Dept. of Watching the Electives
Tuesday, 15 October 2019 07:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kaffy_rYep. Watching the Electives
Right now, I'm watching Biden not answer the question "If it's not acceptable for members of a President's family to be involved in foreign business, why was it possible for members of a Vice-President's family?" It's a good question. C'mon Uncle Joe, who I regard as a distant anything-but-first choice. but who I'd vote for if I had a vote and if he's the Democratic candidate.
Now Warren is not really answering the question about whether middle class families will see their taxes go up for Medicare for All. Come on, Elizabeth; can you say "Yes, but so will their coverage." Jesus, why can't you be honest? I'm supposedly middle class, and I support raising taxes on me for some version of single-payer. I don't think I'm alone in this.
Sanders re Medicare for All. He's doing the honest thing. He's saying their taxes will go up, but the costs will go down. However, "We'll do it better than the Canadians." Exsqueeze me? The issue is whether the Democratic Party has the guts to stand up to the insurance industry ... the pharmaceutical co." Yes. Yes. Yes. And Sanders gets some honest applause.
On the one hand, single-payer is doable. On the other hand, damn, let's go for single-payer. And on the gripping hand - single-payer, single-payer, single-payer.
Good for Kamala Harris bringing up reproductive rights. Like Sanders, she gets honest applause.
Sanders brings up the Green New Deal and climate change. Good for him.
Yang on the universal basic income. He talks about Sanders' job guarantee and says it's good, but asks where do you get those jobs? If you put the money into peoples' hands (his $1,000 monthly basic income) you can have "trickle-up." OK, that's something to consider.
Booker snips about finally getting questions - and then says people on stage shouldn't be focusing on attacking Biden because that helps Trump. He's the second person on stage to talk about reproductive policy and says it shouldn't just be women doing it. Both good.
"Good" is a word I'm gonna be using a lot.
Wow; Julian Castro says he's willing to consider Yang's UBI, but goes on to speak to Ohio's lack of jobs, melds Green New Deal with that.
Gabbard likes the idea of UBI. That is a better look than her talking about how impeachment isn't necessarily a good thing.
Booker on convincing GM to bring jobs back from Mexico ... he snipes at Yang, but in a valid way - says it's better to raise minimum wage to $15, and get better wages, to help people, than to rely on UBI.
Aha! Booker gets another point from me by supporting increased labor rights. Solidarity, brother. Now O'Rourke says if we do a trade deal with Mexico, force Mexico to allow workers to join unions. And elevate the role of unions in the U.S. by doing things like expanding apprenticeship programs. Yes!
Of course, this reaction won't surprise my friends.
Wealth tax? This is Sanders' catnip. And he says he stands by wealth tax. Surpise!! So does billionaire Tom Steyer. And he says things that make me believe he's pro-labor. And anti-corporations. And he gets honest applause. (Of course, we know that people say things as nominees or hopefuls that they don't believe or plan to implement. But let me believe.)
One good thing all of these folks do say - impeachment is only one thing they need to tackle.
Gonna stop doing the on-going report thing. My reportorial abilities have gotten rusty.
Right now, I'm watching Biden not answer the question "If it's not acceptable for members of a President's family to be involved in foreign business, why was it possible for members of a Vice-President's family?" It's a good question. C'mon Uncle Joe, who I regard as a distant anything-but-first choice. but who I'd vote for if I had a vote and if he's the Democratic candidate.
Now Warren is not really answering the question about whether middle class families will see their taxes go up for Medicare for All. Come on, Elizabeth; can you say "Yes, but so will their coverage." Jesus, why can't you be honest? I'm supposedly middle class, and I support raising taxes on me for some version of single-payer. I don't think I'm alone in this.
Sanders re Medicare for All. He's doing the honest thing. He's saying their taxes will go up, but the costs will go down. However, "We'll do it better than the Canadians." Exsqueeze me? The issue is whether the Democratic Party has the guts to stand up to the insurance industry ... the pharmaceutical co." Yes. Yes. Yes. And Sanders gets some honest applause.
On the one hand, single-payer is doable. On the other hand, damn, let's go for single-payer. And on the gripping hand - single-payer, single-payer, single-payer.
Good for Kamala Harris bringing up reproductive rights. Like Sanders, she gets honest applause.
Sanders brings up the Green New Deal and climate change. Good for him.
Yang on the universal basic income. He talks about Sanders' job guarantee and says it's good, but asks where do you get those jobs? If you put the money into peoples' hands (his $1,000 monthly basic income) you can have "trickle-up." OK, that's something to consider.
Booker snips about finally getting questions - and then says people on stage shouldn't be focusing on attacking Biden because that helps Trump. He's the second person on stage to talk about reproductive policy and says it shouldn't just be women doing it. Both good.
"Good" is a word I'm gonna be using a lot.
Wow; Julian Castro says he's willing to consider Yang's UBI, but goes on to speak to Ohio's lack of jobs, melds Green New Deal with that.
Gabbard likes the idea of UBI. That is a better look than her talking about how impeachment isn't necessarily a good thing.
Booker on convincing GM to bring jobs back from Mexico ... he snipes at Yang, but in a valid way - says it's better to raise minimum wage to $15, and get better wages, to help people, than to rely on UBI.
Aha! Booker gets another point from me by supporting increased labor rights. Solidarity, brother. Now O'Rourke says if we do a trade deal with Mexico, force Mexico to allow workers to join unions. And elevate the role of unions in the U.S. by doing things like expanding apprenticeship programs. Yes!
Of course, this reaction won't surprise my friends.
Wealth tax? This is Sanders' catnip. And he says he stands by wealth tax. Surpise!! So does billionaire Tom Steyer. And he says things that make me believe he's pro-labor. And anti-corporations. And he gets honest applause. (Of course, we know that people say things as nominees or hopefuls that they don't believe or plan to implement. But let me believe.)
One good thing all of these folks do say - impeachment is only one thing they need to tackle.
Gonna stop doing the on-going report thing. My reportorial abilities have gotten rusty.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 16 October 2019 10:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Saturday, 19 October 2019 04:04 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 17 October 2019 12:42 pm (UTC)Thanks also for your reportage. I didn't have it in me to watch it in real time: three hours (plus analysis).
(Bestest earworm: me, chanting in the background, "SIN-GLE PAYER! SIN-GLE PAYER!")
no subject
Date: Saturday, 19 October 2019 04:10 pm (UTC)As I told
I join you in your chant.
no subject
Date: Sunday, 27 October 2019 04:18 pm (UTC)Very cool and also WHAT I didn't know Mexico didn't let workers unionise!!!!!!!!!!!!!
no subject
Date: Sunday, 27 October 2019 06:51 pm (UTC)It may be that he meant to say something along that line and then add his pertinent comment about elevating the role of U.S. unions. In a so-called debate of this sort, it's completely possible to screw up a sentence or two.
And what he said about expanding apprenticeship programs is absolutely top-drawer.