and I think there's a good chance that it will. Unlike 2016 when essentially nobody dared to step up and challenge Clinton except for Sanders (and O'Malley lol) - we will have an entire panel of good ideas being debated - so there won't be a clear delineation between the "progressive" and the "centrist" - but instead a continuum of ideas that will be more about substance than cult of personality (I hope).

>the republican primary in 2016 was 10x uglier than the current
>dem primary could ever get (mostly because the bases allow for
>vastly different degrees of pettiness). clinton/sanders were
>still attacking each other on real issues.
>trump/cruz/rubio/bush were attacking each other on
>dicks/wives/fathers/etc lol.

lol exactly - that's why I'm more optimistic to let the democratic primary play itself out in the spirit of open competition. I do have concerns about the DNC's ability to be a neutral arbiter though. Again, I think the one way the Dems can lose in 2020 is to adjudicate the primary without true neutrality.

>i just hope dems now have the same political maturity and
>party discipline that repubs have when it comes to licking
>their primary wounds and coming home for the general. we tend
>to get in our feelings more and hold grudges that affect the
>likelihood of us voting.

Yes I think there was real bad blood after the 2016 primary - and it did suppress the momentum (though Clinton still won the popular vote of course) - but enthusiasm and 'big-tent' cohesion is going to be key. There was also some pretty nasty vibes going around after Obama beat Clinton in 2008 - but Obama was an anomaly in terms of his ability to transcend political norms and appeal to wide swaths of people across the country. Dems can't count on that kind of personality force -- there needs to be real unity.

>either way...im voting for the dem nominee regardless of who
>it is (tulsi is gonna take some prayer for me to pull that
>lever lol).

lol I still think Tulsi is the strongest candidate in the general election - but I agree that it's going to be a very difficult task for her to win the democratic primary.


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