Democratic 2020 Presidential Primary Thread

[IDBillzFan]

On 9/12/2019 at 6:17 AM, Chef Jim said:

 

Rich people should be forced to allow poor people to live near them??  WTF is this nonsense?  

 

It's called California. I know because I watched them force the city I lived in for 18 years to accommodate low-income housing because it wasn't fair that only people with money could live there.

 

They grabbed a bunch of property near Anaheim Hills, built a bunch of low-income apartments near Savi Ranch, filled them with low-income residents living off the state dole, and three years later a quiet little city is filled with a police blotter that would break your heart: drugs, break-ins, stolen cars, rapes and a couple of murders, not to mention traffic that is simply embarrassing for such a small area.

 

On the bright side, you can get out of your house pretty easily by taking full-asking-price cash from the birthing center industry.

 

 

Edited September 17, 2019 by IDBillzFan

[DC Tom]

On 9/11/2019 at 5:05 PM, Hedge said:

I'm not sure how the Leftists tell their candidates apart anymore. I thought Swalwell had dropped out?

 

 

 

 

The true irony being that, in DC, pretty much only the President gets to live close to work.

[Deranged Rhino]

 

 

 

[Albwan]

9 hours ago, Keukasmallies said:

Isn't there someone in the Democratic Party with a sense of empathy that will take Joe Biden aside, explain the concepts of dementia and senility, and plead with him to bow out of the current candidate circus?  Obviously his wife isn't interested in protecting him from his own embarrassments.

    No one will, a lot of them have different levels of their own senility and dementia and the more 

normal ones are scared to death to do that out of fear of retaliation of some sort.

Nice party, those Democrats.

[Deranged Rhino]

They can't compete with this marketing. 

 

[Tiberius]

The latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll taken entirely after the last debate shows former vice president Joe Biden at 31 percent (up from 25 percent in July despite the most aggressively negative media coverage of any candidate; Warren at 25 percent (up from 19 percent); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at 14 percent (up a single point from 13 percent); South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg holding steady at 7 percent; Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) at 5 percent (down 8 points); Andrew Yang at 4 percent; and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) at 2 percent. Everyone else, including former congressman Beto O’Rourke, is at 1 percent or less.

[RochesterRob]

33 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

The latest NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll taken entirely after the last debate shows former vice president Joe Biden at 31 percent (up from 25 percent in July despite the most aggressively negative media coverage of any candidate; Warren at 25 percent (up from 19 percent); Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) at 14 percent (up a single point from 13 percent); South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg holding steady at 7 percent; Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) at 5 percent (down 8 points); Andrew Yang at 4 percent; and Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) at 2 percent. Everyone else, including former congressman Beto O’Rourke, is at 1 percent or less.

  My stats professor at Cornell always warned that many who take polls also have agendas.  And this was many years ago when the 24 hour news cycle was in its infancy.  

[Tiberius]

2 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  My stats professor at Cornell always warned that many who take polls also have agendas.  And this was many years ago when the 24 hour news cycle was in its infancy.  

You are brainwashed 

[RochesterRob]

Just now, Tiberius said:

You are brainwashed 

  Project much?

[Tiberius]

5 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  Project much?

?

[B-Man]

 

 

 

 

She’s Free, Freefallin’: Kamala Harris Places ‘a Distant Fifth’ in New Presidential Poll … in California

 

 

Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan  —  For Avoiding Your Health Care Questions

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[RochesterRob]

22 hours ago, Deranged Rhino said:

So Harris is done. 

 

Maybe she will be a VP for someone -- won't be Joe though unless she's a total hypocrite. 

 

  I think that the VP nominee will be someone that most Americans never heard of.  Dismiss it as Clinton paranoia if you must but just hearing her name mentioned along with the Clintons would give most people pause.  The notion of only being a heartbeat away from the Presidency in that context has to be extremely unsettling.  

[Hedge]

She has a plan to avoid talking about that...

 

 

[Deranged Rhino]

Just now, Hedge said:

She has a plan to avoid talking about that...

 

 

 

That won't fly on stage v Trump. 

 

Which is why she'll lose to him. Again.

