From what read this morning, it seems like many columnists are able to face reality and are calling for Joe to withdraw, but I haven’t heard any elected officials yet. As Ezra Klein said months ago, if you were critical of people in Trump’s administration, or Republicans who did nothing while Trump pissed on America, you should be just as critical at Democrats and Biden staffers who won’t face reality about what Biden is doing by staying in the race.
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If Biden steps down then Harris steps up, right? If Dems don’t do that, then they admit that she hasn’t been ready to take over for the last 3 1/2 years.
If they throw Harris out with the bathwater, and conscript someone like Newsome, the backlash from voters of color will be significant and justified…and constantly tweaked by Trump, the GOP and the Russian Army’s botfarms.
Jonathan Martin in Politico this morning quoted a Democratic member of the House (unnamed, of course) who said the push to have that conversation with Biden is real. We’re what, less than forty days from the Dem convention? There’s still time for Biden to drop out of the race, but trying to convince a man who can be stubborn as a mule to end his more than fifty years in government on this note will be pretty fucking hard.
I think the trick will be to convince him that it’s the best option for beating Trump. Obviously such a discussion is not immune to stubbornness but, if he can see that argument, I think he will do what is right because that is his moral compass.
There is no rule that says Harris steps in; it’s entirely up to the Party. Sure, they don’t want to treat her unfairly, or disrespect her, but they could easily say “it’s open to everyone.” Logistically, they would need Biden’s assent, or it would get ugly.
I maintain that last night might have been a godsend for Democrats and America, they just have to seize the opportunity.
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No, I don’t think it’s simple as that. Biden won 95% of the delegates going into the convention. They’re pledged to him, but aren’t bound, and can’t just be given to Harris, Newsome, or anyone else.
Assuming he drops out of the race, whomever the new candidate is now has to win the support of those delegates.
Interesting fact I (re)learned today, if the Harris and Newsome are on the Democratic ticket, they’d be ineligible for CA’s electoral votes.
Has Harris even been seen in the last two years?
He needs to do it quickly. Already hearing the “hang in there folks, “don’t overreact,” etc. shit from the Biden campaign. He needs an LBJ telecast this weekend, announcing his departure and stating that his delegates are free. Then, the Dems need a plan on how to proceed and get someone like Obama to explain the rules going forward. Basically, sell the idea to America.
From now til the convention, the Dems will suck all the oxygen from Trump, and end up with an alternative to Trump/Biden, something that many voters have been hoping for. Sure, it could go wrong, but it could also go right and energize a shitload of apathetic Americans.
Newsome/Harris or Harris/Newsome doesn’t work because they’re both California residents. One would have to move out of state (like Cheney did when he picked himself to be W’s VP).
It’s already gone wrong…
It’s crazy how every four years the Dems have to line up all the holes in the Swiss cheese in a desperate bid to stop Republicans from ending democracy.
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Here’s an encouraging quote I saw on another site:
Trump seemed strong to his base, but I don’t think he gained many new votes, if any. People have short memories, and it’s only June. The pundits will be writing Biden’s political obituary for the next week or two, until trump is sentenced for his 34 convicted felonies.
By the end of July, last night’s debacle will be a distant memory. Joe can erase last night’s performance with a fiery acceptance speech at the convention. Joe’s been around, he knows what to do. The race wasn’t decided last night, it’s only beginning.
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That’s pure fiction. Very dangerous fiction.
Besides, it alludes to the obvious conclusion that a Dem with a pulse could beat Trump, so why the fuck don’t they run one.
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I saw reports that Trump “bombed” with independents.
If you separate the visuals from what was actually said, Biden was trying to explain his successes and future plans using facts and data, while Trump was delivering the same, fact-free stream of consciousness unhinged nonsense that he does at every rally.
Trump slathered the Dobbs decision all over himself, which is going to be the #1 driver for a significant proportion of the electorate. Trump turning the gaslight up to 11, claiming that “the whole world wanted abortion returned to the states”, just made him look desperate and complicit.
As long as states are gerrymandered out the wazoo, “returning things to the states” is a scary bet.
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Everything is scary right now. Over the last two days, SCOTUS ruled that it can take the bribes that it’s already been taking, and then grabbed a significant chunk of power from federal agencies and gave it to themselves; opening up a lucrative new revenue stream.
And on Monday they are going to reveal whatever fucked up, convoluted pretzel logic they’ve concocted to adorn Trump - and only Trump - with King-like immunity.
If I was Trump, I would have no other debates with the old demented sock puppet. He clearly made Biden look like a fool. He won plenty of Independent and Democrat votes last night. No need to put Biden through what he went through last night. I think everyone has seen enough of Biden.
Agreed. Which is why it is past time for Supreme Court Justices to have term limits, at a minimum.
The Democratic Party has to do whatever it takes to win this election. It’s plain as day that the Republican Party and especially those within it facing criminal charges for aiding and abetting Trump, including Trump himself, are doing whatever it takes to get power back with the idea of never relinquishing it. If you value democracy, they have to be stopped in this election cycle.
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I hope they throw an old-fashioned delegate free-for-all at the convention. That would be good television, which is apparently all that matters in these things.
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I think we can shelve all the talk of Biden being replaced.
Lost in the hoopla of “good/bad TV”… what exactly are “black jobs”? My jaw hit the floor on this.
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