Me too. Nobody knows what he is doing. We had a dinner party at our home this past Saturday with 5 other Ph.Ds and two MD's. To quote one of the brightest among the group: "What is Biden doing!!" Shocked, I sent her HCR's "Letters" the next morning.
But, Americans are lazy. They don't want to or cannot read. HCR…
Me too. Nobody knows what he is doing. We had a dinner party at our home this past Saturday with 5 other Ph.Ds and two MD's. To quote one of the brightest among the group: "What is Biden doing!!" Shocked, I sent her HCR's "Letters" the next morning.
But, Americans are lazy. They don't want to or cannot read. HCR, apparently, does have some video which I never watch since reading is ever so much faster for information acquisition. But, not many folks watch her that need to.
Lastly, I personally saw President Biden yesterday on Lester Holt's "Nightly News".
Biden looks positively frail. "Old" does not even really cover it. Frail is more the word. And, sure, he has a stuttering problem but it seemed he had real trouble getting his words out. I hate to say it but WE have to admit that is a big hurdle for us.
Trump streams nonsensical words constantly so he looks cogent to the masses of people who don't or cannot process what he says critically.
We have a real problem in America. I am worried Biden may not even make it through the campaign. Honestly. Clarence Thomas was not his only big mistake. Biden should have carefully picked a Vice President that would have taken up his torch after one term in which he showcased his Vice President daily. Then, put his ego on the shelf and stepped aside with little fanfare.
Now? We have what almost everyone thinks is a doddering old man running for President. Never mind that he has done a good job, one that nobody knows about. He is and looks positively ancient these days.
Those who say “what has he done?” do not read or engage like many of us do to learn the details of what he’s done. What actually did Loser do during his tenure, but watch TV and play golf and sell us down the river. Biden is here, there and everywhere. Your PhD friends have their heads buried in their work and lives and doing their best to ignore how the world turns because of what the government does to keep their world going.
Kamala Harris is finding her voice more and more. Biden for all his “doddering” is doing a damn good job “administering” as any good CEO would do.
Did you look at how previous presidents all aged during their administrations. Who wouldn’t under the pressures they face and the pace they must keep if they are doing their job? I’ll taking aging Joe Biden over anybody the Republicans throw at us.
Frank, I shared this before, but it bears repeating...
I saw a commentator on TV say, I'd rather have an old man who needs another nap, than an old man who needs another lawyer."
I remember hearing people say that Biden wouldn't last 6 months when he was elected.. That he had dementia and was too frail mentally and physically. Well, It's been almost 4 years and he HAS lasted, and has accomplished more than Trump ever even thought about accomplishing.
I think he will let us know when he feels like he can't do his job anymore.
PLainly the charge Biden "had dementia" wasn't fact checked. And we must always remember an effective president surrounds themself with "good people"... works for rock stars too lol.
Frank, when Trump was amazingly elected in 2016, my only hope for the stability of our nation was that he would surround himself with experts in their field. He was totally ill -prepared to be the president. He had no idea what he was doing, and then he fired the experts and hired his thuggish friends who knew about as much as he did.
Biden's cabinet is filled with qualified people whom he respects and relies on.
Pam, Agent Orange is threatened by smart people. It's in the Malignant narcissist handbook. 'Don't hire someone smarter than me'. His administration was a perfect example of that. How many went to jail?
New to me (like so much else), i see she's from Cleveland, and seems so is JD Rockefeller, i'm just getting into an audio version of Chernow's biography of him. Listened to Pat's One Love from 1988. Also, Love is a Battlefield which seemed to rise the hackles on the then right wing, i see PBS just did a special, maybe that's what you saw. Talk about Rock living out the days!
Exactly. I would walk over hot coals to vote for the finest, most accomplished president of my long life. I read. I know how carefully and wisely President Biden proceeds.
But we live in a world where one sound bite, one TikTok, one stutter, one shuffle becomes more powerful than all that competence and compassion that our president has brought us.
The fear Mike is expressing courses through my veins. The horrible truth is that our political process has been twisted into a circus. A show. And the performer who can spit out a cute six word quip gets the applause.
Mike is right. Biden should have stepped aside. And it is not too late. It was March 31, 1968 when LBJ announced he would not be running for re-election - he knew he couldn't win.
If Biden has one significant flaw, it is his ego. You have to have a big one to arrive at the presidency. But I believe he really thinks he is our best bet at another four years of a Democratic presidency. He is wrong. There are many leaders in our party who could crush the Republican nominee (Trump ain't there yet!). Our bench is deep.
Regardless, the task is to vote Blue. And to convince every wavering younger person we know - to vote and to get their friends to vote Blue. Or we will be experiencing the end of American democracy and an embrace of fascism. The Republican Party of 2024 makes the Communist Party of 1954 look positively saintly.
Biden has done a great job. He is an excellent POTUS. But, he is 80 years old and that is an issue. There are so many who could take his place and continue with his excellent work, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, for one, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, for another. We keep dealing with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg effect. Damn.
When I heard Corey Booker speak at the DNC when Obama was nominated, I thought he'd be the next democratic candidate. There are, as others have listed, a fair number of outstanding people in the wings. We just need to get them there.
Ally, I have always admired Corey Booker. As you know, he’s super articulate, highly intelligent & brave among other wonderful qualities; was my first choice among democrats in the last election run up.
The beauty is that we have a large number of younger Democrats (I'm 83) who could "knock it out of the park." Exercising excellent judgment is a very, very difficult quality to grasp. What happens if within the next three months Biden suffers a disabling stroke or dies? What then?
Bill, Biden has already proved America will pick him over Trump but it was close. Picking any other Democrat in this MAGA hypnosis is a big risk. Who on the bench is up to the task “today”? Harris now has some experience. Raskin perhaps. Newsom?, perhaps, perhaps. The rest are fully capable of governing but don’t rise to name recognition, which is critical at this point. Think about how anyone of them could have accomplished what Biden already has
IIene, I was at a concert in Aspen sitting next to a guy who was a local surgeon, pilot, and activist. He said, he works with the ultra wealthy everyday. He was telling me how many are Agent Orange supporters. We were laughing about the fact they can make money or rather inherent it, but when it comes to basic humanity they are as dumb and apathetic as a doorknob. He had some great stories.
