Surprise - Pete Drops out Early

[Tim Bonney]

I was surprised that Mayor Pete dropped out before Super Tuesday. It feels like a bid to throw the nomination towards Biden and away from Bernie. I expect to see Pete run for prez again in the future. He is young and articulate. He should run for congress or governor while he bides his time.

[Rvaughn]

I was surprised by the announcement. The timing makes me think he is trying to help someone else out. I suppose more will be known in the coming days.

[Dave Roberts]

I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed. Mayor Pete probably saw that he had no path to the nomination, but that certainly changes the calculus for many of us in Super Tuesday states. I believe that in 4 to 8 years Pete will be back in the spotlight.

[Rvaughn]

Probably not as surprising, but I heard this morning that Steyer also dropped out.

[Sandy]

I'm not surprised, but I am disappointed. Mayor Pete probably saw that he had no path to the nomination, but that certainly changes the calculus for many of us in Super Tuesday states. I believe that in 4 to 8 years Pete will be back in the spotlight.

He'd be a viable candidate for a House seat, Senate seat or even Governor.

I'm not surprised about Steyer, either. I think we'll see announcements from Klobuchar and Warren after Tuesday. Bloomberg has a lot of money to stay in as long as he wants, though he, too, has banked on the super Tuesday primaries. Running mate will be important.

[Dave Roberts]

Klobuchar is already out. Warren may have a better chance to Mayor Pete is endorsing Biden tonight in Texas. The calculus is certainly changing fast after SC.

[KeithE]

Klobuchar is already out. Warren may have a better chance to Mayor Pete is endorsing Biden tonight in Texas. The calculus is certainly changing fast after SC.

Did you mis-state something in your second sentence, Dave?
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I realize she may not be viable, but I'm still for Elizabeth Warren - younger, less cranky/more sympathetic, and more well-versed academically than Sanders. I’m a progressive at heart (as most of you should know).

But Biden could be OK by me (his gaffes are far more tolerable than Trump’s meanness, self-serving emoluments-wise, mental illness (be it narcissism or histrionics), xenophobia and/or demagoguery). Also believe Biden will consult with real expertise before decision making unlike Trump.

[William Thornton]

...the forces are being marshalled against Bernie. Let's see how this works out. Bernie wins and the president has a socialist as an opponent. Bernie loses the nomination and it's 2016 all over again. Bernie's "free stuff" army stays home in November.

Interesting.

[Haruo]

The DNC is doing everything it can to get the other candidates to drop out and if possible endorse Biden, so they can overcome what otherwise will become an insurmountable Sanders lead going into the convention. I'm neutral at this point. I would rather have Sanders than Biden as president, but I am very unsure of the electability issues, and there is way too much time before November for all kinds of things to happen.

[KeithE]

The DNC is doing everything it can to get the other candidates to drop out and if possible endorse Biden, so they can overcome what otherwise will become an insurmountable Sanders lead going into the convention. I'm neutral at this point. I would rather have Sanders than Biden as president, but I am very unsure of the electability issues, and there is way too much time before November for all kinds of things to happen.

I’m with you Haruo but what about Elizabeth instead of Sanders?

[Haruo]

I’m with you Haruo but what about Elizabeth instead of Sanders?

I'd be okay with that. Not sure how it would fly with the voters. A hung convention where Elizabeth Warren became the alternative to the collapse of the party might actually be conceivable, but I don't think it's likely.

[William Thornton]

I never much liked Liz but thought she would do much better. Biggest dud of the Democratic candidates. Got beat in her own state by the ancient and gaffe-proned Biden...and her socialist neighbor.

I’d think about voting for Biden. Doubt I could pull the trigger. Maybe a 5% chance. If it’s Trump vs Biden then it’s a campaign to see who says the dumbest things between now and November.

[Sandy]

Ancient? Speak for yourself. This is a septuagenerian campaign. They're all past 70, including Trump though his dementia is clearly much worse. 70 just doesn't seem that old anymore.

[Haruo]

I'll be 66 later this month. So if you all ("you" in a really broad sense) write me in in November, I'll still only be 70 when it's time to re-up! You have my permission.

[Tim Bonney]

...the forces are being marshalled against Bernie. Let's see how this works out. Bernie wins and the president has a socialist as an opponent. Bernie loses the nomination and it's 2016 all over again. Bernie's "free stuff" army stays home in November.

Interesting.

