I like Harris, Warren, Booker and Mayor Pete but I'm beginning to lean towards Biden as the one...

[brush]

who can beat trump in Wi, Pa and Mi. as he can't be targeted as a socialist lefty as Sanders and Warren, the other two top-tier candidates, will be

Beating trump is of utmost importance and that's why I'm leaning towards Biden. He has not yielded his front runner status despite all the so-called gaffes and that shows he can withstand those minor missteps in a general election campaign as trump will surely have many of those of his own.

Biden's choice of running mate will also be key. Harris and Castro would work and by the time a running mate is chosen the sting of their challenges against Joe in the debates will have faded. Booker, a great speaker, would also do well. Beto unfortunately IMO is out of the running as two white men on the ticket won't fly with the base. Klobuchar could work as trump is likely to ditch Pence for Haley. Yang, who I also like, will make a great cabinet secretary as would Mayor Pete.

[redstateblues]

1. Winning back the rust belt is critical. Warren

is tied with Trump in WI. Biden is up 9. I think Joe is the only one who can win those rust belt states

[Big Blue Marble]

2. We need to win these states.

We need a strong candidate who these voters will. That is one of the reasons,
I support Biden and will continue to support him. He has the best showing against
Trump.

These are not normal times and we must be strategic.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I feel the same. As much as we need younger, more progressive leadership in the Democratic

party, for this election we need to nominate the person who has the best chance of beating Trump. At this point that is my only objective, and I think Joe Biden is that person. If he wins the nomination, I hope he chooses one of those younger, more progressive candidates as his VP.

I shudder to think what will become of our country if Trump is somehow elected for another term.

[brush]

4. Agreed. If trump wins again it's over our democracy/republic. And the racists/fascists will really..

go wild with a trump win.

[LincolnRossiter]

5. Since Harris and Castro have both striken themselves from my VP list, I'm strongly leaning toward

Andrew Gillem if Biden is the nominee.

[brush]

14. A good choice, also Stacey Abrams.

[LincolnRossiter]

16. She'd be my #1 with a bullet if she hadn't stated her unwillingness to accept the VP nomination.

Maybe she'll have a change of heart. Wouldn't be the first a potential candidate has.

[ReformedGOPer]

46. +1

[5starlib]

47. Gillum is good! He was robbed in Florida as was Nelson.

Also, doesn't hurt that Gillum is from a swing state, though I'm increasingly negative on winning Florida. I think Biden needs an African American VP nominee, be it male or female. It's time. We need to excite the black vote in the major urban areas to bring back the big blue wall.

[aidbo]

6. I got news for you Biden will be called a socialist too. Also, dude's last name is Yang, not Wang.

[brush]

7. The socialist tag won't work on Biden as voters know him from way back. And thanks, I'll fix Yang.

[redstateblues]

12. I hear that meme a lot. I don't buy it. People know Joe

It won’t work with Joe. With Warren? Probably

[Demsrule86]

29. It won't stick for Biden where as because of the policy advanced by the others, it will stick.

[5starlib]

48. Yes, they will call Biden socialist, but it won't stick like with Warren or Bernie

Bernie and Warren ooze socialism with their plans. It's easy to paint them with that tag. Painting Biden with that tag is just a joke and not believable.

[crazytown]

8. Live by the polls, die by the polls.

In October 2007. HRC lead Obama in electability 55% - 19%. After SC 2008, her campaign's reliance on electability came back to bite her on Super Tuesday.

HRC's campaign gradually got back on its feat with 'tested and ready to lead' etc but the damage had been done.

[redstateblues]

9. It's all about winning the Rust Belt

[crazytown]

11. And when polls come in showing Warren and Sanders winning the rust belt

what then?

[brush]

13. There are already polls in showing Biden winning there by much wider margins. We need to be sure...

and go with the strongest one against the traitor.

[crazytown]

15. The polls are what the polls are

It should be noted that while Biden is the only candidate in this particular poll to win each of the three key states, other pollsters have shown both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders also beating Trump in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Warren leads Democratic field by 5 points in Wisconsin
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign-polls/457548-warren-leads-field-by-5-points-in-wisconsin-poll

[brush]

17. Polls are but predictions and manipulations by pollsters. The real polls are the elections.

Biden, Warren and Sanders will split the votes in nearly all-white Iowa and NH but the first real election with diversity will be South Carolina and then the closely following Super Tuesday.

Those results will be the ones to show where the party really stands and Biden's favor amoung black voters and other POCs will put him in good stead. Harris should also do well with California now on Super Tuesday.

[crazytown]

18. Biden is unlikely to win SC by as much as HRC did in 2016

If the media spin after IA & NH is that the front runner is not performing as well as expected, SC will not be not a magic fix for Super Tuesday.

(aside - IA, HN, NV & SC is such a poor sample of the USA it's not funny)

[brush]

19. You do know the black vote is 60% of the electorate in SC, right? IA and NH, as you say, do not...

reflect the party base at all. The primaries of SC and Super Tuesday will and Biden is favored by black voters who vote.

