;)
The Conversation -- July 21, 2024
Joe Biden Wrote American History Today
Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden on Sunday abruptly abandoned his campaign for a second term under intense pressure from fellow Democrats and threw his support to Vice President Kamala Harris to lead their party in a dramatic last-minute bid to stop ... Donald J. Trump from returning to the White House. 'It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,' he said in a letter posted on social media. 'And while it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.' Mr. Biden then posted a subsequent online message endorsing Ms. Harris. 'My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,' he wrote. 'And it's been the best decision I've made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats -- it's time to come together and beat Trump. Let's do this.'" The Washington Post's main story is here. ~~~
~~~ President Biden's full letter announcing his decision not to run for re-election is here. His endorsement of Vice President Harris is here:
My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my term. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it's been the best… pic.twitter.com/x8DnvuImJV
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 21, 2024
The New York Times' liveblog of developments is here. Here are some reporters' entries: ~~~
Michael Shear: "President Biden, 81, abandoned his bid for re-election and threw the 2024 presidential contest into chaos on Sunday, caving to relentless pressure from his closest allies to drop out of the race amid deep concerns that he is too old and frail to defeat ... Donald J. Trump. After calling Vice President Kamala Harris an 'extraordinary partner,' he endorsed her to take his place atop the ticket.... After three weeks of often angry refusals to step aside, Mr. Biden finally yielded to a torrent of devastating polls, urgent pleas from Democratic lawmakers and clear signs that donors were no longer willing to pay for him to continue....
"No sitting American president has dropped out of a race so late in the election cycle. The Democratic National Convention, where Mr. Biden was to have been formally nominated by 3,939 delegates, is scheduled to begin Aug. 19 in Chicago. That leaves less than a month for Democrats to decide who should replace Mr. Biden on the ticket and just under four months for that person to mount a campaign against Mr. Trump." This was the pinned item at about 2:30 pm ET.
Nicholas Nehamas: "President Biden just announced on X that he would not seek re-election, writing that it was in 'the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down.' Biden said he would address the nation later this week and that he would 'focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president' for the rest of his term."
Theodore Schleifer: "On the afternoon that the news came in, Kamala Harris's donor allies were spending their weekend in close touch with one another about how they might push for her to become the next president if the situation were to arrive. Well, the situation has now arrived."
Jim Tankersley: "Biden ... oversaw a rapid rebound from the pandemic recession -- including record job growth and faster economic growth than any other wealthy country has experienced at the same time. Biden nodded to that growth legacy in his letter announcing he will end his campaign."
Jonathan Swan: "As Maggie Haberman and I reported yesterday, the Trump team has been preparing for an advertising onslaught against Kamala Harris, who they assume will be the Democratic candidate. They have also been paying close attention to Josh Shapiro, who governs a state -- Pennsylvania -- that the Trump team is focused on winning to block Democrats' path to the White House."
Catie Edmondson: "Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, says in a statement: 'Joe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being. His decision of course was not easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first. Joe, today shows you are a true patriot and great American.'"
Schleifer: "A huge part of why Harris has a major advantage over other Democrats is that she is likely to easily inherit the Biden-Harris campaign coffers. It would be much, much harder for other Democratic candidates to take over their campaign warchest, as we reported here."
Ken Vogel: "Democratic donors who had pushed for Biden to stand down praised his decision. Gideon Stein, who had become a leading figure in the donor community pushing for a new nominee, called Biden 'a true American hero.'..."
Lisa Lerer: "A letter has already begun circulating among D.N.C. delegates expressing their support for Kamala Harris."
Shawn McCreesh: "Bill and Hillary Clinton endorsed Kamala Harris, writing in a statement that they would 'do whatever we can to support her.'"
Vogel: "About 30 minutes before Biden's announcement, his campaign staff was still calling delegates, pushing them to declare support for him, according to one delegate who received such a call."
Eduardo Medina: "Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina, a close ally of Biden who has been speculated to be a possible vice presidential running mate for Harris, praised the president in a statement on X, saying: 'Just as impactful as the laws he passed, though, is his ability to listen to everyday people, relate to their struggles, and give them hope. I'm deeply grateful to call President Joe Biden my friend.'"
