Hindsight 2020: November 2019

Thank you for helping me think this election through. This is a difficult decision and I wouldn't be able to make an intelligent decision without someone to talk to. I am coming to the conclusion lately that Republicans are even more disgusting than I thought they were. The president's behavior is so repulsive and their lack of getting behind the impeachment only shows how little respect they have for the US Constitution which they claimed to love so dearly when President Obama was in office. Trump seems to use the Constitution as toilet paper on a daily basis and most of them stand behind him waiting to flush. Where is the civil outrage?

Impeachment is a not a gleeful thing. It is something we do with many regrets. It is an admission of failure as a society.  But it is something that needs to be done and those who have had the courage to go forward with it, especial those in his own party, should be thanked, and certainly, not punished. They are simply doing their job.

In the meantime, we turn to the election for a more civil way to replace an incompetent, ill-prepared and uncivilized leader. The impeachment process affects the election in two ways:

1. The amount of media coverage of the impeachment takes away from the candidates. This badly affects the lesser known candidates. 
2. Once the process gets to the Senate, the six Senators (among our 18 candidates) will have to spend a lot of time putting the president on trial. The other candidates (the governors, the mayors, reps, ex-cabinets members, business people and VPs) will still be out there campaigning.

Both of these advantage Biden. He is the only candidate that still beats Trump in polling in all the battleground states. 

With Joe Biden becoming the king of gaffes and the Democrats being too afraid to go as far left as Warren and Sanders, I expect other moderate candidates to get a boost every time Biden opens his mouth. Klobuchar, Harris, Buttigieg ... here is where you make your move. If they were considering moving their queen into their opponents' pawns at some point, that moment would be now. Buttigieg is already polling higher than Biden in Iowa. He might just be the candidate to pull ahead of the field.

Something we should all remember whenever Giuliani talks about Biden. It was Biden that torpedoed his presidential campaign back in 2008 ... a noun, a verb and 911 comment.  Giuliani obviously has a vendetta against him.  I don't believe a word he says about Biden.

Dropping out:
Beto O'Rourke: In 2018, when he ran for US Senate, O'Rourke set a record for the number of votes ever cast for a Democrat in the state of Texas and he lost to the very awful Ted Cruz. This got him a lot of press outside of Texas and a lot of popularity. Some of us thought he was the next Obama. He has suspended his campaign. We'll see him again.Texas will be blue soon.

Our field:
Congressman Ryan did not make the debate stage this month, but remains in the race.

Governor Bullock didn't make the cut for the debate either.He talked at the Politics and Eggs series in New Hampshire.

Both Congressman Sestak and Mayor Messam didn't make the numbers for the debate either. I am not sure why they are wasting everyone's time. If they don't have the name recognition and support by now, they won't by election day.

Congressman Delaney was interviewed on Fox Business.

Vice President Biden wrote an Op Ed in the Washington Post. He also released his gun violence prevention plan. He was interviewed on 60 Minutes.

Congressman O'Rourke appeared on NPR's Off Script. This was before he dropped out.

Senator Booker releases a plan to reduce childhood poverty He also introduced the Break the Cycle of Violence Act in Congress.

Secretary Castro released his labor policy plan,  a plan for foster children and a criminal justice platform.

Mayor Buttigieg released his prescription drug plan and a criminal justice plan. He appeared on NPR's Off Script.

Senator Sanders released a plan for campaign finance reform.

Senator Harris released her family leave program.

Senator Warren released a plan to assist people affect by climate change.

Mister Yang was on Freakonomics, one of my favorite podcasts, last January. I just heard it so I am sharing it now.  He is fascinating. He also appeared on the Rachel Maddow Show to talk about foreign policy:

Senator Bennet released an affordable housing plan.

Power Rankings:

I count 18 candidates. If I had to rank the Democrats in order of my personal preference, I would do so in the following manner: 

Biden

Buttigieg

Warren

Klobuchar

Booker

Sanders

Bennet

Harris

Gabbard

Delaney

Ryan

Bullock

Yang

Castro

Messam

Sestak

(I probably won't vote if the people below get the nomination)

Steyers

Williamson

I expect this to change.