Democratic Primaries

the only names they recognize far ahead are ridiculous.

For two years ahead of 2019 polls and media pieces on Dems 2020 puffed up Sanders as by far the most popular and promising candidate in America because he was the person who'd said he'd be running AND because enough people recognized his name with vague approval among others they didn't. Biden was the other recognized name, when it was included in the choices.

You know, it seems we really do agree on what we want but started with very different assumptions.

My starting point is that what "restoring decency" is shorthand for is overwhelmingly important! Nothing else even comes close. We can't survive much longer as a free people if we do not, which makes it incredibly more immediately imperative right now than wish-list items, such as universal healthcare. A modern society must have UC to be decent, but we didn't already make it happen decades ago because of decline in national decency under Republican domination.

And under Republican domination massive corruption has been embedded and we're perilously close to becoming a failed democracy that wouldn't make it happen. Way too many Americans are now as corrupted as the leaders they choose, from top down and bottom up, shockingly supporting anything their leader does. A world expert on nations that self destruct into vicious authoritarian states, when asked what people should look for said immediately and simply, "Watch out for mean people." Well, mean has become normal.

Obama's election and the midterms, though, still mercifully revealed there is a strong national desire for decency, to restore the old norms, restore stability and embrace needed advances. To do that, though, more people have to once again come to expect honesty and integrity from their public servants and to refuse to accept corruption and dishonorable behavior. And that, of course, is where our next national leader comes in.

When I wondered if Biden would run, what I wanted from him if he did was exactly what he subsequently ran on, what he calls "restoring the soul of America." He's not among the most aligned with my strong liberal views, and he is old and seems tired (he didn't want to run but felt obliged); but in the face of desperate need, I believed he had the stature, integrity and widespread trust and liking to carry off that role. There were others I thought had potential to develop into what we need, but they ran on to-do lists, instead of telling us we must decide this election who we want to be, and it didn't work out that way.

As for what in Biden doesn't reflect me, imo people vastly mistake how important, desirable or possible electing personally pleasing narrow ideological ranges in a president is. Solid liberal ideals, important goals whose time has come, integrity and competence -- ability to come through! -- are what matter and don't fuss the details. The legislative branch will have a whole lot more to say about those than the chief executive, and congress is constructed to broaden their product to somehow reflect the general will and needs of the people who send them.

Anyway, I think an honest, trustworthy president who will appoint hundreds of honest, dynamic, awesomely capable public servants (who will themselves do the same), elevate standards and expectations to where we need them, excite hope and confidence through real achievements, and show us once again what we should demand in those we empower, is exactly what we need to vote for at this critical point. And from that will come everything else we want. But first things first.

So, a different view.