The sad part is that I’m aware of Gen Zers and Millennials who have the world at their fingertips tips who belittle what they see and are in their own bubble of entitlement.
I’m glad my own kids and even young grandchildren are following more in my footsteps ( not because they are in lockstep), but because they keep themselves informed and involved.
We just have to keep trying to change one mind at a time.
Entitlement and apathy is an issue with some. I remember when my one of my kids got their first job. After a couple weeks she thought she should be paid more. We laughed. And told her so does everyone else.
LOL, Lisa, growing up is hard to do! I think I was in my early 20’s before really “got” my parents & what being responsible for yourself really meant. I had to learn fast, having gotten married 3 days after my 18th birthday. Fortunately my mom, as a mostly single parent, had vested me and my sibs with lots of household responsibilities….something we all whined about at the time, but were eventually grateful for being “apprentice” adults & learning life skills.
Hi Barbara, married at eighteen. I was 22, pregnant, and my soon to be husband was in a body cast from a fall. We got married in my mom's living room and she invited her Herbalife team and customers. No family or friends. That's a whole other story.
We taught our girls skills when they were young. Changing a tire, shooting a gun (husband hunted), Changing the oil in their cars, cooking, gardening, camping, boating, welding, all kinds of things. They are thankful we did. Learned helplessness is not cool.
Agree! I’m a total tool geek (and fabrics, and books and music CD’s and plants) & took auto shop, carpentry, welding, and tailoring classes (never could get into the wait-listed weaving classes) in college as well as art history, English, philosophy, psych and sociology classes….heh, was on what I call the “10-yr no degree program” (worked at the Univ, so could attend part time as well). I’m in the middle of a stalled renovation of part of my house (thanks Covid), but just before it hit I had a couple of electricians come over to troubleshoot (the fix required me to demo the interior walls of two rooms & had them replace the not to code electrical) ….one fellow looked into a room and said “oh you have a tool room…neat”….I hung my head and said “it’s my bedroom!”. Sigh, I have a friend who once told me “you’re not a hoarder, you’re a collector!” & my neighbors all know they can borrow tools or ask me if I have “x” building supply (pipes, lumber, wire, etc.). Starting, now, to divest myself of my “collections”…keeping only crucial stuff…what a chore!
Even after I stopped being a part time student, I still would take the occasional Extended Ed class and, now, participate in the Univ’s OLLI program (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) with classes for older folks…generally classes of limited duration. Is a great program—no tests & generally no homework! It’s just for the joy of learning.
I'm laughing. That is so funny. We too, are in a constant state of renovation. My old farmhouse was built in 1876. Everything in here is original. Miles of molding. The kitchen sucked however. Squirrels moved in the kitchen and it sounded like Cancun on spring break. You could hang beef in there. We just finished it. We do our own work. I love it. It looks beautiful. My husband can fix anything. He's going to die with a caulking gun in his hand.
Collections are cool. I love love estate sales. I love treasure hunting.
I need a bumper sticker that says “I brake for brick”….I collect broken concrete, used bricks (even have some weird ones from many years ago when a pulp mill demolished its brick-lined exhaust stack), & rocks to make walkways, patios & garden bed edging. LOL…even have some brick that came from a dumpster (remodeling debris) next door to the former Grateful Dead house in San Francisco around 1997….driving north from SF to Humboldt county the load was so rear-end heavy my front wheels were marginally in contact with the road….needless to say the drive home was low and slow! People ask me how old my house is & I ask which room? It has been cobbled together over the decades before I purchased it. Totally a work in progress!
I love your passion for bricks. Thats some dedication to heavy lifting. I could drive around and look at old architecture all day. We collect rocks from our trips to the North Shore and Colorado. I put them in my gardens.
The other thing, Ilene, is when you confront them with what he has done, they reply with either a "well, that isn't what I read" or a well reasoned "nu-uh" and a head shake.
Fran Lebowitz quote: “Think before you speak. Read before you think.” Personally I prefer to read both inside and outside my silo, even tho it can seem more warm and cozy with like-minded folk!
Ilene, thank you for using that word "administering": ... to wit executive administration.
FDR was hobbled by polio but, he had superior cabinet administrators including FRANCES PERKINS, Secretary of Labor make that Secretary of Labor rights 1933-1945.
JEN PSAKI has worked for 6 Presidents as a communicator, West Wing & Campaign expert.
ANTONY J BLINKEN seems to be in a different nation every other day. Use surrogates like my CA Governor NEWSOM.
We need to revolutionize Presidential Communications to the Citizens. Build a Beta model asap & use it in the Campaign.
Exactly! They can push him in a wheelchair for all I care. We need to hold it together. It is what it is. All hands on deck. Everybody. United front. Deal with it. We don't have time to reinvent the system. Biden, of course, should have passed the baton to the next generation. But he didn't. Hell, they could both stroke out. I'm 65 and I don't want to walk to my mailbox some days. I can't imagine how he does it.
We (the HCR crowd) cannot rely on Dems or the GOP faithful ever reading or watching anything positive about Biden. And the firehose of anti-Biden or “too-old” messages are unrelenting.
Assuming that’s true, I’ve implemented a new tactic. And I suggest (beg) all HCR-ers do the same. I’m wearing a Biden Tshirt on EVERY grocery run til 11/5.
Trump fans cannot be swayed by facts. So stop wasting time arguing. But don’t concede with silence.
Wearing a Biden shirt says “I support Biden’s policies NOW & THRU 2028!”
A Biden shirt tells disappointed Dems, “Get on board! This is our guy!”
If you don’t like your QB, do you abandon your team? No! You wear your Jersey because your team NEEDS you to RALLY them to victory.
Biden’s eye slits strike me as a sign of feebleness. We cannot see the fire in his eyes because they are locked in a forever-squint that telegraphs his age. So what!? Do I quit the team... or do I HELP BRING THE FIRE?
