A Sanders-Led Ticket in 2020? A 2018 Retrospective

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Tuesday February 18, 2020 · 10:59 AM PST

2020/02/18 · 10:59

This could be the face of a massive Democratic loss this Fall

There is a lot of discussion right now about Bernie Sanders’ possible impact on the Democratic ticket in 2020. As with most popular, pundit-driven political discussion, this one also features a lot of conclusory thoughts without a stated basis in fact. The anti-Bernie view, expressed by much of the punditry, simply asserts that Bernie Sanders is too ideological extreme to win. The pro-Bernie view, expressed by his campaign as well as his online supporters, essentially retorts that Bernie Sanders will drive up turnout to overcome the loss of an ever-decreasing amount of swing voters. Meanwhile, Democratic primary voters in between the two views are left without an adequate factual basis to evaluate those competing claims.

But, we can change that now! Let’s look at how similar candidates to Bernie Sanders fared in 2018. And, when we consider those 2018 results, there is only one inescapable conclusion — Bernie Sanders could be a disaster at the top of the Democratic ticket in 2020.

OhioDomer

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Monday March 25, 2019 · 10:13 AM PDT

2019/03/25 · 10:13

mueller_report_barr_illo.0.jpg — The actions of only one of these guys matters in 2020

There’s been some handwringing among the left the past couple of days. The thinking is that the Mueller Report is the final nail in the coffin on the Democrats’ 2020 electoral prospects. Many have decided to come out and say that the conclusion of “no collusion” will produce a two-term presidency for Donald Trump. But, the 2020 Election is not going to be about 2016 or what Donald Trump did during his business career.

OhioDomer

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Monday October 22, 2018 · 9:58 AM PDT

2018/10/22 · 09:58

Joe Scarborough admonishes Trump for being "too stupid" to talk to Mueller — Morning Joe's Very Serious People - Still Wrong

Many of you may have noticed that the national media has decided to take Democratic concern trolling to a new degree the past week. Such concern trolling has no basis in fact, and it’s important that we on the left disregard it. Join me over the jump to see why!

OhioDomer

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Thursday July 13, 2017 · 6:01 AM PDT

2017/07/13 · 06:01

no image description available — I've decided to do something about Ohio's failures. I need your help!

I pretty much grew up on this website. I first visited here on Election Day 2004 to see the exit polls showing John Kerry’s lead. I was 17 years old then, angry about our disastrous war in Iraq, and very concerned that our economy would never work for the middle class again. After reading the exit polls post, I saw diaries written by others like me and I was immediately hooked. Ever since, I’ve religiously read this website. I followed the Paul Hackett 2005 Special Election race, the 2008, 2012, and 2016 presidential elections, and everything in between,. Meanwhile, I grew up in real life from high school senior to college and law school student to husband and soon-to-be dad.

During that time, this community inspired me. It taught me the intricacies of public policy and American politics. It helped me to understand the deep emotion and personal pain that so often comes with political issues. And, over the past couple of months, my experiences in life, particularly the deep fears created by the 2016 Election and my upbringing on this site, have led me to throw my own hat into the ring. Yes, this long-time Kossack has decided to go beyond lurking and posting by running for State Representative here in Ohio’s 14th District, which covers the Far Western part of Cleveland, Brooklyn, Brook Park, Middleburg Heights, and Parma Heights.

OhioDomer

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Tuesday February 28, 2017 · 7:32 AM PST

2017/02/28 · 07:32

Tonight's presidential address sadly won't involve this guy

We all know the drill. The president gets to address Congress each year about his or her priorities and legislative agenda. Such addresses involve a good bit of pomp and circumstance with the sergeant at arms shouting his familiar "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States"; raucous standing ovations; and respectful listening.

But, tonight's address has to be different. Donald Trump endangers the life of our nation every single day that he sits in the Oval Office. His words bring out vile racism; his actions jeopardize the health care and economic well being of millions; his ignorant off the cuff remarks make our country less safe on the international stage.

Worst of all, Trump's strong man authoritarian persona imperils the very foundations of our democracy. He decries negative news stories as fake news. His Republican enablers are attempting to criminalize protests in state capitals across the country. His aides say that his powers will not be questioned.

This animal doesn't deserve any sort of legitimization. And congressional Democrats should not be part of normalizing the popular vote loser. That means that every single Democrat in Congress should refuse to stand for this animal after his arrival is announced. No one should shake his small hands. No one should cheer his disgusting empty promises. And when he espouses his truly disgusting policies of division and hatred, he should be roundly booed.

Have some spine, congressional Democrats. Don't recognize Trump's speech to Congress tonight as a presidential address and refuse to acknowledge him as he delivers another round of hatred and stupidity.

Dear Ohio Democratic Party: Stop Endorsing Candidates in Primaries

OhioDomer

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Friday December 16, 2016 · 8:50 AM PST

2016/12/16 · 08:50

ODP Chairman David Pepper should allow the party's rank-and-file to pick the party's candidates, not the party's insiders.

