One of the hardest things about the past two weeks, besides the uproar after the debate – and the concrete things the Supreme Court has done to break both legs and tie two hands behind the back of democracy – is seeing politically aware people on Balloon Juice getting sucked into the vortex that is trying to kneecap Biden and the Democrats in the election.
Truly, the response to the whole thing leaves me in despair. Maybe it’s a good thing that I am so busy with my clients right now that I don’t have a lot of time, but at least I can do one concrete thing to help keep democracy on track, and that’s the fundraising to get boots on the ground, on the ground.
Hopefully, boots on the ground will trump panic in the ranks.
Maybe a little Aretha will provide some balance.
In any case, Lapassionara recommended the rant below earlier, in Cole’s post. Here’s the tweet that starts it off, and the Thread Reader version is below, in its entirety.
I haven’t written much about politics since the debate, mainly because I’m so overwhelmed by disgust & contempt toward this country’s media & commentariat that it has rendered me inarticulate with rage. Twitter probably doesn’t need more rage. I do just wanna make one point tho.
— David Roberts (@drvolts) July 5, 2024
I haven’t written much about politics since the debate, mainly because I’m so overwhelmed by disgust & contempt toward this country’s media & commentariat that it has rendered me inarticulate with rage. Twitter probably doesn’t need more rage. I do just wanna make one point tho.
To be clear up front: I don’t give one tiny hot fuck who the Dem nominee is. I truly don’t. Biden’s fine. Harris is fine. A warm puddle of vomit is fine. *There is no conceivable resolution to the nomination fight that could change the basic calculus of this race.*
Preventing a fascist takeover of the US is my top priority–as a journalist, as a voter, as a human. If it isn’t yours too, you should feel bad about yourself. If you haven’t made the stakes of this election clear to everyone within the sound of your voice, you should feel bad.
But I’m not gonna rant. [breathes deeply] Just gonna make my one point, which is this: the idea that that the process of jettisoning Biden & choosing someone else will go well — will be *allowed* to go well — is a deeply deranged fantasy.
The idea that Dems will do this & will end up feeling unified, that Harris will come out popular, that “the dynamics of the race will shift,” all of that … fucking deranged. Deranged in such a perfectly characteristic Dem way.
“This person/policy/slogan/approach has been irredeemably slimed by Republicans & a hostile media — let’s throw it overboard!” That’s the Dem way. Always with this starry-eyed hope that they can reset, start over, get it right this time.
Just as one example — other people have aggregated these — there have been “calls” for every Dem nominee of the last 30 years to step aside. Dems practically delight in abandoning their own people, policies, & principles in response to bad-faith pressure. They f’ing love it.
But, as I’ve been saying for, oh, 20 years now, the situation is structural. The current situation is an outcome of a particular incentive structure & that structure will remain exactly the same if Harris takes over the ticket.For centrists, journalists, pundits, *even Dem electeds*, the way you prove you are a Reasonable, Serious Person in DC is by shitting on Dems. For the left, the way you prove you are a true radical is by shitting on Dems. For the right … well, obviously.
Everyone’s professional incentives are to shit on Dems. Dwelling on Trump & his fascist movement — however justified by the objective facts — just doesn’t bring that juice, doesn’t get the clicks & the high-fives, doesn’t feel brave & iconoclastic. It’s just … no fun.
So, say Biden stepped aside in favor of Harris tomorrow. How long until the vapid gossips we call political reporters find something wrong with her, some alleged flaw they just have to write 192 stories about? How long until the hopped-up mediocrities we call pundits …
…find some “counter-intuitive” reason that the new Dem ticket is flawed after all? How long until the irredentist left gets over the temporary thrill of its new Harris memes & remembers that she’s a cop & turns on her? How long before the ambient racism & misogyny in the US…
… lead center-leftists to conclude that, sure, they’d support a black woman, just not *this* black woman? In other words: how long before everyone reverts to their comfortable, familiar identity & narratives?
Dems uniting, feeling good, telling a clear story, receiving credit for their accomplishments–all of that is *impossible* in the current environment. It won’t be allowed. Dems can punch themselves in the face all they want, abandon whoever they want, apologize all they want…
… they simply will not be allowed to turn the page & start fresh, because everyone’s incentives remain the same. If they did that, elites, including media elites, would have no choice but to openly & frankly grapple with Trump & what he represents & they *don’t want to*.
Everyone feels comfortable shitting on Dems — it’s just a cozy professional space. You get to feel brave & independent (just like all the replacement-level pundits around you) with zero risk.
Yes, it’s abysmal, contemptible cowardice on a genuinely embarrassing scale …
… but it is what it is & we should have no illusions that it will change with a change in the top of the ticket.
As @whstancil has been trying to tell you people (good god how he tries), the information environment is thoroughly corrupted.
@whstancil For some reason, left pundits are pathologically averse to acknowledging that fact. And so they grasp at these straws — if we could just get rid of Biden, we could have a reasonable conversation! Yeah, sure. You absurd summer children.@whstancil This election is not a choice between two individuals, it’s a choice between worldviews, between futures. Do we want to continue down the path to multiethnic democracy or do we want to impose a white patriarchal Christian autocracy?
@whstancil At stake is the entire federal civil service. The machinery of state built since WWII. Freedom & dignity for millions. Yes, democracy itself. That’s not an exaggeration. Yet this country’s elites have utterly failed to convey those stakes to the populace. A *grotesque* failure.
You can not look at this extraordinary media freakout this last week and not psychologize, not see all kinds of displacement. They can’t or won’t be serious about Trump & so they are fucking *giddy* at having permission to scold Dems again. Their safe place.
Anyway, my point is just: none of this will change if Harris replaces Biden at the top of the ticket. The idea that the media — with these soulless careerist court gossips in charge — will allow it is just fantasy. They *need* Dems in disarray & so they will engineer it.
The US is right on the precipice of falling into bona fide fascism & *the vast majority of the voting public doesn’t even know it*. That speaks to a deeply diseased information environment. Until Dems do something about that, all their self-flagellation will buy them nothing.
Not knowing what else to do, Dems shit on their own.
Open thread.
Dorothy A. Winsor
This.
Dorothy A. Winsor
Also, I watched that scene from The Blues Brothers last night!
Elizabelle
One jackal earlier suggested Biden could run against the media, and probably he should. Most of them are worse than useless.
ETA: think it was Eiorlin.
craigie
If only I could make everyone in this country read that set of tweets. Not that they would grasp it, but it would still be an improvement over where we are now.
WaterGirl
@Dorothy A. Winsor: I love everything about that scene. I love that Aretha chose to be in it. I love the choreography. I love the song. I love Blue Lou. So great.
Elizabelle
Roberts didn’t touch another aspect, though. A lot of these media outlets are multimillion and billion dollar properties. Their owners do not want to pay more taxes, or allow their workers to unionize. Boring competent Biden is a threat to them.
WaterGirl
Oh, and we have $550 left on the $1,000 Angel Match from Rafl. (I don’t know how many years I read that name as Ralf, and I imagine I am not the only one?)
Chris
I have said for years and years that the worst part of the U.S. political environment isn’t even the fact that the mainstream media has a right-wing bias, but that it continues to be perceived, as near as I can tell even by most liberals, as either having a left wing bias, or having no bias at all and being as close to a reasonable news source as one can realistically expect. And we’re now seeing in live time just how devastating the effect of that is.
Nothing David Roberts talks about can get fixed until this does. As long as the media’s right to set the narrative is uncritically accepted, we’re going to continue seeing this over and over again. I have no idea what it’ll take to fix it. The myth of the courts being either liberal or fair lasted decades longer than it had any right to, but Dobbs seems to have finally smashed through to most people’s heads. I have no idea what the equivalent would be for the myth of the liberal media. Hillary’s emails weren’t enough. The last three years of total news blackout on anything that could be good for Biden wasn’t enough. It’s truly hard to imagine what might be.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I believe the slime vats are pre-positioned; I gather “Harris is too mean/too nice” is MSM narrative.
Maybe we should start blaming the people who pour the slime and not their victims?
Damien
Comment I left downstairs a ways feels just as evergreen here as it ever is:
Do we need someone to explain the incredibly basic game theory about why voting for someone else is a spectacularly bad idea?
Ok, here’s goes: look you stupid fucks who are bouncing around this thread cavalierly calling for Biden to drop out, he is the candidate. Not voting for him doesn’t make you more pure, or smarter, or whatever the fuck your smug asses think you’ll be: it makes you stupid, because all you’re doing is removing your vote for achieving the things that matter to you. Unless of course you’re one of those that wants to see Palestine devastated and everyone punished for not agreeing with your genius that we should vote elsewhere.
Grow. The. Fuck. Up.
