Amy Klobuchar

Overwhelming Biden Victory In South Carolina Makes Super Tuesday Even More Significant

Ronald 4 Comments

After Joe Biden’s resounding, convincing victory by more than two to one over Bernie Sanders, and winning nearly 50 percent of the total South Carolina Primary vote yesterday, the race has led to a true showdown on Super Tuesday!

The question is whether South Carolina can have a dramatic effect on the 14 states that vote on Tuesday, as Bernie Sanders seems to have the edge in most of that group of states.

Meanwhile, Tom Steyer has dropped out, and likely the same will happen with Amy Klobuchar after Tuesday, particularly if she does not win her home state of Minnesota.

And Elizabeth Warren is fighting hard but performing poorly, and if she cannot win her home state of Massachusetts over Bernie Sanders, who already defeated her in neighboring New Hampshire, then it is likely her candidacy is over!

Pete Buttigieg also faces a potential turning point, and everyone will be watching to see if Michael Bloomberg’s spending of more than $400 million in advertising does anything to promote his candidacy.

For anyone who is a political junkie, Super Tuesday will be a very exciting day, with the likelihood of possibly as few as three candidates left standing–Sanders, Biden, Bloomberg—all three reaching 80 in the next Presidential term, and two of the three being Jewish.

Somehow, the feeling is present that Pete Buttigieg will continue to contest, but right now, the future is not bright.

The Number Of Democratic Contenders Will Drop After Super Tuesday

Ronald 4 Comments

Once the South Carolina Primary today, and the 14 Super Tuesday Primaries on Tuesday have taken place, the number of Democratic contenders will drop dramatically.

Without knowing the results at this writing of what will happen between today and Tuesday, the expectations are that the following candidates will drop out:

Elizabeth Warren

Amy Klobuchar

Tom Steyer

Tulsi Gabbard

The four finalists seem likely to be:

Bernie Sanders

Joe Biden

Pete Buttigieg

Michael Bloomberg

It is likely that Warren and Klobuchar will win no primaries nor end up at least third in any of them, other than their home states of Massachusetts and Minnesota, with doubts they will even win their states.

Steyer has spent a lot of funds in South Carolina, but seems unlikely to do well, and while he has the financial means to stay on, it seems likely he will give up.

As far as Tulsi Gabbard, a truly weird candidate, if she had any sense, she would get out as she has zero credibility, but even if she stays in the race, she is a pure joke!

It seems likely that Joe Biden will win South Carolina and some other primaries, and that Pete Buttigieg will do well enough to stay in the race. And Bloomberg, with his financial assets, has pledged to remain in the race until the bitter end.

And finally, Sanders, with his lead, is not going anywhere!

So the four likely finalists are three old men nearing 80; a fourth candidate half their age and gay and has a husband; and two Jewish finalists.

Who could have predicted this? No one!

The Las Vegas MSNBC Democratic Presidential Debate: Combative, Confrontational, And Fascinating, All At The Same Time!

Ronald 3 Comments

Yesterday’s Las Vegas MSNBC Democratic Presidential debate can be described as combative, confrontational, and fascinating, all at the same time!

The six way debate, adding former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the mix, clearly made Elizabeth Warren look much better, as she challenged Bloomberg, and made him look weak and befuddled.

It seems clear that Bloomberg has lost his image of invincibility gained by spending nearly $400 million in advertising.

Bernie Sanders also did well, and clearly is the front runner, but the question remains if he can overcome the “Socialist” label, which is misunderstood by millions of Americans, who think it is the same as Communism, which it most certainly is not.

The fear is that Sanders will lose the election due to the “Socialist” label, and that greatly concerns this author and blogger.

Joe Biden showed improvement in the debate, but the question remains if he is capable of the challenge ahead, as he seems to many to be a bit slower in response and debate skills, from what he was in 2008 and 2012, when he debated Sarah Palin and Paul Ryan.

Pete Buttigieg put in another good performance, and helped to promote an image of Amy Klobuchar as temperamental in her reaction to his challenges to her about failing to know who was the President of Mexico.

Overall, the loser of the night was Bloomberg, and the major winner was Warren.

We shall see what effect this debate has on the upcoming Nevada Caucuses and South Carolina Primary.

Is Bernie Sanders The Equivalent Of George McGovern In 1972?

Ronald 13 Comments

Half a century ago, the Democratic Party nominated South Dakota Senator George McGovern for President, and sadly, he went on to suffer a massive defeat at the hands of President Richard Nixon, losing all states except Massachusetts and the District of Columbia.

This blogger and author was then a graduate student who was intrigued by McGovern, and loved the fact that he had gained a Ph. D. in History, as I was pursuing at the time.

I always loved McGovern for the rest of his political life, and was saddened by his death in 2012.

I felt he would have been good for the nation, but he was perceived as too far to the left, and this is what concerns me about Bernie Sanders in 2020.

