Gosh, just catching up on the news of today. I'm exhausted reading all of this. I didn't know President Biden stumbled on the stairs of Air Force One. Not a big deal, but I'm sure the media and MAGA world is playing this over and over. Meanwhile, we all know Trump fell asleep at his own convention and the media is silent. Let's stay strong and not fight amongst ourselves. The true enemy is Trump, JD Vance, Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 - I know I sound like a broken record. 💙
It’s not unpopular with me. I’ve been saying it for three weeks. The good news, if he withdraws, is it will release a torrent of optimism and energy on our side. I know that for a fact. Most ppl here are very pro-Biden staying, but I have yet to speak to anybody in my daily life who wants him to stay.
A medical diagnosis ain't hard to come up with even at my own advanced age of 61...he has a plethora of serious conditions already, I read the report, any of them would sideline most people from full time work. I read that as a tell. God, I hate this.
My entire household can be relied upon to vote the ticket, and extended family too. We are all heartbroken. We like Joe. FWIW, I have some of the same conditions as Joe, including neuropathy and arthritis, sleep apnea, and unsteadiness. I had to retire at 57 and I'm 61. You cannot case manage 75 kids and families and do counseling in my shape. In fact my wife is 58 in pharma research, has advanced degrees, got laid off in October and is unlikely to ever work in that field again, that's how bad ageism is in this country. She will end up working some sort of lower paying job and having to lie about her credentials.
The irony is, we are living longer, and the age when you can get full Social Security is rising, *and* we have fewer younger people entering the workforce to take the place of retirees. Yet there is so much age discrimination, as if employers can be picky and choosy! Who can fund 30 years of retirement, realistically?
When the job opening says they want a Master's degree but it's entry level.....how entry level can it be for a worker with advanced training? Blatant discrimination.
Thankfully I have health care for life because I retired from a school system in NJ, and it cover the whole family for free. Christie ended this for new hires. Made health insurance for public workers the most expensive around, and based it on income. Which no one does.
This is unfortunately what's wrong with most people's engagement in elections. They are in for the excitement and for the entertainment. Trust me, where I come from, many charismatic leaders have failed us. What should be important is whether our leader has the skills and wisdom to get the job done to make your life better. The answer is a resounding YES for Biden, more than any charismatic leader. Obama got played by Republicans during his 8 years. His charisma did not prevent Mitch McConnell from pushing an extra conservative Supreme Court down our throats for generations to come. With Biden, the tables have turned. Mitch got played by Biden.
i don't agree his decline is serious mental pathology; it is clearly normal aging; he is very old. The pope ain't what he used to be either, but the pope doesn't have to run for re-election. This is where it looks like our man won't be able to do what is necessary against a buzzsaw that's coming for him. And people know it. They are mostly worried about trump's return, which would be an in your face shit show. This is driving people to call for Biden to step aside; it's not that they don't like him. Never has been. And focus groups show that.
It's not that cut and dry. My community sees what Biden is doing first before his age (it's actually a joke punchline, we know he is old). Now it's a matter of doing the math. Can a winning coalition see Biden's governance skills first before the optics? I believe so. I actually think it will take more convincing for a new nominee, say Harris.
I’m fully on board with the team we nominate for the ticket. But I agree with you that we’ve yet to hear about the LOGISTICS of a change. I’ve asked in this forum dozens of times, I’ve asked in other forums… no one yet has explained how that will happen. That gives me major pause.
On the other hand, Simon is as smart and as connected as they come (as far as those who have an open dialogue community with us normies), and I want to be able to assume that if this was truly a serious issue he would address it.
I don’t know what to think these days. I just know we need to get on the same page IMMEDIATELY because TRUMP CANNOT WIN.
Obviously, but no one has explained the logistics other than those pointing out the complications and risks. If we are all being asked to have an opinion about this, whether that opinion matters or not, we need all the information. For example, if the two surveys Simon shared had been worded: do you think President Biden should step aside, even though it will put the democratic ticket at risk of not being on the ballot in every state and will cost millions in legal fees to make the change that could have been spent campaigning? Well, you can see the answers to those surveys might be quite different.
I think I’m correct that by getting on the same page immediately you mean if Biden is to be our candidate or someone else. Yes. This is information we need but it’s also beyond our control.
I think an important distinction to make is that the Democrat Party is united (right now!) no matter who our candidate is.
One thing we have going for us right now is that Project 2025 is getting a lot more traction in the media and on social networks. People are beginning to understand how specific policies will affect them personally and they don’t like it. This is a ball we can run with!
This was an inappropriate post, and I am taking it down. This is not about any of us. It is about the country, our democracy, our freedoms and our future. Work to bring people together. That is our charge. Thank you all.
Elon is pledging $45 million A MONTH to Trump. If money wins elections that's a killer and very bad news. I've always said the crypto bros will be a problem and the king if them just stepped up. Now, as Trump said, Elon is BS artist so who knows what he's really giving. Either way, this is a problem. I guess the rest of the billionaires out there are ok with fascism and New Gilead. Maybe it's time to stop buying their crap unless they commit. For Biden. With money. Taylor Swift your move.
You don't think they'd be all in for Harris though? We cannot win with just the Black vote; we need a big chunk of White voters too. And those folks are wavering, Daniel Drezhner sheds some more light on this today; Biden is emphasizing his foreign policy chops, Dems in Congress are telling him voters are not swayed by that. For the same reason I never thought Gaza would hurt him, helping Ukraine and NATO doesn't seem to be helping much either ( take it up with Drezhner, I'm reporting my interpretation of his essay ).
