co-sign but i will add: i don't know the best path but i do know the worst path, and that's replacing him with anyone other than kamala, via any process whatsoever.
I have no idea the best path re Biden but I do know a solid week straight of “Biden Old” and “Rich Dems Worried” above-the-fold stories are *obscene* in the face of SCOTUS using the Constitution to wipe their asses purely in the service of reinstating a felon rapist as president. Crazy-making shit.
Part of why trying to replace him at all is the worst path is that it leaves who he gets replaced with up to the 4,700 delegates at the convention all acting as free agents who can vote for anyone who submits their name to the convention chair in writing.
The reason for replacing Biden is that he’s mentally incapacitated. Well, and unpopular. Any old white guy who isn’t would have an advantage over Biden
Only if voters vote based on who is actually suited to be great at president stuff. (This is obviously not true, since Trump is in the race.)
What evidence do we have that voters base their votes on the objective mental fitness of a candidate, and not, say, a combo of platform, inertia, and vibes?
It doesn't matter if Trump is in the race, you're not competing for the same set of voters as him whatsoever. If someone wants to vote for Trump, they're voting for Trump and you're not changing their mind at this point. This is about increasing turnout among people who dislike both candidates.
It's about *winning.*
Does winning require increasing turnout from reluctant voters? Or would it be better to "hold on" to the voters who voted Biden last time?
The perception that somebody’s brain can’t do brain things has an impact on vibes. Trump is of course ridiculous and ignorant, but no more so than he was ten years ago. There is a growing belief that Biden has deteriorated
Having an impact on vibes is legit. However, Trump repeatedly fell asleep in court (and reportedly worse) and is markedly less coherent than before. Lack of a freak out on GOP side either suggests that freaking out and changing horses is a bad strat, or that this is just a media coverage problem
I think you need young if you go with Kamala, the theme on the ticket has to be all young to get away from the main attacks on Biden and turn the attacks to Trump, but probably someone credible with blue collar labor dem appeal.
Seriously, she's the only realistic alternative.
1. Already constitutionally #2
2. Won in a national campaign as VP
3. Losing her pisses off a large % of people her VP spot appeals to
4. Already has campaign fundraising infrastructure set up
5. Polls better that any other
Biden dropping out is not certain by any means, but if it happens:
- Joint press conference at WH in Rose Garden with a vague but urgent "important announcement"
- Harris there to accept and make a speech *immediately*
- Q&A to show she can handle the press, then public appearance blitz across US
I know the best path: Make Kamala the first woman President of the United States. Now. Joe can do that with the best speech of his career and then ride into the sunset. Make a big show of it. Pomp and circumstance. Then Kamala picks Whitmer as VP and they run as incumbents.
Yes, Whitmer should be the one, but that wouldn't be practical if Biden resigns. If he only withdraws, two govs are best. Go for it. Dems can't afford to lose a senator. Anyway, senators aren't executives, don't answer enough to their constituency, run from blame, and don't sing enough praises.
No. A new VP has to go through Senate & Mike Fucking Johnson’s House. They’d use that opportunity to cause a real constitutional crisis. Biden resignation is nightmare scenario, not an interesting option.
Mike Johnson is third in line to the presidency. You might think it’s fun to play around with wild scenarios but given that reality, this SCOTUS, & rising fascism, I don’t.
How is this a “wild scenario”? This is the fucking United States of America. Can our systems not change a president from someone who has mental deficiency? If people want to pretend that Biden is just fine, maybe they should go to the video tape.
If you still think that’s a useful approach to the problem we have (& I don’t agree it’s a “mental deficiency’ btw), have at it. But I’m not going to entertain it.
And she’d become immediately responsible for anything that went wrong, from Ukraine to Israel to the random disasters any potus must deal with.
Joe & his admin still doing it all is only way she cld get a new campaign off the ground.
She's been a Vice President for nearly FOUR YEARS. Sure, the presidency is a big time job, but we have an 81-year-old man doing it, and he wants to go to bed by 8.
Sorry but you're doing vibes based electioneering. Harris stacks up to Trump right now within MOE without even being the main nominee. All of his strengths and none of his weaknesses (his visible age).
Even a small bump matters in NV, AZ, GA, PA, MI, and WI, all tossups right now.
Yeah I'm not happy about the prospect of cop president but unfortunately the time to choose literally anybody else was last year.
The same can be said for Biden bowing out too though but that's not stopping these dipshits from trying to pull the ripcord right as they smash into the ground.
Kamala would be fine, but I dont understand the logic, is trump an existential threat to democracy or not?
Ignoring the fact if that's the case, then elections are the least of the worries, wouldn't taking the candidate that does the best against trump be what needs to happen?
The number is of “serious” democratic strategists and pundits talking about some sort of open process brokered convention like is a normal plausible option makes me feel like I’m taking crazy pills. Maybe it’s the West Wing’s fault?
They together are tasked with leading an administration, which will be a tool for the good people of this country, who want to save it. This is a new founding here, let’s think about it differently.