Your pure candidate doesn’t exist, and the millions of votes that already came in during the primaries indicates just exactly who the Party’s rank and file want to run. It ain’t Mark Warner, and it ain’t whoever you think is better than Joe. This is how we do things, and freaking out like this is fucking pathetic, because there’s not another option anyway, and even if there was the rank and file have shown WHO THEY WANT.
once again, grow the absolute fuck up and vote for the choice that gets you closer to what you want, which unless you’re primary language is Russian should be fucking Joe Biden. And if you choose to write Harris in instead of VOTING FOR THE CANDIDATE then take a thousand seats and shut the fuck up forever, because you lose all rights to complain about whatever happens.
You, Warner, the media, and every single whiny, whinging, mewling, holier than thou fucking fool can walk right on out into traffic.
different-church-lady
There! The problem has been fully and comprehensively described.
How we’re going to fix it I don’t know.
Bobby Thomson
Yeah, the stakes are too high for me to have any patience with fools who want to give up the incumbency advantage, remove the most legislatively successful president since Reagan, and take out the only person who can hold the Democratic coalition together within THE NEXT FOUR MONTHS. Or those who confuse anxiety attacks with passion.
The inability of wypipo to confront other wypipo being stupid is possible the single greatest factor preventing us from having nice things.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Elizabelle: Billionaires owners or not these, media outlets need an audience to sell advertisement time too, and that audience certainly isn’t the Right.
BR
I think I’m going to call my senators and reps again just for good measure, this time to different offices of theirs. Because I don’t want them getting any other impression than that they should have Biden’s back.
Elizabelle
@Damien: agreed. Walk into traffic. Or houses can fall on all of them.
Elizabelle
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: good point. And I am seriously curious how many subscriptions the NY Times and WaPost shed. A lot, I think.
George
This is how fascism will take over America. More positive, necessary changes have been made under Biden than anyone thought possible. Those have been forgotten or ignored, along with the U.S. economy being the strongest in the world.
All of this started decades ago–Gingrich’s Contract on America, Bush squeaking out a victory in 2000, which led to his narrow victory in 2004 (which was the last time a Republican won the popular vote), which led to Roberts and Alito on the Supreme Court. Then came the kneejerk reaction to Obama being elected–he’s a Kenyan! A socialist! Then McConnell stealing two Supreme Court seats.
Throughout it all, the media, which should be the guardians of transparency and truth, aided and abetted the spread of fascism. And the far left/progressives, too, should have been smart enough to unify behind liberal/centrist candidates. They weren’t.
zhena gogolia
@Damien: I like you!
twbrandt
Thanks WG. This shit drives me insane. Trump lied through his teeth, demonized immigrants, Palestinians, Democrats, and a bunch of other people, and advocated a bunch of utterly deranged policies. And everyone is talking about Biden. Fucking hell.
stacib
@Elizabelle: Raises hand on the WaPo cancellation. I’ve subscribed for years, but the writing on Monday sent me over the edge. No more loot from me to them. They came back with a counteroffer of $.25 per month, and I noped out on that, too. I also cancelled my subscription to another place I’ve subscribed to for probably 15 years. Same noise, same response from me.
randy khan
I’ll be honest. I’ve been avoiding my usual haunts because I just can’t take the idea of seeing people try to thrash this out in comment threads. And since I didn’t see the debate (I was in Europe and fast asleep), I don’t really feel like I had a lot to contribute on that topic anyway.
But I do know this – Joe Biden on a bad day is still better than Donald Trump on any day at all.
Steve in the ATL
Speaking of which, does anyone else get annoyed by the New Yorker rebus crossword puzzles where you have to put two letters in one square? Is that even allowed?!
Elizabelle
@stacib: Proud of you!
zhena gogolia
@Steve in the ATL: I find those really annoying. In general, these days puzzles seem to be for the constructors’ pleasure, not that of the solvers.
Lynn Dee
I think it’s possible to have been horrified by the debate and to feel some real concern about whether Biden can win without it indicating one has been sucked into a vortex. Yes, the media is awful, the pundits are arrogant, the operatives are clamoring for their share of this unexpected opportunity for air time, etc. etc. I’m ignoring them all. Whoever the Democratic nominee is (and for my money, if it’s not Biden, it has to be Harris for there to be any legitimacy to the selection at all; and please, no mini-primary or open convention!), I will gladly vote for. All I want to do at this point is beat Trump.
piratedan
not freaking out.
seen this before as this is HRC e-mails II, Electric Bugaloo
You can almost smell the desperation on the other side. All of the shit that they’ve put into place to realize their Gilead… where the Richies have unfettered power to do as they wish and the Christo-fascists have plenty of victims to torture…. and all they need to do is just sow just a little more discontent, throw enough smoke into the air to somehow, put a convicted felon, rapist, bigot back into the chair because they’ve noticed that the other guy is OLD.
fuck that noise.
BeautifulPlumage
I want to provide a new narrative:
Given the recent Heritage calls for lawsuits if Biden is not the candidate, and their recent threat that “their” revolution would “remain bloodless…” as long as they win, that they are directly threatening our current president with assassination. They can bluster and moan all they want, but they have made clear implied threats and believe they have the means to do it.
Let’s put Heritage and their minions on the defense for their remarks.
Elizabelle
@George: They are stupid, cowardly people, aren’t they? And many are vastly overpaid.
William Shirer should come back and kick their careerist asses.
Damien
@zhena gogolia: I like you too!
also, I’m not just writing on here but have taken to handwriting letters to my reps, as well as those who are leaders in our Party; that way at least they won’t think that my thoughts are GPT generated. I will be goddamned if I’ll let democracy go down the tubes in my lifetime, and it doesn’t defend itself.
George
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Yep. No matter who the Democrats were to replace Biden with, that person would immediately suffer barrages of pointless, unfocused criticism. It could be Harris, Newsom, whomever. It would not matter.
And the media would say that it took the Democrats too long to replace Biden, even though the media would have made the same claim if Biden had been replaced last year, or on January 21, 2021. The Democrats can do nothing right. They can only do wrong, according to the media.
All of it is a concerted effort to elect TcFG. The GOP lost any sort of policy positions, any sort of plan on how to create a better future for Americans and the world decades ago. It simply breaks stuff, and instead of the media bringing it to America’s attention, they simply parrot rightwing talking points.
There is going to be a helluvalot of pain and blood in America’s future, I’m afraid.
geg6
@zhena gogolia:
That is, actually, a pretty profound statement and kind of describes a lot about this moment we are living in.
Eric S.
@BR: this! I’ve never called my senators or rep but this weekend I will. I’ve met Durbin’s COS, have his card, and plan to email him directly.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Lynn Dee: consider what was my fear before the debate; they would somehow find a way to drug Trump up so he would keep his fool mouth shut, and conservatives who loath him could convince themselves that they can vote for Trump. Instead Trump plucked defeat out of the very jaws of victory by talking like an asshole for 90 minutes.
Jeffro
THIS
Show me a couple
dozenhundredthousand pieces on trump’s lies about 2020, calling the J6ers “hostages”, his complete capitulation to Big Oil, his utter undoing of women’s rights, or really anything, the way we’ve been subjected to this endless “Biden’s old!” BS and I’ll go, “Oh…the media is doing its job in this country.”(I won’t hold my breath)
And since I’m not holding my breath, I’m just going to keep supporting President Biden, loudly. If he steps down, I’ll support President Harris with the same energy. trump and the billionaires and the clickbait media and the psychos behind Project 2025 must. be. stopped.
And that, Dear Readers, is that.
Steve in the ATL
@BeautifulPlumage:
*Literally* everything they do
Eric S.
@Steve in the ATL: To quote Colonel Potter, “It’s horse pucky!”
Steve in the ATL
@zhena gogolia: well said
@geg6: ooh, good point
Mai Naem mobile
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: I’ve heard plenty of pundits whine about Harris having a weird loud giggly laugh(I’m actually not sure what they’re saying.)
SpaceUnit
Thanks, folks. This is the way to blog on BJ. I’ve been mostly keeping my distance lately because of the week long diaper-fest. Damn.
Lynn Dee
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Lol. I’ve been shocked by his sudden ability to exercise some self-discipline and keep his yap shut when it comes to Biden. He has some feral instinct or something when it comes to not stepping on whatever he regards as his message.
It didn’t last though! Apparently he’s now back to his usual idiotic — and MEAN — blather.
Steve in the ATL
@Eric S.: language, please—there are young people here…yeah, never mind. Carry on!
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@George: and it’s worth remember the reason why Obama chose Biden as his VP was Biden is decent, likeable old white guy, otherwise boring (a necessity, since Obama willfully committed horrors like wearing tan suits and having Dijon mustard on his burgers). And that hasn’t changed. The best the media can slime Biden with is he is old and he eats ice cream in public.
eclare
I don’t have to read, I am with Joe 100%. I don’t understand people who waver. I voted for Joe in the primary, you gonna take my vote away?
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Lynn Dee: hehe I have another theory, Trump is a narcissist; he was likely in hiding, assuming Biden was going to have him killed after that SCOTUS President is above the law ruling.
