The Parkinson's story is not relevant. The disastrous debate is the issue. It is time for Letters to state the obvious. Time for Biden to retire from the campaign.
The Parkinson's story is not relevant. The disastrous debate is the issue. It is time for Letters to state the obvious. Time for Biden to retire from the campaign.
No, Beth. Looking at the Parkinson's story exposes the way Biden is being unfairly characterized by those who want to downplay policy issues, his record, and his values. The madness of Trump ought to be the story being told. Except it's not a "story"; it is horrifying potential reality.
The hitch is that there *is* something up with Biden. It's apparent. He still gets my vote. Where the public can see changes that seem to be happening quickly, and the official response is simply 'he's old and there's nothing to see here', it leaves room for all this wild speculation. We don't even know how much our foreign adversaries are pumping in here, but the gap has been left and they continue to fill it with expanding foam. Meanwhile, everything alarming about Trump, as HCR notes here, is getting covered up.
If Biden were to get to a point where he cannot function as leader, Harris would just take over. That's pretty much the worst that would happen, especially since Dems wouldn't be afraid to use Article 25 the way R's seem to be. Contrast that with what will very likely happen if Trump is elected.
but is it it reasonable to ask the people to vote for a man who quite likely will not be able to do the job in 3 years? I will, but I am a politics nerd terrified of a trump administration and all that implies. We are a small minority.
If you're playing the long game, it's perfectly reasonable. Let's say Biden resigns in June, 2026 and Kamala becomes President. She would have 2+ years to show that she is up to the job.
I'm with John Fugelsang of Progress Radio. I will vote for Biden even if he's just a brain in a jar.
But, I WON'T vote for Harris-Biden. He will need to totally be out of politics if he resigns.
Quite likely is a mathamatical statement for which you have no evidence. Statistically Biden is better off at his age than Trump is at his. In a study which I believe Atlantic author Derek Thompson talked about the average American life expectancy was lower than comparable wealthy countries until the age of 80, and then it becomes higher than the average age of comparably wealthy countries. So, Biden is already in a category where people live longer, which Trump is not yet in. It is unreasonable to ask people to vote for anyone who is not a good candidate. Biden is a GIFTED politician. He gets things done that no one else could, and that scares the far right because they have been grifting for so long and they are so greedy they do not want to give up any opportunity to make lots of money and not pay taxes on it. However, Biden has been brave enough to take them on, and is the first one turning things around since Reagan messed the USA up and of course the planet. He was one who was carrying out a the Heritage Foundation plans. The claim Reagan got about 67% done, but Trump got more like 89% done. It will be over 100% because they ask for even more now if Trump goes back. One thing you can do, is there is a form on Mastadon, which is to file a tax fraud complaint with the IRS which you can use to complain about the Heritage Foundation. They even have suggested how you can fill it out. I am posting the links, and ask you to please download it, fill it out, mail it in, and ask friends to do the same.
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage FoundationтАШs non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage FoundationтАЩs president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundationтАЩs mission is no longer solely тАЬresearch and education,тАЭ but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on тАЬThe War RoomтАЭ on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was тАЬin the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to beтАЭ
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage FoundationтАЩs mission.
The pope is 87 years old. The prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a former world-renowned heart surgeon) Russell M. Nelson will be 100 years old in September. He is slow in his walking, but his mind is sharp and active and continues to lead the church.
Trump has lost the popular vote both time he ran. The first time he only won because of the structure of the electoral college. The second time he lost that. Please explain how he has gained MORE supporters with all of his criminal activity exposed. I believe we are in the definite majority.
There seems to be, or there is suspicion of a cover-up of Biden's physical and mental health. There is a lack of forthrightness that caused alarm after the debate. Biden is losing to Trump in the polls which cannot be totally discounted much longer. Biden is a risky choice. Kamala is doing well. I agree. It's a big deal if people are really voting for Kamala Harris.
I am alarmed by all those who are defending Biden to the point of belligerance and not asking vital questions.
I don't Agree...I still believe After asking All the right questions POTUS Biden is capable and the nay sayers are over emphasizing the negatives..I don't believe POLLS...Remember Hillary vs. Trump in 2016???How accurate were the polls???...Kamala and the other candidates (potential) mentioned would be even More risky than POTUS Biden.....They are all untried...Look at Biden's presidential history...OUTSTANDING...Yeah...and the debate was poor but CAN be Explained by...exhaustion, over prepartion, & jet lag...Trumps quick succession of spewing lies...So many rapidly one does not know which to respond to first..(called GISH GALLOP...look in Wikipedia....) A full report of POTUS Biden's health was released by the Whitehouse...His health is good...I don't believe there is a cover-up...WHAT they have Not done is to frequently remind people of Biden's LIFELONG stuttering problem....which can produce lifelong slight impairment of speech fluidity (can also impair thought briefly)...which EXPLAINS most of POTUS Biden's gaffes...Not fair because intellect is Not involved!...Nor senility!
LOL. This newsletter is the Gish Gallop supreme. So many posts, I can't decide which one to respond to, so sorry, you are the one just by chance.
People need to get a grip. Almost NONE of the arguments being made here to keep Joe are relevant. There is only ONE argument that matters: CAN JOE ACTUALLY BEAT TRUMP IN THE NOV. ELECTION? Because if is can not, or if his chances are very low (under 5% at this point), he needs to leave and he needs to do that now if he is truly concerned about the country and not about his own prestige.
And in fact, even if he is concerned about his prestige, he should STILL leave. Jon Lovett tweeted today that Biden would leave as a huge hero for all he has done for the US, and for letting someone else take a shot at beating the orange menace.
But if he stays and loses (as he almost assuredly will) he will be remembered almost exclusively for his failure to save the country. This election REALLY MATTERS and I have a better chance of winning the lottery than Biden does of beating Trump.
Yes, yes, this is all TOTALLY UNFAIR. But we aren't worried about who gets the best dessert after dinner here. We are worried about who will lead this country. And everyone needs to be thinking NOT of how THEY would vote but rather how the rest of the country will vote. And the polls make it pretty clear, Biden will NOT WIN in the 7 swing states that are the key to this election. Yet Harris has some chance (she is polling 3-4 pts better than Biden right now in those states) and Whitmer might also have a chance.
Elections and politics are a game which has to be played to win. All the things you would LOVE to do (let alone all the things you have done in the past) mean nothing if you are sitting at home a loser of the election.
Everything you have written here (and others have written in other threads) is really meaningless in this argument. Your last sentences show how little of this seems to have gotten through: "...which EXPLAINS most of Biden's gaffes... Not fair because intellect is not involved... nor senility". Except that fairness isn't even relevant. Fairness is nice for parlor games but in politics all that matters is whether the voters will vote for you or not. And it is pretty clear now that voters who need to vote for Biden in order for him to win simply will not.
