Beto, lagging in the polls, unleashes attack on Biden

[Hassin Bin Sober]

Beto, lagging in the polls, unleashes attack on Biden

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/beto-biden-center-approach-1363263

Beto O’Rourke once made a point of refusing to criticize his rivals. And when it came to Joe Biden, he offered effusive, frequent praise.

But that was when O’Rourke was ascendant in the Democratic presidential primary.

Now lagging in public opinion polls, the former Texas congressman on Thursday issued a sharp rebuke of the former vice president, saying his nomination would mark a return to the past that the country cannot afford.

“You cannot go back to the end of the Obama administration and think that that’s good enough,” the former Texas congressman said at the end of a lengthy interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “As much of a horror show as Trump has been — his racism, the disaster of his foreign policy, his punishment of farmers and workers here in this country — we had real problems before Donald Trump became president.”

Asked, “Is Joe Biden a return to the past?” O’Rourke answered bluntly, "He is. And that cannot be who we are going forward. We’ve got to be bigger, we’ve got to be bolder. We have to set a much higher mark and be relentless in pursuing that.”

[Cha]

1. Could we please have a link?

[Indygram]

24. He's talking about the Morning Joe interview...here is the video for full context

He further explained what he said in his Newshour interview later that day that is here:

[Cha]

25. There wasn't a link in the OP when I asked

for it.. he has since added the link from Politico.

[Indygram]

34. Yes, but people should see the videos of what Beto actually said for themselves

So they can see that it wasn't really an attack of anyone. It was actually most likely much gentler than what we will see in the debates.

[essadaw]

107. Beto said Obama was the greatest president in his lifetime

This is not an attack. He mentioned a policy difference on deportation--debating policy is not an attack.

Biden is not Obama and some of Biden's policy comments have seemed to indicate he is running a campaign in the past--his initial comments on climate change and the Hyde amendment which were both later clarified/reversed. But again--it is not an attack to mention policy differences when asked to differentiate yourself.

[Demit]

109. "Differentiate" is the word I was thinking of too. This is a primary, with multiple candidates.

It's natural to tell voters how you are different from the others. If one of the prominent candidates is appealing to people's nostalgia for a time that is past, you point out—as gently as Beto did in these two interviews—that it is impossible to go back to the past. The past is gone.

[MustLoveBeagles]

123. Thanks for the clips

I admit when I read the linked article my support wavered. His words don't seem nearly as harsh when they're heard in context. I hope that people look at the clips with an open mind.

[Honeycombe8]

122. Here's teh link. It's at time count 9.30.

That's not an attack. Willie asked him to differentiate himself from Biden & why it should be him, Beto.

[The Liberal Lion]

2. Crazy thing is I was thinking the same thing today.

I like Joe, I really do, I hope he does well, but the truth of the matter is the Obama administration left us liberals wanting. Even When President Obama had full control of both houses of congress they still decided to kowtow to Republican tantrums (see the ACA for an example). And what did we get for our submissive nature? The tea party, which has morphed into outright fascism. President Obama was a good President, but he was a centrist in the mold of Clinton. He was what Al Gore would have been, a continuation of Clintonism. We needed bold, we got cautious, we needed brave, we got hesitant, we needed change, we got more of the same. I love President Obama, but we aren't dealing with a normal GOP, we are dealing with nazis, no seriously actual nazis. The old ways aren't going to work. Based on current right wing political ideology, center is still too far right for most of us liberals and progressives. There can be no middle ground with nazis. We need a bold leftist. We need a committed leftist. Is Beto the one, IDK, but I don't think it's Joe. If Joe wins the nod I'll most certainly full-throatedly support him. But I, as a liberal, nay a liberal lion, would like more.

[Cha]

4. Sorry, that's hogwash.. Oh and yes

please do insult President Obama with that and see how far your candidate gets.

[justhanginon]

5. ....

[The Liberal Lion]

10. You're entitled to your opinion. I'm calling it the way I see it

but you're free to see things the way you like. Doesn't bother me one bit. We are allies, not enemies.

