I was surprised by the feeling of profound sadness rushing over me as I was putting this post together. President Biden made his choice, and I have no issues with Kamala, but still the emotion is there.
I imagine that we will see Happy Warrior Joe tonight, fierce and strong in his support of Kamala Harris, but letting us know that we shouldn’t count him out just yet. I have so much respect for this man. A man of honor, and a true statesman.
I expect to see a renewed energy as Joe works to get every single thing done that he can in the time left in his term, determined not to be a lame duck. Usually the VP is the attack dog, but I have a feeling that now with Kamala running, Joe is going to be the attack dog. Joe has more strength than I can even dream of having.
We are lucky to have you, Joe.
Open thread.
War for Ukraine Day 882: Russia Double Taps Kharkiv & a Russian Drone Falls in Romania
EarthWindFire
I’m going to read the transcripts in the morning, then see if I can watch on YouTube without becoming a puddle. Kamala has been wonderful, but I miss Uncle Dark Brandon Joe.
SiubhanDuinne
Fortunately, I just stocked up on boxes of Kleenex, so I’m prepared to watch in real time.
Lapassionara
Thank you, WaterGirl. My sentiments, exactly.
Jackie
Got my box of tissues ready… the greatest president of my lifetime.
So far.
I won’t be commenting until after. I’m giving him my total attention.
Ceci n est pas mon nym
On a zoom call with Jamie Raskin and an organization called Force Multiplier. Raskin paints a picture of a process that was very much driven by Biden. I think Biden was at last, just a little, getting a bit tired and decided to focus his energy on guiding the party and leading the country. Raskin is very fired up. This call is really encouraging.
I expect Joe will be on fire and we’ll all be out in the streets cheering when it’s over.
lamh47
Rev Al on MSNBC said something that is 100% true. The American history books will be very kind to Joe Biden even if folks aren’t kind to him now. Not even counting all the legislation his pushed and signed, even if it was these 3 single facts:
1) Vice President to First African American President of the United States – make no mistake choice of Biden was a good pick and helped Barack Obama immensely. For 8 years he played 2nd fiddle and stood behind supporting PBO and Michelle.
2) First African American Woman Vice President of the United States – That 3 different history books (Black American history, Women’s history –>American history).
3) First African American Supreme Court Justice – Just as the history books talk about LBJ appointed Thurgood Marshall. Joe Biden will be in the history books for the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
This doesn’t include all his years as Senator for Delware.
History will definitely speak kindly of President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr…the same can’t be said about Agent orange!
wonkie
Every single day there is a news article about something the Biden admin has done. Today it was standards for staffing of nursing homes. Always something–literally every day. Since the bad debate, he has campaigned, gone on the news, met foreign officials, and made these nuts and bolts administrative decisions–all while eighty years old and WITH COVID. Yes, I respect him. He’s wrong on Gaza, but serious as that is, it’s not the sum total of the man. Yes, I respect him.
billcoop4
Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Gray Champion”, 1835
THERE WAS ONCE a time, when New-England groaned under the actual pressure of heavier wrongs, than those threatened ones which brought on the Revolution. James II, the bigoted successor of Charles the Voluptuous, had annulled tile charters of all the colonies, and sent a harsh and unprincipled soldier to take away our liberties and endanger our religion. The administration of Sir Edmund Andros lacked scarcely a single characteristic of tyranny: a Governor and Council, holding office from the King, and wholly independent of the country; laws made and taxes levied without concurrence of the people, immediate or by their representatives; the rights of private citizens violated, and the titles of all landed property declared void; the voice of complaint stifled by restrictions on the press; and, finally, disaffection overawed by the first band of mercenary troops that ever marched on our free soil. For two years, our ancestors were kept in sullen submission, by that filial love which had invariably secured their allegiance to the mother country, whether its head chanced to be a Parliament, Protector, or popish Monarch. Till these evil times, however, such allegiance had been merely nominal, and the colonists had ruled themselves, enjoying far more freedom, than is even yet the privilege of the native subjects of Great Britain.
At length, a rumor reached our shores, that the Prince of Orange had ventured on an enterprise, the success of which would be the triumph of civil and religious rights and the salvation of New-England. It was but a doubtful whisper; it might be false, or the attempt might fail; and, in either case, the man, that stirred against King James, would lose his head. Still the intelligence produced a marked effect. The people smiled mysteriously in the streets, and threw bold glances at their oppressors; while, far and wide, there was a subdued and silent agitation, as if the slightest signal would rouse the whole land from its sluggish despondency. Aware of their danger, the rulers resolved to avert it by an imposing display of strength, and perhaps to confirm their despotism by yet harsher measures. One afternoon in April, 1689, Sir Edmund Andros and his favorite councillors, being warm with wine, assembled the red-coats of the Governor’s Guard, and made their appearance in the streets of Boston. The sun was near setting when the march commenced.
The roll of the drum, at that unquiet crisis, seemed to go through the streets, less as the martial music of the soldiers, than as a muster-call to the inhabitants themselves. A multitude, by various avenues, assembled in King-street, which was destined to be the scene, nearly a century afterwards, of another encounter between the troops of Britain, and a people struggling against her tyranny. Though more than sixty years had elapsed, since the Pilgrims came, this crowd of their descendants still showed the strong and sombre features of their character, perhaps more strikingly in such a stern emergency than on happier occasions. There was the sober garb, the general severity of mien, the gloomy but undismayed expression, the scriptural forms of speech, and the confidence in Heaven’s blessing on a righteous cause, which would have marked a band of the original Puritans, when threatened by some peril of the wilderness. Indeed, it was not yet time for the old spirit to be extinct; since there were men in the street, that day, who had worshipped there beneath the trees, before a house was reared to the God, for whom they had become exiles. Old soldiers of the Parliament were here too, smiling grimly at the thought, that their aged arms might strike another blow against the house of Stuart. Here also, were the veterans of King Philip’s war, who had burnt villages and slaughtered young and old, with pious fierceness, while the godly souls throughout the land were helping them with prayer. Several ministers were scattered among the crowd, which, unlike all other mobs, regarded them with such reverence, as if there were sanctity in their very garments. These holy men exerted their influence to quiet the people, but not to disperse them. Meantime, the purpose of the Governor, in disturbing the peace of the town, at a period when the slightest commotion might throw the country into a ferment, was almost the universal subject of inquiry, and variously explained.
“Satan will strike his master-stroke presently,” cried some, “because he knoweth that his time is short. All our godly pastors are to be dragged to prison! We shall see them at a Smithfield fire in King-street!”
Hereupon, the people of each parish gathered closer round their minister, who looked calmly upwards and assumed a more apostolic dignity, as well befitted a candidate for the highest honor of his profession, the crown of martyrdom. It was actually fancied, at that period, that New-England might have a John Rogers of her own, to take the place of that worthy in the Primer.
“The Pope of Rome has given orders for a new St. Bartholomew!” cried others. “We are to be massacred, man and male child!”
Neither was this rumor wholly discredited, although the wiser class believed the Governor’s object somewhat less atrocious. His predecessor under the old charter, Bradstreet, a venerable companion of the first settlers, was known to be in town. There were grounds for conjecturing, that Sir Edmund Andros intended, at once, to strike terror, by a parade of military force, and to confound the opposite faction, by possessing himself of their chief.
“Stand firm for the old charter Governor!” shouted the crowd, seizing upon the idea. “The good old Governor Bradstreet!”
While this cry was at the loudest, the people were surprised by the well known figure of Governor Bradstreet himself, a patriarch of nearly ninety, who appeared on the elevated steps of a door, and, with characteristic mildness, besought them to submit to the constituted authorities.
