I used to be disgusted, and now I try to be amused.

[sebastian_dangerfield]

Originally Posted by Adder

You're really so lacking in creativity that you can't think of measures that could be taken on existing and future student debt that don't harm, or even actually.... benefit, the banks?

You know a bank that prefers "creativity" to having ongoing non-dischargeable revenue streams? The attraction there is all in the guaranteed payments. The default response is always Keep The Status Quo.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

And what she does believe in, neocon foreign policy, is dangerous and deluded.

She's such a neocon she put Richard Holbrooke in charge of sorting out Afghanistan.

I'm starting to think you just may be hopelessly uninformed.

[Pretty Little Flower]

Originally Posted by Flinty_McFlint

I listened to this all yesterday at work (or whatever the youtube playlist auto-selected for me), thanks. Also, I saw what you did there a while ago with the oxford comma reference. It might be the only music reference I'd ever understand from you, being the musical plebe I am.

I know you didn't just confuse me with Sebastian. I know that could not have happened. If I were to make Vampire Weekend reference, I would have said, "Every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl." Let's break it down. Vampire Weekend's "Step":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mDxcDjg9P4

The first couple of lines sound familiar, right? The melody, too, right? It's because, back in the day when you were a fan of conscious hip hop, you used to listen to Souls of Mischief "Step To My Girl":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvBmr_b-Rpg

But you knew back then that Souls of Mischief was cribbing lines from Boogie Down Productions "Why Is That?":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkDOJj6LkrY

Which of course reminded you that BDP was just sampling, among others, the sly purring groove of Sylvia Robinson's "Pussy Cat", which is today's Daily Dose:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VovvAY5IBkE

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

Biden was weighing his options for a long time and specifically avoided declining to run until the absolute last possible minute. If Obama made it clear early on that Biden had his support over Hillary, who knows how that would have affect Biden's decision?

Biden wasn't weak. If he had started making it clear he was entering the campaign early enough, he would have crushed Hillary and Bernie.

TM

Biden's first run for President was pitiful. His second run rose to the level of mediocre, but still had a lot of deep problems to it.

Now, granted, he had eight years serving as a strong VP to a strong President, and used that time very well. He may be the second-most liked person in the Democratic Party today. More likely than Bill.

But he's smart enough to know that while he is pretty damn impressive in office he's only kind of so-so on the campaign trail. Could he have crushed Hillary and Bernie? I don't know. Hillary is not great on the stump, but she is a very keen strategist, and might well have put Bernie and Biden in a position where they were splitting each others votes. And Bernie IS a very good campaigner, even if he sucks as a legislator, and might well have beaten Biden in a one-on-one.

We'll never know, but I wouldn't assume he'd have had a cakewalk.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

You know a bank that prefers "creativity" to having ongoing non-dischargeable revenue streams? The attraction there is all in the guaranteed payments. The default response is always Keep The Status Quo.

Unless you can get more revenue streams.

You're being purposely obtuse.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Hillary is not great on the stump, but she is a very keen strategist

Hillary is not personally a great campaigner, but she has the best staff available.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

The Clintons would've amassed the entire Dem Party against Joe with twice the aggression aimed at Bernie.

You do realize Bernie was handled with kid gloves, don't you?

He got his rallies, he energized his supporters, he'll get a nice book deal out of it, but he never had a chance and the nails were all in his coffin the day after super-Tuesday.

If someone had let me run the campaign, he would have been begging to get out of the race by the end of March.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Adder

Hillary is not personally a great campaigner, but she has the best staff available.

It's much more than this.

The single biggest reason she won was because she figured out what bridges she'd set fire to in 2008 and went and put out the fires and repaired them. She has done that meticulously.

And that was why the field cleared so fast, because as people sized up their key potential supporters, and called people they'd worked with for years, they started figuring out she'd already boxed them in.

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Biden's first run for President was pitiful. His second run rose to the level of mediocre, but still had a lot of deep problems to it.

