Eric Swalwell (who?) ended his Presidential campaign today because he had no hope of winning and, probably, this:
As Swalwell prepares to seek another term in Congress, he said that he would not “take anything for granted.” Indeed, he already has a challenger in his liberal-leaning district: Democrat Aisha Wahab, a city councilwoman in Hayward.
Never fear, we’re still way long on candidates, because Tom Steyer (again, who?) is poised to enter the race. Unfortunately, since he’s a “billionaire activist”, no mere primary challenge is going to scare him off.
It is so god damned telling that the only person to quit the race so far this year probably did it because he was facing an electoral consequence.
Yutsano
Swalwell wouldn’t be a bad replacement Senator for President Kamala Harris. Just sayin’.
Ohio Mom
I think I vaguely remember Salwell having a few cute lines in the debate. Maybe one of them was about Biden and passing the torch?
Unless I have him mixed up with someone else.
He gets credit for leading the way in dropping out. Here’s hoping many others follow his example, and soon.
dmsilev
@Ohio Mom: Yes, he was the ‘passing the torch’ guy. And that’s basically the only thing I know about his now-defunct campaign.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Yutsano: Ted Lieu would be better, we need a Senator from the southern half of the state*.
*I think the last one was Pete Wilson(spit).
TenguPhule
GEE I WONDER WHY? /SSS
TenguPhule
Another Holiday, defiled forever.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@TenguPhule:
“The Treasury Department has announced plans to revoke the Bipartisan Policy Center’s special tax status.”
JoeyJoeJoe
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Technically, there was John Seymour, appointed to replace Wilson, but he was never elected
Baud
Why doesn’t Tim Ryan have a primary challenger?
Martin
@Yutsano: Katie Porter would be a better replacement.
Baud
Swalwell was actually good on guns, unlike some candidates who are good on nothing.
I’m not sure what’s so telling about this. Makes perfect sense for someone who has no shot at the nomination.
Baud
@Martin:
Too junior.
dmsilev
@Baud: Apparently Seth Moulton has attracted a primary challenger, so there’s hope yet.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Baud:
Because the local Democratic parties (county level) are mostly corrupt conservadems imo. We lost the state house and state Senate seat for our district to fucking Republicans, albeit by fairly narrow margins. In 2016, Hillary only carried the county, which is in Ryan’s district, by about a percent or less. The Youngstown Water Bill of Rights, an anti-fracking plebiscite, is always voted down and every major Dem official campaigns agianst it
The city and county’s population is shrinking and we just lost a GM plant. Things aren’t looking too good.
Martin
@Baud: She’s gotten more national attention than most 4 term congresspersons.
Baud
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
That sucks. Local and state parties are really where the Dems need lefty leadership, moreso than the national or even presidential levels.
Baud
@Martin:
States aren’t going to elevate someone to Senator because of national attention.
FelonyGovt
Steyer pisses me off. He could be using his considerable resources to help Democratic candidates around the country, instead of on this vanity campaign he’s been waging. Another overprivileged white man who thinks the country needs him.
Baud
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Sympathies except for anyone who still supports Trump.
Baud
@FelonyGovt: Agreed. Look at how the Kochs and Mercers have used their money.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
Ohio knows what it did.
schrodingers_cat
@Baud: Our purity ponies are more interested in preening, and Steyer strikes me as one. Their billionaires are more interested in winning.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
Senator Cheney would like you to hold her beer.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Baud:
Yup. I’m still a loyal Dem voter in every election because the Goopers are always worse. The empty R suit who vowed to “work with everyone” (implying bipartisanship and being moderate) who won District 33, Micheal Rulli, voted for the heartbeat bill.
I’m not sure if 66, 731 to 60, 575 is “narrow” or not but the seat was held by a Dem since 2014. Dude shouldn’t take his seat for granted by voting in lockstep with the rest of the party
Baud
@TenguPhule:
That was about insider influence.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Baud:
Oh don’t worry some of them landed on their feet at other plants, one in Tennessee if I’m not mistaken. The thousands at GM Lordstown who all thought Trump was going to save them will probably still vote for him
Related, why did Xi agree to buy American soybeans again? The conventional wisdom around here was that China was never going to buy US soybeans again. I mean, goddamn it, the farmers were actually starting to get pissed at Trump and he goes and makes everything all right again!
Baud
@schrodingers_cat:
Probably why they hate Soros. He’s doing it the right way.
Baud
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Trump must have given them something.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@TenguPhule: We’re talking rational states, like California.
?BillinGlendaleCA
@Baud: Hawaii.
TenguPhule
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Evidence?
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@Baud:
I realize that, but Trump can’t be trusted! Xi should know that by now. He can’t be effectively manipulated because he’s too erratic. Watch Trump either go back on whatever deal he made with Xi or yet another hair gets up Trump’s ass about China.
Lucy and the fucking football. And they say Trump’s the stupid one!
Baud
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
If Tulsi goes too, it might be Trump’s best deal ever.
TenguPhule
Well that didn’t take long at all.
/Cue BOTH SIDES
OzarkHillbilly
@?BillinGlendaleCA: We weren’t using it anyway. OK, I wasn’t.
TenguPhule
@Baud:
Where are you going to scrape up 2 reliable blue Senate Seats from? Floriduh?
TenguPhule
@?BillinGlendaleCA:
I’m sorry, but we need a majority.
??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??
@TenguPhule:
I saw a headline the other day. I guess I might have been wrong.
Apparently it was a routine, previously agreed to shipment.
Yutsano
@BillinGlendaleCA: I’m good with this.
@Martin: I’m actually good with this too.
Personally, I’m leaning a bit more towards either Lieu or Schiff, but honestly there are so many good Democrats in California that could fulfill that role.
Baud
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??:
Oh good. Not that we’ll get any soybean farmers anyway. They are Patriots, donchano.
TenguPhule
@??? Goku (aka Amerikan Baka) ??: I figured, all the data I’ve seen says that our soy exports are still dropping.
Martin
@?BillinGlendaleCA: The challenge with running in CA is the state is so damn big that pretty much only chairs/ranking members from the house have any name recognition here outside of their district. There’s a ton of Dem house members from Norcal but how many do we know? The ones on TV…
The only reason anyone even offered up Swalwell is that he has national visibility. His positions are really no different from 40 other CA House Dems.
jk
I respect Swalwell for raising Biden’s age during the debate because he and Bernie are clearly too fucking old to be President. If Biden gets the nomination, he’ll die a death from a thousand cuts due to all of his goddamn gaffes. Fuck Uncle Joe.
janesays
@TenguPhule: She’s an At-Large delegate representing the U.S. Virgin Islands, which means she gets to hang out and participate in debates, but not actually cast any meaningful votes.
TenguPhule
@janesays:
Our media doesn’t do fine nuance.