On to November!

[dales]

[Gob]

After Democrats had hailed Hillary Clinton as the first female presidential nominee, Britain reminded them that a lunatic is a lunatic, regardless of gender.

[Lord Jim]

Our first female leader worked out great, Britain reminds United States

Well at least that part was accurate...

If Hillary turns out to be half as good a leader as Lady Thatcher I will be more than delighted...

[BoSoxGal]

I'm ready to support Hillary and pretty impressed with her recent speeches about Trump.

Pretty damned psyched to have a woman to vote in as President - grew up teased about being a women's libber and caring about ERA by neighborhood boys (when I was 7/8!) and have always been frustrated by boys getting all the best jobs.

Going to do everything I can to help Hillary win.

Should Bernie be on the ticket? Should Bernie be assured of platform commitments and/or a cabinet post? Wouldn't something like that be a huge show of party unity and Hillary's modesty and ability to work with her detractors, like Lincoln did with his cabinet? Shouldn't the Democrats do everything possible to entice the Sanders vote to join the cause?

Thoughts?

eta: Lest anyone accuse me of hypocrisy, I still have huge reservations about Hillary and like her less than I did when I met her on the UMaine campus in the early 90s when she came to talk about healthcare. I don't like how rich she is as ostentatious displays of wealth are just generally disgusting and more so from people who want to lead the 99%; I don't like how hawkish she is either. I'd have rather pulled the lever for Elizabeth Warren, and I hope I get that chance in 2024.

[BoSoxGal]

Watching Hillary interviewed on MSNBC and she said something about Trump 'trumpeting' policy positions.

Thinking we will be hearing that phrase lots and lots in coming months. Love watching the political strategists and speech writers at work through their candidates.

[MGMcAnick]

It is my fervent hope that Trump is thoroughly trounced in November. It is also my fervent hope that U.S. America ultimately rejects the tyrannical duopoly of the capitalist parties and recognizes that there are in fact alternative systems of social, political and economic organization that can make great contributions to our national experiment. Voting to support that vision is also a vote against Trump, and to me, more important than simply adding to the winning candidate's total.

Well said Sue.

[Bicycle Bill]

After Democrats had hailed Hillary Clinton as the first female presidential nominee, Britain reminded them that a lunatic is a lunatic, regardless of gender.

So the Brits have their own version of The Onion.  How quaint.

-"BB"-

[Bicycle Bill]

It is my fervent hope that Trump is thoroughly trounced in November. It is also my fervent hope that U.S. America ultimately rejects the tyrannical duopoly of the capitalist parties and recognizes that there are in fact alternative systems of social, political and economic organization that can make great contributions to our national experiment.

I'll agree, in principle, with your sentiment, but I wouldn't want to have to stand on one leg holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

-"BB"-

[Burning Petard]

I take a deep breath. I reach for my copy of "The Speech" by Senator Sanders. I ask my self, self, "How did anyone think this man who has spent all his adult life until just recently explaining, even shouting, to the whole world "I AM NOT A DEMOCRAT" think he could be at the head of the Democrat Party Ticket?"

snailgate.

[Lord Jim]

I don't like how hawkish she is

Gee, and that's just about the only positive thing I can say about her...

pretty impressed with her recent speeches about Trump.

I agree on that point. Both in her speech last week and in her victory speech Tuesday night I thought she did a great job of hitting him both on his crazy ideas and his personal unfitness with an effective blend of seriousness and humor. I hope she keeps it up.

Should Bernie be on the ticket?

There is a zero percent chance of that happening. Hillary is not going to put a loose cannon on the ticket who could not only drive her campaign off message but also overshadow her on the campaign trail. This is also why she's very unlikely to pick Warren. (Even though Warren appears to have been auditioning for the job the past few weeks, showing what a good pit-bull foil she can be against Trump.)

As I said a while ago, (and I now see my observations being mirrored by more and more media pundits) if she feels the need to make a pick that will help placate hard-left wing of her party, the pick she can make that checks the most boxes for her is Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown...

Brown, has a "progressive" record every bit as strong as Warren's, and he's been a leader on most of their major issues (breaking up the banks, protectionism, etc.) And despite not having a working class background, (How could he with a name like "Sherrod") he has a gravelly-voiced working class demeanor and sharp tongue that would help to make him an effective pit-bull foil against Trump. He can do an excellent job of getting under Drumpf's skin. (and that ability is definitely going to be an important part of the Democratic VP candidate's job description.)

