Yes.
Re Harris being historically tough on crime, this was a reaction to a genuine crime increase and the same can be said about Biden:
I know this isn’t the same as questioning allegations against police, but she was the DA at a time when they all may have gone in that direction.
Oh, I’ll look for that. Sounds fun.
She didn’t pass the truancy law, she enforced it. If she didn’t then the complaint would be how she is soft on crime.
It’s in one of the other threads I posted in. I said I was not voting Biden or Trump and the fireworks began. So it is not conjecture, it is history.
And yeah, the being on the blue side of any defund the police mindset might hurt in a D primary, but it would be a plus in a general election in which the soft on crime and untrue mythology of muderously dangerous cities is a GOP attack line against every D.
Good points. I hadn’t thought of the SOTU as play-acting off of a tele-promoter, but U suppose it is. When confronted with Trump (supposedly the first time they were in a room together since 2020) and unscripted unrehearsed questions, that deer-in-the-headlights look will be difficult to forget.
No leading Democrat is in favor of defunding the Police. Biden specifically said he was totally against it.
From the perspective of a general election and the unengaged and undecided voters … details details. The cities are also getting safer not higher murder rates. It’s the story that sells. And it is harder to sell the story against someone with a tough on crime record.
I do want to make very clear: I personally am not yet panicking. Worrying yes and of the belief that Biden should step aside, but I am still hopeful with either one running.
Yes Biden is down. But look at the change in France from round one to round two …
I see two major possible branching paths right now: Biden is actually less impaired than many of us think and he performs well going forward; or he is impaired as bad as some of us fear in which case he won’t be able to avoid demonstrating it going forward and we still end up with Harris running. I refuse to consider that he does more incoherent babbling and still stays in.
In either of those cases we are left with two groups calcified in their positions, and a deciding group that right now leans Trump if they vote but are not fixed to any of the choices. That is advantage Trump no doubt but also very much subject to mood of the day to vote or not and even for whom. A functional Biden or a Harris can realistically come back from behind this much, and being the underdog may actually help them run to win rather than to not lose. May help to get a few who might do third party in protest to reconsider even.
I wish I had thought of that!
The reason results changed was that – weak candidates dropped out. Hint, hint.
It’s a pretty good story–one worth pushing on–but it isn’t unassailable. The counterargument is that it’s just post-COVID regression to the mean and that we aren’t yet back to Trump’s best years, let alone Obama’s:
There is no group that “leans” trump. Either they are fanatic MAGAs or always GOPers, or not. There is a unfortunate group that currently leans 3rd party or staying home. And they could decide the election by simply not voting for Biden. They are the ones I am worried about.
The disengaged voter group, traditionally a group that leans D, this time leans Trump solidly. It’s the group that does not follow the news hardly at all.
This has been cited and discussed before in this forum.
Just when I thought this was going to die down …
Didn’t someone point out that “He’s the nominee”, “It’s his choice”, and so on aren’t actually endorsements that he should actually run?
Super quick minor point of a derail that hopefully ends with this post…
Nope - the SOTU was definitely more than that, with Biden calling out the GOP on the cutting of Social Security and Medicare. That’s thinking on your feet, and with his Morning Joe showing recently, we should maybe turn down the despair levels a bit.
Something I’ve noticed: with all the close examination of Biden in the past two weeks, no one is focussing on Trump, and it’s driving him crazy. Individual 1 is an attention whore, and this just won’t do. Just like his civil and criminal convictions served to increase Trump’s popularity, Biden’s weak debate performance may have actually increased his visibility and popularity. Perhaps it’s the human touch part, but boy, is he getting the attention now. Suck it, Trump.
CNN or another site ran a news article suggesting he is trying to avoid questions about recent rape allegations(uh, the revelation of allegations are recent, the alleged rapes were 30 years or so ago).
Then again, it’s all kind of unclear if these rapes are real or even in the Epstein papers that got released a week or two ago. I’m still not sure.
Clooney, who just hosted a fundraiser a few weeks ago, says he can’t back Biden anymore. Says Biden was the same at the fundraiser as he was at the debate.
“We are not going to win in November with this president. On top of that, we won’t win the House, and we’re going to lose the Senate.”
https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4763815-george-clooney-biden-drop-out-new-york-times/
I know he’s just a Hollywood guy, but he’s a big fundraiser for the Democratic party. This is going to sting. I hope it gets some party “elites” otf their asses.
And now, another George:
" In TMZ Video, George Stephanopoulos Says Biden Can’t Serve Another Term" (NY Times gift link)
The ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos apologized on Tuesday night after he was surreptitiously recorded earlier in the day saying he did not believe that President Biden could handle another term in office.
His remarks — made in passing to a stranger who approached him on the street — came four days after Mr. Stephanopoulos conducted the only major interview with Mr. Biden since the president’s stumbling debate performance.
Mr. Stephanopoulos is one of very few people outside of Mr. Biden’s immediate inner circle who has spent extended time with the president since the debate.
That will certainly help everyone move on! /s