I seriously can’t take anymore of the “what if Biden stuff”. Some Democrats have apparently moved past shooting ourselves in the (collective) foot to shooting ourselves somewhere even more critical.
Joe Biden says he’s in it. He says he’s not stepping down. A bunch of nameless people are gossiping to the media and it appears that a whole bunch of smart people are gobbling it right up.
In this moment, I surely wish I hadn’t gone to Catholic grade school where the nuns drummed into us that you can’t take the name of the Lord in vain, because otherwise I would be talking about Jesus Christ right now, with the middle name of Fucking.
Anyway, at least I can listen to Trae Crowser who is making a shitload of sense.
h/t M31 who mentioned the Liberal Redneck, so I went looking for it on YouTube.
Open fucking thread.
Rusty
Get with the program or get out of the way. Biden is going to be the candidate, there is no more time for pissing and moaning.
Elizabelle
Big article in the WaPost right now. Biden will roll out ideas for Supreme Court reform. Includes term limits and an ethics code.
Damien
I’ve been offline reading books and working out, so forgive me for this:
We’re STILL FUCKING TALKING ABOUT THIS?!
We’re living in the Whiner Republic over here.
Elizabelle
@Damien: Thank you. And I have enjoyed your comments.
clay
@Elizabelle: It’ll be fun when the GOP comes out against having ethics.
Ksmiami
I wrote to democratic headquarters and told them to tell these so called unnamed sources to stop fucking undermining our ticket
M31
@Elizabelle:
oh yeah — WaPo link
next is 15 Justices, starting next week
Lapassionara
Biden has been the most pro-labor president in decades. If re-elected, he will continue to support NATO, he will continue to fight global climate change, and he will likely be the person to appoint the replacements for Thomas and Alito.
Trump, on the other hand, will tank the economy with his ludicrous tariffs, will withdraw from NATO, will undo whatever climate mitigating actions he does not like, and he will appoint more Leonard Leo fans to the Supreme Court. Young people will especially be hurt by Trump’s policies.
Elizabelle
Yes. Fifteen justices!
I can see Biden getting fileted as the messenger for term limits, but we need them on the USSC. And do you think federal judgeships should be lifetime?
PS: thanks for supplying the link. I’m on my phone.
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
I went to Catholic school as well. My favorite story a nun ever told me starts with her driving Mother Superior. As they’re driving, someone cuts her off in traffic.
“God damn it,” she says, “Jesus Christ,” et c.
She then turns to Mother Superior to apologize for taking the Lord’s name in vain. Mother Superior simply states that those are the most sincere prayers most people ever say.
TBone
@Elizabelle: oh what a wonderful world 🌎 🎶💜😘
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rBrd_3VMC3c
Damien
@Elizabelle: I really appreciate that, as I’ve long enjoyed yours as well 😊
It just is insane to me that people seem to think complaining and wishcasting is the same thing as putting in the work. Democracy ain’t a spectator sport.
mrmoshpotato
I hate this timeline, and it doesn’t make want to cut down on drinking.
schrodingers_cat
What’s up with Schiff?
Elizabelle
@Ksmiami: Good job! May they not remain anonymous, either.
Trollhattan
About Biden time if this really happens. Here’s hoping, and let’s watch some SCOTUS pates ‘splode.
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
It is worth noting that even the most stalwart tendency toward pragmatism can lead to jackassery of the highest order.
Trollhattan
@mrmoshpotato: Gawd would not have made summertime beer so tasty if He did not intend its use as such.
Trollhattan
@schrodingers_cat:
Senate run.
chrisanthemama
Liberal Redneck is the pure, uncut *shit* (in the very best sense of the word).
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
That should get some asses in the voting booths. People aren’t happy with their government, I’m sure many would love a guarantee we can hold office-holders accountable.
M31
Starting to see some clips of Joe’s speech to the NAACP convention, he sounds strong — hoarse, as usual.
“Truman said you want a friend in Washington, get a dog. Guess what? After the last couple of weeks, I know what he means“
schrodingers_cat
@Trollhattan: How is dissing Biden publicly useful for a senate run?
Eyeroller
@Elizabelle: The SC is very unpopular now so I think this move is pretty safe.
This is a huge move for Joe, who has always been cautious about these kinds of big changes. Of course Congress would have to go along (eyerollling) but let’s get that on the table.
I am so tired of the panic and undercutting and rumormongering. This time in 2012 Obama and Romney were tied in the polls. Biden and Trump are currently tied. Why the panic? We do have a fairly large “undecided” and 3rd-party vote in the polls compared to July 2012, but we should be able to deal with that.
