Iowa caucuses, built on myth, lose place at head of the line

Between 1978 and 2001, however, Venezuela's economy went sharply in reverse, with non-oil GDP declining by almost 19 percent and oil GDP by an astonishing 65 percent.

https://origins.osu.edu/read/roots-venezuelas-failing-state?language_content_entity=en

The official poverty rate in 2020 was 11.4 percent, up 1.0 percentage points from 10.5 percent in 2019.

In 2020, there were 37.2 million people in poverty, approximately 3.3 million more than in 2019.

https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/poverty-awareness-month.html

bass4funk

the lack of healthcare and bankruptcies were the same with the Trump administration which Trump promised to reform but failed.

Are you saying that European "Democrat Socialism" is bad because it wouldn't work in the US?

Yes and it never will and it will never be implemented, it would fail like Howard, Hughes, spruce goose

Or is it bad because it's exactly the same as Venezuela's brand of socialism?

what did Chavez do with that money again, didn’t he pose a radical form of income redistribution, of course, he did, of course he mismanaged money of millions, you’re making the apples and oranges argument again.

Anyway, America is in no immediate threat of becoming another Denmark,

Pheeew, dodged that bullet….

Nuance is important in these discussions.

Please try it.

40 million Americans cannot afford healthcare. Millions of others go bankrupt trying to pay their medical bills.

this is what happens when you vote for Democrats, we have two more years of that economical situation in United States will not get better, it’s going to get worse, especially when you factor in continued growth of inflation, race in crime, lack of police, more people coming over the border.

bass4funk

40 million Americans cannot afford healthcare. Millions of others go bankrupt trying to pay their medical bills. According to a JT article yesterday, more than 4 in 5 pregnancy-related deaths are preventable in the U.S.

So many non-sequitur here pushing by conservative talking points. 

Hit a dead end?

Having money means you are well-educated and informed? And following the rules gives you money?

Usually. My dad grew up in the filthiest conditions as a kid and his number one goal in life was not to be poor and dependent on anyone, simple formula, something we all learned and wanted for ourselves. So yes, it is possible, there’s always an exception to the rule, but other than that, it’s what you do with the tools that you have for us it was education.

Tell that to to the bitcoin grifters and Wall Street fraudsters.

Well, I was always a skeptic of the system, so again, that’s why I’m not in a financial ruined state.

You constantly deny the social, economic, legal and political system discriminates against immigrants,

Illegal, yes!

minorities or those born with few advantages yet are always crying that things are unfairly set up against conservatives and the right.

this is what happens when you vote for a party that doesn’t have your best interest at heart, why is it that minorities overwhelmingly vote for Democrat party and if you look at states like California, New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indiana, Oakland by a party that says they’re looking out for the best interest? Why? What has the Democrat party done to better the lives of these people into enrich them or even their communities?

Venezuela and California are not socialist states.

Hmmm…

https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/517105-californias-embrace-of-socialism-should-serve-as-a-warning/

https://www.pacificresearch.org/americans-who-want-socialism-should-consider-moving-to-california/

California is definitely taking on a socialist ideology, and if you’re poor, God help you, if you’re rich and can afford everything then it’s a good place to be, you can afford bypassing all the fascist rules that are enveloping that state. Venezuela is a bad and failed run socialist State.

Chavez ruined that once beautiful country.

Trump had many socialist policies managing to increase the National Debt by $7 trillion in a single term. What would it have been f it was two terms? $14 trillion? Robbing Paul to pay Peter.

--One has really got to be out to lunch if one is equating Denmark with Venezuela.

No, especially if you think that European Democrat Socialism would work in the US, it wouldn’t. 

Are you saying that European "Democrat Socialism" is bad because it wouldn't work in the US? Or is it bad because it's exactly the same as Venezuela's brand of socialism?

Again, look at Venezuela and California.

OK. Now look at Belarus and Florida.

Anyway, America is in no immediate threat of becoming another Denmark, much less a full-on socialist state like Venezuela.

Nuance is important in these discussions.

And it is not helped that socialist models are compared to "Venezuela", which is even more different from the US than Scandanavia.