I am married to a Colombian. When Galan was assasinated ,the perpetrators also killed off the assassins. So she is no stranger to brass knuckle politics. On Jan 6, she said humpf, in her country the opposition blew up the parliament building. Talk about insurrection. But she also noted that Latin America has a long tradition of strongmen/fascists, and it is not like everyone was an Allende loving leftist. The right always had its adherents.
Fisher, my bad. Of course Kamala. I need to be sure to always say Biden Harris. Though I must add I grew up in SoCal and I have heard some of my African American friends are still unhappy with Kamala prosecuting African Americans, unfairly. I have no knowledge on this issue. I will do better. Thanks for pointing this out
I follow a LOT of Black women in the online politics space (I follow very few white people, because I’m white and my circle is white so I know what we think, I’m interested in hearing what the Dem base thinks, and Black women are the Dem base), and they are ALL in for Biden. They’re very suspicious that the call to remove him is because he’s going to help put the second Black person in the White House. When they say they know Joe Biden, it’s based on years and YEARS of evidence. They are riding’ with Biden and they’re not happy with the people coming out against him. I actually think the attacks are solidifying his Black support (some Black men were wandering), as it fractures the white support.
Dan this violated every possible understanding of how we talk to each other in this community and you have lost posting privileges for one month. Thank you.
And wise words from Umair Twitter handle @umairh):
You know this sinking “is everything over” feeling? From democracy to your life? THAT’S fascism. The emotional core of it, which is to terrorize you at an existential level. Stay strong and hang tough. Head in the game. That’s how democracy prevails.
The 2024 Republican Platform is like excrement squeezed between folded paper. Unfolded, it is now a Rorschach Test onto which duped voters can project what they want.
In reality, the Republican Platform is the disguised Trump’s Project 2025. And it smells precisely like the toxic shite it is.
Fortunately, throughout the nation, millions of good American patriots are rising up to fight to make sure Trump never again returns to the Oval Office, and that he and his cult can never turn his Fascist project into reality.
I think it’s fair that there are still doubts about Joe Biden. He has been a remarkable president, but he’s slowing down because age only goes one way. Unfortunately, his lifelong battle with a stutter or any slight mistep is now greatly amplified in this current political climate.
We need a true decision on our candidate soon and then for us all to rally behind it (whatever the decision)
Whether President Biden stays or goes, I’m voting for and volunteering for the party that has plans for the future. The Democratic Party has real solutions for the economy, the climate, and the health of our democracy.
Hi! I think Biden wants to stay -- he's been pretty clear in that, right? I think that we should just support that. He seems fine to me? This relentless focus is silly. We should rally behind him, and learn from the way that divisions between Bernie and Hillary Democrats weakened us -- and presaged the loss to Trump.
I agree with all of your points. And arguing in these forums isn't going to make a bit of difference, it's Biden, his family and Dem leaders who will decide, so why are we continuing to waste precious energy on this? I'll support WHOEVER is at the top of the Dem ticket! We MUST defeat this modern day Hitler and his MAGA mini-mes by staying hopeful and working like hell---just as Simon tells us, over and over.
I wish Simon wouldn't have opened up the floodgates in his last few posts. I'm not sure what happened to this site, but it's unrecognizable to me from 6 wks ago.
Him wanting to stay, which is what he has to do publicly, even if he’s privately wavering, doesn’t change a reality that a large part of our coalition is not currently behind him.
I agree his recent speeches and interviews are better, but he is still an older man at 81 years old. I think he has good support and a good team around him. I personally think he can win.
That said, a good chunk of people don’t. That fracture isn’t healed by commanding people to get on board. He still has some shaky moments in his speeches and interviews that are amplified by the scrutiny.
I don’t know how to reassure everyone, but his campaign needs to find a way to reassure the majority of our coalition.
Personally, I think that right-wing operatives are behind all of this. That they are fueling it. Seeding these stories to the press. Encouraging the division among us. I just wish we could unify against this terrible common threat.
I respectfully disagree. We’ve all seen Biden’s debate, his interviews with George Stephanopoulos and Lester Holt. Yes, his speech at NATO was powerful as are some other examples but overall Biden doesn’t have the fire, the grit or the strong voice to counter the optics of trump. We believe in sound policy and accomplishments and experience while half the country cares only about image. Strength. Virility.
If, as has been said, victory lies in the margins we need a candidate who can convince them we are the better choice.
It took me awhile to figure out where I stand on this. I tried to thoughtfully listen to different opinions on whether Biden should stay or step down. Then it took more time for me to have the guts to say I think he should step down.
I know it’s messy.
I know it’s unprecedented.
But these are messy, unprecedented times.
We gotta fight fire with fire.
(But yes…media knows how to capitalize on any chink in our armor…so I ignore them.)
Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that the media will go after any candidate the Dems put forward. We're not going to have a perfect candidate, no matter who that person is.
YES! They will go after any candidate and so will Russian bots. You think the MSM all of a sudden going to be nice to Kamala? I don’t think so. And how many of YOU who think Biden can not cut it would stay home? Any of you? Any of the 56% of Dems Simon says want Biden to step down? And pollsters, call me so I can tell you what I think!!