Buy a “DEMS MAKE LIFE BETTER” tshirt at IndivisibleMarin.com. Buy Three! And wear them WITH ME grocery shopping.
This tactic requires no reading. No arguing. No donating. No posting. No convincing.
And, I promise, it feels GOOD to do something. And, it feels even BETTER with every passing day of Biden being right and Trump being wrong.
If I sound like a broken record with my “Biden And Grocery Shopping” (BAGS) idea... then, help me break records on tshirt sales and spontaneous Grocery Store take-overs.
I'm right there with you, Shawn. My new thing is asking people "Do you know about Project 2025 and A.L.E.C?" They don't. I was explaining it to a group of lefty liberals. They never heard of it. I explained to my hairdresser, the checkout person, the guy at the gas station, everybody.
I posted here a while ago that while signing a petition for my local plumber recommending him for a local Dem organization, I asked him if he was aware. He was not & inked the information on his hand, as he didn’t want to write it on the petition, so he could look it up. Later found his email and sent him links to the Project as well as some investigative articles and opinion pieces. Trying to spread the word whilst also trying to not be too crazy about it….I just really want people to pay attention and realize what is at stake.
Lisa59, at first I thought it was a spoof & then did a dive into it….OMG how can you have chills while your hair is on fire?!!! I read some of it and having some experience in reading Fed regs, it read almost like a Federal Register of regulations! That’s when I realized these folks are dead serious and have some really really really big bucks behind them. As far as I can tell from looking into it, kinda builds on what started with the Powell memo during the Reagan admin (don’t get me started on that….had him as CA governor for two terms & watched him strangle the life out of some really good state programs…education being one of them).
I know!! I'm ADHD I have to read it a couple of times. I wish I had your clarity. It scares the shit out of me. There is a much bigger picture happening here. And when I talk to people they just think, there she goes again. Why isn't this on every front page every goddamn day. I'm gobsmacked. Truly.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, Shawn, dates now 50 years.
Over these decades it has programmed, coordinated, and funded all the worst vulgarities of U.S. state Republican legislatures.
ALEC didn't come first, however. Right after the Powell memo of 1971, the new Heritage Foundation started to work for U.S. billionaires and most retrograde corporations. Soon, too, the Hoover Institution enlarged itself and also set to work pushing the far right agenda.
You can read of all these vulgarities best in Jane Mayer's "Dark Money."
Phil, thanks for the background on ALEC and the Dark Money reco. I will continue down that path.
The organization of the Billionaire class and staunch republicans is impressive/horrifying. The GOP takeover of state legislatures and the supreme court is an example of long term strategy, a slow moving coup.
When billionaires donate or contribute millions to advance their own agendas, consider this: a million seconds is 11 days. A billion seconds is 36 years. So... a million here, a million there, means nothing. And yet they do so much trampling to ensure they get more, more, more at the expense of others. I don’t get it. I can only imagine all the people I could help as a Billionaire.
They have no humanities. They went out of their way to kill humanities in schools -- just as they went out of their way to offshore those millions of jobs, to leave so many Americans in such deep hurt (and to lift dictators and royal murderers abroad).
Keigo Higashino and his "A Death in Tokyo."
Barbara Kingsolver and her "Demon Copperhead."
Walter Mosley and his "Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned."
Elmore Leonard's many on our criminal classes. Joan Didion and her many on our criminal rich. Wendell Berry, Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Philip Levine on decencies of working people. Ditto Stephen King, Mary Karr, and Richard Russo there.
"We (the HCR crowd) cannot rely on Dems or the GOP faithful ever reading or watching anything positive about Biden."
Please don't leave out the MAGA Left - who don't mind or actually welcome a Trump administration. Those happy to split or suppress the vote for their own antidemocratic or antiDemocratic agendas.
Lin, absolutely. This tshirt idea is as all-inclusive as it gets. EVERYONE goes grocery shopping. For Fox News watchers, a Biden Tshirt at the grocery store is the only exposure they’ll get to the reality that more than 50% of Americans prefer Biden.
Great idea! I tried the link several times and it said "can't be reached." I even tried just searching "indivisible marin" and got a .org, but I couldn't find any merch on that site. Help please!
Yes, he's a frail old man. He was frail and old in 2020, yet more people voted for him than any candidate in history. They will again not because he's well, because he's not crazy. Because we'd like another election in 2028. Because we know the pathfinder Trump has laid out what every future Republican candidate will do--deny election results, foment violence, and claim the office. Even us hoi polloi get that.
He's not as frail as news reports would have us believe. He takes care of his health, and when I watch him speak, I hear a touch of his stutter now and then, but clarity on his topics.
Yes, that is the point, MJXS, Biden is not crazy! And we would like another election in 2028. I heard an excellent interview with Rep. Ro Khanna from CA, who said that when young people complain that Biden is not liberal enough, we need to look at his long history of being known and respected globally (in addition, of course, to all he has accomplished in his first term). Rep. Khanna recommended saying to those who are threatening not to vote for Biden because of his age or because of disagreeing with his foreign policy in Israel: "See Biden as a necessary BRIDGE to 2028. Then you can put energy towards getting in power a younger and more progressive president." May not be his exact words, but this was the essence of what he was saying.
Thank you, and his Valley Forge speech was the best, must full-throated affirmation of American democracy I've ever heard. No "fragility" there. Joe has been a pleasing surprise to this old progressive.
Mike S, frailty of the physical body is not the same as frailty of the mind. IMO, Biden is demonstrating clear and precise handling of multiple national and global threats in real time with real and positive results. Electing Presidents on physical appearance is an American TV land foible I want experience, determination and decisiveness. In Biden ( and importantly the capable people he surrounds himself with) we have an “administration” working for good of us all. Trump thinks he can rule as a King. Biden completely understands that Democracy survives as a team
Yes! This a thousand times. My unenthusiastic vote for Biden was an anti tRump vote. This time around I will gladly vote for him. Biden is a great president IMO!
You hit the nail squarely on the head, Dave. The US will be just fine with Kamala Harris as President of the United States of America!! HOWEVER, MAGAs will HATE that for numerous reasons AND look who presently follows Harris —> Mike Johnson. As James Comey would say, “Lordy!”