The past is not the present situation. This stubborn reasoning will bring us a very different result. All your positives skip the alarms. Biden is not a good choice against Trump in this election. The warning signs gave been there prior to the disaster of the debate but the debate and the interview as well has awakened folks further that Biden is not going to defeat Trump. Trump in fact wants Biden to stay in the race because he thinks he can win with Biden.
Regarding health testing Biden has not had a cognitive test and refuses as does Trump. Your response is a mini gish gallop of its own and you repeat all the talking points of the WH
Have you listened to his speeches? Every time he talks to people, calls them on the phone, does interviews he shows great strength. He's my president and he has my vote.
I don't understand. I don't particularly like the guy, but he is entitled to his opinion and like he says, he pays for this site like the rest of us. Heather makes it available and we pay. So his opinion, even if you disagree with it, is just as valid as any other opinion. You can hate it but you really shouldn't be able to censor it. Otherwise, you are not even engaging in a true debate about this, you are just sticking your head into the proverbial hole.
I am not censoring him. I blocked him. He is mounting attacks on various comments, including mine. I checked him out. He is MAGA. I don't engage with the MAGA because they are a cult and not open to reason.
But the most important thing is this--platforms give us the ability to block people for a reason. It would be unbearable otherwise. I get to choose who I allow in my space, and have decided against this person. It in no way affects his ability to exist on this platform.
As to his opinion being "just as valuable", that is simply not true. The fact that we all have a RIGHT to an opinion does not make all opinions equal. If you doubt that I must ask--if you thought you had a serious illness, would you consult your bartender? Or your doctor?
If both of their opinions are equal, it should not matter to you. But I bet it does.
"This isn't about Trump. Its about whether an 81 year with Dementia should be the Commander in Chief."
Of course this is about Trump - and the entire right wing apparatus repurposing our Democratic republic as a corporate-clerical fascist state. Through corruption of the Supreme Court. Misdirection of Congressional authority. And through Project 2025, establishing an imperial executive.
Biden is diminished. That is an undeniable observation, it is not a medical diagnosis. This is a significant political problem. With a political solution. Or resolution.
The more significant, perhaps fatal, problem is the American electorate. Those who are disaffected and disengaged and will not vote. Those who will enthusiastically vote for authoritarianism in the person of Trump. Those who mistake voting as an individual exercise in personal expression and will help elect Trump by voting for Stein, RKFJR et al.
That leaves the rest of us. To dedicate ourselves from now to November in Getting Out The Vote for whomever is the Democratic candidate.
Ageist Russian Bot! Mouthpiece for Putin. Trump should be in a prison for the criminally insane, not the White House. Biden does not have dementia. So you lie. At least what I am saying is true. Trump is a criminal and he is insane. My paternal great-grandmother lived on her own until the age of 109. Then she died. My maternal grandmother lived to be 99.5. My mom is now 90 and is living independently in a senior community, where I have been to dinner in their dinning room with men in their mid-90s who are lively and interesting. I am in Germany in an art group with a woman who is 92. She is vivacious, still drives, also takes public or her bike, does interesting art work, and has interesting things to say about art, and politics and other topics. She is lively and a incisive. She lives on her own in her home for many, many years. Wisdom is needed for this job, that is why Biden gets it done. Biden does not have any signs on dementia. This does not come on overnight. If he does have it he will make room for his great vice president. If not, she gets more practice to take over.
I have studied neuropsychology in my program on School Psychology and have over 30 years experience as a teacher where my expertise is cognition amongst other things. George Clooney is an actor not a doctor or a politician. Who is all? You are not all, neither is Clooney. So far, it seems less than 95% of democratic politicians are turning on Biden, and that is pretty good for the democratic party where differences are part of the brand. There is no one at this point in time. There are details about that which have to do with how many delegates he has, how much money he has in his campaign that cannot be transferred, and the history of later candidates not being transferred. When I had my first class in psychology my freshman year of college, our whole class had to read a story where aliens came and took someone. Everyone in my class normalized it to it being the person was having a mental breakdown. Really, it was a story about aliens, and I am the only one who recognized that. I was unbiased by it being a psych class. I will say, keep an open mind. You have never been president nor do you know what it entails. Biden does. No one I personally know wants to lose Biden, or is against him, although of my younger friends there is some waffling. I also have to say they are less sure of themselves, and they have Republican family members, which I do not. So, they have a world view that they may be less sure of. I am very, very sure that I am neither worried about Biden, because I understand the whole set up which is he has a vice president if something goes wrong. Kennedy was not "cognitively challenged" and yet his vice president had to step in for him, and he did. So, you can stop insulting me just because I am older and do not look at age as decrepitude. My 19 year old daughter wants to make TikToks with me to get my points across. So, we will be bridging the age gap. Perhaps I am not on earth but if you don't like Biden you have options.
James A, I am not going to accuse you of trolling but you look half my age (and the President's three years younger than I am).
But I do just hope for your sake that, when you're approaching our age you'll be treated with far more respect than you've shown.
I wish you a long life, good health and none of the tragedies that have struck Joe Biden and his family; yet to remember these words when you too begin (excuse me, Leonard Cohen) to ache in the places where you used to play...
I'm a foreigner, a Brit -- with plenty of Irish forebears, like Biden -- but if there's one thing that stinks about people's behavior in both countries, it is the way in which so many dare quite gratuitously to pass judgment on fellow human beings -- on THEM, not even their actions. All this, on the basis of gross ignorance, prejudices and the most superficial appearances.
With all due respect, what do you know about the political, social and economic record of this president who has been too damned busy with the tough job of governing the country to find time to entertain you? A job made all the tougher by having at every stage to cross political minefields, all too often under fire from freebooting snipers.
Most American presidents have been mediocrities... or worse. This one has signal achievements to his name, laboring to serve the people, not the 0.01% and their miraculous money siphon. That's why so many occult movers and shakers are working so hard to destroy him and all his work and to replace him and the Republic by a harsh dictatorship:
Government of Mammon, by Mammon, exclusively, for Mammon.
Yes except for your last paragraph which goes off the deep end and sounds conspiratorial. As well Biden has done well but another 4 years is asking too much from what we see.
Potter, you'll note that I have not yet come down off the fence on the question of the President's ability to win and to serve, but I'll admit that my (positive) intuition is at war with the more usual analysis. In part, this may be to do with the sense that DT is very close to the limit of his own physical resources. Another intuitive insight, which I am bound to suspect until proven right or wrong.
That said, I do recommend that close attention be paid to DT's choice of Vice-Presidential candidate.
I must add that, under today's conditions, FDR, one of the greatest statesmen of the past two centuries, would be unelectable.
*
If I pay so much attention to intuition, it is because it has, in the past four decades, so often turned out to be right on target. But this "Cassandra effect" is disheartening...
It is no help to see what's coming when no one else does, or to see how often those in power gravely misconstrue events like 9/11 or 10/7 and multiply the damage inflicted.
