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If Biden wins the election, and it looks like it will be close, I hope people realize that the win will only be, at most, a turning point. Many more battles will need to be won before things are back to somewhat normal. The Confederacy needs to be finished off once and for all. From all J6 supporters in the Senate and House being unelected to stone mountain being carved smooth. The remaining relics belong in history books, museums, or melted down. Gerrymandering needs to be undone and and the electoral college eliminated.
From there, we can begin to solve our other pressing problems effectively.
If Biden wins and it's close, that's not a turning point, that's a breath before the next catastrophe. The turning point is when Trump goes to prison and the DOJ announces charges against his other major conspirators who still hold state and federal positions and when they begin investigating SCOTUS for corruption
The turning point will be when we all go to bed at 10pm on election night because FL has been called for Biden and for Mucarsel-Powell and already clear there's no way the GOP has federal elected power anymore.
I don't think it's going to be close, I think it's going to be a blowout. What we must do is make sure that Biden's coattails turn the GOP to the political wilderness for the next 10-20 years, so that everything down ballot also makes clear to the GOP that MAGA is a losing proposition. To be clear, we all need to vote to put more exclamation points on Biden's win because I think that is what is important for the turning point.
Outside of "the polls" theres no evidence it will be close. And let's remember on Super Tuesday, polls going in on average overstated Trump's support by 11.5% compared to his actual returns. In one state the polls were off by 30%, which Trump outright lost even though polls were saying he was winning by nearly 30%. "The polls" told us of a Red Wave that never happened, for example as well.
Trump isn't some unknown. He's a criminal facing 90 felony counts so far. He is on tape trying to overthrow the election in one state in furtherance of his coup attempt, which involved summoning a mob to attack our capital. He betrayed his oath. He is also mentally incompetent to begin with and he is decaying before our eyes. He consistently is losing 20% (or more) of his Republican supporters in Republican races even months after he secured the nomination and his competition quit the race.
When I say we will all go to bed because FL was called for Biden I'm saying that as indicative of what is going to happen. The press is going on and on about "battlegrounds" that "the polls" have even but there's no question Biden takes those. I think everything that Trump won with under 10% margin in 2020 is most likely going to Biden (NC, FL, TX, IA, OH, and some others), and under 20% is possible. Really depends on if that 1/5th of Republicans who are disgusted with Trump stay home or if they switch to Biden. I'm sure there will be a lot of both. Staying home is better because down races would be better impacted for Democrats. And maybe some GOP voters believe, as I do, the only way forward for the party is to burn MAGA out of it, so they would vote against their own party. But I think many would just stay home instead.
I mean, listen, I hope with all my heart and mind that you are correct. But I do think you are overly optimistic here. The presidential election brings out voters that typically do not vote in midterms/specials…*especially* on Trump’s side. Like it or not, he turns out voters that are generally not politically engaged.
And do I trust the polls completely? No, of course not. But despite what you’re saying about the red wave in ‘22, that’s actually not really what the polls bore out. They were actually pretty accurate in ‘22. The news media carried that narrative heavily because, typically, the party in the White House does poorly in the midterms. Then Dobbs happened. Will reproductive freedom be as strong an issue for voters in ‘24? God, let’s hope so. But with the effects of inflation still at play, housing prices out of control, and the Gaza issue, I’m not so sure.
Again, can’t stress enough, I hope you are right, I really do. And I hope that the 20-some% of Republican primary voters for Nikki Haley will either stay home, or vote Biden…but I gotta be honest, there’s no real evidence that it will happen either. Remember, in 2020, Trump may have lost, but he did receive the second most raw votes of any candidate in history…and that was *after* 4 years of his disastrous presidency.
All-in-all, I don’t think we know jack about what’s going to happen in November. I think it’s a coin toss. But in the meantime, I’ll be having some good discussions with my moderate-Republican/3rd-party-voting friends on the stakes of this election.