How about he steps down to vice president and continues to run the country, which he has done so well, and then lets Kamala free to get going to shake these Maga creeps until their self interested traitorous teeth rattle? Or do you think America is not ready to see a woman do that? It is so hard to see a clear path. But no matter what I’m returning to the land of my birth this summer to help any way I can with the Democratic ticket. Because Trump and that other ‘childless cat lady’ hating guy, anyone who is not a white well to do straight man is not really worthy or human - project 2024 - its just unthinkable the damage that could be done. More action... less thinking for me. Work, give - Stick with the blue wave plan. 🏴🇺🇸
I'm very sad to say I don't think our president is up to providing reassurance. I would like nothing more, nothing at all in this world at this time, than to confidently say I think Joe can do it. Not to say I don't think he can President. I think in many ways he is, and has been, an ideal president - wise, experienced, battle-hardened, compassionate, in touch with the lived experience of regular Americans. But he just cannot be a quick-witted, lively, spontaneous talker. Which, I think, is what people want to see.
So, if Joe stays, there's got to be a work-around. What can replace the candidate himself, enlarge the way his presidency is seen and judged? I don't know. But I think this is the way to look at the issue of reassurance, rather than hope Joe changes into a better performer.
Wanting to stay in a job for which you don’t exhibit fitness isn’t the benchmark. Woodrow Wilson wanted to run for a third term.
President Biden has a lifetime of service and a strong record over the past four years. We are fortunate that he selected a strong VP. It’d be great if he now ceded the obvious: he’s aging, it won’t “improve,” and the country would be better served by his turning over the keys to the Vice President.
He is doing the job right now. If you are paying attention which the press is not. Watch last week’s Brooks and Capehart and listen to Jonathan Capehart. He is my North Star on this.
The implication that I'm not "paying attention" is insulting. I've voted in every primary and general election since 2001, when I turned 18. Incidentally, that means that President Biden had been involved in electoral politics for decades before I was eligible to vote. Since I voted very enthusiastically for a ticket that included President Biden in 2008, 2012, and 2020, I think I'm qualified to judge whether the candidate exhibits the same level of fitness that he did on each of those three occasions. He clearly does not.
To be clear, I don't think he's any worse at extemporizing than Donald Trump. I think he gets lost in his train of thought just as often as Donald Trump. I agree that both men are held to different standards and that the press treatment of President Biden is unfair. But I don't need to "pay attention" to Jonathan Capehart or the repugnant David Brooks to know that my eyes do not deceive me and that Vice President Harris is a far more energetic and vigorous person than President Biden.
Like, sure, you can parse most of the sentences that NBC released of him talking to Lester Holt. And sure, lots of people might misspeak and say that they were proposing capping rent hikes at $55 (before losing their train of thought under the bright lights). But I think it's a little weird that we're clapping so enthusiastically for every three foot putt the guy taps in when we spent the previous term objecting to the cult of personality erected around the former president.
I keep trying to find the comment I made that you are responding to, and what implication I made about you not paying attention. I don’t know what you are referring to. I was not very enthusiastic about Biden in 2020 and I am now.
Let's not assume he lost his train of thought. That might actually be a coping strategy to deal with his stutter. One common coping strategy is to avoid words that tend to trip you up, and instead reformulate what you want to say in a different way.
I was recommending that anyone on this comment group watch Jonathan Capehart on PBS last week. I think he is the best. And he responds to David Brooks very well who I also don’t care for. If you took my suggestion personally as an insult, I think you missed my intention.
It understandably got lost in the sauce of the absolute shit show of the shooting and the RNC, but HCR mentioned yesterday that the White House doc had released the findings of Pres. Biden's February physical, which included a complete neurological exam. The only issue was peripheral neuropathy, which can affect his walking.
Inviting all fellow Hopium members to a virtual fundraiser for the Wisconsin Democrats, led by Ben Wikler. The in-person fundraiser will be at my home in Seattle on Tuesday, July 23rd, and will feature Dr. Lew Friedland, who is the expert on Wisconsin politics. I’ve traveled since 2018 to Wisconsin for get out the vote activities with the WisDems and they are some of the best!!
8/29/24 3p PT is Wisconsin day on FT 6 Textarcade.
AERIAL VIEW
Wisconsin is a Triple Word Score State! Democrats we register now can take back the House, and hold the Senate & White House! In 2020, Biden won Wisconsin by 20,682 votes – a razor-thin victory.
To save our Senate majority, we must re-elect Tammy Baldwin (D)!
To regain our House majority, we need to beat insurrectionist Derrick Van Orden (R) in WI-03!
And we need to make sure Wisconsin again goes blue for Biden/Harris!
We need to register WI Democrats – especially to vote by mail. This is a job for Field Team 6!
DEMOCRATS…
...are the only major party fighting Trumpism and the extremist MAGA Republicans.
...and the only party fighting for abortion rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
...are fighting for access to health care, affordable college, and climate rescue.
REPUBLICANS...
...are waging a national war on voting rights.
...are fighting to eliminate access to healthcare.
IMPORTANT: Same day registration is available at your polling place on Election Day if deadlines (below) are missed. Remember to bring ID or another proof of residence document.
Registration deadlines for online and by mail (postmarked) for the General Presidential Election on November 5, 2024 is October 16, 2024 (20 days prior to the election).
You can register in person at the clerk’s office through November 1, 2024.
Absentee ballot application deadline for the General Presidential Election is tbd.