I also heard that RFK Jr’s son leaked the video of him negotiating a job in the Trump administration that he hopes to facilitate. Probably HHS Secretary.
M31
this is great, “Folks, I know what a Black job is. It’s the Vice President of the United States!”
lol that got some cheers
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@schrodingers_cat: Donors and partisan power brokers too elite to worry about voters clearly have his ear.
Eyeroller
@schrodingers_cat: Especially in California. Tester or Brown I could understand, and I would give them a pass, but WTF with Schiff? What did he say?
Mike E
@schrodingers_cat: white man’s veto, it’s ubiquitous
NutmegAgain
“fake, full of shit pretentious douchebag carpet bagging motherfucker”
Succinct and to the point.
schrodingers_cat
@Eyeroller: Schiff said, I think if he is our nominee, we lose.
More at this link
Trollhattan
@schrodingers_cat:
https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/07/steve-garvey-us-senate-fundraising/
guachi
@Rusty:
This is the entire case for Biden: “shut up, shut up, shut up”. It is not persuasive. It will convince none of the fence sitters that think Biden is too old. It does nothing to generate enthusiasm.
I am a hardcore Democrat who voted for a dead guy because he was the Democrat. You have not convinced me at all. After 20 years in the military I was looking forward to actively joining a campaign
But I have no desire to work with people whose attitude is “shut up, shut up, shut up”, call me a bitch, a traitor, and wish me dead simply for siding with the plurality of Democrats who want a different candidate.
Mike E
@Eyeroller: I hope he gets the Paul Gosar treatment from his immediate family, the rest of the Kennedy clan have shunned him.
prostratedragon
On the subject, one of my favorite, or at least most useful, lyrics:
At more length,
Eyeroller
@schrodingers_cat: He could have kept his opinion to himself.
Somewhere I saw on Nitter (I can’t do X/Twitter but may be forced to sign up) said Schiff basically said “We can’t fight the media narrative and they’ve decided Trump will win.” Is that what it sounded like?
I guess he’s the exact kind of “don’t be pathetic” Democrat Josh Marshall was railing against.
Bupalos
That crowder thing is WOW. I didn’t think about how J.D. VampireToy was teed up for this….WOW.
Mike E
@prostratedragon: good stuff, I hope someone posts the unrolled version… here’s another part:
Bupalos
@Eyeroller: I guess you’re not actually up on Marshall’s analysis in general. You’d be slagging him as a troll Vichy surrender monkey if you actually bothered with his content beyond what the algorhythm selected for you.
Old School
@guachi: I guess you can vote for whoever you want to in November.
But on the other hand, you haven’t convinced me Biden needs to drop out.
Can we call it a draw now?
Percysowner
I really don’t understand the older Party politicians. Don’t they remember Thomas Eagleton? Because I sure do. For you yougsters, Eagleton was chosen to be McGovern’s Vice President. After he was on the ticket, it was disclosed that he had suffered and been treated, by electric shock, for depression. There was a huge dispute as to how to handle this. McGovern said he would stand by Eagleton 1000%, but in the end Eagleton resigned after McGovern asked him to. This set off another controversy, because McGovern was seen as not standing by his word. Now, there was no way McGovern was going to win in 1972, but dropping Eagleton didn’t help.
This is worse. We VOTED for Joe, knowing he was old. He had ONE bad night. If we were Republicans we would be rallying around Joe so hard that you could see the rally from space. I’m only 71, surely Pelosi and Schumer can remember this as well. Since Joe wont, and shouldn’t leave the race, it’s time to support him and stop the leaks.
Geminid
@Bupalos: That video will be widely shared. Crowder has a substantial following particularly among his own demographic.
bbleh
I tend to agree about JDVance — he’s a Nazi mini-Me who adds nothing except Rust-Belt residence, and (1) I dunno how much that counts for these days, and (2) OH is assumed red anyway.
And re Biden Must Go, there is quite a lot of angst and sturm und drang and I’m sure other scary-sounding German words and phrases at LGM. Apparently at least that chunk of the rank and file have not fallen in line appropriately, and the Experts are feeling the heat. (Judging from the sharp fall-off in Biden-Must-Go stories in the MSM even before the All-American Shooting, one wonders whether perhaps something similar occurred even in the rarefied air of the executive suites.) Anyway, Rofer’s post is a breath of fresh air, as usual.
Pretty sharp of ol’ Joe to take some public potshots at the Supremes btw.
Mike E
guachi and bupalos are thread wrecking trolls, pass it on.
karen marie
@guachi: You’re not a Democrat, you’re a fucking WATB. Go play with your friends in the GOP.
