We already have one who looks upon the opposition party, as well as the media as enemies. That's not how presidents are expected to behave.

A candidacy built on alienating as many people as possible doesn't seem likely to be successful.

to confirm that.

This is about more than winning an election. The next president is going to have to mend fences worldwide and use diplomacy to win back our friends and allies. No one is going to take a petty, vindictive president seriously.

There are ways to deal with obstructionists and flame throwers in congress, but it needs to be in a statesman like fashion. I don't want another insulting, playground bully president, even if he/she agrees with me. I want my president to act like a president and be an example to my grandchildren.

become a precedent for future administrations, rather than the bizarre anomaly that it is. If we accept this as the new norm-slinging insults, win at all costs, and never give an inch-we will begin to resemble third world countries, where civility and decorum are cast aside to make room for political blood sport.

All the changes that you hope your candidate will accomplish will become faded dreams, not because they weren't feasible or doable, but because the democratic process requires time and reasonable compromise. We did not wake up one day and have Social Security or Medicare as we know them today. It took planning, negotiation, and great political skill to make them a reality.

We need our thinkers and idealists to inspire us to be better, but we also need our capable pragmatists to bring about a tangible version of those ideas. Lofty rhetoric and great ideas are part of the process, but they will only take us so far. Then the politicians have to do the dirty work and produce a real life manifestation of those dreams. Not everyone is going to like the end product, but it is a step forward, opening the way for many more steps.

I get your point.

To imply that consensus can be reached with McConnell or McCarthy or Graham is not only completely unsupported by almost a decade of experience but by their very own words and deeds from as recently as today.

I'm not against any candidate but I think its insulting that we would go groveling to McConnell and kissing his ass to get cooperation that he has absolutely no interest in giving.

President Obama, to his credit, genuinely tried. For all his efforts, McConnell gave him nothing and made sure to spit in his face on his way out the door (metaphorically of course - denying USSC nominee).

It would be great if it were better but that just isnt the cards we have been dealt.

groveling to the likes of McConnell or kissing his stupid ass. I honestly can't say I've ever seen anything quite like the way he has run the senate. His treatment of President Obama was appalling. I don't know if he can be dealt with on a reasonable level and I'm quite sure Joe Biden has no real illusions either, especially after all the years he watched McConnell obstruct the Obama administration. I think he was being diplomatic, but knows such compromise is highly unlikely.

I am hopeful that the voters will have had enough of this tyrant and that he will be "retiring" soon. I think a lot of the old guard in the house and senate have to go in order for us to recover from the Trump presidency and pass any meaningful legislation. We saw how far good intentions and high ideals got us with the nonstop obstruction during most of the Obama years.

Are we just going to forget that? He will not work with Dems. To think he will is either obtuse or something much worse.

Lest we forget that he is on the ballot, too.

I don’t think Biden meant to do that, but that is an unfortunate result.

and I said so in the following comment. Also, I said that I didn't really think Biden thought compromise with McConnell was possible, but was being diplomatic, knowing that some day republicans will need to negotiate with Democrats. Also I think everyone knows that it is highly likely that McConnell will not be majority leader next year, perhaps not even Kentucky's senior senator.

Well played!

different time than what he was used to. Go home Joe..

But, the good news is, Joe will NOT be the nominee and you should take the daily attacks on Bernie as a GREAT sign that Joe and his supporters are feelin' the Bern and extremely worried what we all know... Bernie's got the big mo', and when he eventually teams up with Elizabeth, it's all over for Joe AGAIN... his THIRD try is definitely NOT the charm!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

Exportation?

You see, the idea that a DEMOCRACY could do any of that is absurd, right? I know I couldnt do that, even if they are the worst humans on earth and they are.

So what is your plan if Bernie is elected, do we put them all in prison?

And people think Sanders and Warren are pushing for things that will never happen.

primary voters will vote in droves for them, sending the signal to Joe that his third try at the nomination is over and that he should drop out early for the purpose of party unity, like they keep telling Bernie. So looking forward to the announcement of "The Team" and the start of primary voting for them!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

Unless, we really luck up, we are going to have to deal with these losers. If they only cooperate 5%, it will help.

I have no doubt Biden can handle McConnell when it comes down to it, although we will never get everything we want, even if we luck up and take majority in Senate.

we have to be able to govern for 4 years .. and present the Democrats as the party that are "doing things." We will need to present at least the "appearance" of cooperation, or the willingness to cooperate, in order to win 2024 and on ..

I don't fault Biden (or anyone else) for thinking longer term than the next news cycle .. that's part of the problem that brought us here.

the VPs job to wrangle him?

by drawing a line in the sand at this point.

Don’t have any illusions that McConnell will cooperate with Biden. But at least there’s a better chance he will if offered, and there’s a chance a small percentage of former Turtle supporters will say, “it’s time for Turtle to go, I need healthcare, some help with my lost mining job, etc.”

I’m glad Biden is making the offer, and it’s not going to make anything worse at this point. Be nice, then kick their rears if necessary.

Help this guy and screw McConnell and his pittance he would give America.


Kentucky state Rep. Charles Booker announces US Senate run

https://www.wlky.com/article/kentucky-state-rep-charles-booker-announces-us-senate/30404968#

will change course once Trump is gone, if they survive, but McConnell is more than uncooperative, he appears to be corrupt to the core. I don't think there is any hope for him and its entirely possible he won't be able to hold his seat.

Many other republicans may want to walk back their words and actions from the past three years, but for most, I don't think it is possible. I honestly doubt that Biden truly believes it is possible either, but more likely his words are meant to reach some of them, to give them the opportunity to come back from the cliff's edge.

