Hi, Lewis...I suggest taking the time to read the comments on this thread and check out the links they provide. That's what I did, and it helped tremendously.
We all know Joe had a dismal performance. Nobody's refuting that. But through the wisdom and inspiration of Simon and the folks here, I feel more energized and motivated than ever.
Someone wrote that this isn't about just Joe...it's about us. Joe saved us from a fascist sociopath in 2020 and gave us a wildly successful first term (with a 50-50 senate and tiny house majority).
Yes, he has aged a lot, and it shows. He will still be a stellar president in his second term, but to get him there, we are now being called to work harder, do more, give more to help.
To paraphrase, maybe it's "Ask not what your president can do for you, ask what you can do for your president." As many others have said, Joe has had our backs and saved our democracy in countless ways, so now we must rally for him and our country.
Valid points. Very disappointing. But we've got to move forward. The choice is still between a good president whose track record shows he is fighting for ordinary Americans and a demogogue who will destroy our democracy and is only out for himself.
That is because you are freaked out and some people are telling you not to be. They are telling you that because freaking out is unhelpful, and there is no actual rational reason to believe that a bad night of TV will end a campaign.
Joe Biden is a self-admitted gaffe machine whose mouth doesn't always connect together right. This is not NEW. Why are people acting like it is new? It is literally a core part of his personality. It was all the material for Jason Sudekis's old SNL version of him. Does anyone remember him rattling off unprompted about record players during the 2020 debates? This is the guy who delivered "Poor kids are just as talented as white kids!" and "We choose science over fiction and truth over facts" in the *same* weekend... and was then sitting in the Oval Office months later. We were freaked out he looked too old then, the debate reviews described him as "looking around lost" and Fox was claiming he was senile on Inauguration Day, where his wispy hair was doing some nutty thing behind his head.
Very little is different about the man now except people have had a few more years to get even more hysteric.
I really don't see what you're getting at. He did worse last night but not awesome in 2020 either, frankly. Not as well as Hillary in 2016, but look who got more votes. My point is it doesn't matter because very little of this stuff matters historically to who actually wins, and being mumbly and gaffe-prone didn't stop the dude before, so you can miss me with this idea that because he was now mumbly and gaffe-prone *with laryngitis* that will make all the difference. And he was campaigning in Atlanta and Raleigh in the 24-hour period afterwards - hardly hiding in a closet. I don't give a crap how many interviews he's done and most voters who will decide don't either. They don't like politics, don't follow closely and don't watch the interviews that do come out. And they didn't watch this either.
Please read some of the comments and post-debate polling mentioned in various comments here. It appears that viewers were aware that Trump was spewing falsehoods during the debate. And while disappointed by Biden's performance, many viewers could see that Biden is a truthful man whose accomplishments, policies and vision are aimed at making life better for ordinary Americans. We should judge Biden by how he governs, by the decisions he makes, by the people he appoints to carry out his vision. I see NO sign of diminished ability to process information, to use good judgment and to make good decisions. It may take him longer to digest information provided by his competent advisors and to evaluate his options. But it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer than it would have 20 years ago. He still makes good decisions, for the most part. In contrast, Trump's ability to engage in complex thinking is ZERO. And he doesn't care about ordinary Americans. He only cares about power and himself.
A lot of people here don't actually seem to understand the core thrust of Simon's work or philosophy. Today, on the occasion of the campaign's only misstep, they are taking the opportunity to come out from under their bridge and loudly proclaim that they knew they were being sold a bill of goods with this "constructive" "optimism" and "evidence" stuff. Why they are here, getting in the way of us having a constructive conversation on how to win, is baffling.
You are correct that many voters will look at the split screen and see the same liar they have rejected many times versus someone looking decidedly under the weather but attempting to answer questions that pertain to them and their family.
As George Lakoff explained in his 2016 essay “Understanding Trump,” Trump’s words work. And he “uses them instinctively to turn people’s brains toward what he wants: Absolute authority, money, power, celebrity.” We (all of us -- not just Joe Biden) need to disprove the perception that Trump is a better leader by getting the word out about how he has already betrayed ordinary Americans. And get the word out about Project 2025. The choice between Biden and Trump becomes very clear. See:
I'm not an expert, but I do know that Dems have been outperforming in Congressional special elections and are polling well in Senate races. So I don't necessarily agree with your analysis. But regardless -- I don't see how Dems would come to a consensus on a replacement for Biden between now and August 7th without losing momentum, unity and the overall ground game. I just don't see us being in a better place.
This is completely correct. There has been nothing in the numbers to show a shift, only panicked assumptions. Democrats are in a strong place as a party.
It is arrogant for you to assert that you know reality, and what everyone is thinking.
I disagree with everything you wrote and I am not detached from reality, thanks. You do not speak for me, nor do you speak for everyone. This is a site based on a) positivity and b) evidence/statistics. I don't need to be condescended to that my "heart's feelings" are unrealistic. What is unrealistic is people throwing out doom with no evidence, as if we are covering our ears to what we don't wish to hear and we must heed your prophecy before it is too late. I see no evidence to back up your assertions, only your own "heart's feelings," and boy are they unhelpful and unrealistic. I see perfectly clearly and remain confident.
Raymond, given your completely over the top fact and data free rantings on here today you are being suspended from being able to post for one month. If you want to leave our community for this that will be your choice.
