Buckle up, Elizabeth Warren! You're next!

[ecstatic]

I assume the relentless attacks on Biden are going to cause his support to collapse soon. Then Warren will be the frontrunner. I can already imagine what the attacks will be. Buckle up.

I wonder who will be the last one standing after we pick apart and attack everyone who is in 1st place.

[redstateblues]

1. She could win the nomination but she would be very vulnerable in the General.

I don’t think she could win the rust belt states without which Trump would be POTUS for Four more

[marylandblue]

4. I think she could win those states because of her economic populism.

People are assuming that those rust belt voters still believe in Reaganomics. That all went out the windows when they abandoned the idea of free trade, a Republican heresy. The last tax cut was not popular, destroying another Reagan plank. And with GM closing plants up, does anybody still believe that the rich are "job creators?"

I think they know they are being screwed, the billionaires stole their money and they want that money back. Which is exactly what Warren is saying.

[DemocracyMouse]

44. Thank you, Buttigieg supporter! Your marine is probably quite popular in the rust belt too!

Given that Mayor Pete was "part of a unit assigned to identify and disrupt terrorist finance networks" he'd be great at going after Republicans.

[emmaverybo]

58. I don't know that the majority of those voters will welcome all the proposals she is making. I

worry that they might be scared off at the price tag. She’s a good educator though so we shall see.

Medicare4All, universal childcare, no college tuition or fees, Green Energy plan, 50 billion investment in Black Universities, 100 billion for opioid crisis, affordable housing, college loan debt erasure for 95 percent of those of us with outstanding debt, revamping military housing, and I would hope shoring up social security...

We need to provide for immigrants and do DACA.

Tall orders. I support much of all this, but could be quite rich for less liberal folk. She says her tax on corporate profits and on ultra millionaires will pay for these ambitious policies. Some question her accounting; others that in addition to re-instating all Obama era regulations, rolling back the big Republican tax cut, we an also implement this take away.

Personally, I need to hear more about her foreign policy. We live in dangerous times.

[marylandblue]

62. You are right about the price tag and surely she will be called on it.

I get the sense she has run the numbers and could be convincing about making it work. But we'll have to see.

[shanny]

7. Actually I think her economic message

and detailed plans would be huge assets in the rust belt.

[marylandblue]

13. Exactly. They are the angry because they live in shit places with shit jobs.

Trump turned their anger at immigrants and it did them no good. Warren is turning their anger at billionaires. Much better target. It's torches and pitchforks time.

[shanny]

20. Tar and feathers.

I'm all for it.

[rampartc]

36. you moderates!

torches, pitchforks, guilletines.

[DemocracyMouse]

46. Ha! Sanders was the battering ram that opened the doors...

... to economic awareness in this country.

Sorry, Hillary devotees, she was a fine candidate, but just came across as too privileged and Wall Street-friendly to the swing staters... yes, and the Russians didn't help.

[sandensea]

53. Call me an old softie - but I say: send'em to re-education camps

Worked for the Last Emperor of China

Puyi, the Last Emperor of China, as the fascist Emperor of the Japanese puppet state Manchukuo (a police state in which thousands were killed, and millions more were deliberately addicted to opium).

And after re-education, as a productive - and by all accounts kindly - member of society.

[rampartc]

55. i have often thought we need reeducation camps for these deplorables

but none of them would get past 3rd grade.

[sandensea]

56. I know what you mean

[True Blue American]

61. Riding Trump

Out of town on a rail would work for this moderate!

[rampartc]

64. it might have to be sufficient

[marylandblue]

2. I think Warren will handle it better than you think. If not her, probably Pete will win.

[ecstatic]

3. I think it was Chris Matthews who said Pete might be the best choice because he's so

young and there aren't decades worth of gotcha moments ready to be exposed. On the other hand, they also noted that the GOP makes up their own facts, so even somebody with a clear past will be smeared.

[marylandblue]

8. Yes, a short record is best, but also he is very media savvy, so he knows how to fight back.

[Perseus]

51. They already tried it

Warren did some layer work while professor at Harvard, which is a legitimate thing to do, I understand that she declared her earnings, but repubs tried to make sonething of it. It backfired, but there you have it, they know their base is stupid, and their base will believe anything.

[CTyankee]

52. She'll still face the "Harvard professor" title and just being a woman...

Those two "titles" that Trump likes to play against her will be serviceable once again...sigh...

[redstateblues]

5. Pete has a diversity problem that will knock him out on Super Tuesday

Warren could win the nomination but lose big in the General. Current polls have her even with Trump nationally. Not good enough against an incumbent.

[marylandblue]

9. You might be right about, but if Biden falls, the AA vote has to go somewhere.

Where Warren is polling now against Trump is not where she will stay. I think her message will resonate and her standing will improve. If she really is too progressive for them, she will go down, and a moderate will rise. Probably O'Rourke, but it could be one of the others.

