Cory Booker

5th Democratic Presidential Debate In Atlanta: Mayor Pete Is The Winner, But Kamala Harris And Cory Booker Also Improved Their Position

Ronald 27 Comments

The fifth Democratic Presidential debate in Atlanta on Wednesday solidified Pete Buttigieg, Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, as the most impressive person on the stage, defending himself in a professional manner.

Kamala Harris and Cory Booker also improved their position relative to the others, while Elizabeth Warren held her own.

Joe Biden,unfortunately, flubbed and hesitated, and just seemed “old”, not improving his position, and not raising large amounts of money, but still a front runner in many polls.

Tom Steyer is clearly going nowhere, and the most disturbing candidate was Tulsi Gabbard, who seems too close to Fox News propaganda, and just comes across as totally unacceptable, and being a Congresswoman from Hawaii is, if anything, less significant, than dealing with urban problems, as Mayor Pete has for the past seven plus years.

The fact that Gabbard has been in the military is overshadowed by the fact that Mayor Pete also has, and Gabbard has no chance to be the nominee.

Neither, ultimately, does Andrew Yang or Bernie Sanders, who has been co opted by Warren, while Amy Klobuchar chugs along, looking more like a potential Vice Presidential choice.

Pete Buttigieg Soars To First In Iowa Caucus Poll

Ronald 5 Comments

South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg has surged to first place in a new Iowa Caucus poll, the Monmouth University poll, an amazing rise for a mayor of a small sized city in a red state. He has gained 14 points since the summer, rising from 8 percent to 22 percent, three points ahead of Joe Biden.

It is time to start seeing Mayor Pete as a serious contender, rather than as a curiosity.

His major negative is that he has almost no support in the African American community, which right now is smitten with Joe Biden, a surprise when one thinks that either Kamala Harris or Cory Booker would have a strong support in that community, and yet does not do so.

Mayor Pete being gay and having a husband will alienate evangelical Christians, who, however, would never vote Democratic in any case.

One might say that having an urban executive government record of 8 years in South Bend, Indiana, is not a plus, but actually, being a mayor is often more on the front lines of what is America than being a Governor of a Southern state, such as Arkansas (Bill Clinton); or as Georgia one term of four years (Jimmy Carter); or two years as Governor (Woodrow Wilson in New Jersey); or four years as Governor (Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York); or no government experience (Donald Trump); or a much shorter one year mayoralty as Grover Cleveland in Buffalo, New York, or Calvin Coolidge in Northampton, Massachusetts, or Andrew Johnson in Greeneville, Tennessee.

American history is full of surprises, so do not write Mayor Pete off, as he might very well be the Democratic Presidential nominee and the 46th President of the United States!

Alternative Candidates Who Might Enter The Democratic Presidential Race

Ronald 8 Comments

Hard to believe, but rumors are spreading that there could be alternative candidates who might enter the Democratic Presidential race.

These would include:

2016 Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton

Former First Lady Michelle Obama

Former 2004 Presidential nominee John Kerry

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Former Attorney General Eric Holder

Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown

Most of these ideas are totally preposterous.

It is time for Hillary Clinton to pass the torch finally, and make an unequivocal statement she will not run, as she would divide the party and the nation in such a way that would be totally destructive.

Michelle Obama is not going to run, too smart to consider it.

John Kerry is another too old nominee, who is from the distant past, 2004 as a Presidential candidate, and would be 77 when taking the oath, and the last thing we need is another old candidate.

The same goes for Michael Bloomberg, who would five months younger than Bernie Sanders and nine months older than Joe Biden, and would be one month short of 79 in January 2021, too old, and really too divisive with his record as NYC Mayor, and not loyal to the Democratic Party.

Eric Holder and Deval Patrick would only create more racial division, with Cory Booker and Kamala Harris and Julian Castro already in the race, and Holder highly controversial and being 70 the day after the inauguration, and Deval Patrick just another Massachusetts politician, but with no real constituency to run.

If any candidate deciding to run makes sense, it just might be Sherrod Brown, who considered running, and would be a strong competitor from Ohio, but if he is to run, time is of the essence. He would be 68 at the time of the inauguration, and might be a good Vice Presidential choice instead of for the Presidency.

But except for Brown, really, the next Democratic Presidential nominee needs to come from the present, rapidly dwindling list, and dreaming of alternatives needs to end!