These people are so clueless it defies all belief.
Essentially, one embarrassing public event or a few bad articles written and our guy or gal is far too damaged to ever run again. Those hideous mystical uninformed low-info (usually young) swing state voters can never be trusted to be anything other than morons, and will come crawling out to notice all the bad things and only the bad things, and will immediately and gleefully hand the whole country over to the villains. All effort is hopeless to stop them, and our only hope is to start over with the most perfect person we can find, someone who has no ovaries or melanin or wrinkles or lack of wrinkles or "dislikability" or "weakness" and comes from the perfect state with the perfect attitude and connections. That is the only thing that could possibly work to save us from the baddies, who are very very powerful and always going to win the second we are not perfect... except for all the times they keep losing, that was just luck.
The just-released Ipsos polling both before and after the debate showed Biden more trusted on protecting democracy. You either don't know or don't care about getting basic information right.
"Please don't spin this one. Hopium happy talk will not get us anywhere."
You are asking this newsletter to not do what it is singularly designed to do, and clearly reject the author's entire working thesis. Maybe this is not the place for you. Although, on second thought, stick around. If/when we activists and organizers deliver the White House to Biden/Harris again in a few months, I will have a great time finding all these comments certain of doom and un-gently reminding you who saw reality and got to work... and who didn't.
Beh-Ghiat has studied authoritarianism in depth. I respect her views. George Lakoff said much the same thing: Trump is a master of demogoguery, which can't be countered with the "usual" tactics, arguments, etc. Trump is able to "hack into conservative brains and the manifold ways the right has gerrymandered reality in their favor." We must "fixate on making the reality of what he and his billionaire co-conspirators’ plan impossible to ignore." In my opinion, that includes making voters intensely aware of the details of Project 2025.
Respectfully, I just don’t think we know yet if this 90 minutes negates all that he has done for us and that it = he can’t win with voters. Not all of us are interested in a strong man or a performer, some of us want a competent administration. All we know right now is that political pundits are not ready for this fight.
What you heard in the first 20 minutes after the debate on Threads and MSNBC isn't the only commentary that will exist about this debate. Trump had a terrible night too.
With all due respect, I don’t understand how people in the party, you included, but many others, can completely lose their mind over one bad night when Joe has delivered at every big key moment in his entire presidency so far… What the hell does this man have to do to earn some loyalty and faith from us? I can’t think of a time in American history that would’ve been more difficult to do his job, save the 1930s or the 1860s… He has averted government shutdowns, debt ceiling default threats, expanded NATO in the face of a mega land war in Europe for the first time since World War II, made landmark investments for job creation and supply chains, made the boldest moves on climate change of any world leader in history, pulled us out of the ditch of Covid, got the first gun safety legislation since the fucking 1990s passed, actually defeated the pharmaceutical industry and secured lower costs for people like my parents, outmaneuvered OPEC and rendered them dramatically less important than they once were in the global energy market, delivered two top shelf state of the union addresses to historically hostile audiences, has kept every bit as aggressive of a schedule at 80 years old as Barack Obama did in his late 40s, and has basically without exception until the Thursday night debate exceeded everyone’s expectations at every turn from the day he secured the South Carolina primary in 2020. If all of that doesn’t earn him some loyalty from us when he has one bad night, and a willingness on our part to help pick up the slack, then who the fuck are we?! I am putting my money on the guy who has accomplished everything I just said, because every time I go over that list, I’m utterly dumbfounded that anyone managed to get it done at any moment in my life, and it is fucking impossible that someone pulled it off in this moment. A man with a résumé like that is one hell of a good politician, and can recover from a bad night and those of us who follow closely enough to understand what he’s accomplished in the circumstances that he’s managed to accomplish it in, should count ourselves incredibly lucky that someone this wise and skilled is willing to take on this task at a time when he should be able to just enjoy a relaxing retirement. Let’s buck up and go win this goddamn thing, because it’s a team sport, and our captain needs us to pick up a little slack for a short time… And I think he has by God earned it from us.
So what's the solution? Will FDR or JFK rise from the grave and come down from the heavens to save us? This kind of knee-jerk fearfulness is as big a self-own by Democrats as anything else.
One more thing: I'm ALWAYS amazed at the asymmetry of responses between Democrats and Republicans when their candidate has a bad outing:
Democrats: "OMG!!!, he/she was terrible and needs to drop out asap!!!"
Repugs: "Our guy/woman was STRONG (even when we know he/she wasn't)!!!"
Either we get busy or we get screwed. I'd much rather fight than whine. Pick a lane here and let Simon and the rest of us get to work.
I would like to humble suggest he do a town hall. That is a much better venue to showcase his strengths with actual voters and not trying to argue with an unchecked, narcissistic, lying madman.
Yes! Let’s practice being resilient when mass panic extreme reactions hit the fan and continue to get to work no matter what. Joe is doing that in North Carolina today, right after that stressful debate. What an example of resilience!
No, performance is an important factor. It's why Bill Clinton, Obama, JFK, W, and even trump got elected; they could perform. In the TV age, it is critical. Biden is a good president and a good man, but his optics have always sucked and I have always cringed when I listened to him. It has not gotten better. If Simon says we have a harder job now, then it really is a harder job; it was an uphill climb already. But that doesn't mean give up. We fight on. We fight on even if we lose. We do so because we love our country, and we want a better future not only for ourselves but humanity.