[BannonsLiver]

6. We'll start to hear whispers about her "republican past"'

And what did she really mean when she wrote or said (fill in the blank) 35 years ago?

The script practically writes itself and you’re astute to note that it’s a threat to warren or any other Dem who ends up in the top spot.

[redstateblues]

15. Did Joe vote for Reagan a while back?

It’s all about Joe’s past. Honestly the ancestry thing would be a problem for Warren in the General unfair as it is. Funny how all the Joe bashers never bring it up.

[BannonsLiver]

25. I agree

And I don’t think it’s fair to judge him for positions or things he said without context, and acknowledging that times and people change.

Biden didn’t vote for Reagan. Not sure I take your point there.

[redstateblues]

66. My ham handed attempt at being facetious!

The answer to my question was “of course not, it was Warren who voted for Reagan”

[pnwmom]

27. She wasn't in politics when she was a Republican.

And her academic focus on banking and bankruptcy led her to become a Democrat.

[DemocracyMouse]

47. Wouldn't the swing staters find comfort in Warren's Republican past?

[pnwmom]

48. Or maybe her years living and working in places like Oklahoma and Texas.

She's not some born and bred east coast liberal.

[DemocracyMouse]

68. Hey! Jefferson was an East Coast liberal! Franklin was such a liberal!

(The slave-holding, however, was unforgivable and that we must face squarely and honestly)

[customerserviceguy]

10. That's the first unwritten rule of the game

Whoever is the front-runner is the one with the target on their back. Sen. Warren already gave them enough ammunition with her Texas Bar form.

When Pete Buttigieg is front runner, and they go after him for being gay, then we know things are definitely getting desperate.

[mopinko]

11. um.

do you remember du when the dna test came out? she got pretty soundly spanked.
they will all be smeared, the question is how grounded and believable are the smears.

[tishaLA]

16. To be fair, I was critical of her with the DNA thing, too

And now she and Sen Harris are my co-favorites. I still think the DNA stuff was a misstep that played into tRump's games, but we are going to come across reasons not to support *any* of the candidates because they all make mistakes. The question is whether they can overcome them; Sen Warren has, and then some

[mopinko]

19. she played it just fine.

tho the trumpkins might still be talking about it, msm is not.
she did what you are supposed to do- get the truth out, do it early. it will be forgotten by the time the rubber meets the road.
and so it has.

i love both harris and warren. it will be a tough choice.

[democratisphere]

12. If this is all the desperadoes have to throw at Joe Biden, he will

do just fine.

[Still In Wisconsin]

14. Biden's support isn't going to collapse because of attacks. Or, at all.

I mean, I'm not at all suggesting he's got the nomination wrapped up or even close. But I don't see how his support will "collapse." Why I believe this: the reasons most people have for supporting him are longstanding, as are his known shortcomings. Those things aren't changing because people are flinging poo in his direction.

I would be surprised if Warren doesn't continue to gain, though. She's super strong and I like her a lot, too. Bernie? Yeah, I could see his support collapsing.

[ecstatic]

18. Tonight, Booker was on CNN insinuating that Biden used the word "boy"

as a slur. Not too many people are going to take the time to figure out what really happened. This is basically "super predator" 2.0. If these attacks continue at the current rate, Biden's support WILL collapse.

[Still In Wisconsin]

22. I guess we'll see...

but there's one thing that WON'T change. Biden will continue to represent the relative stability of Obama's eight years in office. Lots and lots of people are for THAT.

[Thekaspervote]

28. Nah

[pnwmom]

49. I saw him and didn't feel that he was insinuating that about Biden.

But I have no idea what Biden's point was. OF COURSE Eastland didn't call him "boy" -- because Biden's white.

[Tarheel_Dem]

57. Biden's support will not collapse. It may soften, but it won't collapse. n/t

[Indygram]

17. Here is what I think...

In the end, I think it will be Beto. He's a great compromise candidate for both sides of the political spectrum of the party. He doesn't turn off Progressives and he doesn't scare the moderates. He's got charisma for days, has proven the ability to raise an insane amount of money, get young voters to the polls, he has crossover appeal (with both Independents and Republicans who haven't lost their minds) and he will work harder than anyone else with a true 50 state strategy. He's got really great plans, he KNOWS his stuff, is sincere and genuine and has the ability to motivate and inspire. On top of all that...just a few months ago he faced the EXACT same PACs and nasty, dirty campaigning that the nominee is going to face...and he STILL damn near won in Texas, campaigning on PROGRESSIVE policies, got more votes than ANY Democrat in the history of Texas...more than HRC AND Obama. He helped get more Democrats in state offices, too. He WILL deliver Texas if he's the nominee, I have no doubt of that. Trump is even less popular than Ted Cruz there and Beto is adored.

