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[whyamihere]

I think being overly hawkish is a fair criticism of Clinton. It played a large role in my decision to vote for Obama in the 2008 primary. Particularly given that opposition to the Iraq War had been a major factor in Dems gaining Congress in 2006, it seemed like a bad idea to me to nominate someone who had voted for the war.

Now, left-wing voters who thought that a Trump presidency would mean a more dovish foreign policy are idiots, but that doesn't absolve Clinton or mean her foreign policy views weren't a real problem for her campaign.

Yup.

 

[Lo-Volt]

https://www.axios.com/coming-attractions-trump-putin-meeting-2454467032.html

That's ... rather unusual. Not even McMaster?

Oh yikes. That’s the kind of meeting that will feed more conspiracy theories. Good job, guys.

I mean I think he's likely got some brain issues, but a lot of this just looks like and idiot with no direction and not wanting to ask someone and looking even more stupid

I think there was recent footage of him getting off a plane (I’m assuming the usually assigned Air Force One) and walking past his limousine onto the tarmac, even though it was parked right in front of the gangway.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Why is the secret service just letting him wander around like an idiot?

Hoping they lose him accidentally on purpose.

 

[Wilsongt]

https://www.axios.com/coming-attractions-trump-putin-meeting-2454467032.html

That's ... rather unusual. Not even McMaster?

Please be bugged please be bugged please be bugged

 

[Suikoguy]

So onto a different topic, and something i'm dealing with at the moment:

This FL Medical Marijuana is a mess.
Many counties still have moratoriums on dispensaries moving in or being built, my county does not have a doctor who is able to prescribe it yet.

There are only 7 manufacturers in the whole state, which is driving up product prices.

The cheapest doctor I've found within reasonable driving distance for my Mom to go to is in the next county over, and it's going to average out $25 a month to maintain the registration.

At least I only need to take her there every 7 months.

Ultimately, the most frustrating thing, is the primary use she needs it for (Severe Neuropathy, either being caused by her MS or spinal stenosis), they literally have it in pill form in Canada as a prescription (Sativex). All of these bullshit hoops... She just wants to be able to have the pain subside so she can get some sleep without requiring total exhaustion.

Edit: Based on the margins the amendment passed, and how Republicans are fighting against the amendment, I think it's a solid platform for Dems to include running in this state next year.

 

[aspiegamer]

Blasting people at close range with water to try to injure them is different than trying to hit them from a distance from a truck to disperse them, but yeah I can see that not looking so great.

 

[whyamihere]

"DO NOT FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT, DINA"

@RalstonReports
Effort to keep @repdinatitus out of U.S. Senate race begins as state, US senators come aboard Team Reid, er Rosen.
https://mobile.twitter.com/yvannacancela/status/883005638275616768

@YvannaCancela

Great news for NV! I'm ready to knock doors, phonebank, and make sure we win. Senator Rosen sounds good to me!

 

[sangreal]

https://www.axios.com/coming-attractions-trump-putin-meeting-2454467032.html

That's ... rather unusual. Not even McMaster?

the translators will probably include sputnik or RT

 

[kirblar]

Medicaid isn't worth its cost (according to people who use it)

This blog post went up today and is a good overview of some of the political issues w/ Medicaid (and why we're usually going w/ a Medicare-based UHC solution.)

The cost is large:

The Medicaid program cost about $532 billion in 2015 to cover 74 million people, or almost one in four Americans. The average full-benefit enrollee cost about $6,400 per year to cover in 2014.

People with access to the program use a lot more healthcare than other similar people

The Oregon Experiment found that gaining Medicaid uniformly increased health care use: including hospitalizations (by 30 percent), emergency room use (by 40 percent), physician office visits (by 50 percent), and prescription drugs (by 15 percent). This evidence stands in contrast to the conventional wisdom that providing health insurance could reduce costs by eliminating ER visits. Of course, understanding whether this additional care is worth it requires a comparison of these real costs to the benefits provided.

The health benefits appear to be real but modest:

The evidence is mixed on whether having Medicaid improves beneficiaries’ health. The Oregon Experiment did not find statistically significant evidence of improvements in physical health measures, such as blood pressure and blood sugar after two years of coverage. But it did find large improvements in mental health and self-reported health. Other studies examining the introduction of Medicaid or its expansion over time have found that Medicaid reduces mortality (of infants during the expansion of Medicaid eligibility for low-income children between 1984-1992; of adults during the expansion of Medicaid coverage for childless adults in Arizona, Maine and New York between 2000-2005; of teenagers who benefited from expansions of Medicaid to children during the early 1980s; and of infants and children in the 1960s and 1970s following the introduction of Medicaid) and improves health later in life (for instance among teenagers who benefited from the expansion of coverage as children). But these studies lack the gold-standard randomized design of the Oregon Experiment so should be interpreted with greater caution.