Robert Jimison: "Representative Nancy Pelosi of California, the former speaker, praised Biden in a statement, saying that 'his legacy of vision, values and leadership make him one of the most consequential Presidents in American history.' She made no mention of Kamala Harris. Last week during a private meeting with colleagues, Pelosi said she would favor a 'competitive' process rather than an anointment of the vice president."
Steven Erlanger: "European politicians and analysts expressed gratitude and respect toward President Biden for withdrawing from the race, saying that he was putting his country first in an important battle for American democracy."
McCreesh: "In a lengthy statement on X, Senator Elizabeth Warren endorses Kamala Harris...."
Katie Glueck: "Harris gets a nod of support from Senator Mark Warner of Virginia -- a state that campaign officials had grown increasingly worried about, we reported last week."
Maggie Haberman: "Former President Barack Obama praises President Biden, who was his vice president, in a statement. But he doesn't endorse Vice President Kamala Harris, and appears to endorse a 'process' for picking someone. 'I have extraordinary confidence that the leaders of our party will be able to create a process from which an outstanding nominee emerges,' he wrote."
Edmondson: "Senator Patty Murray of Washington, a member of Democratic leadership, says in a statement: 'I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as our next President.'"
Reid Epstein: "Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who is facing re-election in a critical presidential battleground state, said she was 'proud' to endorse Kamala Harris for president."
Schleifer: "Democratic donors are immediately mobilizing around Kamala Harris as their party's next presidential nominee, offering Democratic elites something they have not felt in weeks. Optimism."
Katie Rogers: "'I need you and Mike at the house,' President Biden said late Saturday afternoon. Mr. Biden was on the phone from his vacation home in Rehoboth, Del., with Steve Ricchetti, one of his closest advisers. The president was referring to Mike Donilon, his chief strategist. Soon, both men were in Rehoboth, socially distanced from the president, who was recovering from Covid. From that afternoon and far into the night, the three worked on one of the most important and historic letters of Mr. Biden's presidency -- his decision to withdraw from his re-election campaign.... He would not tell most of his staff until a minute before making his announcement to the world on Twitter on Sunday. Vice President Kamala Harris, whom Mr. Biden went on to endorse, also learned on Sunday, although it is unclear when."
Epstein: "Vice President Kamala Harris says she is running for president. 'I am honored to have the President's endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,' she said. 'We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win.'" ~~~
~~~ Zolan Kanno-Youngs: "She added, 'With this selfless and patriotic act, President Biden is doing what he has done throughout his life of service: putting the American people and our country above everything else.'" ~~~
~~~ Nehamas: "In her statement, which was issued through the Biden campaign, Harris praised President Biden for his achievements in office, which she, of course, shares in, too. 'His remarkable legacy of accomplishment is unmatched in modern American history, surpassing the legacy of many presidents who have served two terms in office,' Harris wrote." Harris' full statement appears on the liveblog.
Anushka Patil: "Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, who has been considered a potential contender to replace Biden on the Democratic ticket, has thrown his support behind Harris, saying in a statement that 'I will do everything I can to help elect Kamala Harris as the 47th president of the United States.'"
[Marie: Throughout, the reporters cite some comments from Donald Trump and other Republicans. Let me just say that there are many ways President Biden's chief political rival could have been decent & presidential* in sending off his competition, but former President* Pond Scum chose to say things like, Joe Biden was "the worst president in the history of our country." It is not surprising that the guy who refused to give up the presidency* even when the American people tossed him out is too boorish to appreciate the sacrifice of a guy who gave up the presidency to save the nation. (At the end of today's thread, Akhilleus puts the contrast between Trump & Biden more forcefully.)]
Luke Broadwater: "Many influential Democrats on Capitol Hill quickly rallied around Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday after President Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race, endorsing her as the party's nominee. But neither the party's top leaders nor Representative Nancy Pelosi ... mentioned the vice president in their statements praising Mr. Biden on his presidency and his decision to step aside."