[crazytown]

20. Yes

And in a many person race, it will be difficult for Biden to reach 73% of all votes cast.

[brush]

21. I doubt he'll get 73% but will get a bigger percentage of the delegates.

[Thekaspervote]

25. SC is the bellwether for the AA voting block. If you compare national polls to SC polls of AA voters

They mirror one another.

No one can win without the AA vote

[crazytown]

26. "If you compare national polls to SC polls of AA voters they mirror one another"

I would be genuinely interested if you could dig up some numbers on that. From memory Biden was doing better with NC AA voters than SC.

[Thekaspervote]

41. Here's 3 polls. The first in Ntl the other 2 are SC

https://thegrio.com/2019/08/01/joe-biden-top-choice-black-voters-quinnipiac-poll/

Here’s a SC poll from538 and a South Carolina newspaper

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2020-primaries/democratic/south-carolina/

Here’s another poll from SC
https://www.courthousenews.com/biden-way-ahead-of-democratic-rivals-in-south-carolina/

[Saviolo]

10. Pence has already labeled Biden a socialist

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/442071-pence-biden-is-advocating-a-socialist-agenda

They throw the term at -everyone- and their legion of sycophants believe it. They're still calling Obama a socialist. In fact, they've labeled so many common-sense incremental quality-of-life improvements as "socialist" that Trump doesn't think the term "socialism" will be so easy to win against next time.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-2020-president-privately-tells-confidants-that-socialism-wont-be-so-easy-to-beat

Let's not worry about their ignorant and disingenuous tactics, we know what they're going to be, and they'll use a lot of the same ones on anyone who ends up the candidate.

[Cha]

22. We Don't Care What pence LIES about.

[crazytown]

30. I have a lower opinion of Pence than The Orange One himself !

Dump has an out of control personality disorder (or two). Pence is what passes for a 'good Christian man' in the GOP these days.

[defacto7]

23. I thought he seemed shaken after the sudden protest.

That worried me a bit.

[Zambero]

27. That incident may have upset more than a few

Timed for the candidates' closing statements. With a long career of public service and many campaigns behind him, Biden has no doubt been exposed to raucous protesters of all stripes before. Trump is the one that seems the most obsessed with this form of dissent, to the point of advocating violence.

[DarthDem]

35. Oh?

I didn't think he was shaken at all. He was simply looking to the moderators for guidance on whether or when to resume speaking. In fact if I recall correctly, when the protestors were removed he said, "Sorry," and Stephanapoulos replied "*We're* sorry" or something similar. It made for a quintessential Joe Biden everyday guy moment.

[onetexan]

24. i would be good with Beto, Kamala, Amy, Pete B. as VEEP. Much as i love Elizabeth W. we need someone

younger on the ticket. Castro i think needs a little more experience. A little too gungho for my taste at present. He should come back to TX and run for governor in 2022. He could also be appointed to a post in Biden's administration. But he'll need to mend fences with Joe to make that happen.

[Gothmog]

28. I just met Joe Biden at a fundraiser

He was great.

[Cha]

31. You Lucky

Dawg!

Was he beaming?

[Gothmog]

34. Yes

He was great. I got to shake his hand and I got three floor signs used at the National Convention signed by him. Joe spoke for 30 minutes and was great

[Cha]

36. Awww!

So happy for you!

[Thekaspervote]

42. Oh lucky you!!!

[peggysue2]

32. I'm where you're at, brush

It's ALL ABOUT WINNING in 2020. I'm convinced Joe Biden can bring that victory by withstanding whatever garbage Trump and his enablers throw. And picking up those Rust Belt states. Paired with a young, forward-looking VP, we can boost our numbers and have a shot at maintaining the House and picking up the Senate.

It's a win/win, not merely for Democrats but for the future of the country.

[BlueIdaho]

40. Absolutely.

Job one is dragging that Fascist kicking and screaming out of the White House. Everything else is a distant second. Debates and polls are nice but I’m waiting for some primaries to sort things out. Biden looks good right now but when real people start voting - we will see what we see. Regardless, I’m in for the long haul, our nation can’t stand 4 more years of Fat Donny.

[BlueMississippi]

33. Welcome aboard any time nt

[emmaverybo]

37. Joe does not need to choose a VP from among his rivals. There are several not well-sung, but

well accomplished and able WOC Senators he could tap.

[Thekaspervote]

43. Indeed! I really like Susan Rice as well

[emmaverybo]

44. Love her.

[ElementaryPenguin]

38. I agree with you.

[comradebillyboy]

39. I am beginning to lean that way myself. nt

[honest.abe]

45. That's pretty much how I feel at this point.

I still think Harris would be great on the ticket.

[ReformedGOPer]

49. Tammy Duckworth.

I live in PA. People here love Joe. I'm also beginning to accept him as the nominee. I just hope he picks a younger progressive as a running mate.