As I posted elsewhere on this thread, if Harris becomes POTUS, taking over if Biden is somehow incapacitated, there would be a new VPOTUS selected (imagine those discussions w/in the admin!) pending approval by a majority vote in Congress to confirm.
Agreed Frank. I’m over reading it. Biden is a chess player. Not a flashy boxer. He has a bright future and long career ahead. He’ll be wise and spry long after 2028!
lol hmmmm I think we had a few outsized negative comments on Biden to get this going, Lisa. And i think You'll find msm and polling to keep this up for a while.
I agree that Biden looks and sometimes sounds frail. However, I would vote for him if he was bedridden. Not just to defeat the wannabe dictator (which is actually a good enough reason right there). I’d vote for him because he has a Cabinet of honest, intelligent, incorruptible, competent people running day to day government. Biden may be frail but he has half a century of experience and relationships that he clearly knows how to use.
Let’s remember, Mike, our Founders have already addressed the Presidential Succession issue. A Vice President has become the President using the Founder’s Constitutional Solution. It has happened THREE TIMES (so far) in my lifetime: FDR (stroke), Nixon (resignation), and JFK (assassination) AND the US has survived just fine. And, focus on the three VEEPS who became President: Truman, Ford, and LBJ. AND, the US has survived just fine. Wanna go back before I was born?
My point is: Let’s stop worrying about Biden’s walking and talking abilities (Heck, FDR couldn’t walk). Let’s focus on who currently follows Harris. Wanna get scared???
How did you challenge the paper holding intellectuals in your midst? Many elitists chat it up in their social circles but seem hesitant to speak out against tyranny as our democracy is crumbling before our very eyes! Yes, we know Biden is old, yes we know 80 year olds have diminished faculties, and yes we know the VP is not blessed with magnetism…..BUT these are the realities we face and the “others” are committed to carrying out Putin’s agenda.
If TV and social media were a thing in 1860, and politicians had to look good on camera, for a voting public used to seeing the young and beautiful (or at least, those that have been digitally and/or surgically enhanced) as part of their daily media consumption, I wonder if the lanky, morose prairie lawyer named Abraham Lincoln would have been elected. Or in 1932, if the public were fed a steady diet of images of Franklin Roosevelt in his wheelchair, reminding voters of the extent of his infirmities, I wonder how he could possibly have won any presidential election, much less 4.
Sadly, I agree with you, Mike. Although Biden is the wise old man in the room, many voters will accept that a vote for him is a vote for Harris, who has not gained much traction with the electorate. One solution is to bring Gavin Newsom on as VP. He would have at least some time for foreign policy on the job training before Biden moves on the his beach house.
I noticed in a short news clip yesterday that he does indeed look frail. Although it is worrisome, consider the stress he must be under. The problem being that stress is a killer.
We should all be as sharp as he is at 81...especially considering everything that’s been on his plate since taking office. I’m with Joe and Kamala, vote blue up and down the ticket.
Mike, I have posted this here previously & have sent the link to all my friends and family, but shall again: https://brianhassett.com/2023/12/why-i-love-joe-biden/ Is age an issue for Biden, absolutely, but I think Harris is up to the task to step into the role if needed. Additionally, were that to happen, a new VPOTUS would be selected (Newsome? Whitmer? Booker? Buttigieg? Or?) by the new POTUS pending confirmation of a majority vote of approval from Congress. I hate that our political process is devolving into a cage fight, but seems there are those (too many) who want just this sort of spectacle.
I'm right with you Mike. Anybody who thinks elections are won on facts and the truth or on a record of achievement, don't understand elections. Elections are won by people who can sell their visions of a better tomorrow. People always are looking for aspirational leaders who project power. It comes down to perception vs. reality. The perception of voters is all that matters. Reality always is pushed aside by perception.
There are better qualified younger Democrats who can step up and run supporting Biden's record of achievement. All they have to do is pledge that they will continue the great work Biden AND the Democrats in Congress have been doing. Easy Peasy!!
There's still time! I want to see Joe Biden go out on top!
"I feel for our President".
Me too. Nobody knows what he is doing. We had a dinner party at our home this past Saturday with 5 other Ph.Ds and two MD's. To quote one of the brightest among the group: "What is Biden doing!!" Shocked, I sent her HCR's "Letters" the next morning.
But, Americans are lazy. They don't want to or cannot read. HCR, apparently, does have some video which I never watch since reading is ever so much faster for information acquisition. But, not many folks watch her that need to.
Lastly, I personally saw President Biden yesterday on Lester Holt's "Nightly News".
Biden looks positively frail. "Old" does not even really cover it. Frail is more the word. And, sure, he has a stuttering problem but it seemed he had real trouble getting his words out. I hate to say it but WE have to admit that is a big hurdle for us.
Trump streams nonsensical words constantly so he looks cogent to the masses of people who don't or cannot process what he says critically.
We have a real problem in America. I am worried Biden may not even make it through the campaign. Honestly. Clarence Thomas was not his only big mistake. Biden should have carefully picked a Vice President that would have taken up his torch after one term in which he showcased his Vice President daily. Then, put his ego on the shelf and stepped aside with little fanfare.
Now? We have what almost everyone thinks is a doddering old man running for President. Never mind that he has done a good job, one that nobody knows about. He is and looks positively ancient these days.
Those who say “what has he done?” do not read or engage like many of us do to learn the details of what he’s done. What actually did Loser do during his tenure, but watch TV and play golf and sell us down the river. Biden is here, there and everywhere. Your PhD friends have their heads buried in their work and lives and doing their best to ignore how the world turns because of what the government does to keep their world going.
Kamala Harris is finding her voice more and more. Biden for all his “doddering” is doing a damn good job “administering” as any good CEO would do.
Did you look at how previous presidents all aged during their administrations. Who wouldn’t under the pressures they face and the pace they must keep if they are doing their job? I’ll taking aging Joe Biden over anybody the Republicans throw at us.
