#NeverPete

That is me. He is the lobbyist's choice for president. 

Say what?!  His primary issue is getting money out of politics.       

The only candidate i’m Nevering is the one who got impeached

He strikes me as the most reasonable of the candidates. I also think that Warren and Sanders are ultimately unelectable, because they will be attacked as "SOOOOOOCIALISTS," Biden is just too shaky to survive, and the rest of the heap doesn't have enough traction. Mayor Pete comes off as moderate and reasonable. I think he would make the perfect foil for Trump--remaining composed on the debate stage while Trump loses it.

I'm not sure what you're referring to, but each and every one of the candidates has gotten campaign contributions (except Bloomberg and Steyer). I don't really care where that money came from--everyone has the right to support one or more candidates. Those who feed Trump money get it from being robber barons, but that's legal, too.

I think there's a secret weapon involved. If Pete is nominated, it won't be 48 hours before Trump tweets out some anti-gay slur--he absolutely won't be able to help his stupid self--and there goes about 4% of the electorate right there, including the appallingly real "Gays For Trump."

I also think his "intermediate" approach to health care might be the one that voters can stomach. The Cons have spread the false narrative "They're going to take away your health care," and because people are stupid, that's working. "Take away and replace with something better," the actuality, seems fine to me, but as I said, people are stupid. Thus, a candidate's ideal platform must appeal to the stupid--which, of course, was wildly successful for Trump.

His head domestic policy person is a former Goldman Sachs vice president.

He takes super PAC money the other remaining Democratic candidates do not.  

He holds fundraisers targeting wealthy donors while the others do not. The most infamous was his wine cave fundraiser.

From Common Dreams:

Buttigieg has remained silent about what made the ascent of his campaign possible—the early, major and continuing support from extremely rich people enmeshed with powerful and destructive corporate interests—enabling the Pete for America campaign to get off the ground and gain altitude. Buttigieg’s rise was propelled by the rocket fuel of funding from—and bonding with—wealthy corporate operators, who bundled big checks from other donors and provided an establishment seal of approval that resonated with mainstream media.

From the Huffington Post

“Pete Buttigieg Is the Only Top 2020 Democrat Taking Money from Lobbyists,” HuffPost reported in April. “Buttigieg’s campaign said the donations wouldn’t influence his policy positions and noted he isn’t taking donations from corporate PACs or fossil fuel interests.” Later, the Center for Public Integrity explained in mid-summer, Buttigieg “reversed his stance and refunded more than $30,000 from federal lobbyists. . . . But Buttigieg has nonetheless continued to rely on wealthy and well-connected ‘bundlers’ to help him fundraise -- and to great effect, raising more money of late than most other 2020 presidential candidates.”

From The Washington Post 

Pete Buttigieg is getting an even closer look from big-money donors following what some described as a surprising performance in the Iowa caucuses, where he appears to hold a small lead over Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).

Wall Street sources say the former South Bend, Ind., mayor, already a favorite of Democratic financiers, can expect something of a Wall Street windfall now after he proved that he has momentum in the chaotic 2020 race.

His connection to the guy that caused the fiasco in Iowa. 

Behind the app that delayed Iowa’s voting results is a dark money operation funded by anti-Bernie Sanders billionaires. Its top donor Seth Klarman is a Buttigieg backer who has dumped money into pro-settler Israel lobby groups.

He sounds like a real man of the people. His healthcare policy is the absolute worst of any Democratic candidate. He is a Thirdway Democrat that caters to corporations.  If you love large corporations and billionaires vote for Mayor Pete. 

I will reject this horrible candidate that is being astroturfed by large corporations and wealthy donors. I encourage you to do the same if you believe in progressive values. Pete makes Joe look like a flaming liberal. 

PJ, think of him as a mentally competent Donald Trump. There would be very little difference between his domestic economic policy goals and Donald Trump's. Soon after the election, he would be talking about the need for grandma to tighten her belt with cuts to social security and Medicare. 

I would post links but the LVA management thinks a message board should be all text circa 1999.

Well, I'm not outraged by a candidate being well financed. For Pete, what that did was to enable him to catch up to his already well-funded rivals.

The only thing I really care about is who has the best shot at beating Trump. I would accept a pink labradoodle as the Democratic nominee if it meant that Trump would lose. We must win this election or our democracy is dead. That's not melodrama. If Trump wins in November, the Senate will pass some sort of law that allows him to run a third, fourth, and fifth time--or maybe it will just decree him President for life. Gerrymandering will be so egregious that it will be impossible for Democrats to elect a majority. And yes, the Cons will ensure that, to serve the holy grail of corporate profits, the planet will be rendered uninhabitable.

I believe in progressive values as much as you do but I'm forced to conclude that the country isn't ready for them. Progressive candidates routinely fail on the nationwide stage. The Con narrative of the horrors of SOOOOOOCIALISM!! has been devastatingly effective, convincing people to vote against their own interests. That's been the genius of Republican leadership--to convince the Con morons that making corporations as rich as possible is the shortcut to human happiness.

