| Jaicee said: Just a casual note today: Elizabeth Warren has now moved up to second place in the Real Clear Politics polling average for the first time. Now has polled in second place before in individual surveys, but not in the recent polling average overall. Until now. As of now the RCP polling averages of the candidates are: I don't suspect this move up the ladder for Warren will last. It's clearly just the effect of the last debate and will probably evaporate over the month with Sanders retaking second place by the time we get to the next debate in September because this clearly WANTS to be a race specifically between Biden and Sanders, but still it's the first time this has happened, so thought it worth casually noting anyway. |
I have a small preference for Warren over Sanders, and it's mostly that Sanders. First, Sanders uses a lot of abstract terms; and while he is consistent in his terminology, he is not consistent in his definition of the terminology. This makes it sometimes unclear as to what he's talking about. I think that Williamson (who I also like) also has a huge problem here, because she sometimes speaks from the point of spiritualism rather than materialism and it sometimes scares the crap out of people (like when she says "sickness is an illusion" but she's speaking in Platonic terms where the metaphysical is the ultimate reality and materialism is an illusion).
Warren speaks in very precise terms, and so there is no additional research to do over it. She is, IMO, one of the best communicators in the world among elected politicians. But from a policy standpoint I put her and Sanders on equal footing, I think if one or the other won it would make no difference.
I'm not a huge fan of Kamala Harris and Buttigieg. Buttigieg comes off super-rehearsed, it is hard to take him seriously. Kamala Harris, at first, came off very honest, but now it's very apparent that it's all just strategy.
Booker and Castro are two more I really like, they come off as both authentic and intelligent. Also highly spirited.
Yang I think is getting better and better. I like what he's all about, and I like that he has the GUTS to go to the US and pitch UBI; someone mentioned that Elon Musk supports Yang... I almost think it's the other way around, Musk has been pushing Yang's premises for years now and long ago suggested UBI is the best course. But I don't know Yang's history, I only first heard of him less than a year ago.
De Blasio is a guy I recognize as a very flawed politician with some problematic approaches, but I have no real disagreement with his policies and love the fact that he doesn't give a shit about what his non-constructive critics think.
Inslee I REALLY wish was making a bigger splash. I think his focus is what everyone's focus should be, fixing the worldwide environmental crisis. Luckily, this is near the top on the priorities of Warren, Yang, and Sanders.
So, my good lineup is roughly:
1a. Warren
1b. Sanders
2a. Castro
2b. Booker
2c. Williamson
3. Inslee
4. De Blasio
Those are the ones I like best. I don't think Biden, Beto, Buttigieg, Gabbard, and Gillibrand are that bad either. Harris, Klobuchar, Swalwell and Ryan are adequate.
One guy I REALLY miss being a part of the discussion is Ojeda. Miner guy with the shaved head. Seemed to have a heart of gold and just as honest. If he were running still he might be up on my second tier.
I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