On September 10th 2001 I compared our democracies to a dog asleep in the middle of the road, adding "One doubts our survival instincts"...
The friend to whom I wrote this responded "You're exaggerating, as usual".
Yes about FDR totally, but everything is different now. The electorate is different though basic humanity is the same- the politics are more challenging. Everything does not depend on a few (mainly) reputable media sources. This is good and bad. But it's a war for right against wrong and convincing, or the arguing of that which unfortunately has been "channelized". Now in the general election, the sides are talking to everyone, or trying to. While the battle to takeover the GOP has been won by MAGA/Trump, there is a new split, maybe temporary in the Democrats due to Biden. I am pretty angry at Biden, who I did support and will against Trump. He should not have run again. And months of this looming argument have gone by until the debate revealed Biden's real deterioration. People looked and listened. The bell cannot be unrung. The polls, heretofore dismissed, cannot be when they continually say Trump is gaining. The Euros are preparing for possible Trump win ( or is it probable?) And Russia already knows this with it's horrendous attacks on Ukraine.
I think Trump knows his pick for VP could make a difference. That elevated the ever opportunistic Marco Rubio to a possiblity... and maybe even the very disappointing opportunistic Nikki Haley. This is not fun.
I suppose "sounds conspiratorial" must refer to the closing sentence of the penultimate paragraph, in particular the word "occult".
The work of the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society and its practical outcome do amount to a conspiracy, much of which has been carried out in broad daylight. Occult are many, but not all of the paymasters who have invested in this project... and therefore have every reason to use President Biden's every failing to maximum effect.
It is his successful policies that they -- and "they" include Putin and the Kremlin -- fear and are out to destroy.
The media banderilleros do their job before the torero moves in to deliver the moment of truth.
The bull, of course, is the 234-year old American Republic.
*
Potter, you aren't blind to the onset of physical enfeeblement symptoms in a man, the President -- symptoms that tend to manifest in a series of sudden failures to perform... but which do not in fact affect cognitive functions any more than a cerebral hemorrage necessarily does.
What most Americans, most "modern men" everywhere, are blind to is the dementia, the mass psychosis besetting a huge proportion of the American population.
[As though we'd not seen such things or their immeasurably awful consequences before...
2024-25 is intrinsically a more dangerous moment than that of Hitler's rise to power in 1933... because the military and financial power of the USA are incommensurably greater than those of Nazi Germany... let alone America's current nemesis, Putin's Russia.]
Unfortunately, it is not I who am "going off the deep end", it is too many people today falling into the deep end of an empty swimming pool...
You don't know that he has dementia. You are out on a limb. By your reasoning Trump should be in a straight jacket in an asylum, not running for president as an oath breaking insurrectionist ongoing.
Trump has memory loss ( he fakes, covers it up). He's apparently got reduced concentration and definitly personality or behaviour changes ongoing and worsening in recent years. He has had problems with language and "speed of thought" He also has a major departure from reality and frequently does not make sense. Comedians are having a ball. But he covers it and puts it out there as an act as entertainment. People go for it. Those knowledgeable in the field consistently say he is a sociopath as well:
What are the 7 symptoms of a sociopath?
Symptoms
Ignoring right and wrong.
Telling lies to take advantage of others.
Not being sensitive to or respectful of others.
Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or pleasure.
Having a sense of superiority and being extremely opinionated.
Having problems with the law, including criminal behavior.
The debate. Seeing is believing. The middle who is necessary to win will not support Joe Biden. I'm sorry. I love Joe. I'll vote for whoever the Democrats put up. George Clooney And Nancy Pelosi have now publicly come out for Joe to step aside. The dam is starting to break. Check out Clooney's excellent opinion piece.
Given the symptoms, very similar to Parkinson's, there was concern, actually alarm. Biden's campaign and viability for the next 4 years has him as the ONLY ONE standing between us and Trump.
I credit you with being pro-democracy, but your desire for Biden to retire from the campaign misconstrues our chances for success. Biden is fine, and is our strongest possible candidate to win this election.
I watched his speech at the 75th Anniversary of NATO. He knows the heads of countries that are members personally, and they know they can trust him.
Do not be fooled by a poor debate performance! Debating is not a part of Presidential duties.
President Biden's debate performance overall was not horrible, the first 20 mins were awful I agree, Trump however continued to lie for another 70 mins.
Trump was himself, Biden was not. DonтАЩt try to downplay it as a bad day. that doesnt happen to my 84 year old dad. I am a doctor that spends a lot of time with old folks, something is up.
Biden was not feeling well. Also, he's not an actor (as is tffg). Biden is not perfect but he is honest and reliable. I believe his mind is good and he has good people working with him. I'm sure he would like to rest, but he loves our country and will save our democracy. Who would you suggest to take his place?
Well, I would CERTAINLY suggest either Kamala Harris or Gretchen Whitmer. In fact, I now think BOTH of them should run on the ticket, because I think we can't really take Kamala off as she has been VP for almost 4 years, but Gretchen would be the strongest candidate in the states that are "swing". This is a NARROW election in which the important thing is to win 4 of the states out of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. And those two women, who on every talkshow, every news program, both appear FAR FAR superior intellectually to Biden at this point (regardless of whether they actually are or not, right now appearance is the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WINNING) can do it. I believe Biden can not any more.
You need to face the reality... Many people now have and they are starting to come out of the woodwork. We are in the last dying days of the Biden campaign and I am hopeful that it will help turn this election around.
People not feeling well don't have a blank stare, fumbling speech, monotone and weak voice, loss of thought. That's called dementia.
You are insulting everyone's intelligence with the spin.
As for saving democracy? What did you call the COVID lock down? A police state? Locked in your home, fired from your job, and your free speech censored? That sounds a lot like a loss of democracy.
Really???..are you a neurologist????....Most of what Biden said was accurate though he fumbled etc...Yeah...If you are exhausted...not feeling well..jet lagged, plus over prepared...and met with GISH Gallop by your opponent.(in Wikipedia...produces Confusion)..that changes your conclusion that it is dementia...AND you need a neurologist/give a full test...PLUS since and before debate no repeat scenarios...REMEMBER he has a stuttering problem LIFELONG which Does produce speech fluidity problems (gaffes) and can produce thought delays as well...BUT this is Rarely mentioned as a Logical explanation...Look it up!!!
James, would you please share your credentials/experience that entitle you to pronounce that Biden, or anyone, has dementia? Because that is a strong, strong statement and I would like to be reassured that anyone making such a diagnosis about the POTUS has the necessary training to do so. Thank you.
James, I don't know why you are so angry. Or why you feel the need to attack me.
this is how I feel. I feel Biden is a good person. He's also been a great president. For some reason people think he should be perfect... well, he's human. As I asked before, who would suggest should take his place?