Now, granted, he had eight years serving as a strong VP to a strong President, and used that time very well. He may be the second-most liked person in the Democratic Party today. More likely than Bill.

But he's smart enough to know that while he is pretty damn impressive in office he's only kind of so-so on the campaign trail. Could he have crushed Hillary and Bernie? I don't know. Hillary is not great on the stump, but she is a very keen strategist, and might well have put Bernie and Biden in a position where they were splitting each others votes. And Bernie IS a very good campaigner, even if he sucks as a legislator, and might well have beaten Biden in a one-on-one.

We'll never know, but I wouldn't assume he'd have had a cakewalk.

I think people were initially drawn to Bernie because they wanted an alternative to Hillary (rightly or wrongly). If Biden was an option early, I think he takes all the potential wind out of Bernie's sails before he even gets going.

Now, Hillary learned that a strong ground game is crucial and she's been setting that up for years. That may have been why Biden was scared off and why he may not have been prepared to actually run. I also think he based his hemming and hawing on how Hillary was perceived as SoS generally and didn't want that kind of fight. But I think he's looking back at his decision now and kicking himself given the ridiculous opinions people have of Hillary and who he would have to beat after he got past her.

Also, the ridiculous animosity towards Hillary that is keeping her from being up 25 points on Trump in the polls would not exist for Biden. People would be bending over backwards to vote for him.

TM

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Pretty Little Flower

I have been making California Sushi rolls each Friday lately, but yesterday I couldn't find shiso leaves at my local Piggily Wiggily. Anyone know what is up?

To be fair, you may well be better qualified to opine regarding sushi making than you are about old school funk.

[Hank Chinaski]

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/...ld-trump-polls This came up as a fear in 2008 that the polls might not be accurate. It was not the case then, but could it be a thing now? I imagine one expressing support for Mr. Trump would attract some potential ridicule and even anger.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by ThurgreedMarshall

I think people were initially drawn to Bernie because they wanted an alternative to Hillary (rightly or wrongly). If Biden was an option early, I think he takes all the potential wind out of Bernie's sails before he even gets going.

Now, Hillary learned that a strong ground game is crucial and she's been setting that up for years. That may have been why Biden was scared off and why he may not have been prepared to actually run. I also think he based his hemming and hawing on how Hillary was perceived as SoS generally and didn't want that kind of fight. But I think he's looking back at his decision now and kicking himself given the ridiculous opinions people have of Hillary and who he would have to beat after he got past her.

Also, the ridiculous animosity towards Hillary that is keeping her from being up 25 points on Trump in the polls would not exist for Biden. People would be bending over backwards to vote for him.

TM

You may overestimate Biden and underestimate Bernie.

I was pretty involved in 88 when Biden first ran. He was an incredible lightweight.

He did much better his second time out, but still was never really a contender.

Hillary's ground game was still so-so this time around, as you can see from all the caucus losses. But she really worked very hard for all the down-ballot races and she built bridges to all kinds of local leaders in the Party, from teacher's union activists to African-American preachers to gay rights advocates. She had an unmatched understanding of coalition politics.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield

I probably hate the other people to whom you're referring.

Make a list of politicians I like and respect. See how far you get.

Do you hate her more than other politicians? I thought yes.

[Adder]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Hillary's ground game was still so-so this time around, as you can see from all the caucus losses.

At our caucus at least, I don't think there was enough ground game possible to overcome the hordes of Berners that showed up for the first time (and left immediately after casting a vote in the presidential straw poll instead of sticking around for the actual caucusing).

[SEC_Chick]

I think Biden can be kind of gaffe-prone, and sometimes a bit creepy, but I would seriously consider voting for him over Trump (unless the Libertarians had nominated an actual Libertarian). He's a bit slow, but not corrupt. I am not voting for Hillary ever.

I am sure it's because I'm a misogynist who has been brainwashed by the right-wing establishment, though.