2020 Democratic Candidates Tracker

[Travis]

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard 'skeptical' that Assad regime behind gas attack

ETA: Even The Intercept isn't buying her and they love "non-interventionists."

She is also an enemy of the LGBT community actively campaigning against gay marriage and such.


So....how is it that the Bernie Bros are going in hard for Tulsi even saying she ought to be Bernie's running mate since...clearly he will win ?

 

[varwoche]

Gabbard is an example of a common phenomenon -- one that's politically incorrect to point out.

Ex-military are extra welcome to the Democratic party for obvious reasons, and they undeservedly rise through the ranks because of that. Evidence: Gabbard.

People of color and woman are extra welcome to the Republican party for obvious reasons, and they undeservedly rise through the ranks because of that. Evidence: Clarence Thomas, Sarah Palin.

 

[Stacko]

She is also an enemy of the LGBT community actively campaigning against gay marriage and such.


So....how is it that the Bernie Bros are going in hard for Tulsi even saying she ought to be Bernie's running mate since...clearly he will win ?

Aside from the far fringe left I haven't seen that much support for her. On the alt-right however:

I haven't had a anti-semitic troll attack in a while. Then I tweet about Tulsi Gabbard and ... the brown-shirts re-appear. Interesting.​

I'd keep my eye on her campaign finances.

Tulsi Gabbard has an army of dudes who created their twitter accounts last week and stole their avis from iStockPhotos campaigning for her.​

 

[Craig4]

Julián Castro is formally in.

I saw his speech; he did alright. He spent too much time talking about his family, background and city. It felt like he was speaking the purely local audience and not to the national TV audience. He didn't leave me with much of an understanding of his vision for the country.

 

[kellyb]

She is also an enemy of the LGBT community actively campaigning against gay marriage and such.

She was against marriage equality in 2004, but by by 2012, she was completely in favor, and actually co-sponsored this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_for_Marriage_Act

The Respect for Marriage Act, abbreviated as RFMA (H.R. 2523, S. 1236), was a proposed bill in the United States Congress that would have repealed the Defense of Marriage Act and required the U.S. federal government to recognize the validity of same-sex marriages.

A whole lot of people genuinely changed their mind about gay marriage between those time periods. Hillary Clinton didn't support it till 2013.

 

[Trebuchet]

This is setting up to be another Klown Kar like the R's had in 2016.

 

[kellyb]

This is setting up to be another Klown Kar like the R's had in 2016.

Why do you say that?

We have Biden, Gabbard, Castro, and some guy nobody's ever heard of who've declared so far...

I don't see any of them as remotely as bad as the best of the R candidates from 2016, and there are only 4 thus far.

 

[acbytesla]

Why do you say that?

We have Biden, Gabbard, Castro, and some guy nobody's ever heard of who've declared so far...

I don't see any of them as remotely as bad as the best of the R candidates from 2016, and there are only 4 thus far.

Didn't Warren formally announce too?

 

[Venom]

This is setting up to be another Klown Kar like the R's had in 2016.

You can't be serious

 

[kellyb]

Didn't Warren formally announce too?

She only announced an exploratory committee. But it's close to announcing formally.

 

[Trebuchet]

Why do you say that?

We have Biden, Gabbard, Castro, and some guy nobody's ever heard of who've declared so far...

I don't see any of them as remotely as bad as the best of the R candidates from 2016, and there are only 4 thus far.

Not as bad, no, but there are about 22 months until the election and we already have four and a half.

You can't be serious

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

She was against marriage equality in 2004, but by by 2012, she was completely in favor, and actually co-sponsored this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Respect_for_Marriage_Act



A whole lot of people genuinely changed their mind about gay marriage between those time periods. Hillary Clinton didn't support it till 2013.

You are making an inaccurate comparison. The infamous quote is about her opposing civil unions, which Clinton and mainstream Democrats supported:

“To try to act as if there is a difference between ‘civil unions’ and same-sex marriage is dishonest, cowardly and extremely disrespectful to the people of Hawaii,” she said. “As Democrats, we should be representing the views of the people, not a small number of homosexual extremists.”