Impressions Of The Fourth Democratic Presidential Debate In Ohio–Eight Of The Twelve Should Continue

Ronald 20 Comments

The Democratic Presidential debate last night showed strong performances right from the beginning by Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Senator Amy Klobuchar on the subject of health care, challenging Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Bernie Sanders on their promotion of Medicare For All.

Joe Biden held his own, which is significant, and Julian Castro and Kamala Harris improved their position. Bernie Sanders looked in good health, and Cory Booker made some good points regarding the need to focus on the record of Donald Trump, more than criticism of some candidates by others.

Totally unimpressive were Tom Steyer, Tulsi Gabbard, and Andrew Yang, and they should drop out of the race, as there are simply too many candidates.

Beto O’Rourke harmed his candidacy by his consistent stand on gun regulation including confiscation of weapons, not a winnable tactic.

In realistic terms, there should be eight Democrats left in the race—Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker.

Ohio Debate On Tuesday Will Start Winnowing The Field Of Democratic Candidates For President

Ronald 45 Comments

The Columbus, Ohio debate among 12 Democratic Presidential candidates will likely start the winnowing of the field, which is much too large.

As things stand now, Senator Elizabeth Warren and South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg seem like the candidates that are gaining.

Warren is taking support away from Bernie Sanders, who is recovering from a heart attack, and will be watched closely on Tuesday for signs of weariness. Sanders knows Warren is a problem for him, and has pointed out that she is a believer in capitalism, and is not a Socialist, which actually helps Warren’s image.

Mayor Pete is likely the major moderate Democratic alternative to Joe Biden, who has to deal with the issue of his son, Hunter Biden, and Ukranian connections, although it seems clear there is no corruption involved, at least as far as we know at this point. Also, Joe Biden is coming across, sadly, as not quite up to par mentally at times, a very worrisome situation for him. Meanwhile, Mayor Pete continues to make a great impression, including in the CNN gay-lesbian-transgender debate this past Thursday, and has gained a lot of financial support.

Whether Kamala Harris can recuperate from a decline in support is debatable. Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro have also failed to take off in recent months, and have made some errors that harm them.

While Cory Booker gained enough financial backing to stay in the race, it still seems unlikely that he is going to be a serious candidate for the Presidential nomination.

Andrew Yang has had unexpected good fortune, but still it seems a real long shot that he can get anywhere gaining enough support to move forward.

Amy Klobuchar so far has not made much of a dent, and Tulsi Gabbard and Tom Steyer, in their first debate, do not seem likely to make any real move toward serious contention.

So Tuesday’s debate will likely narrow the field as we move closer to the Iowa Caucuses and New Hampshire Primary four months from now.

CNN Makes Major Contribution To Addressing The Issue Of Gay, Lesbian, And Transgender Rights, Essential For Social Justice

Ronald 29 Comments

CNN made a major contribution last night to addressing the issue of gay, lesbian and transgender rights, essential for social justice.

Nine Presidential candidates had a half hour each to answer questions and make clear their views on this crucial topic.

Cory Booker, Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke, Julian Castro, Amy Klobuchar, Julian Castro, and Tom Steyer participated between 730 pm and midnight.

Bernie Sanders did not participate due to his recent heart attack, and Tulsi Gabbard and Andrew Yang claimed scheduling issues made it impossible for them to be present.

Particularly impressive, in the mind of this blogger and author, was Pete Buttigieg, the first openly gay Presidential candidate, who has made a good impression on many people on many different issues, and has been successful in raising millions of dollars in the third quarter of 2019, and is fourth in most polls.

But all of the candidates are open minded and tolerant, a stark difference from the evangelical right wing Christian view advocated by Vice President Mike Pence, and promoted by Donald Trump, despite his total lack of religiosity his entire life. Trump has ended the policy of tolerance of gays in the military, and has shown no willingness to have an open mind on gay rights, including judicial appointments of nominees clearly anti gay, using religion as an excuse for discrimination.

The Likely Long Term Result Of The Third Democratic Presidential Debate: Probably Seven Of The Ten Are Still Viable

Ronald 3 Comments

Upon further reflection about the Houston Democratic Presidential debate last Thursday, it would seem that three candidates have lost the likelihood of having a real chance to be the nominee of the party in 2020.

Those would be:

Andrew Yang, who offered ten families $1,000 a month for the next year as part of his promotion of $1,000 a month for all adults over the age of 18, which drew some attention when he said it, but is seen as a death knell for his candidacy, even though Republican President Richard Nixon suggested a similar plan of $500 a month nearly fifty years ago.