Wrong. I was alive for every single one of them. They all won for different reason, performance was not one of them except for Trump. Most won on ideas. Not all won on good ideas but policy and/or changes to policy did.
By the way Fisher, Obamas first debate was terrible. He flopped but then bounced back after that. President Bidens speech today 6-28-24, in North Carolina was great. You have to appreciate the wisdom and experience of President Biden! He isn't the best orator - has stuttered his whole life. But he knows how to get things done for the American people!
Jen, Biden over prepared and was under the weather. One bad debate will not cancel all of President Bidens hard work for Americans. They were not allowed notes. For stutterers, notes really help pronunciation while speaking. Felon trump lied 50 times! I stand with President Biden!
Joe did okay. I thought he was prepped to the point of exhaustion and hoarseness. He should have had 2 days of rest before taking the stage. Biden’s campaign made the bad call to debate a felon, rapist, fraudster. They elected to gift that felon and liar that large of an audience. What were they thinking? I hold Biden’s advisors responsible for taking that totally unnecessary risk. Then they overworked the President. The candidates are not now and were never equal. At the end of the day it is a binary choice, obvious as to who is best for this country. We know who they both are.
You're right on every point. The bar was actually very high for Biden here after all the hype. I thought Biden won the last 70 minutes of this debate easily. It was the first 20 that got the doom spiral going.
He's the President Of the United States not a high schooler on a debate team. It was up to him to keep his focus, ignore A'la Oranges bullshit and share with the American People his accomplishments and future goals. He failed miserably.
Ugh - um that is the media's job - to point out lies but no instead all they do is comment on Biden's age. How about at least one question from the moderators about the convicted felon. Trump was always going after Hillary and saying she should be put in jail. How about "Sir" (puke), there are those that say you should step down bc you are, after all, a convicted felon. How do you respond? Shouldn't you, as a convicted felon, step down?
And when Trump stuffed three or 45 lies or misstatements into a minute, it’s not possible to factcheck each of those in the one minute you’re given for a response. It’s simply is not possible. So Biden was reduced to saying Trump was lying, which is true. Then Trump would get up and say Biden was Line, which wasn’t true, but if you don’t know, you don’t know.
How is this helpful? Biden had a bad night. I'm telling my friends who are in a panic that yes it was a bad night but the Biden administration has done a lot of good things like cap insulin for seniors at $35. Sorry, but I also think it's our duty to know what his accomplishments are and share them with those who do not know them.
Me? Have I met any undecided? Nope. But I do know people that don't know what Biden has accomplished and/or say Biden is old; I don't know, Biden is old, Biden is old. I always agree Biden is old and then try my best to say Biden is a great president , has a great team and look at his accomplishments. I didn't know he had a such a bad debate prep team this time around.
Jen, for you I list the Pact act, Infrastructure Act, Clean energy Act making thousands of new jobs, Chips and science act, lowest unemployment in history, capping cost of insulin, highest stock market in history, wages have gone up for working class, inflation going down, target and walmart just lowered prices, broadband for rural areas, I could go on...........thanks to BIDEN!
Jen, so harsh. We are human you know. The fact that felon trump lied and would not answer certain questions - would just talk about another subject really sabotaged the debate from the start. The moderator should have stepped in! President Biden did have a rough night but today in North Carolina he came back strong! There was not enough time to fact check felon trump - he lied 50 times in an hour and a half! Felon trump is a total Sociopath. Period. I choose the man that has already gotten so much done for our country - JOE BIDEN!!!!!!!!!
In some ways he was coming across strongly enough… but not in every way …“he showed up, likely exhausted from all the prep, & stress! Real humans are NOT Always at the top of their game 100%!
Next day, he was out on the Campaign performing Better than yesterday!
He is a senior, and doing exceptionally well. AND “Imperfect like I am”!
He’s not 100%, but he’s got “A package that includes So Much Valuable Experience, and Genuine VALUES & dedication to Democracy, that I will applaud him, and stand by him! He’s a BEAUTIFUL MAN!”
What I find deeply frustrating and, frankly, downright dangerous is the general lack of post-debate focus on substance. Where are the prominent front-page articles analyzing Trump’s lies and extremist positions? The utter lack of these normalizes Trump, reducing almost all discussion to a question of horse-race, in which "truth" does not matter.
It's a factor, especially in the elderly, and scientists are now telling us that even a cold or flu causes some level of brain fog, something we learned from the more severe form caused by Covid ( and I know of which I speak ). This would explain some of the reported rambling answers. I did not watch the whole thing; I was already depressed at the US being just about eliminated from the Copa America by tiny Panama.
I, too, have had trouble with brain fog while I was writing my last book. It would wear off at 2 a.m. and that is when I could get it together enough to write. Long Covid, thanks, Donald for proving to be so ineffective during that epidemic. I am lucky to have survived.
I remember cramming in College and the next morning I went to take the test and my brain was just racing. I bombed that test! But at the end of the semester I got an A in the class! I am standing with President Biden!
I feel this. One person in my immediate friend group just spreads so much negativity and trying to counter him is so exhausting. I tried directing him here but the response I got was "doesn't sound like a neutral source."