[Cha]

11. Definitely.. Please Proceed.

[progressoid]

69. Whaaaa?

Liberal Lion just gave his/her analysis. Didn't really see any insults.

Obama even called himself a centrist.

[pangaia]

79. I don't see any insult of Obama.

[George II]

7. If "far right" is what got trump elected, how is moving further "left going to win?

That would only drive more of the voters to trump.

BTW, the ACA was passed.

[The Liberal Lion]

13. What I'm saying is the ACA is little more than the plan submitted by the Heritage Foundation

in response to Hillary-care. It wasn't leftist, it was a right wing answer to a more leftist approach.
Next, if leftism drives people to trump then we are indeed lost. I say the people want bold leftism, not milquetoast centrism.

[George II]

15. If that's the case, why hasn't a "bold leftist" ever been elected in 230+ years?

I'm not even going to get into that "Heritage Foundation" BS.

[The Liberal Lion]

23. May I present FDR and the New Deal

and LBJ and the Great Society as examples

[treestar]

33. That was then

This is now. A country that let the Orange Disaster into the Oval Office is not the same country as it was in the 1930s or 1960s.

[The Liberal Lion]

47. I'm of the opinion that trump was not elected

but rather that the vote was close enough for meddling to occur and skew the actual totals. I'll go further to say, with no hint of Clinton (Hil) bashing, the vote was close enough for that to happen because our candidate wasn't bold either. The country elected Obama with the promise of a dark skinned FDR. You remember the time cover right? We got nothing of the sort. We got a slightly more successful Carter. Love's me some Carter, but come on, he got bullied around. FDR wasn't bullied, Truman wasn't bullied, Kennedy wasn't bullied, Johnson for damn sure wasn't bullied. The more meek Democrat begin with Carter. Clinton was meek, dragging us to the right. Obama was less meek than Clinton, that is for sure. I loved when he stood up and schooled the entire republican caucus on the need for universal heathcare. Unlike the promised FDR, or even LBJ Obama failed to rally, bully and intimidate his caucus to stand behind a public option or full blown universal healthcare. Instead of boldly rallying the people in the streets, Senators and Congresspersons of the democratic caucus expressed nothing but fear out loud. Obama followed the lead of congress instead of leading them in the quest. You speak of now, as if the country we have today was the country we had when Bam was first elected. It's not. A country that elected a little experienced, black, harvard educated lawyer twice to the highest office in the land was absolutely and most certainly ready for bold progressive politics. And they are ready for it now in the face of the right wing tyranny we currently face and it's growing might should we not dethrone this monster illegally inhabiting our white house.

That's the way I see it.

[Lordquinton]

55. A brave post

And happy 1000!

[The Liberal Lion]

110. Thank you much

[Bradshaw3]

60. Good points

People will get attacked here for simply pointing out uncomfortable truths like the fact that the ACA was, as you point out, originally a Heritage proposal, or that Obama opposed the mandate when he ran against Hillary. Pointing out facts is not bashing. As much as we think of Obama or the Clintons, no person, including Democratic politicians, are perfect and correct 100 percent of the time. We would do better to recognize that and not worship them. I have no doubt Obama would agree with that.

[treestar]

93. Calling a POTUS weak because Congress won't do exactly what they want

All the "meek" and "tough" talk - well, the Dotard is "tough" and never "weak." The Presidency is not for authoritarians. It is not for bullies. Dotard is a bully and look how frustrated he is.

The ACA was what could pass. You have to pay attention to who gets into Congress, not just expect the POTUS to be so "tough" that they give into him. You are practically wishing we did not have separation of powers, or that the POTUS should be such a bully that effectively we don't.

FDR was not successful at getting social programs because he was a bully. It was because there was the political will to do it from the voters. They were living in the Depression.

You have to convince the voters to want single payer or whatever, not just expect the POTUS to declare it by decree to a meek and powerless Congress, or to voters that don't support it.

[marylandblue]

96. Thinking Obama could have done certain things better should not be controversial.

He had certain strengths and weakness. He made certain mistakes. If I were President, I would not have made those mistakes, but I surely would have made others. My way could have been better or worse depending on the circumstances. That doesn't take anything away from what he did.