A worrying prospect. I don't totally dislike Bernie. But I don't respect his Bernie Bros who want to make no commitment to the party but expect us to give Bernie the nominations. They want to have the cake of no commitment and at the same time eat the cake of being the Dem nominee.

[Tim Bonney]

I never much liked Liz but thought she would do much better. Biggest dud of the Democratic candidates. Got beat in her own state by the ancient and gaffe-proned Biden...and her socialist neighbor.

I’d think about voting for Biden. Doubt I could pull the trigger. Maybe a 5% chance. If it’s Trump vs Biden then it’s a campaign to see who says the dumbest things between now and November.

I suppored Liz in the caucus. But I think she is about down. You just can't lose over and over again, and even in your home state, and think you are going to make it. At this point is it Bernie or Biden. I think Biden is the most electable if the Bernie followers don't stay home if/when Bernie doesn't get the nomintation.

[Tim Bonney]

Ancient? Speak for yourself. This is a septuagenerian campaign. They're all past 70, including Trump though his dementia is clearly much worse. 70 just doesn't seem that old anymore.

Bernie will pass 80 in his first term. Pretty dog gone close to ancient.

[Rvaughn]

A USA Today article gives the following ages that candidates would be on inauguration day:

Sanders, 79
Biden, 78
Weld, 75
Trump, 74
Warren, 71

Bloomberg is in the higher range with Bernie and Biden, but I just heard he dropped out. Weld is in the Republican primary, but insignificant (he might end up as a 3rd party candidate again). The article says that any of these would be the oldest President ever on inauguration day.

[Haruo]

The King County Executive is requesting that I and all other active presidential candidates just stay home.













(The context is an abundance of caution where contracting coronavirus is concerned. I really want to go to the Olympia All-Day Singing this Saturday, but may very well have to pass.)

[Sandy]

I suppored Liz in the caucus. But I think she is about down. You just can't lose over and over again, and even in your home state, and think you are going to make it. At this point is it Bernie or Biden. I think Biden is the most electable if the Bernie followers don't stay home if/when Bernie doesn't get the nomintation.

It doesn't appear that Bernie is reeling in the new, younger voters he did last time, at least not in those numbers. He's underperforming in states where he did better last time. I think the 2016 election cured any Democrats and Democrat-leaning independents of the "stay home and not vote" way of expressing yourself. The numbers are up, way up, but more spread out, or at least they have been. No question that the voters are looking for the chance to pick a candidate that will beat Trump.

Biden was the candidate Trump risked impeachment to attempt to blacken. Want confirmation that Trump lied through his teeth to Congress and that it was genuinely about corruption in the Ukraine and not his re-election chances? Wait and see if they use that to attack Biden. If they do, that'll be a sign that they are very desperate and that the impeachment was justified.

[Tim Bonney]

And Warren is out. It is now a two man race. My money (if I ever bet money) is that the nomination will ultimately go to Joe Biden.

[Haruo]

Two man, and Tulsi. (At least, I haven't seen an announcement of her abdication.) And I'll be voting for Sanders next Tuesday unless he dies first. And then probably for Joe in November, on the same condition.

[Sandy]

Two man, and Tulsi. (At least, I haven't seen an announcement of her abdication.) And I'll be voting for Sanders next Tuesday unless he dies first. And then probably for Joe in November, on the same condition.

I have to wait until the 17th to vote. That is my plan as well. I'll vote Bernie on the 17th, and for whoever wins the Democratic nomination in November. It's the health care proposal that wins me over, though I am also not opposed to recouping tax money that we've lost by excusing multi-million dollar corporations from paying any.

It's been interesting to watch all the rhetoric shifts on the other side. Soclal media was overloaded for weeks with some completely stupid, ignorant stuff about socialism and communism from people who either didn't learn the difference in sixth grade, or are deliberately distorting things. In less than a week, they've had to put the breaks on that baloney and now there's all this walking on eggshells about how to attack Biden but avoid giving credence to the impeachment claim that all the Ukraine stuff was for Trump's personal political gain.

[Tim Bonney]

I have to wait until the 17th to vote. That is my plan as well. I'll vote Bernie on the 17th, and for whoever wins the Democratic nomination in November.

I'd be more supportive of Bernie if his Bernie Bros didn't look so much like a left wing version of Trump supporters. There are some real kooks on Twitter supporting him. But, if he is the nominee, yes ABT.