Florida Democrats recoil at Karen Bass VP float
Source: Politico
Florida Democrats are rising in opposition to the news Joe Biden is vetting a running mate who once lamented the death of Comandante en jefe Fidel Castro.
An early ally of Bidens presidential campaign, California Rep. Karen Bass name surfaced this week as a possible vice-presidential pick who could help balance his ticket because of her deep progressive roots and her activism against police brutality, an emerging issue in the presidential race.
But Bass comments about the longtime Cuban leader following his death in 2016 when she respectfully called him comandante en jefe (in Spanish, commander in chief) is politically poisonous in Florida and even more toxic in Miami, home to many exiles from socialist Latin American regimes that include Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.
The Florida Democratic Party has spent two years fighting a renewed GOP effort to brand them as socialists, and the state and national parties are spending big this year in Miami to defend two congressional seats and win two crucial state Senate contests in districts with sizable Cuban-American populations. All four lawmakers condemned Bass Castro remarks.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/27/florida-democrats-karen-bass-vp-341931
CurtEastPoint
(18,641 posts)Kamala Harris.
groundloop
(11,518 posts)CurtEastPoint
(18,641 posts)Bleacher Creature
(11,256 posts)HotTeaBag
(1,206 posts)If that person is a POC, then great.
This country will be up shit's creek without a paddle for years between COVID and the economic fallout, and very few people on 'the list' would be ready to be President if they had to step in - Warren would.
wryter2000
(46,039 posts)A Senator is better qualified than a member of the House. Plus, she's a powerhouse. And, if you've seen her in casual situations, she's warm, funny, and vibrant. She's the real deal. I can totally see her take charge of the executive branch.
CurtEastPoint
(18,641 posts)BComplex
(8,049 posts)I don't want her. At all.
CurtEastPoint
(18,641 posts)BComplex
(8,049 posts)calguy
(5,306 posts)Since she respectfully bowed out of the running I firmly believe Kamala is now the best choice. She's young. She's smart. She's fiery. She's perfect for role role of attack dog while Joe stays cool, calm, and above the fray looking presidential at all times. Kamala can be the pit bull biting trump's fat ass 24/7 from the convention to November 3rd. And as GO she can play a major role of healing the divisions in our country and around the world.
Newest Reality
(12,712 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,310 posts)I can see rumours that he said it internally, but publicly he denied saying it: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2020-election/biden-campaign-refutes-speculation-one-term-pledge-n1099766
Why cut him short?
Zeus69
(391 posts)Javaman
(62,521 posts)Jose Garcia
(2,595 posts)sprinkleeninow
(20,237 posts)marie999
(3,334 posts)moonscape
(4,673 posts)aquamarina
(1,865 posts)Shes excellent.
oasis
(49,378 posts)qazplm135
(7,447 posts)if this is out there, then she won't be picked.
dem4evah
(75 posts)to ME, Kamala is a no brainer but....we will see. Just in case, I emailed the Biden Campaign (I've made calls for a few months so I do have a couple decent contacts) and let my displeasure be knows. Bass seems pretty radioactive.
IronLionZion
(45,433 posts)sandensea
(21,624 posts)The word 'Castro' is still kryptonite in Flawrida politics - and radical Cuban exiles have long since hijacked U.S. Latin America policy.
Just ask Narco Rubio - the self-appointed arbiter of what's a "democracy" in Latin America, and what isn't (hint: it has to sound and act like Brazil's Bolsonaro).
jaxexpat
(6,820 posts)Castro's revolution took its toll on Miami. Forced osmosis by CIA. From Capone to Rubio. There went the neighborhood.
ProfessorGAC
(65,008 posts)Those guys ran Havana. A lot of those south Florida exiles were doing very well with mobsters in charge when in Cuba.
Their families must hold blood grudges, too.
Geez, that was 61 years ago.
There can't be that many actual exiles left.
sandensea
(21,624 posts)Ike, you'll recall, initially viewed Batista's overthrow as a positive development - especially since Batista's Cuba was rapidly becoming a trans-shipment point for cocaine and heroin, plus a favored money laundry.
But Lansky, whose horse race fixing for Nixon already gave him an inside track (and had promised millions in dark money campaign funding for Nixon), was having none of it - and thus was current U.S. Cuba policy born.
Fortunately, younger Cuban Americans in general don't share this obsession with the Castros.
Their concerns are similar to those of most Democrats: the economy, health care, global warming, fairness, and bigotry.
ProfessorGAC
(65,008 posts)I'm pretty sick of immigrants supporting a party that's been anti-immigrant for decades.
For nearly 60 years, they've held a grudge that goes against their own interests.
Young people waking up to it, is a good thing.
sandensea
(21,624 posts)20 years ago, Republicans still had the Cuban, Armenian, Indian (dot, not feather), Iranian, (white) South American, Vietnamese, and Eastern European immigrant vote.
The Cubans, Eastern Europeans, and Vietnamese b/c of their perceived hard-line anti-Communism.
The Armenians, Indians, Iranians, and white South Americans b/c Republicans were perceived as the "white man's party" - and these groups generally longed to belong.