Epstein: "On a call with the Biden campaign staff, Jen O'Malley Dillon, the campaign chair, and Julie Chavez Rodriguez, the campaign manager, informed the staff that they were all now working for Harris for President.... The 77 Democratic National Committee delegates from Tennessee unanimously voted to endorse Kamala Harris for president during a conference call on Sunday afternoon...."
Shane Goldmacher: "Democrats greeted President Biden's departure from the presidential race with an avalanche of cash, donating more than $50 million online on Sunday and making it the single biggest day for online Democratic contributions since the 2020 election -- with hours to go."
Edmondson: "Senator Tammy Baldwin, Democrat of Wisconsin, endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday as her party's presidential nominee, becoming one of the first politically vulnerable senators running for re-election to do so after President Biden had abandoned his own bid."
Tim Balk: "Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the progressive New York Democrat, endorsed Harris for president.... The congresswoman had forcefully backed President Biden in recent days."
Alan Blinder: "North Carolina's Democratic delegates have unanimously endorsed Harris, according to the state party chairwoman."
Emily Cochrane: "In a statement, the Association of State Democratic Committees announced that an 'overwhelming majority' of 57 state party leaders had voted to back Harris as the party's nominee at the convention. None of the leaders voted to oppose, the organization said, although some abstained for what it described as 'in-state procedural reasons.'... I'm told that the Louisiana delegation just held a voice vote to commit to supporting Harris for president."
Nehamas: "The Biden campaign's rapid response account on X, which it uses to push out its message and respond to attacks, has been renamed 'Kamala HQ.'"
Politico's live updates are here. ~~~
Adam Cancryn: "President Joe Biden's announcement stunned White House and campaign aides, who up until this afternoon were insisting that he would stay in the race. Many of them, including some senior aides, first found out that was no longer the case by reading the letter that Biden posted on X. In a sign of the abruptness of Biden's decision, the campaign blasted out a fundraising email for 'Joe and Kamala' at 1:54 p.m. -- eight minutes after Biden announced he was stepping aside."
Eugene Daniels: "A source familiar with the discussions tells me that around 1:45 p.m. today, 'President Biden told the senior team that he had changed his mind. Last night, the message was to continue full speed ahead.'"
Michael Grynbaum: "Rachel Maddow tells MSNBC viewers: 'What a man. What a patriot. What an act of selfless devotion to your country.' Like other TV anchors, she has scrambled to the nearest studio on what would have been a lazy Sunday."
Tal Axelrod of ABC News: "Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday called on Joe Biden to end his reelection campaign, the latest domino to fall in a broader Democratic upheaval over the president's ability to win this November. Manchin, I-W.Va., who caucuses with Democrats but left the party earlier this year, told 'This Week' co-anchor Martha Raddatz that he came to the decision 'with a heavy heart,' but that the swell of Democrats issuing similar calls after last month's debate made the current situation untenable for Biden."
Fake Doctor Treats Trump's Injury. Meagan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "... Donald Trump shared a letter signed by Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Tex.) on Saturday detailing the care he has received since last weekend's assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. The letter, written by a political ally whose actions as a medical provider have come into question over the years, marks the most extensive medical information Trump's team has shared publicly about the care he received after the assassination attempt. Jackson wrote that he has 'evaluated and treated' Trump's wound on his ear daily.... Jackson told the New York Times in 2022, that he had allowed his medical license in Florida to expire.... But his medical license remains in 'military active' status until early 2025, which the Florida Department of Health states means that 'the licensed practitioner, serving in the Armed Forces of the United States, is only authorized to practice in a military facility.' Jackson stated that Trump sustained a 2 cm wide wound from the track of a bullet 'that extended down the cartilaginous surface of the ear.' No sutures were required for Trump's wound, Jackson said, but 'there is still intermittent bleeding requiring a dressing to be in place.'" ~~~
~~~ Marie: I'm no medical ethics and law expert, but my guess is that the services Jackson (or Johnson, as the cognitively-impaired Trump calls him) is rendering are those that a paramedic, nurse or other practitioner could provide. So the care he's given Trump is probably legal, but his assessment does not carry the weight a bona fide medical doctor's would. As he has done all of his adult life, Cadet Bone Spurs is hiding his true physical status.