Why, oh why is the Lincoln Project and Progress Radio the only ones on the offensive? Nothing gets to Trump more than challenging his lies or anything personal about him.
The Biden campaign needs to ask Trump to step down for lying 602 times during the CNN so called debate. And they need to call out CNN for being AWFUL at their jobs.
Plus they need to call out the RNC platform that is Project 2025 lite,
Tell Trump we don't want anymore HARRM done--
NO HATE
NO ANGER
NO REVENGE
NO RESENTMENT
NO MISINFORMATION
And start showing Trump's fat ass as he shuffles off stage. He is a dotard as Kim Jon Un called it.
Here's Convicted Felon Donald Trump's first three sentences of the debate.
You count the lies.. 4 lies in 3 sentences. I know you said to name ONE lie, but he is so good at compound lying, I couldn't help myself.
"We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We had never done so well. Every тАУ everybody was amazed by it. Other countries were copying us.
The Republican fallacy is that we measure everything before the pandemic and then after. CFDT was President for 4 years not three, so reciting 3 year statistic is meaningless. 2) Unemployment overall was pretty good before the pandemic, but not so much with people of color. And again, there was 2020. CFDT and the Republicans threw away the pandemic playbook and allowed Trump to make decisions that he didn't have the knowledge to make. He was told about the dangers of the pandemic in late 2019 and did nothing to prepare for it. Once the pandemic was raging, he left JFK customs wide open with no testing or masks. Of course, this ran against the CDC pandemic playbook likely killing thousands of people in New York alone. I don't disagree that up until January, 2020 the economic mood was good. But then the economy tanked. Putting Jared in charge was a joke. The guy doesn't have the brains God gave lettuce.
As for the economy, Trump made several critical mistakes 1) cutting taxes for the rich and corporations. Trickle down economics doesn't work. It led to the $7.9 trillion in increased debt under Trump. And who's complaining about the national debt now -- the Republicans. And the 35 day Federal government shutdown cost the economy billions of dollars and forced people on fixed incomes and Federal workers to borrow money or pay their bills late. This was 100% Trump's fault. And what did he get for it? Nada. CFDT also pressured Jerome Powell into reducing interest rates to zero which left no room to stimulate the economy once the pandemic hit. And oil prices went negative for a day because the petroleum oil reserve was full and there was nowhere to store the excess oil being pumped from the active wells. If this happened today, there is enough room to keep the domestic wells from being capped which also was bad for the economy. So overall, CFDT's economy and his policy were haphazard and disasters. The Biden administration inherited the mess created by the Trump administrations incompetence and were blamed for supply chain issues which took time to resolve.
Here's a request for you.
Name 4 things that the Trump administration accomplished in their 4 years that made America great. There are dozens more things they messed up, but name just 4 things that made America great.
and media has not made relevant all the lies told that evening and at his rally or speaking in public and forgotten names and countries and........................................................................
Asking Biden to step aside is asking him to step aside so that Trump can be the only candidate because there is no one else. No other dem can win this late in the game because they never have. One, they will not have any money because Biden's immense war chest which is growing does not legally transfer, and two, because his delegates pledged to him don't either. So, why? Because of the debate or over his performance on the job. He is gifted at politics and is the best president of my lifetime. Are you bigoted against stutterers or an agist? Neither is appealing and I cannot support you or people who think like you in that. You are being manipulated by media who is supporting a fascist to get clicks.
You look at one 90-minute debate and are ready to throw the president under the bus? You've not been reading Professor Richardson's letters explaining how changing the candidate for president 100 days before the election would throw the Democratic party into complete chaos. You've fallen for the right leaning media who can only address that and not every word out of tfg's mouth which was a lie. He didn't answer one question. Pathetic that the news refuses to cover that. Biden's age is the ONLY issue retrumplicans have to claim to make Joe look bad. He is the best president our country has had since FDR in my view and I've been around for quiet a few of them.
Look, I have the greatest respect for Heather Richardson. But like anyone else in life, I believe she is wrong on this point (that the democratic party will devolve into chaos if we choose someone other than Biden). One of the things I love about this stack is that we are open to disagree.
The simple facts are that there are only 6-7 states in play for this election and Biden is clearly going to lose almost all of them if he stays in the race. And that means Trump will win.
Almost any Democrat who has some stature could run instead of Biden and do better. Could they beat Trump? I don't know for sure, but I suspect several of them could. My personal favorite ticket is Harris/Whitmer but others could be considered. There is plenty of time, we aren't even to the GOP convention let alone the Democratic convention yet.
Biden's age IS the only issue. You can try to explain it away all you want, but it is what it is. He has lost several steps both physically and mentally in the past 3-1/2 years and age is not an "illness" which you can get better from. It is inevitable. He isn't going to "get better".
And you can say that isn't fair, and I AGREE with you, its horribly UNFAIR, but when you choose to get into politics, you have to take the game as it is played. Shouting "unfair" isn't going to get those people in the purple states who are undecided to vote for Biden.
Thanks for the honesty. That seems to be a rare quality here.
This problem is COMPLETELY at the feet of the Biden Campaign, the media, and DNC. They have been hiding Biden's condition for years.
Did they think they could hide it for another campaign season? They've been lying and they got caught. This was a ticking time bomb and they CHOSE to ignore it.
That's what's unfair. America doesn't to know if the commander in chief is up to the job.
The Parkinson's story is not relevant. The disastrous debate is the issue. It is time for Letters to state the obvious. Time for Biden to retire from the campaign.
No, Beth. Looking at the Parkinson's story exposes the way Biden is being unfairly characterized by those who want to downplay policy issues, his record, and his values. The madness of Trump ought to be the story being told. Except it's not a "story"; it is horrifying potential reality.
The hitch is that there *is* something up with Biden. It's apparent. He still gets my vote. Where the public can see changes that seem to be happening quickly, and the official response is simply 'he's old and there's nothing to see here', it leaves room for all this wild speculation. We don't even know how much our foreign adversaries are pumping in here, but the gap has been left and they continue to fill it with expanding foam. Meanwhile, everything alarming about Trump, as HCR notes here, is getting covered up.
If Biden were to get to a point where he cannot function as leader, Harris would just take over. That's pretty much the worst that would happen, especially since Dems wouldn't be afraid to use Article 25 the way R's seem to be. Contrast that with what will very likely happen if Trump is elected.
but is it it reasonable to ask the people to vote for a man who quite likely will not be able to do the job in 3 years? I will, but I am a politics nerd terrified of a trump administration and all that implies. We are a small minority.
If you're playing the long game, it's perfectly reasonable. Let's say Biden resigns in June, 2026 and Kamala becomes President. She would have 2+ years to show that she is up to the job.
I'm with John Fugelsang of Progress Radio. I will vote for Biden even if he's just a brain in a jar.
But, I WON'T vote for Harris-Biden. He will need to totally be out of politics if he resigns.