Sanders is no danger to democracy, as some see it, but his ideas are self declared “Socialistic”, which I believe is a guarantee of a massive defeat.

I know there are readers of my blog, and students who I have taught and still teach, who do not agree with me about this, including my loyal contributor “D”.

But defeating Trump is even more significant than if Nixon had been defeated, as Nixon was brought down anyway, but that is not the case if Trump were to win in 2020.

So a moderate, mainstream Democrat, such as Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, or if he can revive, Joe Biden, and even Michael Bloomberg would be more likely to win the Presidency, and save us from another four years of Trump, preventing the total destruction of the New Deal of FDR and the Great Society of LBJ, and all other progress under Presidents of both parties in the past century and more!

New Hampshire Primary: Moderates Dominate, And Joe Biden And Elizabeth Warren In Free Fall

Ronald 29 Comments

The New Hampshire Primary results are in, and the winners are Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar, who together won 44 percent of the vote, compared to Bernie Sanders winning 25.7 percent, only about 3,700 votes ahead of Buttigieg, who had 24.4 percent of the vote on his own.

Even if you add Elizabeth Warren’s poor showing, 9.2 percent of the vote to Sanders’ total, the moderates clearly won, even not including Joe Biden’s embarrassing 5th place finish, with 8.4 percent of the vote.

It is clear that both Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren are in free fall, and if they do not do well in Nevada and South Carolina, and on Super Tuesday on March 3, they are done as candidates, and it is likely down to Sanders, Buttigieg, Klobuchar, and the likelihood that Michael Bloomberg may do well on Super Tuesday, after spending about $300 million on advertising so far.

Tom Steyer, Deval Patrick, and Tulsi Gabbard remain technically in the race, which is down to just nine candidates, after Andrew Yang and Michael Bennet withdrew last night.

No one thought that Buttigieg and Klobuchar would get this far as survivors, and the sense is that one or the other, or both as a team, might very well be the Democratic ticket for 2020, two Midwestern candidates, who could, in theory, accomplish what Hillary Clinton could not do in 2016, win Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and potentially, even Ohio and Iowa, enough to win the White House!

The Ugly Specter Of Anti Semitism, Anti Socialism, Homophobia, And Misogyny Alive In 2020 Presidential Campaign

Ronald 1 Comment

The Presidential Campaign of 2020 is in full swing, and due to Donald Trump willing to do anything to undermine his potential opponents, the ugly specter of Anti Semitism, Anti Socialism, Homophobia, and Misogyny are alive, and will be part of the discussion for the next nine months.

The fact that Michael Bloomberg and Bernie Sanders are Jewish, and that Sanders is a self professed “Socialist”, which is NOT Communism in any sense, will be part of the upcoming political debate.

The fact that Pete Buttigieg is gay and has a husband is certainly to be part of the political debate, with hatred and prejudice existing among right wing evangelical Christians, conservative Catholics, and Orthodox Jews.

The fact that Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar are serious Presidential contenders will stir the misogynists who think women should only be in the kitchen and the bedroom, and not running for President or Vice President.

It is certain that the Presidential Election of 2020 will match others as the “dirtiest” campaign, including the Presidential Elections of 1828, 1860, 1896, 1912, 1928, 1948, 1968, and 2016!

African Americans And The Democratic Presidential Contenders

Ronald 3 Comments

A major problem moving forward is that African Americans seem tied to the destiny of former Vice President Joe Biden, who they seem to favor overwhelmingly in the upcoming South Carolina Primary, the first state to have a large African American population, in the Caucus-Primary season.

It seems clear that African Americans, based on polls, are not thrilled by Pete Buttigieg, Bernie Sanders, or Amy Klobuchar, all of whom have had lack of their support in their own states and cities.

But if the Democratic Party alienates African Americans, they could stay home, and that would kill off chances of a Democratic Presidential victory in November.

Clearly, African Americans will not vote for Donald Trump, who gained less than 10 percent of their vote in 2016, but “sitting on their hands”, and staying home, is counterproductive.

So other Democratic contenders, with the sense that Joe Biden might be fading as a candidate, need to convince African Americans that they offer an alternative to Biden.

Winners Of The New Hampshire ABC Democratic Presidential Debate: The Moderates

Ronald 5 Comments

The clear cut winners of last night’s New Hampshire ABC Democratic Presidential debate were the moderates, in the following order:

Pete Buttigieg

Amy Klobuchar

Joe Biden

All three gave a very strong performance, and the odds now of Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar becoming an eventual team as President and Vice President has grown.

The fact that both are from the Midwest is very important, since that is the area of the nation that, had Hillary Clinton won there in 2016, we would not have the unending nightmare of Donald Trump!

The fact that there would be a 21 plus year difference in age, with the Vice President being the older part of the ticket, is no big deal, as Joe Biden was 19 years older than Barack Obama, and the team of the two of them worked very well.