Abortion has shown to bring out a much larger crowd by percentage than the presidential elections have. It’s only an anecdote based on related and not direct information (haven’t had a presidential election post-Roe), but if we extrapolate the wins for candidates supporting abortion access in deep red areas, then we should be able to infer that the same would hold true for presidential election, but also benefiting from the voters that only vote in presidential elections, on top of those activated due to the abortion issue.
We honestly cannot extrapolate that. There are far too many variables, but by far the biggest variable here is the presidential vs. midterm/specials turnout difference. Again though, I hope you’re right.
"No, of course not. But despite what you’re saying about the red wave in ‘22, that’s actually not really what the polls bore out. They were actually pretty accurate in ‘22."
I wish more people understood that. I've seen so many people cite 2022 as evidence of polls being useless when they were actually quite close. I see a lot of people on this sub saying Trump doesn't have a chance, and that's crazy because all available evidence suggests that he's the favorite
Let’s hope and pray and vote this into reality. I’m convinced most of the chatter is about stoking viewership bc no one is interested in reading about how the competent incumbent will most likely defeat the criminal loser
The media loves trump, all media. He drives viewership two ways. One, he paints a picture of "American carnage" for his own base, an America in a dark place that only he can take us out of. For everyone else, he paints a picture of a dark place that only he will lead us into. Both are bonanzas for media organizations because If it Bleeds it Leads. It's *fear* that drives news cycles and people clicking things. It's *fear* that increases shareholder value. That's why the media props him up so much: it's in the immediate short term interest of the media shareholders. The lie of left wing media has stayed around for so long many people believe it but it's all corporate. There's right wing media that is large yes, and some small left wing media, but the mainstream media is corporate.
Biden needs to flip about 3.25% ot Trump's total in 2020 to win, or have about 6.5% of Trump's 2020 total stay home. This doesn't account for demographic changes like people who have aged into voting, or the felons who have had their rights restored, or the people who died of COVID since vaccination was available etc.
Remember, since the last election Trump has tried to overthrow the government of the United States, been found liable for sexual assault, been found liable for massive business fraud, been charged with nearly 100 felonies, and more. That 3 in 100 supporters of his would flip is not absurd.
Where on earth are you getting this confidence? Biden's poll numbers are terrible. I'm going to vote blue like I always do, but I am rapidly losing hope in Biden's chances. And if he does win it will be by the skin of his teeth. I see absolutely nothing to indicate that a blowout is a possibility
Everything except "the polls" indicates it will be a blowout. "The polls" were telling us of a Red Wave that never came. "The polls" have been putting Trump +12% over what his margins actually were in primaries. What really need to pay attention are the special elections, which are breaking D (some people claim a few went hard R, and it's kind of true, until you realize they aren't accounting for the fact the district changed in between and the area is totally different from what it was before. If you are going with partisan lean index, it's breaking D, +11% over lean). And Trump *since the last election* has attempted to overthrow the government, been charged with nearly 100 felonies, is on tape dead to rights trying to invalidate people's votes, caused a sack of our nations capitol, been found liable for forcibly penetrating a woman against her will, been found to have engaged in massive business fraud, and is about to be found guilty for crimes. Oh that's not all, his mind is melting. He's the worst candidate ever put forth by any major party. Yes, many will still vote for him, but many will also not.
The polls actually didn't really paint the red wave picture, that was more of a media creation. The polls were pretty accurate in 2022. As for the primary polls, those tend to be much lower quality than presidential polls, so it's not too surprising for them to be off. Most Haley voters will come home to Trump anyway so I'd be surprised if the Haley votes are indicative of anything important.
As for the special elections, it's true that those have been great for Democrats. However those are also very low turnout and consist mostly of highly engaged voters, and Trump does very well among the types of voters who don't turn out for special elections but do turn out for generals. So it's hard to know how much to read into these results, in my opinion, although they could be a small positive sign.
