The Democratic Safe House

[GodLovesCats]

Wow, this coronavirus lockdown has been going on for months and we have only one post about it so far? That is crazy. It seems nearly every news headline is related to COVID-19.

Sadly it affected me and my mom personally in a terrible way even though neither of us got the virus. We totally agree on that, but people who never loved and lost their own cats are unable to understand how it feels to us.

 

[GodLovesCats]

So what I want to discuss here is what other Democrats think about not just reopenings, but removing all mask requirements and recommendations, which is the part that prevents me from adopting another cat. Do you ever feel even though Joe Biden is right, the requirement to wear masks needs to end because of what you do?

 

[mark46]

There is no need to comment on COVID in a Democratic safe house. The policies of the national, state and local Democratic leadership is the virtually the same, and in almost all cases, directly opposed to the positions of Trump, his administration, and Republican governors.

 

[gerbilwoman]

 

[Arcangl86]

I really wish that the Democrats had nominated somebody more progressive then Biden. The Republicans are going to paint any candidate they nominate as far left anyway. So why not nominate somebody a bit further to the left then Biden, especially if it will help bring in the progressive vote. I personally don't believe in the myth of the moderate swing voter. Even those who aren't part of a party have specific political beliefs, and will pick one or the other if they choose to vote. Besides we already tried the moderate against the far right Republican and look what we got. People were excited for Obama because he campaigned as a progressive, but when he actually governed as a moderate both the turnout and his margin of victory decreased.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

I really wish that the Democrats had nominated somebody more progressive then Biden. The Republicans are going to paint any candidate they nominate as far left anyway. So why not nominate somebody a bit further to the left then Biden, especially if it will help bring in the progressive vote. I personally don't believe in the myth of the moderate swing voter. Even those who aren't part of a party have specific political beliefs, and will pick one or the other if they choose to vote. Besides we already tried the moderate against the far right Republican and look what we got. People were excited for Obama because he campaigned as a progressive, but when he actually governed as a moderate both the turnout and his margin of victory decreased.

I agree 100%.

I'll say this much though... If the Democrats put in a candidate who was serious about one particular issue - Universal Healthcare, Medicare for All, etc. - that candidate would be a lock to win over Trump. Even if that candidate was more moderate/conservative on other issues, like Biden is, this one issue would attract voters from all points on the political spectrum, because it affects everybody. That issue also affects many of the other issues as well.

Bernie was this country's best chance to turn things around and we've already blown it.

 

[usexpat97]

I'm posting here for the first time in awhile. This has been only the second time I have felt real fear (the first time being US election day 2016).

There has always been this knowledge that the US is getting trashed. But we were at least able to tune out the circus show and cross our fingers if we wanted. Now, it's getting a lot more real, with the threat to people's finances, futures, and lives becoming a lot more tangible. Requests to leave the US are going up, even as other countries don't want Americans. Some expats are returning to the US, out of fear they'll get thrown into "Japanese" internment camps should the shots start firing . I'm facing the real possibility of just living abroad permanently and never seeing a lot of my family again. If they seal the border, there's no more going back-and-forth. Some of my family support Trump--they're not going to move. And my desire to even see them in the first place is waning. And I would be VERY surprised if the coming election was legit. Most people still seem to be holding out hope for that. I'm not.

Anyway, can't post anything about it on CF without getting gang-tackled by a gaggle of Trump supporters who insist everything is wonderful and want to argue. So I thought I would post here. I'm really not interested in drowning out our fears in alcohol and stuff.

 

[DaisyDay]

I'm posting here for the first time in awhile. This has been only the second time I have felt real fear (the first time being US election day 2016).

There has always been this knowledge that the US is getting trashed. But we were at least able to tune out the circus show and cross our fingers if we wanted. Now, it's getting a lot more real, with the threat to people's finances, futures, and lives becoming a lot more tangible. Requests to leave the US are going up, even as other countries don't want Americans. Some expats are returning to the US, out of fear they'll get thrown into "Japanese" internment camps should the shots start firing . I'm facing the real possibility of just living abroad permanently and never seeing a lot of my family again. If they seal the border, there's no more going back-and-forth. Some of my family support Trump--they're not going to move. And my desire to even see them in the first place is waning. And I would be VERY surprised if the coming election was legit. Most people still seem to be holding out hope for that. I'm not.

Anyway, can't post anything about it on CF without getting gang-tackled by a gaggle of Trump supporters who insist everything is wonderful and want to argue. So I thought I would post here. I'm really not interested in drowning out our fears in alcohol and stuff.

It's not over yet. I think you are despairing too early.

 

[usexpat97]

It's not over yet. I think you are despairing too early.

