runoff is coming this weekend. Should Foster Campbell win, I will update my 2018 Senate post to either have one more Republican win to keep it 50-50, or simply state that McConnell had become minority leader. I have also updated things to reflect Xavier Becarra leaving congress. However, the LA Senate runoff will be the last thing I'll make this TL account for to match OTL. That includes the Supreme Court, (I have Charles T Canady replacing Scalia and no other justices being replaced) cabinet appointments, or anything else that President-elect Trump does or says. This is important to note because we are ending this year and heading into 2017, when a President Trump will no longer be a hypothetical and we'll have a glimpse of 2017 and 2018 candidates.

[Thunderbird is the word]

Loving this! Easily the most hopeful timeline right now. Keep up the great work!

[Blackacre]

Loving this! Easily the most hopeful timeline right now. Keep up the great work!

I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

[BuckeyeNut]

Another heavyweight getting in? Is there any non-geriatric heavyweight who isn't?

[Blackacre]

Another heavyweight getting in? Is there any non-geriatric heavyweight who isn't?

There actually is! (well, define geriatric) There's a couple of potential candidates I actually missed who might run. Not naming names bc spoilers, I'm just saying that the Democratic bench is deeper than a lot of people give it credit for.

[KoiBean]

Hi, I know there are quite a few pundits as is, but I'd love to join as Alex Jones.

[Thunderbird is the word]

Just a suggestion, why not have Tulsi Gabbard enter the race as well? She wouldn't get the nomination but would fill a niche as the candidate of hardline Bernie supporters still pissed at Warren for not endorsing him in 2016. Maybe #Tulsiortoasters as a corollary to #BernieorBusters. She could threaten to divide the left vote until some of her Islamaphobic views are brought to light and Bernie himself comes out and endorses Warren.


Also, maybe have Rand Paul also get in on the Republican side? Trump has pissed off more then just the types who would support Ted Cruz.

[Blackacre]

Hi, I know there are quite a few pundits as is, but I'd love to join as Alex Jones.

You got it! There's no upper limit on the number of pundits, after all!

[Blackacre]

(I’m going to be fast-forwarding a bit, because the time between April and August is full of a lot of noise that doesn’t amount to much)
Wednesday, May 1st, 2019

On behalf of everyone in my state who voted for him, I was willing to give Donald Trump a chance. We agreed on trade, I thought, so we’d be able to craft trade policy that benefits the American worker. But Trump had no plan. Instead of focusing on trade deals that benefits American workers, he started trade wars that hurt us even more. He promised to drain the swamp and stacked his administrator with lobbyists. He promised to be a President for all Americans and then signed a tax plan that hurt almost everyone in my state. The American people now see Trump for the con man he is, and on behalf of everyone he duped, I am running to replace him as President of the United States!

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, riding high from his comeback against John Kasich last year, declared his candidacy for President. On paper, he seemed the perfect candidate: a liberal midwestern titan from a swing state, who can co-opt Trump’s trade positions while appealing to competence, and he packs an impressive track record of fighting back GOP challengers to his Senate seat. But the field is already full of midwesterners, and if Sherrod isn’t even the only one with the last name Brown in the race, how can he really stand out?


If Your State’s Primary Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For? (Democrats)
Sen. Warren: 15%
Mayor de Blasio: 13%
Sen. Brown: 11%
Sen. Wyden: 10%
Gov. Wolf: 9%
Sen. Booker: 8%
Sen. Franken: 7%
Sen. Baldwin: 5%
Gov. Brown: 3%
Sen. Cantwell: 3%
Gov. Cuomo: 1%


If The Iowa Caucuses Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For?
Sen. Brown: 20%
Gov. Wolf: 12%
Gov. Brown: 10%
Sen. Franken: 10%
Sen. Baldwin: 8%
Sen. Wyden: 6%
Sen. Warren: 6%
Mayor de Blasio: 6%
Gov. Cuomo: 4%
Sen. Booker: 3%
Sen. Cantwell: 2%


If The New Hampshire Primaries Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For?
Sen. Warren: 17%
Sen. Wyden: 13%
Gov. Brown: 10%
Sen. Cantwell: 10%
Mayor de Blasio: 9%
Gov. Cuomo: 8%
Sen. Booker: 7%
Sen. Franken: 6%
Sen. Brown: 5%
Gov. Wolf: 4%
Sen. Baldwin: 2%


Early polling is actually really good for Brown. He’s jumped to a respectable lead in Iowa and holds a high spot nationally. Things look pretty good for his campaign right now!


If Your State’s Primary Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For? (Republicans)
President Trump: 72%
Sen. Cruz: 26%


Next time: The final Democrat enters the fray, and we get ready for the first debate(s)!

[BuckeyeNut]

SB definitely isn't geriatric. ❤️

[Blackacre]

SB definitely isn't geriatric. ❤️

Told ya there was a heavyweight left

[Thunderbird is the word]

Looks like Andy Cuomo is going to be the Democrats answer to Jeb Bush.

[Blackacre]

Looks like Andy Cuomo is going to be the Democrats answer to Jeb Bush.