So while I'm not thrilled by Mayor Pete, I think that the only way we get to true progressivism is...slowly. The sad truth is that as much as we think otherwise, we're actually one of the most socially backward nations on earth. Much of America still lives, mentally, in the 19th century.

Well, I'm not outraged by a candidate being well financed. For Pete, what that did was to enable him to catch up to his already well-funded rivals.

Pete can't get money from the rank and file on his merits as the other candidates do so he turns to wealthy folks and big corporations. The fact that he is unpopular with Democratic voters is telling.

The only thing I really care about is who has the best shot at beating Trump. I would accept a pink labradoodle as the Democratic nominee if it meant that Trump would lose. We must win this election or our democracy is dead. That's not melodrama. If Trump wins in November, the Senate will pass some sort of law that allows him to run a third, fourth, and fifth time--or maybe it will just decree him President for life. Gerrymandering will be so egregious that it will be impossible for Democrats to elect a majority. And yes, the Cons will ensure that, to serve the holy grail of corporate profits, the planet will be rendered uninhabitable.

All the way into my late 40s I never understood why people dropped out and quit voting. I get it now. I have been dealing with a family member that has a chronic health issue for the last six-seven years. Even with insurance we still accumulate 30-40k a new medical debt year in and year out. Every election I hear the same thing. Namely, that good health care is just too radical or left-wing of an idea. I am tired of getting summoned to court 7-8 times a year and waiting all day to be questioned if I have any assets to pay my family member's medical bills, the constant attempts to garnish my wages, (I have beat every one of them so far) and just generally living a poverty lifestyle because any disposable income goes to medical expenses. I am told by Democratic candidates I should be thankful. I am done with talk. A someday years down the road we will fix it won't do me or my family any good. 

I believe in progressive values as much as you do but I'm forced to conclude that the country isn't ready for them. Progressive candidates routinely fail on the nationwide stage. The Con narrative of the horrors of SOOOOOOCIALISM!! has been devastatingly effective, convincing people to vote against their own interests. That's been the genius of Republican leadership--to convince the Con morons that making corporations as rich as possible is the shortcut to human happiness.

What you are missing is that no matter the candidate Republicans will wine SOOOOOOCIALISM!! If they are going to wine anyway why not give them the real thing?

 So while I'm not thrilled by Mayor Pete, I think that the only way we get to true progressivism is...slowly. The sad truth is that as much as we think otherwise, we're actually one of the most socially backward nations on earth. Much of America still lives, mentally, in the 19th century.

As I said, I am too old and my family member is too sick for the slow approach. I will be writing in a candidate if Mayor Pete is the nominee.  Yes, I know Trump is the worst human being to ever hold the office of the President. It may be selfish, but at this point in my life, I'd rather have Trump destroy the whole healthcare system than getting some incremental and insignificant progress.  It makes no difference to me if I am broke by 40k a year or 400k a year. Broke is still broke. At least if it is destroyed, everyone will be in the same boat and there will be a real mandate for change. 

But you do realize that if Warren or Sanders is elected, we'll be even further away from universal health care than we are now? I mean, they have great ideas, but how can they force those ideas through the sphincter that is the Senate? And fend off all the challenges that will be heard by Trump-packed courts? And that assumes that we continue to hold the House--probable, but not a certainty.

What I'm worried about is that in the rush to implement true single-payer universal health care, we won't even get the needed fixes, like restoring the damage Trump did to Obamacare and is threatening to do to Medicaid and Medicare. The only way we save our country is if Democrats take and KEEP total control. Otherwise, it all dissolves into chaos, even if we uproot Trump. But I think we have to do that incrementally, as the Cons have brainwashed large segments of the populace. I know, I hear you. I have a damn good health plan in a state that cares about such things, but I can only imagine what it would be like if my life was in the hands of some medical megacorporation.

One thing I'm seeing now, which we've seen before, is the candidates attacking one another and expending funds and energy trying to kill each other off. Trump, on the other hand, can just sit back and wait. We already let Bernie sink Hillary in 2016. I don't want to see that happen again. So whoever will be able to get everyone else in line and put up a united front, I'm in favor of that candidate.

If I had a choice, I'd pick Warren. But I think Trump has managed to distort her message and make people afraid of her. So who do you want to see win the nomination at this point?

But you do realize that if Warren or Sanders is elected, we'll be even further away from universal health care than we are now? I mean, they have great ideas, but how can they force those ideas through the sphincter that is the Senate? And fend off all the challenges that will be heard by Trump-packed courts? And that assumes that we continue to hold the House--probable, but not a certainty.

With the right candidate, I believe we have a good chance of taking the Senate now. With the current Senate rules, we only need 51 votes.