“My children,” concluded this venerable person, “do nothing rashly. Cry not aloud, but pray for the welfare of New-England, and expect patiently what the Lord will do in this matter!”
The event was soon to be decided. All this time, the roll of the drum had been approaching through Cornhill, louder and deeper, till, with reverberations from house to house, and the regular tramp of martial footsteps, it burst into the street. A double rank of soldiers made their appearance, occupying the whole breadth of the passage, with shouldered matchlocks, and matches burning, so as to present a row of fires in the dusk. Their steady march was like the progress of a machine, that would roll irresistibly over every thing in its way. Next, moving slowly, with a confused clatter of hoofs on the pavement, rode a party of mounted gentlemen, the central figure being Sir Edmund Andros, elderly, but erect and soldier-like. Those around him were his favorite councillors, and the bitterest foes of New-England. At his right hand rode Edward Randolph, our arch enemy, that “blasted wretch,” as Cotton Mather calls him, who achieved the downfall of our ancient government, and was followed with a sensible curse, through life and to his grave. On the other side was Bullivant, scattering jests and mockery as he rode along. Dudley came behind, with a downcast look, dreading, as well he might, to meet the indignant gaze of the people, who beheld him, their only countryman by birth, among the oppressors of his native land. The captain of a frigate in the harbor, and two or three civil officers under the Crown, were also there. But the figure which most attracted the public eye, and stirred up the deepest feeling, was the Episcopal clergyman of King’s Chapel, riding haughtily among the magistrates in his priestly vestments, the fitting representative of prelacy and persecution, the union of church and state, and all those abominations which had driven the Puritans to the wilderness. Another guard of soldiers, in double rank, brought up the rear.
The whole scene was a picture of the condition of New-England, and its moral, the deformity of any government that does not grow out of the nature of things and the character of the people. On one side the religious multitude, with their sad visages and dark attire, and on the other, the group of despotic rulers, with the high churchman in the midst, and here and there a crucifix at their bosoms, all magnificently clad, flushed with wine, proud of unjust authority, and scoffing at the universal groan. And the mercenary soldiers, waiting but the word to deluge the street with blood, shewed the only means by which obedience could be secured.
“Oh! Lord of Hosts,” cried a voice among the crowd, “provide a Champion for thy people!”
This ejaculation was loudly uttered, and served as a herald’s cry, to introduce a remarkable personage. The crowd had rolled back, and were now huddled together nearly at the extremity of the street, while the soldiers had advanced no more than a third of its length. The intervening space was empty–a paved solitude, between lofty edifices, which threw almost a twilight shadow over it. Suddenly, there was seen the figure of an ancient man, who seemed to have emerged from among the people, and was walking by himself along the centre of the street, to confront the armed band. He wore the old Puritan dress, a dark cloak and a steeple-crowned hat, in the fashion of at least fifty years before, with a heavy sword upon his thigh, but a staff in his hand, to assist the tremulous gait of age.
When at some distance from the multitude, the old man turned slowly round, displaying a face of antique majesty, rendered doubly venerable by the hoary beard that descended on his breast. He made a gesture at once of encouragement and warning, then turned again, and resumed his way.
“Who is this gray patriarch?” asked the young men of their sires.
“Who is this venerable brother?” asked the old men among themselves.
But none could make reply. The fathers of the people, those of four-score years and upwards, were disturbed, deeming it strange that they should forget one of such evident authority, whom they must have known in their early days, the associate of Winthrop and all the old Councillors, giving laws, and making prayers, and leading them against the savage. The elderly men ought to have remembered him, too, with locks as gray in their youth, as their own were now. And the young! How could he have passed so utterly from their memories–that hoary sire, the relic of long departed times, whose awful benediction had surely been bestowed on their uncovered heads, in childhood?
“Whence did he come? What is his purpose? Who can this old man be?” whispered the wondering crowd.
Meanwhile, the venerable stranger, staff in hand, was pursuing his solitary walk along the centre of the street. As he drew near the advancing soldiers, and as the roll of their drum came full upon his ear, the old man raised himself to a loftier mien, while the decrepitude of age seemed to fall from his shoulders, leaving him in gray, but unbroken dignity. Now, he marched onward with a warrior’s step, keeping time to the military music. Thus the aged form advanced on one side, and the whole parade of soldiers and magistrates on the other, till, when scarcely twenty yards remained between, the old man grasped his staff by the middle, and held it before him like a leader’s truncheon.
“Stand!” cried he.
The eye, the face, and attitude of command; the solemn, yet warlike peal of that voice, fit either to rule a host in the battle-field or be raised to God in prayer, were irresistible. At the old man’s word and outstretched arm, the roll of the drum was hushed at once, and the advancing line stood still. A tremulous enthusiasm seized upon the multitude. That stately form, combining the leader and the saint, so gray, so dimly seen, in such an ancient garb, could only belong to some old champion of the righteous cause, whom the oppressor’s drum had summoned from his grave. They raised a shout of awe and exultation, and looked for the deliverance of New-England.
The Governor, and the gentlemen of his party, perceiving themselves brought to an unexpected stand, rode hastily forward, as if they would have pressed their snorting and affrighted horses right against the hoary apparition. He, however, blenched not a step, but glancing his severe eye round the group, which half encompassed him, at last bent it sternly on Sir Edmund Andros. One would have thought that the dark old man was chief ruler there, and that the Governor and Council, with soldiers at their back, representing the whole power and authority of the Crown, had no alternative but obedience.
“What does this old fellow here?” cried Edward Randolph, fiercely. “On, Sir Edmund! Bid the soldiers forward, and give the dotard the same choice that you give all his countrymen–to stand aside or be trampled on!”
“Nay, nay, let us show respect to the good grandsire,” said Bullivant, laughing. “See you not, he is some old roundheaded dignitary, who hath lain asleep these thirty years, and knows nothing of the change of times? Doubtless, he thinks to put us down with a proclamation in Old Noll’s name!”
“Are you mad, old man?” demanded Sir Edmund Andros, in loud and harsh tones. “How dare you stay the march of King James’s Governor?”
“I have staid the march of a King himself, ere now,” replied the gray figure, with stern composure. “I am here, Sir Governor, because the cry of an oppressed people hath disturbed me in my secret place; and beseeching this favor earnestly of the Lord, it was vouchsafed me to appear once again on earth, in the good old cause of his Saints. And what speak ye of James? There is no longer a popish tyrant on the throne of England, and by to-morrow noon, his name shall be a by-word in this very street, where ye would make it a word of terror. Back, thou that wast a Governor, back! With this night, thy power is ended–to-morrow, the prison!–back, lest I foretell the scaffold!”
The people had been drawing nearer and nearer, and drinking in the words of their champion, who spoke in accents long disused, like one unaccustomed to converse, except with the dead of many years ago. But his voice stirred their souls. They confronted the soldiers, not wholly without arms, and ready to convert the very stones of the street into deadly weapons. Sir Edmund Andros looked at the old man; then he cast his hard and cruel eye over the multitude, and beheld them burning with that lurid wrath, so difficult to kindle or to quench; and again he fixed his gaze on the aged form, which stood obscurely in an open space, where neither friend nor foe had thrust himself. What were his thoughts, he uttered no word which might discover. But whether the oppressor were overawed by the Gray Champion’s look, or perceived his peril in the threatening attitude of the people, it is certain that he gave back, and ordered his soldiers to commence a slow and guarded retreat. Before another sunset, the Governor, and all that rode so proudly with him, were prisoners, and long ere it was known that James had abdicated, King William was proclaimed throughout New-England.
