What are you looking for in the 2020 Democratic candidate: restore norms, or counterrevolution?

So you'd be cool with River winning 5 MLS Cups in a row as long as Boca were building the better youth team? Suffice to say I don't believe you.

 

I crack myself up. I may not necessarily always crack you knuckleheads up.

 

I believe that this is Q*bert's way of breaking it to us that River will be relegated to MLS.

 

Why bother relegating Argie teams when we can just buy all their best players/coaches?

 

I've got two thoughts.

One, why do we use the "populist" label as a slur against politicians who, I'd argue, are simply normal politicians that are especially charismatic?

I mean, perhaps it's simply a litmus test on how "dumbed down" the policy discussion/slogan tends to be, but I'd imagine that any politician wants to enact his/her ideas. Poke holes in the idea, not in the people who like that idea, or politician(s) who promote it.

Two, my vote is going to the candidate that is going to use the lightest touch upon the power of Executive Order. Over the last 3 presidencies (the only ones I've really been aware of), Executive Orders have been used insanely frequently, and they've drastically increased the power of the Executive. If it's pushed any further, the primary way in which laws are passed will soon be through Executive Order, at which point we're basically a dictatorship.

 

Not every politician is charismatic, but if you're a "populist", you're guaranteed to be particularly charismatic for specific groups of people.

I don't like that particular label, because it demonizes someone for being particularly popular with particular groups of people, rather than for having particularly bad ideas. In particular, it seems to be used as a way too off-handedly dismiss groups of people swayed by a politician as idiots.

FDR was a populist. Mao was a populist. Stalin was a populist. The label tells you nothing about their ideas, which are, needless to say, very different. But it does insult fairly well.

In a hypothetical, I am a politician that wears purple shirts. My policies attract many people that wear dark-colored shirts. My opponent, rather than argue against my ideas, will simply say that anyone who wears dark shirts and likes my ideas is falling for a populist siren song.

And, pro-tip, politicians are constantly appealing to people's feelings and exploiting their fears. The ones that tell you they are not, are just lying. It's how politicians simplify normally-boring discussions about policy specifics into soundbites and phrases that win elections.

 

After living in Germany for several years as a civilian and now moving back to the US......

VASTLY different is an understatement...I’m in the 6 figure range and even so, I had an anxiety attack today after my first visit with a civilian provider...I’m contemplating how to get back to Germany once I check the professional blocks I need to here.

I’m a single issue voter this primary season; UHC and whoever can get us closest to it is who I’ll support. Our medical system is a sh*tshow.

 

That would be terrible for the bottom line.

 

American idiom: "bottom line" refers to the part of the balance sheet where a business' profit or loss is determined.

 

My mistake: I was unclear that I was speaking in the voice of a corporate media outlet, not the party.