We agree 100%. Further, on May 15, we tried to send an indirect message to the Biden campaign to this effect:
"We just wanted to provide the Biden team some feedback regarding President Biden's latest debate challenge to Donald Trump. In his announcement, the President said that he was willing to debate Trump in a nontraditional venue without an audience. We are in favor of an audience because the reaction from an audience permits extra time to think out a response without dead air. Given [the President's] stuttering issues, we sincerely believe that those few seconds will allow him to compose himself without uncomfortable silence in the background.
The second part of this is that Trump feeds off of an audience. An audience always causes Trump to speak and act in much more outlandish ways. This is when he gets off the teleprompter, and starts saying exactly the things that show what a threat he is to democracy, etc,. This will help [President Biden] immensely. In fact, for a good portion of that type of debate, [President Biden] could just sit back and enjoy the ride on the Crazy Train, like he did in the 2020 debates ('Will you just shut up, man?')
We respectfully and in complete support encourage a discussion on this issue within [the President's] inner circle."
The format of this debate also prevented Biden from getting in some good, quick interruptions, which could not have helped his performance.
Good point, I was thinking about this today. Team Biden wanted to make Trump behave, and got those rules, but better for the world too see Trump's impulsive narcissism.
I agree. The debate prep team bogged Biden down with numbers and data. Biden is smart and Trump is an idiot who just lies and says whatever he wants in the moment. Biden should have gone with his strengths. He is smart, an expert on foreign affairs, compassionate, calming, wise AND has done a great job. All he had to do was say, you're lying, I have the best record on whatever Trump was lying about. Maybe just smirk and laugh and say sure Jan. Okay maybe not sure Jan but just mock Trump. Sometimes the political insiders are too much in their own bubble. In my opinion, they should have just let Joe be Joe. It's worked for Joe his entire career. Some say he is gaffe prone. So what? It's part of what makes him relatable. More Joe and less wonk for this race. The media has never been kind to Joe. Heck, they have never been fair so stop trying to play the media's game and definitely not the Trump game. JMO
I agree. Biden needs to enlarge our campaign advisors. What about adding an expert on authoritarianism. We are up against something really different -- and we need Ruth Ben-Chiat or someone like that on Biden's campaign team. If not on her team, let get her on Hopium to advise us on how to best fight the authoratarian/hitler and reveal who he is and what he will do to our country/democracy. We will loose it.
Excellent idea. Joe will do better by taking the high road and refusing to get on the same stage with a felon. Those marching with Biden defend this country.
I'm sending another $50 to South Carolina. And I'm writing an extra 50 postcards. This was a battle, not the war. We need boots on the ground to save democracy. By the way, the Republicans and Independents I know are on social media this morning saying they're still not voting for Trump. So, as Simon says, let's not comply in advance. Work is better than worry.
Me, too! Go Catherine. This is a marathon not a sprint. We must double down on all our efforts with donations, postcards, phoning, texting and canvassing. This is not a time to ring our hands it is the time to put them in the dirt and work until the seeds come up.
We are stronger and better than we have ever been and I will not give up and I will never, never give in. We will win this fight against MAGA crazies.
Think what your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did in World War II. They had unflinching courage that never wavered in the fight to win for democracy. They are great role models for us all. We can do this!
Simon, with your DNC lineage, would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what conversations may be underway regarding post debate considerations/ potential next steps.
The best post-debate decision is give any amount to the Biden/Harris campaign. If the ticket got 1million+ supporters to donate quickly that would become the news. Remember just a few short weeks ago how well that worked when the Convicted Felon was found guilty. By giving today to show your support you become a positive part of the solution.
You are so right, Heidi Jo:) Robert Hubbell, another can do advocate, suggested donating any amount via a link in his column last night:) I have been making monthly donations this year, but made another last night to Joe’s campaign. We need to be cheerleaders and show our support however we can, and donate; it can be infectious!💙
Hi, Lewis...I suggest taking the time to read the comments on this thread and check out the links they provide. That's what I did, and it helped tremendously.
We all know Joe had a dismal performance. Nobody's refuting that. But through the wisdom and inspiration of Simon and the folks here, I feel more energized and motivated than ever.
Someone wrote that this isn't about just Joe...it's about us. Joe saved us from a fascist sociopath in 2020 and gave us a wildly successful first term (with a 50-50 senate and tiny house majority).
Yes, he has aged a lot, and it shows. He will still be a stellar president in his second term, but to get him there, we are now being called to work harder, do more, give more to help.
To paraphrase, maybe it's "Ask not what your president can do for you, ask what you can do for your president." As many others have said, Joe has had our backs and saved our democracy in countless ways, so now we must rally for him and our country.
That’s how I’m feeling it. Hope it helps. 🇺🇸
Valid points. Very disappointing. But we've got to move forward. The choice is still between a good president whose track record shows he is fighting for ordinary Americans and a demogogue who will destroy our democracy and is only out for himself.
"I feel gaslit."
That is because you are freaked out and some people are telling you not to be. They are telling you that because freaking out is unhelpful, and there is no actual rational reason to believe that a bad night of TV will end a campaign.