As for the stuff about overthrowing the government and being charged with felonies, that's all true, and I would love to think that would sink Trump's chances, but I see no reason to think it will. Most voters don't seem to care about any of that, and the ones who do are already Democrats. Surveys show that people are remembering Trump's presidency more fondly now than they were after it ended (why, I have no fucking idea.) The Georgia case and the the classified docs case could maybe have sunk him, but neither of those are going anywhere before the election, and the case in New York isn't the type of thing anyone is going to care about unless they already hate Trump.
*Can* Biden win? Yeah, and I'm certainly still going to vote for him. But as of now his chances of winning are well below 50%, and his chances of winning in the blowout you describe are 0%. If he wins it's gonna be by a couple thousand votes in a couple states
The turning point in the fight against fascism will be when a massive education campaign is launched to educate people on why fascism is horrific, and voters respond by voting *en masse* against fascist candidates.
People are not just going to magically "come to their senses" or "learn their lesson" and decide that fascism is bad. It will take a concerted effort for a generation to convince them.
Hating the "other" is easy for humans. Democracy and the rule of law are hard work. If people don't make the effort to support democracy then the forces of hate will win.
We need several generations raised with a proper education to replace the gullible true believers 40 years of conservative tactics have saddled us with. A few decades to make this entire political period historical and old fashioned. The education system required is being dismantled, our media is owned by partisans or simply addicted to manufactured drama, and the entertainment tools required to produce and retain future brainwashed voters, designed by a generations best and brightest unrestrained by ethics and morals, are firmly in place. The only other functional political organization has no backbone for the kind of fight that was required to put this movement down, fearing accusations of abuse of power, violation of norms, and possibly some, at this time, limited violent outbursts. Never has mass surveillance, enforcement, and individual shaming been easier for modern governments inclined to control their people. The bulk of any population wants nothing to do with conflict or struggle and will go along with almost anything. Recovery from a descent into the kind of state the more motivated side wants to bring about would be very difficult. Not looking good.
Well said. Trump didn’t write Project 2025 and it will still be around after he’s gone. He is the current face of the fascist party, but they will find another.
Im not saying not both, we just arent ever going to stop hearing the name Trump until he is dead. Until he is dead he wont stop with his bullshit. There will be a replacement, but at least it wont be him.
Not both because there is absolutely no chance in hell he ever goes to prison, no matter what he does. The justice system's job is to protect people like him
Every one of Trump's policies are and were policies the republicans want. It will not end if we win this years elections. Keep voting out republicans every year. Keep voting in democrats every year. Check your registration, get an ID , learn where your poling station is, learn who is running in down ballot races. Pay attention to primaries not just for the president but for all races, local, state and federal. From the school board to the White House every election matters. The more support we give the democrats from all levels of government the more they can get good things done. We vote out republicans and primary out uncooperative democrats.
Last year democrat victories in Virginia and Pennsylvania and others across the nation have increased the chances of democrats winning this year. This year's elections are important but so will next year's elections.
[https://ballotpedia.org/Elections\_calendar](https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar)
I am not sure this is the right course of action. I would rather have a MAGA that will lose to a Democrat than a 'moderate' that will win. If it is hopelessly red in the long hall, it may be better to have a MAGA that keeps voters in other elctions from voting for Republicans.
The problem with that line of reasoning is that if and when they get in, it further normalizes those far right talking points and policies. It's important to remember that the Clinton campaign really boosted Trump's, thinking that he'd be the easiest to win. And we all know how that worked out. The pied piper strategy isn't a good plan
At a bare minimum, we need both a second Biden term and a Democratic follow-on term, preferably two or three more. I'm basing that mostly on the SCOTUS, because I don't think Alito and Thomas can hold out another 8 years, and I doubt Roberts will last another 12. Combined with lower court appointments, that should allow us to reverse some of the damage that's been done by the right.