Health benefits may not be the most important benefits:

One important role for Medicaid is to provide risk protection, shielding enrollees from the financial impact of particularly adverse health events, which is the most fundamental role of an insurance product. Researchers seem to agree that access to Medicaid does improve financial security.

So how does one evaluate the tradeoffs? One way is to look at how users value the program.

Recent evidence indicates that beneficiaries value Medicaid at less than its full cost. One source of evidence comes from Massachusetts’ low-income health insurance exchange, where researchers could observe how much charging higher premiums for Medicaid-like coverage led enrollees to drop out: at least 70 percent of enrollees valued insurance at less than their own cost of coverage. A second source of evidence used economic models to quantify how much beneficiaries valued the benefits of Medicaid in the Oregon Experiment. In this case, the researchers found that beneficiaries valued Medicaid at about one-fifth of its cost.

Benefits are valued at only one-fifth the cost! Why so low?

The literature suggests two explanations. First, Medicaid provides less complete choice of doctors and hospitals than other insurance, partly because of its low reimbursement rates (see this article for instance). Second, many of the benefits of Medicaid go to medical providers who would otherwise provide uncompensated or unpaid care to the same people.

There's a massive issue here where people don't understand the benefits of the program they're getting (freedom from catastrophic events), and also because Medicare replaces "free" care that's being subsidized by others via charity or other means that aren't visible to them.

This leads to people who benefit from the program severely undervaluing its benefits to them (as opposed to retirees, who know exactly why they need Medicare) and a real issue where extending coverage for people won't be appreciated like it should be. (see: 2010)

 

[Aaron Strife]

"DO NOT FUCKING THINK ABOUT IT, DINA"

My greatest fear is that Titus would end up like Berkley and lose an incredibly winnable race in a squeaker. She would have been better than no one, but now we have someone so it's irrelevant.

On a side note (since this would apply to Titus as well), it'd be really neat if Rosen won giving Nevada two female senators.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Does Rosen have any notable heterodox views? Who would be a comparable kind of candidate?

My greatest fear is that Titus would end up like Berkley and lose an incredibly winnable race in a squeaker. She would have been better than no one, but now we have someone so it's irrelevant.

On a side note (since this would apply to Titus as well), it'd be really neat if Rosen won giving Nevada two female senators.

Yeah, that would make them the fourth(?) state to currently do so, right? Along with CA/WA/NH?

If she and Sinema win next year and no other woman loses or retires we can get that female senate representation up to 23%

 

[whyamihere]

Does Rosen have any notable heterodox views? Who would be a comparable kind of candidate?

She's SUPER pro-Israel, but otherwise, not really. And she just said today that she's open to Medicare For All.

https://thenevadaindependent.com/ar...es-senate-bid-says-reid-encouraged-her-to-run

Rosen said that the ACA is “far from perfect” and that she would like to see Medicare negotiation for lower prices for prescription drugs, removal of the so-called “Cadillac tax” on high-cost employer-sponsored health plans, and protection of cost-sharing reductions that result in lower copayments and deductibles for people in low-income households. She said that a single-payer health care system is an “interesting idea” and that would be willing to listen to a proposal that includes it if it’s part of a comprehensive health care plan.

 

[Autodidact]

Yeah, the Reid machine ain't gonna take a chance on a Martha Choakley moment by running Titus.

 

[kirblar]

She said that a single-payer health care system is an ”interesting idea" and that would be willing to listen to a proposal that includes it if it's part of a comprehensive health care plan.

Bernie's recent shift in rhetoric makes me think said "hypothetical" plan/messaging is going to be unveiled soon.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Oh yikes. That’s the kind of meeting that will feed more conspiracy theories. Good job, guys.



I think there was recent footage of him getting off a plane (I’m assuming the usually assigned Air Force One) and walking past his limousine onto the tarmac, even though it was parked right in front of the gangway.

actually....

 

[Aaron Strife]

Short of going full single-payer/Medicare-for-all I'd like to see

- Strong public option
- Free healthcare for children up to 18 (expansion of CHIP or just roll them into Medicare)
- Medicare expanded to ages 55 and up
- Figuring out a fix to the Medicaid expansion so red state governors aren't murdering their constituents
- Hella more subsidies

Bernie's recent shift in rhetoric makes me think said "hypothetical" plan/messaging is going to be unveiled soon.