Hear hear "I'll take ageing Joe Biden over anybody the Republicas throw at us"... TOG is only a few years shy of Biden, rages at times in incoherence.
Frank, I shared this before, but it bears repeating...
I saw a commentator on TV say, I'd rather have an old man who needs another nap, than an old man who needs another lawyer."
I remember hearing people say that Biden wouldn't last 6 months when he was elected.. That he had dementia and was too frail mentally and physically. Well, It's been almost 4 years and he HAS lasted, and has accomplished more than Trump ever even thought about accomplishing.
I think he will let us know when he feels like he can't do his job anymore.
PLainly the charge Biden "had dementia" wasn't fact checked. And we must always remember an effective president surrounds themself with "good people"... works for rock stars too lol.
Frank, when Trump was amazingly elected in 2016, my only hope for the stability of our nation was that he would surround himself with experts in their field. He was totally ill -prepared to be the president. He had no idea what he was doing, and then he fired the experts and hired his thuggish friends who knew about as much as he did.
Biden's cabinet is filled with qualified people whom he respects and relies on.
Big difference!
Pam, Agent Orange is threatened by smart people. It's in the Malignant narcissist handbook. 'Don't hire someone smarter than me'. His administration was a perfect example of that. How many went to jail?
I recently saw Pat Benatar Rockin' on Austin City Limits. Pat has long length grey hair now but, still really Rockin'.
New to me (like so much else), i see she's from Cleveland, and seems so is JD Rockefeller, i'm just getting into an audio version of Chernow's biography of him. Listened to Pat's One Love from 1988. Also, Love is a Battlefield which seemed to rise the hackles on the then right wing, i see PBS just did a special, maybe that's what you saw. Talk about Rock living out the days!
Exactly. I would walk over hot coals to vote for the finest, most accomplished president of my long life. I read. I know how carefully and wisely President Biden proceeds.
But we live in a world where one sound bite, one TikTok, one stutter, one shuffle becomes more powerful than all that competence and compassion that our president has brought us.
The fear Mike is expressing courses through my veins. The horrible truth is that our political process has been twisted into a circus. A show. And the performer who can spit out a cute six word quip gets the applause.
Mike is right. Biden should have stepped aside. And it is not too late. It was March 31, 1968 when LBJ announced he would not be running for re-election - he knew he couldn't win.
If Biden has one significant flaw, it is his ego. You have to have a big one to arrive at the presidency. But I believe he really thinks he is our best bet at another four years of a Democratic presidency. He is wrong. There are many leaders in our party who could crush the Republican nominee (Trump ain't there yet!). Our bench is deep.
Regardless, the task is to vote Blue. And to convince every wavering younger person we know - to vote and to get their friends to vote Blue. Or we will be experiencing the end of American democracy and an embrace of fascism. The Republican Party of 2024 makes the Communist Party of 1954 look positively saintly.
Biden has done a great job. He is an excellent POTUS. But, he is 80 years old and that is an issue. There are so many who could take his place and continue with his excellent work, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California, for one, and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, for another. We keep dealing with the Ruth Bader Ginsburg effect. Damn.
The RBG effect is quite apt. A perfect example of how you can love someone SO much and be SO mad at them for one decision.
Newsom is an amazing speaker. Whitmer would be my choice. Gavin as VP - traditional attack dog role would be right up his alley.
But Corey Booker and several others could hit it out of the park.
When I heard Corey Booker speak at the DNC when Obama was nominated, I thought he'd be the next democratic candidate. There are, as others have listed, a fair number of outstanding people in the wings. We just need to get them there.
Ally, I have always admired Corey Booker. As you know, he’s super articulate, highly intelligent & brave among other wonderful qualities; was my first choice among democrats in the last election run up.
The beauty is that we have a large number of younger Democrats (I'm 83) who could "knock it out of the park." Exercising excellent judgment is a very, very difficult quality to grasp. What happens if within the next three months Biden suffers a disabling stroke or dies? What then?
Bill, Biden has already proved America will pick him over Trump but it was close. Picking any other Democrat in this MAGA hypnosis is a big risk. Who on the bench is up to the task “today”? Harris now has some experience. Raskin perhaps. Newsom?, perhaps, perhaps. The rest are fully capable of governing but don’t rise to name recognition, which is critical at this point. Think about how anyone of them could have accomplished what Biden already has
Bill. Thanks! I respect Biden immensely.
But. 80 is on the high side.
IIene, I was at a concert in Aspen sitting next to a guy who was a local surgeon, pilot, and activist. He said, he works with the ultra wealthy everyday. He was telling me how many are Agent Orange supporters. We were laughing about the fact they can make money or rather inherent it, but when it comes to basic humanity they are as dumb and apathetic as a doorknob. He had some great stories.
The sad part is that I’m aware of Gen Zers and Millennials who have the world at their fingertips tips who belittle what they see and are in their own bubble of entitlement.
I’m glad my own kids and even young grandchildren are following more in my footsteps ( not because they are in lockstep), but because they keep themselves informed and involved.
We just have to keep trying to change one mind at a time.
Entitlement and apathy is an issue with some. I remember when my one of my kids got their first job. After a couple weeks she thought she should be paid more. We laughed. And told her so does everyone else.
LOL, Lisa, growing up is hard to do! I think I was in my early 20’s before really “got” my parents & what being responsible for yourself really meant. I had to learn fast, having gotten married 3 days after my 18th birthday. Fortunately my mom, as a mostly single parent, had vested me and my sibs with lots of household responsibilities….something we all whined about at the time, but were eventually grateful for being “apprentice” adults & learning life skills.
Hi Barbara, married at eighteen. I was 22, pregnant, and my soon to be husband was in a body cast from a fall. We got married in my mom's living room and she invited her Herbalife team and customers. No family or friends. That's a whole other story.
We taught our girls skills when they were young. Changing a tire, shooting a gun (husband hunted), Changing the oil in their cars, cooking, gardening, camping, boating, welding, all kinds of things. They are thankful we did. Learned helplessness is not cool.