In any event, we'd be wise to learn from his mistakes and think about which candidate is most likely to do better than he did under future circumstances.

"We must welcome the future, remembering that soon it will be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering that it was once all that was humanly possible."

"Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Both of those quotes are from the same philosopher, George Santayana

[treestar]

91. This is so mixed up I don't know how to respond

You seem to want an authoritarian of the left. Admiration of bullying. Thinking the people have no minds of their own and Congress has no minds of their own. Lead Congress? What the actual fuck? Congress is a separate branch. Dotard is a bully and yet he is not leading Congress. If he were leading them, they'd pass a law making all immigration illegal, just for a start.

FDR had one advantage when it came to economics. The Depression. The voters wanted extreme measures. They don't now.

"Meek" seems to mean not being a dictator.

[marylandblue]

100. LBJ bullied members of Congress, but not in Trump's way.

He was quite a son of a bitch in private.

Reagan had his ways to apply pressure, but he also cut deals.

Other Presidents had their ways, some more successful than others. Obama wasn't a total pushover, but he could have used more pressure and less accommodation at certain points, but that was not in his nature. Would a different approach have worked better? I think so, but we'll never know the answer to that. I think the next President will have to be more on the confrontational side than Obama, at least in private.

[BannonsLiver]

75. Lots of folks living in the 1930s.

They need to get out of fantasyland and join us in the now. That’s where the fight is.

[George II]

48. I don't think either was considered a "bold leftist".

[The Liberal Lion]

52. well, I don't know how to argue against that

[treestar]

94. You should do it by bullying, which you seem to admire

Just overcome the will of others with "strength."

[The Liberal Lion]

112. It is true, I do believe in what Leni Riefenstahl called "The Triumph of The Will"

I also believe that one manifests what one believes, whether they do that consciously or not. However, the meaning of my post was if you don't consider FDR and LBJ bold liberals I will acknowledge your perception but won't accept it as my own. Further, I find no need to continue to try to convince you of my belief because you believing in what I believe is completely unnecessary. What is necessary is, despite our differences in perspective, we work together to end the tyranny currently plaguing our nation.

[Demsrule86]

97. 88 years ago...not a great track record.

[treestar]

31. But it passed

and more radical plans could not. This country still has a lot of conservatives in it.

[emmaverybo]

78. The people? You purport to speak for "the people?" Not one poll in this or any other election and

not one election result bears you out if what you refer to is the majority of Americans.

[marylandblue]

9. I've been thinking this way ever since October 2015.

When I realized Trump was gaining in the polls despite his many gaffes. At that point, I knew we were in trouble whether we won or not. Too many angry voters. Even if Clinton had won, she would have had a difficult time governing, just like Obama did.

Almost everything I feared then has come true. Now is not the time for moderation. People are hungry for change more than ever and they are angry.

" In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. "
-Steinbeck

[cwydro]

35. Thank you for that quote.

Works for the need for an impeachment inquiry too. Perfect.

[The Liberal Lion]

42. ...

[ecstatic]

12. They didn't have the votes for a public option. But I get the point

you're making. After this trump fiasco, I find myself "evolved" and completely done with the overly cautious approach. Why do we do it when the majority of the country agrees with us? BTW, that's why I support Warren now. Her policies, especially universal childcare, would change the game.

[The Liberal Lion]

37. Although I'm going to go with Harris until the end

and the main reason I support her to be honest, is that I think she's the only one who will put that motherfucker trump in jail. That being said I'm starting to grow a fondness for a Warren/(Bernie) Sanders ticket. I put Bernie in parenthesis because when I just said Warren/Sanders to my buddy last night he thought for some god-awful reason I meant Sarah Sanders (LOL).

[mcar]

20. This Harris supporter disagrees

President Obama was the best President of my lifetime.

[Cha]

22. Mahalo, mcar..

[Indygram]

26. And that is exactly what Beto says about Obama all of the time (and in the second video I posted)

And it's still OK to point out facts related to issues you care about, like Beto did.