Joe Biden is a self-admitted gaffe machine whose mouth doesn't always connect together right. This is not NEW. Why are people acting like it is new? It is literally a core part of his personality. It was all the material for Jason Sudekis's old SNL version of him. Does anyone remember him rattling off unprompted about record players during the 2020 debates? This is the guy who delivered "Poor kids are just as talented as white kids!" and "We choose science over fiction and truth over facts" in the *same* weekend... and was then sitting in the Oval Office months later. We were freaked out he looked too old then, the debate reviews described him as "looking around lost" and Fox was claiming he was senile on Inauguration Day, where his wispy hair was doing some nutty thing behind his head.
Very little is different about the man now except people have had a few more years to get even more hysteric.
I really don't see what you're getting at. He did worse last night but not awesome in 2020 either, frankly. Not as well as Hillary in 2016, but look who got more votes. My point is it doesn't matter because very little of this stuff matters historically to who actually wins, and being mumbly and gaffe-prone didn't stop the dude before, so you can miss me with this idea that because he was now mumbly and gaffe-prone *with laryngitis* that will make all the difference. And he was campaigning in Atlanta and Raleigh in the 24-hour period afterwards - hardly hiding in a closet. I don't give a crap how many interviews he's done and most voters who will decide don't either. They don't like politics, don't follow closely and don't watch the interviews that do come out. And they didn't watch this either.
Will, I find my self nodding -- and chuckling -- as I read your comments. So true. And laughing is healthy.
Please read some of the comments and post-debate polling mentioned in various comments here. It appears that viewers were aware that Trump was spewing falsehoods during the debate. And while disappointed by Biden's performance, many viewers could see that Biden is a truthful man whose accomplishments, policies and vision are aimed at making life better for ordinary Americans. We should judge Biden by how he governs, by the decisions he makes, by the people he appoints to carry out his vision. I see NO sign of diminished ability to process information, to use good judgment and to make good decisions. It may take him longer to digest information provided by his competent advisors and to evaluate his options. But it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer than it would have 20 years ago. He still makes good decisions, for the most part. In contrast, Trump's ability to engage in complex thinking is ZERO. And he doesn't care about ordinary Americans. He only cares about power and himself.
A lot of people here don't actually seem to understand the core thrust of Simon's work or philosophy. Today, on the occasion of the campaign's only misstep, they are taking the opportunity to come out from under their bridge and loudly proclaim that they knew they were being sold a bill of goods with this "constructive" "optimism" and "evidence" stuff. Why they are here, getting in the way of us having a constructive conversation on how to win, is baffling.
You are correct that many voters will look at the split screen and see the same liar they have rejected many times versus someone looking decidedly under the weather but attempting to answer questions that pertain to them and their family.
As George Lakoff explained in his 2016 essay “Understanding Trump,” Trump’s words work. And he “uses them instinctively to turn people’s brains toward what he wants: Absolute authority, money, power, celebrity.” We (all of us -- not just Joe Biden) need to disprove the perception that Trump is a better leader by getting the word out about how he has already betrayed ordinary Americans. And get the word out about Project 2025. The choice between Biden and Trump becomes very clear. See:
https://www.theframelab.org/dont-underestimate-donald-trump/?ref=lakoff-and-duran-framelab-newsletter
I'm not an expert, but I do know that Dems have been outperforming in Congressional special elections and are polling well in Senate races. So I don't necessarily agree with your analysis. But regardless -- I don't see how Dems would come to a consensus on a replacement for Biden between now and August 7th without losing momentum, unity and the overall ground game. I just don't see us being in a better place.
This is completely correct. There has been nothing in the numbers to show a shift, only panicked assumptions. Democrats are in a strong place as a party.
It is arrogant for you to assert that you know reality, and what everyone is thinking.
I disagree with everything you wrote and I am not detached from reality, thanks. You do not speak for me, nor do you speak for everyone. This is a site based on a) positivity and b) evidence/statistics. I don't need to be condescended to that my "heart's feelings" are unrealistic. What is unrealistic is people throwing out doom with no evidence, as if we are covering our ears to what we don't wish to hear and we must heed your prophecy before it is too late. I see no evidence to back up your assertions, only your own "heart's feelings," and boy are they unhelpful and unrealistic. I see perfectly clearly and remain confident.
Raymond, given your completely over the top fact and data free rantings on here today you are being suspended from being able to post for one month. If you want to leave our community for this that will be your choice.
*Both* Biden *and* Madame VP Harris? Asking the first black woman VP to step aside is sure to go over well with the not-online Democratic base.
These people are so clueless it defies all belief.
Essentially, one embarrassing public event or a few bad articles written and our guy or gal is far too damaged to ever run again. Those hideous mystical uninformed low-info (usually young) swing state voters can never be trusted to be anything other than morons, and will come crawling out to notice all the bad things and only the bad things, and will immediately and gleefully hand the whole country over to the villains. All effort is hopeless to stop them, and our only hope is to start over with the most perfect person we can find, someone who has no ovaries or melanin or wrinkles or lack of wrinkles or "dislikability" or "weakness" and comes from the perfect state with the perfect attitude and connections. That is the only thing that could possibly work to save us from the baddies, who are very very powerful and always going to win the second we are not perfect... except for all the times they keep losing, that was just luck.
Spot on. And it's up to US to educate low-info voters.
The just-released Ipsos polling both before and after the debate showed Biden more trusted on protecting democracy. You either don't know or don't care about getting basic information right.
