@WoodsDweller I have yet to even see anything that Biden is running on, only talking gibberish and insulting people.

The riff-raff have withdrawn from the field, now it's the main event. The score is practically tied.
There is a reason voters and donors had doubts about Biden. It wasn't that he couldn't get people to vote for him, it was that he can't hold it together any more.
Sanders will hammer away on policy. Does anyone really like Biden's policies? There must be a few who do. The rest of his supporters don't care. The voters that care are already Team Sanders.
From Caitlin Johnstone's article today:

It doesn’t matter what political positions a dementia victim once had; what matters is taking care of him and keeping him away from hazards, like sharp objects and nuclear launch codes.

Biden can't avoid the cameras now. He will be propped up by the friendly media, not shown live so that the can edit out the worst bits. But they aren't the only ones with cameras. If the Republicans were smart they would wait until the convention is over to wreck Biden's campaign. But they won't be able to help themselves. They'll make the case that Sanders is too chivalrous to make. Sanders would feel compelled to denounce any surrogates that did. Republicans are free to make the case, and they will.

Courage, comrades!

Under no circumstances will I vote for Biden, nor will I vote for Trump out of spite.

@Unabashed Liberal

good rap tunes UL!

done that--so, all the more game.

(Mr M and I Demexited in 2004 due to the corporatist MSM and DP Establishment destruction of Howard Dean's campaign, over absolutely nothing--"the scream." Walked away immediately; never looked back.)

If it should appear that Uncle Joe is actually going to be the nominee--some days, like some here, I figure that the Dem PtB may push to nominate him, only to substitute someone else at some point, due to his (obviously) greatly diminished mental capacity--will go out of my way to point out his many ill-informed/neoliberal/anti-populist policy positions over a lifetime.

IMO, his vacation habits/history in SC alone, tells one 'who' Joe is. And, it doesn't bring to mind that "Joe knows me," as many of his clowns surrogates are wont to say.

Go get 'um, C99!

Mollie

“This above all: to thine own self be true
And it must follow, as the night the day
Thou canst not then be false to any man . . ."
~~William Shakespeare

“Every time I lose a dog, he takes a piece of my heart. Every new dog gifts me with a piece of his. Someday, my heart will be total dog, and maybe then, I will be just as generous, loving, and forgiving.”
~~Author Unknown

“The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it.”
~~George Bernard Shaw
Irish Dramatist & Socialist (1856-1950)

@Pluto's Republic

well said
this boomerang is about
to be coming around

You're singing my theme song. Sure I'm with you.

But not only that, I can feel the People rising up from coast to coast.

The Democrats will not win an election in the US until we allow them to win.

We have the power to block the selfish Centrists and Party bosses at every turn — just as they have been blocking and crushing the Left for more than a century in the US. They have harmed the lives of the workers, unions, families, and the middle class in their frenzy to stuff their pockets full of super-sized predatory profits. Democratic leaders are the corrupt politicians who serve the corporations and monopolies, helping them cheat the people. They grow rich peddling their influence while stealing our share of the civilization that we the People built, alongside all the hard-working people who came before us.

Make no mistake, Centrist Democrats and fake Progressives. The American People didn't toil and sacrifice for you greedy, power-hungry politicians — they sacrificed for us, for the future of their descendants. Now we are sacrificing and building a better society and taking care of the environment and preserving precious natural resources and pristine lands so that the next generation, and the next can live fulfilling and meaningful lives in peace. You war-mongering parasites are no longer going to use Our Democracy to asset-stripping this nation's wealth and then stick us with your obscene debt.

The time has come for a reversal of fortune. Withholding a modern public health care system from the American people, so to continue the medical industry profiteering — was the final straw. The corrupt politicians who drive 600,000 American families into medical bankruptcy each year, and cause 100,000 disabilities and deaths through medical neglect — can be stopped immediately. With our vast numbers, we can focus our voting blocs to defeat the election of the Democratic politicians and Centrist dead-enders who are actively betraying and harming the People. We will drive them out of the Party, out of the nation's capitol, and out of politics. Then, we'll do the same for the Republican reactionaries and the corrupt authoritarian know-nothings who dare run for office in a People's Republic. In our spare time, we will help the International Court settle up the war crimes they enabled.

@Pluto's Republic
But you are getting better by the day.

This may be the moment for a movement. I hope so.

You're singing my theme song. Sure I'm with you.

But not only that, I can feel the People rising up from coast to coast.

The Democrats will not win an election in the US until we allow them to win.