In Wisconsin, you can pre-register to vote at 17 years old if you will be 18 by Election Day.
If you need help getting an ID, contact VoteRiders.org or call/text 1-844-338-8743.
Mail ballots should be mailed back at least a week prior to the election; or dropped off at an Early Voting site, or at ANY polling location on Election Day (no ID or waiting in line required). Ballots not received by 7pm on Election Day will not count.
Simon - Please invite and/or talk to Prof Allan Lichtman. He uses the Keys to the White House to predict winners. His analysis is that either Biden stays in or he has to drop both the presidency (Harris would be acting pres) and give his delegates to Harris. An open convention would lead to our defeat!
I see his name thrown around a lot. I appreciate his framework as a way to think about the election, but he isn’t some mystic.
He’s called 5 if the last 6 presidential elections correctly. The odds of doing that given the binary choice in our country is around 20% assuming each team had an equal chance to win. Since some of these elections were much less close than others (Bush v Kerry, Obama v Romney) the odds of doing that only go up.
That's not clear at all. There's plenty of research showing Gore won, by a tiny bit,but it again came down to how things were counted. Other scenarios gave it to shrub.
Ben, I believe you also have to consider the major purge of people from Florida’s voter roll just before the election – a purge of Democratic-leaning voters that happened on Governor Jeb Bush’s watch.
Everyone named Foster was purged. Black white young old. I know. It’s my name. And you have to consider the butterfly ballot where tons of people voted for gore but marked it wrong.
Which is why we have to win the House. The new House is seated several days before the counting of the electoral ballots. So hopefully, Hakeem Jefferies will be making the call.
Yes Simon, many of us who follow the professor would love to know how you feel about his 13 keys to the the White House , his near perfect record of predicting elections , and the importance of the incumbency and contest keys.
It can't be easy framing the Biden vs. no-Biden in a constructive way, but you did. At least we can all agree that keeping trump et al out of the White House has to be the priority, not only for the U.S. but for the world, as well.
Here is what my mom, who does not speak English, asked me to write to Joe:
"President Biden, some people are panicking after the debate not because they don't like you, or they won't vote for you. It's because of the powerful fear of losing to Trump and the consequences it will bring to their lives, especially immigrants like us.
I know you are compassionate man. You know how to speak to people in pain. Use that! Make them feel that you understand those fears, and you would not jeopardize their lives for your ego, if you know you couldn't beat Trump. Avoid railroading or dismissing these dissents. I believe the fact that there is so much fear of losing to Trump, there is no way he can win if we are in this together
My personal take on this is "ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES." People often engage in elections as if they are some form of entertainment, like a sport or beauty pageant. NO. For many people, it can be a matter of life and death: whether you can get an abortion procedure if your life is in danger, whether your healthcare will be stripped away while you are dealing with a major illness, or whether you can seek due process for asylum because your life is at risk in your home country. All these issues are determined by decisions made by ELECTED POLITICIANS. So no, an election is not where you pick the best, strongest-looking MAN to entertain you. The person you elect can have the power of life or death over you.
Gosh, just catching up on the news of today. I'm exhausted reading all of this. I didn't know President Biden stumbled on the stairs of Air Force One. Not a big deal, but I'm sure the media and MAGA world is playing this over and over. Meanwhile, we all know Trump fell asleep at his own convention and the media is silent. Let's stay strong and not fight amongst ourselves. The true enemy is Trump, JD Vance, Heritage Foundation, Project 2025 - I know I sound like a broken record. 💙
Thank you for the clarification. Well, he is 81 and has Covid. Not to mention he has the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Covid can make anyone weak and slow!
It’s not unpopular with me. I’ve been saying it for three weeks. The good news, if he withdraws, is it will release a torrent of optimism and energy on our side. I know that for a fact. Most ppl here are very pro-Biden staying, but I have yet to speak to anybody in my daily life who wants him to stay.
A medical diagnosis ain't hard to come up with even at my own advanced age of 61...he has a plethora of serious conditions already, I read the report, any of them would sideline most people from full time work. I read that as a tell. God, I hate this.
Fisher I don't agree with your post at all, but I thank you for voting Blue up and down the ballot this election.
My entire household can be relied upon to vote the ticket, and extended family too. We are all heartbroken. We like Joe. FWIW, I have some of the same conditions as Joe, including neuropathy and arthritis, sleep apnea, and unsteadiness. I had to retire at 57 and I'm 61. You cannot case manage 75 kids and families and do counseling in my shape. In fact my wife is 58 in pharma research, has advanced degrees, got laid off in October and is unlikely to ever work in that field again, that's how bad ageism is in this country. She will end up working some sort of lower paying job and having to lie about her credentials.
The irony is, we are living longer, and the age when you can get full Social Security is rising, *and* we have fewer younger people entering the workforce to take the place of retirees. Yet there is so much age discrimination, as if employers can be picky and choosy! Who can fund 30 years of retirement, realistically?
True
When the job opening says they want a Master's degree but it's entry level.....how entry level can it be for a worker with advanced training? Blatant discrimination.
I am so sorry to hear about your wife getting laid off this year. Hopefully, she will find a job soon that will give you health care benefit.
Thankfully I have health care for life because I retired from a school system in NJ, and it cover the whole family for free. Christie ended this for new hires. Made health insurance for public workers the most expensive around, and based it on income. Which no one does.
Oh thank goodness you and your family have health insurance. Christie is such a jerk.