Chris
I’ve dumped on LGM repeatedly in the last few days, so just to be nice, I’m going to approvingly repeat commenter Snarky McSnarkface’s observation from this evening:
“If Democrats don’t start showing some spine, then we’re doomed no matter who the nominee is.”
That’s the whole thing about dumping Biden. A party cannot win elections when a critical mass of its supporters can be stampeded into cutting their own throat so long as sufficient peer pressure is applied by institutions that are trying to defeat that party in the first place. It just can’t. Whoever we pick to replace Biden is going to have to deal with the exact same shit in a different wrapper, just like Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, and Al Gore did, to name only them. Either we circle the damn wagons, or we might as well just give up now and let the editorial page of the New York Times pick our candidates from here on in.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
yes, this, these dudes sound class A weirdos. It’s like a pack of nerds who played way to much Dungeons and Dragons as teens and decided “What America needs is a monarchy!”
A Librarian
Thank you for highlighting this.
In the past 48 hours, I’ve had to push back against family who believed President Biden had dementia and needed to drop out — including one who is a couple of years older than President Biden himself — and the only things that seemed to connect were:
a.) To fully buy into the idea that Biden has to step down would be accepting Republican framing.
b.) Dobbs has dominated so much of voting trends since the ruling came down, and with so many more abortion rights amendments coming through the states, it doesn’t seem like it’s slowing down.
c.) The word about Project 2025 and the Supreme Court immunity decision is starting to spread through more and more channels (especially Black Twitter, but others as well) that more “normie” voters may be more apt to pay attention to and weigh more heavily when considering the possibility of TCFG being put back in the White House.
I did mention Postcards to Voters and Postcards to Swing Voters, as well as Four Directions, as options to pursue if they needed to channel that anxiety into something constructive, but I’m not sure it took. Honestly, I think the only thing that really settled the matter was pledging to vote for whomever — whether President Biden or Vice President Harris (I wasn’t entertaining any other options) — is on the ballot come the fall and working to do what I could to turn out the vote.
It’s gonna be a long four months…
Ohio Mom
@Eric S.: If you are very lucky, you will be sent to a voice mailbox that has space left for a very short message. Most likely you will be told the mailbox is full.
That may also happen if you call during business hours but chances are you’ll be talking to a very young and ignorant intern. You could take this opportunity to teach them some history and political science.
I used to enjoy sharing my accumulated wisdom with them but these days I go from human to enraged ball of fury too quickly.
Jay
@Mai Naem mobile:
“cackle”,
they are pulling out all their best Hillary materiel and reusing it,
it’s supposed to allude that she is a witch.
frosty
@Elizabelle: The Guardian shed one too.
Lynn Dee
@eclare: No. The only way Biden leaves is of his own volition. But that includes his being persuaded to do so by those closest to him and whom he trusts. None of those making noise in the media have a say in it.
But again: he can, and may, choose to leave.
SpaceUnit
@Lynn Dee:
Thank God he knows better.
Chris
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Of course, which is why these media outlets continue to do the dance of disingenuousness instead of just being straight right-wing media outlets.
The owners and top pundits of national media outlets may be Republicans, but their audience isn’t. That means they can’t just come straight out and endorse Trump: they’d shed too many readers/viewers, and the people in places like NYC and DC who want Republicans are already locked in by different outlets anyway.
So they do what they can do: launder right-wing talking points into left-wing audiences, and define the leftmost border of acceptable political discourse.
hotshoe
@Steve in the ATL:
I have loved those puzzles since the first time I saw one. They’re actually my favorite kind of crosswords, because it challenges a bit of brain beside simply knowing the “scrabble dictionary” type of answers.
The local independent paper licenses NYT puzzles to reprint (about two weeks after each puzzle was published in the NYT). Okay, I assume they license them, not simply steal them …
Odie Hugh Manatee
I wrote Rep Val Hoyle to let her office know that any Democrat that calls for Biden to step down will not get my vote of the votes of my wife and kids. We are behind Biden to the finish line and if the Democrats allow themselves to be spooked by Trump, his party and their courtier media flunkies then they are too weak to be in D.C.. Go home if you are that weak and want to cave in.
Wyden and Merkley are next. I know they are not up this year but I have a good memory.
Ohio Mom
@Mai Naem mobile: Harris does have a pronounced and unique laugh. A lot of people have weird laughs.
We know what her laugh sounds like because she is an energetic, upbeat person who is fully engaged in life and finds it easy to tap into her sense of delight. That’s not to say she isn’t also capable of focused seriousness because she is.
What a stupid public discourse we have been pushed into.
Chris
@Lynn Dee:
Like I said after the debate, the people who know best on this are Jill Biden, who knows him better than anyone, and party leaders like Pelosi, Jeffries, and Obama, who know the work he’s going to have to do better than anyone.
If they honestly think that we’ve reached a point where his stepping down would do more good than harm, they’ll do it. And Biden will listen. He doesn’t want to lose this either. So far, they haven’t done it.
(Of course, if they do do it, it’ll be behind closed doors, and the first we hear about it is when it actually happens, because that’s how you handle a situation like this without throwing more fuel onto the fire. The first clue that all the people calling for Biden to step down don’t know what the hell they’re talking about is that they’re doing it out loud. This is not a message you deliver or a strategy you plan through the front pages of the Washington Post).
Lynn Dee
@SpaceUnit: Knows better than to leave? Okay.
FDRLincoln
The 2025 thing has traction. Two non-maga moderate conservative coworkers told me today they will vote the Dem ticket no matter who it is, due to the combination of the fascist Supreme Court decision and the 2025 plan, which I showed them earlier in the week.
SpaceUnit
@Lynn Dee:
Yes, he knows better than to quit the race. What are you suggesting?
Eric S.
@Ohio Mom: I understand and I’ll do so anyway. I hope my contact with COS is better. We’ve met a few times in a professional setting. That may be naive but I’m going to try.
CaseyL
@BR:
Good idea! I’ve just done that with my Senators and Representative.
Mike E
@SpaceUnit: yet another “voice of reason”, we’ve been blessed with them these last several days amirite?
WaterGirl
@Mike E: Total coincidence! :-)
SpaceUnit
@Mike E:
Yeah, I can barely separate the bedwetters from the trolls these days.
M31
@WaterGirl: I saw that movie with my dad when it came out, and for some reason (must have been the waitress outfit, he was used to her in stage mode) he didn’t recognize Aretha! When we left he kept saying, “wow that waitress was something else, she’s going to have a great career”
hahahahaha
I love that scene
Richard Fox
I just don’t see Democrats abandoning Biden after one debate. The interview on ABC was fine except for the idiot interviewer asking a lot of repetitive inane questions. And by ‘fine’ I mean the President. I have faith we’ll get through this moment. Just watch and wait Trump screw up royally in the next couple months. It’s in his nature.
Mike E
@WaterGirl: I suppose this is what we’ll have to expect from now until Nov but is there anything the bloglords can do? I’m sure the drain trap is quite full these days with all the new nyms visiting lately.
CaseyL
@Richard Fox:
SFAICT, Trump’s campaign team is keeping him under wraps. I’m not sure he’s been seen or heard since he claimed that Biden had dropped out of the race.
He’s falling apart, and neither his campaign team nor the MSM wants to reveal that.
Odie Hugh Manatee
I just heard some fucking moron on the radio opining that Biden may have stopped the bleeding but he’s suffering from such a large blood loss that it’s doubtful that he can get the transfusions that he needs so that he can recover. Really, blood, bleeding and blood loss. These fuckers who are in love with their voices need to spend an eternity in a Hell where all they can listen to is everything that they were ever wrong about.
Fucking idiots with Sinclair microphones in front of their faces.
Mike E
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Bleeding from… wherever
Richard Fox
@CaseyL: I trust in his ego rising above his subordinate lackeys to spout off. Also having as yet unknown details of his behavior concerning classified documents coming out. He’s such a dithering asshole. It’s inevitable.
Mike E
Canada squeaks past Venezuela on penalties, on to the semis in the Copa America
Joy in FL
Even with some BJ people caving to the lies of the week/day/minute, this place is mostly a refuge and often encouraging, and I really appreciate it.
I emailed President Biden using the White House site to say I was proudly voting for him, and I donated another small donation to his campaign via ActBlue.
I don’t have words for the contempt I have for people like Senator Warner. Unfortunately where I live, I have no Dem to email or call to express my support for President Biden. Earlier today someone posted a bunch of Sen Warner’s office phone numbers, and I think I am going to call him even though he is not in my state. This is a national issue, so I feel it’s ok to call a Senator who isn’t “mine.”
To everyone who posts positive and true stuff (political or not), and to everyone who posts good faith worry and also stands with our incumbent, Thank You. You help me, and I appreciate being part of our blog. I’m writing this post to contribute appreciation and some positive energy.
