Which Democrat Should I Vote For?

 

In 2016 I had a very difficult time voting for Donald Trump. When push came to shove, I did vote for him, for two reasons: 1) There was at least a chance that he would appoint judges faithful to the Constitution, and 2) He was not Hillary Clinton. Four years later, I don’t regret my vote. Trump has appointed many good judges, and he is still not Hillary Clinton.

He’s also exposed the Left as the lying, cheating, America-hating extremists they are and advanced the cause of conservatism more than any president since (and, arguably, including) Reagan. I’m still not a fan of Trump the man but I’ve come to appreciate him as a badly needed corrective to the post-American America we are increasingly finding ourselves in. I will be voting for Trump in November without hesitation. He has earned it, by my reckoning.

None of that has anything to do with this post, really, but it’s something I’ve been wanting to give voice to and this seemed as good a place as any.

This post is about soliciting thoughts and recommendations on who I should vote for in the New Hampshire primary, which is up in a few short weeks. I’m registered as an independent, which allows me to vote in either the Democrat or Republican primary. I’m trying to identify a Democrat who has a chance to win, but who will do poorly against Trump in November.

For what they are worth, here are the results from two recent polls:

WBURR

Sanders: 29

Buttigieg: 17

Biden: 14

Warren: 13

Boston Globe:

Sanders: 16

Biden: 15

Buttigieg: 12

Warren: 10

Any thoughts or analysis?

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    It’s always playing with fire. On the one hand, we want their nominee to be as cray-cray as possible to make it easier for the Republicans. On the other hand, we don’t really want to take the chance that the most cray-cray gets elected somehow. There are three strategies:

    1. Vote for the one you think most likely to lose and destroy the party.
    2. Vote for the one you think will do the least damage if they do win.
    3. Vote to prop up a candidate to keep the race going.

    One of the biggest factors in this race is that Bernie was done dirty in 2016. That was a factor in Trump’s win. The Bernie Bros will stay home or vote for Trump if he is done dirty again. We again want a close race between Bernie and some other Democrat that comes down to dirty tricks in the end. Who is most likely to help that? Who is most into dirty tricks who is left in the race? That would sort of point to Fauxcahontas, I would think.

    • #1
  2. JosePluma Coolidge
    JosePluma
    @JosePluma

    I’m with you.  I didn’t vote for Trump in ’16 and I still don’t like him, but he’s got my vote this year.

    As for the Demoncrats, I’m voting for Bernie in the primary.  If by some miracle he doesn’t get McGoverned in the general, he’ll do such a poor job in office that the party will be in ruins.  Obama decimated Demoncrat office-holders and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.  And that’s with a lame-stream media that adored him.  Sanders is hated by the rest of the party and won’t be able to get anything done.

    • #2
  3. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    • #3
  4. JosePluma Coolidge
    JosePluma
    @JosePluma

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    As you can guess, I’m not a big fan of either party.

    • #4
  5. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    They can’t hold a candle to the real GOOP, though. 

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    TBA (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    They can’t hold a candle to the real GOOP, though.

    Is that one of Whatshername‘s products?

    • #6
  7. E. Kent Golding Moderator
    E. Kent Golding
    @EKentGolding

    Arahant (View Comment):

    • Vote for the one you think will do the least damage if they do win.
    •  

    I would go with  2:  Vote for the one you will think will do the least damage.  

    That would be Yang,  Gabbard,  Bennett or Klobuchar (Sp?) .

    I have two reasons for this:    

    1:   In 2016,  the democrats pushed HARD for Trump to be the republican candidate,  because no one was going to crazy enough to vote for him in the general election thereby handing the presidency to Hillary.   See what that got them.  The candidate you think is obviously too crazy or anti-American  may win the general election.

    2.  A Sane,  Pro-American Democratic Party would be a great benefit to American.   Anything that pushes the democratic party  towards sanity and a concern for the general welfare would help.

    • #7
  8. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):
    That would be Yang, Gabbard, Bennett or Klobuchar (Sp?) .

    I think you need to leave Gabbard out of the running by this logic. Her positions do not back up her sane demeanor. I don’t know about the positions of the other three.

    • #8
  9. Gary Robbins Member
    Gary Robbins
    @GaryRobbins

    If I were an Independent in New Hampshire, I would vote for Bill Weld in the Republican Primary.

    ____________

    The Dems have a strong chance of winning this year, so I think that you should vote for whoever has the best qualities.

    I don’t know if people who have withdrawn are still on the ballot.  If so, I would vote for Montana Governor Steve Bullock, who is respectful of Republicans who make up the majority there.  He was the best Democrat this cycle by far.

    If you are limited to active candidates, I think that you vote for whoever would do the least harm.  For me that would be Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg or Klobuchar.

