Map of life expectancy at birth from Global Education Project.

Friday, February 21, 2020

Punditry

I usually refrain from commenting on politics as opposed to policy. The corporate media provides plenty of horserace coverage, and as far as the current Democratic nominating contest is concerned I'll be happy enough with four or five possible outcomes and what really matters is November. I've got better axes to grind. Howsomever --

I do agree with our frenemy Peckerwood that were the Dems to nominate Michael Bloomberg it would constitute a betrayal of much of what the party purports to stand for. It does not surprise that by spending several bazillion dollars on advertising he can get a bump in the polls from people who don't get a lot of information elsewhere. But I would expect that the atomic wedgie Elizabeth Warren gave him in the Nevada debate may undo a good deal of that. (Actually she wedgied him for half an hour then the rest of the gang helped to stuff him upside down in a garbage can.) But some observers think that by continuing to buy up all the TV time in North America he can overcome that. I'll wait for polling.

It is very disappointing however that many Democratic office holders have endorsed Bloomberg, including Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo. Presumably they think he has the best chance of winning in November, but that is a) wrong and b) so what if he wins, it will just show that the presidency is for sale and the Democratic party is a fraud. In fact he can't attack the Resident at some of his most vulnerable points, and women and minority voters who would otherwise be highly motivated to come out and vote for the Democrat will stay home and maybe lose interest in the party forever. The idea of trying to let Bloomberg buy the election is a really, really stupid strategy. Fortunately I doubt it will happen.

That said, I've got more axes to grind and will do so anon.


2 comments:

Don Quixote said...

Yep, a lot of axes these days. A lot of grinding. I personally think that the resident will be axed himself. Not sure how, and I don't really care. If it's done legally, I'd like to see him end up with Amy Berman Jackson for sentencing. And if his axing is done extrajudicially, so be it. He's not the problem, he's the symptom of a totally corrupt party--but it's like alcoholism. Alcohol is not "the problem" in a person with dependency, but it becomes such a huge problem that it covers up all of the other problems underlying it. Shitler offers cover for the utter corruption of the Republican party and Fox propaganda network.

Woody Peckerwood said...


After the drubbing Bloomberg took in the last debate, he's now focusing on the superdelegates. He's planning to donate to those politicians' campaigns who are superdelgates to buy their votes.

https://prntly.com/2020/02/13/bloomberg-is-quietly-buying-all-the-superdelegates-he-can-get/

If no one gets a majority of delegates and it goes to a brokered convention, it's unlikely the first vote at the convention will produce that majority and a second vote will occur.

At that point Bloomberg's nomination is in the bag. Bernie suppoters will then walk the election in November.