But where was the Gray Champion? Some reported, that when the troops had gone from King-street, and the people were thronging tumultuously in their rear, Bradstreet, the aged Governor, was seen to embrace a form more aged than his own. Others soberly affirmed, that while they marvelled at the venerable grandeur of his aspect, the old man had faded from their eyes, melting slowly into the hues of twilight, till, where he stood, there was an empty space. But all agreed, that the hoary shape was gone. The men of that generation watched for his re-appearance, in sunshine and in twilight, but never saw him more, nor knew when his funeral passed, nor where his grave-stone was.
And who was the Gray Champion? Perhaps his name might be found in the records of that stern Court of Justice, which passed a sentence, too mighty for the age, but glorious in all after times, for its humbling lesson to the monarch and its high example to the subject. I have heard, that, whenever the descendants of the Puritans are to show the spirit of their sires, the old man appears again. When eighty years had passed, he walked once more in King-street. Five years later, in the twilight of an April morning, he stood on the green, beside the meeting-house, at Lexington, where now the obelisk of granite, with a slab of slate inlaid, commemorates the first fallen of the Revolution. And when our fathers were toiling at the breast-work on Bunker’s Hill, all through that night, the old warrior walked his rounds. Long, long may it be, ere he comes again! His hour is one of darkness, and adversity, and peril. But should domestic tyranny oppress us, or the invader’s step pollute our soil, still may the Gray Champion come; for he is the type of New-England’s hereditary spirit; and his shadowy march, on the eve of danger, must ever be the pledge, that New-England’s sons will vindicate their ancestry.
bbleh
We are SO FKIN LUCKY to have a guy with both the SENSE and the STONES to do what he did!!
Can you EVEN IMAGINE anyone — ANYONE?!? — in today’s Republican party doing anything REMOTELY as smart and statesmanlike?
And now where are we? With a candidate that has absolutely THRILLED the ENTIRE party — whom Joe CHOSE to be his VP. !!!?!?!?!!! If anyone says ONE word that even can be interpreted as the SLIGHTEST diss of Joe, I shall make it my Purpose In Life to ruin them forever (and I am a capable, vindictive SOB).
Omnes Omnibus
@billcoop4: TL;DR
lamh47
Rev Al on MSNBC said something that is 100% true. The American history books will be very kind to Joe Biden even if folks aren’t kind to him now. Not even counting all the legislation his pushed and signed, even if it was these 3 single facts:
1) Vice President to First African American President of the United States – make no mistake choice of Biden was a good pick and helped Barack Obama immensely. For 8 years he played 2nd fiddle and stood behind supporting PBO and Michelle.
2) First African American Woman Vice President of the United States – That 3 different history books (Black American history, Women’s history –>American history).
3) First African American Supreme Court Justice – Just as the history books talk about LBJ appointed Thurgood Marshall. Joe Biden will be in the history books for the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
This doesn’t include all his years as Senator for Delware. History will definitely speak kindly of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr…the same can’t be said about Agent orange!
lamh47
Nevermind…fixed it.
lamh47
Rev Al on MSNBC said something that is 100% true. The American history books will be very kind to Joe Biden even if folks aren’t kind to him now. Not even counting all the legislation his pushed and signed, even if it was these 3 single facts:
1) Vice President to First African American President of the United States – make no mistake choice of Biden was a good pick and helped Barack Obama immensely. For 8 years he played 2nd fiddle and stood behind supporting PBO and Michelle.
2) First African American Woman Vice President of the United States – That 3 different history books (Black American history, Women’s history American history).
3) First Female African American Supreme Court Justice – Just as the history books talk about LBJ appointed Thurgood Marshall. Joe Biden will be in the history books for the appointment of Ketanji Brown Jackson.
This doesn’t include all his years as Senator for Delware.
History will definitely speak kindly of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr…the same can’t be said about Agent orange!
Tom
So perfectly expressed. I usually don’t watch these things li ve. Feel like I owe it to Joe. Thanks for the link!
M31
what makes me saddest is that America can’t recognize the most consequential, successful president since FDR
I feel like such an out-of-touch weirdo to think that what I want out of a presidency is policy that makes lives better, short and long term
but anyway that’s not the world I live in, and I’m energized and hopeful for Harris to keep the Biden flame alive
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh47: First Female African American Supreme Court Justice. Can’t forget Thurgood Marshall. Wish we could forget Clarence Thomas.
billcoop4
@Omnes Omnibus:
Your loss. We are seeing the passing of the Gray Champion again.
BC
bbleh
@M31: Yet. History will be MUCH more complimentary. Soon, even.
brendancalling
Best president of my lifetime.
frosty
@Omnes Omnibus: Same here. WayTL;DR. Paragraph breaks are your friend.
Dagaetch
“Kings and dictators do not rule. The people do.”
Okay, tears.
billcoop4
Alas, those are Hawthorne’s breaks.
BC
David 🌈 ☘The Establishment☘🌈 Koch
“C’mon man, that’s a bunch of malarkey.”
BellyCat
Damn, Joe. That was GOOD!
BretH
The torch is well and properly passed.
Omnes Omnibus
That was a good speech. I might have gone with “Fuck you and you. And you over there fuck you too. And you can all kiss my ass.” He went a different direction. Which is fine. I guess.
Yutsano
I got home from my dental appointment just in time to see this. This address is one for the history books. It’s a sitting President voluntarily giving up his chance for a second term and he’s making it sound like it’s on his terms. I wonder if Biden planned this out long before the whispers started. Thank you Uncle Joe. I hope and pray that you’ve saved our democracy twice.
Gin & Tonic
It is difficult to make predictions, especially about the future, but observing the difference between 2024 Biden and 2020 Biden I’m hard-pressed to imagine his being capable of exercising the duties of the office until the end of 2028. He may have been hard done by, but his decision was correct.
WaterGirl
@billcoop4: Would you like me to add some extra paragraph breaks so people might actually read it?
Princess
I didn’t cry. I didn’t want to cry.
i just got angrier and angrier. Only six more months of the best president of my lifetime.
Nevertheless, I guess I see why it turned out this way.
lamh47
And now I’m sad again…but hopeful. still sad.
I agree with this, I may never use “pass the torch” phrase again.
twbrandt
The office ages the holder, and it sure aged President Biden. He’s a terrific president, and I admire him deeply for recognizing that it’s time for new leadership and voluntarily giving up the most powerful position in the world.
Andrew Abshier
Watched it. He seemed tired and having occasional difficulty with his words, which I chalked up to him dealing with Covid so recently, but also to giving up a dream.
Joe Biden has wanted to be President for a long time. Recall that he ran in 1988 for the first time; that’s 36 years ago. I always had the impression, after he took office, that he was living the dream, and in certain respects having the time of his life. Giving up a dream is always hard. However this decision to not run again went down, and it may be years before we know the whole story, the President put his nation first. For that he will always be revered.
Soprano2
It was a good speech, moving and heartfelt. I could see his fist when he was talking about preserving democracy. He’s so passionate about his love of this country. Now it’s up to all of us to make sure we fulfill his charge, to preserve the country we all love.
Jackie
@Omnes Omnibus: No kidding! My scrolling finger cramped up.
Quinerly
@Gin & Tonic:
Excellent speech. I am crying. Big Joe Biden fan since 1988.
But the changes are very obvious. Even from the SOTU. He made the right decision. I have no doubt he will do great things in office for the next 6 months. But he can not carry the message we need to win.
Kamala can and will
Edit to add…Now I am really crying. His family was in the Oval Office with him.