[3rdnlng]

1 hour ago, B-Man said:

 

 

 

 

She’s Free, Freefallin’: Kamala Harris Places ‘a Distant Fifth’ in New Presidential Poll … in California

 

 

Elizabeth Warren Has a Plan  —  For Avoiding Your Health Care Questions

 

 

 

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice tan lines Beto. Do you actually wear your socks that high with shorts? I see you made it into the 1%ers...…………………...in polling.

[Deranged Rhino]

 

[Deranged Rhino]

 

[jrober38]

1 hour ago, Hedge said:

She has a plan to avoid talking about that...

 

 

 

Obviously taxes are going to go up, but health care will be covered by those new taxes as no one has to get private health insurance. 

 

Would be beneficial to her if she explained that. 

[3rdnlng]

Unintended consequences of Medicare for all. Doctors make less money and find it difficult to pay back student loans. Less qualified people study to become doctors thus bringing about doctor shortages. Wait times for appointments increase and people get sicker and die sooner.

[jrober38]

6 minutes ago, 3rdnlng said:

Unintended consequences of Medicare for all. Doctors make less money and find it difficult to pay back student loans. Less qualified people study to become doctors thus bringing about doctor shortages. Wait times for appointments increase and people get sicker and die sooner.

 

None of this is true in Canada where doctor's incomes are capped. 

[Deranged Rhino]

3 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

None of this is true in Canada where doctor's incomes are capped. 

 

And the best doctors in Canada come to the US to practice where they can make more money. 

 

But details  

[jrober38]

Just now, Deranged Rhino said:

 

And the best doctors in Canada come to the US to practice where they can make more money. 

 

But details  

 

20 years ago, some did, but it doesn't happen anymore. 

 

Canadian Healthcare is ranked as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. 

Edited September 18, 2019 by jrober38

[Buffalo_Gal]

25 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

Obviously taxes are going to go up, but health care will be covered by those new taxes as no one has to get private health insurance. 

 

Would be beneficial to her if she explained that. 

 

Shesh. Government even deeper in health insurance, yippee. 

 

We we are in Italy right now. Wanna know how much tax we are paying on everything we eat, drink, purchase for a souvenir, or clothing? A metric *****-ton. There are taxes on taxes. There are city taxes, rental (hotel), food taxes, VAT taxes, etc. All to pay some utopian ideal of heath insurance (oh, and EVERYONE smokes - which I have no idea how they afford it although it was explained that rolling your own keeps costs down  ) so people "do not have to pay for health 'care' ".

 

The nine most terrifying words, indeed.

Edited September 18, 2019 by Buffalo_Gal

[jrober38]

2 minutes ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

 

Shesh. Government even deeper in health insurance, yippee. 

 

We we are in Italy right now. Wanna know how much tax we are paying on everything we eat, drink, purchase for a souvenir, or clothing? A metric *****-ton. There are taxes on taxes. There are city taxes, rental (hotel), food taxes, VAT taxes, etc. All to pay some utopian ideal of heath insurance (oh, and EVERYONE smokes - which I have no idea how they afford it although it was explained that rolling your own keeps costs down  ) so people "do have to pay for health 'care' ".

 

The nine most terrifying words, indeed.

 

And yet Italians live over 3.5 years longer on average than Americans. 

[B-Man]

On 9/17/2019 at 10:18 AM, B-Man said:

 

 

OF COURSE SHE DID. OTHERWISE THE LEFT WILL DESTROY HER: 

 Marianne Williamson Walks Back Comment That Conservatives Treat Her ‘Nicer’ .

 

 

 

 

 

 

YES. NEXT QUESTION? 

By Being Forced to Walk Back Her Comments, Doesn’t Marianne Williamson Prove the Veracity of Those Very Comments?

 

 

 

 

And now...........................back to our health-care debate  ?

 

 

 

.

 

 

[Buffalo_Gal]

Just now, jrober38 said:

 

And yet Italians live over 3.5 years longer on average than Americans. 

 

That was until they all had a ciggy hanging out of their mouth. Dinner is a real treat. When we were here last (4 years ago), I don't recall it being this bad.

 

Now, they do all walk a lot. The streets are narrow, parking is difficult to find, and gas is insanely expensive, so all the walking may help (in spite of eating twice what I do, most people are stick thin). Is the walking enough to combat the unfiltered cigarettes? We shall find out in twenty years.

