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[Reelya]

I'm trying to imagine how another Obama phenomenon could happen.  Someone who shows up seemingly out of nowhere and inspires by language and platform.  And I just can't. 

Why not? Barack Obama basically came out of nowhere to win the presidency 4 years after entering federal politics.

If you want to follow the Barack Obama analogy: someone at the state level who's running for the Senate or Congress in 2020, then has a shot at the presidency in 2024. Whoever it is wouldn't be in Federal politics yet if we're following the Barack Obama model for a 2024 candidate.

The obvious possible candidate would be AOC to follow that model, since she has the profile. She turns 35 in October 2024, so I guess that puts her very close to the minimum age for running in that election?

[SalmonGod]

I'm trying to imagine how another Obama phenomenon could happen.  Someone who shows up seemingly out of nowhere and inspires by language and platform.  And I just can't. 

Why not? Barack Obama basically came out of nowhere to win the presidency 4 years after entering federal politics.

If you want to follow the Barack Obama analogy: someone at the state level who's running for the Senate or Congress in 2020, then has a shot at the presidency in 2024. Whoever it is wouldn't be in Federal politics yet if we're following the Barack Obama model for a 2024 candidate.

The obvious possible candidate would be AOC to follow that model, since she has the profile. She turns 35 in October 2024, so I guess that puts her very close to the minimum age for running in that election?

Because Obama himself ruined that model.  He showed a generation that there needs to be some basis of trust beyond language and platform.  There needs to be a history demonstrating they actually believe the things they say, and aren't just saying them to get elected.  Nobody really paid very much attention to Obama's history or his donors in 2008.  Notice how history and donors became the most scrutinized items in 2016 and 2020?  Buttigieg tried to mimic the Obama model, and he got ripped to shreds over his history and financial connections.  Whatever generation follows Zoomers might bring another wave of naivety that opens the door to another Obama, but I don't think the jadedness that's been beaten into in young adults over the past 20 years of post-9/11 hell world is going to fade out of politics anytime soon.  Any candidate that wants to win us over is going to have to bring proof of sincerity.

Spoiler: I've seen this shared all over the internet the last couple months.  It's not just me. (click to show/hide)

AOC is doing a good job of backing up her hype so far, but her career is still very short and there's a lot of attention on whether she'll maintain her integrity, fire, and connection with her humble roots.  And I'm uncertain that she'll be willing to run for president in 2024.

[delphonso]

AOC has also been the target of right wing media aggression for ages. It would be an uphill battle to sway right of center voters. Although possible, I think this would mean the Democratic party would tank any confidence in her immediately, setting her up to fail like Sanders.

Also, SalmonGod - Obama wasn't the first politician to lie to get elected. I do think you have something with the attention to funding, though.

[wierd]

Demonstrating clearly, that this less about actually getting things done, and all about getting and keeping butts in offices.


Which is why the DNC has lost the faith of the youth vote.

[SalmonGod]

Also, SalmonGod - Obama wasn't the first politician to lie to get elected. I do think you have something with the attention to funding, though.

Yeah, but he was the first such high profile case appealing to the left who turned so egregiously on those whose political awareness arose post-9/11.

And like I said, there will be another dividing line at some point marking the beginning of a new generation who may have to experience that again for themselves, but I don't think it's going to be for a while.  Democrats have significantly ruined their reputation in a way that I think is going to be lasting until repaired somehow.

[sluissa]

Without going back through and finding quotes, AOC has said some really... divisive things as well, things I know she should be smart enough to avoid saying, things I think she's saying just to stir things up and keep the attention on her.

I liked her, and when she sits down and talks in an interview or something else long form, I still usually like her. But I really really hate the stage presence she's cultivated. I would like to see how that pivots during a presidential run, because I don't see how she could get elected on her current merits. But I KNOW she is smart enough to be able to talk to people outside of the extreme progressive left wing. It's just right now that's all she's speaking to and it's driving away everyone else.