Elizabelle
@Percysowner: Well said!!
Jackie
Gaetz confronts Keven McCarthy (why is he there?!) at the GQP convention today trying to start a melee:
https://youtube.com/shorts/CjuwNf2zjUU?si=SP1xl1jtwf44k_y4
Manyakitty
@M31: oh man. That breaks my heart. He deserves so much better.
Bupalos
@guachi: yeah, don’t bother with that. Biden is probably the candidate because we’re paralyzed and he gets to be the candidate if he wants to. We gave him that power in the primary and if he can’t be convinced to give it back, that’s that. We can still win, it’s possible upballot and still probable downballot. These choads that have taken over the board and boosted their comment rate by 3x practically all hurling insults at fellow dems make the best of it by shitting on you and blaming you for the loss they fear. They believe it. They think you’re fucking with the mystical power of positive thinking that flows through various screens they stare at. It’s already your fault in their mind. If Biden calls Taylor Swift “my great friend Eva Braun” at some point, that will be your fault for putting pressure on him.
Guess what, doesn’t matter.
They’ll still vote the same way, you’ll still vote the same way.
The problem here is a super high stakes decision to be made now-ish, where there are great arguments on both sides, a complete lack of relative precedent, and no prospect of new information coming in. Near total uncertainty. So everyone amps the certainty to 11 to compensate.
let it go. Not our call. If you don’t want to pour your wine in Biden’s leaky cup, find a critical downballot race where you can make a difference. Let these guys alone. We’re on the same team.
Geminid
@schrodingers_cat: Schiff will have no problem with his election. It’s his self-importance that is getting in his way.
I think Schiff is actually quite good in the areas he is good at, but his experience in practical elective politics is pretty narrow. However, like a lot of politicians, donors and journalists Schiff thinks he’s a genius in this area when he is far from it.
Damien
@guachi: No, the entire case for Biden is that he’s been an incredibly good president and wants to carry on that work; that he had a fully clean cognitive test not two months ago; that he has repeatedly demonstrated a command of facts and policy that rivals any politician of any age; that he has been doing barnburner campaigning for weeks now; and, last but not least, he’s the fucking candidate.
So, you’ve made your case for someone else, now make your peace with it and get on board trying to get Joe Biden re-elected. Or shut the fuck up.
Those are your options now. No more whining, no more wishing, now is the time for working.
Bupalos
@Percysowner: maybe Nancy is smarter than you and knows there is absolutely no parallel there…and Biden didn’t have one bad night, he has largely lost his talent for political communication. Which was so egregious one night no one could pretend. But has not emerged once even to the level of the Easter egg roll since.
he better pivot from “I have no friends and only I can do it” to “Look at all these great young leaders I’m bringing with me” fucking pronto because his current line is both understandable and toxic as fuck.
E.
Oh man I need a cigarette. That was righteous.
Omnes Omnibus
@Bupalos: Go here and see if you still say that.
Denali5
The time is past to choose another candidate. President Biden is only a few months older than when it might have been appropriate to choose another candidate based on his age. Of course it is a liability. But he achieved a lot during his first term. And there is no other electable candidate.
Bupalos
@Damien: he could and should quit anytime up to either the convention or the early date if he can hold pelosi off of getting that moved. When he’s the nominee, I won’t bother to offer an opposing opinion tonyour thing that he’s just going gangbusters at campaigning because it will be even more worthless than it is now.
But no one is telling you what to do with you opinions, so kindly return the favor.
Damien
@Bupalos: You mean aside from his extemporaneous meeting with AFLCIO, his Wisconsin and Michigan campaign events, his NATO speech, his press conference, his remarks today, etc. etc.?
I agree, aside from all the public events he’s been doing they’ve really been keeping him under wraps.
The Kropenhagen Interpretation
@Bupalos: You had your chance for Dean Phillips. You let it pass you by…
Rose Weiss
I watch every video by this guy Beau of the Fifth Column – YouTube He’s very level-headed and seems unflappable. He describes himself as left of the Democratic Party, but he is solidly behind every Dem candidate he’s mentioned (well, except for crooks like Menendez).
Bupalos
@Damien: his communications across the board are c- to d+ a level that can’t move opinion which currently has him as a loser.
people are grading a bit against the curve of f-
It takes active listening to make his points land, half of it is half-finished and relies on the kindness of strangers.
banditqueen
Ridin’ with Biden, Kamala, and the rest of this mostly excellent team :)
I’m doing postcards this year and following through with fundraising here as well–can’t wait to see what you have lined up, WG–thanks so much for these efforts–everyone gets a chance to help out in some way, somehow!