Yes, which is why Sanders would even think his policies would work in the US.

By Fox News and conservative outlets. 

Ahhh, by not drinking the financial Kool-aid.

The "robbing Peter to pay Paul" is true if the public is Peter and Paul are billionaire oligarchs. 

But without them, we wouldn’t have businesses, more unemployment, benefits, pay raises, new hires.

Recently the greatest wealth transfers have been all from the public treasury to oligarchs. 

Well, after January we will find out to what extent.

The 2008 banker bailout and COVID stimulus.

Where did that money go? Why won’t this administration give the people an update as to where the funds ended up?

The ones who are not educated or well versed in what socialism is tend to be people on the right, like you.

No, I have money, I did what was required of me growing up and followed all the rules

So many non-sequitur here pushing by conservative talking points.

Having money means you are well-educated and informed? And following the rules gives you money?

Tell that to to the bitcoin grifters and Wall Street fraudsters.

No, get rid of the teachers that want to teach kids that whites are evil and blacks are victims.

You constantly deny the social, economic, legal and political system discriminates against immigrants, minorities or those born with few advantages yet are always crying that things are unfairly set up against conservatives and the right.

Venezuela and California are not socialist states.

The ones who are not educated or well versed in what socialism is tend to be people on the right, like you.

No, I have money, I did what was required of me growing up and followed all the rules

One has really got to be out to lunch if one is equating Denmark with Venezuela.

No, especially if you think that European Democrat Socialism would work in the US, it wouldn’t. Again, look at Venezuela and California.

Those who teach kids to accept people who are different.

I do as well, but I know what a woman is, I know men don’t get pregnant and I don’t think woman should have to shower with men that think wearing a skirt gives them that right.

Those who teach kids about the history of racism. Get rid of 'em!

No, get rid of the teachers that want to teach kids that whites are evil and blacks are victims.

Expect big, robust economic plans from Kevin and Gym.

That won’t burden the taxpayer, good.

Of the poor, many of whom are not educated or well versed in the system of what socialism is, including Democratic socialism,

And it is not helped that socialist models are compared to "Venezuela", which is even more different from the US than Scandanavia. By Fox News and conservative outlets.

The "robbing Peter to pay Paul" is true if the public is Peter and Paul are billionaire oligarchs.

Recently the greatest wealth transfers have been all from the public treasury to oligarchs.

The 2008 banker bailout and COVID stimulus.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/04/cramer-the-pandemic-led-to-a-great-wealth-transfer.html

many of whom are not educated or well versed in the system of what socialism is

The ones who are not educated or well versed in what socialism is tend to be people on the right, like you. One has really got to be out to lunch if one is equating Denmark with Venezuela.

getting rid of radical woke teachers

Those who teach kids to accept people who are different. Those who teach kids about the history of racism. Get rid of 'em!

until last month you guys held the mic and football, not anymore.

Expect big, robust economic plans from Kevin and Gym.

So chock full of regurgitated right-wing talking points I could probably lose a tooth by biting into it but here we go. 

Savor the flavor!

Sanders follows a Scandanavian model of democratic socialism that is very popular with a wide demographic of Americans. 

Of the poor, many of whom are not educated or well versed in the system of what socialism is, including Democratic socialism, not to mention Scandinavian populations are very small so implementing Democratic Socialism policies on 8 million people is more feasible, not to mention they’re highly educated, have very good wages and they put a lot (taxes) back into the system. These policies would never work in America because there is no way people like me or more affluent people would pay for 24 million (and growing) less affluent and low-skilled workers, it would bankrupt the nation and we’re barely holding on as it is. So what Sanders is proposing looks somewhat good on paper, but implementing the idea would never work. Look at California, look at cities like LA and SF.

Universal healthcare so people are not dying because they cannot afford medicine or insulin. 

That’s is fine for the 22 plus million, but who’s going to pay for it?

Education available for all that will not indebt you for ages. 

On public education, and might go halfway as long as there is an overhaul of getting rid of radical woke teachers, if that’s the case then they should teach at private schools, that way if parents want to pay for their kids educational indoctrination, that’s on them.