Also I have some postcards, and I am going to do some writing in the next few days. You folks who post about that have spurred me to do that, and Thank You : )
WaterGirl, You make a huge difference with the fundraisers and your comments and questions and general order-keeping. Thank You!
Shalimar
The 3 places I have been reading regularly for years have been here, RawStory, and Lawyers, Guns, and Money. The latter 2 have become completely unreadable since the debate. I’m thoroughly disgusted with the media for running this propaganda operation, but right behind that I have lost respect for the Democrats who now spend all their time fucking rats.
I also haven’t listened to MSNBC at all since the debate, and I used to leave it on as background noise 4-5 hours today. Still searching for alternatives to fill my time other than being nauseously politically-engaged.
JCJ
@Mike E: Congrats to America’s hat!
Juju
I just donated to Four Directions. I hope I didn’t miss the angel match. The donation was $25.
Scout211
So it’s still 100 degrees out and we lost power. 😫
I finally got the generator going so we have fans now working. But no A/C. OTOH we now have water and the fridge is running.
Wish me luck.
BeautifulPlumage
@Scout211:
wishing you luck & more luck!
George
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Yep, and both the media and the GOP have been repeating the “Biden is old” thing for pretty much his entire term to get it into the public consciousness, so that when he had a bad moment–which all politicians do–suddenly it was like, “See? See how he is?” It’s kind of like how so many media sources were claiming that a recession is just around the corner. All mental manipulation.
Future historians will have a field day analyzing why so many Americans who can otherwise function within the bounds of normality completely lost their ability for rational thought when it came to politics. Dump the guy who has dedicated his life to public service and democracy, so that the fascist convict can be elected.
It goes beyond cultish behavior and into the realm of brainwashing.
SpaceUnit
@Scout211:
Dang. Good luck.
206inKY
@Damien: “can walk right on out into traffic.” Just lovely. Balloon Juice is now a place where holding a perfectly mainstream opinion within the Democratic Party—that we’re better off with Harris since Biden has poured fuel on his greatest liability and can no longer win—is grounds for wishing that we would kill ourselves. Copy that.
Mike E
@JCJ: that squad has been everything the USWNT squad isn’t. They’re scrappy and play with heart….this Copa tourney threatens to turn into a brawl practically every match and you gotta go in with a shiv in your sock, heh.
Viva BrisVegas
You dance with the one that brung ya.
For another aphorism, changing horses mid stream gets you drowned.
Sister Golden Bear
This. Fucking absolutely this. (Speaking especially as one of the many LGBTQ+ people who’ve been underbussed over the years.) It’s a mugs game and the only way to win is not to play.
Another Scott
@206inKY: The candidates are Biden and Trump.
Those are the choices.
All the rest is commentary.
Eyes on the prizes.
Cheers,
Scott.
Steve in the ATL
@Shalimar:
I have a wife and two daughters who provide this service 24/7. Hey-o!
Sister Golden Bear
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Making the subtext visible.
SpaceUnit
@206inKY:
Fuck off.
I need to skip down to Ace Hardware and buy a can of Troll-B-Gone.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Scout211:
Ouch! Good luck and I hope your weather breaks for the better. I’m clearing up the damage that the 107 degree day did to our poor raspberries and strawberries.
Now I need sunblock for my fruit! Good luck to you and I hope you have a cool night!
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@SpaceUnit:
Please edit this. You don’t mean that
SpaceUnit
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka):
Okay.
Done.
Goku (aka Amerikan Baka)
@SpaceUnit:
Thank you
Steve in the ATL
@Sister Golden Bear: ironically, if she were the percentage white that she is black, she’d never get in a good country club. Yea, racism!
Soprano2
@Scout211: Wow that sucks, I’ll have good thoughts for you.
Soprano2
@206inKY: So I assume nothing in the interview convinced you that Biden is ok. Is there anything that can convince you, or are you dug in on “Biden is too old we need Harris, who would be better even in the face of racism and misogyny, and changing nominees now would highlight that Democrats are weak and feckless”?
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Classic goal post moving. It’s Reason #1,263 why Biden should stay the course cuz anything else won’t be acceptable because…REASONS!
JFC.
different-church-lady
@206inKY: The fact that this has become a “mainstream opinion” in the Democratic party is the very fuckin’ problem.
Soprano2
I do agree with Tom Nichols that Biden should have said “Yeah I’ve lost a step or two, but I’m not a liar or a sociopath. I’m doing the job just fine now, and I can continue to do the job in the future. ” when he was asked if he’s more frail now. He might have said “I’m not frail, but I’ve lost a step or two.”
Citizen Alan
@206inKY:
You need any help climbing up onto that cross or can you get up there by yourself?
206inKY
@Goku (aka Amerikan Baka): Thank you, Goku, for intervening.
NotMax
Enough already.
The more we bandy this Biden going bye-bye meme around here the more we’re doing the Republicans work for them.
Just give it a rest, people.
SpaceUnit
@206inKY:
To paraphrase Chief Brody, you’re going to need a bigger intervention.
Nancy
@Elizabelle: Wise person, thanks for saying that. Years ago, I saw Noam Chomsky speak about corporate control of media, manufactured consent, he termed it. When the news is big business it’s no longer news, it’s infotainment. What a strange concept.
Soprano2
@different-church-lady: I don’t think it’s actually a “mainstream opinion”.
I also think Biden is feeling a little insulted by this whole thing, and it showed a little in that interview. I wish he had asked George “I’m the only candidate who has beaten TCFG. Who do you think would be a better candidate to run against him?”
Jay
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
When we lived in the place, the raised beds where we grew everything had upright 4 x 4’s bolted in at each end, with aircraft cable running between, at different heights.
This was so we could roll out shadecloth in the heat of summer, and cloche cloth, (same thing) in spring and fall to protect against frost.
MinuteMan
@SpaceUnit:
I agree. Al Franken screwed up big time in letting the media and a few backstabbing Dems hound him out of office; what a fool.
Nancy
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Frank Zappa: “I’m the slime oozing out your TV set”
Chris
@Soprano2:
Yeah, this is the thing.
Like I said above, I’m open to being convinced that Biden stepping down is the least bad option here. Namely, by the people who are actually close enough to him and experienced enough in national level politics to have an actually worthwhile opinion on the topic. If Pelosi et al decide that Biden really does need to retire and convince him of it, well, that wouldn’t have been my first instinct, but their judgment on this is better than mine. I will not spend the next four months screaming and wailing that Biden should have stayed (or expressing hurt and puzzlement when other Democrats get sick and tired of listening to me tell everyone that the presidential campaign is Doing It Wrong). If the best Democratic ticket is one without Biden, then I’m there for it.
My problem and my concern with the “Biden must step down” crowd is that it’s become very clear that there’s nothing anyone could do that would address their concerns and convince them to trust him. We already knew Biden had been governing the country perfectly well for three and a half years. “Oh but at that age deterioration sets in fast!” Okay. Here’s a half dozen campaign events he’s made just in the week since the debate looking and behaving perfectly normally. “Oh but those are all scripted and with teleprompters!” Okay. Here’s Biden answering questions from the White House press corps. “Oh but that’s just ad libbing!” Okay. Here’s Biden sitting down for a half hour interview with a hostile reporter. “Oh but…” apparently the narrative being settled on now is “he did fine but it’s not enough!” It just isn’t. Because reasons. Shut up that’s why.
What the fuck will be enough? Apparently nothing.
Ishiyama
It used to be that the silly season for media and politics started in August. I guess global warming has affected that, too. This kerfuffle about the Candidate could not be more idiotic. Lots of voices are speaking without any agency over the decision, marking themselves as lacking all self-awareness of their role in life.
prostratedragon
… Annnnd, Mike Quigley (IL) joins the ranks of those who can just fuck right on off. Note that the bastard has already taken the Dem slot for his seat.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@comrade scotts agenda of rage:
Loomis over at LGM has an all bases covered whine up where he expects the worst if Biden stays in but hopes for the best because that’s what you say right after you kneecap someone for the umpteenth time in the hopes that people don’t think you’re a whiny little drip.
I laugh that Cheryl quit this place for that… ummm… place. I guess it has whatever she’s looking for.
Eolirin
@Elizabelle: Yes that was me.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Jay:
Yup, I was just talking to my wife about the same thing. I guess it’s time to adjust the garden for climate change. Thanks for that!
It gets much hotter and we’ll be growing steamed fruits!
SpaceUnit
@MinuteMan:
For whatever it’s worth, Franken took the hit attempting to preserve some standards for holding public office.
Clearly he was not successful.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Chris:
Goalposts. Moving.
Feature, not a bug. 🤦♀️
206inKY
@different-church-lady: It’s certainly not my doing as an occasional poster on a blog I used to find belonging before the suicide talk and death wishes. Nor is the pressure coming from attention magnets like Sinema and company.