Damien
@Bupalos: I don’t care what your opinions are, because we all have them. What I do care about is the work that we each put in. When I asked guachi specifically what he was going to actually, actively do to push Joe Biden back into the White House, you know what he said?
He was going to complain to his reps some more.
That isn’t helping, and what you’re talking about isn’t helping; whatever your opinion I expect you to fucking push this boulder with me instead of critiquing from the sidelines. Just like I would still jump in and do the work if for whatever moronic reason the Dems decide to dump Biden a few months before the election and invalidate millions of primary votes, now is the time to jump in and do the work for Biden.
Stop shitting on the man and start talking up his successes, FFS.
H.E.Wolf
Back in my production-control days, I once stomped out to Shipping and Receiving after a very exasperating day on the floor, and said exactly that… thinking no one would hear me.
The Shipping and Receiving employees addressed me as “Sailor” for the next 6 months. :)
ETA: I’m of the opinion that Mr. Christ’s first name has 3 syllables, when pronounced in this context.
WaterGirl
@schrodingers_cat:
Perhaps the senate run left him too big for his britches, as they say. Or at least used to say!
Damien
@Bupalos: Wow, quick pivot from “he hasn’t emerged even to the level of an easter egg roll” to “sure he’s out there, but his communication is bad!”
Weird, I haven’t seen such flexible goalposts in a while.
Gloria DryGarden
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation: laughing hard. Thx.
sometimes it turns into an invocation, of sorts…
WaterGirl
MisterForkbeard
@M31: NYT: “Biden weakly whines about lack of support within his party”
I like the speech a lot. Also not surprised when the media ignores it or treats it as weak, prideful, or “toxic masculinity” because we live on the hell timeline.
If Biden keeps all this up, he’ll do just fine
EDIT: I see Bupalos got ahead of me on the insane “it’s toxic!” line
MisterForkbeard
@schrodingers_cat: Jared Huffman supposedly said the same thing. My congressman, who’s getting a fucking earful over this tomorrow morning.
Betty
@M31: I watched most of the speech I during Nicole Wallace’s show. I a real turnaround for her, she praised his strong performance and pointed out some good lines. He again reiterated that he staying in this fight.
jackmac
I endured 12 years of Catholic schools with all sorts of nuns enforcing their teachings with rulers. But they couldn’t prevent “Jesus F***king Christ” from becoming a part of my creative vocabulary.
(Asterisks inserted to avoid offense to any sensitive readers).
Gloria DryGarden
@Damien:
can anyone write me a little summary of the main positive outcomes and points in the last week of bj? Some voice of reason and calm.
I’m on some writing projects and other life things, and I just can’t. The anxiety and feelings and brain fog have been like mud, like a torrential downpour. More engrossing than daily essentials, if I’m not careful.
but I do find the discussions here, and the conclusions I come to here, to be useful, helpful…
1 my one conclusion, so far, from, like, a week ago, is to back Biden all the way, and to quit discussing a poorly moderated debate between a bully and a man so sick they thought it might be Covid, and who was poorly prepped and loopy on the darned cold medicine.
2 I know there was a shooting, and it’s not clear what debris or object made the small cut on someone’s ear.
3 nasturtiums are delicious, and easy to grow
what else? Please help. Tia
Bupalos
@Damien: I’m not going to prioritize Biden. I think it’s a trap that may backfire.
I will tell you what I’m doing. Registering young voters that are early on campus at Kent state and case western reserve the next three weekends. Taking two trips to events in Pittsburgh to spam the everloving fuck out of my fellow Eastern European folk dance community and ask them why they want Ukrainians to die. Then anything I can think of after that but probably mostly for Brown.
If it’s Biden who is our candidate, we can win. I will try. But it’s worth recognizing that this is a ridiculous situation we’re in. Ditching the candidate is a crazy thing to do, running an 81 year old that is clearly struggling is a crazy thing to do.
Manyakitty
@Gloria DryGarden: I think you’re caught up!
SiubhanDuinne
@Jackie:
What an unmitigated asshole.
Raoul Paste
I haven’t read this thread yet, but wow—- that Trae Crowder video was jaw dropping
it’s what Republican voters don’t know that make them vote Republican
Bupalos
@Omnes Omnibus: That was by far his strongest effort of the campaign thus far. Clearly comfortable. Voice is waaaaay better. Mostly knows where the applause lines were written. Only completely flubbed 3 times while reading an excellent speech. Solid B-.
Bupalos
@Raoul Paste: that thing is incredible.
Hope that grows legs.
Bupalos
@MisterForkbeard: yeah hadn’t finished watching the speech. On the whole it was good, not just grading against the recent curve, genuinely better than average.