    ____________

    In 2004, I changed my party registration so I could vote for a worthy Democrat for the legislature.  When the presidential primary rolled around, I voted for the least bad Democrat, which was Joe Lieberman.

    ____________

    Since my Arizona Republican Party has refused to allow me to vote for President, I will likely change my registration for a month, by February 18 so I can vote in a Presidential Primary on March 18.  If so, I will likely vote for the strongest non-Socialist running, be that Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg or Klobuchar.  I will flip back to being a Republican thereafter.

    • #9
  10. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    Arahant (View Comment):

    It’s always playing with fire. On the one hand, we want their nominee to be as cray-cray as possible to make it easier for the Republicans. On the other hand, we don’t really want to take the chance that the most cray-cray gets elected somehow. There are three strategies:

    1. Vote for the one you think most likely to lose and destroy the party.
    2. Vote for the one you think will do the least damage if they do win.
    3. Vote to prop up a candidate to keep the race going.

    One of the biggest factors in this race is that Bernie was done dirty in 2016. That was a factor in Trump’s win. The Bernie Bros will stay home or vote for Trump if he is done dirty again. We again want a close race between Bernie and some other Democrat that comes down to dirty tricks in the end. Who is most likely to help that? Who is most into dirty tricks who is left in the race? That would sort of point to Fauxcahontas, I would think.

    If I were voting on principle, personally I’d vote for Tulsi Gabbard as I think she’s the sanest and most reasonable Dem in the field.

    But Arahant is right – vote for Warren, if only to cause maximum rancor and bitterness.

    • #10
  11. EODmom Coolidge
    EODmom
    @EODmom

    SkipSul (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    It’s always playing with fire. On the one hand, we want their nominee to be as cray-cray as possible to make it easier for the Republicans. On the other hand, we don’t really want to take the chance that the most cray-cray gets elected somehow. There are three strategies:

    1. Vote for the one you think most likely to lose and destroy the party.
    2. Vote for the one you think will do the least damage if they do win.
    3. Vote to prop up a candidate to keep the race going.

    One of the biggest factors in this race is that Bernie was done dirty in 2016. That was a factor in Trump’s win. The Bernie Bros will stay home or vote for Trump if he is done dirty again. We again want a close race between Bernie and some other Democrat that comes down to dirty tricks in the end. Who is most likely to help that? Who is most into dirty tricks who is left in the race? That would sort of point to Fauxcahontas, I would think.

    If I were voting on principle, personally I’d vote for Tulsi Gabbard as I think she’s the sanest and most reasonable Dem in the field.

    But Arahant is right – vote for Warren, if only to cause maximum rancor and bitterness.

    Thanks for this consideration- I’ve been wondering what box to fill in. The Bitterness Box seems a good fit. There are a lot of Pete signs my area of the Seacoast. 

    • #11
  12. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Vote for Sanders.  Let’s see a real contest with out any mask or deception.

    The dedicated Socialist/Marxist against a pro capitalist , America loving conservative.

    • #12
  13. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Gary Robbins (View Comment):
    Since my Arizona Republican Party has refused to allow me to vote for President, I will likely change my registration for a month, by February 18 so I can vote in a Presidential Primary on March 18. If so, I will likely vote for the strongest non-Socialist running, be that Biden, Bloomberg, Buttigieg or Klobuchar. I will flip back to being a Republican thereafter.

    For everyone else here are the official positions of the “non socialist” Democrats Mr Robbins is supporting.

    Biden

    Abolish capital punishment

    15$ federal minimum wage

    Paid family leave

    “Study” reparations

    2  Years free college

    End oil and gas drilling

    Carbon tax

    “Voluntary” gun buyback

    Abortion “some” limits

    Expand ACA

    Capital gains wealth tax and increased rates

    Butty

    Abolish capital punishment

    15$ minimum wage

    12 weeks paid family leave

    “Study” reparations

    Eliminate electoral college

    End oil and gas drilling

    Carbon Tax

    “Voluntary” assault weapon buyback

    Gun licensing program

    Few if any abortion limits

    “Rethink” entire healthcare system

    Open borders

    Increase EITC, increase taxes

    Bloomie

    15$ federal minimum wage

    Paid family leave

    Assault Weapon ban

    Expand EITC

    (Not much to his stated plans)

    Klobuchar

    Abolish capital punishment

    15$ minimun wage

    12 weeks paid family leave

    “Study” reparations

    2 years free college

    Boost teacher pay ( feds pay teachers?)

    Eliminate electoral college

    End oil and gas drilling

    Assault weapon ban

    Abortion “some” limits

    Slash defense spending

    Increase EItC increase taxes

     

    Higher taxes, increased regulation and job destroying policies for business,  reparations, destruction of the energy sector  destruction of 2nd amendment rights, and abortion to at least the moment of birth. 