Next month, the Ohio Democratic Executive Committee, composed mostly of party insiders, will meet in Columbus. There, the Executive Committee, which has members from across the state, will decide whether to endorse candidates in several 2017 mayoral races, including for Cincinnati and Cleveland. In light of the Executive Committee’s terrible track record of picking candidates, it should abstain from making any endorsements in the 2017 races, and indeed, it should abstain from making any endorsements in any contested primary races until after the Democratic base has spoken in the primary. Join me across the jump for some discussion of how the Executive Committee in Ohio is harming the party and why we should push not just the Ohio Democratic Party but parties throughout the nation to get out of the business of picking candidates in contested primaries.

Poll

25 votes Show Results

Should central committees stop endorsing candidates in contested Democratic primaries?

25 votes Vote Now!

Should central committees stop endorsing candidates in contested Democratic primaries?

Yes

24 votes

1 vote

State Legislative Democrats Need Attention, Too: An Ohio Case Study

OhioDomer

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Thursday June 02, 2016 · 10:52 AM PDT

2016/06/02 · 10:52

A lot of our Ohio House Democrats are very good, but 7 of them just really mucked up.

Much of our recent discussion here at Dailykos has revolved around the end of the presidential primary season, the start of the presidential general election campaign, and the various competitive Senate races across the country. Some of our more substantive discussion has focused on the inaction and obstruction of congressional Republicans or the various inane actions of state-level Republicans. But, precious little of our energy has been spent thinking about how our Democrats in state legislatures are acting. And, unfortunately, here in Ohio, some of our legislative Democrats just failed a BIG test. Please read on for a discussion of House Concurrent Resolution 29 and how 7 of our legislative Democrats just did the bidding of national Republicans, climate change deniers, and big polluters.

OhioDomer

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Wednesday May 18, 2016 · 1:45 PM PDT

2016/05/18 · 13:45

HENDERSON, NV - FEBRUARY 20: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) gives a concession speech at the Henderson Pavilion on February 20, 2016 in Henderson, Nevada. Sanders lost to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the Nevada caucus. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) — He had this expression in February; it's gotten worse since.

As I've thought about the events of the past few days, all I can hear in my head has been, “Thanks, Bernie.” Here's what I mean: Thanks for all that you've done, Bernie, since Donald J. Trump became the presumptive nominee after the Republican candidates who couldn't win their nomination decided to drop out.

Bernie Sanders is being treated very badly by the Democrats - the system is rigged against him. Many of his disenfranchised fans are for me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 18, 2016

Thanks, Bernie. It's great that you help add to the Trumpeters’ crowds of pitchfork idiots. Everything is rigged, and thank goodness, you and Donald are there to point it out for us.

Joe Scarborough arguing with Rob Reiner — Still the dumbest people on TV

Thanks, Bernie. I get to hear these two paragons of punditry and others talk about how divided the Democratic Party is, how it's harming our chances in November, and how it plays into Donald Trump’s hands. And, I get to see the heading "Democrats Divided" once an hour on MSNBC while reading fun headlines like Bloomberg’s “Clinton, Democrats Confronting Dangerous Divisions Within Party” and the Hill’s “Amid Democratic Infighting, Polls Improving for Trump.” It's so much better that the news media is focusing on this as opposed to the terrible Trump mistreatment of women, minorities, poor old ladies who own land that he wants.

Embedded Content

Thanks, Bernie. On May 3, when Trump won the Indiana primary, Secretary Clinton was beating Trump 44.4% to 38.9%. Thankfully, now it's just Clinton 42.6% and Trump 39.3%. This means that hopefully the trend will continue and we can have a fun, entertaining and controversial general election campaign ahead of us!

Bernie’s Popular Vote Percentage	43%
Bernie’s percentage of pledged delegates	46%

Thanks, Bernie. You taught me that when you get more delegates than your votes entitle you to, you should be very, very upset. Indeed, such an outcome shows that the rules are rigged against you. I wish that I had known this in my Freshman Philosophy class. Instead of a C+, my 78% should have earned an A! But, that damn professor rigged the class against me by providing me a syllabus, study guide, and open office hours.

Angie Morelli (Sanders Expert on Nevada Convention Rules)

And, thanks, Bernie. Your campaign’s delegate taught me that if I’m hungry and drunk, I am allowed to do whatever the hell I want to get what I want. Such a state gives you a freebie in regards to your actions.

We all owe Bernie Sanders a huge debt of gratitude. We can only express that gratitude by giving him the presidential nomination of the political party that he doesn't belong to.

Poll

72 votes Show Results

What's been your favorite thing the past couple of days?

72 votes Vote Now!

What's been your favorite thing the past couple of days?