Though Jeb was placing top 3 in the polls before the first debate

...

Please clap. (lol)

[Thunderbird is the word]

Looks like Andy Cuomo is going to be the Democrats answer to Jeb Bush.

Though Jeb was placing top 3 in the polls before the first debate

...

Please clap. (lol)

For Cuomo's equivalent of "please clap" I picture a Fredo Corleone type meltdown.

[America Needs R'hllor]

The Plog- Tal Schneider's Political Blog

Friday, May 3rd, 2019

Sherrod Brown enters Democratic race, shakes up field


Hello, readers. Two days ago, we've welcomed a new, surprising candidate to the big field of the Democratic Primary- Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, who was thought by many to not have big presidential ambitions before that.
This move is already making waves, as he takes an immediate lead in the Iowa polls and passes all the other Midwestern candidates to a third place in the national polls.
But despite Brown's popularity, this move caused me to raise an eyebrow. Three other Midwestern candidates are already in the race, and another candidate, Senator Warren, seems to have no real policy differences with Brown. So why is he running? Is it ambition, or does he have any cause to advance? Surely, this is a question he must address.
But meanwhile, the nails of campaign staffers and officials working for Sens. Baldwin, Franken, and Warren, as well as Gov. Wolf, are probably being abused and bitten at a record pace. As if it wasn't hard enough for them to emerge from the pack, now the popular populist Senator from Ohio is in, making it even more complicated.
But in any instance, Brown's entrance will have a big impact on the dynamic of the race, and raises some interesting questions, some of which we've directed to the campaigns which are the likliest to be strongly affected:

A question submitted to the campaigns of Senator Al Franken, Senator Tammy Baldwin, and Governor Tom Wolf:
"The entrance of Senator Brown increases the number of candidates from the Midwest to four, a historic high. How is your candidate planning to distinguish himself/herself in this setting, and will you try and win over the group of Midwestern voters who would likely consolidate around a popular Midwestern politician if she/he didn't have such a competition?"

Response from the Franken Campaign: "This is a large and strong Democratic field, but a new addition, or the geography of that addition, doesn't change the fact that Senator Franken has a long history of fighting for the people of Minnesota and taking on large interests."

Response from the Wolf campaign: "Governor Wolf is the of the only candidates in this field with executive experience, and is in fact the only one who has been elected to two full terms as Governor. We believe Governor Wolf's record and experiences make him better equipped for the Presidency than anyone else in the running."

Response from the Baldwin campaign: "Our campaign is strong and well-organised. Regardless of how many candidates are in the running, we believe the people will hear Tammy Baldwin's message and join our team."

All three campaigns responded with confidence, unsurprisingly, but it is interesting to see how they differ from each other. While the Franken and Baldwin campaigns have responded with messages which are aimed at the hearts of voters, with talk of the people, the Wolf campaign aimed at the brains- while this strategy could be successful a few years ago, are peoeple looking for executive experience this year, with populism in the US being so strong? His governance experience messaging has the danger of allowing him to be framed as an establishment candidate, part of the governing elite, which would certainly not help him in Iowa. Ultimately, I believe that Governor Wolf will be seen as too generic and uninspiring, sinking his candidacy.

We've also submitted a questions to the campaigns of Sens. Brown and Warren:

"Sens. Warren and Brown had been longtime allies in the Senate, who fought together for the same causes. Will we be seeing a friendly race, or a more competitive one? And more importantly, is there an actual policy difference between the two candidates, or is this a battle of personalities?"

Response from the Warren campaign: "Senators Warren and Brown have been allies since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was created. We don't intend to launch degrading personal attacks on Brown, and we expect the Brown campaign to hold themselves to a similar standard."

Response from the Brown campaign: "Sherrod Brown and Sen. Warren are longtime allies and friends. The race between our campaigns will be positive and friendly out of mutual respect. There are some disagreements between Sherrod Brown and Senator Warren, which will be highlighted in the upcoming debates, but we agree on far more than either of us does with Donald Trump."

The Warren campaign's response seems more strict and cold, failing to address any difference between the two Senators and making a veiled threat to the Brown campaign to warn them not to attack her. On the other hand, the Brown campaign's response seems to reflect the optimism of its candidate, and seems far more warm and friendly. He also makes it clear that differences exist, setting the ground for Brown to distinguish himself.

At this stage it cannot be described than more than a speculation and a gut feeling, but I believe that Brown will be gaining ground in the coming months, and that he will prove to be a better campaigner than Warren, ultimately defeating her. Of course, this prediction is currently unfounded, so we will have to see for ourselves how will this very interesting race develop.

[Blackacre]

Excerpts from Kyle Kulinski's Interview with Wisconsin Governor Russ Feingold:


Well, two high-profile liberals in a few weeks. We're moving up in the world. With me today is Governor Russ Feingold, the man who saved Wisconsin from Scott Walker. Thank you for joining me today, Governor.


Great to be here, thank you for having me!

Kulinski
So obviously, the burning question is why you decided to not run. Why did you decide against running?

