Dec. 22 Open Thread: The Building Beto-mentum

Filed in National, Open Thread by on December 22, 2018

I’m sure this will upset a number of readers, but facts are facts: Beto-mentum continues to build. A straw poll from the progressive group MoveOn.org released last week revealed Beto O’Rourke is the leading Democratic contender for the 2020 presidential race, with 15.6 percent of responders supporting his candidacy. He was followed by former Biden with 14.9 percent, Sanders with 13.1 percent, Harris with 10.0 percent and Warren with 6.4 percent (full list at the link). Actually, the leading vote-getter wasn’t Beto, it was “someone else/don’t know,” but with only 17.9%, so Beto has the Mystery Candidate in his sights.

There are 33 names on that MoveOn list, not counting “someone else,” so naturally some writers are worried that too many candidates will doom the party in 2020. He stops short, however, of telling Eric Garcetti it’s time to drop out.

Sometimes the right thing is done the wrong way for the wrong reasons. Many foreign-policy critics who thought we never should have gotten involved in Syria nevertheless think this was the wrong way to get uninvolved. That’s true even of Lucian Truscott IV, who has for years called for getting troops out of Syria and Afghanistan. Still, Truscott has some choice words for departing last-adult-in-the-room Jim Mattis and the foreign-policy establishment that perpetuates these long-running, far-flung military stalemates. You know who’s not allowed to pretend to be anti-war, though? Republicans, whose damp-pantsed hand-wringing about terrorism put American troops in these places to begin with.

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  1. delacrat says:

    Before you get so enthused over Robert Francis O’Rourke and Beto-mentum.

    Remember Joe Lieberman and “Joementum”.

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/25/elec04.prez.lieberman/

    • Alby says:

      You really don’t know how to read, do you? Why do you think I used the phrase? Sometimes I suspect you really are as obtuse as you often seem.

      I don’t agree with the tendency for people to seek saviors, no matter who they are — Beto, Bernie, Jill Stein, anyone. Unfortunately, it’s human, which is to say simian, nature. So we’re stuck with it. Your inability to recognize or acknowledge this nature is why you drive me crazy.

  2. That Truscott article is a must-read antidote to ‘groupthink’. Groupthink as promulgated by all those retired generals who are MSNBC contributors. Have they ever disagreed with each other on anything?

  3. RE Vanella says:

    no

  4. nathan arizona says:

    But I’m glad one thing they agree on is Trump. Would be much, much worse if they supported him.

  5. All Seeing says:

    Trying to find out if Beto is in the Macon model? In the mean time Trump’s sudden pack up and run out of Syria because of his conversation with Turkey’s president alarms many especially without consultation with his brain-trust, our partners and the consequences they are as follows: ‘Trump’s businesses have major investments in both Turkey and in Azerbaijan’ – Boston University … https://azeri.today/articles/1387/?_utl_t=tw Putting America and the world at risk with hundreds of Jihadists fighters locked up in Syria & Kurdish territory = https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/world/syria/isis-prisoners/?utm_term=.eb98e805d06c

    • RSE says:

      I’ve never believed the old adage that we have to stop the terrorists on their own soil or we will have to deal with them at home. There is no organized army of terrorist coming here. The stereotypical image of the terrorist climbing under barbed wire with a gun and training on monkey bars means nothing to our domestic safety.

      In reality some old guy living in the desert sitting on a couple hundred million and looking to get in good graces with Allah could fund a small group of guys looking for the seventy virgins and there is nothing that our military can do about it. Next thing you know some dude working in a rug shop in Dearborn is strapping on a suicide vest or some other crazy shit.

  6. RE Vanella says:

    The Rojava Kurds have implemented many successfully socialist systems. Worker owned co-ops… Radical changes to address gender equality, &c.

    I stand where Chomsky stands in solidarity with Rojava.

  7. RE Vanella says:

    Mid-term recap: A look at the Carney administration’s first two years

    By Matt Bittle

    https://delawarestatenews.net/news/mid-term-recap-a-look-at-the-carney-administrations-first-two-years/

    The goods:

    “Drew Serres, the executive director of the grassroots advocacy group Network Delaware, said he believes Gov. Carney wants to help people but feels the best way to do it is by working with businesses to grow the economy, an approach some members of the Democratic base disagree with.

    “The folks in the activist community I talk to are still waiting for Gov. Carney’s plan of action to fundamentally tackle issues impacting communities of color and low-income families,” Mr. Serres wrote in an email. “Right now he appears focused on working with the private sector on development and setting up ‘opportunity zones’ to target investment, but where’s the sense of urgency to move quickly on so many other issues?

    “Where’s the sense of urgency to reduce the size of prison population, instead of sending prisoners out-of-state due to overcrowding?

    “Where’s the sense of urgency to dramatically reshape our education system so kids get an exceptional education no matter which neighborhood they live, instead of arguing that the state has no constitutional requirement to provide an equitable education for all?

    “Where’s the sense of urgency to support working families, instead of vetoing low-income tax credits?

    “Now the pressure is on Gov. Carney over these next two years to prove with his actions his commitment to Black and Brown families and low-income neighborhoods.

    “The Democrats added to their majority in both the House and the Senate, so there’s no excuse to not be bold. He has a huge opportunity to push an agenda to address concentrated poverty in areas left behind, or he can waste this chance.”

    • john kowalko says:

      The newly created Gingrich/Norquist/ALEC created “Budget Smoothing” (Balanced Budget Amendment) introduced by Carney in a Trumpiesqe type “executive order” action precludes any agenda to pretend to address poverty areas, progressive tax reform or real public education reform. Consider the opportunity/chance as wasted (DOA). The only “sense of urgency” is in filling the already fat wallets of corporations, the chamber of commerce and every kind of investor beggar that demands their taxpayer handout. Merry Christmas Tiny Tim and all you other poor wretches. Take a bus ride from Rodney Square to the nearest “soup kitchen” and don’t forget to tip the waiter.

      Representative John Kowalko