This is unfortunately what's wrong with most people's engagement in elections. They are in for the excitement and for the entertainment. Trust me, where I come from, many charismatic leaders have failed us. What should be important is whether our leader has the skills and wisdom to get the job done to make your life better. The answer is a resounding YES for Biden, more than any charismatic leader. Obama got played by Republicans during his 8 years. His charisma did not prevent Mitch McConnell from pushing an extra conservative Supreme Court down our throats for generations to come. With Biden, the tables have turned. Mitch got played by Biden.
14 million voters disagree with your comment that "Biden just isn't cutting it here in summer 2024!
i don't agree his decline is serious mental pathology; it is clearly normal aging; he is very old. The pope ain't what he used to be either, but the pope doesn't have to run for re-election. This is where it looks like our man won't be able to do what is necessary against a buzzsaw that's coming for him. And people know it. They are mostly worried about trump's return, which would be an in your face shit show. This is driving people to call for Biden to step aside; it's not that they don't like him. Never has been. And focus groups show that.
Oh, I guess when I filled out an electronic ballot in my state's primary this spring and scanned in the paper copy, I was only dreaming. Silly me.
It's not that cut and dry. My community sees what Biden is doing first before his age (it's actually a joke punchline, we know he is old). Now it's a matter of doing the math. Can a winning coalition see Biden's governance skills first before the optics? I believe so. I actually think it will take more convincing for a new nominee, say Harris.
That's what VP's are for. Get Biden reelected and worry about whether he can make it through four years later, taking it as it comes.
I know people who voted for Bill Clinton twice, W twice, Obama twice, and trump twice. So much for policy.
Makes zero sense.
I’m fully on board with the team we nominate for the ticket. But I agree with you that we’ve yet to hear about the LOGISTICS of a change. I’ve asked in this forum dozens of times, I’ve asked in other forums… no one yet has explained how that will happen. That gives me major pause.
On the other hand, Simon is as smart and as connected as they come (as far as those who have an open dialogue community with us normies), and I want to be able to assume that if this was truly a serious issue he would address it.
I don’t know what to think these days. I just know we need to get on the same page IMMEDIATELY because TRUMP CANNOT WIN.
Obviously, but no one has explained the logistics other than those pointing out the complications and risks. If we are all being asked to have an opinion about this, whether that opinion matters or not, we need all the information. For example, if the two surveys Simon shared had been worded: do you think President Biden should step aside, even though it will put the democratic ticket at risk of not being on the ballot in every state and will cost millions in legal fees to make the change that could have been spent campaigning? Well, you can see the answers to those surveys might be quite different.
Britta,
I understand your concerns.
I think I’m correct that by getting on the same page immediately you mean if Biden is to be our candidate or someone else. Yes. This is information we need but it’s also beyond our control.
I think an important distinction to make is that the Democrat Party is united (right now!) no matter who our candidate is.
One thing we have going for us right now is that Project 2025 is getting a lot more traction in the media and on social networks. People are beginning to understand how specific policies will affect them personally and they don’t like it. This is a ball we can run with!
💪💙
EXACTLY 💙🗳️✨
Hear! Hear!
This was an inappropriate post, and I am taking it down. This is not about any of us. It is about the country, our democracy, our freedoms and our future. Work to bring people together. That is our charge. Thank you all.
Elon is pledging $45 million A MONTH to Trump. If money wins elections that's a killer and very bad news. I've always said the crypto bros will be a problem and the king if them just stepped up. Now, as Trump said, Elon is BS artist so who knows what he's really giving. Either way, this is a problem. I guess the rest of the billionaires out there are ok with fascism and New Gilead. Maybe it's time to stop buying their crap unless they commit. For Biden. With money. Taylor Swift your move.
Biden had his best day of Fundraising AFTER the debate. Just sayin'
Can you please expound on the difference?
Thank you!
Yep. All in for Biden.
You don't think they'd be all in for Harris though? We cannot win with just the Black vote; we need a big chunk of White voters too. And those folks are wavering, Daniel Drezhner sheds some more light on this today; Biden is emphasizing his foreign policy chops, Dems in Congress are telling him voters are not swayed by that. For the same reason I never thought Gaza would hurt him, helping Ukraine and NATO doesn't seem to be helping much either ( take it up with Drezhner, I'm reporting my interpretation of his essay ).
I do not discount anything you say. I have seen young Black men who like trump, guys in Jersey City and Newark. Anecdotal I know.
I am married to a Colombian. When Galan was assasinated ,the perpetrators also killed off the assassins. So she is no stranger to brass knuckle politics. On Jan 6, she said humpf, in her country the opposition blew up the parliament building. Talk about insurrection. But she also noted that Latin America has a long tradition of strongmen/fascists, and it is not like everyone was an Allende loving leftist. The right always had its adherents.
As they should - if it’s not Joe it has be Kamala
Fisher, my bad. Of course Kamala. I need to be sure to always say Biden Harris. Though I must add I grew up in SoCal and I have heard some of my African American friends are still unhappy with Kamala prosecuting African Americans, unfairly. I have no knowledge on this issue. I will do better. Thanks for pointing this out
Yes!
I follow a LOT of Black women in the online politics space (I follow very few white people, because I’m white and my circle is white so I know what we think, I’m interested in hearing what the Dem base thinks, and Black women are the Dem base), and they are ALL in for Biden. They’re very suspicious that the call to remove him is because he’s going to help put the second Black person in the White House. When they say they know Joe Biden, it’s based on years and YEARS of evidence. They are riding’ with Biden and they’re not happy with the people coming out against him. I actually think the attacks are solidifying his Black support (some Black men were wandering), as it fractures the white support.