David McAfee of the Raw Story: "Trump-endorsing billionaire Elon Musk, the richest man in the world and the owner of the ... [X], received criticism on his own platform on Saturday after sharing a video showing an animated Donald Trump killing Joe Biden. Musk over the weekend took to his own platform, now called X, to share what he deemed to be the 'best AI video to date.' The video shows Trump, as 'Neo' from The Matrix, stopping bullets in mid-air and then fighting an 'agent' AI-generated to look like Joe Biden. Trump then kicks Biden to the ground before jumping inside the president's body until he explodes. Trump-Neo is left standing and flexing afterward." Thanks to Forrest M. for the link. ~~~
~~~ Marie: IMO, repercussions against Musk should be more serious than a few condemnations from members of the public. The Secret Service & FBI should haul him in for questioning and possible arrest for terrorism, and Congress should prevent him from having any control over content at X. If it's possible to rescind U.S. citizenship of naturalized citizens, that seems like a good idea. Musk's post goes far beyond "tasteless."
~~~~~~~~~~
Jonathan Greenberg in a Washington Post op-ed: President "Biden's inner ring of loyalists deny that polls show alarming weakness -- but they are reading the data the wrong way. By comparing Biden' position today with polls from four years ago, the president's weakness becomes plain. In the seven swing states where the election will likely be decided, Biden is trailing his 2020 numbers by margins of up to 14 points.... Given that Biden's 2020 electoral college victory came down to three states where his margin was less than one point, this double-digit erosion is a disaster in the making.... In 2020, national poll averages right before the election predicted Biden would win by 8.6 points. He won by only 4.4."
Abbie Cheeseman & Meagan Vazquez of the Washington Post: "Vice President Harris attended a sold-out campaign fundraiser on Cape Cod on Saturday, amid growing calls for President Biden to step aside as his party's 2024 presidential nominee.... At Saturday's event, Harris struck a ... tone of optimism for the campaign and support for the president.... Tickets for Harris's event in Provincetown -- a longtime hub for artists on Cape Cod that's a popular beach getaway for the LGBTQ community -- ranged from $150 to $150,000. The fundraiser, hosted by event planner Bryan Rafanelli, was announced before the presidential debate late last month.... Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and actor Jennifer Coolidge were among the attendees of the event." ~~~
~~~ Lisa Kashinsky & Kelly Garrity of Politico: "Harris, who could be a presidential candidate in her own right soon, touted the ticket as it stands: 'In this election, we know which candidate for president puts the American people first: our president, Joe Biden." She lauded Biden's legacy as 'one of the most consequential presidents in American history.' And she sought to reassure anxious donors that 'we are going to win this election.'"
Giselle Ewing of Politico: "Rep. Mark Takano [Calif.] joined the growing chorus of Democrats calling on President Joe Biden to step aside as the party's presidential nominee -- with several voicing strong support for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him. In a statement released on Saturday morning, Takano said he felt that Harris is best suited to meet the 'demands of a modern campaign,' and that the vice president is in a position to 'seamlessly transition' into the Democratic Party's standard bearer."
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times: "It makes me sad that Biden doesn't see what's inescapable: If he doesn't walk away gracefully right now, he will likely go down as a pariah and ruin his legacy. The race for the Oval today is between two delusional, selfish, stubborn old guys, and that's a depressing state of affairs.... Shockingly, even as the Republicans roar out of Milwaukee, vibrating with joy, Biden's brain trust continues to run a lousy campaign, as though nothing has changed.... Really, what the Democrats need is a thrilling open convention, rather than a coronation." (Also linked yesterday.)
