“Going to save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security with no cuts.” Does that sound believable? Trump’s proposed budget says no. You can claim Republicans don’t fall for the Obama/Beto approach because it sounds phony but the Republicans fall for insincere bullshit at least as often as the democrats.
Nolen asked why Republicans don't fall for the "we are the world" approach. I answered for myself honestly. Suddenly, the conversation shifted to "whataboutism". Exactly what is the point of such a conversation....to convince me that Dems are honest because Reps have also been insincere? Sounds like a stupid conversation to me.
I always thought this was one of Trump's few stupid comments, but I'm not sure why it would not be feasible; at least, pay for some of the wall. In concept, at least, the US could tax remittances back to Mexico if the workers here used Western Union, MoneyGram, etc. Two possible problems: 1) getting the tax bill through Congress 2) how much revenue could actually be obtained from this (ie, would it be enough).
When the Trumpers come out in a thread like this, a Dem must be doing something right. Beto has their attention. And I love how they act like we care about their opinion on a candidate. Rule #1... they will hate anyone and everyone with a D next to their name. Nobody cares about your opinion of a Dem. Cue the attacks about how his hair was too long in college. I’m sure that’ll work guys. Keep at it.
a discussion of why Beto, or a combination of Beto-Biden, is the Republicans' "worst nightmare": https://thebulwark.com/biden-beto-or-biden-beto-is-the-gops-worst-nightmare/
This is a very optimistic take that I’ve seen made before. However it’s basically rooted in Trumps approval rating which is a flawed argument when it comes to Trump politics. Trump doesn’t play to win by being universally popular. He plays to win by getting his opponent as dirty and beat up in the public sphere as possible. If you think he will go low, he will go lower. It works only because his base doesn’t care how bad he is, but the other reasonable 65% care about the other guy. He wins by beating those 65%... not necessarily his opponent... into submission by not going to vote. It’s the same method he’s used for decades. It’s the same as him getting in a celebrity fued where the goal is to get people to not want to see that movie stars new film, etc. this is what this man does for a living. But the good news for the sake of Beto is I think is the material he’s going to use could actually make Beto more likable. Instead of painting a picture in people’s heads of a female movie star who has to wax their mustache, his predictable attacks on Beto will probably make him more relatable and likable. Making fun of Beto for being in a band helps Beto. We will see. The pathway for Beto or anyone is of course Mich, Penn, and Wisc. But... Texas is such an insanely inticing state for the Dems that running Beto just makes all the sense in the world. He could literally run nowhere else, but if he finds a way to flip Tarrant county and a few others he lost in 2018, he could score one of the biggest electoral game changers in poltical history and wipe Trump off the floor.
Beto is prime vice president material, except that he probably can't deliver Texas for the Democrats.
I usually look heavily at what state(s) a VP candidate helps win. But the main Democrats this year come from safe blue states (Klobuchar, MN; Harris, CA; Hickenlooper, CO). So if you focus on swing or lean red states, that leaves who? Pete Buttigieg? Sherrod Brown?
Which is exactly why the "but he didn't even win in Texas" line the right keeps spouting is just dumbassery at it's finest. He's a Democrat that lost a state wide race by a very very slim margin...something thought to be nearly impossible. No, he likely won't carry Texas in the General Election...but he could force Trump to spend resources here which can have an effect in other places.
which as usual makes it all about Trump, Beto fades into the background. you're playing right into, um, Trump's hands