But ever since Lee Atwater and Gingrich convinced the GOP to become a vehicle for white supremacists and 'white anger' in general, the GOP has slowly but surely lost every single one of these groups.
(Eastern Europeans, of course, are white - but not Anglo, and they know that GOP dog-whistling is aimed at them too).
Again, all this should be taken with many exceptions - but as a general trend, that's how it's gone.
Manifestor_of_Light
(21,046 posts)I'm old enough to remember Watergate. I recognize these names. Wasn't Bebe Rebozo Cuban?
sandensea
(21,624 posts)It's funny, because in Spanish his name almost means "battered baby."
Tastes like chicken!
Lucky Luciano
(11,253 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,008 posts)I'm Sicilian descent. I wasn't judging!
Lucky Luciano
(11,253 posts)ProfessorGAC
(65,008 posts)I didn't want to have to go the mattresses!
sandensea
(21,624 posts)Washington was right about foreign entanglements - especially when said entanglements are entered into at the behest of corrupt interests.
Rubio's specialty (besides cruising for men in Miami parks).
jaxexpat
(6,820 posts)in 1971. The local hardware outlet was an army surplus store in a quonset hut bldg. It was odd to see that on any given day, most of the vehicles parked outside the place wore government license plates. Also observed 2 Cuban guys wearing wet suits on sea-going speed boats leaving in the morning very low in the water and returning at dusk riding high in the water. In the mornings these guys looked seriously unfriendly and in the evenings they would smile and wave. A scenario that even I thought seemed backwards if they were smuggling drugs into the US. Everything was so exotic to a youngster from western Kentucky. But I remember the inboard boat these guys used looked new but had no chrome or windshield, only blue-green fiberglass. Probably 35 feet or so.
sandensea
(21,624 posts)Thanks for sharing that. What an anecdote!
I can't claim to have seen anything nearly so interesting - but I did have a retired CIA officer once confirm to me that Ollie North was nothing but a drug trafficker.
Using government credentials, with the Reagan administration's blessing.
'Iran-Contra' was a misnomer, as you know. It should've been Cocaine-Contra - since that's where 98% of the illegal funds came from (just to 2% came from the headline-grabbing weapons sales to Iran).
But that last 2% of the scandal effectively hid the much more explosive 98% of it from the evening news.
Reagan and Bush got off the hook; and Ollie, Secord and the rest of the narcos got a pardon - by Bill Barr.
jaxexpat
(6,820 posts)we call it scum. Ironic that bottom dwellers and scum are synonymous for lowly characters.
dem4evah
(75 posts)as good as she is, it does worry me a little that she is 'perceived' as too inexperienced to step in as POTUS if something should happen to Joe. I think we well KNOW she isn't too inexperienced. She's damn well qualified and I'd be fine with her as VP
sandensea
(21,624 posts)My guess (and only that), is that Joe will in fact choose Demings - and the deciding factor will be the fact that Warren, should she win, would be replaced by a Republican in the Senate.
Which would probably give Bitchy Mitchy another term as Majority Leader (thus killing Biden's legislative agenda for the foreseeable future).
Both Warren and Demings have many pros in their column - but that senate seat may end up deciding the matter.
Hard choice for him, no doubt.
OrlandoDem2
(2,065 posts)denem
(11,045 posts)The FL GOP wrote the book on dark election arts.
Jose Garcia
(2,595 posts)bucolic_frolic
(43,141 posts)It seems more trial balloon sullying than actual news to me.
My reaction is no need to go so deeply left and there are superior qualifications and resumes available.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,310 posts)The US is clearly still in thrall to Cuban exiles, if everyone's so damn afraid of them.
You can also find Justin Trudeau, and Jean-Claude Juncker, then president of the European Commission, being nice about him when he died. Juncker is in the Christian Social People's Party, which, despite "social" in its name, is a centre-right party, a member of the European People's Party group in the EU (same as, for instance, Angela Merkel's CDU).
stopdiggin
(11,300 posts)and you're entirely correct about the courteous (and relatively innocuous) statement.
And, yes .. the Cuban exile community has wielded far too much power (specifically in this small area of the map) .. for far too long. Which still doesn't make it a political reality that shouldn't be heeded.
(Scant consolation .. but I think that power and demographic are being rapidly diluted. In fact .. to the point where perhaps conventional wisdom is simply that, and no more, in 2020?)
muriel_volestrangler
(101,310 posts)for, it seems, this one statement.
I personally don't think Bass has enough prominence to be the best choice (not talked about that much on DU before this, in contrast to Harris or Warren, or Abrams for that matter), but I don't see a statement like this as a big problem.
stopdiggin
(11,300 posts)why would you reach way down on the list for ... A person with "progressive" credentials? So .. while I don't find her Castro statement to be particularly disqualifying .. I don't find anything in there to be particularly compelling either. So .. run the risk (even if it's being oversold?) of alienating a potential swing state .. for what?
(All the while granting that every potential pick probably has some warts and some baggage. But I just don't see any particular "up side" here.)
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Is to unite the 2 wings.