A social safety net that does not make the prospect of losing a job mean homelessness or crushing debt. 

How so?

Corporate funded republican mouthpieces run with the same red scare tactics to their low information base (which they love).

No, most of us know exactly how the game is played, but until last month you guys held the mic and football, not anymore.

There was no way that even the Dems would allow a devout socialist to run, not to mention Bernie’s ideas would never work. They should good to the uneducated and pimple-headed Sophomore student but on its merit his policies would turn the US into another Venezuela.

So chock full of regurgitated right-wing talking points I could probably lose a tooth by biting into it but here we go.

Sanders follows a Scandanavian model of democratic socialism that is very popular with a wide demographic of Americans.

Universal healthcare so people are not dying because they cannot afford medicine or insulin.

Education available for all that will not indebt you for ages.

A social safety net that does not make the prospect of losing a job mean homelessness or crushing debt.

Corporate funded republican mouthpieces run with the same red scare tactics to their low information base (which they love).

https://minnesotareformer.com/2022/05/25/reich-what-the-gop-culture-war-is-really-about/

Now there’s a comment that shows superior education!

Thank you.

Obama ran and won. 

You constantly said he was a socialist.

As bad as the man was, many of his policies were socialist based, but he wasn’t trying to overhaul the nation and put the private sector out of business, something Bernie’s policies of full-fledged robbing Paul to give to Peter income redistribution on a massive scale would do. Even Debbie Wassermann-Schultz wasn’t willing to go down that dark road.

And now he’s king of the GQP!

What?

How much does the US spend on elections? The midterm elections cost more than $15 billion.

There was no way that even the Dems would allow a devout socialist to run

Obama ran and won.

You constantly said he was a socialist.

They should good to the uneducated and pimple-headed Sophomore student but on its merit his policies would turn the US into another Venezuela.

Now there’s a comment that shows superior education!

helps Democrats to get their identity politics candidates into first place right away.

Republicans never pay heed to the demographics of their base. Which is why they always nominate the most intelligent and reasonable candidates who shun absurd conspiracy theories.

Bernie Sanders was clearly robbed of the Dem nomination twice

There was no way that even the Dems would allow a devout socialist to run, not to mention Bernie’s ideas would never work. They should good to the uneducated and pimple-headed Sophomore student but on its merit his policies would turn the US into another Venezuela.

but by his graciousness his supporters did not riot and storm the Capitol.

Most of the previous Presidents supporters didn’t storm the Capitol.

It was not by ballot fraud but by the machination of the Dem party leadership.

Talk to Debbie Wassermann-Schultz

Yep helps Democrats to get their identity politics candidates into first place right away.

a quid pro quo to James Clyburn for his help in getting Biden installed as the nominee.

Children of the corn

Please stop with the silly stereotypes. Iowa’s population is mostly urban.

Anyway, smart move by the Democrats.

Children of the corn

In no way, shape or form is Iowa representative of overall American demographics, its economy or its values. NH isn’t a lot better.

And yet for decades it has had an outsized roll as an early determinant of electability.

This is a smart move by Democrats that will give larger, more diverse states more representative of America as a whole a greater say in who wins the nomination.

The caucuses and their outsize importance were largely an exercise in myth-making, that candidates could earn a path to the White House by meeting voters in person where they live, and earnest, civic-minded Midwesterners would brave the winter cold to stand sometimes for hours to discuss issues and literally stand for their candidate.

Times change and public opinion now is often shaped by online disinformation campaigns or fascist-lite rallies.

The Lincoln-Douglas debate and reasoned political discourse also seem old-fashioned.

The Constitution, the 2nd Amendment or America's political duopoly are not enshrined in stone and need changing for the 21st century.

Top finishers Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg were denied the full measure of momentum ahead of New Hampshire eight days later.

Bernie Sanders was clearly robbed of the Dem nomination twice but by his graciousness his supporters did not riot and storm the Capitol. It was not by ballot fraud but by the machination of the Dem party leadership.

Biden or Clinton could not match the popular support of Sanders but in the present electoral system "electability" was the rationale chosen.

This needs to change from top to bottom.