Quite likely is a mathamatical statement for which you have no evidence. Statistically Biden is better off at his age than Trump is at his. In a study which I believe Atlantic author Derek Thompson talked about the average American life expectancy was lower than comparable wealthy countries until the age of 80, and then it becomes higher than the average age of comparably wealthy countries. So, Biden is already in a category where people live longer, which Trump is not yet in. It is unreasonable to ask people to vote for anyone who is not a good candidate. Biden is a GIFTED politician. He gets things done that no one else could, and that scares the far right because they have been grifting for so long and they are so greedy they do not want to give up any opportunity to make lots of money and not pay taxes on it. However, Biden has been brave enough to take them on, and is the first one turning things around since Reagan messed the USA up and of course the planet. He was one who was carrying out a the Heritage Foundation plans. The claim Reagan got about 67% done, but Trump got more like 89% done. It will be over 100% because they ask for even more now if Trump goes back. One thing you can do, is there is a form on Mastadon, which is to file a tax fraud complaint with the IRS which you can use to complain about the Heritage Foundation. They even have suggested how you can fill it out. I am posting the links, and ask you to please download it, fill it out, mail it in, and ask friends to do the same.
IRS complaint
https://www.irs.gov/charities-non-profits/irs-complaint-process-tax-exempt-organizations
Seen on Mastodon. At this link you can download a PDF form to file a complaint to the IRS, requesting that they revoke the Heritage FoundationтАШs non-profit status. Fill out the form and mail it to: eoclass@irs.gov
This is what is suggested on the sample form to fill in:
Based on the statements of Kevin Roberst, the Heritage FoundationтАЩs president, on June 11 and July 2, the foundationтАЩs mission is no longer solely тАЬresearch and education,тАЭ but now includes preparing for a possibly bloody revolution.
Specifically, in an interview on тАЬThe War RoomтАЭ on July 2, Roberts stated that the Heritage Foundation has developed a prominent series of policy plans (Project 2025) to overhaul the federal government under a Republican president, and that the country was тАЬin the process of the second American Revolution, which will remain bloodless if the left allows it to beтАЭ
Sure sounds like Roberts and the other authors of Project 2025 are planning to start a bloody war as part of the Heritage FoundationтАЩs mission.
See NYTimes reporting of this incident on July 3rd: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-policy-america.html
The pope is 87 years old. The prophet and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (a former world-renowned heart surgeon) Russell M. Nelson will be 100 years old in September. He is slow in his walking, but his mind is sharp and active and continues to lead the church.
Trump has lost the popular vote both time he ran. The first time he only won because of the structure of the electoral college. The second time he lost that. Please explain how he has gained MORE supporters with all of his criminal activity exposed. I believe we are in the definite majority.
Yes, it's reasonable. A brief look at history shows us that there is no certainty that whom we elect as POTUS will be in the job for 4 years.
I have read rationales for Biden re his age and deterioration, but this one is the winner!
There seems to be, or there is suspicion of a cover-up of Biden's physical and mental health. There is a lack of forthrightness that caused alarm after the debate. Biden is losing to Trump in the polls which cannot be totally discounted much longer. Biden is a risky choice. Kamala is doing well. I agree. It's a big deal if people are really voting for Kamala Harris.
I am alarmed by all those who are defending Biden to the point of belligerance and not asking vital questions.
I don't Agree...I still believe After asking All the right questions POTUS Biden is capable and the nay sayers are over emphasizing the negatives..I don't believe POLLS...Remember Hillary vs. Trump in 2016???How accurate were the polls???...Kamala and the other candidates (potential) mentioned would be even More risky than POTUS Biden.....They are all untried...Look at Biden's presidential history...OUTSTANDING...Yeah...and the debate was poor but CAN be Explained by...exhaustion, over prepartion, & jet lag...Trumps quick succession of spewing lies...So many rapidly one does not know which to respond to first..(called GISH GALLOP...look in Wikipedia....) A full report of POTUS Biden's health was released by the Whitehouse...His health is good...I don't believe there is a cover-up...WHAT they have Not done is to frequently remind people of Biden's LIFELONG stuttering problem....which can produce lifelong slight impairment of speech fluidity (can also impair thought briefly)...which EXPLAINS most of POTUS Biden's gaffes...Not fair because intellect is Not involved!...Nor senility!
LOL. This newsletter is the Gish Gallop supreme. So many posts, I can't decide which one to respond to, so sorry, you are the one just by chance.
People need to get a grip. Almost NONE of the arguments being made here to keep Joe are relevant. There is only ONE argument that matters: CAN JOE ACTUALLY BEAT TRUMP IN THE NOV. ELECTION? Because if is can not, or if his chances are very low (under 5% at this point), he needs to leave and he needs to do that now if he is truly concerned about the country and not about his own prestige.
And in fact, even if he is concerned about his prestige, he should STILL leave. Jon Lovett tweeted today that Biden would leave as a huge hero for all he has done for the US, and for letting someone else take a shot at beating the orange menace.
But if he stays and loses (as he almost assuredly will) he will be remembered almost exclusively for his failure to save the country. This election REALLY MATTERS and I have a better chance of winning the lottery than Biden does of beating Trump.
Yes, yes, this is all TOTALLY UNFAIR. But we aren't worried about who gets the best dessert after dinner here. We are worried about who will lead this country. And everyone needs to be thinking NOT of how THEY would vote but rather how the rest of the country will vote. And the polls make it pretty clear, Biden will NOT WIN in the 7 swing states that are the key to this election. Yet Harris has some chance (she is polling 3-4 pts better than Biden right now in those states) and Whitmer might also have a chance.
Elections and politics are a game which has to be played to win. All the things you would LOVE to do (let alone all the things you have done in the past) mean nothing if you are sitting at home a loser of the election.
Everything you have written here (and others have written in other threads) is really meaningless in this argument. Your last sentences show how little of this seems to have gotten through: "...which EXPLAINS most of Biden's gaffes... Not fair because intellect is not involved... nor senility". Except that fairness isn't even relevant. Fairness is nice for parlor games but in politics all that matters is whether the voters will vote for you or not. And it is pretty clear now that voters who need to vote for Biden in order for him to win simply will not.
End of game.
Next hopeful Democratic president, please.
The past is not the present situation. This stubborn reasoning will bring us a very different result. All your positives skip the alarms. Biden is not a good choice against Trump in this election. The warning signs gave been there prior to the disaster of the debate but the debate and the interview as well has awakened folks further that Biden is not going to defeat Trump. Trump in fact wants Biden to stay in the race because he thinks he can win with Biden.
Regarding health testing Biden has not had a cognitive test and refuses as does Trump. Your response is a mini gish gallop of its own and you repeat all the talking points of the WH
Have you listened to his speeches? Every time he talks to people, calls them on the phone, does interviews he shows great strength. He's my president and he has my vote.
Correct!!!!!!
