The Fig Economy: As pundits who say they’re concerned about the extraordinary threat of Trump are declaring the things they’re requiring of Biden to regain their confidence, I’d genuinely like to hear a couple of things to continue taking the arguments seriously.

As pundits who say they’re concerned about the extraordinary threat of Trump are declaring the things they’re requiring of Biden to regain their confidence, I’d genuinely like to hear a couple of things to continue taking the arguments seriously.

1) is there anything that could convince you? Literally anything? Be honest. I’m not talking about a too cute list that you know is never gonna be met. 2) if there is a realistic list, lay it down in a decent amount of detail.

3) what are you gonna do if Biden, like, *almost* meets your list? Does an interview two days later than the deadline you stated, did one less rally than you said you wanted? 4) maybe most important, what are you gonna do if your list isn’t met and he remains anyway?

4, cont) like are you gonna keep going on about it, or do you have a drop dead date past which you accept he’s the nominee and zip it up because of the extraordinary threat of Trump?

I know this sounds like I’m trying to play gotcha, but I do genuinely mean it. My sense is Biden should stay in, he’s got some work to do to mollify people, but also that if he decides to get it out, I respect that decision and immediately figure out what path I’m on and walk it.

I would like to know what people’s plan of action is for if their demands aren’t met, and whether they’ll commit to not trying to blow everything up out of a sour grapes feeling.

I would add one thing to this list: while compiling their criteria for Biden, they should also declare what criteria they will apply to Trump. And, how can they continually rehash Biden's continuing oldness, but treat every criticism of Trump as old news and a settled affair?

We don't win without cohesion.

I've been stone cold certain that Trump should not gain power since 2016 and the way people have danced around this simple fact over the past 8 years drives me nuts I don't care if Biden is old and all this stuff reeks of ableism. I'm an academic and I appreciate the boring policy shit he does

I’ll vote for any democrat against trump, obviously, eight days a week, but like… we just spent the last x years arguing that we need to have high standards for this office. Now we just keep quiet about how delusional and ego-driven this admin apparently is? God it’s so incredibly fucked up

This is really well put, I was just thinking: what would count for some of the Biden skeptics as proof of sufficient vitality? Or are they going to talk themselves into voting for Trump because Biden is too old to be Trump?

UGH *beat

I have not taken any position. I don't need convincing. I will crawl across broken glass with my hands and feet bound to vote against Trump. The case against Biden running, as I understand it, is: the debate was something you cannot unsee. That he does well in one rally does not balance it out.

It was bad. And it wasn't just the optics; I sat there in amazement as opportunities to rebut Trump sailed past, one after another, untaken. (The one that sticks with me is his not saying, when Trump claimed that illegal immigrants would destroy SS/Medicare/Medicaid: But they are not eligible.)

The danger is not so much that Biden skeptics will talk themselves into voting for Trump, so much as that they will not bother to vote on Election Day because Biden hasn’t sufficiently convinced them of whatever.

Honestly, I think he should troll them and just dye his hair, use more facial moisturizer, really play up the 'okay, you want a performance, here's a performance!'

The accusation is that he has good days and "bad days" and on bad days he's listless and confused, like we saw him, and that he is only reliably fit between the hours of 10am and 4pm. Is it really so hard to see what would disprove these extremely specific things?

I actually thinks that a really good example of a claim that's almost impossible to disprove. Because it seems like for any additional public performances, no matter how sharp, the judgment will be: "look today was a good day, but what about the bad days? remember the debate?"

Also if he doesn’t meet your standards and you want him to drop out and resign, please explain how the new VP would be appointed in a GOP House. Like please have a few steps outlined

standing by this

I feel like every volunteer messaging guru should, when they describe what they want Biden to do, have to start with “instead of” and then accurately describe what he’s been doing first

If he went out and performed well without a teleprompter in a series of interviews and public appearances, that would allay my suspicion that his staff knew about his condition for awhile. Nothing he could do would reassure me it couldn't happen again at the September debate or October rally. Tbc,

I'd vote for Biden's corpse over Trump, but they'll need more than my vote.