I think this would be a neat idea.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

She's SUPER pro-Israel, but otherwise, not really. And she just said today that she's open to Medicare For All.

https://thenevadaindependent.com/ar...es-senate-bid-says-reid-encouraged-her-to-run

Seems pretty good! At the very least, being super pro-Israel is the norm in the senate, but being cool with single payer is not.

 

[Aaron Strife]

Democrats' agenda for 2018: a "Better Deal"

Democratic leaders are zeroing in on a new mantra for their long-promised economic agenda: a ”Better Deal."

The rebranding attempt comes as Democrats acknowledge that simply running against President Donald Trump wasn't a winning strategy in 2016 and probably won't work in 2018 either. The slogan, which is still being polled in battleground House districts, aims to convince voters that Democrats have more to offer than the GOP and the self-proclaimed deal-maker in the White House.

But even as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi prepare a jobs package centered on infrastructure, trade and the minimum wage, some of their most vulnerable members are making other plans.

More specifically:

Senate Democrats already have proposed an infrastructure plan that calls for $1 trillion in direct federal spending rather than the White House's approach of leaning heavily on private developers.

Schumer and Pelosi are also aligned on legislation that would more than double the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, which Pelosi has vowed to pass within 100 hours if Democrats take back the House next year.

Leadership is staying tight-lipped on their coming trade proposal, but China has long been a central focus of their agenda. Schumer has repeatedly teed off on Trump for going back on a campaign promise to declare Beijing a currency manipulator, and Chinese trade practices remain a potent issue in the Midwest, where several vulnerable Democratic senators are up for reelection next year.

Some dissent:

Among the 17 Democratic senators who have yet to sign on to the $15 minimum wage bill championed by Sanders is West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, one of Democrats' most vulnerable incumbents next year and a member of Schumer's leadership team.

”If they think $15 works in every state, it doesn't," Manchin said in an interview. ”That's a challenge. But saying you can leave it to $7.25, that's just ridiculous."

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/democrats-trump-congress-better-deal-240150

 

[Teggy]

The weird thing about "better" is Ryan uses "better way" and they tried to call the health bill "bettercare".

 

[kirblar]

I think this would be a neat idea.

https://www.attn.com/stories/17965/bernie-sanders-lays-groundwork-single-payer

If Bernie's talking about incremental progress, something is clearly brewing (and I think this would indicate he'll be the point person trying to sell this to the "single payer or bust" crew, as he should be.)

 

[Tamanon]

Democrats' agenda for 2018: a "Better Deal"



More specifically:



Some dissent:



http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/democrats-trump-congress-better-deal-240150

Manchin is absolutely right that $15/hour doesn't work in every state.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

Well no shit Manchin's against. Dude's a Republican with a D next to his name.

 

[PBY]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/v...rm_jihad_against_trump_not_to_assimilate.html


Damn. What she said is totally fine, but this headline will not play well.

 

[IggyChooChoo]

Well no shit Manchin's against. Dude's a Republican with a D next to his name.

Meh. He's voting to protect Medicaid and Obamacare. He'd vote for Schumer for majority leader. He'd vote for Merrick Garland. Those of us who actually live in red states under senators like Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul. would LOVE to have a senator like Manchin.

 

[kirblar]

Well no shit Manchin's against. Dude's a Republican with a D next to his name.

He's against it because a rural state like his gets devastated by a $15/hr minimum wage if implemented today (yes I know that the policy is timed to go in years down the line when inflation should make it roughly ~12 today, but the optics still suck for those rural state senators.)

 

[smokeandmirrors]

actually....

i just


what

 

[PBY]

He's against it because a rural state like his gets devastated by a $15/hr minimum wage if implemented today (yes I know that the policy is timed to go in years down the line when inflation should make it roughly ~12 today, but the optics still suck for those rural state senators.)

Okay - we may not know that a 15 dollar min. wage would be ideal across the board. However - do you have data to support your "devastate" claim? BC that seems strong.

 

[whyamihere]

Democrats' agenda for 2018: a "Better Deal"



More specifically:



Some dissent:



http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/democrats-trump-congress-better-deal-240150

This is a good idea, and something that a certain poster proposed a few weeks ago

Spoiler

(it was me!!).

 

[cartoon_soldier]

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/v...rm_jihad_against_trump_not_to_assimilate.html


Damn. What she said is totally fine, but this headline will not play well.

Left needs to stop letting stupid people lead their movements.