What in the hell are you talking about? Biden shouldn't be president, he should be in the Delaware Senior Citizens Home.
The media covered up and lied about it for years. This isn't about Trump. Its about whether an 81 year with Dementia should be the Commander in Chief.
You sir, are a troll. Thank goodness I can block trolls. Good day to you.
Sorry if the truth is too much for you to handle.
Who in the hell are you to tell me what I can say? I pay for this site.
I don't understand. I don't particularly like the guy, but he is entitled to his opinion and like he says, he pays for this site like the rest of us. Heather makes it available and we pay. So his opinion, even if you disagree with it, is just as valid as any other opinion. You can hate it but you really shouldn't be able to censor it. Otherwise, you are not even engaging in a true debate about this, you are just sticking your head into the proverbial hole.
I am not censoring him. I blocked him. He is mounting attacks on various comments, including mine. I checked him out. He is MAGA. I don't engage with the MAGA because they are a cult and not open to reason.
But the most important thing is this--platforms give us the ability to block people for a reason. It would be unbearable otherwise. I get to choose who I allow in my space, and have decided against this person. It in no way affects his ability to exist on this platform.
As to his opinion being "just as valuable", that is simply not true. The fact that we all have a RIGHT to an opinion does not make all opinions equal. If you doubt that I must ask--if you thought you had a serious illness, would you consult your bartender? Or your doctor?
If both of their opinions are equal, it should not matter to you. But I bet it does.
I reported it. You might want to do the same.
Buzz off
"This isn't about Trump. Its about whether an 81 year with Dementia should be the Commander in Chief."
Of course this is about Trump - and the entire right wing apparatus repurposing our Democratic republic as a corporate-clerical fascist state. Through corruption of the Supreme Court. Misdirection of Congressional authority. And through Project 2025, establishing an imperial executive.
Biden is diminished. That is an undeniable observation, it is not a medical diagnosis. This is a significant political problem. With a political solution. Or resolution.
The more significant, perhaps fatal, problem is the American electorate. Those who are disaffected and disengaged and will not vote. Those who will enthusiastically vote for authoritarianism in the person of Trump. Those who mistake voting as an individual exercise in personal expression and will help elect Trump by voting for Stein, RKFJR et al.
That leaves the rest of us. To dedicate ourselves from now to November in Getting Out The Vote for whomever is the Democratic candidate.
Ageist Russian Bot! Mouthpiece for Putin. Trump should be in a prison for the criminally insane, not the White House. Biden does not have dementia. So you lie. At least what I am saying is true. Trump is a criminal and he is insane. My paternal great-grandmother lived on her own until the age of 109. Then she died. My maternal grandmother lived to be 99.5. My mom is now 90 and is living independently in a senior community, where I have been to dinner in their dinning room with men in their mid-90s who are lively and interesting. I am in Germany in an art group with a woman who is 92. She is vivacious, still drives, also takes public or her bike, does interesting art work, and has interesting things to say about art, and politics and other topics. She is lively and a incisive. She lives on her own in her home for many, many years. Wisdom is needed for this job, that is why Biden gets it done. Biden does not have any signs on dementia. This does not come on overnight. If he does have it he will make room for his great vice president. If not, she gets more practice to take over.
Is George Clooney a Russian troll too? His NY Times Op-ed today
said what we all saw during the debate, Biden has significant cognitive decline and has to go.
I can't imagine a dumber post. Your proof that we are ALL WRONG is your
some maternal grandmother? Is this a joke?
Time to roll down your window and join us back on earth.
I have studied neuropsychology in my program on School Psychology and have over 30 years experience as a teacher where my expertise is cognition amongst other things. George Clooney is an actor not a doctor or a politician. Who is all? You are not all, neither is Clooney. So far, it seems less than 95% of democratic politicians are turning on Biden, and that is pretty good for the democratic party where differences are part of the brand. There is no one at this point in time. There are details about that which have to do with how many delegates he has, how much money he has in his campaign that cannot be transferred, and the history of later candidates not being transferred. When I had my first class in psychology my freshman year of college, our whole class had to read a story where aliens came and took someone. Everyone in my class normalized it to it being the person was having a mental breakdown. Really, it was a story about aliens, and I am the only one who recognized that. I was unbiased by it being a psych class. I will say, keep an open mind. You have never been president nor do you know what it entails. Biden does. No one I personally know wants to lose Biden, or is against him, although of my younger friends there is some waffling. I also have to say they are less sure of themselves, and they have Republican family members, which I do not. So, they have a world view that they may be less sure of. I am very, very sure that I am neither worried about Biden, because I understand the whole set up which is he has a vice president if something goes wrong. Kennedy was not "cognitively challenged" and yet his vice president had to step in for him, and he did. So, you can stop insulting me just because I am older and do not look at age as decrepitude. My 19 year old daughter wants to make TikToks with me to get my points across. So, we will be bridging the age gap. Perhaps I am not on earth but if you don't like Biden you have options.
James A, I am not going to accuse you of trolling but you look half my age (and the President's three years younger than I am).
But I do just hope for your sake that, when you're approaching our age you'll be treated with far more respect than you've shown.
I wish you a long life, good health and none of the tragedies that have struck Joe Biden and his family; yet to remember these words when you too begin (excuse me, Leonard Cohen) to ache in the places where you used to play...
I'm a foreigner, a Brit -- with plenty of Irish forebears, like Biden -- but if there's one thing that stinks about people's behavior in both countries, it is the way in which so many dare quite gratuitously to pass judgment on fellow human beings -- on THEM, not even their actions. All this, on the basis of gross ignorance, prejudices and the most superficial appearances.
With all due respect, what do you know about the political, social and economic record of this president who has been too damned busy with the tough job of governing the country to find time to entertain you? A job made all the tougher by having at every stage to cross political minefields, all too often under fire from freebooting snipers.
Most American presidents have been mediocrities... or worse. This one has signal achievements to his name, laboring to serve the people, not the 0.01% and their miraculous money siphon. That's why so many occult movers and shakers are working so hard to destroy him and all his work and to replace him and the Republic by a harsh dictatorship:
Government of Mammon, by Mammon, exclusively, for Mammon.
Yes except for your last paragraph which goes off the deep end and sounds conspiratorial. As well Biden has done well but another 4 years is asking too much from what we see.
Potter, you'll note that I have not yet come down off the fence on the question of the President's ability to win and to serve, but I'll admit that my (positive) intuition is at war with the more usual analysis. In part, this may be to do with the sense that DT is very close to the limit of his own physical resources. Another intuitive insight, which I am bound to suspect until proven right or wrong.
That said, I do recommend that close attention be paid to DT's choice of Vice-Presidential candidate.
I must add that, under today's conditions, FDR, one of the greatest statesmen of the past two centuries, would be unelectable.
*
If I pay so much attention to intuition, it is because it has, in the past four decades, so often turned out to be right on target. But this "Cassandra effect" is disheartening...