The Sanders Campaign saying it's the establishment's fault that his supporters went nuts at the NV Convention

17 votes

The constant media refrain that the Democrats are screwed due to the division

3 votes

The Sanders delegate who said on MSNBC that they misbehaved because they were hungry and drunk

10 votes

The closer general election polls

4 votes

Donald Trump's clear gleefulness at all of this

2 votes

The continue denial of it all by Sanders supporters

36 votes

I am profoundly sad today - A Reflection on Donald Trump's Nomination

OhioDomer

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Wednesday May 04, 2016 · 8:17 AM PDT

2016/05/04 · 08:17

After Donald Trump was declared the winner of Indiana, one of my friends said, “As a Democrat, you should be thrilled by this development.” In terms of strict partisan strategy, yes, any Democrat should be thrilled today about the upcoming general election campaign, which will feature a sober, experienced, and thoughtful female progressive running against a misogynist, xenophobic, idiotic former reality TV star. But, while I am thrilled as a Democrat, I am profoundly sad as an American. Donald Trump represents the absolute worst of our culture, political or popular, and it has truly shaken my core belief in the inherent goodness of the American people. Please join me below for some of my thoughts regarding Trump and what his nomination says about our people.

OhioDomer

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Monday March 28, 2016 · 11:09 AM PDT

2016/03/28 · 11:09

As the media says all the time: "these Iowa caucuses really are democracy in action." But, they really aren't.

It’s May 20, 2014. You are one of the few steadfast Democratic voters in the great state of Idaho. On this day, you are fully prepared to go to your local polling place and pick the party’s nominees in a variety of federal, state, and local contests with the U.S. Senate primary receiving top billing. The choice on the Democratic side is between William Bryk and Nels Mitchell. Bryk is a Brooklyn lawyer who is an unusual perennial candidate; he seeks positions in states that allow out-of-state candidates to run in primaries. So, in 2014, Bryk sought the Democratic nomination for Senate seats in Wyoming, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Mitchell is also an attorney, but at least he’s a local resident. You are one of the 24,286 Democratic voters on May 20, 2014 who will decide this barn-burner of a primary race. And, guess what? You and the 24,285 others as a group outnumber the amount of Democratic voters who will decide the 2016 Idaho Democratic caucuses for President of the United States. That’s a problem and please follow me over the jump as we delve into some raw numbers regarding the caucus v. primary distinction.

Poll

66 votes Show Results

Do you want the Democratic Party to ban caucuses?

66 votes Vote Now!

Do you want the Democratic Party to ban caucuses?

Yes

56 votes

7 votes

Secret Option 3

3 votes

We Need a Better Politics

OhioDomer

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Thursday January 14, 2016 · 12:13 PM PST

2016/01/14 · 12:13

This week, Barack Obama delivered his final state of the union address. President Obama was the first presidential candidate I ever voted for. I will always remember seeing him come to Northern Indiana for a rally, driving voters to the polls for him, and watching election night coverage with my best college friends (primarily Republican lot, unfortunately). Seeing him at the podium for the last time made me emotional due to the nostalgia that comes from having President Obama in the Oval Office during some of the most formative years of my life.

My nostalgia was temporary, though, because of the power of his words regarding our current politics. Rather than thinking about our common past, my mind moved to the thinking about the future that we will all share in the future, regardless of who the next president is. After thinking about his words, I would like to offer my own reflections on one of President Obama’s questions for us: “How do we make our politics reflect what’s best in us, and not what’s worst?”

OhioDomer

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Wednesday December 30, 2015 · 11:47 AM PST

2015/12/30 · 11:47

The end of the year is always a time for reflection about yourself, your loved ones, and your community. That’s why we get to enjoy the flashback articles from Bill in Portland Maine and also endure the crap lists described in this article.

I am a white resident of Cleveland proper. I came home yesterday to the sights of flashing lights and proud marchers standing up for their beliefs. That was not the first time that I had seen those sights in my adopted hometown. After all, along with Ferguson, Baltimore, and Chicago, we have become one of the ground zeros in the Black Lives Matter movement.

Because of that, my yearly reflection on community revolves around issues of race and criminal justice. Please join me over the jump for three of these reflections.

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A Sanders-Led Ticket in 2020? A 2018 Retrospective

The 2020 Election Won't Be About What Happened During the 2016 Election

National Media Concern Trolling - Avoid the Noise

A Kossack's 13-year Journey from High School Lurker to 30-Something Candidate

Congressional Democrats: Sit on your hands

Dear Ohio Democratic Party: Stop Endorsing Candidates in Primaries

State Legislative Democrats Need Attention, Too: An Ohio Case Study

Thanks, Bernie

I am profoundly sad today - A Reflection on Donald Trump's Nomination

In order to be a democratic Democratic Party, we have to end caucuses.

We Need a Better Politics

Reflections on the Racial Double Standard in America