Thank you! That is exactly what we need to do given the opportunity or reach out to those feeling that way.
Dan this violated every possible understanding of how we talk to each other in this community and you have lost posting privileges for one month. Thank you.
TY Simon! We can do this Team Democracy! Here’s what I’m doing to ensure #BidenHarris2024 win:
✅ Textbanks to register voters every Sat w/ @fieldteam_6
✅Textbanks w/@movement_labs (can drop in anytime).
✅ Canvass/phonebank/textbank with @nvdems.
✅Phone/textbank for Swing States at www.mobilize.us
And wise words from Umair Twitter handle @umairh):
You know this sinking “is everything over” feeling? From democracy to your life? THAT’S fascism. The emotional core of it, which is to terrorize you at an existential level. Stay strong and hang tough. Head in the game. That’s how democracy prevails.
Here in Baghdad By the Sea, the abortion issue is primary. We can flip this state.
Swamp Republicans. Millions of unregistered trend Democratic.
FT 6 has texted well over a million in the past several days. Thanks to a donor, texts to Arizona yesterday and today. https://www.fieldteam6.org/
Thursday is Florida day on FT 6 Textarcade. https://secure.actblue.com/donate/ft6arcade24
Also FT 6 phone bank. https://www.mobilize.us/ft6/?q=phone%20banks&tag_ids=20038
The 2024 Republican Platform is like excrement squeezed between folded paper. Unfolded, it is now a Rorschach Test onto which duped voters can project what they want.
In reality, the Republican Platform is the disguised Trump’s Project 2025. And it smells precisely like the toxic shite it is.
Fortunately, throughout the nation, millions of good American patriots are rising up to fight to make sure Trump never again returns to the Oval Office, and that he and his cult can never turn his Fascist project into reality.
I think it’s fair that there are still doubts about Joe Biden. He has been a remarkable president, but he’s slowing down because age only goes one way. Unfortunately, his lifelong battle with a stutter or any slight mistep is now greatly amplified in this current political climate.
We need a true decision on our candidate soon and then for us all to rally behind it (whatever the decision)
Whether President Biden stays or goes, I’m voting for and volunteering for the party that has plans for the future. The Democratic Party has real solutions for the economy, the climate, and the health of our democracy.
Hi! I think Biden wants to stay -- he's been pretty clear in that, right? I think that we should just support that. He seems fine to me? This relentless focus is silly. We should rally behind him, and learn from the way that divisions between Bernie and Hillary Democrats weakened us -- and presaged the loss to Trump.
I agree with all of your points. And arguing in these forums isn't going to make a bit of difference, it's Biden, his family and Dem leaders who will decide, so why are we continuing to waste precious energy on this? I'll support WHOEVER is at the top of the Dem ticket! We MUST defeat this modern day Hitler and his MAGA mini-mes by staying hopeful and working like hell---just as Simon tells us, over and over.
I agree with you 100%!
I’m with you, Lillian.
I wish Simon wouldn't have opened up the floodgates in his last few posts. I'm not sure what happened to this site, but it's unrecognizable to me from 6 wks ago.
Him wanting to stay, which is what he has to do publicly, even if he’s privately wavering, doesn’t change a reality that a large part of our coalition is not currently behind him.
I agree his recent speeches and interviews are better, but he is still an older man at 81 years old. I think he has good support and a good team around him. I personally think he can win.
That said, a good chunk of people don’t. That fracture isn’t healed by commanding people to get on board. He still has some shaky moments in his speeches and interviews that are amplified by the scrutiny.
I don’t know how to reassure everyone, but his campaign needs to find a way to reassure the majority of our coalition.
Personally, I think that right-wing operatives are behind all of this. That they are fueling it. Seeding these stories to the press. Encouraging the division among us. I just wish we could unify against this terrible common threat.
I second your suggestion!
I respectfully disagree. We’ve all seen Biden’s debate, his interviews with George Stephanopoulos and Lester Holt. Yes, his speech at NATO was powerful as are some other examples but overall Biden doesn’t have the fire, the grit or the strong voice to counter the optics of trump. We believe in sound policy and accomplishments and experience while half the country cares only about image. Strength. Virility.
If, as has been said, victory lies in the margins we need a candidate who can convince them we are the better choice.
It took me awhile to figure out where I stand on this. I tried to thoughtfully listen to different opinions on whether Biden should stay or step down. Then it took more time for me to have the guts to say I think he should step down.
I know it’s messy.
I know it’s unprecedented.
But these are messy, unprecedented times.
We gotta fight fire with fire.
(But yes…media knows how to capitalize on any chink in our armor…so I ignore them.)
Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that the media will go after any candidate the Dems put forward. We're not going to have a perfect candidate, no matter who that person is.
The perfect is the enemy of the good. Lets go with good, instead of immeasurable evil.
YES! They will go after any candidate and so will Russian bots. You think the MSM all of a sudden going to be nice to Kamala? I don’t think so. And how many of YOU who think Biden can not cut it would stay home? Any of you? Any of the 56% of Dems Simon says want Biden to step down? And pollsters, call me so I can tell you what I think!!