Agree! I’m a total tool geek (and fabrics, and books and music CD’s and plants) & took auto shop, carpentry, welding, and tailoring classes (never could get into the wait-listed weaving classes) in college as well as art history, English, philosophy, psych and sociology classes….heh, was on what I call the “10-yr no degree program” (worked at the Univ, so could attend part time as well). I’m in the middle of a stalled renovation of part of my house (thanks Covid), but just before it hit I had a couple of electricians come over to troubleshoot (the fix required me to demo the interior walls of two rooms & had them replace the not to code electrical) ….one fellow looked into a room and said “oh you have a tool room…neat”….I hung my head and said “it’s my bedroom!”. Sigh, I have a friend who once told me “you’re not a hoarder, you’re a collector!” & my neighbors all know they can borrow tools or ask me if I have “x” building supply (pipes, lumber, wire, etc.). Starting, now, to divest myself of my “collections”…keeping only crucial stuff…what a chore!
I am jealous of your 10-yr no degree program. Being a professional student was a dream I once had:).
Even after I stopped being a part time student, I still would take the occasional Extended Ed class and, now, participate in the Univ’s OLLI program (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) with classes for older folks…generally classes of limited duration. Is a great program—no tests & generally no homework! It’s just for the joy of learning.
I'm laughing. That is so funny. We too, are in a constant state of renovation. My old farmhouse was built in 1876. Everything in here is original. Miles of molding. The kitchen sucked however. Squirrels moved in the kitchen and it sounded like Cancun on spring break. You could hang beef in there. We just finished it. We do our own work. I love it. It looks beautiful. My husband can fix anything. He's going to die with a caulking gun in his hand.
Collections are cool. I love love estate sales. I love treasure hunting.
I need a bumper sticker that says “I brake for brick”….I collect broken concrete, used bricks (even have some weird ones from many years ago when a pulp mill demolished its brick-lined exhaust stack), & rocks to make walkways, patios & garden bed edging. LOL…even have some brick that came from a dumpster (remodeling debris) next door to the former Grateful Dead house in San Francisco around 1997….driving north from SF to Humboldt county the load was so rear-end heavy my front wheels were marginally in contact with the road….needless to say the drive home was low and slow! People ask me how old my house is & I ask which room? It has been cobbled together over the decades before I purchased it. Totally a work in progress!
I love your passion for bricks. Thats some dedication to heavy lifting. I could drive around and look at old architecture all day. We collect rocks from our trips to the North Shore and Colorado. I put them in my gardens.
Ye're a woman after me own heart.
Thank you. (Have you noticed that the two best presidents of the past 25 years share the same initials? Joe Biden and Jed Bartlet.).
You know over the pandemic lock down I rewatched the entire West Wing series. I love President Bartlett and those he surrounded himself with.
Those were the days! What amazes me is that we're still talking about the same issues--climate change, religion in politics, the Middle East....
The other thing, Ilene, is when you confront them with what he has done, they reply with either a "well, that isn't what I read" or a well reasoned "nu-uh" and a head shake.
Fran Lebowitz quote: “Think before you speak. Read before you think.” Personally I prefer to read both inside and outside my silo, even tho it can seem more warm and cozy with like-minded folk!
I would take Biden if he was in a coma instead of dumpster twatward ! At least he has competent, empathetic, intelligent people working with him !
Ilene, thank you for using that word "administering": ... to wit executive administration.
FDR was hobbled by polio but, he had superior cabinet administrators including FRANCES PERKINS, Secretary of Labor make that Secretary of Labor rights 1933-1945.
JEN PSAKI has worked for 6 Presidents as a communicator, West Wing & Campaign expert.
ANTONY J BLINKEN seems to be in a different nation every other day. Use surrogates like my CA Governor NEWSOM.
We need to revolutionize Presidential Communications to the Citizens. Build a Beta model asap & use it in the Campaign.
Perfectly said.
Yes, Joe has lost a step or two which is perfectly understandable considering his age and his job. But look at his accomplishments.
Note that Biden is not alone. His administration is as good as it gets. We need to push Biden over the goal line to save democracy.
Exactly! They can push him in a wheelchair for all I care. We need to hold it together. It is what it is. All hands on deck. Everybody. United front. Deal with it. We don't have time to reinvent the system. Biden, of course, should have passed the baton to the next generation. But he didn't. Hell, they could both stroke out. I'm 65 and I don't want to walk to my mailbox some days. I can't imagine how he does it.
If Joe turned into a cannibal zombie and coming to eat me I would still vote for him over tfg. But gee, I hope that doesn’t happen!
We (the HCR crowd) cannot rely on Dems or the GOP faithful ever reading or watching anything positive about Biden. And the firehose of anti-Biden or “too-old” messages are unrelenting.
Assuming that’s true, I’ve implemented a new tactic. And I suggest (beg) all HCR-ers do the same. I’m wearing a Biden Tshirt on EVERY grocery run til 11/5.
Trump fans cannot be swayed by facts. So stop wasting time arguing. But don’t concede with silence.
Wearing a Biden shirt says “I support Biden’s policies NOW & THRU 2028!”
A Biden shirt tells disappointed Dems, “Get on board! This is our guy!”
If you don’t like your QB, do you abandon your team? No! You wear your Jersey because your team NEEDS you to RALLY them to victory.
Biden’s eye slits strike me as a sign of feebleness. We cannot see the fire in his eyes because they are locked in a forever-squint that telegraphs his age. So what!? Do I quit the team... or do I HELP BRING THE FIRE?
Buy a “DEMS MAKE LIFE BETTER” tshirt at IndivisibleMarin.com. Buy Three! And wear them WITH ME grocery shopping.
This tactic requires no reading. No arguing. No donating. No posting. No convincing.
And, I promise, it feels GOOD to do something. And, it feels even BETTER with every passing day of Biden being right and Trump being wrong.
If I sound like a broken record with my “Biden And Grocery Shopping” (BAGS) idea... then, help me break records on tshirt sales and spontaneous Grocery Store take-overs.
And then I’ll shut up. Well, after 11/5.
Ordered mine, already have my yard sign. It will be a grocery store “insurrection” !