BellyCat
Joe knows…
(Reanimating an old Pittsburgh saying about a weather forecaster named Joe. Applies to Biden x 1,000)
mrstealyourcostcosample
I liked this, it wasn’t for us as partisans: this was statesman Joe.
dark brandon waiting for the DNC. it’s going to be a celebration, bitches
KatKapCC
Crying a little. What a truly good man.
Quinerly
@mrstealyourcostcosample: ❤️
CaseyL
Just got home from work and had to watch the recording.
I didn’t tear up until the end.
What a splendid man. What a splendid President.
I look forward with a great deal of hope to see him there when President Harris takes the oath of office. My god, wouldn’t that be wonderful.
lamh47
What sticks in my craw are the same people who aided and abet in the bullying of Joe Biden and his family, on the news trying to makes it seem like their hands are clean in this…smh.
Fuq all of them.
Thank you Joe Biden.
trnc
CNN had positive things to say about the speech, but right before Biden started speaking, they were breathing life into the age coverup conspiracy, so I guess that will be interesting.
BellyCat
For us, here, voting for Kamala is a complete no-brainer. (She’s amazing!) For those less engaged, unaware of what’s at stake in this election, Joe just might have given them the courage to overcome their (irrational) fears to pull the lever for her and straight D’s.
LET US ROW TOGETHER!
sixthdoctor
Very bittersweet. I loved the endorsement of Kamala and the words “Supreme Court reform”.
It also brought to mind my grandfather who passed twenty-five years ago.
I heard that same kindness and love in his voice.
BretH
I saw resolve and relief.
Maybe it gets easier if we recall he didn’t really want to be a 2-term President. Unless I’m reading it wrong he only ran again because he felt he could beat the facists. But as it’s apparent he has a joyful warrior ready to take over I saw a man committed to finishing his term in his own terms and confident in his choice of successor.
Quinerly
@trnc: MSNBC has been wonderful . Actually, wonderful all week.
lamh47
@trnc: they were also taking some pot shots afterwards on the panel with Tapper…even though you could tell some were moved.
Dana Bash cleared her through alot.
Ishiyama
He did look bowed down with everlasting weariness from the burden of the Presidency. And Kamala Harris is just the ticket we need.
KatKapCC
@Omnes Omnibus: I almost wish he would’ve put on the aviator shades at the end, but I understand if he wanted to keep it earnest.
Quinerly
@BretH: I love that his family were in the Oval with him. MSNBC reporting.
Ishiyama
@BretH: I want credit for being an early adopter of “The Happy Warrior” tag for KH.
BellyCat
FUQ YES!
(Highly recommending the Strict Scrutiny podcast by three very bright women attorneys, if this is not on your radar)
Weftage
@Omnes Omnibus: What, daunted by a thicket of Hawthorne? ‘Tis a most excellent tree, I’ll warrant.
sixthdoctor
@KatKapCC: If he does that at the DNC I will mark out more than I ever have in my life.
Omnes Omnibus
@KatKapCC: It wouldn’t have been right tonight. I bet they play a part in the convention though.
HumboldtBlue
Loved hearing “Supreme Court reform.”
M31
Supreme Court Reform:
1) 15 justices
2) enforced ethics requirements
3) kick Clarence Thomas in the junk
SatanicPanic
I respect the president, he’s been a good one and a good person.
zhena gogolia
@Omnes Omnibus: I’ll have to watch tomorrow. I’m too pissed.
trnc
@lamh47:
FWIW, I’ve heard that phrase plenty of times in circumstances that had nothing to do with age or ability.
lamh47
NEW: a handwritten note from @FLOTUS to those of us who never wavered:
BellyCat
@sixthdoctor: “mark out” ? (clearly I’m becoming an old)
Omnes Omnibus
@Weftage: Better Hawthorne than Faulkner. But why not a link?
PST
Ever since the initial announcement of the President’s decision to withdraw, I have thought that the clearest beneficiary of that decision would be Joe Biden himself. His life is certain to be longer and healthier now that he has laid down the burden of four more years. We’ve been comparing him to Roosevelt for the impact of legislation he pushed through. I would have hated to see other parallels emerge.
KatKapCC
@M31:
FTFY.
BellyCat
@M31: You forgot Alito.
Omnes Omnibus
@lamh47: Okay, that got me.
VFX Lurker
Feeling emotional after watching that brief 13-minute speech.
Joe Biden is a great President and a great man.
FastEdD
Nothing but love and respect for Handsome Joe.
zhena gogolia
@lamh47: THIS!!!
sixthdoctor
@BellyCat: It’s a term in pro-wrestling, meaning to cheer and go nuts. Because I’m in permanent arrested development I know WAY more about pro-wrestling than sane people should, and even as a teen I NEVER liked Hulk Hogan…
…though my fave, Ric Flair, also turned out to be VERY problematic.
Chet Murthy
@brendancalling: @Princess: Amen. Best President of my lifetime, and I was and am an enormous Obama stan.
billcoop4
Because some things should be whole.
BC
BellyCat
@lamh47: Dr. Jill and Joe are national treasures. Now, THAT note is GRACE.
WaterGirl
@BretH: I don’t think Biden ever said he didn’t want to serve more than one term. I see a lot of people repeating that, but I have never seen where he actually said that.
CaseyL
@lamh47:
I teared up at the end of the speech, but that note has me crying.
lamh47
And CNN panel now has Scott Jennings on it with the talking points…
CNN and Scott can go FUQ themselves and I sincerely wish NOTHING good for damn near anyone on that damn network…especially the hire ups but especially the folks who stil goes on panels with that P.O.S.
FUQ them all.
FDRLincoln
The Joe Biden who spoke tonight was not the same Joe Biden who gave the State of the Union. I think the reports of rapid deterioration are correct. That happens at his age.
But the inner character of the man still shines through.
Now we take up the charge this great President has given us. SAVE AMERICA!
No kings. No monarchs. No dictators! Unite behind Kamala Harris and save the Union from those who wish to pervert it.
Steve LaBonne
I watched the video just now. I’m not tearing up, there’s just something in my eye. Thank you for everything you’ve done for our country, Joe.
zhena gogolia
@trnc: It’s an old phrase (I think it was a big one for JFK, maybe he popularized it). But it was used by the PAC pushing Biden out, and was parroted by all the spineless Dems rushing to the microphones.
Omnes Omnibus
@Steve LaBonne: Allergy season. Right?
PST
@M31:
SCOTUS doesn’t hear enough cases. Let them hear more than twice the number using panels of five, with rehearing en banc for only the most consequential. Most cases, the ones we pay no attention to, aren’t ideological and don’t split along party lines.
BellyCat
Definitely merits inclusion in the BJ Lexicon for the olds (and those who, mysteriously, never grasped the profundity of pro wrestling).
Princess
@Omnes Omnibus: Me too.
zhena gogolia
I see some people still just have to be right on the internet. You won, now give it a rest.
WaterGirl
@lamh47: sobbing. again.
Dagaetch
offer raffle tickets for that opportunity, the entire campaign cycle for all Dems would be financed.
TBone
@billcoop4: thanks for posting that. Not too long for this Yankee (my IRL middle name is Gray). Where is it from (who wrote it)?
Kayla Rudbek
@billcoop4: where is this from?!? I love it even though I would have been on the other side of the Catholic versus Protestant thing (I can see my sibling’s spouse liking it too as being a descendant of the New Englanders)
BellyCat
Obligatory: you neglected to include Alito. (Twice the revenue, at least!)
WaterGirl
@FDRLincoln: I didn’t see rapid deterioration. (Or any deterioration.)
I think it’s far more likely that this was a very hard thing to do, and that’s stressful, and stress wouldn’t help Joe’s stutter.