[The Liberal Lion]

39. Bingo

[mcar]

54. Thanks for posting the entire clip

Context helps.

[Indygram]

58. You're very welcome, and yes, context does help

I'm growing quite sick of Beto being attacked for things that didn't actually happen or are reported in a very misleading way...so I'm bringing receipts.

[Cha]

61. Who Ever said it ".. was good enough.."? Nobody Ever..

President Obama and VP Biden are always moving Forward.

Of course we had "real problems before trump got rigged into the Presidency.

It's called gop Unprecedented Obstruction! Why is that Not being discussed?

“You cannot go back to the end of the Obama administration and think that that’s good enough,” the former Texas congressman said at the end of a lengthy interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “As much of a horror show as Trump has been — his racism, the disaster of his foreign policy, his punishment of farmers and workers here in this country — we had real problems before Donald Trump became president.”

[Demsrule86]

98. And why I won't vote for him...we have had two Democratic Presidents...you say bad stuff

about them won't vote for you in any primary...general of course. But Beto won't make it to general if things continue.

[The Liberal Lion]

29. I didn't say that.

I don't know how old you are, but I never said that he wasn't the best President of anyone's lifetime. He certainly was in mine and I'm a youngster edging on 50. I'm saying he wasn't bold, he was overly cautious. Cautious where he didn't need to be, The ACA was an mighty accomplishment, but it was in no way bold. What it is is a rickety system of private sector healthcare finance that is at best of marginal benefit to the populace. It's not healthcare, it's barely ok health insurance. As a first step, I supported it, but in my heart I dispise it. Not for what it is, but for so much it is not. You want bold heathcare, see Germany.

[Cha]

40. That's your opinion.. President Obama

was trying to get things done in an era of unprecedented Obstructed and he did.

Link to tweet

[Indygram]

50. They are right that Obama was cautious

What black man didn't grow up with the understanding that there is a different set of rules for them and they have NO CHOICE but to be cautious? The poster didn't say it was Obama's fault that he wasn't able to do as much as he wanted to do. He had fierce opposition. He also did make some mistakes that resulted due to that caution. That's just a fact. It does not take away all of the good, though, and no one is saying that.

[Cha]

43. See post #40 for some of the reasons Why!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=151449

[LakeArenal]

32. Not this liberal.

[TheFarseer]

92. I bet Obama would tell you himself

He tried too hard to work with people who refused to be worked with, and as a result, didn’t get as much done as he wanted to.

[ecstatic]

3. Seems more like an attack on Pres Obama. Not a

winning strategy, in my opinion.

[DesertRat]

6. Voters loved the Obama administration.

Return to the past when allies were embraced? The past when democracy was stabilized? The past where Right Wing Nationalism wasn't sweeping Europe? The past where actual experience mattered and was considered an asset?
That kind of past looks good to me!

Any candidate who attacks Obama is off my list.

[Cha]

8. Exactly, DesertRat!

Gone!

[Cha]

19. Those candidates talking about

not returning to the past.. have a meme and are sticking to it.

“Specifically responding to things that you’ve said, Bernie Sanders saying you can’t go back to the past, Elizabeth Warren saying…” Saenz continued.

“Who’s going back to the past?” Biden interrupted.

"Look, I understand. I don’t blame them,” Biden continued. “They’ve got to, you know, they’re good folks but, you know, as I said, see you around.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=139584

[LakeArenal]

36. Wanting to return to normalcy is not the same as wanting to return to the past.

But 🤷🏼‍♀️ gotta get those digs in... Disappointing and possibly deal breaking for many of us who thought Beto VP.

[Cha]

44. Yes, and I think they're insulting our intelligence

by implying that it is.

[marylandblue]

108. Just like you claim you are misunderstood, you are also misunderstanding.

We understand full well that you don't mean a literal return to the past, an obvious impossibility. Rather, we are challenging the notion that anything described as a "return to normalcy" is either possible or desirable. We can't "return" to normalcy no matter how desirable it may seem. We must create a new normal. We can and will look to Obama's administration for guidance, but the new normal is going to be different in a lot of ways. If you are going to disagree, at least disagree with the right thing.