It seems she has credibility on police reform issues. We need the votes of BLM & progressives as well.
Anyways, as far as progressive credentials, according to the polls -- Warren is the best pick. Bass and other VP choices outside of Harris lack name recognition.
stopdiggin
(11,300 posts)with a nod toward BLM -- as I see an overwhelming number of the party already there. On the other hand -- I'm not at all sold on the premise that "progressive credentials" in a VP pick actually brings in any additional votes. Particularly not in this cycle. In fact -- given what I see as the real dynamics in this race -- Biden trouncing the hell out of Trump with a message of "stable and sane, and not Trump" -- I don't see the VP pick as being particular significant in terms of votes at all. The Democratic base is energized as it's never been before. And the illusory "swing vote" has no interest whatever in internecine party "stuff." These things just don't matter to them.
There are voices out there that are already designating the VP choice as our pick in 2024 .. I think that too is far from settled or foregone. Particularly if a VP pick is not meshing well with the party center.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)It is crazy how we can't talk about these things.
Cuba has little to no homelessness. It is crazy how we can't point out things like that.
jorgevlorgan
(8,291 posts)kansasobama
(609 posts)BComplex
(8,049 posts)TygrBright
(20,758 posts)Response to brooklynite (Original post)
Name removed Message auto-removed
ibegurpard
(16,685 posts)We actually maintained an endangered Democratic senator in a red state here in Montana. Can they say the same? They have less justification for veto power than any organization i can think of.
OrlandoDem2
(2,065 posts)musclecar6
(1,686 posts)But to me, all things considered, kamala is the right way to go. Of course the only guy who gets to make the decision is Joe.
Arthur_Frain
(1,849 posts)First, this is just the sort of BS thing that the Democratic Party would do. This is exactly the way its been shooting itself in the foot for the last 25 years.
Second I dont really believe this for a second. If its true at all, it would seem to me that Biden is abdicating the idea that he wont run for a second term. With\ Harris, Warren, Rice, so many effective choices that would convey his intention, this would be tantamount to putting Gabbard in the VP slot. Just. Plain. Stupid.
dem4evah
(75 posts)makes no sense, and I hope to hell it's not true. I'm behind Kamala but can live with get very excited about Demings too.
niyad
(113,275 posts)brooklynite
(94,510 posts)Arthur_Frain
(1,849 posts)says that theres a report that the Biden campaign is vetting her for a possible VP spot, then a couple of paragraphs down it says this:
The Biden campaign declined comment about either the controversy or the running-mate vetting process
There arent a lot of facts there, theres a lot of bluster. Didnt see the other report you are referring to.
I still think if Biden is smart he angles to be a transitional president from the get go. I dont think this choice is one that carries water if he decides to only serve one term. Not that hes said hell do that either.
Those comments about el hefe, are just the kind of skeletons in the closet that Biden doesnt need from his running mate. I think this would be an incredibly stupid choice.
Were all in the hypothetical here, and if I were Biden Id be playing my cards pretty damn close to my chest.
brooklynite
(94,510 posts)Ms. Bass, 66, joined the process somewhat later than some of the other prominent figures being reviewed by Mr. Biden and his advisers. Her emergence as a contender was first reported by CBS News.
A five-term member of the House who served before that as the speaker of the California State Assembly, Ms. Bass has been a prominent voice in the congressional debate about the future of policing. In a television appearance on Tuesday, she declined to comment on the vice-presidential selection process and said she was focused on the intensifying legislative work on a federal policing law.
It is not clear exactly how far Ms. Bass has moved in the process so far, or whether her contact with the search team has yet included the multiple rounds of lengthy interviews and requests for documents that a few other candidates have faced. Spokesmen for Ms. Bass and the Biden campaign declined to comment on her status in the search.
Whether the goal is to keep your cards close to the vest or not, reporters find out things.
muriel_volestrangler
(101,310 posts)for a second. Please, make your mind up.
Second, what does "Biden is abdicating the idea that he wont run for a second term" mean? He's already denied the report that he'd only run for 1 term - see reply #14. Why do you think Biden has an "intention" to say he'll only run one term? And why on earth would he use his VP nomination to vaguely "convey" it, rather than, you know, saying it?
beachbumbob
(9,263 posts)TeamPooka
(24,221 posts)If Biden's not picking Harris he must pick someone else from out of California
She is the favorite daughter here for many of us.
Polybius
(15,390 posts)Trump has zero chance in that deep Blue state.
TeamPooka
(24,221 posts)Response to brooklynite (Original post)
geralmar This message was self-deleted by its author.
JustABozoOnThisBus
(23,339 posts)... here's a large-mouth bass that floats in the wind.
A large-mouth bass wind floating thing would make a better VP than Pence.
Polybius
(15,390 posts)Some of the younger voters might see that name and associate it with the memes.Even if 2% stay home because of this, it can effect the race.
JonLP24
(29,322 posts)Younger voters know being named Karen has nothing to do with being a Karen and the Karen meme is usually reserved for racist white women.
RandiFan1290
(6,229 posts)So they ran a republicon 3rd party to split the vote and got us Marco Rubio