 

I do know that the black market to avoid all the taxes is alive and well and thriving! They may want "free" health insurance but no one wants to pay the insane, economy depressing, taxes that go along with it. (The Italian economy is still in the shitter, and jobs are extremely difficult to come by... said 4/4 of the tour guides we have had so far.)

[Chef Jim]

On 9/17/2019 at 9:55 AM, Deranged Rhino said:

So Harris is done. 

 

Maybe she will be a VP for someone -- won't be Joe though unless she's a total hypocrite. 

 

 

Please no.  I need her to just go away.  I can't stand her nasally Bobby Fleckman (Fran Drescher) voice. 

[DC Tom]

1 hour ago, jrober38 said:

 

Canadian Healthcare is ranked as one of the best healthcare systems in the world. 

 

By who?  By what measure?

[Chef Jim]

1 hour ago, jrober38 said:

 

Obviously taxes are going to go up, but health care will be covered by those new taxes as no one has to get private health insurance. 

 

Would be beneficial to her if she explained that. 

 

So you're saying taxes will go up less than the cost of healthcare for everyone??  

1 hour ago, jrober38 said:

 

None of this is true in Canada where doctor's incomes are capped. 

 

And capping people's income is always a good idea. ?

[jrober38]

1 hour ago, Buffalo_Gal said:

 

That was until they all had a ciggy hanging out of their mouth. Dinner is a real treat. When we were here last (4 years ago), I don't recall it being this bad.

 

Now, they do all walk a lot. The streets are narrow, parking is difficult to find, and gas is insanely expensive, so all the walking may help (in spite of eating twice what I do, most people are stick thin). Is the walking enough to combat the unfiltered cigarettes? We shall find out in twenty years.

 

I do know that the black market to avoid all the taxes is alive and well and thriving! They may want "free" health insurance but no one wants to pay the insane, economy depressing, taxes that go along with it. (The Italian economy is still in the shitter, and jobs are extremely difficult to come by... said 4/4 of the tour guides we have had so far.)

 

I don't understand how anyone could be surprised that Europeans smoke a lot. 

 

And their economy being in bad shape isn't exactly surprising either. Italy has hardly any commodity natural resources. All the oil they refine comes from North Africa which has been hit extremely hard given the turmoil there. Their banks were annihilated in 2008-2009. Most of their manufacturing is in northern Italy. They rely heavily on tourism, as it's the most visited tourist country in Europe. 

32 minutes ago, DC Tom said:

 

By who?  By what measure?

 

By almost every analysis that tracks quality of health care by country. 

 

In some rankings Canadian healthcare is ranked higher than American health care. 

31 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

 

So you're saying taxes will go up less than the cost of healthcare for everyone??  

 

And capping people's income is always a good idea. ?

Yes. 

 

When you eliminate private insurance companies and take away the middle man whose goal is to make a profit, costs obviously go down because you're doing things at cost as opposed to cost plus a mark up to pay shareholders. 

 

Canadian Doctors still make a ton of money, and they can supplement their income substantially by giving speeches or endorsing pharmaceutical products.  

[3rdnlng]

7 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

I don't understand how anyone could be surprised that Europeans smoke a lot. 

 

And their economy being in bad shape isn't exactly surprising either. Italy has hardly any commodity natural resources. All the oil they refine comes from North Africa which has been hit extremely hard given the turmoil there. Their banks were annihilated in 2008-2009. Most of their manufacturing is in northern Italy. They rely heavily on tourism, as it's the most visited tourist country in Europe. 

 

By almost every analysis that tracks quality of health care by country. 

 

In some rankings Canadian healthcare is ranked higher than American health care. 

Nice links.

[Deranged Rhino]

7 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

Canadian Doctors still make a ton of money, and they can supplement their income substantially by giving speeches or endorsing pharmaceutical products.  

 

Because being forced to supplement your wages as an MD by pimping for Big Pharma is not fraught with pitfalls.

[SoCal Deek]

10 minutes ago, jrober38 said:

 

I don't understand how anyone could be surprised that Europeans smoke a lot. 

 

And their economy being in bad shape isn't exactly surprising either. Italy has hardly any commodity natural resources. All the oil they refine comes from North Africa which has been hit extremely hard given the turmoil there. Their banks were annihilated in 2008-2009. Most of their manufacturing is in northern Italy. They rely heavily on tourism, as it's the most visited tourist country in Europe. 