It's not despair--it's realistically assessing the situation before it's too late. Hong Kong saw massive emmigration when China took over. They had a good 10-15 years before they were in this plight they are in now, so it's not like they didn't see it coming.

There's just no fight in America. The news and we try to shed light on everything, but even the Christian Trump supporters aren't having it. There is just no point in staying to fight. The will of the American people is simply not there.

 

[Kentonio]

I'm posting here for the first time in awhile. This has been only the second time I have felt real fear (the first time being US election day 2016).

There has always been this knowledge that the US is getting trashed. But we were at least able to tune out the circus show and cross our fingers if we wanted. Now, it's getting a lot more real, with the threat to people's finances, futures, and lives becoming a lot more tangible. Requests to leave the US are going up, even as other countries don't want Americans. Some expats are returning to the US, out of fear they'll get thrown into "Japanese" internment camps should the shots start firing . I'm facing the real possibility of just living abroad permanently and never seeing a lot of my family again. If they seal the border, there's no more going back-and-forth. Some of my family support Trump--they're not going to move. And my desire to even see them in the first place is waning. And I would be VERY surprised if the coming election was legit. Most people still seem to be holding out hope for that. I'm not.

Anyway, can't post anything about it on CF without getting gang-tackled by a gaggle of Trump supporters who insist everything is wonderful and want to argue. So I thought I would post here. I'm really not interested in drowning out our fears in alcohol and stuff.

Bad times, but worth bearing in mind that a majority of Americans vote Democrat, even though this doesn't always reflect in the results. The Republicans can try and use the technicality of the rules to push through a lot of bad things, but at some point them being in the minority is going to throw them out.

 

[Arcangl86]

I really don't get all the people who are convinced that Joe Biden is going through all the work of a Presidential campaign and then plans on stepping down within a couple of months. Why would anybody do that to themselves?

 

[usexpat97]

I've since given up on what so many people are convinced of.

 

[DaisyDay]

I really don't get all the people who are convinced that Joe Biden is going through all the work of a Presidential campaign and then plans on stepping down within a couple of months. Why would anybody do that to themselves?

Perhaps it makes feel clever and in the know? The people convinced, not Biden.

 

[GodLovesCats]

I agree 100%.

I'll say this much though: If the Democrats put in a candidate who was serious about one particular issue - Universal Healthcare, Medicare for All, etc. - that candidate would be a lock to win over Trump. Even if that candidate was more moderate/conservative on other issues, like Biden is, this one issue would attract voters from all points on the political spectrum, because it affects everybody. That issue also affects many of the other issues as well.

Bernie was this country's best chance to turn things around and we've already blown it.

But this year we have multiple issues to worry about that must be addressed immediately. We can't say a single issue matters more than all the others in a way that makes simultaneous crises seem less critical. I am talking about the racial injustice and riots here. Obviously COVID-19 is much worse than that because millions of Americans got the virus and 200,000 of them died, but ignoring Black Lives Matter is never an option

 

[GodLovesCats]

I really don't get all the people who are convinced that Joe Biden is going through all the work of a Presidential campaign and then plans on stepping down within a couple of months. Why would anybody do that to themselves?

Republicans make up idiotic scenarios just to keep their unrealistic hopes up that Joe Biden will only be in the White House for a very short time, knowing Kamala Harris is not ready for the nation's top job. It is a sign they truly fear Donald Trump will lose next month.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

But this year we have multiple issues to worry about that must be addressed immediately. We can't say a single issue matters more than all the others in a way that makes simultaneous crises seem less critical. I am talking about the racial injustice and riots here. Obviously COVID-19 is much worse than that because millions of Americans got the virus and 200,000 of them died, but ignoring Black Lives Matter is never an option

Did you mean to respond to my post or someone else? Because I never said we have no other issues to worry about or that "a single issue matters more than all the others in a way that makes simultaneous crises seem less critical". I'm not sure where you got that from but it wasn't anywhere in my post.

I did say that the one issue of healthcare would have been enough on its own to attract many more votes from all points of the political spectrum. It would give Biden a double-digit lead easily, probably even more than 20 point lead.

I also don't know how you figure that being for universal health care or running with that in the platform somehow precludes addressing other issues, because it doesn't and i never said it does or would. It would boost votes and win the Democrats the presidency; that in no way precludes the Democrats from addressing any concerns that are more critical and immediate. What it does do, however, is get them the White House and open the door to universal health care which in turn will have an immediate impact on reducing racial injustice, income inequality, etc.

The problem unfortunately is that Biden is a bought-and-paid-for corporate shill for certain big-money interests, particularly healthcare. So is Harris, and so are most Democrats. The only thing they offer to voters is that they are not Trump. That may just be enough for Joe to win on (because Trump is that bad); but we already know it wasn't enough for Hillary to win on and so it very well may not be enough for Joe to win on either.