 

[kirblar]

Okay - we may not know that a 15 dollar min. wage would be ideal across the board. However - do you have data to support your "devastate" claim? BC that seems strong.

West Virginia's current median hourly wage is 14.79 - https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_wv.htm#00-0000

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/v...rm_jihad_against_trump_not_to_assimilate.html

Damn. What she said is totally fine, but this headline will not play well.

Uh...yikes.

 

[Plinko]

Democrats' agenda for 2018: a "Better Deal"



More specifically:



Some dissent:



http://www.politico.com/story/2017/07/05/democrats-trump-congress-better-deal-240150

Love everything but the $15 minimum wage. That is ridiculous to think one set amount will work in every area across the country. Just mind-numbingly stupid. Jack up the wage to that amount in certain areas but use cost of living to soften the blow in other areas.

Short of going full single-payer/Medicare-for-all I'd like to see

- Strong public option
- Free healthcare for children up to 18 (expansion of CHIP or just roll them into Medicare)
- Medicare expanded to ages 55 and up
- Figuring out a fix to the Medicaid expansion so red state governors aren't murdering their constituents
- Hella more subsidies


I think this would be a neat idea.

I brought this up a few months back but several on here told me it was a terrible idea because "they tried it over a decade ago and it didn't work."

 

[Aaron Strife]

This is a good idea, and something that a certain poster proposed a few weeks ago

Spoiler

(it was me!!).

tbf Pelosi beat you to the punch on the $15 minimum wage.

If Bernie's able to round up support for a public option bill then this should be a part of that.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

i just


what

Trump slogs around like a fucking walrus on drugs, this dude couldn't dodge a softball pitch let alone a bullet.

 

[kirblar]

Love everything but the $15 minimum wage. That is ridiculous to think one set amount will work in every area across the country. Just mind-numbingly stupid. Jack up the wage to that amount in certain areas but use cost of living to soften the blow in other areas.

This one's actually smart in implementation, it's not set to go into effect until like a decade from now when it's effectively $12/13 in today's money, but the optics still backfire.

 

[Rebel Leader]

Oh yikes. That’s the kind of meeting that will feed more conspiracy theories. Good job, guys.



I think there was recent footage of him getting off a plane (I’m assuming the usually assigned Air Force One) and walking past his limousine onto the tarmac, even though it was parked right in front of the gangway.

actually....

ummmm. whta? is there video of this?

 

[B-Dubs]

Love everything but the $15 minimum wage. That is ridiculous to think one set amount will work in every area across the country. Just mind-numbingly stupid. Jack up the wage to that amount in certain areas but use cost of living to soften the blow in other areas.

Pretty much. It's absolutely needed in major urban areas, and probably a lot of suburban areas, but in rural areas where you can rent an entire house for like $500 a month? It might not be sustainable in those areas.

It's still good for marketing purposes though.

tbf Pelosi beat you to the punch on the $15 minimum wage.

If Bernie's able to round up support for a public option bill then this should be a part of that.

Pelosi got it through the House once, if Dems can take back Congress she can do it again. It's just a matter of getting left-wing voters who want single payer and nothing else to support it.

 

[benicillin]

Just selling your platform with a $15 minimum wage seems a lot more marketable and easy to understand than getting into living wages, cost of living, etc. Just give people a number and they're generally happier. Work out the details later.

 

[whyamihere]

Anyways, nationalized legislative messages don't quite work in US elections part 3948392727

Several lawmakers interviewed by POLITICO said the overarching lesson they learned from the 2016 election is not that Democrats need a more cohesive economic message. Instead, they say, they need to be able to run a strong campaign in spite of the national Democratic platform.

But this is a great idea to get around that

Schumer has met with nearly all of his 48-member caucus to discuss the agenda, according to a Democratic aide, with a goal of consulting the entire group before the package is released. Some proposals may not attract everyone from both the moderate and liberal wings of the party, the aide said, but Schumer wants a critical mass of the caucus to be on board.

 

[B-Dubs]

Anyways, nationalized legislative messages don't quite work in US elections part 3948392727



But this is a great idea to get around that

That is exactly what he needs to be doing. Get everyone on board, don't force shit down their throats. Odds are the individual senators will know what their states will go for better than a random DNC guy will.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

If they didnt want the federal government to come in and set minimum wage then states/counties shouldnt have let it stay at 7.25 for a decade. Should have been going up little by little every year or two, now it needs a big jump. Thats what they get, conservatives need to learn that there are consequences for their actions and their inactions.