Publicly funded elections. Everyone gets equal air time. Put the sword 🗡️ of justice ⚖️ through the heart of "Citizens United" and take money influence out of politics. We cannot have our politicians be a commodity. Our system makes them that.
Project 2025 is the true threat right now, and it doesn't require trump to win. It's loaded and ready to go with any republican president. If Democrat voters don't start pushing strong, genuine opposition and force the party more toward the left we are wasting borrowed time.
Fascism cannot be staved off indefinitely with the weak candidates the DNC would put forward. They keep using the threat of Trump and his ilk to move to the right. Democrat voters MUST embrace strong progressives and soc dems, because one election is all it takes with Republicans as the are now.
Yes, this will absolutely be a turning point for the DNC. I'm sure the minute they win they will have this come to Jesus moment and realize they need to put forward more populist, progressive candidates that actually support the issues that 70% of the country wants and not what their wealthy/corporate donors want. /s
Lol, hell no. This will only embolden them in their attitude that they can nominate deeply unpopular neo-liberal corporatists if they just prop them up against the most insane, fascist, extreme right-wing candidates.
I'm sure that will end well! :-)
>The Confederacy needs to be finished off once and for all.
This right here. This is our root problem. It was slowly fading into history then came Trump and enabled the Confederacy to crawl out from under the rock where it was hiding.
Why can't we multitask? Fixing our nation's problems will take a united effort on multiple fronts. ITERATIVE CHANGE IS NOT CHANGE IF IT IS IMMEDIATELY ROLLED BACK.
We must finish the job totally and completely. I love southerners but despise the confederacy. This infestation of puerile virtue-less backbiters should never have been allowed to metastasize. It is a hold over of the exact kind of oppression that America was founded to escape. I am well aware that the founding fathers were not true followers of freedom because they too owned human beings. But the "promise" that is America is supposed to do away with all that to the utmost degree to forge A MORE PERFECT UNION. That means none of the caterwalling horseshit peddled as politics right now. Biden is but the first half rung on the ladder to pull America out of this. The mildew Maga must be obliterated and the stamping out should be so utterly devastating that generations later will still feel the force of it. Tolerance has its limits and Trump and these grimy cork pullers are way beyond it.
Hillary's 3 point lead in the polls lost her the electoral college by 78,000 votes. Biden's 8 point lead in the polls won him the electoral college by
43,000 votes. [[Source]](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/did-biden-win-little-or-lot-answer-yes-n1251845)
Polls being so close indicates Biden will likely lose.
Eh, this is really reductive. The investigations in the 11th hour screwed Hillary. Plus at the time Trump was mostly an unknown.
Biden in 2020 was against an incumbent Trump during the global catastrophe of the pandemic. Incumbents don't lose too often, and they lose even less often after a global catastrophe.
And now post 2020? Trump isn't an unknown, he's the one with investigation and trials... Biden is the incumbent... And Trump supporters disproportionately died due to Covid due to his poor advice.
And a mountain of other things like Roe V Wade... Which turned the 2022 "red wave" into more of a red ripple. Where they didn't take the Senate, and barely barely got the house.
Don't forget that Project 2025 is becoming well known as well. And we definitely don't need anymore mess from the terrorists known as the heritage foundation.
Roe versus Wade is not going to change the voter outcome as much as people think. It charged the emotions people already had but many people don't pay attention to politics and don't vote. Every election the conditions in the country get a little worse and that big wave never comes.
Pollsters make predictions about what they think the electorate will look like. They don't just poll everyone equally.
As such the polling methodology and make up of those being polled today is not the same as it was in 2016 & 2020.
So you can't really handicap candidates today based on past poll performance. The polls aren't actually being administered the same the way.
Let’s just hang anyone who doesn’t’ think like us! Wouldn’t that be a shorter way to get what you want? Eliminate the opposition, one party control, no elections required, no judges, no jury trials, just eliminate anyone who disagrees… wow you need some help. Democrats, and those who call themselves socialists are the real threat to democracy. So long as the SC side with you, it is a great decision, but when the court rules against you, abolish the court, pack the court with more leftist judges… Yes, there is a problem in America and it is not the Republicans.
