Former rival Sanders, Republican Kasich to back Biden at Democratic convention debut

[webfact]

Former rival Sanders, Republican Kasich to back Biden at Democratic convention debut

By John Whitesides

 

Democratic U.S. presidential candidates former Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders do an elbow bump in place of a handshake as they greet other before the start of the 11th Democratic candidates debate of the 2020 U.S. presidential campaign, held in CNN's Washington studios without an audience because of the global coronavirus pandemic, in Washington, U.S. March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's former top rival and a Republican critic of President Donald Trump will share a virtual stage in a show of unity on Monday, the first night of a four-day Democratic National Convention.

 

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, former first lady Michelle Obama and Republican John Kasich, a former Ohio governor who ran against Trump in 2016, will speak, but tensions emerged with some Democrats complaining Kasich's inclusion takes up time that could have showcased more diverse and more progressive voices.

 

The party is making its case for a Biden presidency in the November election even as Trump, his Republican rival, is crisscrossing the United States in a precedent-breaking campaign swing intended to steal some of the spotlight.

 

"My friends, I say to you, and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election, we must come together ... and elect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next president and vice president," Sanders was set to say according to an excerpt of his remarks released before the speech.

 

Biden's vice presidential pick, U.S. Senator Kamala Harris of California, the daughter of immigrant parents from India and Jamaica, will speak on Wednesday.

 

Kasich was set to say: "I'm a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country."

 

The Biden campaign on Monday morning offered a preview of the night's events, which it dubbed "We the People" and which will feature a mix of live and pre-recorded speeches.

 

The speaker list includes several other Republicans, including former New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman and former Hewlett Packard Enterprise Chief Executive Meg Whitman. Their inclusion has angered some Democrats who are concerned it will take time away from key progressive speakers like Sanders of Vermont and U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

 

But Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and Biden campaign co-chair, pushed back against that idea, saying, "remember tonight's theme is 'We the People,' not 'We the Democrats.'"

 

The coronavirus pandemic forced Democrats to overhaul the convention, largely eliminating the in-person gathering planned for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and turning it into four nights of two-hour, prime-time packages of virtual speeches and events.

 

Speaking at a fundraiser before the convention's prime-time broadcast, Biden, 77, said: "We've got to unite this country. It's the only way it's going to work."

 

Biden, who was vice president under Barack Obama, will be formally nominated on Tuesday to be the Democratic challenger to Trump, 74, in the Nov. 3 election. Biden's acceptance speech on Thursday will cap the convention.

 

Democrats hope the opening night lineup will highlight the coalition arrayed against Trump and offer a contrast to 2016, when lingering bitterness between rivals Sanders and nominee Hillary Clinton contributed to her eventual loss to Trump.

 

This year, Sanders dropped out of the primary race in April and swiftly endorsed Biden.

 

The first night also features an array of Americans dealing with challenges created by the coronavirus outbreak, including economic fallout, and working to fight racial injustice amid protests against police brutality, organizers said.

 

BUILDING ENTHUSIASM

Without the cheering crowds of a typical convention, organizers face a challenge in trying to build enthusiasm among supporters.

 

But the program could give less involved voters a chance to learn more about Biden on a personal level, said Erik Smith, a Democratic strategist who was the creative director for the last three party conventions.

 

"They may know his name, but they don't know that much about him as a person," Smith said. "The convention can fill in the blanks for people."

 

Biden leads Trump in national opinion polls heading into back-to-back convention weeks for the two political parties. Trump will be formally nominated for a second term at next week's Republican National Convention, which also has been scaled back due to coronavirus concerns.

 

Trying to steal the spotlight, Trump will make campaign visits to battleground states Wisconsin and Minnesota on Monday and Arizona on Tuesday. Trump will visit the area around Biden's birthplace of Scranton, Pennsylvania, on Thursday.

 

Trump's busy campaign schedule represents a break from tradition. Candidates from the opposing party usually limit their activities during their opponents' convention week because it is difficult to get media attention. Trump, scrambling to catch up in the polls, seeks to use it to better define Biden.

 

The Democrats' slimmed-down schedule of speakers prompted grumbling from some young, progressive and Latino activists, who say the program does not highlight the party's diverse views or give enough time to its lesser-known rising stars.

 

Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to speak later in the week. Organizers said on Sunday they also will highlight 17 young politicians who are considered future stars, having them share the traditional keynote address in an effort to highlight the party's racial, ethnic and gender diversity.

 

Andrew Yang, an Asian-American entrepreneur and former 2020 presidential candidate, also said he was added to the roster after he expressed disappointment that he had been left off.

 

Julian Castro, a prominent Latino who was a housing and urban development secretary under Obama and ran an unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign, did not get a speaking slot. He will be in a pre-recorded video featuring many of the Democrats who competed with Biden for the nomination.

 

"At a time when Latinos are poised to be the biggest non-white voting bloc in November, it's disappointing," said Sawyer Hackett, a Castro aide.

 

(Reporting by John Whitesides, additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in Philadelphia and Tim Reid in Los Angeles; Editing by Scott Malone, Colleen Jenkins, Paul Simao and Howard Goller)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-08-18

 

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[Tug]

Good expose trumps failed administration and offer us something better for America and the planet!