This is a case where the donor class actually has valuable information due to their status the people who interact with Biden in living rooms, and I find it highly telling that they are sounding the alarm in a way that hasn’t happened with any other media-driven freakout in my lifetime.
And yes, I will obviously vote for Biden if he remains on the ticket, I just think we’re infinitely better off with Harris. I think that’s the direction we’re very likely headed, so I hope Biden doesn’t blow through the full war chest in July. I also don’t like the way he implicitly shits on Harris every time he says he’s the only person who can lead the country or beat Trump.
NotMax
@Elizabelle
You don’t bite the hand that feeds the normies. You offer the normies better food.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Citizen Alan:
I think it’s the last nail problem that they need help with. A long walk off of a short pier into a pod of orcas is a good solution.
NotMax
@Odie Hugh Manatee
Podcast!
//
Jay
@Chris:
well, it won’t be kicking 34 Felon Child Molester’s ass at the polls in November. That still won’t stop the “Narrative”.
DrDaveChemist
@WaterGirl: Probably late to the party (as usual) but…
We got to hear ”Blue” Lou Marini in the band last night with James Taylor at Tanglewood. What a great show, and Lou can still play
I know the name Lou Marini because his father (also Lou) did many of the arrangements for my college marching band at Bowling Green State U, in northwest Ohio
I saw Matt “Guitar” Murphy at a club (The Bluebird) in Bloomington, Indiana, while I was in grad school.
All sorts of good memories.
Jay
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Jams and jellies, fresh off the vine, what’s not to like.
Eolirin
@different-church-lady: It hasn’t. It’s still a fringe position.
Eolirin
@Soprano2: He did say that though. At the rally the next day. Or basically that.
206inKY
@SpaceUnit: Please leave me alone. I am stating opinions and not personally attacking you or anyone else. The comment you edited at Goku’s request would get you banned in a lot of places.
Glidwrith
As compromised as the press and the polls are, how do we know the public is actually ignorant of the manipulation they are indulging in?
Black Twitter isn’t swallowing any of the bullshit. We keep seeing reports of commenters on Twitter, FTFYT, WaPo etc all pushing back on the crap being spewed. We’ve been talking to friends and family.
How much of the public really is uninformed about the fascist threat?
Steve in the ATL
@Odie Hugh Manatee:
Damn—were you doing the New Yorker crossword puzzle I referenced earlier?
Uh, spoiler alert!
Jay
@Soprano2:
@different-church-lady:
Far fewer real nyms so far, than took a run at Madam Speaker, how did that work out.
A handful of has-beens or never were’s.
Another handful of “anons” who may or may not exist.
That’s not even close to a kitchen table, a small tent, let alone the majority of a Big Tent.
Geminid
There was a big fireball in the sky over Turkiye last night. Ragip Soylu (@ragipsoylu) posted video from Istanbul, Ankara and another town which he said was the best. The pictures from Istanbul show the Bosporus in the foreground.
different-church-lady
@Jay: Fine: the fact that people are spouting off like this is a “mainstream opinion” in the Democratic party is the very fuckin’ problem.
And too many of them are Democrats.
SpaceUnit
@206inKY:
Troll.
BR
@Glidwrith:
This media nonsense has galvanized me. I think it has galvanized many others.
Nothing can be taken for granted in this election anymore. We have to work hard for every inch of ground and then not retreat from it.
Mike E
@SpaceUnit: pie!
Gretchen
@Mai Naem mobile: Harris’s laugh / Hillary’s cackle- they’re both a way to say icky girl! Don’t need to take her seriously.
Lynn Dee
@Chris:
Exactly. We’re in complete agreement on this.
SpaceUnit
@Mike E:
Yeah, I should.
Russian assholes.
Eolirin
@Glidwrith: This is part of why I think Biden getting pissed at the media in really direct ways has a real chance of rebounding to his benefit. Not only does it make him look strong in a way that the US electorate tends to reward, even if I think it’s kinda bullshit, but the media stranglehold on the information space is much weaker than it used to be.
The campaign has already been modeling its efforts around influencers and relational organizing. That bypasses the major outlets. And that means there’s a base of people who are positioned to push back on this stuff harder than the media is going to be used to.
Angry people are motivated people. They donate more, they volunteer more. They talk (angrily rant) to their friends and family more. Once it’s clear that Biden isn’t going anywhere, the Dem electeds will drop this (and really, fuck them for getting started at all, the above dynamic is completely clear to begin with and they’re opting for media attention at the cost of damaging the party and Biden in particular. Gtfo with that bullshit).
If the media keeps trying to hammer on it, we just need to hammer back. They’ve already got shit credibility and their business models are failing. It won’t take much to completely erode what’s left. It’d be better if they opted not to do that, and started producing content we could support, but if they’re going to engage in this much bullshit, we can burn them to the ground.
WaterGirl
@M31: Funny story! I even love the grease stain on her wAitress uniform.
LanceThruster
Biden’s staying in. Says he’s in it to win it. He’s got Joe-mentum!
A statement from the DNC read, “What part of ‘don’t believe your eyes and ears’ did you not understand?!?”
Alrighty, then.
I’ll be over there rearranging some deck chairs.
[sigh]
Lynn Dee
@SpaceUnit:
Nothing. I have no preferred outcome at this point. I don’t have all the facts, and I don’t expect I ever will. As I said, I just want to beat Trump.
SpaceUnit
@LanceThruster:
That’s the perfect job for you.
SpaceUnit
@Lynn Dee:
Great! Get on board! Welcome.
rikyrah
Badlydone Emma is voting for Joe (@chemimommy) posted at 7:59 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
Here’s the good news: it’s mostly white men that want Biden to drop out, and that’s a demographic that votes in overwhelming majority for Republicans anyway.
We are not losing a voting bloc here.
Onward!!!
(https://x.com/chemimommy/status/1809391756728746156?t=nsReGDwrmVK2NK8MqR243g&s=03)
Lynn Dee
@Eolirin: I *hope* his getting angry redounds to his benefit. When I heard him this evening, I thought it could go either way. Anger can be visionary, but stubbornness short-sighted. I’m not sure which I was hearing.
Lynn Dee
@SpaceUnit: I’ve been on board. But thanks for the welcome. :)
rikyrah
Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) posted at 10:18 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
Holy shit. Lloyd Doggett is on CNN still calling for the president to drop out. When asked if the VP should be the nominee if he did and use the money raised, he says NO. He said she’s NOT entitled to that.
Are you guys paying attention yet?
(https://x.com/ChrisDJackson/status/1809426562803978412?t=dvEr8iGSAi-Yv-ZNfgYGXw&s=03)
prostratedragon
@rikyrah:
From the replies:
rikyrah
The Biden Accomplishments Guy (@What46HasDone) posted at 10:27 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
It continues to be overwhelmingly white men who are trying to push President Biden out of the race. Almost exclusively, except for the assistance of a handful of white women.
(https://x.com/What46HasDone/status/1809428929096089875?t=kL2n4exzfxT9o6HnLCHWqQ&s=03)
BethanyAnne
I love Biden, and I’m looking forward to him kicking Felonious D’s ass in November. I hope to hell he doesn’t listen to anyone wanting him to drop out. He’s been *so* much better of a President than I ever expected. He’s brought us out of the Covid clusterfuck better than any other country. And got us out of Afghanistan. And re-energized labor. And, and, and. Team Joe 100%!
SpaceUnit
@Lynn Dee:
You’re very welcome. Sincerely glad to have you.
Also, being on board means staying on board. This is a fight.
rikyrah
Kaivan Shroff (@KaivanShroff) posted at 10:43 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
So basically a lot of the folks who insisted we get rid of Pelosi as Speaker in 2018…are now insisting we get rid of Biden…do you know how disastrous that would have been? To have some random dude like Seth Moulton at the helm responding to Jan 6th?
(https://x.com/KaivanShroff/status/1809433055993516062?t=bHeEuYpfzFmf7Ykv9–utA&s=03)
Chet Murthy
@prostratedragon: @rikyrah: Grrrrr ….. white man tries to tell Black female VP to siddown and shaddup? It’s a day ending with “y” I guess. Grrrrrrrr. “not entitled” my ass.
rikyrah
Randi White (@RandiWhite) posted at 8:00 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
I adore Kamala and I can’t wait to vote for her in 2028.
If you love Kamala, please stop and think before falling for the okie doke. Ppl aren’t “coming to their senses.” They’re trying to lure you into comfort as they ditch her this year and we’re fucked.
Be smarter.
(https://x.com/RandiWhite/status/1809391857442406868?t=QIM-_p_15zkgo5g8nDd-Jg&s=03)
Glidwrith
@BR:
@Eolirin: I’m more than ready to light the fuse on their funeral pyre.
I have also recruited my two now-adult children, both who can now vote in the general election, to start writing Postcards to Voters. They also have extended friends through social media and I have asked that they start activating their networks.
The youngs outnumber the olds. I’ve told them repeatedly, if they want their future they can seize it. Forward!!!
