Thanks for the cites everyone. I haven’t been keeping up with politics lately because it’s so depressing. By the way, I thought the NYT was unfairly biased against Hillary as well.
No one seriously challenges an incumbent president.
Do you really believe that? Because my belief is that those candidates exist, but at the time it was better strategy to wait for 2028. The people, however, are still out there.
I do not blame you even the tiniest bit.
Yes. And then panic.
The big picture is that Biden is consistently behind the Republicans in this race, month after month, taking into account the history of GOP electoral college advantage, and even without considering how the presumptive GOP nominee does better at the ballot box than in polls. Normally, I’d say not to panic because Democrats and Republicans will each win about half the time no matter what. However, a second term by an authoritarian leader is too dangerous to be so cavalier.
Another big picture: Biden finally is being forced, by mainstream media, to face his weaknesses. Perhaps he never heard of Nate Silver, but his staff cannot hide the judgment of the New York Times editorial board. Frankly, the same mental situation (being vague as I cannot diagnose) that marred his debate performance will probably keep him from understanding the peril. But it couldn’t hurt to add in that thousands of Democrats on the internet are also piling on. As for swing voters being impressed by loyalty to Joe, no, does not work like that. What’s going to hurt Biden in coming days isn’t anything I write, but clips of his debate performance.
Then you can’t call it a mental issue either.
If Biden were such a weak candidate, that would not be the case.
There are three people living in this world who have experience running against Republicans and winning; Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton.
All three of them say Biden should stay in.
We have an entire thread which demonstrates that polling has had a significant rightward skew this entire cycle and the previous one, and that it has failed to predict the results accurately. If the polls say Trump is leading by 2, then in reality Biden is likely leading by 6.
Ditching an incumbent president because he showed up for a debate with a cold is SUPREMELY cavalier.
You all keep dancing around the serious possibility in terms of replacing Biden: we may not have a choice. As in, he may not have a choice. Last night’s performance at the debate may be the first sign of an irrevocable decline in Biden’s health. Og forbid, he could die in the next four months before the election. Yes, thanks to the 25th, we have someone who can fill the office of President…but then she is going to have to run as the top of the ticket. And the last thing we need now is Democratic infighting in trying to remove the newly incumbent Kamala Harris as the nominee for the next presidential term.
Joe needs to step down now, and hands the office (and the nomination) to Kamala. And, like it or not, the Democratic Party is going to have to lock hands together. AOC is going to have to embrace Kamala with a rose in her teeth. Keep Bernie in the closet on his folding chair. Gavin can challenge her in 2028.
There is nothing else to do.
Here’s how he hides it:
When Reagan had few press conferences, I knew that was a bad sign. Same with Biden. I haven’t brought that up before, regarding Biden, but now that I’m, for rational reasons already stated, pro-panic, it is a reasonable explanation for how we got to this point.
He had a cold, for the love of Christ.
Cold, maybe. Pneumonia, possibly. COVID, a stretch but a chance.
81-year-olds die a lot more readily from such things. I’m just shy of 60 and I get the feeling I have to be a lot more careful crossing the street.
John Nance Garner would like a word…
What we (i.e. the Democrats and the country) need is a “Dave” : a Biden impersonator who can give speeches and argue policy until Jan 7 2025 when the newly elected president will have a serious health crisis and step aside for Pres. Harris.
And god help me, I’m not sure I’m joking.
So what? Trump gave press conferences almost every day at points. Does that mean he was a better president? I don’t care if Biden never says a word to the media again as long as he’s got a pulse, and frankly I’m sick of the degree of entitlement the press corps has developed in the past decade.
Here’s a gift link to the entire editorial.
I’d heard earlier that the reason Biden decided to run again is because he’d already beat Agent Orange once, and since that was once more than any other Democrat had managed, the general consensus of advisors was stay in, since anyone else would be a completely unknown quantity in that regard. Not sure who would have risen to the top if he’d decided against it, but that’s water under the bridge now.
There’s going to be a second debate. Much closer to the actual date of the election, and much more likely to affect the vote of those people who, unlike us, don’t obsessively follow politics.
And Trump is certainly going to show up for that one. (If his own age and health don’t get him first.) After all, everybody’s saying he won this one. All he has to do is the same shit all over again that worked the last time, right? So that’s what he’s gonna do.
And all the Trumpists are going to be watching; not a carefully curated bubble, but the thing itself, live. Because they’ll be sure what they’re going to see, and the bubble-makers will expect it too and won’t carefully guide them elsewhere.
I suspect Biden’s going to wipe the floor with him.
I think the reaction to this first debate is going to wake Sleepy Joe right up; though he isn’t going to say so in front of a live mic. And I don’t think he’s going to do the same thing all over again.
But then, I don’t think the man who even the NYTimes said “has been an admirable president” is simultaneously entirely unable to think clearly.
'Tis true. It’s not time to panic. That was like weeks ago.
Look, the man’s flown to Europe twice in the past week. He’s got some respiratory loogie and he’s like 80 years old. He’s got a tough gig. Been doing OK too.
But he doesn’t have to last until November time.
He has to be fit and capable of performing as Commander in Chief in about 5 years time.
So sorry, but you probably should have somebody in The Oval who’s not Lazarus with a triple bypass.
If only there was something in the Constitution that provided for the possibility of a president who can’t perform their duties!
Alas, there probably isn’t, and who has time to check? May as well throw the race into chaos a few weeks before the convention because the president had a sore throat one time.
I think the silver lining here is that this big, emotional conversation is happening right now as opposed to say… October. And while I anticipate Biden’s age to be an ongoing concern, I think it’s good to have this moment of panic several months out from the election. Everyone can get it out of their system and plans for the “God forbid” scenarios can be updated as required.
A thing to remember is that Trump also has health struggles and Trump is much worse when it comes to managing his health. Yes, Biden is old and it shows but Trump lives off a steady diet of garbage and rage. Biden looked old in the debate but Trump has recently had several rallies in which he looks positively demented. And when I say demented I don’t mean that as a synonym for absurd or stupid or whatnot. I mean actively suffering from dementia which does not improve over time. Biden may run out of gas now and again but Trump has the auto-destruct engaged on a silent countdown. No need to worry about the next debate if Trump has a massive stroke or heart attack tomorrow which could very well happen and is much more likely to happen to the raging narcissist whose doctor tells him he is the very picture of health.