I really appreciate what you are saying here. Look, I was a huge Bernie supporter. He’s still the only politician I have ever donated to support.
I am a single issue voter and I think everyone should be this election. That single thing is keeping Trump away from the presidency. We are FUCKED if he gets in again.
The fact is, only 10 times in history (Trump being one) has the incumbent president lost. I don’t like Biden any more than you do, but incumbency and having beaten Trump once is a resume no other candidate can match.
I think we need to be talking about Biden getting a new VP. Kamela Harris does not add to Biden’s chances of winning. Whether it is simple racism/sexism or whatever, the public hates her. Let’s get a VP candidate who could carry the torch for Biden after 4 years (or less if he dies in office). That would go a long way to assuage the public’s concerns over Biden’s age. Dean Phillips would be a great option for that. He would be perfect to pull undecided moderate voters and he would be a great public face for Democrats. (My first choice would be Fetterman, but putting that behemoth standing next to Biden would do little to help the image of Biden being feeble).
Look at why trump and the others all lost. They were unpopular.
Your single issue is “not trump”. Yet, there are many better canidates than Biden who are also not-trump.
Incumbency is only really an advantage if your incumbent isn’t fucking the pooch. And Biden is definitely fucking the pooch. Climate, Israel/Palestine. The economy (and the disparity between their propaganda and people hurting,). The only thing he’s really got running is that he’s not trump, and somebody explained why he needs to keep his mouth shut on abortion.
Virtually any one left of center-right republicans meet that standard.
If defeating trump is your goal, wouldn’t finding the best candidate possible- and do you really think if Biden kept his word, bowed out of the second term, do you really think, that’d be a disadvantage?
Are you okay with a liar, whose soft on the largest segment because he’s constantly ignoring that segment’s needs, after trump has bad 4 years to whip his base and retcon Jan 6, while Biden and the DoJ and everyone else sat for over years with their thumbs up their asses?
I think people are being immensely unfair to Biden. He has done a fat better job than I expected. Don’t forget how bad off we were when Trump left office. I was certain we were going for another recession like 2008 and Biden’s policies saved us from that. He got vaccines out to the public efficiently so people could live their lives again. He got the supply chain working again so we don’t have shortages of essential products anymore. The Build Back Better plan put billions into expanding solar and wind (as well as expanding US production of these technologies) as well as expanding the availability of electric chargers across the nation.
I mean just look at all this stuff? Most of this has been on the progressive wish list for years.
I don’t blame Biden for running again. There is a total lack of qualified leadership. The newer generation like Fetterman and AOC are promising but too inexperienced. Nobody has stepped up to take the lead.
Can I imagine a better candidate? Of course. Do I think anyone could have done better? Maybe Bernie, but honestly I don’t even think he could have realistically made more progressive change.
He has done a fat better job than I expected. Don’t forget how bad off we were when Trump left office. I was certain we were going for another recession like 2008 and Biden’s policies saved us from that
What… policies? it amazes me how people trot out how good the economy is to support Biden; yet then when people point out it’s not actually all that great for most people… “oh what’s he supposed to do?! the Fed, the treasury, they’re all independent! he can’t do anything”
in any case… they kinda sorta had to redefine what a recession was, unless you forgot that part. Could it have been much worse? absolutely. is Biden better than trump? ABSOLUTELY. but acting like it’s a binary choice is exactly how we got here, and following it will solve nothing.
What policies?! The policies that put $6 trillion into the economy so it didn’t crash. The American Rescue Plan? The American Jobs Plan? The Build Back Better Plan? You know, all the shit that Republicans were screaming at about being socialist handouts that would destroy America?
The policies that put $6 trillion into the economy so it didn’t crash.
Just going to address this specifically. what you mean to say is 'didn’t crash yet. we’re not out of this by a long shot; and there’s still enough economic stressors on Americans that it might just collapse anyhow.
One of the major sources for inflation has been all that aid floating around. most of the covid relief was paid for with increased debt. (though taxation on certain types did increase,) I’m not saying they shouldn’t have, but all that aid is a direct cause of inflation. I want to be clear on that. A lot of the aid- especially the aid that went to actual humans and not corporations- was vital and necessary. But then, there was a lot of it that was just straight up not- for example the PPP loans, of which the 1 million or so worth that remains unforgiven is almost entirely held by single-proprietor small businesses; aka the exact people who were supposed to be helped by it.
Nor did his blaming the wages of workers rising for inflation (which, yes, normally accounts for some of it. but not nearly as much as he seemed to believe.) we all know it’s corporate greed that’s largely to blame for the bulk of it.
The American Rescue Plan? The American Jobs Plan? The Build Back Better Plan?
Legislative acts rammed through by democrats who had control of both parties. Biden doesn’t get to take sole credit here, and since this entire discussion is about who should be the DNC’s nominee… well, you see how that goes, right? there’s a lot of people who worked on getting this done. Most of them not in the executive branch. Biden may have thrown his hat in to support them. He may even have contributed to them. but most of the ideas didn’t originate with him. (that’s just not how politics works. To be fair, it didn’t originate with the senators and representatives, eiher. probably got handed to all three at the same time by the lobbyists.)
You know, all the shit that Republicans were screaming at about being socialist handouts that would destroy America?
All of Biden’s legislative agenda has stalled since the 118th congress was seated, because the way of doing things- the way he’s always done things- no longer works with a party as inherently obstructionist as the republicans. especially the freedom caucus.
It was “easy” when democrats held both houses of congress and could (or should have been able to) ram through whatever they wanted. So much for all of that much-vaunted experience working across the aisle. welcome to a new era… we’ve been here for a while, and it sucks.