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Staying strong with you in Florida ! 😎
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And, Kathy, I LOVE this:
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Kathy, you rock!
I'm right there with you, Shawn. My new thing is asking people "Do you know about Project 2025 and A.L.E.C?" They don't. I was explaining it to a group of lefty liberals. They never heard of it. I explained to my hairdresser, the checkout person, the guy at the gas station, everybody.
I posted here a while ago that while signing a petition for my local plumber recommending him for a local Dem organization, I asked him if he was aware. He was not & inked the information on his hand, as he didn’t want to write it on the petition, so he could look it up. Later found his email and sent him links to the Project as well as some investigative articles and opinion pieces. Trying to spread the word whilst also trying to not be too crazy about it….I just really want people to pay attention and realize what is at stake.
Great idea, Barbara. I will have that on hand next time. I'm reading it in small chunks. It's the how to guide to an autocracy.
Lisa59, at first I thought it was a spoof & then did a dive into it….OMG how can you have chills while your hair is on fire?!!! I read some of it and having some experience in reading Fed regs, it read almost like a Federal Register of regulations! That’s when I realized these folks are dead serious and have some really really really big bucks behind them. As far as I can tell from looking into it, kinda builds on what started with the Powell memo during the Reagan admin (don’t get me started on that….had him as CA governor for two terms & watched him strangle the life out of some really good state programs…education being one of them).
I know!! I'm ADHD I have to read it a couple of times. I wish I had your clarity. It scares the shit out of me. There is a much bigger picture happening here. And when I talk to people they just think, there she goes again. Why isn't this on every front page every goddamn day. I'm gobsmacked. Truly.
Lisa, I know Project 2025. But not ALEC. I’ll do some googling.
One thing struck me today. If Biden wins on 11/5, we have him until 2028. Doesn’t that feel glorious?
And like anyone who wears a team jersey, I am confident Dems will win big in 2024.
(So are Trump flag wavers... meaning that Biden’s victory will once again be unbelievable to them... meaning our work will continue after 11/6.)
No more complacency. I got too comfy after Obama and assumed (like most) that Hillary had it in the bag.
The American Legislative Exchange Council, Shawn, dates now 50 years.
Over these decades it has programmed, coordinated, and funded all the worst vulgarities of U.S. state Republican legislatures.
ALEC didn't come first, however. Right after the Powell memo of 1971, the new Heritage Foundation started to work for U.S. billionaires and most retrograde corporations. Soon, too, the Hoover Institution enlarged itself and also set to work pushing the far right agenda.
You can read of all these vulgarities best in Jane Mayer's "Dark Money."
Phil, thanks for the background on ALEC and the Dark Money reco. I will continue down that path.
The organization of the Billionaire class and staunch republicans is impressive/horrifying. The GOP takeover of state legislatures and the supreme court is an example of long term strategy, a slow moving coup.
When billionaires donate or contribute millions to advance their own agendas, consider this: a million seconds is 11 days. A billion seconds is 36 years. So... a million here, a million there, means nothing. And yet they do so much trampling to ensure they get more, more, more at the expense of others. I don’t get it. I can only imagine all the people I could help as a Billionaire.
Yes, Shawn. It does defy the imagination.
Greed, grubby vulgarity.
They have no humanities. They went out of their way to kill humanities in schools -- just as they went out of their way to offshore those millions of jobs, to leave so many Americans in such deep hurt (and to lift dictators and royal murderers abroad).
Keigo Higashino and his "A Death in Tokyo."
Barbara Kingsolver and her "Demon Copperhead."
Walter Mosley and his "Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned."
Elmore Leonard's many on our criminal classes. Joan Didion and her many on our criminal rich. Wendell Berry, Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Philip Levine on decencies of working people. Ditto Stephen King, Mary Karr, and Richard Russo there.
Thanks for the study list. I’ll plug those names into my cloud library app.
Shawn, I’ll do that starting this summer. Unless you have a winter parka with the slogans! (LOL)
Marge, Summer works!
Temperature-wise, at least, I am very lucky to be in Florida.
Shawn….please don’t EVER shut up!!!!
Thanks, Barbara, I needed that.
"We (the HCR crowd) cannot rely on Dems or the GOP faithful ever reading or watching anything positive about Biden."
Please don't leave out the MAGA Left - who don't mind or actually welcome a Trump administration. Those happy to split or suppress the vote for their own antidemocratic or antiDemocratic agendas.
Lin, absolutely. This tshirt idea is as all-inclusive as it gets. EVERYONE goes grocery shopping. For Fox News watchers, a Biden Tshirt at the grocery store is the only exposure they’ll get to the reality that more than 50% of Americans prefer Biden.
https://www.indivisiblemarin.org/dems-make-life-better-t-shirt
Great idea! I tried the link several times and it said "can't be reached." I even tried just searching "indivisible marin" and got a .org, but I couldn't find any merch on that site. Help please!
Happy to help, Chaplain. Try this link. https://www.indivisiblemarin.org/dems-make-life-better-t-shirt
The back of the shirt is incredible too. It lists Biden’s greatest achievements in very pithy language.
Yes, he's a frail old man. He was frail and old in 2020, yet more people voted for him than any candidate in history. They will again not because he's well, because he's not crazy. Because we'd like another election in 2028. Because we know the pathfinder Trump has laid out what every future Republican candidate will do--deny election results, foment violence, and claim the office. Even us hoi polloi get that.
He's not as frail as news reports would have us believe. He takes care of his health, and when I watch him speak, I hear a touch of his stutter now and then, but clarity on his topics.
Yes, that is the point, MJXS, Biden is not crazy! And we would like another election in 2028. I heard an excellent interview with Rep. Ro Khanna from CA, who said that when young people complain that Biden is not liberal enough, we need to look at his long history of being known and respected globally (in addition, of course, to all he has accomplished in his first term). Rep. Khanna recommended saying to those who are threatening not to vote for Biden because of his age or because of disagreeing with his foreign policy in Israel: "See Biden as a necessary BRIDGE to 2028. Then you can put energy towards getting in power a younger and more progressive president." May not be his exact words, but this was the essence of what he was saying.