Feingold
Wisconsin gave me a second chance after turning me down twice in a row, and frankly I don't want to turn around and run for President right after getting another chance. I'm focusing on the problems facing Wisconsin, not the Presidency. I am endorsing Tammy Baldwin, because I know her well and think she'll make a great President, and I'll support the eventual nominee whoever they are.

Kulinski
Wow, an endorsement on this show? Moving on up. One thing about that; Tammy Baldwin is the first open homosexual to be elected to the US Senate. Now this might be a little bit of a weird question,  but do you think there are some parts of the country that might be resistant to electing a progressive homosexual President?

Feingold
It's possible, sure. But I give the voters more credit than that. The economy isn't doing well, people don't have jobs, healthcare costs are rising, Trump's broken many of his promises. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think the voters care more about getting back to work than the President's sexual orientation.

Kulinski
Do you believe progressivism is the future of the Democratic Party?

Feingold
Absolutely. Progressive policies can improve lives, level the playing field, and bring people out of poverty. That's a good governing philosophy for a party to have.

Kulinski
About progressivism, four years ago there was a lot of bitterness over the leaks at the DNC that showed what's been called collusion between the Democratic National Committee and the Clinton campaign and Bernie was basically laughed off as being too far left. Do you reckon that the Democratic Party is making a shift to the left?

Feingold
Okay, I have a lot of thoughts on that. On one hand, it was a blatant showing of the establishment backing one candidate over the other and being rather disrespectful about it. But on the other hand, they were after the New York Primary when it was pretty clear who the overall winner was going to be. But at the end of the day, to answer your question, I think so. While the party had very liberal elements when I was Senator, and when I had the backing of the whole party in my second Senate run, I feel like the party's moved away from its relationship with big money interests that it had in 2016.

Kulinski
What did you make of Keith Ellison's election as DNC chair?

Feingold
I was optimistic that he'd bring my party in a new direction, and I was right. He's done a great job as chairman. Thanks to him, the Democratic party controls the House and the majority of governorships. I can thank him for my job!

Kulinski
Why did you decide to run for Governor?

Feingold
I love Wisconsin and couldn't stand by idly while Walker was taking that state in a horrible direction. But between you and me, I needed a push from Ellison to actually take the plunge.

Kulinski
Would you accept the VP slot if offered?

Feingold
If Baldwin wins, we won't need to worry about that. But honestly, it's way too early to say.

[Blackacre]

Saturday, June 1st, 2019

Let me put all speculation to rest: I have no intention of running for President. I’m flattered that people think I could win, but my intention is to run for a second term as Governor of Louisiana and serve a second full term.


Well, he didn’t. John Bel Edwards decided against running for President, leaving someone else to round out the field:


Friday, June 7th, 2019



Donald Trump’s spent the last three and a half years doing a grave disservice to our most vulnerable citizens: our disabled, our poor, our veterans, our communities of color. He’s made so many of us afraid in our own country. It’s time to put that to an end. I’m running for President, and when I win, the White House will once again be a voice to those who need it the most!

That honer went to Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth, the Class 3, Junior Senator from Illinois elected in the previous Presidential Election that went terribly for the Democratic Party. The more things change, the more they stay the same.


Tuesday, July 19th, 2019
The last poll that would be used to determine debate placements came out on this day. Here is the national poll average that MSNBC used:


If Your State’s Primary Were Held Today, Who Would You Vote For? (Democrats)
Sen. Warren: 15%
Mayor de Blasio: 14%
Sen. Brown: 12%
Sen. Franken: 11%
Sen. Wyden: 10%
Sen. Baldwin: 8%
Gov. Wolf: 8%
Sen. Duckworth: 7%
Sen. Booker: 6%
Sen. Cantwell: 4%
Gov. Brown: 3%
Gov. Cuomo: 2%


The first debate, hosted by MSNBC, will feature two distinct parts. At 8 PM EST on Saturday, August 3rd, the following candidates will participate in a two hour long debate: Warren, Sherrod Brown, Wyden, Wolf, Booker, and Kate Brown.


The following night, at 8 PM EST on Sunday, August 4th, the following candidates will participate: de Blasio, Franken, Baldwin, Duckworth, Cantwell, and Cuomo.


With every candidate given a chance to participate on the main stage, and with no clear frontrunner having emerged yet, This two-part debate carries heightened importance. Candidates would be made, and broken, on that weekend.


Next time: The First Democratic Presidential Debates!

[GoTfan]

Clip from Secular Talk's show on Monday June 10, 2019

Okay, so the Democratic field widened on Friday. Senator Tammy Duckworth announced her entry into the Democratic primary. She said:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So what do I make of this? Well I'm not so sure. She's been a good Senator, she has progressive credentials and she's a veteran, but I really hope we don't start getting people who support her just because she's a minority or a woman; the same goes for every candidate in the field. I don't want people supporting Elizabeth Warren just because she's a woman and the same goes for Tulsi Gabbard if she decides to run.

Ultimately though, I think this is a good thing; the Democratic Party is moving in a more progressive direction, amd that is only a good thing. You guys watch them now; they'll get the sort of cross-party support that Hillary Clinton could only dream of.