Time For Biden

Time-for-Biden.jpeg

It's looking more and more like the favored Dems neoliberal establishment candidate for 2020 will be Uncle Joe.

“If the disaster of the 2016 Republican primary taught us anything, it’s that we do not want to have 16-plus candidates vying for the nomination. That’s what led to Trumpism — the lack of coherent direction, in a party eating itself from the inside.”

Is that what the lesson of 2016 was?
I thought it was that no one was representing or even listening to the working class.

Unlike Bernie, Biden knows how to talk to young people.

“The younger generation now tells me how tough things are—give me a break,” said Biden, while speaking to Patt Morrison of the Los Angeles Times to promote his new book. “No, no, I have no empathy for it, give me a break.”

Nailed It!

Now that you are getting excited over the idea of a Biden presidency, you might be wondering what his platform is.

By criticizing the views of both Berniecrats and Bannonites—and by making a full-throated, clear-eyed declaration of what the alternative should be—Biden is positioning himself as the antidote to populism in all its forms and flavors.

Pro-globalism, pro-big business, anti-nationalism. Sounds like he's got his finger on the pulse of the nation.

But hard-core progressives who roll their eyes at Biden’s shtick don’t see him as immune to the influence of campaign cash. They charge him with carrying water for Delaware-based credit card companies—especially MBNA, one of Biden’s biggest contributors at the time—when shaping the 2005 law that made it harder for consumers to declare bankruptcy.

You might think Biden’s dualities—a guy from the working class who’s spent nearly his entire adult life among the global elite; a champion of liberal values who can be found on the side of corporations—make him an easy mark for the populists. They could cut him down to size as yet another neoliberal corporatist shill who talks pretty while he rigs the rules for the rich.

A cynic might look at Biden’s long career and see a consummate B.S. artist. Then you have to remind yourself: A lot of B.S. artists make it to the White House.

A B.S. artist in a Pro-Biden article. Nice.

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Wink's picture

to me.

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the little things you can do are more valuable than the giant things you can't! - @thanatokephaloides. On Twitter @wink1radio. (-2.1) All about building progressive media.

I almost hope Biden is their man just to see how they deal with anyone daring to point out Biden's questionable history with women, not to mention the fact that Biden is yet another old, white, straight, Christian male. Since I have 0 faith in the Democrats putting forth anything less than another neo-liberal Clinton clone, I'd at least enjoy watching the knots they'd need to twist themselves in to justify making him the anointed one after doubling down on the identity politics. I am eagerly awaiting being tarred as a racist, sexist, homophobe for failing to fall in line behind Uncle Joe!

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Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Dr. John Carpenter

Since I have 0 faith in the Democrats putting forth anything less than another neo-liberal Clinton clone, I'd at least enjoy watching the knots they'd need to twist themselves in

Enjoy Celto-Nordic knotwork art, do you? Wink

to justify making him the anointed one after doubling down on the identity politics. I am eagerly awaiting being tarred as a racist, sexist, homophobe for failing to fall in line behind Uncle Joe!

The last pol we called "Uncle Joe" was Josef Stalin.

The parallels are frightening!

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@Dr. John Carpenter

... I am eagerly awaiting being tarred as a racist, sexist, homophobe for failing to fall in line behind Uncle Joe!

Hey, now you can be ageist, too! Although you have to admit that Bernie, that Russian Red knitter of unicorn dreams, really is too old. You have to draw the Siegfried Line somewhere!

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Azazello's picture

give me a break.” He would say that, wouldn't he. Left out of the Newsweek article was the issue of student debt, which is kind of a big deal among the millenials. In that 2005 bankruptcy bill, which he championed and voted for, was this:

BAPCPA amended § 523(a)(8) to broaden the types of educational ("student") loans that cannot be discharged in bankruptcy absent proof of “undue hardship.” The nature of the lender is no longer relevant. Thus, even loans from “for-profit” or “non-governmental” entities are not dischargeable.

That single provision is largely responsible for the skyrocketing cost of a higher education and the explosion of student debt.
I'm sure he'll pack 'em in at rallies in college towns just like Bernie did.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

@Azazello
is a mile wide and an inch deep.

But the Dems have no one else that is even close to catching Bernie.

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Azazello's picture

@gjohnsit
They were considered poor credit risks. Nowadays the minute a kid is accepted to university his/her mailbox will be flooded with credit card offers and booths for credit card issuers are a prominent feature at freshman orientation.
Coincidence ? I think not.

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We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

Meteor Man's picture

@Azazello
Thanks Biden! I have $75 deducted from my Social Security check every month for student loans. I'm sending a request for an itemized statement of my student loans. The IRS sent me a statement for one $3,500 dollar loan that was now over $11,000 because of interest, penalties and fees.

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"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Meteor Man

Thanks Biden! I have $75 deducted from my Social Security check every month for student loans. I'm sending a request for an itemized statement of my student loans. The IRS sent me a statement for one $3,500 dollar loan that was now over $11,000 because of interest, penalties and fees.

Bastards!

"They're the real Mafia!" -- Michael Corleone, Godfather Part III

Then you are usurers, gentlemen, and usury is a criminal offence. You will cancel your bonds, or be put on trial for your offence. I will give you one hour to decide which.

