I changed my preference. Here's why...

[wysimdnwyg]

I understand. I really do. You don't really care that I changed my preference, or why. But if you'll indulge me, you may start to consider your choice as well. Maybe you won't. All I can ask is that you hear me out.

Back last spring, when we were first given the option to select our preference here, I immediately selected Kamala Harris. I think she's fantastic and would make a great president. Alas, her campaign was not well run, and she eventually flamed out. From there, I switched to Elizabeth Warren. I really like Liz, and while I think some of her ideas are a bit too unrealistic at this time, I think she, too, would make a terrific president.

However, over the Christmas break, as I discussed our respective thoughts on the race with my mother (who is currently backing Tom Steyer), I came to realize that I'm not voting for a President of Wysimdnwyg-land. I'm voting for President of the US of A. There are 335 million people in America, and I am but one.

So I started considering who I thought would make the best president for all of us. While I think Warren tends to hew closer to my personal philosophy, I have decided that I will back Joe Biden, as he would, IMO, make the best POTUS for all of America.

Now, I don't expect everyone to agree - if everyone agreed with me, we wouldn't be in the mess we're in now with that turd with a toupee in office - but I'd like to think some others may understand (and perhaps agree) with my sentiment. America is made up of a wide spectrum of political philosophies, and finding the person best suited to steer us in a direction where everyone (or at least as many as possible) can be happy with the result, is what we should be striving for. In my mind, that person, today, is Joe Biden.

[NYMinute]

1. Sharp thinking

My logic is similar. I like all our candidates except three that make me puke. However, at the end of the day, honesty, decency, civility and experience matter - especially the latter. Biden can straighten things out on January 21,2021 and won't need a learning curve.

[highplainsdem]

2. Kudos to you for this careful reasoning. And while not everyone will agree with you, the new CNN

poll asked Democrats and Dem leaning independents which candidate was best able to unite the party, and the country (two separate questions), and Biden was far ahead of his rivals on these considerations.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287438748


And he showed again how moving he can be in an interview on Morning Joe this morning. I hope you'll look at the various threads about it.

[George II]

3. I held of deciding until about a month or so ago. In the beginning (seems like years!) I liked...

...four or five candidates. I gave small contributions to Biden, Harris, Booker, and Klobuchar, and subscribed to their emails. As time went on that whittled down to three, then two, and I finally settled (not a good word) on Biden for some of the reasons you give.

As a person and as a statesman and a uniter, he is head and shoulders over others. He's not perfect - one candidate may be better than him on this issue, another may be better on that issue, etc. But rolling it all up, and tossing in his sincerity and human decency, he's the best.

And oh how much we need someone like him in the White House in these times.

[Rainbow Droid]

4. I will vote for the Demoncratic party nominee, whoever it is, however

if we don't correct the mistakes of the past we are doomed to repeat them. The candidate, whoever he or she is, simply must be prepared to ram through a change platform that corrects the mistakes of the past. Period.

There is no alternative, because the Republic will be lost without sweeping change and revitalized governance that ALL AMERICANS can believe in. It might already be too late, but we've got to try.

[wysimdnwyg]

7. They can prepare all they want...

If we don't hold the house AND take back the senate, it won't mean much. Yes, I personally prefer Warren's platform. But again, I am one person. Even among the democrats in my family, there is a wide spectrum of philosophies. And that doesn't count the borderline conservative sister all the way to the far right, racist, loony cousins. We are electing someone who will be President for all of us. I believe Biden has the best chance to both win and get the most done regardless of the results in the senate.

As for the "sweeping changes" you seek (and many of us would like), it is my firm belief that the only things that absolutely MUST happen in the next Democratic presidency are campaign finance reform and redistricting reform. Solve those problems and the rest becomes a LOT easier.

[defacto7]

5. Good luck with your candidate.

[Sherman A1]

6. "So I started considering who I thought would make the best president for all of us"

which is why I support Andrew Yang.

[xmas74]

8. I'm fine with Biden.

If he gets the nomination I will absolutely canvass for him.

Honestly, with who is left the the one I really don't care for is Sanders.

[LanternWaste]

12. You and I share the same sentiment-- I'll canvass for whomever gets the nom.

Even Sanders.




My caveat is that Sanders' policies aren't really a sore spot with me-- hell, I agree with over 60% of his platform. It's his surrogates and staffers-- they really seem to advertise the worst aspects about him, his campaign and politicians in general.

[genxlib]

9. My thinking is similar but I take a different tack

I like for my candidate to be have personally progressive beliefs but have practical public policies.

I think the personal beliefs insures that they are acting from an important foundation in humanity.

I think the practical policies are where things get done.

I think Obama was a good example of this. He had a good progressive heart but a pragmatists brain. I know people will say he could have gotten more done but I don't see how considering the backlash that was received from what he did do.

The perfect example was on healthcare where he said “If I were designing a system from scratch, I would probably go ahead with a single-payer system,”. But the ACA was what was possible at the time.

[Pepsidog]

10. My heart says Warren but head says Biden.

[oasis]

11. Biden's the One.

[flamingdem]

13. All dems onboard

It's a BFD!