    A set of policies a Reagan Republican would …. vomit over.

     

    • #13
  14. Ed G. Member
    Ed G.
    @EdG

    Arahant (View Comment):

    E. Kent Golding (View Comment):
    That would be Yang, Gabbard, Bennett or Klobuchar (Sp?) .

    I think you need to leave Gabbard out of the running by this logic. Her positions do not back up her sane demeanor. I don’t know about the positions of the other three.

    Me too on your Gabbard assessment. She’s a Bernie supporter, so no matter how she sounds on a Joe Rogan podcast she is some kind of socialist somewhere underneath.

    • #14
  15. Bishop Wash, Blk X-man/Wh pilot Member
    Bishop Wash, Blk X-man/Wh pilot
    @BishopWash

    TBA (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    They can’t hold a candle to the real GOOP, though.

    • #15
  16. SkipSul Inactive
    SkipSul
    @skipsul

    TBA (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    JosePluma (View Comment):
    …and enabled the GOOP to regain the House and Senate.

    The GOOP. I like that.

    They can’t hold a candle to the real GOOP, though.

    Geez, somebody light a match already, it stinks in here!

    • #16
  17. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    Freeven: I’m trying to identify a Democrat who has a chance to win, but who will do poorly against Trump in November

    I think Mayor Pete (I give up trying to spell his last name) would do the worst in November because most blacks have a big problem with homosexuality.

    • #17
  18. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Vote for Bernie.  We need him to get close and then get shoved aside so all his supporters will be angry.  “Fifty puhcent of the seventy puhcent will vote fuh eighteen puchent of the twunny puhcent!”

    • #18
  19. Spin Inactive
    Spin
    @Spin

    Stad (View Comment):
    because most blacks have a big problem with homosexuality.

    They do?

    • #19
  20. DonG (skeptic) Coolidge
    DonG (skeptic)
    @DonG

    First, you should think about your House race.  If you have a good person that has a primary lock, you are free to vote strategic with your presidential vote.  Bernie is the best strategic pick.  The DNC will screw him over and the more votes he has the more angry the Bernie Bros will be.  If there is a double miracle and Bernie wins, then the Deep State will knee-cap him.

    • #20
  21. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    I recommend avoiding the primary altogether.  Really, when the ballot is gonna read something like..

    • Mere Buffoon
    • Malignant Buffoon
    • Despicable Fraud
    • Vile Cretin
    • Other Hideous Option

    why leave the comfort and sanity of home?

    • #21
  22. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    DonG (skeptic) (View Comment):

    First, you should think about your House race. If you have a good person that has a primary lock, you are free to vote strategic with your presidential vote. Bernie is the best strategic pick. The DNC will screw him over and the more votes he has the more angry the Bernie Bros will be. If there is a double miracle and Bernie wins, then the Deep State will knee-cap him.

    That’s kind of the situation I’m in here in Texas. I’m in CD-23, which is the biggest swing district in the state, both in terms of its size and its variability — three Republicans and two Democrats have held the office since 2006. It’s an open seat with Will Hurd retiring, and Beto and his hometown vote in El Paso almost carried Gina Ortiz Jones to a win in 2018.

    She’s likely to be the Democrats’ nominee again this fall, so if you want to depress her turnout, as opposed to boosting it as O’Rourke did, you want the Democrat at the top of the ticket who would most alienate district voters (CD-23 is Latino/Catholic majority and has gobs of oil and gas at it’s NW and SE ends, so the Democrat most openly supportive of unlimited abortion and/or the Democrat most openly supportive of a total ban on fracking for oil and natural gas would be the guy or gal best set to alienate people over their beliefs or by threatening to put them out of their $50,000-$100,000 and up jobs).

    • #22
  23. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    Stad (View Comment):

    Freeven: I’m trying to identify a Democrat who has a chance to win, but who will do poorly against Trump in November

    I think Mayor Pete (I give up trying to spell his last name) would do the worst in November because most blacks have a big problem with homosexuality.

    I don’t know what the numbers are but there is no question that blacks and Hispanics have not warmed to Mayor Pete and I also know that the MSM would sacrifice their own firstborn rather than concede that his homosexuality is a significant factor there.  I read excerpts from an interview with his husband (who took Pete’s last name) saying he can’t wait to be the first male to pick out china patterns for the White House.  Maybe I am too old and unwoke to see the full picture but I can’t help but believe that is an image that will limit mayor Pete’s appeal across a number of demographic segments, not just blacks and Hispanics.

    • #23
  24. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    Ah, do I detect a little Operation Chaos activity?  Rush did that in 2008, urging his listeners to vote for Hillary to keep her in the race.

