Democrats: Who Should ‘We’ Run in 2020? It’s Complicated.

Kamala Harris (D-California) may be the leading prospective presidential candidate for the Democrats in 2020. Much can happen before she decides to make a run in 2020, but I feel she is the top candidate. I might not like it, but there it is.

While some analysts warn that there shouldn’t be a focus on 2020, now is really the best time to start thinking ahead. The presidential race will last for about a year and a half, so it would serve Democrats well now to survey their politicians, allow the best to rise to the top, and give America a good look at them.

And as this post is about the future of the Democratic Party and a number of names have already popped up. I would like to discuss them.

Additionally, this list illustrates the ongoing problems with the party:

• There are two few rising stars in the party. I can name some on one hand.
• Most of the people with big names in the party are in their 60’s or above.

I agree that the 2020 field already looks weak due to these reasons.

With that said, here is a list of 10+ candidates already being mentioned for 2020 (in no particular order).

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Famous Sayings: #94 — ‘On Cloud Nine’

December 29, 2017

It feels like I’m on Cloud Nine.

Here we are. This is the final Famous Sayings post I will do for 2017, so I’d thought I end it on somewhat of a positive note. This phrase might not have much of a connection with current events, but it is one that’s very familiar.

Plus, it was fun to do the research for this post (and mess with Photoshop for a bit).

Now, without much ado, let’s look at the phrase “on cloud nine.”

Democrats: Who Should ‘We’ Run in 2018? Who Excites Me?

The Senate race in West Virginia excites me. Although I wouldn’t want Joe Manchin’s seat to turn read, he is essentially a Republican.

Who should the Democrats run in 2018? That’s not an easy question to answer, but of course, many people have already started their races for next year.

Let’s cut to the chase: The 2018 midterm elections might be a bloodbath in favor of the Democrats, but only if they play their cards right.

Famous Sayings: #93 — ‘The Gift That Keeps on Giving’

December 24, 2017

It really is the gift that keeps on giving.

I’m a little late with this, but the subject matter is timely. As I’m writing this post, it’s still Christmas Eve where I am, so a phrase that is somewhat tied to Christmas feels appropriate.

The phrase “the gift that keeps on giving” is normally used during the Christmas season, but it has been used for other holidays, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day. The slogan has also been used to sell anything from cameras, jewelry, gift cards, and subscriptions (to magazines, for example).

The gift that keeps on giving,” is one of my favorite phrases. It’s timeless and it has various uses, but I’ve never really thought about its origin that much.

Democratic Candidates for 2018 and Beyond

Not all Democrats candidates for 2018 and later are shown here, but I plan on discussing all in this photo. Some of the Democrats in the image will be challenging incumbent Republicans, but some are newcomers challenging incumbent Democrats.

Before I wrap up The Rift on the Left series and talk about this horrible tax bill that was just passed by Congress, I wanted to first talk about Democratic candidates for 2018 and beyond. To be perfectly honest, I am still ambivalent about the Democratic Party, but a number of the grassroots candidates running next year are pretty exciting.

There may be a progressive wave coming, as signaled by the elections in the latter half of 2017. November 7, 2017 was a watershed moment, as Democrats and some third-party candidates took seats that had been held by Republicans and other entrenched politicians. And the developments in Alabama may have changed the entire landscape.

Famous Sayings: #92 — ‘Make Like a Tree and Leave’

December 15, 2017

Why don’t you to make like a tree and leave.

We are about 10 days away from Christmas, and I many people who observe the holiday have already started decorating. So, I’ve chosen a phrase that has something to do with trees, although it isn’t a very polite phrase.

Anyhow, most people who’ve heard of the phrase might connect it to a classic from the 1980’s called “Back to the Future,” although it was botched by the character who liked to use it. In the movie, high school bully Biff Tannen said a version of this idiom when he had a run-in with the main character, Marty McFly, who traveled to 1955 from 1985.

 

 

 

And in the first sequel, “Back to the Future II,” Old Biff was talking to his teenage self, who once again botched the phrase. Old Biff corrected himself.

 

Now, it might be easy to surmise what the phrase means, but I will discuss it anyway. However, the real mystery is when the idiom originated.

The FCC Just Voted to Sign the Internet Over to Greedy Telecoms

On December 14, 2017, the FCC’s vote was cheered by greedy telecoms and people who didn’t have a clue what net neutrality was.

Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to repeal the 2015 Open Internet Order that classified broadband service as a utility under the FCC’s Title II rules and thus sign the Internet over to greedy telecoms. The 3-2 vote was along partisan lines, of course, with the Republicans on the board in favor of the repeal.

The vote was immediately decried by the Democrats at the commission, at least 18 state attorneys general, other pro-net neutrality lawyers, and most Americans.

 

We led this coalition of 18 AG's because it's essential @FCC gets an accurate picture of how net neutrality will affect Americans pic.twitter.com/E4YHO30mdj

— Ellen Rosenblum (@ORDOJ) December 13, 2017

But these unelected bureaucrats at the FCC still did as they pleased, at the behest of their corporate puppet masters.

If You Told Me That Alabama Could Turn Blue …

If you told me the Alabama race for the U.S. Senate seat would end like this …

I’m going to be honest with you. I was fully ready to go off today, but a miracle happened: Doug Jones won the Senate seat vacated by one Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III. This was totally unexpected result, but it was a close one.

I loosely followed the news about this race, but I knew the odds were against Democrats running in a deep red state. Democrat Doug Jones had never run for office before, Donald Trump carried the state of Alabama in 2016 by 28 points, and the last time a Democrat held a U.S. Senate seat for Alabama, Richard Shelby had won reelection 25 years ago. (Richard Shelby became a Republican in 1994; he still holds his seat in the Senate.)

Coming into Tuesday, December 12, 2017, Jones trailed in most polls. Despite the allegations against Republican Roy Moore, the former judge was expected to win. Yet in the end, the race was a very close one.

All eyes were on Alabama because a Moore election would have serious implications for the Republican Party, the state, the nation, and political discourse in this country. A Jones win would be a good sign for the Democratic Party. Regardless, this was a lose-lose situation for Republicans.

Now, what does this mean for the Democrats? I don’t have a complete answer, but let’s look at what transpired and see what we can find.

News Roundup Special: There Are Even More Scumbags in U.S. Politics

Tonight, I need to talk to you about scumbags in U.S. politics. Unfortunately, there are too many to mention, and I got into the topic with a mention of George H.W.’s bad behavior. This time, I will focus on three guys: Roy Moore, Al Franken, and John Conyers.

Now, I wanted to talk about this before the special election in Alabama, because there is a chance Moore might became a new U.S. senator when all is said and done. Regardless, I will have much more to say, but let’s get into this topic.

Famous Sayings: #91 — ‘Uncharted Territory’

December 9, 2017

It looks like we are now in uncharted territory.

In the literal sense, uncharted territory cannot be found on the map. In the figurative sense, there is no manual for those kinds of situations. Image via Pixabay.

I’m late with this, but I couldn’t let this week go by without another installment of my Famous Sayings posts.

This week, I’m looking at a term that really applies to current events — and this whole year, to be exact. We are living in uncertain times, but this is a very familiar term. Who first use it, and when?