It is no help to see what's coming when no one else does, or to see how often those in power gravely misconstrue events like 9/11 or 10/7 and multiply the damage inflicted.
On September 10th 2001 I compared our democracies to a dog asleep in the middle of the road, adding "One doubts our survival instincts"...
The friend to whom I wrote this responded "You're exaggerating, as usual".
Yes about FDR totally, but everything is different now. The electorate is different though basic humanity is the same- the politics are more challenging. Everything does not depend on a few (mainly) reputable media sources. This is good and bad. But it's a war for right against wrong and convincing, or the arguing of that which unfortunately has been "channelized". Now in the general election, the sides are talking to everyone, or trying to. While the battle to takeover the GOP has been won by MAGA/Trump, there is a new split, maybe temporary in the Democrats due to Biden. I am pretty angry at Biden, who I did support and will against Trump. He should not have run again. And months of this looming argument have gone by until the debate revealed Biden's real deterioration. People looked and listened. The bell cannot be unrung. The polls, heretofore dismissed, cannot be when they continually say Trump is gaining. The Euros are preparing for possible Trump win ( or is it probable?) And Russia already knows this with it's horrendous attacks on Ukraine.
I think Trump knows his pick for VP could make a difference. That elevated the ever opportunistic Marco Rubio to a possiblity... and maybe even the very disappointing opportunistic Nikki Haley. This is not fun.
I suppose "sounds conspiratorial" must refer to the closing sentence of the penultimate paragraph, in particular the word "occult".
The work of the Heritage Foundation and the Federalist Society and its practical outcome do amount to a conspiracy, much of which has been carried out in broad daylight. Occult are many, but not all of the paymasters who have invested in this project... and therefore have every reason to use President Biden's every failing to maximum effect.
It is his successful policies that they -- and "they" include Putin and the Kremlin -- fear and are out to destroy.
The media banderilleros do their job before the torero moves in to deliver the moment of truth.
The bull, of course, is the 234-year old American Republic.
*
Potter, you aren't blind to the onset of physical enfeeblement symptoms in a man, the President -- symptoms that tend to manifest in a series of sudden failures to perform... but which do not in fact affect cognitive functions any more than a cerebral hemorrage necessarily does.
What most Americans, most "modern men" everywhere, are blind to is the dementia, the mass psychosis besetting a huge proportion of the American population.
[As though we'd not seen such things or their immeasurably awful consequences before...
2024-25 is intrinsically a more dangerous moment than that of Hitler's rise to power in 1933... because the military and financial power of the USA are incommensurably greater than those of Nazi Germany... let alone America's current nemesis, Putin's Russia.]
Unfortunately, it is not I who am "going off the deep end", it is too many people today falling into the deep end of an empty swimming pool...
You don't know that he has dementia. You are out on a limb. By your reasoning Trump should be in a straight jacket in an asylum, not running for president as an oath breaking insurrectionist ongoing.
...Should be anywhere but free.
Benedict Arnold was a patriot by comparison with this creature.
Unfortunately there is a stubborn thing called facts:
Blank stare
Memory loss
Weak speech
Fumbling speech
These are the symptoms of dementia. Trump doesn't have any of them.
Nice try
Trump has memory loss ( he fakes, covers it up). He's apparently got reduced concentration and definitly personality or behaviour changes ongoing and worsening in recent years. He has had problems with language and "speed of thought" He also has a major departure from reality and frequently does not make sense. Comedians are having a ball. But he covers it and puts it out there as an act as entertainment. People go for it. Those knowledgeable in the field consistently say he is a sociopath as well:
What are the 7 symptoms of a sociopath?
Symptoms
Ignoring right and wrong.
Telling lies to take advantage of others.
Not being sensitive to or respectful of others.
Using charm or wit to manipulate others for personal gain or pleasure.
Having a sense of superiority and being extremely opinionated.
Having problems with the law, including criminal behavior.
Are you kidding? FACTS do not prove DEMENTIA. That maybe the dumbest post I've ever read.
Feelings do?
The debate. Seeing is believing. The middle who is necessary to win will not support Joe Biden. I'm sorry. I love Joe. I'll vote for whoever the Democrats put up. George Clooney And Nancy Pelosi have now publicly come out for Joe to step aside. The dam is starting to break. Check out Clooney's excellent opinion piece.
Given the symptoms, very similar to Parkinson's, there was concern, actually alarm. Biden's campaign and viability for the next 4 years has him as the ONLY ONE standing between us and Trump.
I credit you with being pro-democracy, but your desire for Biden to retire from the campaign misconstrues our chances for success. Biden is fine, and is our strongest possible candidate to win this election.
I watched his speech at the 75th Anniversary of NATO. He knows the heads of countries that are members personally, and they know they can trust him.
Do not be fooled by a poor debate performance! Debating is not a part of Presidential duties.
President Biden's debate performance overall was not horrible, the first 20 mins were awful I agree, Trump however continued to lie for another 70 mins.
Trump was himself, Biden was not. DonтАЩt try to downplay it as a bad day. that doesnt happen to my 84 year old dad. I am a doctor that spends a lot of time with old folks, something is up.
Biden was not feeling well. Also, he's not an actor (as is tffg). Biden is not perfect but he is honest and reliable. I believe his mind is good and he has good people working with him. I'm sure he would like to rest, but he loves our country and will save our democracy. Who would you suggest to take his place?
Well, I would CERTAINLY suggest either Kamala Harris or Gretchen Whitmer. In fact, I now think BOTH of them should run on the ticket, because I think we can't really take Kamala off as she has been VP for almost 4 years, but Gretchen would be the strongest candidate in the states that are "swing". This is a NARROW election in which the important thing is to win 4 of the states out of Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona and Nevada. And those two women, who on every talkshow, every news program, both appear FAR FAR superior intellectually to Biden at this point (regardless of whether they actually are or not, right now appearance is the MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF WINNING) can do it. I believe Biden can not any more.
You need to face the reality... Many people now have and they are starting to come out of the woodwork. We are in the last dying days of the Biden campaign and I am hopeful that it will help turn this election around.
No other choice, really.
Do you believe in Ronald McDonald too?
People not feeling well don't have a blank stare, fumbling speech, monotone and weak voice, loss of thought. That's called dementia.
You are insulting everyone's intelligence with the spin.
As for saving democracy? What did you call the COVID lock down? A police state? Locked in your home, fired from your job, and your free speech censored? That sounds a lot like a loss of democracy.
Really???..are you a neurologist????....Most of what Biden said was accurate though he fumbled etc...Yeah...If you are exhausted...not feeling well..jet lagged, plus over prepared...and met with GISH Gallop by your opponent.(in Wikipedia...produces Confusion)..that changes your conclusion that it is dementia...AND you need a neurologist/give a full test...PLUS since and before debate no repeat scenarios...REMEMBER he has a stuttering problem LIFELONG which Does produce speech fluidity problems (gaffes) and can produce thought delays as well...BUT this is Rarely mentioned as a Logical explanation...Look it up!!!
