The Fig Economy: 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.

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?

Yes! And like I get that they’ll say they’re policing their own side, I just want to know that they’re trying to win.

We don't win without cohesion.

bsky.app/profile/wyma...

Anyway, this is why we always have these knock down, drag out fights every 4 years and Republicans quickly coalesce. Coalition management is a singularly important skill for any Democratic nominee for national or statewide office.

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

1) I disagree with “delusional and ego driven” and even if I didn’t 2) yes until Trump’s beaten I, personally, would keep quiet about that

1. I live in the real world. this is the reality we face 2. I don't consider anything going in this WH to fall below the standards of honor I expect of my POTUS. Do I agree with all his policies? No. Doesn't mean he's not a moral person 3. I'd vote for A fuckin corpse if it kept trump out of the WH

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.)

If it were the sort of thing that could be outweighed by another really good performance, I don't think we'd be having this discussion. -- For myself, I'd take a diminished Biden plus his staff over a narcissistic psychopath who will take down the Republic any day. No brainer.

CNN repeatedly broke its own agreed-to rules and only ever in favor of Trump. Between that and the cold Biden was on the back foot for about the first 15 minutes, then recovered and did the eye-rolling feisty Biden bits everyone loves. Sorry if that disrupts your narrative.

The way to unsee it is to read the transcript and give yourself a chance to see what actually happened, a tag-team Gish gallop in which the moderators and Trump worked together--Trump saying 10 crazy things and Tapper and Bash rushing to change the subject before Biden could respond.

that and letting the description of post-birth abortion slide how do you not say that simply does not happen

The thing that stuck with me was the next morning, on CNBC Squawk Box, Andrew Ross Sorkin and Trump’s FTC Chair agreed that, if that had been an earnings call, that CEO would *already* be gone. The Board would have acted, because it would have had to.

My partner and I were yelling at the tv. So many missed opportunities, and sure, he wasn’t going to be able to catch all the lies but Pelosi turning down 10k national guard troops on Jan 6 and the after birth abortion thing just shouldn’t have slipped by.

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?"

Good point, that's why the right thing to do was resign when there started to be bad days

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 …

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