But yes, that line is pathetic and stupid. There has to be a pivot here from the me against the world tone he and his circle has UNDERSTANDABLY fallen into. Yes it’s toxic. His lane has to be the elder statesman leader of great team of young’s. He isn’t going to pull off the feats of solitary strength bullshit the environment is inviting him to try.
Captain C
@Eyeroller:
I wonder if judiciary reforms are the kind of things that might peel off a small but important number of whatever small-c conservatives who are left, the kind of people who actually want and need things like infrastructure and courts to work at a minimal and reasonably consistent level. The Chevron reversal alone is going to be an utter shitshow for the courts and the shitty six will have absolutely no idea how to handle it other than to be so obvious in their selection of cases that even the FTFNYT will have to admit it, albeit grudgingly and on page C16.
jimmiraybob
@Damien:
Hey! Rhymes with Weimar Republic. It’s true what they say about history.
Aussie Sheila
@Geminid:
Yes, and that goes double for NYT columnists and Cable blowhards. They haven’t run an election for anything, ever, anywhere. They know shit.
My money’s on Biden/Harris. Literally! 😎😎😎
Damien
@Bupalos: oh we’re definitely in a ridiculous situation, no argument here.
That said: thank you for taking positive action. I hope that if Biden comes up while you’re out that you’ll be able to focus on all the great things he’s done: people really seemed to resonate with me when I told them how I used to pay $200+ for insulin and now pay $35, and how they also helped lower the cost of inhalers so asthmatic children can breathe.
I don’t need us all to agree, just to be clear, I need us to do all we can to drive the boat home, and you are. Thank you.
Bupalos
@Damien: you simply misread.
“has not emerged” refers to his plus communication talents he has displayed in the past.
but I will pivot a bit after watching his naacp. Far better. Gives me some hope.
TBone
@Mike E: how have people not caught on to this? It’s every thread every time.
Gloria DryGarden
@Raoul Paste: love trae crowder, pls put link, or connect to that comment.
otherwise it’s a lot of wading
Gloria DryGarden
This I agree with. And it’s fine.
I hear he’s doing a pretty good job in all the subsequent speeches, president B. I don’t expect him to be a great orator or speech maker. I trust him on his liaison making, his diplomacy, his understanding of complex policies, national and international.
And while I’m bummed about how US support or sanctions to affect the big wars has not been to my liking, that’s not the thing I want to fuss about.
Gloria DryGarden
@Percysowner:
just giving this a bump. For the highlights.
Raoul Paste
@Gloria DryGarden: The video I’m referencing is in this very post before the comments
Gloria DryGarden
I’m rewriting the words to someone else’s song, a catchy tune called ” drunk text me” by Lexi j.
I’m still trying to sing it a cappella, I don’t play an instrument, not sure how to get a recording onto YouTube, to share a link. If I can get there, I’ll do my poor best to sing it, later.
But Jesus, folks are still talking about this? Move on. Like the dem vote organization. Shit, man
a rough draft:
chorus:
i want you to stop your doubts
we all need to cut it out,
we need to focus now, about this.
it matters.
(just repeat the melody if I have too many lines)
We all want democracy,
there are folks who’d like to be free,
and have rights
we may have to fight
about this.
Verses
You can write the postcards, and
help your friends get out the vote,
now,
what are you feeling now?
__;you can back the candidate, focus so we win this race,
how? We are all working on how…
Quit derailing , distracting,
don’t drunk text your girlfriend
don’t go around the bend.
Dont you you think the stakes are high?
we have to try, no time to cry, now
weve got good strengths and policies,
don’t let some mis-steps make you freeze, now…
what are you feeling now?
it’s our world and don’t you think it matters.
Chorus
(work in progress)
more later
Gloria DryGarden
@Raoul Paste: thx.
obviously, I’m skimming , I missed it. Merci beaucoup
A woman from anywhere (formerly Mohagan)
@Percysowner: Damn straight!
Kayla Rudbek
@jackmac:
@The Kropenhagen Interpretation:
I personally like Jesus Haploid Fucking Christ myself, and I did most of grade school, all of high school, undergrad, and law school at various Catholic institutions.
Torrey
@Geminid:
Unfortunately, another of Crowder’s videos that is likely to be widely shared is the one in which he said Biden needed to drop out and supported his claim with a lot of exaggerated appeals to age stereotypes. Somehow, I did not find that one funny.
tam1MI
Thank you. :)
brantl
@guachi: Sorry, you have no idea whether you have a plurality or not, and all those primary votes argue that you’re wrong, 14,000,000 to 1.