 

[PBY]

Just selling your platform with a $15 minimum wage seems a lot more marketable and easy to understand than getting into living wages, cost of living, etc. Just give people a number and they're generally happier. Work out the details later.

THIS.

15$* min. wage.

Done. That's it, the messaging HAS to be simple.

 

[Futurevoid]

Just selling your platform with a $15 minimum wage seems a lot more marketable and easy to understand than getting into living wages, cost of living, etc. Just give people a number and they're generally happier. Work out the details later.

I'm on the opposite end of that argument. I think "We support a living wage" is pretty damned simple to sell and it also puts the opposition at a disadvantage in having to state that they are against a living wage for people as opposed to "$15 minimum wage is too much! It'll cripple business!", etc.

The counter argument is the GA-6 election and Handel stating she was opposed to a living wage and still winning the election. Nonetheless, that flub was late enough in the game where the damage was always going to be minimal in an affluent district.

Get lawmakers on record as being opposed to a living wage and then also wanting to dismantle the social safety net and you have some pretty good ad buys setup for the future.

 

[IggyChooChoo]

Trump slogs around like a fucking walrus on drugs, this dude couldn't dodge a softball pitch let alone a bullet.

Say what you will about GWB, the way he ducked that shoe was respectable for a middle aged dude.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

THIS.

15$* min. wage.

Done. That's it, the messaging HAS to be simple.

Exactly.

Hillary offered complex rationale for her solutions to problems and everyone shit all over her as "having nothing to offer"

Go with this. $15 an hour. Medicare For All. Simple.

 

[B-Dubs]

I'm on the opposite end of that argument. I think "living wage" is simple to sell and it also puts the opposition at a disadvantage in having to state that they are against a living wage for people as opposed to "$15 minimum wage is too much! It'll cripple business!", etc.

The counter argument is the GA-6 election and Handel stating she was opposed to a living wage and still winning the election, etc. Nonetheless, that flub was late enough in the game where the damage was always going to be minimal in an affluent district.

Get lawmakers on record as being opposed to a living wage and then also wanting to dismantle the safety net and you have some pretty good ad buys setup for the future.

The GA-6 was always going to be a massive uphill fight, I wouldn't take any solid lessons from that one. I do think the optics of that answer in a debate would almost guarantee a Dem win in a 50/50 district though.

 

[Plinko]

THIS.

15$* min. wage.

Done. That's it, the messaging HAS to be simple.

Just selling your platform with a $15 minimum wage seems a lot more marketable and easy to understand than getting into living wages, cost of living, etc. Just give people a number and they're generally happier. Work out the details later.

$15 minimum wage is too easy of a target to show how devastating it could be to communities. It just is.

 

[kirblar]

If they didnt want the federal government to come in and set minimum wage then states/counties shouldnt have let it stay at 7.25 for a decade. Should have been going up little by little every year or two, now it needs a big jump. Thats what they get, conservatives need to learn that there are consequences for their actions and their inactions.

Many states and cities have been doing just that!

The red states are the ones not doing this, which is why it needs to be raised. They're also the poorest, most rural, and most likely to be hit by the negative consequences of it going too high. It's why you need to treat the wage as a lowest common denominator- the more heavily urbanized cities and blue states will raise it on their own anyway.

 

[PBY]

$15 minimum wage is too easy of a target to show how devastating it could be to communities. It just is.

Here's the question - do the Dems actually believe in it? E.g., is it researched, well-sourced, and back by peer-reviewed studies? If its not bunk, fuckit. Go with what you think will help the most people, and then add caveats for certain other communities that will address gaps where the policy won't work.

But still go out with $15. Its tangible. Its a significant increase for many people.

 

[FyreWulff]

$15 minimum wage is too easy of a target to show how devastating it could be to communities. It just is.

If it had actually tracked with inflation and COL it should be at 23$ now.

The people that fight back want people getting paid 23$ an hour now to feel like they're being paid like kings when even people in upper payment tiers are technically being underpaid compared to historical wage levels. Just drive the point home that higher minimum wage means improvements for everyone.

And as it is, those against minimum wage raises literally do not want a min wage at all. They're not worth worrying about.

 

[benicillin]

$15 minimum wage is too easy of a target to show how devastating it could be to communities. It just is.

At a certain point we're going to have to stop worrying about what makes democrats targets because the GOP is going to create targets out of thin air if nothing exists.

Consistent, simple messages are really important. Give people something easy to vote for. I don't think people who are going to get turned off over a $15 minimum wage would approve of *any* democratic wage adjustment.