So...I expect Beto to continue to fly under the radar while building a massive grassroots organization (already happening) and then seemingly out of nowhere he will emerge like a steamroller and get the nomination and then flatten Trump and more down ticket Republicans than this country has ever seen. People should not underestimate him.

[ecstatic]

21. Perhaps. I'm glad he's flying under the radar for now.

We're going to need someone left standing when the dust clears. LOL!

[Indygram]

37. lol

Beto is good at ignoring the noise and just working hard. Trump can't call him low energy or little...and Trump is going to run on the border. Who knows more about the border and the truth about it than Beto?

[essadaw]

23. I agree with your assessment of Beto

Time will tell. This primary looks like it will be a roller coaster before it’s over

[Indygram]

38. It wouldn't be if it were just allowed to play out to find the best candidate

instead of how it's going now....trying to push people out and pressure people to rally around one candidate before people have even gotten to consider the choices.

[ecstatic]

30. OK. I really hope so! nt

[Green Line]

26. She won't win the general

Liberal Senator from Mass, no chance

[ecstatic]

29. Keep in mind, her opponent will be a criminal, mob thug/dictator wannabe

(that's if he's not impeached and removed before the GE). Mainstream news outlets want us to think it will be a close election, that's why they keep forcing the idiotic "trump-voter" panels on us. I think most people will vote for anybody over the orange POS. Anybody. He has ruined so many lives, and the divisiveness he brings has wrecked so marriages and relationships.

[Green Line]

32. Nope not her

Her own state doesn’t like her, I live I Mass, she only won because her opponent was a light weight Republican

[Green Line]

33. No

She’s a total phony, unpopular in her own state

[Green Line]

35. Lol

Okay, if you lived here you would understand

[Thekaspervote]

40. Hard to argue when someone from Mass makes that kind of statement....seriously

[tonedevil]

54. Sez U /nt

[MasonDreams]

45. Jack from Mass won, and his brother Robert would have.

Warren is from Oklahoma. And when it comes to political philiosophy she is NOT Bernie, and there is a populist (it was all lies) in the WH. Warren is a woman. I think that's a plus. 43% of people who were eligible DID NOT VOTE. Bring to the polls a chunk of that block you've got a landslide for the history books.

[Bhkylib]

60. They will Dukakis/Kerry her to death...it won't be pretty

Just being a 'liberal' senator from Mass is enough to turn off a lot of voters. No one has yet to explain to me why someone who voted against Hillary in 2016 will vote for Warren in 2020? She will face the same problems Hillary did. Warren is super smart and has a plan for everything, like Hillary. If it didn't work for Hillary, why Warren?

[betsuni]

63. "If it didn't work for Hillary, why Warren?"

Yes, it will be the same. Reality erased, replaced with fictional bullshit.

[Buzz cook]

39. Biden isn't being attacked in the media.

And that's where it counts. Being attacked by his fellow democrats or people on the internet doesn't move public opinion that much.

If the right wing finds a buttery male or Bengaaahzi for Biden then the media will jump on the shiny thing. After that Biden will be in trouble.

[emulatorloo]

41. Both Biden and Warren are tough. I expect many of these attacks are going to backfire.

[Thekaspervote]

42. That seems to be true for both candidates so far. Let's hope it continues

[Beartracks]

43. So every front runner gets vilified by the supporters of 20+ other candidates.

Isn't that how the Republicans got Trump in 2016?



===========

[Perseus]

50. I don't think it has anything to do with who is leading

Biden just doesn't seem to be a choice for many at DU, and like someone wrote on another blog, DU members are better informed than most of the majority outside, we seem to dig deeper.

I think Warren is a great candidate, and so are many others who are running. One of the issues with Biden, at least to me, is the desire of republicans to have him as the nominee, there are other issues as well, but they have been mentioned.
Don't get me wrong, I like Biden, but I don't feel he is the right candidate at this time, we need a nominee who is more progressive.

Lets educate each other in a civil manner, then we can fibd the trolls among us.

[JackInGreen]

59. She's suit to the task and tough as a barrel of iron nails

I don't want Joe to 'Collapse', but in my opinion he...forgive the term...stuck his dick into the gears thinking he could make it better, and it's blowing up in his face. I don't know that Warren is going to have the same kind of 'shoot self in foot' instinct that Joe, love him though I do, is showing.

[TCJ70]

65. What's the worst they have on her? That she believed her family when they told her about their past?

And that they weren't lying? Oh no...

[Autumn]

67. The nominee will be the last one standing. That's how it works. It's called vetting

This is what a prolific DUer had to say about candidates.

Every... EVERY aspect of a candidate's life is fair game. His (or her) interviews, writings, recordings, votes... successes and failures.
Voters have the right to know if there's something in a candidate's background that would be a "showstopper" for his (or her) campaign during the General Election. By that time, it's too fucking late.

We deserve to know the truth.

She was right.