 

[GodLovesCats]

Of course nothing could beat health care as the #1 political issue at face value. It is even more important than ever right now. We tried to get a more liberal candidate who supports true universal health care, not just a public option, but that fizzled out when Elizabeth Warren finished third in her own state. She was in my opinion the best candidate for fixing our health care problems because after initially saying, "Medicare for all," she accepted how expensive that would be and decided to have a more realistic plan for universal health care. Unfortunately, she dropped out before Florida's primary and I had only two choices: Biden or Sanders. So I voted for Joe Biden because Bernie Sanders is too far left and inflexible about health care - Medicare for All or nothing.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Of course nothing could beat health care as the #1 political issue at face value. It is even more important than ever right now.

Yes, for very good reason - because a vast majority of the people, democrat and republican, want single payer health care.

We tried to get a more liberal candidate who supports true universal health care, not just a public option, but that fizzled out when Elizabeth Warren finished third in her own state.

No, we didn't. Liz Warren was not more liberal than Harris or Biden, she's also bought and paid for with corporate money. She just changed her talking points to match Bernie's when she was losing to him and then her popularity would go up, then she'd flip back to her original stance of being against single payer health care.

She was in my opinion the best candidate for fixing our health care problems because after initially saying, "Medicare for all," she accepted how expensive that would be and decided to have a more realistic plan for universal health care.

LOL, nothing is more realistic or less expensive than a real universal health care plan. Medicare for all would be expensive? In what universe? LOL. We already have Medicare for the unhealthiest population in the US, the elderly, 65 and over, and it far supersedes private health insurance. That's what private health insurers are afraid of. For anyone to think that Medicare for all (or whatever single payer, universal health care system we choose) is "more expensive" is proof that people are buying the lies they're being fed by these fake "liberal" Democrats who are doing the bidding of the corporations that pay them. I don't know how anyone can believe those lies when we see EVERY other first-world nation providing quality health care to their entire populations at fractions of the cost or even within the US how we provide quality health care to our eldest, the seniors, at fractions of the cost in a solvent system called "Medicare".

Unfortunately, she dropped out before Florida's primary and I had only two choices: Biden or Sanders. So I voted for Joe Biden because Bernie Sanders is too far left and inflexible about health care - Medicare for All or nothing.

Well this is the problem with the Democratic Party - people are so far to the right that they think someone like Bernie Sanders is "too far left". LOL, oh that crazy lefty Bernie! What's he thinking, Healthcare for ALL?? That's just CRAZY! That's so RADICAL! I mean, forget that the UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Japan, Canada, Australia, and EVERY OTHER First-world nation are able to successfully do it... For some reason the US just CAN'T do it, and Bernie is a crazy lefty commie for wanting it! What's he thinking? LOL!!! This is exactly the problem with the Democratic Pary - people know how to pretend to be liberal but are very, very conservative in reality, and it comes from having the top Democratic politicians being bought by corporate interests for decades now and passing on this behavior to the rank and file Democrats. Unbelievable!

 

[GodLovesCats]

LOL, nothing is more realistic or less expensive than a real universal health care plan. Medicare for all would be expensive? In what universe? LOL. We already have Medicare for the unhealthiest population in the US, the elderly, 65 and over, and it far supersedes private health insurance. That's what private health insurers are afraid of. For anyone to think that Medicare for all (or whatever single payer, universal health care system we choose) is "more expensive" is proof that people are buying the lies they're being fed by these fake "liberal" Democrats who are doing the bidding of the corporations that pay them. I don't know how anyone can believe those lies when we see EVERY other first-world nation providing quality health care to their entire populations at fractions of the cost or even within the US how we provide quality health care to our eldest, the seniors, at fractions of the cost in a solvent system called "Medicare."

Simple: I have no idea how any other country has enough money for single-payer health care without tax codes that badly hurt the economy. How do they make sure all citizens have free health care forever with no new taxes and avoid creating a federal deficit?

Also keep in mind most countries do not have 330 million people. Even Canada has less despite its bigger geographic size.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Simple: I have no idea how any other country has enough money for single-payer health care without tax codes that badly hurt the economy. How do they make sure all citizens have free health care forever with no new taxes and avoid creating a federal deficit?

Also keep in mind most countries do not have 330 million people. Even Canada has less despite its bigger geographic size.

It gets easier when countries spend less per person than we do (which is partly because the have neither a for-profit layer of bureaucracy siphoning off money nor a layer of administration employed to deal with the for-profit layer of bureaucracy) and spend much less per person on military adventures and toys.