"Please don't spin this one. Hopium happy talk will not get us anywhere."
You are asking this newsletter to not do what it is singularly designed to do, and clearly reject the author's entire working thesis. Maybe this is not the place for you. Although, on second thought, stick around. If/when we activists and organizers deliver the White House to Biden/Harris again in a few months, I will have a great time finding all these comments certain of doom and un-gently reminding you who saw reality and got to work... and who didn't.
Beh-Ghiat has studied authoritarianism in depth. I respect her views. George Lakoff said much the same thing: Trump is a master of demogoguery, which can't be countered with the "usual" tactics, arguments, etc. Trump is able to "hack into conservative brains and the manifold ways the right has gerrymandered reality in their favor." We must "fixate on making the reality of what he and his billionaire co-conspirators’ plan impossible to ignore." In my opinion, that includes making voters intensely aware of the details of Project 2025.
https://www.theframelab.org/dont-underestimate-donald-trump/?ref=lakoff-and-duran-framelab-newsletter
Respectfully, I just don’t think we know yet if this 90 minutes negates all that he has done for us and that it = he can’t win with voters. Not all of us are interested in a strong man or a performer, some of us want a competent administration. All we know right now is that political pundits are not ready for this fight.
What you heard in the first 20 minutes after the debate on Threads and MSNBC isn't the only commentary that will exist about this debate. Trump had a terrible night too.
Evan I can always count on you to come here and shit all over everything. I am surprised it took so long.
With all due respect, I don’t understand how people in the party, you included, but many others, can completely lose their mind over one bad night when Joe has delivered at every big key moment in his entire presidency so far… What the hell does this man have to do to earn some loyalty and faith from us? I can’t think of a time in American history that would’ve been more difficult to do his job, save the 1930s or the 1860s… He has averted government shutdowns, debt ceiling default threats, expanded NATO in the face of a mega land war in Europe for the first time since World War II, made landmark investments for job creation and supply chains, made the boldest moves on climate change of any world leader in history, pulled us out of the ditch of Covid, got the first gun safety legislation since the fucking 1990s passed, actually defeated the pharmaceutical industry and secured lower costs for people like my parents, outmaneuvered OPEC and rendered them dramatically less important than they once were in the global energy market, delivered two top shelf state of the union addresses to historically hostile audiences, has kept every bit as aggressive of a schedule at 80 years old as Barack Obama did in his late 40s, and has basically without exception until the Thursday night debate exceeded everyone’s expectations at every turn from the day he secured the South Carolina primary in 2020. If all of that doesn’t earn him some loyalty from us when he has one bad night, and a willingness on our part to help pick up the slack, then who the fuck are we?! I am putting my money on the guy who has accomplished everything I just said, because every time I go over that list, I’m utterly dumbfounded that anyone managed to get it done at any moment in my life, and it is fucking impossible that someone pulled it off in this moment. A man with a résumé like that is one hell of a good politician, and can recover from a bad night and those of us who follow closely enough to understand what he’s accomplished in the circumstances that he’s managed to accomplish it in, should count ourselves incredibly lucky that someone this wise and skilled is willing to take on this task at a time when he should be able to just enjoy a relaxing retirement. Let’s buck up and go win this goddamn thing, because it’s a team sport, and our captain needs us to pick up a little slack for a short time… And I think he has by God earned it from us.
Made me laugh, and I needed that.
So what's the solution? Will FDR or JFK rise from the grave and come down from the heavens to save us? This kind of knee-jerk fearfulness is as big a self-own by Democrats as anything else.
One more thing: I'm ALWAYS amazed at the asymmetry of responses between Democrats and Republicans when their candidate has a bad outing:
Democrats: "OMG!!!, he/she was terrible and needs to drop out asap!!!"
Repugs: "Our guy/woman was STRONG (even when we know he/she wasn't)!!!"
Either we get busy or we get screwed. I'd much rather fight than whine. Pick a lane here and let Simon and the rest of us get to work.
Evan, months of you being a remarkable asshole ends tonight. Thank you.
I would like to humble suggest he do a town hall. That is a much better venue to showcase his strengths with actual voters and not trying to argue with an unchecked, narcissistic, lying madman.
Yes! Let’s practice being resilient when mass panic extreme reactions hit the fan and continue to get to work no matter what. Joe is doing that in North Carolina today, right after that stressful debate. What an example of resilience!
But they're correct. That was a horrible performance and pretending it wasn't is serving no one.
This!
Who cares? If you want "performance" you need to rethink what you want in a President.
No, performance is an important factor. It's why Bill Clinton, Obama, JFK, W, and even trump got elected; they could perform. In the TV age, it is critical. Biden is a good president and a good man, but his optics have always sucked and I have always cringed when I listened to him. It has not gotten better. If Simon says we have a harder job now, then it really is a harder job; it was an uphill climb already. But that doesn't mean give up. We fight on. We fight on even if we lose. We do so because we love our country, and we want a better future not only for ourselves but humanity.
Wrong. I was alive for every single one of them. They all won for different reason, performance was not one of them except for Trump. Most won on ideas. Not all won on good ideas but policy and/or changes to policy did.
Clinton, Obama, and George Bush Jr. all bombed on their first presidential debates...and went on to win.
And none had to face a clown like Trump.