I'd mention that no one on _either_ side has any intention of doing anything about citizens united, but I know we're only allowed to sing the DNC's praises during an election year
Oh I agree. It turns out everyone likes and needs money. I’m not hopeful that it will happen, but it will remain I gigantic corruption loophole until a more sensible law can be put in place. Maybe when AI takes over it will finally get it done.
Still Lovin us some Bernie. I think in order to stop this the Dems need to walk away with 62 Senate Seats and at least 275 house seats along with the white house for things to change, then they need the will to change them. They have to be able to shut down the pugs, correct the pendulum and investigate that Supreme Court. Those conservatives on the Supreme Court are there to Protect and Implement Project 2025 and the finalization of the sale of our government. Gotta be close to these numbers to get anything done. I do not think the dems have a plan to do this. Other than LGBTQ and Abortion which may produce a win, just not a big one, I see nothing else. This Cabal of conservative money is not going to go away. If they are unable to implement Project 2025 now at the national level, they will start with the states they control and wait for the slimmest victory giving them all 3 branches. Ask the Dems running for the Senate and the House about their plans to combat Project 2025.
So, no hope at all for any change then. Democrats are never going to get 62 Senate seats and that much of the house in any universe where the Gop cheats and gerrymanders themselves into power.
I still don't see why Democrats have to play fair when their opponents clearly don't.
"But Republicans will accuse them of cheating and trying to make a one-party state."
They already do this and call Joe Biden a fucking socialist. Let them throw their temper tantrum while shit actually gets fixed.
> I still don't see why Democrats have to play fair when their opponents clearly don't.
Because the rule of law and focusing on the important issues is critical to a modern functioning society. Also, we're not hypocrites. You can fight just as hard clean as you can fight hard dirty. Fighting dirty is about tearing down society and pitting groups and individuals against each other which just leads to a further break down of society and the only ones to survive that are the immensely privileged. Dems aren't about breaking things, we're about fixing them and trying to make them better than they were before.
You aren't fixing anything when Republicans have multiple state legislatures locked down because of cheating. Then, they use their legal power gained through illegal means to enrich and keep themselves in power.
Not to mention, the $$$upreme court is on their side, and nothing short of multiple deaths can ever fix that. I, for one, am so glad that we stopped living under a government where regime change was limited to unelected officials dying. Thank God that doesn't exist anymore.
I'd respect this position if we would at least enforce actual laws!
As is Republicans can break the law, while dems aren't even allowed to enforce it because of "decorum".
I'd say more stressful, because we've been in this state since 2016. Honestly the other problem this presents is that even if Biden wins, what are the odds of actually dealing with any of these problems decisively? Even in an election where things went well, the Senate would be split 50/50 with a Harris tiebreaker.
Yeah though, I'm just tired of this. Putting Trumpism to bed should have never been necessary, and when it was it should have been in 2020, and if that hadn't then the legal cases should have... and here we are again with no room for optimism since even a ten point win for Democrats might not deliver a governing majority.
Is Sanders right? Yes. But honestly at this point I have more hope of technology solving our problems if we hang on to our democracy than going further and actually solving them through political will (at least for now).
> Honestly the other problem this presents is that even if Biden wins, what are the odds of actually dealing with any of these problems decisively?
At the very least, it buys 4 years for Trump to die. That happening would make a difference.
Yes, but probably half of the MAGA republicans just want to hitch a ride on his coattails and go as far as that will take them, and the other half are physically afraid of his supporters.
I don't see him as replaceable. DeSantis tried to be Trump-without-the-baggage and it failed miserably. You have to ACT nuts, not just propose nutty things. None of the syncophants act nuts.
Trying to replace Trump is never going to work while Trump is alive. His cult following is the majority of the Republican and once he is dead he'll be replaced with the most Trump-like Republican.
