(Dems).. Do you think '20 Dem Ticket should include...

[junior chįmp]

I used to have some sympathy with the 'we should pick people based on their qualifications/capability and not their identity' line of argument, but at the same time so many women and minorities are overlooked (through either conscious or unconscious bias or lack of confidence on their part) when they clearly are capable and have likely overcome more hurdles in their life to reach their position. Politics in both sides of the Atlantic is full of mediocre white middle class men who receive no way near the level of abuse and criticism directed at women and minorities, while more talented individuals from a range of backgrounds could have succeeded with more opportunities/aspirations.

I just can't see how the Democrats nominating two men would be tenable in this environment. When 50% of the population has been underrepresented for so long not to have female representation for one of the two highest offices just seems plain odd.

Because most people don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

[GoTfan]

Your hatred of whites has reached some pretty insane levels.

"Guys as white people you probably can't quite wrap your head around how important representation is to minorities"

"OMG YOU HATE ALL WHITE PEOPLE"

That's not what I'm saying, you anti-progressive. The person has just said this:

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you.

This is directly saying that as white males, we don't care about representing minorities at all, which is blatantly false and kinda racist as well.

[ViaActiva]

I used to have some sympathy with the 'we should pick people based on their qualifications/capability and not their identity' line of argument, but at the same time so many women and minorities are overlooked (through either conscious or unconscious bias or lack of confidence on their part) when they clearly are capable and have likely overcome more hurdles in their life to reach their position. Politics in both sides of the Atlantic is full of mediocre white middle class men who receive no way near the level of abuse and criticism directed at women and minorities, while more talented individuals from a range of backgrounds could have succeeded with more opportunities/aspirations.

I just can't see how the Democrats nominating two men would be tenable in this environment. When 50% of the population has been underrepresented for so long not to have female representation for one of the two highest offices just seems plain odd.

Because most people men don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

Fixed this for you.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Your hatred of whites has reached some pretty insane levels.

"Guys as white people you probably can't quite wrap your head around how important representation is to minorities"

"OMG YOU HATE ALL WHITE PEOPLE"

That's not what I'm saying, you anti-progressive. The person has just said this:

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you.

This is directly saying that as white males, we don't care about representing minorities at all, which is blatantly false and kinda racist as well.

That's not what I said. And when I addressed them I was not speaking about white men as a collective, I was talking about them.

What I said was that they can be flippant about representation because no matter who is getting elected, most of the time the candidate looks like them.

I just find it hilarious whenever the candidacy of someone like Kamala Harris is brought up, and the first comments are she needs a white male VP from the Rust Belt that's cool, but when non-whites who are the backbone of the Democratic Party says something similar, it's a problem.

[Rookie Yinzer]

Because most white people don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points. I have no problem with a white man getting the nomination fair and square, but the VP needs to represent a perspective and a view point of the voters who hold this party up. Hiding behind the "qualifications" mumbo jumbo is a cop-out. We all know good and damn well any competent person from a different demographic than the President can be the VP.

[Former Kentuckian]

I'd much, much rather have a woman as the nominee in 2020 and I'm not ashamed to say so. Bring on Gillibrand, Harris, or Klobuchar.

[JG]

Because most white people don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points. I have no problem with a white man getting the nomination fair and square, but the VP needs to represent a perspective and a view point of the voters who hold this party up. Hiding behind the "qualifications" mumbo jumbo is a cop-out. We all know good and damn well any competent person from a different demographic than the President can be the VP.

[Cold War Liberal]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

[Wisconsin SC Race 2019]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

It's much more insulting when the working class is mocked and forgotten about by a party that pretends to care about minorities when they are more importantly looking for champagne liberals in Orange County and using minorities as cover to do it.

[YE]

I think we should strive for regional balance more than anything else. For those reasons, Sanders/CCM and Harris/Brown are strong tickets for instance. I’m fine with nominating minority’s; I’m just not fine  with “vote for me since I’m X” and ignoring economic populism.

[Blair]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

It's much more insulting when the working class is mocked and forgotten about by a party that pretends to care about minorities when they are more importantly looking for champagne liberals in Orange County and using minorities as cover to do it.

[Wisconsin SC Race 2019]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

It's much more insulting when the working class is mocked and forgotten about by a party that pretends to care about minorities when they are more importantly looking for champagne liberals in Orange County and using minorities as cover to do it.

Tell that to the Third Way mealymouths who spout off "business-friendly solutions", "right-to-work", and "the future of the Democratic Party is in the country clubs of Dallas".

[junior chįmp]

Because most white people don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points. I have no problem with a white man getting the nomination fair and square, but the VP needs to represent a perspective and a view point of the voters who hold this party up. Hiding behind the "qualifications" mumbo jumbo is a cop-out. We all know good and damn well any competent person from a different demographic than the President can be the VP.

I don't believe the Democratic Party is nominating white men to try and win white men and frankly, I don't endorse that strategy anyway. The problem is when the Democratic Party, under the guise of muh diversity, is nominating candidates who are just as indifferent to progressives as a white man would be but trying to sneak victories using clever marketing based on the changing demographics of this country.