-- Joachim Pecci, the future Pope Leo XIII, as Governor of Spoleto, Italy,

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Daenerys's picture

@Azazello IOW, "quitchyer bitchin' and take what we're giving you!" Barf.

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This shit is bananas.

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Azazello

“The younger generation now tells me how tough things are — give me a break.” He would say that, wouldn't he.

My response would be "Asshole!", but I have more respect for the vital role performed by the rectum than that.

Fucking too-rich, too-powerful jerk. He shouldn't bear decision rights over his own life, much less anyone else's. Diablo Bomb Bad

Joe Biden comes from the last generation which could get a union job paying union scale (i.e., a living wage for an adult human being) straight out of high school. Modern high school graduates are complaining that there's no access to such employment today without contracting decades of debt bondage the likes of which Joe Biden himself has never known. He mever served in the military (5 draft deferments during Vietnam source). In short, he never had to face the hardships faced by his own generation, much less the ones he imposed on subsequent generations by his changes to bankruptcy law relating to student debt. Yet he sure seems to have the cojones to whine about us who have dealt with those hardships when we dare complain about them as we should.

I'm sure he'll pack 'em in at rallies in college towns just like Bernie did.

Dear Boulder and Fort Collins Colorado City Councils:

I want the exclusive franchise rights to sell rotten vegetables to attendees at Joe Biden's speeches in your cities. Please let me know what such a license will cost, as soon as possible. I fully expect this concession to be a very profitable business!

Sincerely,
thanatokephaloides

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

@thanatokephaloides @thanatokephaloides

Gotta love creative recycling!

Edit: and of course gotta lay in LOTS of squashy tomatoes so that people can make a splashy point about the Red-baiting the corporate Dino-Dems have been engaging in.

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

Meteor Man's picture

And yet, he’s hardly captive to labor’s policy agenda. While he was a “strong supporter of labor rights here in the U.S., from union organizing rights to protecting prevailing wage laws,” in the Senate, according to one labor activist, he did not reliably side with unions on trade. He voted for the deals most hated by unions and embraced by multinational corporations: the North American Free Trade Agreement and permanent normal trade relations status for China. Then as vice president, he was an enthusiastic booster of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal despised by Sanders and eventually iced by President Donald Trump.

"Hardly captive to labor's policy agenda"? Like that's a good thing?

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"They'll say we're disturbing the peace, but there is no peace. What really bothers them is that we are disturbing the war." Howard Zinn

thanatokephaloides's picture

@Meteor Man

"Hardly captive to labor's policy agenda"? Like that's a good thing?

We need a government fully "captive to labor's policy agenda" for two or three centuries now! Big Capital has had its way with us for long enough now!

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

Bollox Ref's picture

Obviously.

(Good grief!!)

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

dervish's picture

with a baseball bat, which is what it would take to make me ever vote for Biden.

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"Obama promised transparency, but Assange is the one who brought it."

@dervish

But since you have, please, wear consider wearing a helmet as the elections gets closer...

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Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.

A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.

snoopydawg's picture

Don't forget that he's responsible for Thomas being on the Supreme Court as well as all his other horrible bills he got sure were passed.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

earthling1's picture

a left-handed Oligarch. Different, yet the same.

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Neither Russia nor China is our enemy.
Neither Iran nor Venezuela are threatening America.
Cuba is a dead horse, stop beating it.

it's hilarious that these guys are focused, not on the disaster of the Democratic primary, but on the disaster of the Republican primary. think for a moment about the logical inferences:

A. President Trump is a disaster
B. Trump was nominated as a result of a disastrous Republican primary
C. Therefore, if there had NOT been a disastrous Republican primary, the Republicans would have nominated a better, stronger candidate.
D. Therefore, the Democrats must repeat their disastrous primary -- ie., choose their nominee before the first ballot has been cast.
E. Except ... if the Republicans hadn't run such a disastrous primary, they would have nominated a better, stronger candidate ... who would presumably have thrashed the preemptively anointed Democratic candidate ...

Clearly, what bothers these guys is not that "The Democrats" lost, but that Trump won. They'd have been okay with a Republican landslide. (Imagine what the numbers would have looked like if all those Republican women hadn't crossed over to vote HRC!) Otherwise, they wouldn't be getting their ducks in a row to repeat the process that produced somebody who couldn't even beat Trump.

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The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.

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snoopydawg's picture

Here's more of his advice to millennials if they're unhappy with how things are.

“There's an old expression my philosophy professor would always use from Plato,” said Biden. “‘The penalty people face for not being involved in politics is being governed by people worse than themselves.’ It's wide open. Go out and change it.”

Gee Joe, people are getting involved with politics and running for office, however, the DCCC along with the old guard democrats are blocking their way, you out of touch old coot and you know that!

Things aren't going to be able to change for the better when the PTB are making plans to stomp down hard on anyone who tries.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Amanda Matthews's picture

Brain-dead hopeless.

I am starting to agree with the crowd that says they want to lose.

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I'm tired of this back-slapping "Isn't humanity neat?" bullshit. We're a virus with shoes, okay? That's all we are. - Bill Hicks

Politics is the entertainment branch of industry. - Frank Zappa