James, would you please share your credentials/experience that entitle you to pronounce that Biden, or anyone, has dementia? Because that is a strong, strong statement and I would like to be reassured that anyone making such a diagnosis about the POTUS has the necessary training to do so. Thank you.
James, I don't know why you are so angry. Or why you feel the need to attack me.
this is how I feel. I feel Biden is a good person. He's also been a great president. For some reason people think he should be perfect... well, he's human. As I asked before, who would suggest should take his place?
Debate was not horrible? What were you watching?
By the way name 1 lie?
Biden lied blatantly about being endorsed by the Border Patrol Union. During the debate the Union tweeded "We have never endorsed Joe and never will"
It takes a lot stones to lie like that.
Why, oh why is the Lincoln Project and Progress Radio the only ones on the offensive? Nothing gets to Trump more than challenging his lies or anything personal about him.
The Biden campaign needs to ask Trump to step down for lying 602 times during the CNN so called debate. And they need to call out CNN for being AWFUL at their jobs.
Plus they need to call out the RNC platform that is Project 2025 lite,
Tell Trump we don't want anymore HARRM done--
NO HATE
NO ANGER
NO REVENGE
NO RESENTMENT
NO MISINFORMATION
And start showing Trump's fat ass as he shuffles off stage. He is a dotard as Kim Jon Un called it.
Name One LIE?
Here's Convicted Felon Donald Trump's first three sentences of the debate.
You count the lies.. 4 lies in 3 sentences. I know you said to name ONE lie, but he is so good at compound lying, I couldn't help myself.
"We had the greatest economy in the history of our country. We had never done so well. Every тАУ everybody was amazed by it. Other countries were copying us.
I tell the truth, then give my opinion.
1) GDP before the pandemic was 3-4%, after Obama never exceeded 2%
2) Unemployment was historically low, best since the 1950's
3) Economic mood was good.
Was it the greatest economy in history, NO. It was it very good historically YES. The greatest is an exaggeration.
We did have the best economy in the world circa 2016,-2019.
Did Biden lie about the border patrol union?
The Republican fallacy is that we measure everything before the pandemic and then after. CFDT was President for 4 years not three, so reciting 3 year statistic is meaningless. 2) Unemployment overall was pretty good before the pandemic, but not so much with people of color. And again, there was 2020. CFDT and the Republicans threw away the pandemic playbook and allowed Trump to make decisions that he didn't have the knowledge to make. He was told about the dangers of the pandemic in late 2019 and did nothing to prepare for it. Once the pandemic was raging, he left JFK customs wide open with no testing or masks. Of course, this ran against the CDC pandemic playbook likely killing thousands of people in New York alone. I don't disagree that up until January, 2020 the economic mood was good. But then the economy tanked. Putting Jared in charge was a joke. The guy doesn't have the brains God gave lettuce.
As for the economy, Trump made several critical mistakes 1) cutting taxes for the rich and corporations. Trickle down economics doesn't work. It led to the $7.9 trillion in increased debt under Trump. And who's complaining about the national debt now -- the Republicans. And the 35 day Federal government shutdown cost the economy billions of dollars and forced people on fixed incomes and Federal workers to borrow money or pay their bills late. This was 100% Trump's fault. And what did he get for it? Nada. CFDT also pressured Jerome Powell into reducing interest rates to zero which left no room to stimulate the economy once the pandemic hit. And oil prices went negative for a day because the petroleum oil reserve was full and there was nowhere to store the excess oil being pumped from the active wells. If this happened today, there is enough room to keep the domestic wells from being capped which also was bad for the economy. So overall, CFDT's economy and his policy were haphazard and disasters. The Biden administration inherited the mess created by the Trump administrations incompetence and were blamed for supply chain issues which took time to resolve.
Here's a request for you.
Name 4 things that the Trump administration accomplished in their 4 years that made America great. There are dozens more things they messed up, but name just 4 things that made America great.
and media has not made relevant all the lies told that evening and at his rally or speaking in public and forgotten names and countries and........................................................................
Asking Biden to step aside is asking him to step aside so that Trump can be the only candidate because there is no one else. No other dem can win this late in the game because they never have. One, they will not have any money because Biden's immense war chest which is growing does not legally transfer, and two, because his delegates pledged to him don't either. So, why? Because of the debate or over his performance on the job. He is gifted at politics and is the best president of my lifetime. Are you bigoted against stutterers or an agist? Neither is appealing and I cannot support you or people who think like you in that. You are being manipulated by media who is supporting a fascist to get clicks.
You look at one 90-minute debate and are ready to throw the president under the bus? You've not been reading Professor Richardson's letters explaining how changing the candidate for president 100 days before the election would throw the Democratic party into complete chaos. You've fallen for the right leaning media who can only address that and not every word out of tfg's mouth which was a lie. He didn't answer one question. Pathetic that the news refuses to cover that. Biden's age is the ONLY issue retrumplicans have to claim to make Joe look bad. He is the best president our country has had since FDR in my view and I've been around for quiet a few of them.
Look, I have the greatest respect for Heather Richardson. But like anyone else in life, I believe she is wrong on this point (that the democratic party will devolve into chaos if we choose someone other than Biden). One of the things I love about this stack is that we are open to disagree.
The simple facts are that there are only 6-7 states in play for this election and Biden is clearly going to lose almost all of them if he stays in the race. And that means Trump will win.
Almost any Democrat who has some stature could run instead of Biden and do better. Could they beat Trump? I don't know for sure, but I suspect several of them could. My personal favorite ticket is Harris/Whitmer but others could be considered. There is plenty of time, we aren't even to the GOP convention let alone the Democratic convention yet.
Biden's age IS the only issue. You can try to explain it away all you want, but it is what it is. He has lost several steps both physically and mentally in the past 3-1/2 years and age is not an "illness" which you can get better from. It is inevitable. He isn't going to "get better".
And you can say that isn't fair, and I AGREE with you, its horribly UNFAIR, but when you choose to get into politics, you have to take the game as it is played. Shouting "unfair" isn't going to get those people in the purple states who are undecided to vote for Biden.
I wish it weren't so, but it is.
Thanks for the honesty. That seems to be a rare quality here.
This problem is COMPLETELY at the feet of the Biden Campaign, the media, and DNC. They have been hiding Biden's condition for years.
Did they think they could hide it for another campaign season? They've been lying and they got caught. This was a ticking time bomb and they CHOSE to ignore it.
That's what's unfair. America doesn't to know if the commander in chief is up to the job.
No, itтАЩs Time for subscribers to cancel Nyt
Cancellation is the LEFTIST way. Anyone who puts out news you don't like
has suffered the same fate for the last four years
No!
NO