And as late as 2016 she said she hadn't changed her mind:

Gabbard may back legislation that supports the LGBTQ community, but it’s unclear if her personal views have evolved with her career.

A 2016 profile of the combat veteran published in Ozy suggests otherwise: “She tells me that, no, her personal views haven’t changed, but she doesn’t figure it’s her job to do as the Iraqis did and force her own beliefs on others,” noted reporter Sanjena Sathian.

Linky.

Even more:

That same year, in the Hawaii State House, she delivered a long, fierce speech against a proposed resolution meant to target anti-gay bullying in public schools. She objected to the idea of students being taught that homosexuality is “normal and natural,” and worried that passing the resolution would have the effect of “inviting homosexual-advocacy organizations into our schools to promote their agenda to our vulnerable youth.”

Linky.

The Hawaiian LGBT Caucus didn't support her in 2016. I'd recommend reading the entire story, but the conclusion is:

For Golojuch, though, the statement is too little, too late.

“Co-sponsoring is not leadership,” he told me after reading the statement. “She tells one organization one thing, and another something else. When we needed her, she wasn’t there. We still don’t know what her true position is on LGBT rights.”

 

[JoeMorgue]

I look forward to the Democrats doing all the work of digging up all the dirt on their opponents to make it easier for the Republicans.

 

[Elagabalus]

I look forward to the Democrats doing all the work of digging up all the dirt on their opponents to make it easier for the Republicans.

And to get all flustered when Trump goes lowbrow and mocks them with a "I know you are, but what am I?" and follows it up by repeating everything they say only with a whiny voice and the Dems will STILL be surprised that he set the bar so low!! And the Trumptards will love him for it.

 

[PhantomWolf]

This is setting up to be another Klown Kar like the R's had in 2016.

Not really, even the worse of the D's who have announced are more intelligent than the entire 2016 R Panel put together.

 

[kellyb]

You are making an inaccurate comparison. The infamous quote is about her opposing civil unions, which Clinton and mainstream Democrats supported:



And as late as 2016 she said she hadn't changed her mind:



Linky.

Even more:



Linky.

The Hawaiian LGBT Caucus didn't support her in 2016. I'd recommend reading the entire story, but the conclusion is:

I was aware of all that, but she supports marriage equality for sure. I don't really care about the ideological purity of candidates when it's definitely not going to negatively affect their policy decisions whatsoever. Your "that same year " quote is again referring to 2004, also.

And I really do think she must have changed her mind, or she wouldn't have co-sponsored that marriage equality act in 2012.

 

[Brainster]

Why do you say that?

We have Biden, Gabbard, Castro, and some guy nobody's ever heard of who've declared so far...

I don't see any of them as remotely as bad as the best of the R candidates from 2016, and there are only 4 thus far.

Biden is still "biden" his time as far as I know. I do expect him to run, but as far as declaring he is behind Warren at this point.

 

[kellyb]

Biden is still "biden" his time as far as I know. I do expect him to run, but as far as declaring he is behind Warren at this point.

Oh, you're right. Thanks!

 

[Tsukasa Buddha]

I was aware of all that,

...

Your "that same year " quote is again referring to 2004, also.

Then why were you comparing her to Clinton? Her views were far more anti-gay than the mainstream Democrats at the time. It's not accurate to downplay them.

but she supports marriage equality for sure. I don't really care about the ideological purity of candidates when it's definitely not going to negatively affect their policy decisions whatsoever.

And I really do think she must have changed her mind, or she wouldn't have co-sponsored that marriage equality act in 2012.

I'm not seeing where you get your certainty from. By her statements, she didn't change her mind on abortion or homosexuality, but changed her view on them as public policy because she didn't want to end up like Islam. That's a fair weather ally at best (well, to some if we ignore the alt-right level Islam rhetoric), and a political opportunist at worst.

Judging by the rest of her history, I'm going with opportunist.

 

[acbytesla]

I look forward to the Democrats doing all the work of digging up all the dirt on their opponents to make it easier for the Republicans.

Best to get it out BEFORE you pick a nominee. Figure on the Republicans being able to dig.