Odie Hugh Manatee
@NotMax:
If they want to podcast I’d be more than happy to cast them into a pod of orcas.
I’d even subscribe to that!
Jay
@different-church-lady:
here, a handful of old Nyms are pearl clutching. Apparently even spices arn’t Democratic enough. They did the same when the 6 took a run at Madam Speaker. Habit I guess.
A bunch of new Nyms have popped up, most claiming either lurker status or Always Democratic.
Well, I am 6’8, have an 8 pack and a Canadian Girlfriend who is so hot, and real, (don’t tell my Canadian Metis Wife of 30 years),….
Stay Calm and Chia On.
We have know for years there were snakes inside the Big Tent.
Funny, fewer than on the other side of the aisle.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Steve in the ATL:
Nope, I don’t do puzzles but really? That’s funny!
rikyrah
The Biden Accomplishments Guy (@What46HasDone) posted at 8:57 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
No political party in the world allows it’s elected members to shit on its leadership without consequence.
Sorry we’re not gonna sit by quietly while a handful of elites try to throw a coup to overturn the will of the voters.
(https://x.com/What46HasDone/status/1809406293385384188?t=wQToeExHLD1UGcXkuez8Rw&s=03)
Jay
@rikyrah:
BTW, thank you for commenting here. Always good.
rikyrah
Hopey_70 (@Hopey_70) posted at 9:48 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
The way the media is picking and choosing which Biden events to critique him is whack.
They have virtually said nothing about the NC rally, the 2 interviews with black media, 4th of July, & the WI rally
today.
All the criticisms have been focused on the ABC interview.
(https://x.com/Hopey_70/status/1809419053204906307?t=zmfHygoDMzPS9qrXw1GnbA&s=03)
Steve in the ATL
@Jay: it’s actually plausible that you would have a Canadian girlfriend….
prostratedragon
I was noticing that overlap this evening. Ans since the primaries are over, we’re pretty much locked in with these chuckle fucks to keep the House majority.
Adam Goldberg:
Odie Hugh Manatee
@LanceThruster:
Find an anchor instead. Grab onto it when it drops.
rikyrah
Rev. & Prof. Cornell William Brooks (@CornellWBrooks) posted at 9:01 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
After a weak debate, Biden gave a strong interview. And yet many seek to retire BOTH Biden & Harris. Black women have saved democracy consistently & the Democratic Party serially. IF Black women are disrespected, BOTH the Democratic nominee & perhaps democracy are DOA on Nov 5th. https://t.co/HgG6qiMXgd
(https://x.com/CornellWBrooks/status/1809407270234566848?t=O9l77EYj5uH1BaF2Jk_pTQ&s=03)
Steve in the ATL
@rikyrah: elderly white Texas man has terrible ideas for democrats? Shocking!
gwangung
@Chris: As I’ve said before, for some people, the matter is unfalsifiable. There is no key evidence, no amount of evidence that could convince them other wise.
Soprano2
@Eolirin: Yes, but I meant he should have said it in the interview tonight.
I’m sure many of you have noticed that this idiocy seems to be preventing the press from talking about TCFG raping a minor, at least according to the Epstein files. That’s why he said they’re full of fake stuff (saw that on a Seth Myers repeat tonight). It’s crazy, one guy had a bad debate performance and the other one raped a minor, but the press only cares about the bad debate.
Soprano2
@Jay: When people start saying this stuff with their name attached I’ll believe it. A person deep into dementia couldn’t have given that interview Biden did tonight, or campaign and travel like he has the past year.
Geminid
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Rofer cross-posts her stuff to her own site, Nuclear Diner, so the state of LGM as a whole might not matter much to her; it’s just another platform. I think she’s also on Blue Sky.
rikyrah
Propane Jane is THE TRUTH.
Her threads on this are top shelf
Propane Jane™ 🔥💣 (@docrocktex26) posted at 5:02 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
It’s not so much that the “cut-and-runs” don’t trust Biden/Harris in 2024, it’s that they didn’t (still don’t) trust the *predominantly Black woman base of the Democratic Party* who ultimately chose BOTH halves of the winning 2020 ticket. They never wanted US to be the deciders.
(https://x.com/docrocktex26/status/1809347145754947626?t=srlP5j_9Alw66LsUkTeGtQ&s=03)
West of the Rockies
@prostratedragon:
Is Trump doing anything meanwhile? Meeting with governors? Having a tough interview with a legit news source?
Soprano2
@rikyrah: I don’t think they even know he did those interviews on black radio. I guess they don’t count. 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄
Soprano2
@West of the Rockies: No, of course not, and none of them are wringing their hands about how bad that is because they want him back as president so their lives will be exciting again.
laura
@rikyrah: I just read her thread on Ragnorak Lobster’s nitter feed and it was spot on- better than Dave Roberts’ in my opinion.
Lloyd Doggett and his fellow travelers can all shit in their hand and clap.
Jay
@West of the Rockies:
Raping a 13 year old?
Forcing 12 year old girls to have lesbian sex?
Trying to sleep with another porn star, rumours say it’s Ron Jeremy,
Selling the top secret files he had moved to Bedminster?
Parking his jet between a UAE Government Jet and a ruZZian Government jet on a tarmac for 8 hours of “meetings”?
Splitting Image
@West of the Rockies:
Well, I watched a video the other day of him
golfingriding around in a golf cart, bragging about how his masterful debate performance knocked Biden out of the race and Harris is the nominee now.As Humphrey Appleby would say, this seems to be somewhat at odds with the facts insofar as they can reasonably be ascertained at the present juncture.
Someone linked to it here first, but I also saw it at Daily Beast and the Guardian. Not on the New York Times, though. Strange, since it seems to be the sort of thing they are interested in.
He was also shitposting on his dumb social media site, whining about how nobody is talking about him and his debate performance, probably the greatest in the history of presidential debates.
prostratedragon
@West of the Rockies:
It has seemed quiet, so I actually decided to check a little. There’s this 4th of July message, displaying his usual pithy eloquence. Next he strenuously denied any association with Project 2025, or the personal aides to him by whom it was planned, or any inks, papers, or pixels used to create a record of it. Thank you to Ron Filipkowski for the filter.
rikyrah
VoteHeaux™; A creole banjee bitch from ⚜️ (@voteheaux) posted at 11:05 PM on Fri, Jul 05, 2024:
Y’all—it’s not Joe’s age they’re afraid of; it’s Kamala. Full stop. No one can convince me otherwise.
Cause if Biden’s VP were a man, they would be saying “well, if he can’t get to the end of his second term, at least we have [Insert pale hope here] to lead us.”😐 #VoteHeaux™ https://t.co/xB4iPzN2HY
(https://x.com/voteheaux/status/1809438530650648757?s=02)
prostratedragon
NYT poaching on Pitchbot’s territory, UK edition
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Again, part of that “perfectly mainstream opinion” from these rock solid Democrats (who were sadly forced to vote for Trump five times), is Harris has to go too because of Biden’s debate performance.
Pay attention please.
gwangung
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: The “white” part is once again silent. And the view from the majority of Black Democratic politicians diverge from these folks. Given the pragmatism of Black leaders, I don’t think enough people wonder why.
Shalimar
@Odie Hugh Manatee: LGM’s annual fundraiser was a few weeks ago and they were having a lot more trouble than normal getting to their goal. This was before they went all-in on the anti-Biden bias. I read Loomis over the last few days begging people to get along as him realizing that all of his negative behavior is costing him money and viewers. He wants to continue his trolling because it makes him happy, but it also bothers him that people get offended and leave.
Jay
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
I miss the days when we attracted a better class of trolls.
You know:
long time lurker, first time commenter,……….
Vague personal stuff,…..
My cat/dog is sick,……..
Established their Nym, as “human” then started trolling.
Zeck’s.
Now they just jump in.
And badly.
Must be some of those “ruZZian” jobs immigrants are taking.
Steve in the ATL
@Jay: where is Jurassic Pork these days?
Shalimar
@rikyrah: That is what I have been saying for 3 1/2 years, but I liked Harris better than Biden to begin with (Warren was the other 2020 candidate I really liked). Biden has been a wonderful surprise as our leader, but it’s a team of thousands of appointees and I have complete faith that Harris can lead it effectively if necessary.
Jay
@Steve in the ATL:
Only Fans.
Shitter, “nudes in bio”.
Apparently they have a bad Porn Hub addiction as well.
Shalimar
@Steve in the ATL: I saw something he wrote on Twitter a few months ago. He still has his own blog. Probably still a day or two from getting evicted if you can’t help him out.
Chet Murthy
@Shalimar: I guess we might find out how many Dems / Dem voters are racist and misogynist under cover of darkness. Gonna be interesting times, as we all ride that handcart to hell, our Republic going to pieces, b/c these Dems are afraid of a Black woman President.