By the way Fisher, Obamas first debate was terrible. He flopped but then bounced back after that. President Bidens speech today 6-28-24, in North Carolina was great. You have to appreciate the wisdom and experience of President Biden! He isn't the best orator - has stuttered his whole life. But he knows how to get things done for the American people!
Jen, Biden over prepared and was under the weather. One bad debate will not cancel all of President Bidens hard work for Americans. They were not allowed notes. For stutterers, notes really help pronunciation while speaking. Felon trump lied 50 times! I stand with President Biden!
Joe did okay. I thought he was prepped to the point of exhaustion and hoarseness. He should have had 2 days of rest before taking the stage. Biden’s campaign made the bad call to debate a felon, rapist, fraudster. They elected to gift that felon and liar that large of an audience. What were they thinking? I hold Biden’s advisors responsible for taking that totally unnecessary risk. Then they overworked the President. The candidates are not now and were never equal. At the end of the day it is a binary choice, obvious as to who is best for this country. We know who they both are.
You're right on every point. The bar was actually very high for Biden here after all the hype. I thought Biden won the last 70 minutes of this debate easily. It was the first 20 that got the doom spiral going.
He's the President Of the United States not a high schooler on a debate team. It was up to him to keep his focus, ignore A'la Oranges bullshit and share with the American People his accomplishments and future goals. He failed miserably.
Whose fault is it if they don't know his accomplishments? I stopped watching debates when those asking the questions don't challenge responses.
And yet according to Chuck Todd, it was also Biden's job to fact-check Trump in real time. 🙄 Leaving no time for anything else.
Chuck Todd is an idiot and always has been.
Not a college grad! Come back when you get your degree. Big Russ had the chops compared to chucky.
Ugh - um that is the media's job - to point out lies but no instead all they do is comment on Biden's age. How about at least one question from the moderators about the convicted felon. Trump was always going after Hillary and saying she should be put in jail. How about "Sir" (puke), there are those that say you should step down bc you are, after all, a convicted felon. How do you respond? Shouldn't you, as a convicted felon, step down?
lol @ puke ))
Even when I type "Sir" to emulate someone addressing Trump, I 🤮
And when Trump stuffed three or 45 lies or misstatements into a minute, it’s not possible to factcheck each of those in the one minute you’re given for a response. It’s simply is not possible. So Biden was reduced to saying Trump was lying, which is true. Then Trump would get up and say Biden was Line, which wasn’t true, but if you don’t know, you don’t know.
How is this helpful? Biden had a bad night. I'm telling my friends who are in a panic that yes it was a bad night but the Biden administration has done a lot of good things like cap insulin for seniors at $35. Sorry, but I also think it's our duty to know what his accomplishments are and share them with those who do not know them.
Have you met voters that are still on the fence??
Me? Have I met any undecided? Nope. But I do know people that don't know what Biden has accomplished and/or say Biden is old; I don't know, Biden is old, Biden is old. I always agree Biden is old and then try my best to say Biden is a great president , has a great team and look at his accomplishments. I didn't know he had a such a bad debate prep team this time around.
Jen, for you I list the Pact act, Infrastructure Act, Clean energy Act making thousands of new jobs, Chips and science act, lowest unemployment in history, capping cost of insulin, highest stock market in history, wages have gone up for working class, inflation going down, target and walmart just lowered prices, broadband for rural areas, I could go on...........thanks to BIDEN!
Jen, so harsh. We are human you know. The fact that felon trump lied and would not answer certain questions - would just talk about another subject really sabotaged the debate from the start. The moderator should have stepped in! President Biden did have a rough night but today in North Carolina he came back strong! There was not enough time to fact check felon trump - he lied 50 times in an hour and a half! Felon trump is a total Sociopath. Period. I choose the man that has already gotten so much done for our country - JOE BIDEN!!!!!!!!!
In some ways he was coming across strongly enough… but not in every way …“he showed up, likely exhausted from all the prep, & stress! Real humans are NOT Always at the top of their game 100%!
Next day, he was out on the Campaign performing Better than yesterday!
He is a senior, and doing exceptionally well. AND “Imperfect like I am”!
He’s not 100%, but he’s got “A package that includes So Much Valuable Experience, and Genuine VALUES & dedication to Democracy, that I will applaud him, and stand by him! He’s a BEAUTIFUL MAN!”
Naomi Blum, LCSW, DCSW
LICENSED CLINICAL SOCIAL WORKER/
Psychotherapist
What I find deeply frustrating and, frankly, downright dangerous is the general lack of post-debate focus on substance. Where are the prominent front-page articles analyzing Trump’s lies and extremist positions? The utter lack of these normalizes Trump, reducing almost all discussion to a question of horse-race, in which "truth" does not matter.
💯
Apparently Biden had a cold and probably should have said that’s why his voice was off.
It's a factor, especially in the elderly, and scientists are now telling us that even a cold or flu causes some level of brain fog, something we learned from the more severe form caused by Covid ( and I know of which I speak ). This would explain some of the reported rambling answers. I did not watch the whole thing; I was already depressed at the US being just about eliminated from the Copa America by tiny Panama.
I, too, have had trouble with brain fog while I was writing my last book. It would wear off at 2 a.m. and that is when I could get it together enough to write. Long Covid, thanks, Donald for proving to be so ineffective during that epidemic. I am lucky to have survived.