It must be said that Joe Biden had his best performance, but a younger combination is better for the nation long term, with the potential for two terms moving ahead.

First Impressions Of Iowa Caucuses: Pete And Bernie Lead Factions, Joe And Amy In Trouble, Elizabeth Number Three Hanging On

Ronald 17 Comments

Although the Iowa Caucuses results are still not complete at this writing, the following conclusions are clear:

The big winners are Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, and they now become the leaders of the two factions in the Democratic Party.

Joe Biden in 4th place and Amy Klobuchar in 5th place are on notice if they cannot do better soon, with Super Tuesday clearly their last stand if they do not perform much better.

Elizabeth Warren may have been 3rd, but failed to win any of the 99 counties, so she seems to be at a difficult time with New Hampshire coming up, and Sanders expected to win.

So it looks like the likely battle, subject to change, is between the oldest candidate and the youngest candidate in the field, with Pete precisely half the age of Bernie.

One is a non devout person of Jewish heritage who calls himself a Socialist, and the other is a devout Episcopalian who attends church regularly, and is gay and has a husband.

Buttigieg won the John F. Kennedy Profiles in Courage award as a high school senior in 2000, having written an essay on the integrity and political courage of then Congressman Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and met Caroline Kennedy at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

This is certainly an ironic situation, that the two front runners are linked in this manner. And the fact that one of my contributors to commentary on this blog, D, supports Sanders while I support Pete is also of interest.

So the battle is on, and we shall see what happens!

Time For A New Generation Of Leadership: My Endorsement Of Pete Buttigieg For President!

Ronald 7 Comments

With the Iowa Caucuses taking place on Monday evening, followed by the New Hampshire Primary, the Nevada Caucuses, and the South Carolina Primary later in February, and then Super Tuesday on March 3 (14 states voting), it is time to consider who would be the best choice for President of the United States.

Anyone who has read my blog for the past eleven and a half years knows of my genuine affection for former Vice President Joe Biden.

I wish he had been the nominee in 2016, and believe he would have defeated Donald Trump.

But at age 77 now, and concerned about the idea of an octogenarian Presidency if Joe, or Bernie Sanders, or Mike Bloomberg wins the election, I do not think any of these three would be the best choice for the future of the party and nation.

I wish to make it clear that I will support whoever the Democratic Presidential nominee is in 2020, but prefer a younger candidate who represents the future.

So therefore, I am endorsing former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg for President!

I believe that Pete, while seen as a “dark horse”, represents the future of the party, and would move the nation forward in a rational, reasonable way.

He would be the John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama of his time, as the thought of a Catholic, a Southerner, a Governor of a small state, and a mixed race African American President was unlikely, but occurred in 1960, 1976, 1992, and 2008.

Pete was the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, a small city, but there is no description of who a President should be, and what matters more is the inspiration that a candidate brings to the race.

And Pete represents a new generation; a man who would be the youngest President in history; a man who served in the military in Afghanistan; a Harvard and Oxford graduate; a recipient of the Rhodes Scholarship; and a scholarly man who can speak seven languages.

Pete is a moderate progressive, which is the mainstream of the Democratic Party, and this blogger and scholar does not believe that Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren can win the election. And were either to win, the strong odds are against their agenda as more ambitious than the next Congress would be.

To accomplish their goals would require a Congress similar to that under Franklin D. Roosevelt in the mid 1930s, or Lyndon B. Johnson in the mid 1960s, but that occurring is close to zero, in reality!

The fact that Pete Buttigieg is gay and has a husband would not, in my estimation, be a major factor in the election, except for extremist religious Christians and Jews, but realistically, they would be unlikely to vote Democratic anyway.

And as far as African American voters, while they might favor Joe Biden now, and there are some issues with Pete’s handling of racial issues in South Bend, can one really imagine African Americans backing Donald Trump for a second term?

The prospect of a woman nominee, either Amy Klobuchar or Elizabeth Warren, would be appealing, particularly after the disappointment in 2016, and the fact that the centennial of the Woman Suffrage 19th Amendment, is in 2020. But I think the odds of midwestern white men supporting a woman over a gay male is highly questionable.

A great idea, however, would be to select a qualified woman for Vice President, with Amy Klobuchar the front runner in that regard, older by a generation than Pete, but Obama had Joe Biden who was a generation older as well.

Having a Midwestern ticket of Pete and Amy would insure, in my estimation, a Democratic victory in November, with two firsts–a gay male President and a woman Vice President–two advancements brought to us by the Democratic Party, the party of reasonable revolutionary change as in the case of John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama, half a century apart, and now looking into the future of the nation.

So again, I am in for whoever the Democrats nominate for President as the best choice for the nation, but enthusiastically endorse Pete Buttigieg for President, and welcome all commentary by any reader!