Moderates on the Rise In 2020 Race

[applegrove]

Moderates on the Rise In 2020 Race

November 29, 2019 at 6:00 pm EST By Taegan Goddard 35 Comments

https://politicalwire.com/2019/11/29/moderates-on-the-rise-in-2020-race/

"SNIP......

“The early boom for 2020 Democrats’ left turn is yielding to moderate muscle as Elizabeth Warren falls, Joe Biden persists and Pete Buttigieg rises,” Axios reports.

“Poll after poll shows voters like the idea of Medicare for All. But the second you tell them about costs and tradeoffs, they turn on it… Warren collapsed in the latest national Quinnipiac University poll just as she’s been diving into the details of how she’d pass Medicare for All — and fending off a barrage of attacks from her more moderate rivals.”

“She’s not the only Democrat who’s run into trouble. Kamala Harris realized she could be checkmating herself by dismissing private health insurance — which is why she changed her Medicare for All plan to allow private insurers to offer Medicare plans.”

......SNIP"

[aikoaiko]

1. As if things weren't depressing enough.

If the masses want moderate, so be it.

I hope that inspires enough people to vote.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

28. You mean media, not masses.

Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[The Valley Below]

2. I'm positively overjoyed that liberals are leading in the polls.

Nothing remotely depressing about that to me.

[Cha]

14. ".. Biden's persisting.." damn right he is! If "moderate"

is someone who is liberal and will beat trump in the swing states and be able to start getting us out of the abyss on with excellent qualifications and experience on day one.. I'm in!

[DownriverDem]

17. Folks have to know

that the Country is Center/Left and we need a Center/Left Candidate. A Biden/Abrams ticket would be formidable.

[Cha]

19. Exactly.. that's how

I think we're going to win!

[still_one]

27. Well said. Some have intentionally misclassified and misrepresented DEMOCRATS who have and are

liberal by any reasonable standard as “moderates”, in spite of their progressive voting record

[ritapria]

3. Elizabeth was doing great until she to started to Bob and Weave on MFA

The consultants convinced her that voters would abandon her if she admitted middle class taxes would go up with the passage of MFA ….The voters are not children.. ..MFA is a great program but it has to be paid for through an increase in payroll taxes ….Then she pivoted to a public option for the 1st two years of her administration ……….There will not be the votes tp pass MFA after the 2022 mid terms ...From a practical standpoint , Elizabeth is now pretty close to Mayor Pete's stance on MFA …… She is a brilliant person but she blew it big time on MFA ,,

[The Valley Below]

4. Uh, no.

She was doing great until she doubled-down on Bernie's plan and announced a plan to pay for it.

Her campaign was immediately sunk. The bobbing and weaving came too late.

MFA is political suicide. EW sunk her campaign by supporting it.

Had she said that "there are many paths to universal health care" instead of saying "I'm with Bernie" she'd be in this race.

She blew it, but not in the fashion you suggest.

[judeling]

5. It's not moderation it is safe.

Biden has no support because of policy or persona he is seen as the safest choice. Buttigieg has a persona that appears safe, but anyone whose second choice is Warren it ain't policy.

[The Valley Below]

6. Really? Because I support Joe Biden on policies and persona.

It isn't about "safety," but who best represents liberal Democratic values, for me.

That's Biden. He is also the Democrat best suited to beat Trump.

Win-win.

[WheelWalker]

9. Totally agree with you. Persona and Policy is meat and potatoes why I support Biden...

Safe and sure bet is the gravy and cranberries.

[empedocles]

7. Pragmatism, [first beat trump], may be a driving force.

Centrism, moderation, etc., may be less so. The Speaker, from S.F., is not necessarily a centrist.

[The Valley Below]

10. Nancy Pelosi is a great liberal Democrat. Just like Joe Biden.

[Cha]

15. Excuse me.. but "bull".

[DownriverDem]

18. Not true

Do you know all that Biden was part of and what he did as Senator? He is supported for his policies as Senator and VP. Biden can win enough states to beat trump. We can't blow this.

[Tarheel_Dem]

21. Wrong! Biden has the support of many of us because we know that he represents the same...

rational stability of the Obama administration. Some call it "centrist" or "moderate", I call it pragmatism.

[skh500]

8. Sorry disagree

I am afraid I disagree. She was doing fine until she started having meetings with Hillary and she waffled on M4A.
Once she did that, she started to sink. Same for Kamala Harris.

Reuters Poll shows 70% of this country wants Medicare for All. 25-30,000 people are dying a year!!

Bernie supports M4A 100% and he is now soaring. #1 on Emerson poll for NH and tied with Biden on Iowa poll.

And as far as the cost.......check out the Republican Koch Study.............you SAVE money!! And you want that super insurance from work? Ask GM workers who had their insurance cut off the third day of the strike. You want your boss to control your insurance or offer a cheaper policy because its a savings for the company?

