US Politics: Money, Money, Money Makes the World Go Round

[A Horse Named Stranger]

Just switched on CNN (it was an accident really), to see that the Nevada caucus is happening right now, thought you folks vote on Tuesdays for reasons.

Anyway, looks like Sanders is running the show down there.

So how long will Biden stick around?

[ThinkerX]

I seem to recollect a prominent senator being tied up in this project - then again, I could be wrong...or there might be some interesting tidbits rolling out of the woodwork....

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/an-ousted-metals-ceo-is-trying-to-fire-the-board-that-fired-him/ar-BB108po6?li=BBnbfcN&ocid=msnclassic

 

Closely held Braidy has been seeking to build a billion-dollar-plus rolling mill in its home state that would be the first U.S. greenfield aluminum plant in more than three decades. Last year, Braidy secured a “potential” $200 million commitment from aluminum maker United Co. Rusal, months after that Russian company was freed from U.S. sanctions. In September, Bouchard said the project was moving ahead and was expected to open in 2021.

 

[Gorn]

1 hour ago, Jace, Basilissa said:

Especially while competents like Booker and Harris who have shown effectiveness get railroaded for the crime of having achieved something and played by rules that actually get results.

What, specifically, did Booker and Harris achieve, and what results do you speak of? I guess Booker successfully protected his crook buddy Menendez, but I draw a blank when it comes to Harris' Senate accomplishments.

[Lollygag]

22 hours ago, The Great Unwashed said:

I thought his line during the debate about the U.S. already having socialism for the very rich, and rugged individualism for everyone else, was a pretty good defense of his democratic socialism.

That is a great line, but I think it's only a case for getting rid of trickle down economics where the trickle down part is left as purely optional.

An analogy I heard today: If you have a clogged pipe, you call a plumber and get it cleared. It makes no sense to change out the plumbing in the entire house.

[Durckad]

 

 

 

 

2

2 minutes ago, Lollygag said:

That is a great line, but I think it's only a case for getting rid of trickle down economics where the trickle down part is left as purely optional.

An analogy I heard today: If you have a clogged pipe, you call a plumber and get it cleared. It makes no sense to change out the plumbing in the entire house.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees that the 'clog' is the only issue with the plumbing. Hell, not even everyone (everyone being Republicans) can agree on the existence of the clog itself so I'm not sure such analogies really hold that much weight when discussing the more complex issues with the US economy.

[DMC]

The Nevada results are all good news for Sanders on a number of levels.  His strength with Hispanic voters - even in the face of the Culinary Workers union going after him - is very good news for California and Texas.  Nobody else standing out/outperforming expectations to come in a strong second obviously helps.  He's actually gaining on the second ballot - whereas his margin shrank in Iowa.  That difference suggests people are coming around to the fact he's probably gonna be the nominee.  And, of course, he's already busy campaigning in Texas.  It's starting to look very likely Bernie will have an insurmountable delegate lead following Super Tuesday.

[KingintheNorth4]

Apparently, they're having a meltdown on MSNBC over Sanders leading in Nevada, especially James Carville, who wants to do everything to stop Sanders from getting the nom. It brings me joy watching the establishment panic like this. 

[butterbumps!]

16 minutes ago, DMC said:

The Nevada results are all good news for Sanders on a number of levels.  His strength with Hispanic voters - even in the face of the Culinary Workers union going after him - is very good news for California and Texas.  Nobody else standing out/outperforming expectations to come in a strong second obviously helps.  He's actually gaining on the second ballot - whereas his margin shrank in Iowa.  That difference suggests people are coming around to the fact he's probably gonna be the nominee.  And, of course, he's already busy campaigning in Texas.  It's starting to look very likely Bernie will have an insurmountable delegate lead following Super Tuesday.

I bet the next 4 years of Trump will be even more awesome than the last.

[DMC]

9 minutes ago, butterbumps! said:

I bet the next 4 years of Trump will be even more awesome than the last.

One generally good sign is it sounds like turnout is up - and that's the main reason for the delay in actual results.  That didn't happen in Iowa, but did in NH.

[SpaceChampion]

11 minutes ago, butterbumps! said:

I bet the next 4 years of Trump will be even more awesome than the last.

You're right, he won't stop tweeting after getting kicked out of the White House.  That IS going to be pretty awesome.

[Fez]

16 minutes ago, KingintheNorth4 said:

Apparently, they're having a meltdown on MSNBC over Sanders leading in Nevada, especially James Carville, who wants to do everything to stop Sanders from getting the nom. It brings me joy watching the establishment panic like this. 

Contrary to popular belief among the far left, the Democratic establishment isn't afraid of Sanders winning in November, they're terrified of him losing. They're terrified of anyone losing, but they (and I) think that Sanders would be a significantly weaker candidate than the others.

I really truly hope they (and I) are wrong.

[butterbumps!]

6 minutes ago, DMC said:

One generally good sign is it sounds like turnout is up - and that's the main reason for the delay in actual results.  That didn't happen in Iowa, but did in NH.