    • #24
  25. Jon1979 Inactive
    Jon1979
    @Jon1979

    Old Bathos (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment):

    Freeven: I’m trying to identify a Democrat who has a chance to win, but who will do poorly against Trump in November

    I think Mayor Pete (I give up trying to spell his last name) would do the worst in November because most blacks have a big problem with homosexuality.

    I don’t know what the numbers are but there is no question that blacks and Hispanics have not warmed to Mayor Pete and I also know that the MSM would sacrifice their own firstborn rather than concede that his homosexuality is a significant factor there. I read excerpts from an interview with his husband (who took Pete’s last name) saying he can’t wait to be the first male to pick out china patterns for the White House. Maybe I am too old and unwoke to see the full picture but I can’t help but believe that is an image that will limit mayor Pete’s appeal across a number of demographic segments, not just blacks and Hispanics.

    Buttigieg’s already tried to make an Al Sharpton payoff connection, in hopes that high-profile black leaders supporting him will convince the masses to go along. And it’s pretty much a given the Congressional Black Caucus will back whoever the Democrats nominate. But Mayor Pete’s weak spot in his campaigning has been his inability to hide his rage against fundamentalist Christians, which is why Mike Pence tends to set him off in the same way Donald Trump sets off all the other Democratic candidates.

    Buttigieg may think when he attacks Pence and Evangelicals in general, he’s only dealing with a bunch of religious white people, but his main point of anger with them is their beliefs on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ issues in general, and the Evangelicals’ beliefs are pretty much the same as those in a lot of black Churches. That’s where he’s going to have to tone down his anger if he wants them to turn out, but that would anger the LBGTQers.

    • #25
  26. John Berg Member
    John Berg
    @JohnBerg

    I didn’t vote for Trump in 2016.  I didn’t like him and resented that he was losing an otherwise winnable election for conservatives.  I didn’t believe was a conservative at all.  I live in Oregon so I figured the state would go for Hillary no matter what.  In 2020, after all that has come out about the illegal FISA warrants, the unmasking, the stupid Mueller investigation, and now impeachment, I will crawl over glass to cast my vote for Trump. (I won’t have to crawl over glass since we have vote-by-mail which strangely has ensured only Democrats win statewide offices) I sure hope he wins because Democrats will never let a Republican win again if we lose.  

    Prediction:  If Trump wins re-election Portland downtown will be trashed in a fit of rage by leftists.. Leftists don’t think anyone but leftist should win elections. Our whip of a Mayor will will ask for calm, but he won’t actually condemn the violent protesters.  

    • #26
  27. Old Bathos Member
    Old Bathos
    @OldBathos

    John Berg (View Comment):

    Prediction: If Trump wins re-election Portland downtown will be trashed in a fit of rage by leftists.. Leftists don’t think anyone but leftist should win elections. Our whip of a Mayor will will ask for calm, but he won’t actually condemn the violent protesters.

    Or if Comrade Sanders wins, Portland downtown will be trashed not just from celebratory exuberance of the moment but because the work of crushing the counterrevolutionaries will begin in earnest–starting with all those kulak shopkeepers.

    • #27
  28. Freeven Member
    Freeven
    @Freeven

    John Berg (View Comment):
    Prediction: If Trump wins re-election Portland downtown will be trashed in a fit of rage by leftists.. Leftists don’t think anyone but leftist should win elections. Our whip of a Mayor will will ask for calm, but he won’t actually condemn the violent protesters.

    I was living in Los Angeles during the “Rodney King Riots,” and I remember Mayor Tom Bradley doing this. The city is literally burning, people are shooting at firefighters who are scrambling to save homes and businesses in their neighborhoods, and Bradley takes to the airwaves to announces that it’s understandable that the rioters are acting out this way, but, yeah, sure, we’re hoping things will settle down soon. Meanwhile, the police were ordered not to arrest rioters, and to literally stand and watch as looters and vandals pillaged the city. I remember watching in disbelief and realizing they want the city to burn.

    • #28
  29. Fritz Coolidge
    Fritz
    @Fritz

    I do not know the best answer to the original query, but analytically, I’d favor a vote for whichever candidate whose success would most likely pull the Chappaqua Hag “into the arena” (as she likes to say) so that Trump can hand her her head once again.

    • #29
  30. GLDIII Temporarily Essential Reagan
    GLDIII Temporarily Essential
    @GLDIII

    Stad (View Comment):

    Freeven: I’m trying to identify a Democrat who has a chance to win, but who will do poorly against Trump in November

    I think Mayor Pete (I give up trying to spell his last name) would do the worst in November because most blacks have a big problem with homosexuality.

    Use ButtGas, because I have given up as well.

    • #30
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