This is likely the hardest thing Joe has ever done by choice.
Jackie
@Omnes Omnibus:
@lamh47:
And, me…😭
Dagaetch
@WaterGirl: he didn’t. He said that he would be a bridge to a new generation, and everyone chose to interpret that as saying one term.
Part of me thinks that it was his intention, actually. He thought that he would win, Trump would go away as nearly every other defeated former Pres has in history, and he could safely step back. But Trump never left, and the Republicans have only gone further down the rabbit hole, and I think Joe felt that he still needed to stick around.
WaterGirl
.
Jackie
@zhena gogolia: Who are you speaking to?🤷🏼♀️
Omnes Omnibus
@WaterGirl: It is also a different kind of speech. More sober, less rah-rah.
Matt McIrvin
@TBone: @Kayla Rudbek: It’s Nathaniel Hawthorne, “The Gray Champion”, 1835. And I think that’s the whole story.
I never could stand the guy’s prose style, but in 1835 it was the done thing.
phdesmond
@billcoop4:
not the usual message posted around here!
WaterGirl
@Jackie: I figured it out. I think.
Subsole
@bbleh:
Frankly, I am having a hard time imagining very many Democrats who would do what Joe did.
I cannot imagine any Republican doing so.
Hildebrand
@FDRLincoln: I know I shouldn’t feed the trolls – but kindly go fuck yourself.
lamh47
@lamh47:
The karma I want to come Scott Jennings way is so bad…if I was Catholic I would need to go to confession tomorrow. But I’m not so…Karma please prove ur power please…smh
And of course folks like Axelrod and the rest can try all they want to try and correct Scott Jennings about his bullshit talking points, but the reason he can use those talking points is BECAUSE people like Axelrod and other in the party and in the media did EXACTLY what he said…bunch of backstabbing bishes!!!
tam1MI
Those Dems will never get a primary vote from me again as long as I live.
Thank you Joe. Your party and your country owe you more than they can ever repay.
VFX Lurker
That, plus he had COVID only last week.
I didn’t see any deterioration. I did catch his stutter trying to trip him up once or twice, though he recovered each time.
EDIT – I also noticed he did not look directly at the camera. However, a minute later I realized that was because he was looking at a camera array from multiple networks, not a single camera. I watched the White House version because I did not want his speech sullied by chyrons or commentary.
sxjames
What strikes me is how dam much he loves this country. Recognizing both the threat that the modern GOP poses to American Democracy and that his prospects for wining this election were none to good, he unselfishly stepped aside to let his VP (i.e. the next generation) fight for the country he (and I) love. This after spending 8 years in PBO shadow (so to speak) and not receiving the full credit for what he has accomplished in the past four years. Truly a remarkable man.
(As an aside, I have always thought the US had been very lucky in regards to having the right leader at the right time. Abe Lincoln during the Civil War, FDR during the Great Depression & WWII, etc. I thought our luck had run out after 9/11 [a feckless GWB and Dick Cheney with his “Greater Mid East Co-prosperity Sphere” imperial mentality]. Joe Biden was absolutely the right leader for this time…)
lamh47
@lamh47:
Ok…deep breath…woosah…woosah…woosah..
M31
Joe Biden can go out like FDR, not by dying in office, but by crushing the fascists.
I am so ready for some Dark Brandon Diamond Joe No Fucks Left to Give Biden energy, and there’s a full 6 months to go
and fuck the fucking New York Times, the 6 creeps on the Supreme Court, etc. etc.
M31
@WaterGirl: that letter from Jill is so beautiful
M31
@BellyCat: oh yeah, kicking Clarence in the junk is just the beginning
Subsole
@twbrandt: It’s funny.
The only person the office didn’t seem to age was Trump. All his aging came after he lost the presidency.
God, what an absolute fucking nullity of a man…
WaterGirl
@M31: I love that:
It’s now a rotating tag.
M31
@WaterGirl: YES!!
WaterGirl
@M31: It really is.
What beautiful people they are.
Damien
That was a speech. One hell of a speech. I won’t be too proud to admit that Uncle Joe looked tired, but it felt like he actually, legitimately made the decision on his own.
What a quietly strong, deeply empathetic, and incredibly selfless man.
I hope he becomes the mold for all our future presidents.
Old School
@lamh47: That is wonderful. Thanks for sharing.
TBone
@TBone: seek and ye shall find.
The Gray Champion” first appeared in 1835 in the January issue of The New-England Magazine and, like all Hawthorne’s works before 1837, initially anonymously, but here with the note that the story was by the same author as “The Gentle Boy” (published in The Token in 1831). In 1837, Hawthorne then published it in the first volume of his collection Twice-Told Tales, which was also his first publication to be signed by name. “The Gray Champion” opens this volume, which has led many critics to assume that Hawthorne attached particular importance to the tale and possibly wanted it to be understood as programmatic for his literary work.
Enhanced Voting Techniques
Biden will be the American Cincinnatus, first he gave up a comfortable retirement and the his own ambition for the nation.
And that will drive Mushroom Dick nuts.
WaterGirl
@Dagaetch: I have always felt, just a hunch, that he planned to step down before the end of his second term, when we had a Democratic Leader of the House, and make sure we got a female president, and a black female, at that.
Biden is quite brave, and very strong.
Subsole
@sixthdoctor: And Randy Savage ended up being pretty bro, from what I’ve seen.
lamh47
Thank you Symone D. Sanders Thownsend for saying what you said right in that backstabbing Jen Psaki’s face on @MSNBC
ETA: Wish the camerman had shown Jen’s backstabbing face.
“Joe Biden deserved better than he got from some folks in his own party”
schrodingers_cat
Everyone on our side who pushed this man out, poohed poohed his legislative achievements achieved with the thinnest of majorities. Badmouthed the full employment economy. You shall forever remain unforgiven
You never liked him and you pounced on him when you got your chance. You cannot be trusted.
zhena gogolia
I just watched it. In tears. What a tragedy.
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia: I didn’t watch it either.
zhena gogolia
@Jackie: The long-distance diagnosticians among us.
zhena gogolia
@schrodingers_cat: I just did. It’s very powerful.
zhena gogolia
@WaterGirl: Thank you.
rikyrah
That was JoeyB.
Scranton Joe
The best President of my lifetime.
His decency is his Superpower.
His belief in America 🥺🥺🥺🥺
Imma stay bitter for awhile.
WaterGirl
I say this as a hope, and maybe as something like a prayer. I did not want Joe to step down, but perhaps these 3 horrible weeks may have been the price we paid to not have another night like Nov 2016, and the end of our democracy. If that’s true, we will have Joe Biden to thank.
zhena gogolia
@Dagaetch: Yes! How could he have predicted that after inciting an insurrection, Trump would make a comeback?
schrodingers_cat
@zhena gogolia: I don’t know if I can watch it. I am still too upset. May be later.
schrodingers_cat
@rikyrah: Same.
Old School
rikyrah linked this earlier this week, but this is a good thread for it.
rikyrah
@lamh47: you ain’t never lied.
Phuck all them Hoes😡😡
WaterGirl
@lamh47: Truth.
lowtechcyclist
@Omnes Omnibus:
Me too.
bluefoot
@sxjames:
For me, this is what I love most about Joe Biden. He truly loves this country and truly deeply believes its ideals should apply to everybody. His commitment to that has only strengthened as he’s aged and progressed in his political career.
rikyrah
@WaterGirl:
😢😢😢😢😢😢
zhena gogolia
@lamh47: Oh, I have to find that one!!!