Does NV always vote on a weekend?    I just want to confirm the increase is based on a consistent comparison.    
Sanders has gotten a lot of establishment whining, but he’s been mostly treated with kid gloves.  Which I’m sure will not be the case in the general.  I’m going to need a pallet of depends to make it through this.  

[DMC]

2 minutes ago, butterbumps! said:

Does NV always vote on a weekend?

They have since they moved up in the schedule in 2008 (I honestly don't remember before then).  I agree Sanders has been treated with kid gloves thus far, and one would expect that to change soon.

[SpaceChampion]

2 minutes ago, Fez said:

Contrary to popular belief among the far left, the Democratic establishment isn't afraid of Sanders winning in November, they're terrified of him losing. They're terrified of anyone losing, but they (and I) think that Sanders would be a significantly weaker candidate than the others.

I really truly hope they (and I) are wrong.

Actually Chris Matthews was just speculating the Dem establishment would rather lose to Trump than win with Sanders. 

 

[SpaceChampion]

5 minutes ago, Triskele said:

Yeah, I was going to say:

While there is no doubt that some in the more establishment lane just fear that Sanders is a bad candidate who will lose, it's also clear that this is not exclusively where resistance to Sanders comes from.  I find that curious and don't really know why exactly.  

The "better Trump than Bernie" faction is probably mostly the lobbyists and consultants that suck up a few billion dollars every cycle and lose elections.  Some of them are actually get selected as delegates from each campaign.  If the party shifts to rejecting corporate cash, they're all unemployed.

If it is a contested convention those set will likely try to take it from Sanders, while I have some faith the party leaders from the State delegations might see how that would destroy the party.

[DMC]

2 minutes ago, Triskele said:

While there is no doubt that some in the more establishment lane just fear that Sanders is a bad candidate who will lose, it's also clear that this is not exclusively where resistance to Sanders comes from.  I find that curious and don't really know why exactly. 

Mathews has always been fairly conservative.  He may be a Democrat, but he is a distinctly conservative Democrat.  So, too, is Clair McCaskill, and Nicole Wallace is a Republican.  It's not surprising this group - who along with Williams and Kornacki have dominated MSNBC coverage the past few hours from what I've seen - have pretty "out there" views compared to most of the Democratic electorate.

[Fez]

5 minutes ago, SpaceChampion said:

Actually Chris Matthews was just speculating the Dem establishment would rather lose to Trump than win with Sanders. 

Well Chris Matthews is a fucking idiot then, and he's wrong. 

I mean I'm sure you'll find a couple other people with those sentiments, there's never 100% of any group in favor of anything; but the vast majority of the Democratic establishment just wants to win. Especially against someone like Trump, who is basically a slow-moving existential threat to American democracy. But they'd want to win against anyone. When you win, you can get stuff done; when you lose you're powerless. Especially in this environment. If Trump wins, Republicans certainly have kept the Senate, and there's a good chance they retake the House.

[OnionAhaiReborn]

15 minutes ago, Triskele said:

Yeah, I was going to say:

While there is no doubt that some in the more establishment lane just fear that Sanders is a bad candidate who will lose, it's also clear that this is not exclusively where resistance to Sanders comes from.  I find that curious and don't really know why exactly.  

I think sometimes rank-and-file Democrats have trouble fully appreciating that money affects Democratic politicians just as it does Republicans. The Democratic Party is substantially backed by corporate interests and Sanders' hostility to the same easily explains establishment resistance to his candidacy. 

[Lollygag]

@Durckad

Can't quote for some reason. Site's weird today.

I can see that but I took the analogy to be more about identifying specific problems and ruling out simpler, targeted solutions first rather than bypassing that altogether and going through the long-term chaos that comes with tearing up the entire house complex US economy.

Republicans in power totally agree on there being a big 'ole clog (insert the McConnell smirk here). For the average Republican, they're moving towards populism.

 

[DMC]

13 minutes ago, OnionAhaiReborn said:

I think sometimes rank-and-file Democrats have trouble fully appreciating that money affects Democratic politicians just as it does Republicans. The Democratic Party is substantially backed by corporate interests and Sanders' hostility to the same easily explains establishment resistance to his candidacy. 

Again, it depends on what you mean by "establishment" Democrats.  If you're referring to those dominating coverage on MSNBC, sure?  But if you're referring to the party elite as officeholders, no.  Nancy Pelosi is not worried about Sanders' anti-corporate hostility.  Schumer might, but the median Dem Senator isn't.  And even on MSNBC you have Gibbs and Plouffe presenting much less alarmist analysis of Bernie as the nominee.  Plouffe detailed that there are many positive aspects to Sanders' campaign, "but if we don't win the health care debate, we don't deserve to beat Trump.  And the cold hard fact is if Bernie doesn't bend on M4A, he makes that much more difficult to do when it should be a layup.  That's the concern.  Even Carville's, really, even if I agree he's coming off as quite unhinged.  These old-hand political operatives - the establishment - simply want to win and there's a clear obstacle there with a Bernie candidacy that there isn't even with Warren.