I remember cramming in College and the next morning I went to take the test and my brain was just racing. I bombed that test! But at the end of the semester I got an A in the class! I am standing with President Biden!
I feel this. One person in my immediate friend group just spreads so much negativity and trying to counter him is so exhausting. I tried directing him here but the response I got was "doesn't sound like a neutral source."
Remind your friend that Trump hates dogs.
True, but Trump consistently endorses some real sons-of-bitches.
😂
Ask him if that matters so long as it's a truthful source.
And show him these:
https://x.com/capitolhunters/status/1806537928379711591
https://x.com/rebekahcoffee/status/1806534363170869649
I highly recommend telling him you appreciate the friendship but have work to do right now, will see him in end november
Hey Carl,
We agree 100%. Further, on May 15, we tried to send an indirect message to the Biden campaign to this effect:
"We just wanted to provide the Biden team some feedback regarding President Biden's latest debate challenge to Donald Trump. In his announcement, the President said that he was willing to debate Trump in a nontraditional venue without an audience. We are in favor of an audience because the reaction from an audience permits extra time to think out a response without dead air. Given [the President's] stuttering issues, we sincerely believe that those few seconds will allow him to compose himself without uncomfortable silence in the background.
The second part of this is that Trump feeds off of an audience. An audience always causes Trump to speak and act in much more outlandish ways. This is when he gets off the teleprompter, and starts saying exactly the things that show what a threat he is to democracy, etc,. This will help [President Biden] immensely. In fact, for a good portion of that type of debate, [President Biden] could just sit back and enjoy the ride on the Crazy Train, like he did in the 2020 debates ('Will you just shut up, man?')
We respectfully and in complete support encourage a discussion on this issue within [the President's] inner circle."
The format of this debate also prevented Biden from getting in some good, quick interruptions, which could not have helped his performance.
Good point, I was thinking about this today. Team Biden wanted to make Trump behave, and got those rules, but better for the world too see Trump's impulsive narcissism.
This is not about crying over spilled milk, but to me I think the campaign has a lot to go over to make him better prepared for the next debate.
Yes, like maybe not over preparing him.
I agree. The debate prep team bogged Biden down with numbers and data. Biden is smart and Trump is an idiot who just lies and says whatever he wants in the moment. Biden should have gone with his strengths. He is smart, an expert on foreign affairs, compassionate, calming, wise AND has done a great job. All he had to do was say, you're lying, I have the best record on whatever Trump was lying about. Maybe just smirk and laugh and say sure Jan. Okay maybe not sure Jan but just mock Trump. Sometimes the political insiders are too much in their own bubble. In my opinion, they should have just let Joe be Joe. It's worked for Joe his entire career. Some say he is gaffe prone. So what? It's part of what makes him relatable. More Joe and less wonk for this race. The media has never been kind to Joe. Heck, they have never been fair so stop trying to play the media's game and definitely not the Trump game. JMO
Well said Carl! Thank you for sharing!
You are so kind. Joe has picked himself up. He did not feel well, he said. I have been there, at 75. I get it.
100% Carl. A cold at 81 is more impactful than a cold at 45.
I agree. Biden needs to enlarge our campaign advisors. What about adding an expert on authoritarianism. We are up against something really different -- and we need Ruth Ben-Chiat or someone like that on Biden's campaign team. If not on her team, let get her on Hopium to advise us on how to best fight the authoratarian/hitler and reveal who he is and what he will do to our country/democracy. We will loose it.
Excellent idea. Joe will do better by taking the high road and refusing to get on the same stage with a felon. Those marching with Biden defend this country.
I'm sending another $50 to South Carolina. And I'm writing an extra 50 postcards. This was a battle, not the war. We need boots on the ground to save democracy. By the way, the Republicans and Independents I know are on social media this morning saying they're still not voting for Trump. So, as Simon says, let's not comply in advance. Work is better than worry.
Certainly the convicted felon did not change the mind of any undecideds.
Me, too! Go Catherine. This is a marathon not a sprint. We must double down on all our efforts with donations, postcards, phoning, texting and canvassing. This is not a time to ring our hands it is the time to put them in the dirt and work until the seeds come up.
We are stronger and better than we have ever been and I will not give up and I will never, never give in. We will win this fight against MAGA crazies.
Think what your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents did in World War II. They had unflinching courage that never wavered in the fight to win for democracy. They are great role models for us all. We can do this!
Simon, with your DNC lineage, would be interesting to hear your thoughts on what conversations may be underway regarding post debate considerations/ potential next steps.
The best post-debate decision is give any amount to the Biden/Harris campaign. If the ticket got 1million+ supporters to donate quickly that would become the news. Remember just a few short weeks ago how well that worked when the Convicted Felon was found guilty. By giving today to show your support you become a positive part of the solution.
Done!
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thank you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You are so right, Heidi Jo:) Robert Hubbell, another can do advocate, suggested donating any amount via a link in his column last night:) I have been making monthly donations this year, but made another last night to Joe’s campaign. We need to be cheerleaders and show our support however we can, and donate; it can be infectious!💙
Love my dose of Robert Hubbell as many days a week as he’s willing to give it.
Me too:) He’s my morning commute go to💙
Donated
done!
Donated last night.