Today Biden re-asserted his support for the Hyde Amendment. (The Hyde Amendment, in brief: no federal funds for abortion except in matters of serious health or to save the mother.)
That seems – on the surface – like it could be the start of his downfall within the primary process. Already the normally establishment-leaning Emily’s List has come out against him pretty strongly as a result of what feels like a pretty huge unforced error here.
KevinC
2693
So Biden’s being Biden, then.
I mean, he’s supported Hyde in the past. It’s part of his political DNA.
So this was going to be an inevitable question for him to answer, and a position he was going to need to clarify or reaffirm.
They seem to have not done the best job of figuring out how to answer that, or to answer it in a politically conscionable way that wouldn’t piss off about 65% of likely Democratic Primary voters.
Timex
2695
I honestly feel like Biden is eventually gonna fall by the wayside. He’s just far less impressive than someone like Pete, if you want a reasonably moderate Democrat. Hell, when thinking about it, Pete’s not really super moderate anyway… he just explains his thinking so well that he makes everything seem reasonable. It’s actually why I think he’d be successful as a President.
But I’m not really the target audience. While I’m a Democrat, I’m on the rightmost fringe I guess.
Is there a candidate that covers that range? An actual moderate? Or would that fall under more of a centrist leaning (non-Trumpian) Republican candidate? I have not kept up with any Republican candidates but I assumed the never-Trumps weren’t running as they didn’t think they had enough support.
Bidden. Bidden is an actual moderate. Which is why it’s a terrible idea to elect Bidden, because a moderate won’t be able to tackle the large looming issues of climate change or the wealth gap in an effective method.
The GOP has no moderates. Trump is the closest thing the GOP has to a moderate in that he has zero ideology except his own self interest and catering to racists. Everyone else has zero influence in the party, or to cowardly to go against what they perceive is the party base.
MikeJ
2698
I think the opinion of the median Senator is going to be a huge limiting factor in what can be done to tackle these issues. That median Senator is unlikely to much persuaded by fire-breathing left-wing Dems. Someone who has credibility as a moderate might have a better chance (in an “only Nixon can go to China” way). Or someone who can make the needed changes seem moderate, common-sense, etc to the Senator’s base.
Timex
2699
I think this is the key.
The only way to get opposition to accept your plans, is to appeal directly to his constituents.
I think this understates the problem. The next Dem President is unlikely to get a single Republican vote in the Senate for any initiative of substance, and won’t get more than a handful of Republican votes in the House.
Yep, without a statistically unlikely Senate coup, and moreover, without hanging onto it in 2022 (which, to be fair, has a friendlier electoral map than '20, IIRC), no Democrat’s actually going to do any legislating at all. It’ll just be executive orders from here to eternity.
JoshL
2702
Biden 2020: The boomers ain’t done with you yet!
Menzo
2703
Biden 2020: Whoa, Whoa, Who’s Gonna Pay for all That?!
Biden 2020: It is not a pretty big fucking deal.
Menzo
2706
Biden 2020: When it absolutely, positively, must be an old white guy.
Wait, that doesn’t exclude Bernie though.
What we need is someone with the transcendent rhetorical skills to make “keep Earth habitable” seem like a reasonable, common-sense position!
Man, I thought the Spicoli shirt would get more traction.
Someone who would say “You Dick!” to McConnell.
Van Halen concerts at the border
Etc.
I’m so disappointed…
GOP 2020: An ultimate set of tools!
Go hug a tree with your radical, leftist, cow fart bullshit. All of this, “It would be best if the planet was capable of sustaining human life” rhetoric only alienates the moderates whose support you need to further bills supporting incremental change on a way de variety of fronts in The House so that the Republicans will look bad when they block those changes. None of your hysteria about the importance of new n-deadly climate to functioning economies and civilization as we know it will matter if we can’t garner the support of moderates in sustaining the status quo.