 

By almost every analysis that tracks quality of health care by country. 

 

In some rankings Canadian healthcare is ranked higher than American health care. 

Yes. 

 

When you eliminate private insurance companies and take away the middle man whose goal is to make a profit, costs obviously go down because you're doing things at cost as opposed to cost plus a mark up to pay shareholders. 

 

Canadian Doctors still make a ton of money, and they can supplement their income substantially by giving speeches or endorsing pharmaceutical products.  

What? So the government is not only going to give me the drugs but they’re also going to make them? This is the nonsense of the left. Private companies, while indeed are in business to make a profit, cannot charge whatever they want for their goods and services. They’re in competition with other companies! It’s that very competition that keeps prices in check. Get rid of that and prices will skyrocket. Only the government pays $500 for a hammer!

[Chef Jim]

16 hours ago, jrober38 said:

 

Canadian Doctors still make a ton of money, and they can supplement their income substantially by giving speeches or endorsing pharmaceutical products.  

 

Me:  So we're capping your income

My Advisors:  WTF??  

Me: Well you can supplement your income by taking time away from your free time and time with your family doing workshops and speaking engagements.

My Advisors:  Oh cool.  (SAID NO ONE EVER!!)

 

Do you have any idea how dumb what you said sounds. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Chef Jim

[Deranged Rhino]

16 minutes ago, Chef Jim said:

 

Me:  So we're capping your income

My Advisors:  WTF??  

Me: Well you can make supplement your income by taking time away from your free time and time with your family doing workshops and speaking engagements.

My Advisors:  Oh cool.  (SAID NO ONE EVER!!)

 

Do you have any idea how dumb what you said sounds. 

 

Not just workshops and speaking engagements -- but workshops and speaking engagements paid for by drug companies pushing products in a competitive marketplace. That, in turn, puts the MDs into a position rife with ethical, legal, and moral pitfalls. 

 

But no one would ever think drug companies would act unethically, not when they have a country full of doctors beholden to the supplemental income they provide.

[DC Tom]

1 minute ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

Not just workshops and speaking engagements -- but workshops and speaking engagements paid for by drug companies pushing products in a competitive marketplace. That, in turn, puts the MDs into a position rife with ethical, legal, and moral pitfalls. 

 

But no one would ever think drug companies would act unethically, not when they have a country full of doctors beholden to the supplemental income they provide.

 

I thought the government negotiated prices with the pharmas, and doctor's didn't have a direct relationship with them?

[3rdnlng]

4 minutes ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

Not just workshops and speaking engagements -- but workshops and speaking engagements paid for by drug companies pushing products in a competitive marketplace. That, in turn, puts the MDs into a position rife with ethical, legal, and moral pitfalls. 

 

But no one would ever think drug companies would act unethically, not when they have a country full of doctors beholden to the supplemental income they provide.

It didn't work out too well with Dr. Charles Nichols and Devlin McGregor, now did it?

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

1 hour ago, Deranged Rhino said:

 

Because being forced to supplement your wages as an MD by pimping for Big Pharma is not fraught with pitfalls.

 

...and they filed Chapter 11 after scamming $1.2+ billion.......nice Yiddish family.....

[DC Tom]

4 minutes ago, OldTimeAFLGuy said:

 

...and they filed Chapter 11 after scamming $1.2+ billion.......nice Yiddish family.....

 

I love how they did nothing illegal selling pharmaceuticals, but then decided "Hey, a civil suit's not enough...let's try money laundering!"  

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

2 minutes ago, DC Tom said:

 

I love how they did nothing illegal selling pharmaceuticals, but then decided "Hey, a civil suit's not enough...let's try money laundering!"  

 

...although cancer was the final culprit that took my late mother at 91, her continual calls to her physician about arthritic pain were met with INCREASED oxy and fentanyl patch prescriptions...had to hospitalize her for internal bleeding and they stopped all meds in Emergency Dept.....the hallucinations from addicted withdrawal blew my mind.....back to the deadly oxy and fentanyl patch cocktail....fell and broke her femur....opening her up for surgery caused the cancer to spread.....done...