Thank you, and his Valley Forge speech was the best, must full-throated affirmation of American democracy I've ever heard. No "fragility" there. Joe has been a pleasing surprise to this old progressive.
Me, too!
Mike S, frailty of the physical body is not the same as frailty of the mind. IMO, Biden is demonstrating clear and precise handling of multiple national and global threats in real time with real and positive results. Electing Presidents on physical appearance is an American TV land foible I want experience, determination and decisiveness. In Biden ( and importantly the capable people he surrounds himself with) we have an “administration” working for good of us all. Trump thinks he can rule as a King. Biden completely understands that Democracy survives as a team
Yes! This a thousand times. My unenthusiastic vote for Biden was an anti tRump vote. This time around I will gladly vote for him. Biden is a great president IMO!
You hit the nail squarely on the head, Dave. The US will be just fine with Kamala Harris as President of the United States of America!! HOWEVER, MAGAs will HATE that for numerous reasons AND look who presently follows Harris —> Mike Johnson. As James Comey would say, “Lordy!”
As I posted elsewhere on this thread, if Harris becomes POTUS, taking over if Biden is somehow incapacitated, there would be a new VPOTUS selected (imagine those discussions w/in the admin!) pending approval by a majority vote in Congress to confirm.
Personally, i think you are overreading your own ageist sentiments into Biden's appearance and performance.
Agreed Frank. I’m over reading it. Biden is a chess player. Not a flashy boxer. He has a bright future and long career ahead. He’ll be wise and spry long after 2028!
Chess i like! Anyone on Chess.com? You'll find me under Frank_Loomer :) I play as a "78 year old"
Shawn, TFFG reminds me of a grossly out of shape wannabe WWE smack-down performer….yeah, in his dreams.
I think we have mind-masturbated this subject to death.
lol hmmmm I think we had a few outsized negative comments on Biden to get this going, Lisa. And i think You'll find msm and polling to keep this up for a while.
I agree that Biden looks and sometimes sounds frail. However, I would vote for him if he was bedridden. Not just to defeat the wannabe dictator (which is actually a good enough reason right there). I’d vote for him because he has a Cabinet of honest, intelligent, incorruptible, competent people running day to day government. Biden may be frail but he has half a century of experience and relationships that he clearly knows how to use.
Let’s remember, Mike, our Founders have already addressed the Presidential Succession issue. A Vice President has become the President using the Founder’s Constitutional Solution. It has happened THREE TIMES (so far) in my lifetime: FDR (stroke), Nixon (resignation), and JFK (assassination) AND the US has survived just fine. And, focus on the three VEEPS who became President: Truman, Ford, and LBJ. AND, the US has survived just fine. Wanna go back before I was born?
My point is: Let’s stop worrying about Biden’s walking and talking abilities (Heck, FDR couldn’t walk). Let’s focus on who currently follows Harris. Wanna get scared???
Paul, the “new” admin by succession gets to name a new VPOTUS, pending confirmation by majority vote of Congress: https://www.factcheck.org/2008/04/replacing-the-vice-president/
How did you challenge the paper holding intellectuals in your midst? Many elitists chat it up in their social circles but seem hesitant to speak out against tyranny as our democracy is crumbling before our very eyes! Yes, we know Biden is old, yes we know 80 year olds have diminished faculties, and yes we know the VP is not blessed with magnetism…..BUT these are the realities we face and the “others” are committed to carrying out Putin’s agenda.
"Paper holding intellectuals" 🤣. I love it.
If TV and social media were a thing in 1860, and politicians had to look good on camera, for a voting public used to seeing the young and beautiful (or at least, those that have been digitally and/or surgically enhanced) as part of their daily media consumption, I wonder if the lanky, morose prairie lawyer named Abraham Lincoln would have been elected. Or in 1932, if the public were fed a steady diet of images of Franklin Roosevelt in his wheelchair, reminding voters of the extent of his infirmities, I wonder how he could possibly have won any presidential election, much less 4.
I think he chose a worthy VP, I just don’t think he has brought her into the fold enough. He should realize this having been one himself.
Sadly, I agree with you, Mike. Although Biden is the wise old man in the room, many voters will accept that a vote for him is a vote for Harris, who has not gained much traction with the electorate. One solution is to bring Gavin Newsom on as VP. He would have at least some time for foreign policy on the job training before Biden moves on the his beach house.
Giving up on Harris would be a poor move. Bringing new Cabinet members in for exposure would not
Randy, how many votes would that cost among women and Black voters? Some....
My thoughts exactly Rich!
I noticed in a short news clip yesterday that he does indeed look frail. Although it is worrisome, consider the stress he must be under. The problem being that stress is a killer.
Christine, I actually think he is, but it is poorly covered by the MSM….most VP’s aren’t given much airtime/press time sadly.
We should all be as sharp as he is at 81...especially considering everything that’s been on his plate since taking office. I’m with Joe and Kamala, vote blue up and down the ticket.
Mike, I have posted this here previously & have sent the link to all my friends and family, but shall again: https://brianhassett.com/2023/12/why-i-love-joe-biden/ Is age an issue for Biden, absolutely, but I think Harris is up to the task to step into the role if needed. Additionally, were that to happen, a new VPOTUS would be selected (Newsome? Whitmer? Booker? Buttigieg? Or?) by the new POTUS pending confirmation of a majority vote of approval from Congress. I hate that our political process is devolving into a cage fight, but seems there are those (too many) who want just this sort of spectacle.
I'm right with you Mike. Anybody who thinks elections are won on facts and the truth or on a record of achievement, don't understand elections. Elections are won by people who can sell their visions of a better tomorrow. People always are looking for aspirational leaders who project power. It comes down to perception vs. reality. The perception of voters is all that matters. Reality always is pushed aside by perception.
There are better qualified younger Democrats who can step up and run supporting Biden's record of achievement. All they have to do is pledge that they will continue the great work Biden AND the Democrats in Congress have been doing. Easy Peasy!!
There's still time! I want to see Joe Biden go out on top!