# Stop Panicking! **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [June 28, 2024, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447 "2024-06-28T15:26:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 22
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/421 "2024-07-01T22:39:57Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > And all of this panic about whether Biden is fit to run or should be replaced based on a bad night is generating a self-fulfilling prophesy and materially hurting his chances of being elected. There’s that magical thinking again. If Dems would just stop talking about it, the GOP would stop talking about it, too! Think about how ridiculous that claim really is. If Biden simply ‘had a bad night’—well, that was four nights ago. You would think that his people would find countering all this talk worth making at least a _little_ effort. I’ll repeat, despite one person up there trying to sell the idea that four days is too short a time for a campaign to come up with any ideas: \*\*\*Biden’s people need to announce a Town Hall for THIS week. And Town Halls for each week. If Biden simply had a Bad Night on 6/27, then these will give him a chance to shine–to counter all the bad press. To change the story. C-SPAN will gladly cover the town halls. Why wouldn’t they announce this? \*\*\*Similarly: announce that Biden will start doing press conferences this week. Let’s showcase how he simply had a bad night on 6/27, and is now ready to show voters how alert and quick he his. Show his stamina. Put all those Bad Night images out of voters’ heads! \*\*\*Release full medical records. Show that Biden is vigorous and able to handle any cognitive challenge. Give him the tests after 9pm to put to rest any speculation about sundowning. WHY on earth are they failing to make these announcements, if they genuinely believe Biden simply had a bad night on 6/27? And if they really believe that Trump is an existential threat to the USA? Why on earth would they fail to do something to combat the terrible images of the debate? Why are they doing nothing except rely on surrogates to scold people for being appalled by Biden’s debate performance? . . . The obvious answer is that the Biden people are doing nothing except encouraging surrogates to scold, because they know that Biden CANNOT put the rumors to rest. All the scolding and magical thinking and SHOULDs in the universe will not change the fact that huge numbers of Americans vote based on who they perceive as strong and who they perceive as weak. > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > this [Claire Berlinski zinger](https://claireberlinski.substack.com/p/democracies-and-the-death-wish) will explain it: > > > [@](#): > > > > Voting for the visibly weaker and more vulnerable man violates the most primitive instincts humans possess. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/422 "2024-07-01T22:46:27Z")
Again, talking about “should” and magical thinking on either side is a side issue, maybe even irrelevant. All that matters is whether replacing Biden would hurt or help the chances of a Democrat in the White House next year. Argue that specifically and directly instead of assuming that it’s clear and obvious that your side is the objective truth. Anything else is just a screaming contest. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/423 "2024-07-01T22:52:53Z")
> [@Sherrerd](#): > > There’s that magical thinking again. If Dems would just stop talking about it, the GOP would stop talking about it, too! If the Dems would just start talking about it, it would not be the Dems talking about it. There is a big difference between the opposing party talking smack about a candidate than their own party talking smack about them. Why do you think that the Jan 6th committee had almost exclusively Republican witnesses? Criticism from within carries a hell of a lot more weight than criticism from without. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/424 "2024-07-01T23:09:26Z")
Biden was the the perfect candidate for 2020. Experienced, sane, normal. And the fact that we were in the middle of COVID, he didn’t have to keep up a grueling campaign schedule all summer, so his age never became a serious factor. We never saw him get tired on the road. And now, he’s been a good, nay, great president. But here we are, heading into the summer campaign season, with an old candidate who is four years older than he was when he was old candidate four years ago. He doesn’t have the luxury of campaigning from HQ this time. If he can’t keep up the same level of rallies and events that Trump does, if he can’t do town halls on the regular, it’s going to feed even more into the “feeble” narrative. As much as he was the perfect candidate to take Trump out of office four years ago, he’s probably the worst to keep him from getting back in. People keep saying it’s too late to run someone else. I don’t think it is. We’re in unprecedented times. Maybe it would’ve been foolish to replace an incumbent nominee in 1980 or 1992 or 2004, but the incumbent nominee in those years wasn’t an 81-year-old with the image of fragility and feebleness. And the incumbant nominee wasn’t the one responsible from stopping a wannabe-dictator rapist felon cult leader from wrecking our republic. People also keep saying that they’d vote for Biden even if he’s in a coma, as long as he is able to breathe they’ll vote for him. Well, not everyone whose votes the Democrats need are gonna feel that way. A lot of voters are looking for a bar slightly higher than “has a pulse” to go out and vote for someone, even if the alternative is fascism. Maybe this is the time where a jolt of electricity and newness and press coverage besides “Joe Biden is OLD” is just what we need to win this in November. Maybe following a century old campaign rule book is what’s hurting the Democrats right now. The Republicans are turning things upside down in their weird, wild effort to get power. And it looks like the Democrats are just going to shuffle down the road while quietly muttering “This is how we do things! We can’t change how we do things,” and let it happen. Imho. Obviously I have as much say in what happens or who the nominee is as anyone else here ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2024, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/425 "2024-07-01T23:12:31Z")
This is his last ever campaign after 50 years and he needs to campaign like it is his first. In 1972 he unseated a popular long time Republican senator while President Richard Nixon was the victor in Delaware by 20 points. ---
