Is anything going to change ?

[BoSoxGal]

We're going to have mass demonstrations at the Democrat convention if the peoples' wishes are overlooked by the party elite, mark my words.

[Sue U]

Bring money; buy hoagies and cheesesteaks. (The Philadelphia regional economy thanks you!) Also, good luck finding a hotel room.

[BoSoxGal]

We'll just Occupy.

[Lord Jim]

We're going to have mass demonstrations at the Democrat convention if the peoples' wishes are overlooked by the party elite, mark my words.

Yeah, well unless Sanders can finally figure out how to get more than 20% of the African American vote in Democratic primaries, the "mass demonstrations" for "the peoples' wishes" aren't going to amount to much...

[Lord Jim]

You know, it's funny...

Jack Kennedy once said "success has a thousand fathers; failure is an orphan"....

The TARP, "Troubled Asset Relief Program", seems to be making a liar out of JFK....

The TARP, begun under GWB, and continued under Obama...

Has been a stellar success...

It saved the US economy at a time when it looked like we were hurtling into the abyss, (which would have destabilized all the international markets as well) and most of the money that was invested in it has been recovered with interest...

And yet no one wants to take credit for it....

Politicians on both the left and right denounce the TARP as some sort of evil thing, even though it turned out to be a great investment....

[Scooter]

It's not that difficult to see why. You are never going to get those on the right to admit that such direct government intervention in the economy, to the point of taking an ownership interest in financial institutions, can ever be a good thing. And you are never going to get those on the left to admit that subsidizing big business, especially big banks, could ever be of help to the rest of us in the "99%". So of course something like TARP gets attacked from both sides, in spite of its success.

[Econoline]

Here's an excellent article on "superdelegates"* from Nate Silver at Fivethirtyeight.




* For some reason, whenever I see that term I think, "Well, OK then...I'll have the soup."

ETA: (Same thing with "SuperPACs" and "Super Tuesday".)

[Lord Jim]

Scooter, that's a good analysis, but sadly it shows just how Koo Koo for Coco Puffs the political situation in this country has become...

A program was enacted, with bi-partisan support, (albeit reluctantly on both sides, but with an understanding that it was absolutely essential to stave off a collapse of the international banking system and a global depression that would have made the "Great Depression" of the 1930s look like a walk in the park...)

And then on top of that, contrary to all predictions, it turns out not even to be a "bail out", because most of the money has been paid back to the treasury with interest...

In a sane world, both sides of the political spectrum would be fiercely competing to take credit for this brilliantly successful plan...

But we don't live in a sane world...

As you pointed out, those on the right don't want to admit that government action can do anything positive, and those on the left don't want to be associated with anything that seems to help business...

Even if the ultimate result is a great benefit for average Americans, and the country across the board...

When a program like the TARP, which was so obviously needed and has turned out to be so clearly successful, is universally denounced and reviled by politicians on both sides of the aisle , it shows just how dysfunctional, up-side-down, and just plain nuts our political system has become...

And some want to call me a "traitor" for suggesting a military coup....I call it patriotism...

[Sue U]

* For some reason, whenever I see that term I think, "Well, OK then...I'll have the soup."
[/size]

Whatsamatta, you never heard of a delegatessen?

[Lord Jim]

Whatsamatta, you

[Joe Guy]

[Scooter]

Scooter, that's a good analysis, but sadly it shows just how Koo Koo for Coco Puffs the political situation in this country has become...

See here

[RayThom]

You never know what can change. I understand the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philly is a great space for executive action and has an extensive parallax view.

[dales]

[Jarlaxle]

After last Tuesday, things are lookin' pretty bleak for ol' Bern...

He's admitted that he has a "narrow path" to get the votes needed for the nomination...

Actually, given the math, it's more like a tight rope...

He has to win 55-60% of the remaining delegates, and when you look at polling in state after state, that don't seem likely...

Does it matter even if he DOES? I expect that unless he has an enormous lead, the superdelegates would tip things for Hilary.