[LakeArenal]

113. Since there's no such thing as normalcy

and there is no way to return to the past it’s all hyperbole. So understanding or misunderstanding is a moot point.

In my opinion, since I can only speak for myself, is this is just another's speech and thread that is taking the round about way of saying many don’t want an old white guy for President.

Joe remains the most qualified and
well-liked candidate both globally and nationally.

[marylandblue]

115. Like you, I can only speak for myself.

I don't care about his age, his race or his gender. I don't care much about his resumes, because we often vote for thin resumes and some of those people turn out to be our greatest Presidents.

His international reputation is irrelevant, they don't get a vote.

I am concerned about what he says and does. And several things he has said and done indicate his approach to this election and our country's problems. They concern me because I don't think he quite gets the magnitude and nature of our problems and I don't think his method of challenging Trump will work. Punching back does provide a certain emotional satisfaction, but in the end, I just don't think it's enough.

I think Warren, Buttigieg and perhaps O'Rourke understand the situation much better. They don't have the Biden's experience, but the problems we face are unprecedented in our history. When you encounter something totally new, experience is not a good guide. Outside-the-box thinking is necessary and those three have demonstrated their ability to do just that. All three have had unlikely rises using unconventional strategies, which tells me one of them is right is the right leader for our times.

[LakeArenal]

116. Yes your opinion.

Mine

Joe remains the most qualified and well liked both nationally and internationally.

[marylandblue]

117. Right. so in terms of this thread, it's not necessarily about being an old white male

or about "bashing" him unfairly, but about fundamentally different ideas about what our country needs now.

May the best idea win.

[LakeArenal]

118. No in terms of your opinion that is what the thread is about.

My opinion it was a round about way of say no old white men.

[marylandblue]

119. Like I said, NOT NECESSARILY. There is me, agreeing with Beto

but not for the reasons you state. More legitimate and less insulting reasons. Isn't it possible other people have legitimate reasons? Why dismiss them with the assumption of ageism?

[LakeArenal]

121. Once more it's your opinion as to dismissive.

So, think whatever you want about whatever you want. I’m not stopping you.
Geez. I’m going to spend the rest of the evening doing something other than this.

[marylandblue]

124. Sorry if I'm boring you. Maybe I'm just frustrated.

I've yet to see a single Biden supporter so much as acknowledge that there might be a legitimate criticism of Joe Biden. Treating him like a god really isn't a good idea. But, you know, freedom of religion and all that.

[shanny]

72. just curious, how does "Obama's third term" (if you will)

fix what ails OUR political system?

Merrick Fucking Garland.

[Cha]

73. False Premise.. Not going to be.. "President Obama's 3rd term"

DR was saying what she appreciated about it.

We need to Keep the House and Win the Senate.

[DesertRat]

83. Exactly

[Cha]

84. I was your "translator" like President

Obama had one. lol

[Demsrule86]

99. I would kill to get Obama back right now...we most likely won't get the Senate thus stopping the GOP

is just as important as discussing policy that won't pass without the senate...we need to fight for the Senate if not in 20 than in 22 so we can get a SCOTUS pick. We are in a desperate situation right now...and Biden is my choice.

[dewsgirl]

14. I guess that contract they all signed is out the window now.

Sorry can't remember the name of it now. They promised not to attack one another and to support whoever became the eventual declared candidate.

[Peacetrain]

16. missed that one.. when did they sign that?

[George II]

17. Sad, isn't it? But O'Rourke isn't the first candidate to break "the pledge".

[Eliot Rosewater]

46. BLUE no matter WHO

And we need to CALL out anyone attempting to sow discord in our ranks.

Beto will do Beto but ALL of us need to support ANY candidate with a D after their name.

We know there are people just salivating at the chance to BASH Joe.

[dewsgirl]

95. Thank you, I started to look it up then got busy.

[marylandblue]

21. An unenforceable contract is just a piece of paper.

[aikoaiko]

18. That's not really much of an attack. It seems perfectly fair to me.

[Indygram]

30. I added the videos further up the thread for context

and clarification.