MomSense
@Quinerly:
He is a champion! It was a great speech and he is one of the greats. Nothing but love and respect for him.
rikyrah
@lamh47:
Preach 🙌🏽
Dagaetch
@zhena gogolia: I mean, when Biden started saying “bridge to a new generation” it was still the campaign and Jan 6 hadn’t happened yet?
phdesmond
@billcoop4: now i know your reason for posting.
rikyrah
@schrodingers_cat:
True.
And the only positive thing is that the VP knows who.to side eye also.
Revealed all those traitorous Hoes.😡
Tazj
What a great speech by a very good man and true patriot. I hope he knows how much we appreciate him and that he can take pride in his accomplishments and bringing the party together for Kamala Harris.
In contrast to that other guy.I don’t get the appeal, never did and never will.
rikyrah
@schrodingers_cat:
You should watch it. Very powerful.,😢😢
zhena gogolia
@Old School: Wow, that is beautiful.
rikyrah
@Old School:
How did I know the video before I clicked 😭 😭 😭
Omnes Omnibus
A view from the other side.
zhena gogolia
@Dagaetch: Okay, I misunderstood your point. I agree that when Biden won he probably thought he might be able to step aside because Trump would fade away.
banditqueen
President Joseph R Biden has skillfully steered the ship of state forward, providing the best possible chance of winning in Nov–given the rough and horrible circus that led (in large part) to his decision to not seek a second term. Now we Americans will do one of two things: live up to the “better angels of our nature” and move forward in peace, in justice, in equality, in fairness and elect Kamala… or reveal the brutal ugliness of repub fascism and fall apart. Either outcome, Joe did what he could and more–and it’s up to us now. GOTV!
bluefoot
@schrodingers_cat: The last three weeks have made people reveal themselves, that’s for sure. That it’s brought out the best in Joe Biden says all that needs to be said about him. And shows how small-souled some others are in comparison. I will forever be grateful that he has been our President.
UncleEbeneezer
Meanwhile at the Capitol today a Gaza protest featured Hamas flags, burning US flags and a sign saying “Allah is gathering all the Zionists for the ‘Final Solution.’” Lovely stuff.
I don’t really care about the flag-burning, honestly. That’s the least offensive of the three, by far.
Gary K
@zhena gogolia: JFK used the phrase in his Inaugural Address: “The torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans–born in this century.” A not-so-subtle dig at the outgoing President, then 70 years old.
Soprano2
@WaterGirl: No, burying his wife and children was probably harder. Second hardest, most likely.
No One You Know
@billcoop4: Excellent read. I didn’t know this text. It’s got the weight of this moment.
Subsole
@UncleEbeneezer:
Yeah. Whatever the original intent, those campus protests have attracted some genuinely unsavory characters.
princess leia
@billcoop4: Thank you so much for sharing this story.
WaterGirl
@Soprano2:
I think maybe you missed the operative words at the end of the sentence?
Soprano2
@Subsole: That’s because he didn’t do anything when he was president other than tweeting, watching Fox News, and playing golf.
Quinerly
@trnc:
truth
p.a.
The US Presidency is like a wasting disease. Unless you’re a mindless slug like tRump who sat on his ass watching Fox and compiling an enemies list.
phdesmond
@zhena gogolia:
zhena, you’re right, John Kennedy used the phrase “pass the torch to a new generation”.
Juju
@Omnes Omnibus: Being from the south I would have said fuck all of y’all, twice.
japa21
Been giving lot of thought to what I heard and what I saw. I have said on another site that very view politicians are heroes of mine. Joe Biden is my hero.
I really think Joe was not pushed out. I don’t think that negative polls would have caused him to drop out. They didn’t in 2019 and early 2020. In a sense, I think COVID caused him to drop out.
It is obvious that Joe views what is currently happening in the US as more than just an inflection point; he considers it a war between good and evil. In 2020 he ran because he felt he was best suited to beat Trump and put the evil down. If Trump hadn’t run this time, he may not have either. But evil is still there and Trump did run.
The difference this time is Joe is older and doesn’t have the stamina he had in 2020. But he felt he could still lead the fight. Then he got COVID, and its obvious he hasn’t gotten over it as easily as he has in the past. He’s like a soldier who has spent a lot of time in the trenches and knows he just doesn’t have it to keep on fighting and be successful. Time for fresh troops to take over. Yes, he’ll be around to provide advice, but this fight is too important for him to try it alone again.
He is totally self aware that he doesn’t have what it takes to do the campaign that will be needed to finish off enemy. And the enemy needs to be finished off. He never mentioned Trump by name, because he knows the rot is deeper than just Trump.
He is truly a man of honor and character, and as he said, let’s see if Americans still think character matter.
Quinerly
@PST: well put. Totally different narrative now has been set.
phdesmond
@WaterGirl: brava!
Quinerly
@FDRLincoln:
Totally agree. Very obvious.
hueyplong
Thanks, Jill.
Will do.
KatKapCC
@Omnes Omnibus: “a political speech, not a farewell address” – Well gee, you slimy little fuck, Joe is a POLITICIAN and he’s not LEAVING YET.
Ugh. I hope he gets a paper cut every day for the rest of his life.
UncleEbeneezer
@Subsole: It seems like this ugly shit is mostly in the US and Europe. The much larger protests in Israel, which truly dwarf anything we’ve seen here, have been mostly free of this shit, from what I’ve seen.
bluefoot
@rikyrah:
Truth. MVP ain’t no fool. You don’t become an accomplished WOC without keeping track of who you can count on to have your back….and who you can’t.
Tom Levenson
@Omnes Omnibus: Me too.
brantl
@BellyCat: … always that tone of surprise…
rb
@Gin & Tonic: Indeed.
brantl
@Andrew Abshier: It is indicative of Joe, that living his dream was doing his best by as many people as he possibly could. Damn fine man.
chrisanthemama
@Dagaetch: Patti Smith & Fred “Sonic” Smith – People Have the Power [Live 3-16-90] (youtube.com)
“Power to dream, to rule
To wrestle the earth from fools
But it’s decreed the people rule”
trnc
My understanding is that it dates back to the runners who ran the relay with the torch in the Olympics in ancient Greece, but I’ve no doubt it has been used quite a bit in politics.
Juju
@Omnes Omnibus: He’s just another example of the Trump Republicans are truly awful people.
Soprano2
@WaterGirl: Yeah, I missed that.
trnc
@WaterGirl:
Power corrupts. Unless Joe Biden is the one with the power.
Quinerly
@MomSense:
It was fantastic. Good seeing you still commenting.
I am so very proud of him, his family, and the Democratic Party. I wish the last 3 weeks could have been less messy. BUT politics is a bloodsport and nobody knows that more than Joe and Jill. He will be revered, and history will put him in the top presidents of all time. Definitely the best president of my 63 years. Obviously, just my opinion, but everyone here throws his/her thoughts and opinions around. None of us seem to have any expertise…..😎 Historians will write a great narrative. If he had stayed in and lost….well, obviously a different story.
It’s really ashamed that we just don’t have a 6 year term for the president and let that be it. Bjers mileage may vary.
trnc
@Dagaetch:
Yes, that’s the best explanation I’ve seen.
Juju
@Quinerly: Six years of f Trump would have been the end of this country.
FDRLincoln
“Deterioration” is too strong a word and I’m sorry I used it. I did not mean to offend anyone. I’m sorry.
I adore Joe Biden. Best President of my life and will be one of the top 10 in history, perhaps top 5.
Cincinnatus indeed.
Lincoln, FDR, Washington…they saved the country. Joe saved it in 2020 and now it is up to us to keep it safe.