How about he steps down to vice president and continues to run the country, which he has done so well, and then lets Kamala free to get going to shake these Maga creeps until their self interested traitorous teeth rattle? Or do you think America is not ready to see a woman do that? It is so hard to see a clear path. But no matter what I’m returning to the land of my birth this summer to help any way I can with the Democratic ticket. Because Trump and that other ‘childless cat lady’ hating guy, anyone who is not a white well to do straight man is not really worthy or human - project 2024 - its just unthinkable the damage that could be done. More action... less thinking for me. Work, give - Stick with the blue wave plan. 🏴🇺🇸
For who praytell?
How about Putin and his minions?
I'm very sad to say I don't think our president is up to providing reassurance. I would like nothing more, nothing at all in this world at this time, than to confidently say I think Joe can do it. Not to say I don't think he can President. I think in many ways he is, and has been, an ideal president - wise, experienced, battle-hardened, compassionate, in touch with the lived experience of regular Americans. But he just cannot be a quick-witted, lively, spontaneous talker. Which, I think, is what people want to see.
So, if Joe stays, there's got to be a work-around. What can replace the candidate himself, enlarge the way his presidency is seen and judged? I don't know. But I think this is the way to look at the issue of reassurance, rather than hope Joe changes into a better performer.
How did you feel about him 6 months ago? Kamala is doing great and so is Whitmer and Newsome. But the MSM doesn’t quote them just George Clooney.
Last I heard, both Whitmer and Newsom were supporting Biden. Unless someone else knows different.
Yes! Biden has stated his in and we need to get behind him and stop worrying about something that may or may not happen.
We must unite behind him.
Wanting to stay in a job for which you don’t exhibit fitness isn’t the benchmark. Woodrow Wilson wanted to run for a third term.
President Biden has a lifetime of service and a strong record over the past four years. We are fortunate that he selected a strong VP. It’d be great if he now ceded the obvious: he’s aging, it won’t “improve,” and the country would be better served by his turning over the keys to the Vice President.
He is doing the job right now. If you are paying attention which the press is not. Watch last week’s Brooks and Capehart and listen to Jonathan Capehart. He is my North Star on this.
The implication that I'm not "paying attention" is insulting. I've voted in every primary and general election since 2001, when I turned 18. Incidentally, that means that President Biden had been involved in electoral politics for decades before I was eligible to vote. Since I voted very enthusiastically for a ticket that included President Biden in 2008, 2012, and 2020, I think I'm qualified to judge whether the candidate exhibits the same level of fitness that he did on each of those three occasions. He clearly does not.
To be clear, I don't think he's any worse at extemporizing than Donald Trump. I think he gets lost in his train of thought just as often as Donald Trump. I agree that both men are held to different standards and that the press treatment of President Biden is unfair. But I don't need to "pay attention" to Jonathan Capehart or the repugnant David Brooks to know that my eyes do not deceive me and that Vice President Harris is a far more energetic and vigorous person than President Biden.
Like, sure, you can parse most of the sentences that NBC released of him talking to Lester Holt. And sure, lots of people might misspeak and say that they were proposing capping rent hikes at $55 (before losing their train of thought under the bright lights). But I think it's a little weird that we're clapping so enthusiastically for every three foot putt the guy taps in when we spent the previous term objecting to the cult of personality erected around the former president.
I keep trying to find the comment I made that you are responding to, and what implication I made about you not paying attention. I don’t know what you are referring to. I was not very enthusiastic about Biden in 2020 and I am now.
Let's not assume he lost his train of thought. That might actually be a coping strategy to deal with his stutter. One common coping strategy is to avoid words that tend to trip you up, and instead reformulate what you want to say in a different way.
I was recommending that anyone on this comment group watch Jonathan Capehart on PBS last week. I think he is the best. And he responds to David Brooks very well who I also don’t care for. If you took my suggestion personally as an insult, I think you missed my intention.
I support Biden Because Biden has been the most successful president since FDR who also wasn’t the most energetic. But no stutter I will admit that.
And Bernie just endorsed Joe.
Basically his stutter is a disability that is being used to criticize him.
It understandably got lost in the sauce of the absolute shit show of the shooting and the RNC, but HCR mentioned yesterday that the White House doc had released the findings of Pres. Biden's February physical, which included a complete neurological exam. The only issue was peripheral neuropathy, which can affect his walking.
💯 Agree Ben.
Inviting all fellow Hopium members to a virtual fundraiser for the Wisconsin Democrats, led by Ben Wikler. The in-person fundraiser will be at my home in Seattle on Tuesday, July 23rd, and will feature Dr. Lew Friedland, who is the expert on Wisconsin politics. I’ve traveled since 2018 to Wisconsin for get out the vote activities with the WisDems and they are some of the best!!
Here’s the zoom link for 7:30 pm PST on 7/23/24: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85087492877?pwd=g2sC8maTTDOhyqAZOxmKJJqCjztvn1.1&from=addon
On FT6 BYOP can send free texts for Tammy Baldwin. https://www.fieldteam6.org/free-byop-textbanks
8/29/24 3p PT is Wisconsin day on FT 6 Textarcade.
AERIAL VIEW
Wisconsin is a Triple Word Score State! Democrats we register now can take back the House, and hold the Senate & White House! In 2020, Biden won Wisconsin by 20,682 votes – a razor-thin victory.
To save our Senate majority, we must re-elect Tammy Baldwin (D)!