It wasn't an attack on Biden OR on Obama. Some are insisting it is because there is truth in what Beto said.

[treestar]

28. It is good enough to go back to the end of the Obama Administration

At this point, we need to at least recover that.

[shanny]

80. No. It isn't.

Merrick Garland was at the end of the Obama Administration.

Are you content to go back to that?

[treestar]

90. How content?

You are talking about the actions of McTurtle, not Obama.

Donald Effing Trump is in the Oval Office. Emergency, Disaster.

[shanny]

114. You said it was good enough to go back to the end of the Obama administration

and I said it was not. There were emergencies and disasters occurring before his election and they will continue after we oust him.

[Drunken Irishman]

38. Obama's presidency should be a starting point for any Democratic candidate.

It was the most successful presidency since FDR.

[Cha]

51. Ikr.. Instead he Insults!

Unreal.

[Indygram]

62. Not true...here is a video proving otherwise, conveniently set to begin at the relevant spot

It's at 3:17ish. For some reason the video is not starting correctly.

[Cha]

63. I don't care if you say it's not an insult.. it is.

[Indygram]

65. Video starts at 3:17 proving otherwise

?t=198

[Cha]

68. I saw it.. Biden does NOT want to go

"back to the past".. and neither do his supporters.

[Indygram]

70. If that's the case then he should stop talking about "going back"

And he should reconsider some of his policy positions that are entirely out of step with where Americans are today, like legalizing marijuana.

I think part of why he gets the back to the past label is because some of his positions are really old fashioned and the electorate has changed a lot since he last ran by himself.

[Cha]

71. Biden.. "Who's going back to the past?"

Joe Biden Has Three Words for Democratic Candidates Who Took Swipes At Him in California

“Specifically responding to things that you’ve said, Bernie Sanders saying you can’t go back to the past, Elizabeth Warren saying…” Saenz continued.

“Who’s going back to the past?” Biden interrupted.

"Look, I understand. I don’t blame them,” Biden continued. “They’ve got to, you know, they’re good folks but, you know, as I said, see you around.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=139584

I like Biden for the job because of his qualifications and experience.. and right now.. he's beating trump in Texas.

[Indygram]

74. Polls mean nothing this early...Jimmy Carter was at 1% at this point when he won

And Biden doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of winning Texas. He honestly doesn't. Beto could win ONLY because he has a grassroots ARMY there who know him and believe in him based on the same message he's running on right now. They trust Beto.

[betsuni]

85. Time travel double standard.

Going back to the '30s is fine but going back to 2016 isn't.

Joe Biden wasn't president so I don't know what people are talking about.

[Cha]

86. Precisely, betsuni.

Not that Biden wants to go back but some are determined to place him there.. way back in the horrible 2009-2017 years.

[JI7]

59. Beto said Obama was the best president of his lifetime

[democratisphere]

41. If all a candidate has is attacking the front runner, that candidate is likely finished.

[Indygram]

53. That's not all Beto has. In fact, he has such an awesome Climate Plan that others have been

passing parts of it off as their own.

[samnsara]

45. naaaaa thats not gonna work...

[Cha]

49. Nobody EVER said it "..was good enough..".. President

Obama and VP Biden are always moving FORWARD.

How disingenuous of Beto and downright insulting.

I don't care if anyone says that wasn't an insult.. it is.

Joe Biden Has Three Words for Democratic Candidates Who Took Swipes At Him in California

“Specifically responding to things that you’ve said, Bernie Sanders saying you can’t go back to the past, Elizabeth Warren saying…” Saenz continued.

“Who’s going back to the past?” Biden interrupted.

"Look, I understand. I don’t blame them,” Biden continued. “They’ve got to, you know, they’re good folks but, you know, as I said, see you around.”

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=139584

Ha.. even BS is jumping on.. Good luck with that.. lol

ETA..

“You cannot go back to the end of the Obama administration and think that that’s good enough,” the former Texas congressman said at the end of a lengthy interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “As much of a horror show as Trump has been — his racism, the disaster of his foreign policy, his punishment of farmers and workers here in this country — we had real problems before Donald Trump became president.”