[TopDeadSenter]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

The Democrats' slimmed-down schedule of speakers prompted grumbling from some young, progressive and Latino activists, who say the program does not highlight the party's diverse views or give enough time to its lesser-known rising stars.

 

Ocasio-Cortez is scheduled to speak later in the week.

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

Being Anti Trump, is not being Anti American nor Anti Freedom.

 

Not by a very long way it’s not.

[geriatrickid]

When the term "traitor" is used to describe conservatives like Kasich and Romney, you just know the accuser is not playing with a full deck. I was never fond of these two gentleman because  I disagreed with their conservative views. my disagreeing with their conservative views did not make them "traitors". 

 

It is quite obvious that bigoted and hateful people are in panic mode when they use the language "hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender". How nasty and ignorant can one be to use such a vile description? It is ignorant because Senator Harris has not been "hired". She  is being nominated for a position and the  American public will decide whether or not she is "hired" for the job.  It is ignorant and blatant discrimination because the person is qualified for the position having, a sterling education, solid work history and already been  elected in several  statewide elections , with the last  election her winning her Senate position with a large majority. 

 

Women represent a  bare majority of the population in the USA, yet are under represented in the  senior  administration/decision making roles of government. The lack of  representation  is due to a combination of systemic discrimination, and their  roles as primary caregivers. The  nomination of a qualified woman is long overdue and is intended to provide a voice to a large part of the population that is often unheard and ignored.  She was selected to appeal to  a portion of the electorate which did not  turn out to vote in decisive numbers last election: Young,  afro american and female. This is nothing new.  The VP running mate position is always intended to   appeal to key voter demographics. It appears that the critics would only be happy if  the VP candidate was a morbidly obese, uneducated, older white male.

 

Watch as they throw the hate and attack people. It isn't going to work  in a country where 2000 people a day will be dying because of the lack of  leadership.

[Jingthing]

Kasich. A decent man endorsing another decent man to oppose the reelection of a horrible man that is the worst president in American history. 

 

 

Decent does not mean perfect. 

 

 

This election is a referendum on 45. He absolutely must be evicted from the white house or American democracy is finished. 

[TopDeadSenter]

16 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Being Anti Trump, is not being Anti American nor Anti Freedom.

 

Not by a very long way it’s not.

Govt intervention to eliminate appointments made on merit is absolutely Anti American. America was built on capitalism, the biggest and best effort is rewarded the highest. This ensures a fair playing field for all, where the ambitious and talented can get ahead. Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian and Asian is 100% anti American. Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order. 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Govt intervention to eliminate appointments made on merit is absolutely Anti American. America was built on capitalism, the biggest and best effort is rewarded the highest. This ensures a fair playing field for all, where the ambitious and talented can get ahead. Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian and Asian is 100% anti American. Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order. 

Like handing out over a $Trillion from the nation’s coffers to businesses ‘chosen by the administration’ and refusing to publish accounts to show who received the money.

 

Away with you and your ‘Anti American’ nonsense.

 

As for your “Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian”

 

Give it up Bro, your posting history exposes that outburst for the faux outrage it is.

[Sujo]

9 minutes ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Govt intervention to eliminate appointments made on merit is absolutely Anti American. America was built on capitalism, the biggest and best effort is rewarded the highest. This ensures a fair playing field for all, where the ambitious and talented can get ahead. Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian and Asian is 100% anti American. Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order. 

Harris has not been hired, she is going for election.

 

You must really hate trump for giving govt handouts to farmers and govt stimulus payments to the unemployed during covid.

[Tug]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

The only RINO is trump kasich and mitt are the only republicans It must be exhausting to keep making excuses for trump it’s obvious he is unsuited to be potus I’ve been watching the convention so far so good in a way I kinda like it less noise getting a clearer idea of their message 

[Sujo]

If Kasich had the repub nomination i would vote for him over biden. He seems to me one of the very few reasonable politicians out there.

 

But bernie would be my first choice, unfortunately the US is too immature for a bernie president.

[mtls2005]

Very impressive first night.

 

Loved the Springsteen-backed video: "The Rising".

 

At least melania got a copy of her convention speech, crib away, just drop the husband zingers.

 

 

[heybruce]

2 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

The Republican Party used to be pro-immigration, fiscally responsible, champions of free trade, and champions of the US as the leader of the free world.  In short, it was the opposite of what it is  now. 

 

Remember Reagan calling on Gorbachev to "Tear down this wall!"?  Can you imagine Trump taking such a clear, public stand for freedom?  Can you imagine Trump taking any kind of stand against a tyrant?

 

Regarding "Kasich is a RINO", could you explain what the Republican Party stands for and how Kasich opposes those things?

[geriatrickid]

1 hour ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Govt intervention to eliminate appointments made on merit is absolutely Anti American. America was built on capitalism, the biggest and best effort is rewarded the highest. This ensures a fair playing field for all, where the ambitious and talented can get ahead. Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian and Asian is 100% anti American. Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order. 

This is a joke, isn't it?

How were  American caucasians snubbed? last I heard was that Joe Biden was a white male. 