Michael Gold & Simon Levien of the New York Times: "At his first campaign rally since he survived an assassination attempt last week..., Donald J. Trump on Saturday launched a litany of attacks that suggested his call for national unity in the wake of the shooting had faded entirely into the background. Over the course of an almost two-hour speech in Grand Rapids, Mich., Mr. Trump insulted President Biden's intelligence repeatedly, calling him 'stupid' more than once. He said Vice President Kamala Harris was 'crazy.'... Mr. Trump also joyously mocked Democrats as they contended with the viability of Mr. Biden's place as the party's presidential nominee. Mr. Trump called his rivals 'the enemies of democracy' because Democrats who call for Mr. Biden's replacement would have to answer to the millions of primary votes the president secured over other candidates.... 'They keep saying, "He's a threat to democracy,"' Mr. Trump told the crowd of thousands inside the Van Andel Arena. 'I'm saying, "What the hell did I do with democracy"? Last week, I took a bullet for democracy.'... Saturday's speech was the latest signal that the assassination attempt on Mr. Trump had done little to change his political message.... Before Mr. Trump spoke, his newly chosen running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, took the stage and marveled at the former president's resilience."
M. Gessen of the New York Times: "While one half of the electorate was being served [a] bland spectacle [at the RNC], the other half struggled to follow a dispiriting and confusing story in which the stakes in the presidential election are existential -- and the only man who can save American democracy is President Biden. Even as more and more funders, political operatives and ordinary Democratic voters said that he should withdraw his candidacy, the campaign told them to put their faith in a frail, diminished man -- worse than that, it insisted that he was neither frail nor diminished.... The president and his campaign have adopted the habits of the monster they promise to save us from."
Boyz Klub. Amanda Marcotte of Salon: "The GOP, already the party of sexism, is getting more gratuitous with its toxic masculinity. Everywhere one looked at the convention, Republicans were exalting maleness.... The boys club vibe spread throughout the convention. Women were welcome, but only as support staff.... They certainly aren't valued as leaders in a party where men live in a constant state of paranoia about being emasculated." (Also linked yesterday.)
Josh Dawsey & Carol Leonnig of the Washington Post: "Top officials at the U.S. Secret Service repeatedly denied requests for additional resources and personnel sought by Donald Trump's security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination at a rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday, according to four people familiar with the requests. Agents charged with protecting the former president requested magnetometers and more agents to screen attendees at sporting events and other large public gatherings Trump attended, as well as additional snipers and specialty teams at other outdoor events, said the people.... Those rejections -- in response to requests that were several times made in writing -- led to long-standing tensions that pitted Trump, his top aides and his security detail against Secret Service leadership... The Secret Service, after initially denying turning down requests for additional security, is now acknowledging some may have been rejected. The revelation comes as agency veterans say the organization has been forced to make difficult decisions amid competing demands, a growing list of protectees and limited funding."
All My Judges. Kyle Cheney of Politico: "Donald Trump is on the cusp of emerging unscathed from his four criminal prosecutions -- thanks almost entirely to the decisions of four judges he appointed. Trump's three Supreme Court picks formed a decisive bloc to declare presidents immune from prosecution for official conduct -- freezing the charges he faces in multiple jurisdictions for trying to subvert the 2020 election and putting his New York conviction in doubt. Then his nominee to the federal court in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon, handed him another victory by dismissing the charges he faces for hoarding classified documents and concealing them from investigators." (Also linked yesterday.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Texas. Miriam Jordan & David Goodman of the New York Times: "... amid the heightened [Republican] rhetoric [about unlawful border crossings], the reality on the ground has recently changed. There were 83,000 apprehensions of migrants last month, according to official data, down significantly from 117,000 in May. The June numbers represented the lowest monthly total since January 2021, and a significant drop from the record 250,000 recorded in December last year. The decline has continued into July.... Here's the latest on what's happening at the border." ~~~
~~~ Marie: Here's a good example of what I meant in a comment yesterday when I said that Democrats don't have a good messenger. The presidential candidate who should be complaining about illegal border entry to the U.S. is Joe Biden. It was Donald Trump's who ordered his Senate lapdogs to vote against their own border protection bill, and it failed. Biden should be hammering Trump on this; I think he has mentioned it a few times, but not so as anyone would notice.
~~~~~~~~~~
Aaron Boxerman, et al., of the New York Times: "Israeli fighter jets bombed a port in Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Saturday in retaliation for the group's deadly drone attack in Tel Aviv a day earlier. It was the first time Israel has publicly struck the group following months of escalating Houthi attacks. The airstrikes targeted a power station as well as gas and oil depots in the area of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, according to a Houthi spokesman and two regional officials...."