I’m convinced that if Biden isn’t the nominee, we’re more likely to lose. But if it isn’t Biden or Harris, oh hell the odds get a lot worse for our Republic.
Mike E
Beau of the 5th column has thoughts about the interview with George The Remora.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
A bunch of white “liberals” demanding a black woman resign over something a white man did has to one of the most totally NOT racist things I have ever seen.
Chet Murthy
@Mike E: heh, nice one. Esp this little bit: https://youtu.be/Q7i9Z-veBd4?t=370
Enhanced Voting Techniques
@Jay: There is a good chance a lot of these are media victims and been brain washed by the friendly magical head in the TV box.
Do note how many of them are basically quoting someone else.
lol chikinburd
@Odie Hugh Manatee: @Shalimar: Lemieux’s best defense of his behavior is that it has no effect. Prosecution rests, Your Honor.
LGM has some good eggs — Rofer, Shakezula, Farley usually, Abigail Nussbaum — and so I’ve still read the site prior to this episode, but their core validate my decision never to have given them a cent.
NotMax
@Splitting Image
Wonder if he realizes that golf cart is … electric.
Also too he made a new video of himself hawking that crappy Bible.
@Steve in the ATL
Bite. Thine. Tongue.
Odie Hugh Manatee
If you think about it a bit, the wealthy people who have bought up most of the mainstream freedom of the press outlets are losing their shit because of Kamala Harris being second in line. It’s like they know that Biden is going to stomp a mudhole in Felonoius T’s fat orange ass in November. They know that if that happens then there is a chance that Biden could have a serious health incident where Kamala takes the reins and he retires (if he is still alive after the health incident).
They are going to the full court press because they need to cover their bases if their control of media and the hinky polling don’t do enough damage to him and his voters before November. They would rather have Trump than a black woman as President because he’s more like them than she is.
Color-wise. Of course. This angry white male voter says that if they take Biden out to appease whoever, I’m writing him in no matter what. As is the rest of my family. If Biden passes, heaven forbid, we’re writing in Harris.
Shalimar
@Chet Murthy: Others have stated my feelings on the issue. It’s fine if Biden steps down for whatever reason as long as Harris is the one who replaces him. But this is something decided behind closed doors, not in a public pressure campaign led by the media. The damage being done to Democratic chances in November is by the campaign itself. It doesn’t even matter whether it is effective or not. It’s a war and they are shooting their own side instead of the enemy.
Chet Murthy
@Shalimar:
Succinct and well put.
wil
I did not watch the debate. I did watch some of the interview with Stephanapoulos. (sp)
I don’t think Biden can beat Trump at this point. He does not come across as forceful at all. He reminds me of my grandpa, demonstrating that he gets it, and showing by his need to demonstrate that he gets it that he does not, in fact, get it. Being overly pleased with himself when he gets something right. Being a little too irritated that someone would dare to question him when he doesn’t get something right.
Calling Trump a liar and saying he lied “27 or 28 times during the debate…well, more than 20 times”….who cares. Everybody knows Trump is a liar. Say Trump is a convicted felon. Say Trump has been convicted of fraud. Say he is a convicted rapist (leave it to the Trump camp to explain how because of New York law, he is actually an ‘adjudicated sexual assaulter’ instead of a convicted rapist, technically speaking.). Say Trump belongs in prison…that he is running to stay out of prison.
Calling Trump a liar at this late date is very weak sauce considering all the other things Trump is. Is that really all we can expect? Defending your record in a weak, quavering voice and calling Trump a liar?
I was against the idea of replacing Biden…but I hadn’t seen the debate or anything else political all week until this interview.
I’ve never been a gung-ho Kamala supporter, though she was my first choice in 2020, but I no longer believe Biden can beat Trump. He seems to think it is about showcasing his own record and reminding us that the other guy is a liar. We need someone who can do a lot more than just that.
For people who seem to just refuse to consider the idea that maybe Biden just can’t win against Trump, if there is another debate in September and Biden does just as badly….what are you going to be telling us then?
Shalimar
@Odie Hugh Manatee: I agree with all of this, and I also think this is about 2028. If Biden/Harris wins, Kamala is the overwhelming favorite to be the nominee next time. For someone like Newsom, sabotaging Biden so he loses or so he quits and Harris loses is better for their personal future.
Newsom to his credit has said the right things. But I have no doubt some of these anonymous Democratic sources criticizing Biden are members of our professional campaign class who expect to work for Newsom or one of the other contenders in the future.
Thor Heyerdahl
I woke up Saturday morning in Guam with CNN on screaming about “Campaign in Crisis”. Almost caused me to barf up my breakfast.
The white media and billionaire class have their ass on the scale and the orange shart marks just won’t wash out.
Is this not the perfect election for Dark Brandon to stare down and laugh at the pile of ashes that others have made for him?
Darkrose
@Scout211: I’m so sorry! It’s been in the triple digits here in the Central Valley; hope you get power back soon! Stay safe.
rikyrah
@Damien:
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
NotMax
@Shalimar
I’ve never gotten the argument behind supposed inevitability. History says otherwise.
Although many have tried, the nation has elected a sitting vice president only twice. Van Buren and G.H.W. Bush. Harris in’28 would be swimming against as strong tide.
(I omit John Adams and Jefferson because the 1796 and 1800 elections were held before the modern electoral vote process, as amended in 1804. Prior to that the elected Prez and Veep could well be from different parties.)
Odie Hugh Manatee
@wil:
Not that it is any of your fucking business but what I’m sticking with is Biden. Theory-craft all you want, that’s isn’t going to change.
How about this… vote for Biden or give it up for Trump. There’s your choices. Don’t bother responding, I’m done.
Odie Hugh Manatee
@Thor Heyerdahl:
Yes. If he wins this fall he’s going to have the choice to have a lot of fun fucking with the assholes who called for him to quit.
Our professional presstitutes who serve big money for their own big money are the enemy, along with Felonious D and his mob.
Eyes on the prize and fuck the Tonya Harding Democrats with rusty farm implements.
Odie Hugh Manatee
LGM is in a fine froth, again. Fucking self-important assholes who want to be right so bad that they are out there joining in on the clubbing of Biden like he’s a baby seal.
The place is mostly trolls and people who think they are smarter than the trolls. Every once in a while there is a good comment but it’s mostly fart sniffers and ratfuckers.
Shalimar
@NotMax: I would argue VPs were non-entities before Eisenhower, picked to balance tickets and appease factions of the party rather than being people considered possible future presidential candidates. Starting with Eisenhower, the VP for 2-term presidents is usually the next nominee for his party, whether they win or mostly lose. The exception was Cheney, and that administration was so tarnished at the end that Bush wasn’t even invited to the 2008 convention.
edit: Also Biden, who chose not to run in 2016 for several reasons. I think he would have beaten Hillary, though I would have voted for her.
Darkrose
@Shalimar: I was kicking in a few bucks via Patreon to them. I cancelled today after Campos went full Bill Frist with Terri Schiavo, insisting that Biden has Parkinsons because his legal professor medical degree and a bunch of anonymous doctors say so. The male front pagers on that site have completely lost the plot.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
I see, Biden is both too nice and too mean at the very same time.
hehe, you don’t even see the contradiction you got going here.
How about you turn off the TV? Maybe you can even learn how to communicate n your words instead of regurgitating someone else’s.
Mousebumples
@Joy in FL: thanks for postcarding! I believe there’s a Postcards to Voters campaign for a FL school board race right now!
@Glidwrith: thank you for postcarding, and recruiting more people to the cause!
wil
@Odie Hugh Manatee: How about you let me have my opinion and you have yours without being so nasty about it. I likely have more political experience than you do and my question is entirely valid.
At what point do you admit what’s becoming obvious to everybody?
After more interviews where Biden’s goal is to show he is minimally competent with a friendly interviewer? After his next big disaster? After the September debate when it truly will be too late to change course? After he falls again….on stage, on some stairs, on his bike, somewhere else?
Or would you rather just lose the election before you admit you’re wrong?
wil
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Saying Biden is not forceful is not the same as saying he is ‘too nice’
Saying Biden comes across as a little too irritated at being questioned is also not the same as saying he is ‘too mean’
Perhaps English classes would be a good idea for you.
Don’t be so sensitive that people have real concerns and real beliefs that Biden is not up to the job of beating Trump.
It’s a real and valid viewpoint, as real and valid as yours.
Chet Murthy
@wil: “I likely have more political experience”
relevant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you%27re_a_dog
wil
@Chet Murthy: Indeed. There are a lot of angry people in here who seem to think they know everything and don’t realize that it’s the Internet and nobody knows they are a dog.
They seem to be so angry at the suggestion that Biden can no longer beat Trump and doesn’t appear to be getting better that they’d rather see Trump win than admit they might not be right.
I’ve seen a lot of presidential campaigns and blaming the media for all the problems in a campaign is what losing campaigns do.