Julian Castro, who by, seemingly, bringing up ageism as an issue about Joe Biden, made many enemies, and it is likely to derail his campaign, and probably kills any chance of him being the Vice Presidential nominee.

Beto O’Rourke, who by calling for mandatory buyback of AR 15s and AK 47s gave great propaganda to gun enthusiasts and the National Rifle Association, who will use what he said against Democrats to scare gun owners to vote Republican, not an insubstantial number. While one can understand O’Rourke’s sincere emotions after the El Paso and Odessa-Midland shootings in August, it is a guaranteed defeat for any Democrat to follow through as O’Rourke has, not because it is wrong, but because it is not winnable in a national election, despite all of the mass murders that have occurred in recent years.

Additionally, since the ageism issue has been brought up, it could be that the two oldest potential nominees–Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden–who would reach 80 early in the next term, might find that their candidacies might worry and concern voters, especially at a time when Donald Trump is showing signs of mental decline, even though he is four and five years younger than Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, respectively.

So more attention will likely be paid to other candidates—Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris.

With 141 days to the Iowa Caucuses, it is far from certain what will happen in the battle for the Democratic nomination for President.

The Third Democratic Presidential Debate In Houston: First Impressions

Ronald 13 Comments

Early impressions are as follows:

Julian Castro, Pete Buttigieg, Cory Booker, Beto O’Rourke, and Elizabeth Warren come across as the best.

Expect that Castro, Buttigieg, Booker, and O’Rourke will rise in polls, and Warren will continue to gain on Joe Biden.

Biden is not doing as well as one would expect, and neither is Bernie Sanders.

Kamala Harris has likely not gained by this debate, and the same for Andrew Yang.

Amy Klobuchar might gain, but is not shining as much as this blogger thought she would.

Overall, the ABC debate is much better than the two earlier debates sponsored by MSNBC and CNN.

The candidates are avoiding attacking each other, and clearly, any one of the group would be far better than Donald Trump!

Joe Biden Pledges His Vice Presidential Running Mate Will Be A Woman Or Person Of Color

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In an interview with a group of African American journalists, former Vice President Joe Biden pledged that if he was to end up as the Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, he would select a Vice Presidential running mate who was either a woman or a person of color.

This is, if it indeed occurs, quite a revolutionary step, and it gives us the following list of potential Vice Presidential nominees:

Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota

Senator Kamala Harris of California

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey

Former Housing and Urban Development Secretary and San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro of Texas

Entrepreneur Andrew Yang of New York

Former Georgia Gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams of Georgia

It would seem highly unlikely that Elizabeth Warren would be asked or accept, and being the oldest potential nominee at age 71 in 2020, alongside Biden, who would be 78, is highly unlikely.

It also seems unlikely that Andrew Yang would be tapped, as he has no government experience.

Stacey Abrams was rumored months ago to be a potential Vice Presidential nominee, but without any state level executive experience or Congressional or other federal government experience, it would seem highly unlikely.

So the bet would seem to be either Amy Klobuchar, shoring up the Midwest support, which is crucial, or Julian Castro, with his mayoral experience in a large city in Texas, and his cabinet office experience. Also, Castro was on the short list for Hillary Clinton, and being that the Latino population is the largest minority in America, and that he has an inspiring story of growing up in poverty without a father present, makes him very appealing. Castro might also put Texas into play for the election.

Harris might not wish to be number 2 on the ticket, and there is no need for California to be concerned about in the election. And Cory Booker comes from the same Northeast as Biden, so seems highly unlikely to be selected, plus there already has been an African American male President, Barack Obama.

Latest Monmouth University Poll Shows Three Way Tie For Democratic Nomination

Ronald 10 Comments

The latest Monmouth University poll shows Joe Biden slipping slightly behind Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, a sign of trouble for the former Vice President.

All three are basically in a statistical tie, but it is clear that Joe Biden is losing support, at least for now.

Many observers believe that neither Bernie Sanders nor Elizabeth Warren can win the Presidency, as they would be labeled “Socialists” and other nasty labels by Conservatives, Republicans, and Donald Trump.

This development is a warning for more centrist Democrats of a younger generation to make their move forward at the next Democratic debate in Houston in mid September.

It is now clear that the top three, all of whom would be older than Donald Trump upon inauguration first term, and Sanders and Biden actually older, is not the best future for the Democratic Party.

Rather, it would seem clear that Pete Buttigieg, Julian Castro, Cory Booker, and Kamala Harris, all a generation or more younger than the top three Democratic contenders, would be a better choice, just as was the case with John F. Kennedy, Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama over the past half century!