We have the power to block the selfish Centrists and Party bosses at every turn — just as they have been blocking and crushing the Left for more than a century in the US. They have harmed the lives of the workers, unions, families, and the middle class in their frenzy to stuff their pockets full of super-sized predatory profits. Democratic leaders are the corrupt politicians who serve the corporations and monopolies, helping them cheat the people. They grow rich peddling their influence while stealing our share of the civilization that we the People built, alongside all the hard-working people who came before us.

Make no mistake, Centrist Democrats and fake Progressives. The American People didn't toil and sacrifice for you greedy, power-hungry politicians — they sacrificed for us, for the future of their descendants. Now we are sacrificing and building a better society and taking care of the environment and preserving precious natural resources and pristine lands so that the next generation, and the next can live fulfilling and meaningful lives in peace. You war-mongering parasites are no longer going to use Our Democracy to asset-stripping this nation's wealth and then stick us with your obscene debt.

The time has come for a reversal of fortune. Withholding a modern public health care system from the American people, so to continue the medical industry profiteering — was the final straw. The corrupt politicians who drive 600,000 American families into medical bankruptcy each year, and cause 100,000 disabilities and deaths through medical neglect — can be stopped immediately. With our vast numbers, we can focus our voting blocs to defeat the election of the Democratic politicians and Centrist dead-enders who are actively betraying and harming the People. We will drive them out of the Party, out of the nation's capitol, and out of politics. Then, we'll do the same for the Republican reactionaries and the corrupt authoritarian know-nothings who dare run for office in a People's Republic. In our spare time, we will help the International Court settle up the war crimes they enabled.

@thanatokephaloides

Merde!

I will never vote for a Democratic establishment/centrist ever. I will vote anything but blue if you shove another centrist down our throats.

Who's with me?

punctuation adjusted

Count me in.

One point of order:
It's wrong to call them "centrists". They're conserva(tive)s. BeLIEvers in the myth of "free markets", balanced national budgets (read: zero money supply), "traditional family values", and other such beatific equine excreta.

@GreatLakeSailor response to that last email? You either blew her mind and she looks into history and questions, or she writes you off as a conspiracy theorist nut job. I'd bet on option two since option one might make her question the people who sign her paychecks... Excellent response though!

This is an email I sent to my sister last week:

We got selected to participate in an Annenberg Study - I got selected - and I'd tell 'em to fuck off but they pay $15 for each survey so what the hell. After the first survey I emailed 'em this:

One of your questions was

--will I vote for Donald Trump regardless of the Dem nominee
--will I vote against Donald Trump regardless of the Dem nominee
--vote for or against Donald Trump depending on the Dem nominee

I chose the last one though none are correct. I'll not vote for Trump ever. The question is will I vote Dem or Green/third party (if the Dems cheat again).

The framing of your question really tips your hand. You also didn't offer not voting if the Dems cheat again and push a corporatist republican-lite warmongering candidate.

GLS

And someone named Dana responded quite predictably:

Hi GLS,

Thank you for sharing your feedback. I have passed your note along to the research team. Please be assured this academic research project is NOT affiliated with any political candidate, party, or organization.

We sincerely appreciate you taking the time to compete our surveys!

Best,

Dana

I tried to explain briefly that the left v right paradigm is a fake construct that's time has passed. I really don't think they give a shit. Their funders are not interested in understanding people outside their bubble. Only how to control them within a narrow Orverton window that (not so) skillfully avoids and thus precludes any challenge to or even rethink of the Washington Consensus of war, neoliberalism & neofeudalism.

Dana, Thanks for your response.

Please be assured this academic research project is NOT affiliated with any political candidate, party, or organization.

The hand you tipped is not whether you are supporting a specific political candidate, party, or organization, but rather your framing the research in terms of the left/right, team blue/team red duopoly.

Outside the Washington beltway bubble, outside the "think" tanks & cable news propaganda machines, in the real world where real people have lives, not "life styles", it's class warfare - and we're getting our asses kicked and have been since FECA 1972/1974 - though many say only since the DLC/Clinton's went into high-gear exercising any and all vestiges of FDR and The New Deal from mainstream American political discussion.

America has one political party - the Billionaire Corporate War Party. That party has 2 marketing groups no more substantively different on issues of war, corporate control of our media & government and the hoovering up of global wealth into the hands of the already privileged than the "Left Twix/Right Twix" ad campaign. The quality of life of average American citizens and the future of our children is simply not on their balance sheet.