I'm no more excited for Biden than I am for Booker. I wouldn't vote for either. But give me a weight lifting black gay FTM transgender with a pirates peg leg who's down with a progressive platform and I'll vote for them over old white man Sanders.

[Former Kentuckian]

Because most white people don't care about this stuff. Would the left wingers on this site celebrate the first black women president if she happen to be a rabid right winger? Nope....that i guess would be the wrong type of diversity for them

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points. I have no problem with a white man getting the nomination fair and square, but the VP needs to represent a perspective and a view point of the voters who hold this party up. Hiding behind the "qualifications" mumbo jumbo is a cop-out. We all know good and damn well any competent person from a different demographic than the President can be the VP.

I don't believe the Democratic Party is nominating white men to try and win white men and frankly, I don't endorse that strategy anyway. The problem is when the Democratic Party, under the guise of muh diversity, is nominating candidates who are just as indifferent to progressives as a white man would be but trying to sneak victories using clever marketing based on the changing demographics of this country.

I'm no more excited for Biden than I am for Booker. I wouldn't vote for either. But give me a weight lifting black gay FTM transgender with a pirates peg leg who's down with a progressive platform and I'll vote for them over old white man Sanders.

I'm not going to run, sorry

[Blair]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

It's much more insulting when the working class is mocked and forgotten about by a party that pretends to care about minorities when they are more importantly looking for champagne liberals in Orange County and using minorities as cover to do it.

Tell that to the Third Way mealymouths who spout off "business-friendly solutions", "right-to-work", and "the future of the Democratic Party is in the country clubs of Dallas".

You seem to have a traumatic association with country clubs.

[kyc0705]

It's literally insulting to the non-white people and women who carry the Democratic Party that they would nominate two white men in order to satisfy a demographic they lose by 30 points.

It's much more insulting when the working class is mocked and forgotten about by a party that pretends to care about minorities when they are more importantly looking for champagne liberals in Orange County and using minorities as cover to do it.

Um... apologies to all six liberals in Orange County, I guess.

[Unapologetic Chinaperson]

Wow, I'm actually surprised at all the people who care about representation instead of hiding behind all that "we must appeal to the WWC so we must not speak of identity politics" BS that has been the default Atlas mindset for so long.

Representation matters. I've lived 20 years on this planet as an Asian male, 17 of them in the United States. I have experienced racial abuse myself, whether it's other people saying "ching chong" to my face, or strangers assuming that I know complex math but not English. On the Internet, including these very forums, I see all sorts of abuse, saying how people who look like me should all be dead or deported because we eat dogs and are taking peoples' jobs. I can't speak for the experiences of other people of color on Atlas, or of women on Atlas, but I'm sure they have their stories.

Representation matters. To some, as I have mentioned, I don't belong in this country because I'm an immigrant from China. We're not American, even though we built the transcontinental railroad and advanced American science and technology to soaring heights. To some, black people like RFKfan are not true Americans, even though America was built on the backs of black slaves and black laborers, that American culture would be virtually unrecognizable without their contribution to music and the arts. Ditto for Hispanics, ditto for gay people, ditto for women. And what have we all gotten in return? Racism, sexism, all sorts of -isms. That we don't deserve a voice. That we don't deserve a leader who is one of our brothers and sisters. That we don't deserve sh*t except ignorance and disrespect.

Representation matters. In the past few weeks, we had a Black superhero smash box office records, a slate of Asian-American Olympians proudly going for the gold, and a young Hispanic woman as the face of a nationwide gun control movement. These people are more than just movers and shakers; they are inspirations. Black Panther was a huge force among Black people because it told them that they needed not to be slaves or criminals; they can be scientists and superheroes. Likewise when Linsanity was a thing; it told Asian-Americans that they needed not to be nerdy weaklings, that they can play ball just as well as their Black and White counterparts. And before that, on that one fateful day in 2008, the son of a Kenyan politician and a white woman from Kansas had a message. You too, no matter who you are or what color your skin is, can be president.

Representation matters. It is not a panacea. Needless to say, America did not become a postracial society after 2008, and it will not no matter who the next Democrat president is. Ditto if the next president of color or the first woman or LGBT president is a Republican. Neither Ben Carson nor Ted Cruz are friends to most black or Hispanic people (or anyone really). But representation does not mean nothing. The first woman, Hispanic, Asian, etc. president will inspire millions from historically underrepresented groups to go into politics and make change. That is not nothing. That is something. And it also sends a message to the haters and losers who think that America was made solely for straight Christian white men. We're here, we're American, and we're gonna roll.

[kyc0705]

Wow, I'm actually surprised at all the people who care about representation instead of hiding behind all that "we must appeal to the WWC so we must not speak of identity politics" BS that has been the default Atlas mindset for so long[...]