To regain our House majority, we need to beat insurrectionist Derrick Van Orden (R) in WI-03!
And we need to make sure Wisconsin again goes blue for Biden/Harris!
We need to register WI Democrats – especially to vote by mail. This is a job for Field Team 6!
DEMOCRATS…
...are the only major party fighting Trumpism and the extremist MAGA Republicans.
...and the only party fighting for abortion rights, civil rights, immigrant rights, and LGBTQ+ rights.
...are fighting for access to health care, affordable college, and climate rescue.
REPUBLICANS...
...are waging a national war on voting rights.
...are fighting to eliminate access to healthcare.
...support Trump’s racist, sexist, anti-democracy agenda.
IMPORTANT NOTES
IMPORTANT: Same day registration is available at your polling place on Election Day if deadlines (below) are missed. Remember to bring ID or another proof of residence document.
Registration deadlines for online and by mail (postmarked) for the General Presidential Election on November 5, 2024 is October 16, 2024 (20 days prior to the election).
You can register in person at the clerk’s office through November 1, 2024.
Absentee ballot application deadline for the General Presidential Election is tbd.
In Wisconsin, you can pre-register to vote at 17 years old if you will be 18 by Election Day.
If you need help getting an ID, contact VoteRiders.org or call/text 1-844-338-8743.
Mail ballots should be mailed back at least a week prior to the election; or dropped off at an Early Voting site, or at ANY polling location on Election Day (no ID or waiting in line required). Ballots not received by 7pm on Election Day will not count.
Hooray, Daniel, for all your FieldTeam6 work and thanks for highlighting the special actions in blue wall Wisconsin!!
Simon - Please invite and/or talk to Prof Allan Lichtman. He uses the Keys to the White House to predict winners. His analysis is that either Biden stays in or he has to drop both the presidency (Harris would be acting pres) and give his delegates to Harris. An open convention would lead to our defeat!
Michael and David Salzillo here. We second and third that.
I see his name thrown around a lot. I appreciate his framework as a way to think about the election, but he isn’t some mystic.
He’s called 5 if the last 6 presidential elections correctly. The odds of doing that given the binary choice in our country is around 20% assuming each team had an equal chance to win. Since some of these elections were much less close than others (Bush v Kerry, Obama v Romney) the odds of doing that only go up.
I think he called all 6 correctly; he just didn't account for the Supreme Court to hand over the presidency to Bush Jr.
I’m not going to get into Florida, but all the research on it I’ve seen is that a recount very likely still goes to Bush.
I don’t want to be glib, but it’s our less batshit version of stop the steal.
That's not clear at all. There's plenty of research showing Gore won, by a tiny bit,but it again came down to how things were counted. Other scenarios gave it to shrub.
The consortium didn't release the final count until,, of all days, 9/11, 2001.
Ben, I believe you also have to consider the major purge of people from Florida’s voter roll just before the election – a purge of Democratic-leaning voters that happened on Governor Jeb Bush’s watch.
Everyone named Foster was purged. Black white young old. I know. It’s my name. And you have to consider the butterfly ballot where tons of people voted for gore but marked it wrong.
Wow! Thanks for sharing. I did not know that about Foster. Mary, did you live in Florida at the time?
Bush v Kerry was close - it was a difference of 70,000 votes in Ohio.
Who certifies the election in the scenario where Harris is the acting president? That is my concern.
Yes, Congress does. And we can all trust a Republican-controlled House led by Speaker Mike Johnson.
/s
Which is why we have to win the House. The new House is seated several days before the counting of the electoral ballots. So hopefully, Hakeem Jefferies will be making the call.
Absolutely right! So much hangs in the balance.
Yes Simon, many of us who follow the professor would love to know how you feel about his 13 keys to the the White House , his near perfect record of predicting elections , and the importance of the incumbency and contest keys.
It can't be easy framing the Biden vs. no-Biden in a constructive way, but you did. At least we can all agree that keeping trump et al out of the White House has to be the priority, not only for the U.S. but for the world, as well.
Hi Simon,
JD Vance terrifies me, so does his wife. The 2024 team of maga candidates scares me to death.
This household writes GOTV postcards and letters the clock around.
Action is the antidote for anxiety.
Writing letters and postcards is calming, also being together, in solidarity, with fellow grassroots Democrats in Zoom meetings is comforting.
Here is what my mom, who does not speak English, asked me to write to Joe:
"President Biden, some people are panicking after the debate not because they don't like you, or they won't vote for you. It's because of the powerful fear of losing to Trump and the consequences it will bring to their lives, especially immigrants like us.
I know you are compassionate man. You know how to speak to people in pain. Use that! Make them feel that you understand those fears, and you would not jeopardize their lives for your ego, if you know you couldn't beat Trump. Avoid railroading or dismissing these dissents. I believe the fact that there is so much fear of losing to Trump, there is no way he can win if we are in this together
Thank you."
Michael and David Salzillo here. We second and third that.
My personal take on this is "ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES." People often engage in elections as if they are some form of entertainment, like a sport or beauty pageant. NO. For many people, it can be a matter of life and death: whether you can get an abortion procedure if your life is in danger, whether your healthcare will be stripped away while you are dealing with a major illness, or whether you can seek due process for asylum because your life is at risk in your home country. All these issues are determined by decisions made by ELECTED POLITICIANS. So no, an election is not where you pick the best, strongest-looking MAN to entertain you. The person you elect can have the power of life or death over you.