Of course, we had problems before trump got rigged in.. it's call Unprecedented gop Obstruction.. why is that not being discussed? Blaming it on President Obama is more convenient?

[BannonsLiver]

76. I'd give up my left 🥜 to go back to the end of the Obama years

His critics here wouldn’t have lasted a day in his shoes. And that includes Beto O’Rourke.

[Rebl2]

56. What he said about

Biden and the Obama administration sounds like desperation on his part.

[Cha]

57. Thanks, I agree.

And, am disappointed in him for doing so.

[FloridaBlues]

64. Some candidates will Lob insults but Biden will hold his own

Not his first run at debates. I actually think it will back fire for them. As Sen Boxer says hey I was just born rolled out of bed and And became a democrat and I'm all you need !!!
Joe can hold his own on the stage

[Cha]

66. If they are disingenuous insults like

"not wanting to go back to the past" then I hope it does.

Mahalo, FloridaBlues!

[FloridaBlues]

67. Not worried about Joe he's capable to handle

What comes his way. Hope it doesn't get nasty tho. We have enough allready.

[DesertRat]

87. It does to me too. nt

[redstateblues]

77. I am regretting sending Beto money for his roll out. I was a fan.

[JI7]

88. there is a lot of exaggeration with the article in the OP

people are making it out to be different and worse than it was.

[emmaverybo]

81. His immaturity is showing. nt

[shanny]

82. Politico lives to divide Democrats and prop up pukes.

That said, telling the truth about pukes during the Obama administration is not an attack on Obama, or Biden.

Saying, or even worse believing that pukes will have an epiphany, and will come around--that's a problem for Biden. It is not an attack to say so or unfair to think so.

[ucrdem]

89. Well there is some truth to that of course

I don't really see this as a 2016-style bash, like insinuations about the Clinton foundation, more of a boiler-plate freshman bullet point and one he will find very easy to walk back should he find himself on the ticket. Which is a distinct possibility.

[Nanjeanne]

101. I think he is bringing up a good point worth considering. I wish these statements weren't

Termed “attacks”. Or words like “unleashed” used. These are primaries. Beto wants to win just like everyone else. There are appropriate opinions and differences to discuss. Beto brings up a good point. It’s not an “attack” in my mind.

[JustAnotherGen]

102. Okay Sir

How?

"We’ve got to be bigger, we’ve got to be bolder. We have to set a much higher mark and be relentless in pursuing that.”

This doesn't get moderates and Warren, Buttigieg and Sanders are offering pathways to get there.

He's in the aggressive progressive Sandbox but he's only debating against one. She has clear policy laid out.

He's also going to be on the same stage as Booker and Castro ( they are both Be to and my Gen X peers) and Senator Klobuchar.

Can he be as optimistic as Booker and Castro? As clear as Warren and Klobuchar?

That remains to be seen.

When I look at the line up on the Times - my eye goes to the two smiling guys on the left.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/14/us/politics/democratic-debates-2020.html

[Docreed2003]

103. It wasn't an "attack"...it wasn't "unleashed"

These type of over the tops headlines are infuriating and do not serve the interests of any of our candidates. It like the same histrionics over "Buttigieg attacked Hillary" when that wasn't in the ballpark of what he was saying, or atta is on Buttigieg when he said essentially the same thing Beto is saying last week.

We're intelligent people here. We can watch the full videos of the exchanges and discuss the positives and negatives without resorting to over the top attacks on each other and the candidates we support.

[nuxvomica]

104. Good point

I saw O'Rourke's comment and thought it as rather measured. Hardly "unleashed". I dread the coming months for the horse-race/octagon coverage by a click-hungry press.

[Docreed2003]

105. Me too

Because the media loves conflict and a horse race. We may not agree on everything, but we can control how we respond to each other with this forum and chose our words to represent opinions without them being used for attacks and snark.

[stonecutter357]

106. desperation !

[MrsCoffee]

111. Politico, lagging in views, unleashes divisive article about Democrats.

[Gothmog]

120. I was a first day contributor to Beto

I am not happy with these attacks