Jackie
@p.a.: TCFG hid his aging with LOTS of makeup and hair dye. What I noticed towards the end of his Hush Money trial, was he couldn’t disguise the fact his rats nest was visibly thinning. When his MAGA hat got knocked off during the assignation attempt, it was very visible.
TCFG is aging at a fast clip and it will be very much in evidence when he’s facing MVP during their debate(s.)
brantl
@WaterGirl: I am as pro-Biden as anyone here, and I heard him slur some words, and wait for others. His language skills are deteriorating, but his thinking isn’t. In content, that’s one of the best speeches, if not THE best, I’ve ever heard.
trnc
If you have any examples of democrats who denigrated his achievements in any way, I’ll pledge to not vote for them in primaries, but I didn’t see any of that. If you’re referring to people in this blog, they should be shunned.
trnc
Well said.
Quinerly
@Juju: you definitely have a point.
I just hate the constant campaigning….it’s always the next campaign starting with the first day in office.
I truly believed Biden would be a one term, by choice, transformational president. I was a huge supporter from the beginning of his campaign for 2020. He wasn’t my 3rd, 4th, 5th choice like many say here. He was my first choice. I was “Kamala curious,” though. When I voted for him in 2020 I did not think he would run in 2024. I know some seem to be triggered by “pass the torch.” Phrase has been around forever, as everyone knows.
brantl
@Enhanced Voting Techniques: Orange nuts doesn’t have any clue who Cincinattus was
Villago Delenda Est
“A man of honor”.
The GQp is devoid of such men (and women).
Quinerly
@trnc: I doubt very much you will get any names. I haven’t heard of such a Democrat. And for the most part many commenters here who came to the conclusion since the debate that Biden should step aside have praised his accomplishments.
Villago Delenda Est
@Jackie: Assumes TCFFG/PAB has an atom of courage to face her. I’m betting he won’t.
WaterGirl
@FDRLincoln: Dont forget you said “rapid”, too. :-)
dnfree
@M31: Regarding Clarence Thomas, it is now perfectly believable that he would put a pubic hair on a Coke can.
WaterGirl
@brantl: We’ll have to disagree. When he started to stutter, he paused to get that under control, or whatever one does in that situation. It sure didn’t seem to me that he couldn’t find the words, instead it seemed he was trying to overcome the stutter.
trnc
@Quinerly: Yes, all I’ve seen from any democrat is praise for what he has done while in office.
trnc
I never really doubted his mental capacity. I’m not sure when the last time was that Stephen Hawking was able to speak without assistance, but I don’t think anyone doubted for a second that he was one of the smartest people in the world.
WaterGirl
@dnfree: Where’s the time machine when we need it?
Why don’t they listen to the women????
Imagine that in all caps, bold, red, and possibly flashing.
tam1MI
Hollywood predicted Joe Biden.
catclub
@Ishiyama: HHH fan?
Jackie
@WaterGirl: Agreed 100%. He knew he was stuttering and fought it. And got past it, as he does.
WaterGirl
@tam1MI: Nice seeing that clip. It does kind of remind me of Joe.
phdesmond
@UncleEbeneezer:
my experience of a campus protest was quite different.
i was able to recite a Palestinian protest poem, as part of the entertainment at my 55th college reunion, because i preceded it with a poem about the Holocaust. the latter is actually posted right here at Balloon Juice.
Nancy
@WaterGirl: Thank you for the note from Jill Biden.
Quinerly
@WaterGirl: geez…people see what they see. Here’s my story. I don’t actually watch cable news/the news. I listen to MSNBC on Tune In app…With that said, I watched the SOTU and probably hadn’t actually SEEN Handsome Joe again until the debate. 6 months. To me there had been obvious aging…yes, a deterioration if we want to use a strong word. It happens. We all age differently….except Keith and Mick😎. My mother said when she hit 80, things changed. She lived to 93. For me, it was like if you go 6-8 months without seeing a friend and then you see them and wonder what happened…..
Honestly, i was startled when Biden geared up for re election. That doesn’t make someone ageist for saying it out loud. The office ages the occupant. He was in his late 70’s going into it. Had beat Trump. Saved us. Plus, the stresses of a campaign and what his poor son has been put through in the last months.
We can win this with Kamala. We could not win with Joe.
Ruckus
@lamh47:
This country has been, several times in it’s history, very lucky with the picks for president that we’ve made. Sure there are some demerits in order over the last 200+ yrs, but over all we haven’t done too bad. And Joe Biden is one of the good ones. Not flashy at all, a down to earth rather decent human being. We have had, in my 3/4 of a century a pretty good run, not perfect, but then it is humanity, with it’s faults, warts and everything else. Joe Biden is not flashy, not a camera hog, and he’s done and is doing a great job.
He is a politician’s politician. As you say, nothing like shitforbrains, about as close to 180 degrees opposite as possible
laura
I’d be thrilled if President Biden called for Clarence Thomas and Sam Alitos resignation. The President has all manner of political capital to spend and I hope he and Dark Brandon use it.
Ruckus
@Omnes Omnibus:
Well we can see why you aren’t a politician, on a rather regular basis.
OK, I’m about as qualified so no need to tear into my ass on this….
WaterGirl
@Nancy: So much class.
Subsole
@Soprano2:
Yep. Like I said. An absolute nullity. Just nothing there. It barely rises to the level of Id.
WaterGirl
@Quinerly: Did you miss my smiley face?
Ruckus
@M31:
For me I’d add “Term limit.”
I don’t really have a concept of the length of term but I truly believe there should be one, maybe something like 8-12 yrs.
This is a country for the citizens, not those in office. They work FOR US, not the other way around. Giving no time limit to me is wrong, it elevates justices above everyone else in my mind and to me that is wrong.
KatKapCC
@Quinerly:
Could you use your psychic powers to give me this week’s lotto numbers?
Come on. Qualify it at least a smidge. “We might not have won with Joe.” “It would have been tougher to win with Joe.” You can’t make a definitive declaration about something you cannot possibly know for certain.
phdesmond
@phdesmond:
the Palestinian poem i recited to 200 diners and 40 servers under a big open-air tent:
Oh Rascal Children of Gaza
Khaled Juma
Oh rascal children of Gaza,
You who constantly disturbed me with your screams under my window,
You who filled every morning with rush and chaos,
You who broke my vase and stole the lonely flower on my balcony,
Come back –
And scream as you want,
And break all the vases,
Steal all the flowers.
Come back,
Just come back…
Villago Delenda Est
@trnc: TCFFG/PAP probably thought his wheelchair made him much less smart than the stable genius.
CaseyL
@billcoop4:
Thank you for this. It’s lovely.
Subsole
@UncleEbeneezer:
There have been reports that foreign agencies are using it as a wedge.
And that’s not even touching the slimy bottom-feeders that inevitably flock to such movements.
Ruckus
@Enhanced Voting Techniques:
Mushroom Dick has been nuts for a lot of decades. (I believe we are talking about the same mushroom dick…)
Harrison Wesley
@Villago Delenda Est: True – a real Merkin he-man, such as Your Favorite President, would use a golf cart.
Quinerly
@WaterGirl: I’m on my smarty pants phone, so no smiley face.
With that said, I’ll add…loved Joe, still love Joe. But I am a realist. This is the most impt election in all of us here lifetimes. We need a strong speaker and campaigner. Someone who gets our voters and disenchanted voters juices going. Excitement. Hope for another generation.
We have dodged a bullet with Biden stepping aside, no matter how messy it was the last 3 weeks. This has come together so well, though. Amazingly well. Applaud Biden for seeing the writing on the wall. Applaud those who showed him the writing.. I suspect some of our heroes had a hand in this
We are not a cult of the personality of one person. We are a strong coalition of MANY. Just because Biden saved us and won in 2020, doesn’t mean he is our only hope.