**Author:** ![Tatterdemalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/43a26b/32.png) [@Tatterdemalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tatterdemalion)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/426 "2024-07-02T01:17:47Z")
Can we start panicing now? ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/427 "2024-07-02T01:47:35Z")
Now you’re just politicing. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/428 "2024-07-02T02:28:56Z")
Ok. Now I’m starting to panic. Biden’s speech this evening was about the worst possible response to today’s Supreme Court ruling. He essentially said “The president is no longer subject to the authority of Congress or the courts, and I’m not going to do anything about or with it”. This is a time that calls for bold action. The Supreme Court has handed Biden the means to destroy MAGA and save this country from authoritarianism and he’s refusing to use it. The next time a Republican is elected president, democracy is over, unless we use the means of authortarians while we have them at our disposal. We’re doomed. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/429 "2024-07-02T02:40:55Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The Supreme Court has handed Biden the means to destroy MAGA and save this country from authoritarianism and he’s refusing to use it. Disagree. Justice Jackson wrote in dissent that the definition of an official act was vague. If Biden breaks the law, they would find a way to say it wasn’t an official act. Or were you joking? Emojis help 😀 ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/430 "2024-07-02T02:49:33Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Justice Jackson wrote in dissent Dissents don’t have the force of law. The decision says that if it’s an “official act” it’s not illegal and the courts are barred from questioning the president’s motive to determine if an act is official or not. There’s nothing in theory that can stop Biden from issuing an executive order to disregard any court that rules against him, anyway. I say he should use the power he’s been given now before there’s time to figure out the details. Start by declaring the Republican Party a terrorist organization and having Trump detained indefinitely without trial in Guantanamo Bay, because they won’t hesitate to do it if we let them win the election. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/431 "2024-07-02T02:54:33Z")
So… as long as it’s our side that discarding the fundamental principles upon which our society is based, it’s okay? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/432 "2024-07-02T03:02:40Z")
It’s a common argument here and elsewhere: whether “taking the high road” is just disarming yourself against a ruthless enemy that doesn’t care. > [@Akaj](#): > > That’s why we should describe how those factors (and others related to Republicanism in general) will impact people: But we’ve seen over and over that way too many people dismiss such messages on the grounds that it’ll NEVER happen to THEM. I don’t see your list being any different. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/433 "2024-07-02T03:04:11Z")
The fundamental principle has already been discarded. The president is no longer subject to the rule of law. Republicans aren’t going to shy away from using that power just because Democrats are too concerned about “norms” to do so. The first time the Supreme Court rules against a Republican president in the future, they’ll just have the Court shut down. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/434 "2024-07-02T03:21:46Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > The president is no longer subject to the rule of law. A _Republican_ President, yes. A _Democratic_ President-not so much. Remember that SCOTUS gets to decide which are Official Acts and which are not. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/435 "2024-07-02T03:31:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Remember that SCOTUS gets to decide which are Official Acts and which are not. At this point, Biden may as well just ignore the Supreme Court for the rest of his term and shout “Official act!” before everything he does, thereby making it fully legal since his motives cannot be questioned. (And yes, I’m only half-serious about all of this. We’d probably have a civil war if Biden did what I was suggesting, but he needs to do more than just say it’s bad - he needs to use this power in a way that either forces the Court to reconsider or undermines its power altogether.) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/436 "2024-07-02T03:34:33Z")
You don’t seem to understand that this power was not meant for _him_ to use, and if he attempts to use it he will be spending the rest of the campaign with SCOTUS. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/437 "2024-07-02T03:39:06Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > You don’t seem to understand that this power was not meant for _him_ to use I do understand that. He should use it anyway while he has the chance. This is a time for action, not words. “Justice Roberts has made his decision - now let him enforce it”. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/438 "2024-07-02T03:42:46Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Ok. Now I’m starting to panic. Enter the Flibbertigibbet. > [@Smapti](#): > > We’re doomed. _opere citato_ > [@Smapti](#): > > This is a time that calls for bold action. But prevailing on the incumbent that he is a venerable public servant and a handy single term President is a step too far? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/439 "2024-07-02T03:45:17Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > But prevailing on the incumbent that he is a venerable public servant and a handy single term President is a step too far? If his response to today’s ruling is to do nothing, then maybe he’s not up to this job after all. I don’t know anymore. This has not been a good day for America. At the very least I would’ve liked to hear something like “I have directed the Attorney General to carefully review the court’s decision and determine what options we have in light of the ruling, and in the days and weeks to come I will announce what steps we intend to take with the power the court has granted us.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447/440 "2024-07-02T03:47:57Z")
His response is supposed to be to do something fascist? That makes sense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447.md?page=21) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stop-panicking/1003447.md?page=23)