When Obama care was challenged, the US Supreme court noted that your payments were actually a "tax" . So I really think this is a matter of semantics. You no longer have payments, deductibles, co-pay etc on the one side but you have your taxes go up a bit on the other side. It won't go up as high as what you are paying now. Like the Koch study......you will actually come out better financially.

[The Valley Below]

11. You should check the dates.

EW 's slide happen when she doubled-down on MFA and then cratered when she announced her plan to pay for it.

87% of American's are opposed to this plan. It is a political suicide.

[Cha]

16. Again.. "bull".. you think this is your chance to

diss Hillary. Clue.. it's Not working.

[YOHABLO]

12. Aren't private insurers already offering ''Medicare plans"?

The ACA would have never passed if not for the bone they threw to private healthcare providers. Medicare Advantage is not Medicare. A private supplemental health plan is to cover some the costs that Medicare won't cover. And yes for some extra cash you can have dental and vision added to that plan. We're never going to get a healthcare system in this country until we take over the Senate. The healthcare industry knows exactly where to funnel financial support, the U.S.Senate.

[stlstdg]

13. I have to say I'm relieved (non withstanding my bid disagreement with the label "moderates").

MFA would have been catnip to the Trump campaign and to the right wing propaganda
machine.

Biden was absolutely right when he criticized the idea of taking people's preferred health
insurance away and forcing them into an MFA system. The idea that Warren, and to a lesser
extend Sanders, were all but saying that they know best, and that the rest of people were not
entitled to a choice.

It's a talking point that Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, all of the pro-Trump pundits, in addition to
the Trump campaign itself could easily weaponize: "the east coast, bespectacled liberals are once
again looking down on you, and don't think you're smart enough to make your and your family's
own health care choices!"

And that, without even mentioning what it would cost to implement.

Fairly or unfairly, it would spread across the electorate like wildfire, and be all but impossible for
Warren/Sanders (were they to win the nomination), along with all of the Democratic candidates
down ticket, to defend against.

It was a major blunder on Warren's part. Though Sanders has been less evasive about what would need
to be done to finance the policy, it is has all but ensured that he won't get much further in primary season
this time around.

[crazytown]

20. Sanders is holding firm; Biden is flat lining.

Or Biden is holding firm; Sanders is flat lining, if you prefer. Either way it's Warren vs. Buttigieg - not progressives vs moderates.

[Demsrule86]

24. Both Warren and Buttigeieg have he same flaw...can't connect with AA voters...neither will be the

nominee...Quinnipiac shows that Warren is flat lining...and Buttigeig will hit a ceiling after Iowa and New Hampshire. He has no growth potential...super Tuesday will tell the tale.

[Gothmog]

22. The early boom for 2020 Democrats' left turn is yielding to moderate muscle

Link to tweet

The early boom for 2020 Democrats' left turn is yielding to moderate muscle as Elizabeth Warren falls, Joe Biden persists and Pete Buttigieg rises.

What's happening: Poll after poll shows voters like the idea of Medicare for All. But the second you tell them about costs and tradeoffs, they turn on it.
Why it matters: A harsh spotlight on Warren's specifics collided with Mike Bloomberg's massive spending on a moderate message, as well as rising angst among donors and investors about risks of Warren-Sanders socialism.

Warren collapsed in the latest national Quinnipiac University poll just as she's been diving into the details of how she'd pass Medicare for All — and fending off a barrage of attacks from her more moderate rivals.

She's not the only Democrat who's run into trouble. Kamala Harris realized she could be checkmating herself by dismissing private health insurance — which is why she changed her Medicare for All plan to allow private insurers to offer Medicare plans.
And in an interview for "Axios on HBO," she told Axios' Margaret Talev she knew there could be a political price to pay for changing her plan — but says she told her team that "we need to do a better plan. This is not good enough."

[Polybius]

23. I don't want a moderate, and I don't want the far-left

I want the regular left. Warren 2020!

[Demsrule86]

25. I want to win the general...and I think Warren is way to left to do so in this country.

I will vote blue no matter who.

[Polybius]

26. I'll vote Dem too no matter what

Even Bloomberg, but I hope it's not him.

Don't think Warren is too far left though. I was attacked by an 18 year old for saying "Have a good day sir" to an older man. She said "You shouldn't assume that person's gender." That is too far left, not Warren.

[Demsrule86]

29. Vote blue no matter who...agree...my kids have tried to explain gender fluid and other

21st century gender things...I remain baffled... I like Warren, she is too far left for this center right misguided country not me. We have to win in 20.

[Gothmog]

30. Joe Biden is the most electable candidate

Link to tweet

[PhoenixDem]

31. Moderate - just left of center is the place to be

to win independents and disenchanted republicans

unless of course the extreme left tries to go full bore Susan Sarandon

[BlueWI]

32. Or moderates go full bore Ronald Reagan

unless they get their candidates.

Liberals vote more consistently for Democrats than moderates or conservatives, consistently for many election cycles. It's moderates that are tempted by the Ronald Reagans and Mitt Romneys of the world.

A meh campaign by a moderate candidate is much more likely to lead to a loss than Susan Sarandon.