Share Article
Reader Comments (20)
World's richest man, Elon Musk, shares AI video of 'Trump murdering
Biden.'
The article also states that Musk is an immigrant who is against
immigration. Also anti-trans after having a trans daughter. Whatta
guy!
https://www.rawstory.com/secret-service-elon-musk-trump-ai-biden/
Forrest,
Mentioned to a neighbor the other day that mom and pop landlords like ourselves don't just rent to people but to their problems and their psychoses as well. Seems also to work in reverse. When we reward people with tons of money or lotsa power, when they act in the world, their weirdnesses are suddenly ours, too.
Shoulda figured that one out much earlier than I did. I think I tumbled to it during the reign of Bush II.
And on further thought:
Kinda puts the lie to all that libertarian b.s. No man is an island and all that. We live in one another's pockets and pocketbooks. There's no escape outside of dreams. Period.
I wonder why Melanie isn't taking care of that bandaging. Isn't
that what wives and husbands usually do for each other?
Oh, I forgot, he probably can't pay her enough what with all his debts
and he's probably supporting a few 'ladies' on the side, or front.
First some housekeeping. Radio silence on my part resulted, first, from being on vacation, during which the tsunami of horrors began, with the Supine Court’s decision that Trump is a king, above the law. After our return, I decided upon a self-imposed moratorium on responding to the increasing avalanche of horrible news, due largely to the fact that any such responses would be little more than inchoate screeds consisting almost entirely of expletives not deleted.
I’ve since decided that some outlet for all of this existential angst is required to stave off permanent brain and soul damage. And so…
Too much to catch up on all at once, so some general observations before diving back into the trenches.
First, Biden. Yup. He has to go. Marie and many of you have assayed good reasons for this. I must admit that it has taken me a long time to fully agree. I had been holding out hope that we could win and I saw no one on the horizon better fitted for that job than Biden. With pretty much anyone else, we’re gonna lose. But it’s looking more and more likely that we’re gonna lose with Joe Biden as well.
Lots of reasons, the gaffes, the glitches, the regular stuff that comes with getting older. Plus, he looks old. The Fat Fascist, with his orange wig, spray tan, bulbous body, and constant screeching doesn’t look as old as Biden. And forget the dementia onset. The press, as they’ve always done, covers up Fatty’s mistakes, his garbled gobbledygook, and puts Biden’s missteps front and center.
For better or worse, we are a shallow culture, bewitched by imagery and looks, no matter how false. This is why cowardly draft dodgers like John Wayne and Donald Trump are still looked upon as avatars of heroic manliness.
We’re gonna lose. And there’s an excellent chance we lose the House and the Senate. Project 2025, here we come.
I watched only a bit of the final night of the Trump Bund Rally. The networks dutifully employ the trappings of what they still insist is a legitimate, genuine American political party, complete with Serious Music scored for blaring brass sections, kettle drums, and soaring climaxes. They should have been playing “Deutschland über alles”.
Anyone who still insists there’s no correlation between the Party of Traitors and the National Socialist German Workers Party has not been paying attention.
First, get security forces on your side. Does anyone care to challenge the idea that police and military are overwhelmingly right-wing in this country? And right-wing now means loyalty to Trump. Then get the courts. Trump owns the Supine Court and plenty of lower courts as well. Then the media. Corporate media has failed miserably in alerting the country to the threat of Trump fascism.
Want more proof that corporate media is not on our side? Just a couple of weeks ago, David Zaslav, CEO of the company that owns CNN said he doesn’t care who wins as long as the next president lets business alone, allows him to keep making billions, reduces regulations on corporations, and keeps taxes low. Does that sound like Biden? Abso-fucking-lutely not. So the owner of CNN is all in on Trump.
Kids, we were are now the Weimar Republic. It doesn’t matter if most of the country does not want to live under a fascist regime, there’s no choice now. We’re fucked.
But here’s the good news (okay, it’s all relative, but I need something to hang on to): fascist regimes don’t last very long. The last time someone predicted a thousand year Reich, it lasted for about 13 years and went down in flames. Steve Bannon has been predicting something similar to a thousand year Reich. The Heritage motherfuckers who wrote up that Project 2025 scheme seem to believe it too.