Biden is not showing that the debate was a one-off bad night. Being able to hold campaign events or do friendly interviews only proves a bare minimum level of competence, which is not enough at this time.
SpaceUnit
@wil:
Thanks for all the advice, friend.
And blow it out your ass.
ETA: Also, here in the US we don’t capitalize the word internet. Apparently it’s a russian thing.
ETA 2: Nobody knows they are a dog? How long have you been working at the Kremlin?
Ksmiami
I’m hoping that ppl decide the best course of action rn. That said, Biden’s campaign needs better overall messaging for the duration. I thought by now, we’d be seeing more unified marketing etc but I haven’t seen much- am I missing something?
wil
@SpaceUnit: Capitalizing or not capitalizing Internet has nothing to do with country. How ridiculous. America is a big country. You aren’t the grammar police for all of us.
More and more Democrats will be calling for Biden to bow out. Try to calm down and watch him and ask yourself if he can really beat Trump at this point, when ‘winning’ for Biden has been reduced to simply getting through an interview without blowing it.
If that’s really where he’s at, do you honestly believe he will win against Trump?
Take an honest look at it from outside of your bunker.
SpaceUnit
@wil:
Comrade, your shitty russian accent bleeds all through your text. It’s a mess.
Take some more English lessons.
wil
@SpaceUnit: Calling people who disagree with you Russian isn’t winning any arguments, son.
The people who believe Biden can’t win against Trump are as American as you are.
It’s a valid viewpoint that seems to just make you angry, but nevertheless, it’s a valid view.
SpaceUnit
@wil:
But you’re not American. So fuck off.
wil
@SpaceUnit: Same to you. You’re not American.
Mousebumples
Remember pie is good for trolls. 🪄
SpaceUnit
@wil:
K. Tell yourself that while you’re giving Vlad a knobber.
Marmot
@George: I cordially welcome you to shut the fuck up, George. You don’t know the future.
Slightly_peeved
@Shalimar:
I vaguely remember seeing when they posted a bunch of messages about raising funds. Didn’t they have some front page posts written by ChatGPT?
I suppose I’d be ok with $10 a month to read LGM. Do I give them my bank details, or do they mail me a cheque?
SpaceUnit
@Mousebumples:
I know. But sometimes it’s fun.
I’m going to bed.
Slightly_peeved
@SpaceUnit:
If you’re not sure you’re a dog, better stay away from RFK Jr.
wil
@Mousebumples: Millions of your fellow Democrats are honestly worried that Biden isn’t up to beating Trump, and are moving beyond worry to some level of certainty.
Claiming that we are all trolls or (for the dumber folks) that we are all Russians doesn’t change that.
Mousebumples
@SpaceUnit: hey, your call.
I just refreshed the thread, saw like 10 new comments… 9 of which were pied.
You spends your time how you want. Not worth it for me.
Gene
DONATE
pointofview
@Mousebumples
Millions of your fellow Democrats are honestly worried that Biden isn’t up to beating Trump, and are moving beyond worry to some level of certainty.
Claiming that we are all trolls or (for the dumber folks) that we are all Russians doesn’t change that.
Have a good night sticking your fingers in your ears and going ‘lalalalala-I-don’t-hear-things-I-don’t-like’
wil
Some people here are so set on Biden that they’d rather stick their fingers in their ears and go “lalalalalala-I-can’t-hear-things-I-don’t-like” than admit that Biden is faltering and failing, and a faltering and failing candidate CAN NOT BEAT TRUMP.
It’s unfortunate, but it’s true.
Elizabelle
@Odie Hugh Manatee: Presstitutes is right. Disgusted with them, and the feeding frenzy.
TBone
@wil: blow it out yer ass. I spent the last two hours reading the most critical, the most insulting critiques of President Biden, as well as the most profoundly orgasmic crowing about this wedge splitting our party.
La la la motherfucker. We’re not deaf, dumb, or blind. President Biden is gonna beat the pants off of the opposition or die trying. Suck on that.
Aussie Sheila
@206inKY:
You need to grow a spine or eff off.
If you can’t see what is happening here you are either stupid, a troll or both.
The preselected ticket is Biden/Harris.
That’s it.
That’s what standing between what’s left of US democracy after the USSC and the anti democratic press and broadcast media.
Either get on board for the ride, or step aside.
I’m confident Australia will survive four years of a US madman. We have done it before and our Ambassadors are second to none in stroking US Congressional egos for good and bad.
We also have the biggest and best aircraft carrier in the world. It’s called a continent that spans the Pacific and Indian Oceans.
Nevertheless, the irresponsibility of the US msm and the objective weakness of US political Parties means it’s pedal to the metal for a broad enough front that no fascist bastard can get through.
Chris Johnson
@wil: Is it REALLY a good use of your time to start a new nym just to be a dick? Nobody holds your opinions in reality. It’s just canned doomer stuff.
Shouldn’t you go back to an older nym that might’ve been having a rough time with their trolling, rather than jump right in and get pied? I honestly don’t see the utility.
Or are you DougJ? Is this a bit?
Chris Johnson
@wil: https://bsky.app/profile/stephenwebb.bsky.social/post/3kw6otp7opm2x
The only reason this nonsense is happening is because, in the current political climate with the backlash and all the ballot initiatives, it seems like ANY Dem can and will beat Trump.
It’s actually really impressive that so FEW of the Democrats in office right now are fighting for the prize. It’s a lay-up, an extraordinarily difficult thing to fuck up. Media are trying to fuck it up as they’re working for Trump, but it’s weird and kind of cool how FEW Dems are fighting to be the one who gets to run against Trump, Dobbs, Chevron, Immunity etc.
If you’re making a big noise about how doomed we are because it will be so tough to beat Trump, you’re either making it the fuck up or you’re high. The real challenge, and it’s a worthy one, is rebuilding and fixing the damage that’s already been done. And that’s well underway. Democrats plan and build and fix broken shit.
Trump is broken shit. They have to literally hide him to even pretend there’s a ‘race’.
EarthWindFire
@Lynn Dee: It’s perfectly possible to have concerns about Biden. As this post points out, it’s perfectly insane to think that wearing that as a hair shirt or transitioning to someone else is going to go better than keeping Biden on the ticket.
K-Mo
@Lynn Dee: I’m with you. I read through the first 24 comments and they were just dripping with straw man arguments and misdirection, violent rantings and congratulations thereof. At 25 you have quietly asserted sanity. I’ll skip the rest.
The point of the rant from up above boils down to one central premise, held deeply to be an unquestionable fact: that Joe Biden is our best bet to beat Trump in the 2024 election. Maybe that’s true, but not much of an argument is made for it here. Mostly it’s doom and gloom about a potential Harris campaign, consisting of a series of overconfident assertions about how it would play out. Again, maybe these visions are right, but I don’t find the argument very flushed out. Yes the media is bad, yes the party is fractured, yes the public has a lot of biases. But these are obstacles that a Biden campaign faces too. In the end, it chooses catharsis over the hard work of serious analysis.
Jinchi
That’s already started:
Laughably, she suggests Kamala Harris drop out of contential so that the 82 year old Joe Biden can be replaced by the (entirely uncontroversial) 76 year old Hillary Clinton.
EarthWindFire
@wil: Then what is enough and who brings it? Give us a list, using your political experience. FSM knows the democratic politicians and consulting class have yet to do so.
EarthWindFire
@Jinchi: Aw, Kathleen, your born and bred South Cackalackee racism is showing. The country club doesn’t like it when you say the quiet part out loud, dear.
WaterGirl
See lots of new nyms in this thread.
Welcome to all new commenters who are here in good faith!
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@lol chikinburd:
Hmmm, let’s see, I wake up this morning and determine whether or not I want to send LGM some money or take that same amount, go out in the alley behind the house and set it on fire.
The latter is a better use of the money. Glad to see others who’ve never given them a dime or have now stopped.
WaterGirl
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: If those are the only two options you are considering, may I perhaps recommend the thermometer in the sidebar as a potential third option? :-)
JoeyJoeJoe
@Jinchi: I remember Parker from 2000. She was one of the reporters pushing the “Al Gore is a serial liar “ narrative, and when asked about the effect her “reporting “ was having on the election, she responded , “that’s his (Gore’s) problem “. She has been full of shit for decades.
Subsole
@Lynn Dee: He hasn’t been keeping it shut at all.
The media-ocrities have been ignoring his blather.
Subsole
@Soprano2: Right?
If I were Republican, I’d like to think I’d be pissed at the insinuation that I don’t care about my candidate raping a 12 year old.
Subsole
@Splitting Image:
Jesus, that dumb motherfucker can’t even realize they’re doing him a favor.
Like, how do you go through life that fucking stupid…
Barry
@WaterGirl: “Oh, and we have $550 left on the $1,000 Angel Match from Rafl. (I don’t know how many years I read that name as Ralf, and I imagine I am not the only one?)”
Would you please front page a link?
Thank you!
Barry
@206inKY: bye now!