This is such an excellent post. As both a racial minority and a member of the LGBT community, I can't tell you how much representation in the public sphere—from the media to politics—has helped me be comfortable with who I am. I would be excited to see an Asian-American president in my lifetime. I would be excited to see an openly LGBT president in my lifetime. Is it my primary concern when looking for a candidate? Of course not. But the potential value of fostering greater understanding and embracing the diversity of our national fabric cannot be understated. When people disparaged Obama's presidency, and claimed that he would only be remembered as the first black president, they really underestimated the importance of even that one factor.

[Pennsylvania Deplorable]

Identity politics is the definition of this question. How about what people are on the actual issues?

3rd wayers do their best to avoid the issues, because they suck so badly on them.

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you. If you really think advocating for a racially or gender diverse ticket means putting some unqualified, incompetent hack that "sucks on the issues" on board then you aren't wrapped too tight.

Hmmmmmm I wonder where white working class voters get the impression the liberal elites have disdain for them. I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a democrat. I fully expect democrats to have at least one woman and at least one nonwhite on the ticket. That alone doesn't necessarily hurt you guy with white voters (Obama won Iowa twice), but when you start a discussion with what amounts to "You're a white male so you know nothing and need to shut up" you will lose.

Keep it up! Let's shoot for a 25 point margin among white voters in 2020.

[TheLeftwardTide]

-snip-

Hmmmmmm I wonder where white working class voters get the impression the liberal elites have disdain for them. I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a democrat. I fully expect democrats to have at least one woman and at least one nonwhite on the ticket. That alone doesn't necessarily hurt you guy with white voters (Obama won Iowa twice), but when you start a discussion with what amounts to "You're a white male so you know nothing and need to shut up" you will lose.

Keep it up! Let's shoot for a 25 point margin among white voters in 2020.

Atlas Democrats voted in favor of "Any combo is fine" by a higher percentage than Mitt Romney won Alabama in 2012.

[SCNCmod]

When it comes to picking a VP... since its hard to say who is "most qualified" to be VP & since so may candidates are more than sufficiently qualified for the job...

I think Age, Geography, Sex, & Race should factor in (age & geography have almost always factored in).  Not only does this give more people a connection to the ticket... it also bring a varied viewpoint/ life experiences to the ticket.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Identity politics is the definition of this question. How about what people are on the actual issues?

3rd wayers do their best to avoid the issues, because they suck so badly on them.

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you. If you really think advocating for a racially or gender diverse ticket means putting some unqualified, incompetent hack that "sucks on the issues" on board then you aren't wrapped too tight.

Hmmmmmm I wonder where white working class voters get the impression the liberal elites have disdain for them. I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a democrat. I fully expect democrats to have at least one woman and at least one nonwhite on the ticket. That alone doesn't necessarily hurt you guy with white voters (Obama won Iowa twice), but when you start a discussion with what amounts to "You're a white male so you know nothing and need to shut up" you will lose.

Keep it up! Let's shoot for a 25 point margin among white voters in 2020.

I swear the SJWs are going to get Trump re-elected.

[AtorBoltox]

Identity politics is the definition of this question. How about what people are on the actual issues?

3rd wayers do their best to avoid the issues, because they suck so badly on them.

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you. If you really think advocating for a racially or gender diverse ticket means putting some unqualified, incompetent hack that "sucks on the issues" on board then you aren't wrapped too tight.

Hmmmmmm I wonder where white working class voters get the impression the liberal elites have disdain for them. I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a democrat. I fully expect democrats to have at least one woman and at least one nonwhite on the ticket. That alone doesn't necessarily hurt you guy with white voters (Obama won Iowa twice), but when you start a discussion with what amounts to "You're a white male so you know nothing and need to shut up" you will lose.

Keep it up! Let's shoot for a 25 point margin among white voters in 2020.

I swear the SJWs are going to get Trump re-elected.

'SJW' is a right wing snarl term used to delegitimize progressive movements and create boogeyman for their base.

[Cold War Liberal]

Identity politics is the definition of this question. How about what people are on the actual issues?

3rd wayers do their best to avoid the issues, because they suck so badly on them.

You are both completely off base, but you are both white males so anything that remotely revolves around representation for other groups must seem foreign to you. If you really think advocating for a racially or gender diverse ticket means putting some unqualified, incompetent hack that "sucks on the issues" on board then you aren't wrapped too tight.

Hmmmmmm I wonder where white working class voters get the impression the liberal elites have disdain for them. I didn't vote in the poll because I'm not a democrat. I fully expect democrats to have at least one woman and at least one nonwhite on the ticket. That alone doesn't necessarily hurt you guy with white voters (Obama won Iowa twice), but when you start a discussion with what amounts to "You're a white male so you know nothing and need to shut up" you will lose.

Keep it up! Let's shoot for a 25 point margin among white voters in 2020.

I swear the SJWs are going to get Trump re-elected.

'SJW' is a right wing snarl term used to delegitimize progressive movements and create boogeyman for their base.

Yeah, since when did fighting for people's rights become a bad thing?

I guess Jesus, Gandhi, MLK Jr., and Harvey Milk were all just SJWs too. And look how little they amounted to...

[loganzombieoftime]

I'd like to see Jason Kander or another young person on the ticket to get out millenials to vote.