How were Asians snubbed? Senator Harris' mother was a respected  endocrinoligist who  had Indian  ethnicity. And as far as I know, India is part of Asia, unless there has been a rearrangement of the continents.  It is not as if the republicans have ever nominated a person of colour or an Asian for president or vice president.

 

America was not built on capitalism. It was built on theft of land from native peoples, slavery, monopolies, price fixing and collusion,  cheap immigrant labour, corruption  and robber barons like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Hill and Ford.  That doesn't mean that America is bad or evil, because it progressed and has in its own way, tried to right the wrongs of the past: That's what made it stronger: A willingness to change and to improve. Some people don't want to accept that mistakes  have been made or that they can do better. Trump is one of them.  

 

Were you laughing when your wrote "Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order." 

Well ti seems that according to you, have multiple affairs, divorces and hook ups is a family value.  How is voter suppression  supporting democracy? Trump is after all the man who  is trying to sabotage  voting by mail during a deadly pandemic that he made worse. Freedom? Seriously? This is the guy who separated children from their parents and had children  kept in over crowded filthy containment cages at  Border patrol stations. I am as biased against illegal immigrants as the next person, but what was done with those children was morally reprehensible.  This is the man who calls the killer King of the KSA a great guy and who  snuggles with   the despot of North Korea while betraying loyal allies like the Kurds and the Canadians  because he thinks he can get away with it?

Don't mention law and order in the same breath as trump. His day of reckoning is coming and no one is going to pardon him after he defiled the presidency. There will be no sympathy as was shown  Nixon. Everyone is going to turn on him and his cronies just as they  turned on Caligula.  

 

[stevenl]

6 minutes ago, geriatrickid said:

This is a joke, isn't it?

How were  American caucasians snubbed? last I heard was that Joe Biden was a white male. 

How were Asians snubbed? Senator Harris' mother was a respected  endocrinoligist who  had Indian  ethnicity. And as far as I know, India is part of Asia, unless there has been a rearrangement of the continents.  It is not as if the republicans have ever nominated a person of colour or an Asian for president or vice president.

 

America was not built on capitalism. It was built on theft of land from native peoples, slavery, monopolies, price fixing and collusion,  cheap immigrant labour, corruption  and robber barons like Carnegie, Vanderbilt, Hill and Ford.  That doesn't mean that America is bad or evil, because it progressed and has in its own way, tried to right the wrongs of the past: That's what made it stronger: A willingness to change and to improve. Some people don't want to accept that mistakes  have been made or that they can do better. Trump is one of them.  

 

Were you laughing when your wrote "Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order." 

Well ti seems that according to you, have multiple affairs, divorces and hook ups is a family value.  How is voter suppression  supporting democracy? Trump is after all the man who  is trying to sabotage  voting by mail during a deadly pandemic that he made worse. Freedom? Seriously? This is the guy who separated children from their parents and had children  kept in over crowded filthy containment cages at  Border patrol stations. I am as biased against illegal immigrants as the next person, but what was done with those children was morally reprehensible.  This is the man who calls the killer King of the KSA a great guy and who  snuggles with   the despot of North Korea while betraying loyal allies like the Kurds and the Canadians  because he thinks he can get away with it?

Don't mention law and order in the same breath as trump. His day of reckoning is coming and no one is going to pardon him after he defiled the presidency. There will be no sympathy as was shown  Nixon. Everyone is going to turn on him and his cronies just as they  turned on Caligula.  

 

Excellent post.

 

I would really like an explanation of what a nuclear family is from @TopDeadSenter

[rudi49jr]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Kasich was set to say: "I'm a lifelong Republican, but that attachment holds second place to my responsibility to my country."

I wish a lot more Republicans shared that sentiment.

[Dap]

8 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

Save your boring rhetoric until after the vote, then let us all know what you think 

[Scott]

Troll post removed. 

 

[Redline]

19 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Can't wait. Trump's team need to ensure the democrat "squad" that are the moral leaders and ideological powerhouse of the democrat party are up front and in the public eye until the election. The democrats will have already horrified sensible Americans with progressive policies such as hiring people based solely on their ethnicity and gender(eg. the Harris appointment),which is a play on allocated resources aka communism. I want more new green deal guff, more comparing the US immigration to the KKK(https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-ice-kkk-senate-hearing), more calls to literally defund the police and more confusion from other democrats saying literally defund the police does not mean literally defund the police, more sustained riots, burning and looting sprees being described as "largely peaceful protests".

 

Kasich is a RINO, just like the other traitor Romney. No surprise they both support the democrat party and their anti American and anti freedom agenda. No surprise at all.

 

Deep state babyyyyy 

[Redline]

17 hours ago, TopDeadSenter said:

Govt intervention to eliminate appointments made on merit is absolutely Anti American. America was built on capitalism, the biggest and best effort is rewarded the highest. This ensures a fair playing field for all, where the ambitious and talented can get ahead. Literally snubbing every American male and every American Caucasian and Asian is 100% anti American. Trump seems the lone voice supporting traditional American values such as democracy, freedom, nuclear families and law and order. 

Get a grip dude-you’re scared senseless