I think we are closer to Universal Healthcare than most people think. The real elephant in the room is that Federal Case out of Texas where Republicans are seeking to overturn Obamacare in its entirety. Trump successfully petitioned the Supreme Court not to hear the case until after the election. That is a pretty strong indicator the Supreme Court will rule in favor of the Republicans. At that point, the existing healthcare system would be gone and a new system would have to be set up. Since the ruling would invalidate a mandate for people to buy private insurance, that could no longer be the basis of any new system. Something funded like SS or Medicare would be the only model for a system that could pass legal muster.  Let the Republicans spin their wheels for four years while people from all walks of life suffer. They have proven themselves incompetent in passing any healthcare plan. We would get real change after that. 

To answer your question, I think Sanders or Warren have a pretty darn good chance of success thanks to the Republican lawsuit.  We don't want to waste this opportunity on Mayor Pete who will pander to pharmaceutical and Insurance companies when constructing a new healthcare system. 

What I'm worried about is that in the rush to implement true single-payer universal health care, we won't even get the needed fixes, like restoring the damage Trump did to Obamacare and is threatening to do to Medicaid and Medicare. The only way we save our country is if Democrats take and KEEP total control. Otherwise, it all dissolves into chaos, even if we uproot Trump. But I think we have to do that incrementally, as the Cons have brainwashed large segments of the populace. I know, I hear you. I have a damn good health plan in a state that cares about such things, but I can only imagine what it would be like if my life was in the hands of some medical megacorporation.

Sometimes chaos is good. It is the only way to get real change. We won't get to do the fixes to the current system if Republicans are successful in overturning Obamacare in the courts. And even if they are not, Republicans will just roll back the incremental fixes again in a few years. The end result of incremental fixes is a perpetual cycle of rollbacks and incremental fixes where there is no moving the needle of progress forward. 

One thing I'm seeing now, which we've seen before, is the candidates attacking one another and expending funds and energy trying to kill each other off. Trump, on the other hand, can just sit back and wait. We already let Bernie sink Hillary in 2016. I don't want to see that happen again. So whoever will be able to get everyone else in line and put up a united front, I'm in favor of that candidate.

I don't think Bernie sunk Hillary. I think Hillary sunk Hillary with her plans for incremental change. Quite a few people voted for Trump because they wanted radical change to the current system. The current system wasn't working for them.  Since we are talking about health care lets look at how that played out in 2016. Trump promised a new health care system that would be cheaper for the government, cheaper for the patient and cover everyone with no out of pocket costs. Hillary said well I don't think we will be able to get anything done on healthcare but maybe if we cross our fingers and are really lucky we might get some tiny tweaks. If your issue is healthcare, who are you going to vote for?

I don't doubt Trump will use the same lie in the next election and it will probably work again. If one candidate promises to fix everything wrong with the healthcare system and the other throws up his or her hands and says good healthcare is just too divisive who do you vote for? Now even if you think there is a 99% chance Trump is lying the expected value is still higher with Trump because you know with 100% certainty the opposition is promising not to try. It really is a case of if you aim for the moon and miss at least you will land in the stars. 

If I had a choice, I'd pick Warren. But I think Trump has managed to distort her message and make people afraid of her. So who do you want to see win the nomination at this point?

I like Sanders and Warren the best, but I'd vote for any candidate other than Pete. I'd even vote for Bloomberg. At least he is honest about his motivations. 

Another thing, the Democratic base hates Pete. There have been a lot of articles about this. People of color and young people won't be enthused and turn out for Pete. It is a given Trump's fascist followers will turn out for him. And do we really believe that the Republicans won't play the Pete is gay card? Talk about energizing their base. If Pete is the nominee, it won't be SOOOOOOCIALISM!! it will be SODOM AND GOMORRAH!!  HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA!! PETE  WANTS TO MAKE YOUR KIDS GAY!!

I'll let you in on a little secret.     If Bernie (or anyone) wins the White House and Dems take both houses of Congress you are NOT going to get universal healthcare.   The last time we had that dynamic we barely got Obamacare.

Red State Democrats aren't on board.    And the special interests you need to knock down have lots of money.

Get rid of the money - then you can get rid of our corrupt healthcare system

PJ, the primary reason we got Obamacare, universal health care's bastard child, is that the Democrats wanted to be "principled" and listened to and caved to Republican demands. Does anyone think that if the situation were reversed, the Republicans would have even pretended to listen to the Democrats? The Democrats should have brushed the Republicans aside and used the narrow time window they had to implement true social reform--not only universal single payer health care but a lot of other things. They should have told the Republicans "fuck you and get out of the way." That's what the Republicans did in 2017!

So while everyone on the blue side prattles on about "coming together," we all have to realize that we're up against a gang of utterly unprincipled motherfuckers who will do anything to win. We also have to realize that a substantial portion of our fellow citizens are idiots and bigots. This isn't kum-by-ya time any more. People like Stalker and Tom can't be shown reason. People like Moscow Mitch and Lindsey Cracker aren't going to grow a conscience. This is a war for our country, and right now, we're losing it--badly.

It's a fight where one side is using Marquis of Queensbury rules and wants a referee, while the other is willing to kick and gouge and pull out a hidden knife. Who do you think is going to win?