But fascist regimes have a short shelf life.
So. What do we do? Resist. We need our own resistance movement, our own long game for taking the country back from the Trumpy forces of evil. Democrats need to plan for a long term resistance and a revival of democracy. There are new faces out there who may not be ready today, but might in four years. As for the Christian Nationalists? Montesquieu once wrote that there have never been so many civil wars as in the kingdom of Christ. Hopefully, those assholes will eat each other. And don’t forget, Montesquieu was essential to the founders’ belief in the separation of church and state.
If nothing else, we need to learn that the institutions of democracy are not inviolable. We need to keep the belief in democracy alive through the coming darkness and plan for its resurgence.
In the series “Band of Brothers”, about paratroopers who started at D-Day and fought to the end of Hitler’s Reich, a captain tells a frightened trooper that the secret to being an effective soldier is to realize that you’re already dead. If you’re not worried about surviving, you can do what needs to be done and do it well.
We’re all dead.
Let’s get to the fight.
Quick addendum…
I’m not saying there’s no way we can win. There’s always a chance that people will vote in enough numbers to overcome whatever rat bastard scheme Trump’s lackeys have come up with this time, but barring that, given the hagiographic encomiums being draped over that fat fuck for yet another unearned lucky break in surviving the attempt by yet another disturbed guy with easy access to deadly weapons, a Democratic victory is less and less likely.
Nonetheless, whether we win or lose, Democrats need to plan for the future, to either hold on to power against the forces of hatred, bigotry, and greed, or survive the coming darkness and emerge strong, united, and with some fucking idea of how to push forward.
I think AOC has a point, that big donors have too large an influence on the party. I think plenty of Democratic voters will come out for Biden despite what Hollywood names and moneybags guys say. The problem is that too many name politicians are now lining up against him, and for good reason. Yeah, we need the money, but we also need a plan and we need to restock the team with winning pitchers, to return to that Pedro Martinez metaphor (full disclosure, I watched that game. It was excruciating).
Biden needs to go, and we need a plan going forward. But he needs to do it sooner rather than later. Today would be nice.
Welcome back, Akhilleus.
We missed your powerful voice. How powerful?
"Today would be nice" you just said, and now this:
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/07/21/us/trump-biden-election?campaign
Ken,
Hey, thanks. Say, if I really have that kind of power, lemme try something else.
Trump needs to admit he’s a loser, a liar, a grifter, a con man, rapist, and crook, drop out of the race and tell his fascist minions he’s passing the baton to Idiot Eric.
Wait for it….
Waiting….waiting…
Nah. Looks like I only get one wish a day. I’ll try again tomorrow.
Now, given the demographics of this country (whole lotta women), and to paraphrase Muddy Waters, with apologies
" ... Now all you pretty women
You just jump and shout
Vote against the pigboy
Vote his ass out!
He's not a man!
E'erbody know
Kamala whip his butt!
Now on with the show! "
The Democrats should emphasize the fact that those who voted for Biden to be the next nominee for president were basically also voting for Kamala Harris as his running mate and therefore his successor.
The Orange Racist Rapist and his horde of bigoted misogynistic mooks say they’re “Ready!” for Kamala Harris. We all know what that means.
She’s black, she’s Asian, she’s a she! Unfit!
It should be interesting how they attack Harris’s composite racial background given that Trump’s newly selected Vice Prick, the oleaginous, opportunistic, ass kissing metamorph, JD Vance’s wife is Indian.
Harris has not been the high visibility Democratic All Star I had hoped she’d be, but that may also be largely due to media indifference to covering a stable, sane, competent, experienced woman of color as opposed to the non-stop drama of the punks, pricks, preeners, peons, and pontificating putzes in the Trump camp.
To hell with an open convention. Is there someone better situated than Harris right now? (Keep an eye on Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, not for this run, but in the future.)