This rough-edged demeanor of his would also be a good compliment to Hillary's more aloof presence, and help her attract some of the angry working class voters that have gravitated to Trump. (He'd certainly be a lot more effective at that than an Ivy League law professor from Massachusetts)

But he's not a loose cannon (he endorsed Hillary a long time ago; Warren still hasn't) and to top it all off, he's from the electorally critical state of Ohio...

I wouldn't pick him for dog catcher, but for Hillary as I said, he checks a lot of boxes...

Of course it's also possible that by convention time, she may feel that she has consolidated the party sufficiently that she doesn't need to pick a hardcore progressive as a running mate, in which case she may go with someone like Va. Senator Tim Kaine.

[Guinevere]

I think she is going to try hard to avoid choosing a sitting US Senator, unless the replacement can be chosen by a Democratic Governor. That eliminates Warren (not going to happen anyway), Booker (my personal choice), and Brown. I think she may chose from Kaine, Anthony Foxx, and Julian Castro.

[Sue U]

I thought Julian Castro was being groomed for the slot for the last several years. He won't bring in Texas but could be of significant help in Florida, and further energizing the Latino vote would help keep Virginia, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico blue.

[MajGenl.Meade]

NEW YORK, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has emerged as the online betting favorite to be presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate while Bernie Sanders' chances have slipped, online predictions market PredictIt said.

[Sue U]

It is my fervent hope that Trump is thoroughly trounced in November. It is also my fervent hope that U.S. America ultimately rejects the tyrannical duopoly of the capitalist parties and recognizes that there are in fact alternative systems of social, political and economic organization that can make great contributions to our national experiment.

I'll agree, in principle, with your sentiment, but I wouldn't want to have to stand on one leg holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

That's what people said about marriage equality and legalized marijuana, too. Nothing happens until you make it happen, and the struggle continues even then. I think the greatest thing about the Sanders campaign is that it made socialism no longer a dirty word. Of course, Sanders's form of democratic socialism is a rather tepid version of the real thing, but it's at least a step in the right direction and he's asking the right questions -- and finding a substantial segment of the electorate with whom it resonates. Building on that could give us a party with a real socialist policy platform that is a genuine contender for national leadership. Whether that's with the Greens, SPUSA, DSA or an insurgent bloc within the Democratic party, it is closer than you think. As a practical matter, socialism in America most likely will be built one program at a time rather than with revolutionary change. It will be a long process and I have no illusion about living to see its fulfillment. But while the arc of the moral universe is long, it does bend toward justice.

[Sue U]

NEW YORK, June 8 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia has emerged as the online betting favorite to be presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's running mate ...

Brings nothing to the table that Hillary doesn't already cover. Not a good choice.

[RayThom]

I'm sticking with Castro. He seems to know his shit and unlikely to steal the spotlight from Hillary. He's getting a lot of residual name recognition since Obama went to Cuba in April.

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12332&p=188142&hili ... ro#p188142

[BoSoxGal]

It is my fervent hope that Trump is thoroughly trounced in November. It is also my fervent hope that U.S. America ultimately rejects the tyrannical duopoly of the capitalist parties and recognizes that there are in fact alternative systems of social, political and economic organization that can make great contributions to our national experiment.

I'll agree, in principle, with your sentiment, but I wouldn't want to have to stand on one leg holding my breath waiting for this to happen.

That's what people said about marriage equality and legalized marijuana, too. Nothing happens until you make it happen, and the struggle continues even then. I think the greatest thing about the Sanders campaign is that it made socialism no longer a dirty word. Of course, Sanders's form of democratic socialism is a rather tepid version of the real thing, but it's at least a step in the right direction and he's asking the right questions -- and finding a substantial segment of the electorate with whom it resonates. Building on that could give us a party with a real socialist policy platform that is a genuine contender for national leadership. Whether that's with the Greens, SPUSA, DSA or an insurgent bloc within the Democratic party, it is closer than you think. As a practical matter, socialism in America most likely will be built one program at a time rather than with revolutionary change. It will be a long process and I have no illusion about living to see its fulfillment. But while the arc of the moral universe is long, it does bend toward justice.

Brava!