He has to do a tight five at open mic night without referring to his notebook.

Not sure I understand the question. Convince them of what? 99% of these folks will vote for Biden if he's the Democrat, and they will say they'll vote for Biden. And they'll continue making the case against Trump and the MAGA judicial insurrection even as they express concern about Biden's campaign.

I feel like the question is perfectly clear. I’m seeing some people make cases that are certain enough and pejorative enough that it’s going to be difficult for them to walk back. Maybe that’s not your perception, cool. More power to you.

And it’s the last piece that I’m a bit concerned about here. What form does “continuing to express concerns about Biden” take, and is it the right path to take at that point, once again given the extraordinary threat of Trump?

Well in good faith, I'll bite. Two to three weeks of strong public appearances, including a few unscripted interviews or town halls. A frank talk about what the plan is if his health *does* deteriorate (it might at his age even if the debate was a fluke, & ppl are thinking that now). 1/2

At that point, I would start to say I'm worried as others about what happened & what it might portend, but he's showed us he still has it and we need to stop being distracted. In any case, throughout this time I'll spell out the horror of Trump & write postcards for Dems. 2/2

Well, here's a pragmatic answer from someone who worked with him for 25 years: thehill.com/homenews/sen... I think the people who'll sigh and vote Biden to keep Trump out will be 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 as willing to vote for a replacement candidate. And others might vote who would not vote for Biden.

Former California Senator says Biden should get two weeks to prove himself after debatethehill.com Former California Sen. Barbara Boxer said President Biden should get two weeks to prove to the American people that he’s up for the job of president, amid concerns about his standing at the top of …

It's honestly kind of kooky how even liberals fall all over themselves to qualify their support with - "I don't really like Biden" - when he's been concretely the most concretely the most progressive president in 2-3 generations.

Honestly, I like this. I'm not voting for who I want a blowjob from, but you get the sense the Trump people and the Bernie people are.

I get it. Cults of personality are stupid! I'm all for just judging based on results - not necessarily what I'd ideally want, but relative to prior and peer performance. Basically how we want to be judged in our own jobs.

Pretty much. The average voter doesn't care much about policy but the average voter often as not doesn't vote at all, so.

Yeah, that's fair. And, we - the big tent left - are maybe overthinking this. I'm centering on the idea that the campaign needs to make Harris more visible and emphasize that it's a "ticket".

If anything, the big-tent left is underthinking everything and doing anxiety donuts. This is just the bad version of human zoomies, tranquilizers all around. Some of you would benefit from a little ketamine.

And pulled it off with a split senate plus "dems" like Manchin and Sinema no less. It's *because* Biden is old and has been in politics forever that he managed to get so much done, imo. I find the entire discussion about his age incredibly defeatist, tbh.

Oh absolutely. But his career has been so long that he's been all over the map, from punchline to hated to beloved. Even shitlibs feel the need to clarify they're not suckers or whatever.

It's honestly been one of the wilder and more interesting careers in American politics, and that's even if he DOESN'T get four more years as the literal president. Biden is gonna be a significant historical figure. Joe Biden!

Definitely. It's a fascinating story.

Not to be crass, but I don't give a shit what someone did 20 years ago. When I hire someone I want to know what they did in the last few years.

This is exactly right. I didn’t vote for him to be my bestest pal, or as a reward for consistent Goodthink, I voted for him because he broadly supports my political commitments and is the leader of the political coalition that doesn’t want to murder my friends.

Oh, same. And we didn't elect 1988 Biden! We could have!

Honestly, who'd a thunk?

Remember when people were questioning Trump’s mental fitness and a bunch of people argued we can’t make any declarations about it because we’re not psychologists and Trump wasn’t our patient? 🤔

Not holding out hope, but you would think after seeing Biden intends to stay in the race, the same pundits would push messages about how dangerous Trump 2.0 would be.

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