I really appreciate what you are saying here. Look, I was a huge Bernie supporter. He’s still the only politician I have ever donated to support.
I am a single issue voter and I think everyone should be this election. That single thing is keeping Trump away from the presidency. We are FUCKED if he gets in again.
The fact is, only 10 times in history (Trump being one) has the incumbent president lost. I don’t like Biden any more than you do, but incumbency and having beaten Trump once is a resume no other candidate can match.
I think we need to be talking about Biden getting a new VP. Kamela Harris does not add to Biden’s chances of winning. Whether it is simple racism/sexism or whatever, the public hates her. Let’s get a VP candidate who could carry the torch for Biden after 4 years (or less if he dies in office). That would go a long way to assuage the public’s concerns over Biden’s age. Dean Phillips would be a great option for that. He would be perfect to pull undecided moderate voters and he would be a great public face for Democrats. (My first choice would be Fetterman, but putting that behemoth standing next to Biden would do little to help the image of Biden being feeble).
Here’s the thing.
Look at why trump and the others all lost. They were unpopular.
Your single issue is “not trump”. Yet, there are many better canidates than Biden who are also not-trump.
Incumbency is only really an advantage if your incumbent isn’t fucking the pooch. And Biden is definitely fucking the pooch. Climate, Israel/Palestine. The economy (and the disparity between their propaganda and people hurting,). The only thing he’s really got running is that he’s not trump, and somebody explained why he needs to keep his mouth shut on abortion.
Virtually any one left of center-right republicans meet that standard.
If defeating trump is your goal, wouldn’t finding the best candidate possible- and do you really think if Biden kept his word, bowed out of the second term, do you really think, that’d be a disadvantage?
Are you okay with a liar, whose soft on the largest segment because he’s constantly ignoring that segment’s needs, after trump has bad 4 years to whip his base and retcon Jan 6, while Biden and the DoJ and everyone else sat for over years with their thumbs up their asses?
I think people are being immensely unfair to Biden. He has done a fat better job than I expected. Don’t forget how bad off we were when Trump left office. I was certain we were going for another recession like 2008 and Biden’s policies saved us from that. He got vaccines out to the public efficiently so people could live their lives again. He got the supply chain working again so we don’t have shortages of essential products anymore. The Build Back Better plan put billions into expanding solar and wind (as well as expanding US production of these technologies) as well as expanding the availability of electric chargers across the nation.
I mean just look at all this stuff? Most of this has been on the progressive wish list for years.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/build-back-better/
I don’t blame Biden for running again. There is a total lack of qualified leadership. The newer generation like Fetterman and AOC are promising but too inexperienced. Nobody has stepped up to take the lead.
Can I imagine a better candidate? Of course. Do I think anyone could have done better? Maybe Bernie, but honestly I don’t even think he could have realistically made more progressive change.
What… policies? it amazes me how people trot out how good the economy is to support Biden; yet then when people point out it’s not actually all that great for most people… “oh what’s he supposed to do?! the Fed, the treasury, they’re all independent! he can’t do anything”
in any case… they kinda sorta had to redefine what a recession was, unless you forgot that part. Could it have been much worse? absolutely. is Biden better than trump? ABSOLUTELY. but acting like it’s a binary choice is exactly how we got here, and following it will solve nothing.
What policies?! The policies that put $6 trillion into the economy so it didn’t crash. The American Rescue Plan? The American Jobs Plan? The Build Back Better Plan? You know, all the shit that Republicans were screaming at about being socialist handouts that would destroy America?
Just going to address this specifically. what you mean to say is 'didn’t crash yet. we’re not out of this by a long shot; and there’s still enough economic stressors on Americans that it might just collapse anyhow.
One of the major sources for inflation has been all that aid floating around. most of the covid relief was paid for with increased debt. (though taxation on certain types did increase,) I’m not saying they shouldn’t have, but all that aid is a direct cause of inflation. I want to be clear on that. A lot of the aid- especially the aid that went to actual humans and not corporations- was vital and necessary. But then, there was a lot of it that was just straight up not- for example the PPP loans, of which the 1 million or so worth that remains unforgiven is almost entirely held by single-proprietor small businesses; aka the exact people who were supposed to be helped by it.
Also, Biden kept Powell on as the chairman of the fed- so Powell’s shit flows up hill to land at his desk. (this was about the only influence biden has on what follows, mind you.) Which means that Biden is responsible for the inflation that was caused by Powell dropping the interest rates to zero and keeping them for 2 years Certainly didn’t help inflation… Neither did his literally printing cash to
Nor did his blaming the wages of workers rising for inflation (which, yes, normally accounts for some of it. but not nearly as much as he seemed to believe.) we all know it’s corporate greed that’s largely to blame for the bulk of it.
Legislative acts rammed through by democrats who had control of both parties. Biden doesn’t get to take sole credit here, and since this entire discussion is about who should be the DNC’s nominee… well, you see how that goes, right? there’s a lot of people who worked on getting this done. Most of them not in the executive branch. Biden may have thrown his hat in to support them. He may even have contributed to them. but most of the ideas didn’t originate with him. (that’s just not how politics works. To be fair, it didn’t originate with the senators and representatives, eiher. probably got handed to all three at the same time by the lobbyists.)
All of Biden’s legislative agenda has stalled since the 118th congress was seated, because the way of doing things- the way he’s always done things- no longer works with a party as inherently obstructionist as the republicans. especially the freedom caucus.
It was “easy” when democrats held both houses of congress and could (or should have been able to) ram through whatever they wanted. So much for all of that much-vaunted experience working across the aisle. welcome to a new era… we’ve been here for a while, and it sucks.