Quinerly
@KatKapCC:
I came to a conclusion about 10 days after the debate. No expert. I guess we’ll never know.
phdesmond
@phdesmond:
fifteen of the diners and one of the servers came up to me afterwards and thanked me. (the server slams in the Boston area.)
and the webmaster for our class reunion website, who is Jewish, posted both poems.
no foreign agencies were involved.
KatKapCC
@Quinerly: You came to a belief. Not a conclusion.
Lyrebird
It says a lot about today’s GOP, too – here in Joe’s speech we see a true servant’s heart, courage, and integrity. I don’t know if it’s true that Vance was funded mostly by the businessman Thiel (sp?) who was trying to make a separate floating city or something with only his kind of people, trying to evade aging, now trying to buy an election. Contrast, oy.
Quinerly
@KatKapCC:
So…did Biden come to a conclusion or a belief?
Steve Crickmore
Bill Clinton: “Every important mistake I’ve made in my life, I’ve made because I was too tired.” from a man, who needed little sleep. Joe Biden no longer had the stamina, it was quite evident and forseen, for the renewal of another four year commitment to an extremely demanding schedule in which the stakes were enormous. There is no such thing as a forty-hour-a -week job for a President. Everything looked like it required enormous effort for him, including tonight’s speech. A job well done Joe. Be proud to walk away on your own terms and you still have six months to complete some finishing touches or add to all your accomplishments.
NaijaGal
I finally got a chance to watch Biden’s address. What a selfless and courageous leader. Walking away from power at a point when you believe in your gut that your beloved country is still in peril but trusting that your mentorship and sponsorship will allow the next generation to finish the job… That’s powerful, powerful stuff. Something I don’t think his former opponent could ever even conceive of – that a vice president should be someone capable of doing the job of president and doing it well.
I still believe that Biden was very poorly treated by the press and many members of the Democratic party. One of my least admirable qualities is that I hold grudges. I’ll do everything I can to see Kamala Harris elected and make the switch to “no party preference” in California after she wins in November.
Ksmiami
@schrodingers_cat: to the end of my days, I will blame the DOJ and Merrick Garland for not treating January 6th with the immediacy it required. We are here again at this perilous moment because the coup that should have resulted in fucking gallows… sort of just flickered out. And I’m fucking furious.
Ksmiami
@Juju: to be a Republican today, means you’re a shitty human. Repeated over and over.
Bupalos
@zhena gogolia: couple of you are really not picking up the message Biden is trying to lay down here. Kind of like yelling “fuck” in church, but do what you have to do I guess.
Darkrose
@Ksmiami: I wanted Doug Jones, but I was okay with Garland. However, I think he will go down in history as one of Biden’s worst staffing choices. He simply was unable to meet the moment.
Quinerly
@Steve Crickmore: 💜
Quinerly
@Bupalos:
I have become convinced that there at least 2 or 3 here who will not be happy unless Kamala loses and they can feel like they were right. “Biden was driven out. We lost because of that. I told you so.”
Tedious. Trollish
Not productive. Bizarre.
Aussie Sheila
A great speech from the best US President of my lifetime.
“However nothing becomes him more than the manner of his leaving.”
Vale Candidate Biden.
May the rest of your Presidency be as consequential as the last three and a half years.
I am confident in the presumptive candidate Kamala Harris, the rank and file of the Democratic Party, and the majority of the people of the USA.
Now, just win baby!
Bupalos
@japa21: If Joe thought this was a war between good and evil he would have let you know. He’s as far from that kind of thinking as it’s possible to be.
Bruce K in ATH-GR
There’s an old quote attributed to Abraham Lincoln:
“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”
Convicted felon Donald Trump failed that test. President Joe Biden just passed it.
206inKY
Damn, that was an absolutely gorgeous speech from a true statesman.
Joe’s superpower has always been his genuine commitment to service. He never sought power or wealth for personal gain, but instead used his offices to lift up others, fight bullies, laugh, mourn, compromise, work. There was no note of bitterness; it’s clear he’s trying to do right by the country and empower Harris.
My thoughts kept drifting to Mr. Rogers as a kid: “Look for the helpers.” Joe Biden is so clearly a helper. It’s incredibly rare in politics to find someone truly devoted to public service over ambition, and Biden cemented that legacy tonight.
Harris has just pulled off one of the most impressive bursts of campaigning in American history. She seems uniquely gifted in her ability to hold together the Obama, Clinton, and Biden coalitions while also pulling in a whole slew of new Harris voters. I don’t think it even matters who she selects as VP—more important is the way Biden has handled this transition. Zero sabotage, full support. There will be no rupture within the party as Harris sprints into the Fall.
I think part of the panic after the debate was genuine fear—by people like me who are clearly ignorant about aging—that this was a “taking the keys from grandpa” situation with someone who was being shielded from information by aides who wouldn’t take the keys since they were looking after their own jobs. Biden obliterated this argument tonight and made fools of his critics (like me). So too has his staff over the past several days, in their extraordinary launch of Harris’s campaign.
Biden is the opposite of so many people who manage to wield such power, and it won’t be overlooked in history classes.
Cara
@Quinerly: You know, it’s possible, and reasonable, to be angry about Biden being pushed out and also support VP Harris. The people still angry aren’t hoping she loses, for ANY reason. Everyone knows the stakes.
What I don’t get is this inability to just let people be angry without either typing pages of reasons they shouldn’t be, or making snotty remarks. The level of frustration some people display when others don’t 100% agree with them is really weird to me.
Chris Johnson
@Bupalos: I feel there’s nothing to be done about that. Some things about our political situation haven’t changed. There’s still gonna be people trying to drive and widen wedges, directly or indirectly guided by bad people.
All I can do is pay attention. I don’t think Joe Biden lost a bit of wisdom. I think it’s largely him who recognized that we could all pull off a bold pivot and the reward was even greater than the risk. And the balls on the man, to attempt that and succeed so gloriously. It’s truly historic and it’s quintessential Joe Biden. I knew he had it in him, that’s why I stuck by him no matter what until HE chose to trust me with a very bold decision. And that’s why I pivoted, much like when Bernie told me to vote for Hillary Clinton, which I did.
I’m going to pay attention to who claims they will never vote Dem again after the betrayal of their best guy asking them to do something which was his idea, just like I paid attention to what happened to the ‘Bernie Or Busters’ and what they were like.
I’m going to pay attention to other things like who either advocates for Kamala Harris to run under the BJP symbol, knowing she’s part-Indian, or who didn’t see fit to warn us about that part when they surely knew it was of interest.
And it’s a big tent, so anybody who’s prepared to actually vote Dem? That’s the only real litmus test. Everything else is politicking and arguing, both fair and foul, and we’re not only Democrats, we’re carrying the PRINCIPLE of democracy, and the conflict and chaos and noise is what makes us stronger than the fascists. We hear the messages we hate, and think about them because we’re strong minded that we don’t have to silence all dissent to survive.
Just pie ’em when it’s too annoying :D
motoran
Also a man, of course, who shows absolutely no regard for the lives of Palestinians, and who seems to be 100% okay with Israeli genocidal policies. So, yeah.
Manyakitty
@Omnes Omnibus: it was implied.
Bob in PA
@Quinerly: You’ve convinced me. Your insufferable self-righteousness is but a symptom of what is wrong with the Democratic party. I don’t want to be in a party with people like you, and I will not vote for the Democratic candidate no matter who it might be.