We subsidize things we think are important. At least that's how it's supposed to work.
Not clear to me why we still subsidize fossil energy production, but it's easy to understand why we want to subsidize going green.
Lawmakers question Mayor Pete today
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Not clear to me why we still subsidize fossil energy production, but it's easy to understand why we want to subsidize going green.
It’s more than that. Pete is ultra-corporate. That doesn’t sell very well to average people these days. Plus, it’s hard to trust anyone who worked at McKinsey.
That said, he’s competent and is one of the best communicators in the country. I’m glad he’s on our side. As has been mentioned, he’s going to be a key player in our politics for the next 20 plus years and will likely be our nominee at some point. I hope he moves back to the left as he ages.
Which of the 8 or so contenders are more to your liking?
I skimmed Prtizger's Wikipedia listing yesterday and it allayed most of my fears about him. He did and tried to do a bunch of good things as governor. But it's unclear whether he pushed them or merely went along with them.
I've seen Whitmer interviewed and she looked really good. But where does she stand on the issues? I have no real idea.
Shapiro also sounds and looks good. But I've heard he supported fracking and vouchers. Just local politics or is he actually bad on those issues?
Fellow-Californian Newsom isn't in the running.
Bashear and Cooper are impressive for winning in red states, but can they help Dems win their states in 2024? And, again, what do they stand for?
Kelly? Walz?
Why Kamala Harris should pick Tim Walz as her running mate
I’ll be honest: last month, I would have struggled to pick Walz out of a lineup.This month? I’m Walz-pilled. I have watched dozens of his interviews and clips. And I’m far from alone. He has an army of new fans across the liberal-left: from former Bernie Sanders 2020 campaign co-chair Nina Turner, to one-time Democratic congressman Beto O’Rourke, to gun-control activist David Hogg. “In less than 6 days, I went from not knowing who Tim Walz is,” joked writer Travis Helwig on X, “to deep down believing that if he doesn’t get the VP nod I will storm the capitol.”
According to Bloomberg, the Harris campaign has narrowed down its “top tier” of potential running mates to three “white guy” candidates: Walz (hurrah!), plus the Arizona senator Mark Kelly and Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro.
Both Kelly and Shapiro have their strengths – and both represent must-win states for the Dems. Allow me, however, to make the clear case for Walz.
First, there’s his personality. The 60-year-old governor would bring energy, humor and some much-needed bite to the Democratic presidential ticket. There’s a reason why his videos have been going viral in recent days. Tim Kaine he ain’t. Pick the charismatic and eloquent Walz and you have America’s Fun Uncle ready to go.
Then, there’s his résumé. A popular midwest governor from a rural town. A 24-year veteran of the army national guard. A high school teacher who coached the football team to its first state championship. It’s almost too perfect!
Finally, there’s his governing record. You will struggle to find a Democratic governor who has achieved more than Walz in the space of a single legislative session. Not Shapiro. Not JB Pritzker of Illinois. Not even Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan.
In May 2023, Barack Obama, of all people, shared a piece from the MinnPost on X, which laid out Walz’s very successful – and very social-democratic – legislative record in the North Star state:
“Democrats codified abortion rights, paid family and medical leave, sick leave, transgender rights protections, drivers licenses for undocumented residents, restoration of voting rights for people when they are released from prison or jail, wider voting access, one-time rebates, a tax credit aimed at low-income parents with kids, and a $1bn investment in affordable housing including for rental assistance.”
Got that? Walz basically did Biden’s “Build Back Better” on steroids, despite only a single-seat majority in the state senate.
But wait, there’s more!
“Also adopted were background checks for private gun transfers and a red-flag warning system to take guns from people deemed by a judge to be a threat to themselves or others. DFL lawmakers banned conversion therapy for LGBTQ people, legalized recreational marijuana, expanded education funding, required a carbon-free electric grid by 2040, adopted a new reading curricula based on phonics, passed a massive $2.58bn capital construction package and, at the insistence of Republicans, a $300m emergency infusion of money to nursing homes.”
Democrats at the national level can only dream of such progressive legislative victories.
Policy wins aside, Walz also comes with less political baggage than his two main rivals and is, therefore, much less likely to divide the party.
more here
Why Kamala Harris should pick Tim Walz as running mate | Mehdi Hasan
This isn’t rocket science. The Minnesota governor is the obvious choice – allow me to make the clear case for Walz
Mayor Pete was on The Daily Show tonight
iowa.forums.rivals.com
Best TV news in a long time: John Stewart back on TDS!
Jon Stewart Questions If America's Two-Party System Works? | The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart
iowa.forums.rivals.com
I’d guess closer to 99.9% smarter if not the smartest. He’s a breath of fresh air.
The woman, halfway through the clip, asserts that it is not crucial for the Vice President to hail from a swing state. She cites the examples of Ryan with Romney and Kaine with Clinton. However, it’s worth noting that both of these pairings ultimately lost their respective elections. Probably not a great way to get invited back on a panel.
Didn’t watch … but Pence, Biden, Cheney, Quayle….Not really from swing states.
Recent history…probably only Bush and Gore made any difference
IIRC, Cheney chaired Bush's VP search committee. Clever way to get yourself the job.
Isn't Gretchen Whitmer in a similar role for Harris?
I wouldn't have any trouble voting for a 2-woman ticket. Most misogynists won't be voting D anyway, and it's easy to imagine lots of undecided independent women being attracted to such a ticket.
Last time I checked, there are more female voters than male voters.
No argument but she actually used Kaine and Ryan as her examples.
I will keep saying this: the Dems blew it by not nominating him.
It’s not like they can’t in the future. If anything, the Dems should have made him the VP selection over Walz.
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