Young Bernie she is not though. I wouldn't even be surprised if she loses her seat before 2024-28 and the media removes the spotlight from her.

[Reelya]

Lightening the mood:
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/coronavirus-trump-almost-tweeted-that-tom-hanks-died-from-covid-19-2020-3

President Donald Trump reportedly was saved from mistakenly tweeting that the actor Tom Hanks had died from the novel coronavirus.
The president’s diplomats had misunderstood reports that Hanks had been “discharged” from the hospital, according to the Australian newspaper The Courier-Mail.
US Embassy officials checked with the Australian authorities to clear up their confusion over Hanks’ health, and confirmed that he was in fact still alive.
“It turns out that the President nearly exaggerated Tom Hanks’ death,” a source told the paper.

Also, what the hell is this:

There were 607 confirmed coronavirus cases in Australia as of Thursday morning. Over half of the cases were in the coastal state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located.

"Coastal" state of NSW? Take a look at a map of Australia. All states are coastal. Mainly for the fact that nobody in their right mind would build a city in the desert.

[McTraveller]

AOC is indeed idealistic, but she seems a little - untempered?  (I was originally going to say naive, but I don't think that's fair).

I appreciate the goals of the policies she promotes, but I think she needs some more experience in looking at all the intricacies and interactions of policies.  Much like everyone with COVID only shows those graphs about flattening the curve, but they do it in isolation and don't include plots of the tradeoffs of what happens due to the actions required to flatten that curve; you want a global optimum of COVID + (everything else), not just the local optimum for COVID.

AOC's policies still seem to be focused on local optima, not global.

[Kagus]

Mainly for the fact that nobody in their right mind would build a city in the desert.

[Clears throat in Las Vegas]

...wait, I'm not sure what I'm trying to prove here.

[Iduno]

Over half of the cases were in the coastal state of New South Wales, where Sydney is located.

"Coastal" state of NSW? Take a look at a map of Australia. All states are coastal. Mainly for the fact that nobody in their right mind would build a city in the desert.

That, and you could genericise it to "Over half of the X were in New South Wales, where Sydney is located."

[Reelya]

Mainly for the fact that nobody in their right mind would build a city in the desert.

[Clears throat in Las Vegas]

...wait, I'm not sure what I'm trying to prove here.

Hah. Good point ... however i said nobody in their "right mind" would build a city in the desert not that nobody would. Have you seen Las Vegas?

[Cyroth]

Lightening the mood:
https://www.businessinsider.com.au/coronavirus-trump-almost-tweeted-that-tom-hanks-died-from-covid-19-2020-3

President Donald Trump reportedly was saved from mistakenly tweeting that the actor Tom Hanks had died from the novel coronavirus.
The president’s diplomats had misunderstood reports that Hanks had been “discharged” from the hospital, according to the Australian newspaper The Courier-Mail.
US Embassy officials checked with the Australian authorities to clear up their confusion over Hanks’ health, and confirmed that he was in fact still alive.
“It turns out that the President nearly exaggerated Tom Hanks’ death,” a source told the paper.

Wait, what?
Who hears the words "discharged from hospital" and thinks its an euphemism for "has died" or whatever.

Are they a bunch of cliché bond villains or something like that?

[Kagus]

Mainly for the fact that nobody in their right mind would build a city in the desert.

[Clears throat in Las Vegas]

...wait, I'm not sure what I'm trying to prove here.

Hah. Good point ... however i said nobody in their "right mind" would build a city in the desert not that nobody would. Have you seen Las Vegas?

Aye. Lived there for ten years.

...hence why I'm not sure what point I'm trying to make.

[Naturegirl1999]

Why do people grow avacadoes in Califirnia, a desert?

[Reelya]

California isn't "a desert". It has desert regions. It's also the largest agricultural producing state in the entire USA.

https://beef2live.com/story-states-produce-food-value-0-107252

They grow stuff there ... because it's a good place for growing stuff.