Let’s get this show back on track. The good thing about this development is that it should suck some media oxygen away from Saint Fatty, chosen by god (more on that later). The Shiny Object People will be looking at Democrats for a while, which means we can’t be looking like eighth grade campers who upset a hornets nest in the woods. Time to pull together to go right at that fat turd. As they say in that scene in “Ben Hur” in the middle of a naval battle: “Ramming speed!”
@Akhilleus: Usha Vance has already been given the "thumbs-down" from Trump's Nazi supporters. I expect that's why, during her convention introduction of J.D., she described him as "a meat-and-potatoes man." I think the idea was "J.D. is an all-American he-man. He does not eat that vegan or tandoori 'foreign' stuff."
So, yeah, the Trump campaign's "preparation" to attack Harris -- which got some press over the weekend -- is going to be along the lines of looking up euphemisms for "she's so Black" and "she's not Black enough." Also, if Barack Obama is a foreigner, Kamala is a Jamaican or Indian. And worst of all, as you say, is that she's a girl, a girl who doesn't "know her place."
OMG, it hasn't even been two hours since the annoucement by Biden and MSNBC with Katy Tur is fixated on the fact that not every single Democrat has put out an endorsement of Harris in their initial reactions and praise for Joe putting the country over his personal ambitions. It is going to be a long few months watching the media continuing to warp most stories into soap opera dramas and downplay Trump and Vance's extreme thoughts and policies.
RAS,
I'm sure it's more complicated than I could possibly know, but Katy Tur has shown that she has some hard-to-define thing for the Pretender...
Ken,
And she is not the only one. It is just frustrating to listen to when I'm trying to see if they are reporting anything actually newsworthy or noteworthy alongside Biden's announcement. I'm also projecting it out for the rest of the campaign and wondering how I can try to maintain a semblance of sanity going forward through all the muck. Though on the bright side we might actually hear the news talk about some the many, many accomplishments of Joe Biden's presidency for a day or two as they write him off into the sunset.
French does a nice job exploding more Republican "facts."
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/opinion/trump-administration-chaos.html
@Ken Winkes: Right you are. I'm guessing that Tur got stuck covering the Trump campaign in 2016 because nobody thought he was a serious candidate. Trump repeatedly called her "a third-rate reporter," and otherwise disparaged her. That -- plus the fact that Trump became the nominee -- gave Tur some prominence and "made" her career.
We're in good company. Earlier this year, Nanci Pelosi called Tur -- to her face -- an "apologist" for Trump. Tur was not amused.
Don’t waste energy stressing about how lackadaisical, unfair, and right-wingishly stenographic the corporate media is and will be for the entirety of the campaign. All major media outlets are owned by huge corporations, beholden to stockholders and grasping for profits.
Nuance, a sense of history, critical discrimination, and attention to important details are not in their interest. That last night of the Trump coronation, as the MIA Melanie slithered onto the stage, I heard an NBC reporter, incredibly, announce in gushing tones that Mrs. Fatty has been by her philandering husband’s side throughout the campaign.
That is a flat out, undeniable lie, but it was necessary for the network to align itself with the fascist triumphalism of the moment. Of course Eva Braun hasn’t been avoiding der fuhrer! Explaining that Melanie has been seething over the public airing of Fatty’s extramarital dalliance with a porn star while she was home with the baby would not be acceptable. Like so much—pretty much ALL of the Trump life—better to smooth things over and People Magazine the whole thing. Isn’t it just too, too marvelous? Just like Camelot again!
But oh, those Bidens!!
And no one is gonna come out and say that Melanie sees Grift Dollars in her head if only she’ll pretend everything is just hunky dorey in Trump World! Oooooh….
It ain’t gonna get any better, so don’t even think it will.
Anti-Trump Harris ad.
Atheist Adam from Threads:
[Marie: Text of copyrighted poem removed. Not exactly Yeats, but worth reading.]
Should Kamala Harris beat the fat fascist bully and become not only the first woman to win the White House, but the first woman of color, it may turn out to be one of the best decisions Joe Biden has made in a long and (mostly) illustrious career.
He deserves a load of credit for putting the country before his own desires, win or lose, something Trump has never done in his entire, overly privileged, silver spoon up the ass, rat bastard “I come first” fuckstick, cancerous life.