My comment was simply that I recognize you are operating inside that bubble and not in the real world. Still happy to participate for $15 a pop. I wish you paid cash instead of CorporateBucks [Annenberg pay via giftcard] - where you decide where, and can track upon what I spend the $15. But it's still $15.

GLS

That is all.

My sis agreed & liked the email.

@smiley7
Passed that on to the campus crew

Vive la révolution

@tle

With voting machines and tabulators switching votes so often, you might find that your vote went to someone else, almost certainly one of the duopoly choices. I just voted today in Florida. My ballot had a bar code on it. Bar codes and the like are highly suspicious. Not that that kind of f**kery is really needed, since the actual paper ballots never get counted by people anyway, not in Florida.

@shaharazade

but we are insufficiently in control of our voting systems.

I'm with you Johnny. No way in hell can I vote for Biden or any other so called Demorat they decide we get to vote for. I do not understand why a lot of people I respect and like natter on about Liz, Biden, and the dreaded Republicans. After the all the elections since Clinton why is it not evident what a farce our political electoral system is? Freaking Ragun/RW Demorat's passing themselves of as 'progressive'. Insanity abides. Fear rules the day.

Will vote as I have local issues which are a microcosmic version of the national. Maybe write in Bernie maybe go 3rd party if there is such a thing these days. I try to remain positive and think that just maybe people have had enough and Bernie and company will prevail. Not much hope as it seems pretty thoroughly rigged settled and a done deal. So surreal.

@leveymg [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7bbdIU95zM]

to choose to refuse their choices.

@The Liberal Moonbat

He was a bit of a Jewish stereotype, a lawyer who'd argued Supreme Court cases in his time and used to get telegrams at his Manhattan office from a guy dressed as Spider-Man. He did very well for his family and was able to take me on a trip to Italy when I graduated from high school, where I saw him talk a watch peddler in Pisa all the way from €120 to €10. The big secret, he said, was simply this:

"You have to be willing to walk away."

@Reverend Jane Ignatowski

the party is just getting started . The revolutionary party, that is.

Now it will just look like piling on when I say I won't vote for Biden either but since I rolled up in here last summer talking about never ever Warren I don't imagine my refusal to get on board with any kind of establishment bullshit will suprise anyone. I'm not even a Democrat* and the entitlement these people have displayed about having to earn my vote with decent policy has been absolutely fucking jaw-dropping.

In the 2016 primary, Clinton ran really hard against all of my major policy issues. Why in hell would I vote for that? I wouldn't and I didn't. Same as joe shikspack says upthread, Sanders is already a compromise position for me, and his policy is as far as I'm willing to compromise. Past that point it's not a compromise, it's a surrender, and I don't bend the knee. The Party can either meet me in FDR territory with Sanders and pick up my vote in Ohio or else they can go fuck themselves, simple as that.
_____
*While I've registered under many parties for primary voting and/or entertainment purposes, I've never actually belonged to any of them because I think the partisan system is...oh let's just say counterproductive to democratic governance.

@Reverend Jane Ignatowski

See Snoopy's essay "Biden explains why we should vote for Bernie" today which clearly demonstrates that Warren, after attacking Bernie and Berners on Maddow last night, is extremely unlikely to be endorsing Bernie (unless if he pulls off the miracle of getting the nominiation and even then who knows?).

It's time to do what we can to expose Biden as a corporate and MIC tool and highlight his long history of opposition to social security and other social welfare programs.

Now it will just look like piling on when I say I won't vote for Biden either but since I rolled up in here last summer talking about never ever Warren I don't imagine my refusal to get on board with any kind of establishment bullshit will suprise anyone. I'm not even a Democrat* and the entitlement these people have displayed about having to earn my vote with decent policy has been absolutely fucking jaw-dropping.

In the 2016 primary, Clinton ran really hard against all of my major policy issues. Why in hell would I vote for that? I wouldn't and I didn't. Same as joe shikspack says upthread, Sanders is already a compromise position for me, and his policy is as far as I'm willing to compromise. Past that point it's not a compromise, it's a surrender, and I don't bend the knee. The Party can either meet me in FDR territory with Sanders and pick up my vote in Ohio or else they can go fuck themselves, simple as that.
_____
*While I've registered under many parties for primary voting and/or entertainment purposes, I've never actually belonged to any of them because I think the partisan system is...oh let's just say counterproductive to democratic governance.

@mjsmeme

Vicious conniving backstabbing snake-in-the-grass!

biden, question is not if but when