I think the republican party is self-destructing and either it will need to be reinvented or replaced.

yeah right.
McConnell has to be GONE. or at least his majority..

and sound naive on the candidate’s part.

nomination that you ever make.

my Spouse yelled,well that did it,I will not vote for that Fu*ker,who in hell is he trying to fool!

are tired of the grid-lock, wrangling, etc.

As a life long Dem,that one was killer.

is a pipe dream.

I truly hope that Amy McGrath wins McConnell's seat. And I hope that we have a Dem majority in the Senate, no matter who our Dem nominee is.

But if McConnell IS there - as either Majority or Minority Leader - he will continue to be the same POS that he is now and has been since early 2009. For him, ANY Dem is anethema. Period.

And GOPers will certainly NOT have any epiphany. They've been truly obnoxious since Newt Gingrich came in with a bang in 1994.

If you believe otherwise, then you have truly been living on a different planet. Sheesh!

... and there's little to no evidence that they do and they have not shown any in a multitude of areas centrally one person one vote.

McConnell led the pack when they met in 2008 on inauguration day vowing to oppose everything Obama tried to do. McConnell will never be "mildly cooperative" and is not capable of an "epiphany."

Like they are Rockefeller Republicans who can be reasoned with. It seems like he has no memory of the rise of right wing radio and Republicans under Newt in the 1990s and how bad they were then. Or their behavior under Bush II. Or the even the their behavior while he was Vice President. This ain't the Republican party of old and quite honestly hasn't been since probably Reagan. But it got way worse as Fox News and right wing radio took off.

Rethugs are the enemy and that they have to be absolutely clobbered at the ballot box. Bernie understands this and that is why he's steadily climbing in the polls and will soon overtake Biden.


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

The Butler. This doesn't even register with black folks because we understand what he's saying but more importantly why he's saying it.

McConnell has shown blatant disregard for the Constitution. We can NOT let the GOP undermine the country anymore. Enough is enough.

He get's one chance to work us. If he fails, the filibuster goes away and we do what the majority wants.

cooperation between those who disagree to work. Anyone who can't accept that can't accept representative government. We all had 12 years of public schooling. We're supposed to graduate knowing that.

If you do but just don't care, what do you imagine you want to replace it? A government run only by people like you, forcing their decisions on everyone else? If that's so, you're certainly not alone. There's a whole party to the right and a cluster of extremists to the left who'd all make it happen tomorrow if they could.

Heck, tonight, and you could wake up to learn of their first decisions.

No need to dramatically declare a dictatorship.

McConnell has, in both words and deeds, for over a decade, done everything in their power hurt and humiliate Democrats.
He, metaphorically, spit in Obama's face on his way out the door by denying to even hold a vote on Obama's USSC nominee. For good measure spent years refusing to hold votes on hundreds of federal judgeships.

A guy that has literally sat on hundreds of pieces of legislation and not even allowed to come to a debate.

This is the guy Biden thanks he can get cooperation from?

I will say it: hell no.

Majority Leader McConnell. In fact it desperately needs McConnell to be vanquished from any political office. Save your offense for someone who actually wants to rule by force.

so offensive ? Joe's former boss did the same thing.

Just as one example we have a Republican-leaning USSC
despite Obama's best efforts to work with McConnell.

if we were able to pummel their asses into near oblivion by voting them out. Once they were made to suffer for years without any power, they may think twice about being obstructionists. But, once they regain power, they'll go back to being their shitty selves. Give them an inch, they'll take a fucking light year. Surely Joe is smarter than that statement he made.

To think otherwise is ….I will be nice and say "naïve".

"I'm not suggesting that all of a sudden everyone's going to project a new sense of courage and political courage. What I'm suggesting is that the the dynamic changes ... . And so that's why I think you're going to see even Mitch McConnell changing some ideas or being more -- how can I say -- mildly cooperative."

He's saying that when the dynamic changes in a group, people who were uncooperative often change their minds if it's in their interest and that might even happen to the Grim Reaper.

attempted to get McConnell on board with anything the Dems did while he and Obama were in office. I doubt it. By the way, I agree, very offensive.

I know what they do.

which is why Biden's third try at the nomination will yield similar results. This will be a "deal breaker" for a LOT of voters and Bernie & Elizabeth will WALTZ to the nomination.


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

But since Biden is white he thinks they will work with him. That's the epiphany he keeps talking about the Republicans having. The shit the Republicans have been doing didn't start with Trump, it won't end just because Trump goes away.

and yes they used that term, managed to be elected as President. He didn't belong there in their warped view. From day one, they were out to impeach him.

According to an Obama aide, one of the reasons they often underestimated the republicans, why the White House would try to work with Republicans but this just made the Republicans push even harder is, in his words "We had no idea they hated us so much"

Even if Biden did win (which I doubt he would), he would just be a placeholder until the Republicans took control again.

Not good at all.

Joe is just fluffing the general electorate.

It's just politics.

First, Biden doesn't strike me as naive. He's the most seasoned politician running this year.

Keep in mind that, if elected, Biden knows there's a high likelihood that he will be forced to deal with MoscowMitch in 2021. Might as well attempt to start fresh with him, even if it is a waste of time.

I know the turtle man is listening to our squabbles over Biden's magnanimous comments about him and other repubs. All of this is being absorbed into MM's reptilian psyche. Maybe it'll soften him up, maybe it won't. Who knows? But voters who were willing to give MM the benefit of the doubt will see that MoscowMitch is the one to blame when that relationship goes south.