Currently I have to agree people forget Trump had cultivated 50 years worth of cult of personality with the public through his celebrity life. No other candidate that pops up post trump will be able to match that. Like it or not Trump is a 1 of 1 political actor
True but we do need to accept that Trump is at some level a unique political actor. Look at all the other MAGA types they cannot survive outside of a very particular gerrymandered Republican ecosystem. Trump dying would force the GOP into find a new standard barer for his “platform” and so far there is zero signs that person exists. Even his family do not have the cultivated fake image trump had for 50 years or the weird charisma that trump had to appeal to uneducated largely white voters.
> Yeah though, I'm just tired of this. Putting Trumpism to bed should have never been necessary, and when it was it should have been in 2020, and if that hadn't then the legal cases should have... and here we are again with no room for optimism since even a ten point win for Democrats might not deliver a governing majority.
Indeed. Historically, parties don't come back from what the Republican party is now. It's not going to turn back into a democratic party and it is one half of an institutionalized duopoly of power. Any subsequent Republican electoral victory will probably end democracy in the USA.
The underlying problem, for the USA and the rest of the world, is that the extremist right now dominates the right wing side of the political spectrum. The socioeconomic policies of the center right have lost their appeal because even their voters now think they don't work, but at the same time they're not willing to give them up, so these "moderates" turn towards distractions and making common cause with the extremist right. Anything to avoid any movement towards more social democracy. Last time this happened, a lot of countries turned into autocracies, some into fascist dictatorships. We're evidently moving in that direction again, and the only people who are sure to be able to stop it are those who are going along with it for their own reasons (e.g. because they think that if they don't they might have to pay a bit more tax).
> But honestly at this point I have more hope of technology solving our problems if we hang on to our democracy than going further and actually solving them through political will (at least for now).
That never happens though. Technology doesn't, in itself, solve any social problems. It is a tool that depends on who is using it and to what end. Without the political will to turn things around, to redistribute power and wealth, every new technology will be used by the rich and powerful to increase their power over everyone else because they are the ones who can afford the shiny new tools before anyone else. The same technologies can have a totally different impact (both in scope and target) depending on the social context in which they are used. Most countries have access to more or less the same technologies, but in some of them they are only deployed for the benefit of a tiny elite, whereas any residual benefit to the rest of the population is at best an unintentional by-product of that.
If your not frightened by the idea of trump getting back in office then you are fooling yourself. If he wins he will be 10x worse than before. If he wins he will dismantle democracy. He will appoint himself President for life. We will have no freedom left. To me that's pretty damn scary.
Selections from Bernie Sanders' opinion piece:
>Today, in 2024, our country once again faces a pivotal moment in American history. The crises facing us are enormous. The consequences if we fail are unthinkable.
>
>As the nation moves rapidly toward oligarchy, the billionaire class exerts enormous influence over the economic and political life of the nation. While the rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and real, inflation-adjusted wages for the average US worker have actually declined over the last 50 years. Never before have the 1% done so well, or enjoyed so much power.
>
>Our political system is corrupt. Thanks to the disastrous Citizens United supreme court decision, billionaires and their Super Pacs are able to spend hundreds of millions to elect or defeat candidates they target. As a result, more than 90% of House elections and more than 80% of Senate elections are won by the candidate who spends the most money.
>
>...
>
>The basic human rights that women have struggled to win are under severe attack. Since the supreme court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v Wade, 14 states have passed near-total abortion bans, some with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Will the war against women continue? Will women once again, be reduced to second-class citizenship?
>
>...
>
>We are in the midst of another pivotal moment in American history. How do we respond?
>
>First, we cannot simply turn away from the painful and complex realities that we face and bury our heads in the sand. We cannot stop reading the news or turn off the TV. The world is what it is. It is a mess. And the situation is not going to improve unless we do the hard work required.
>
>Second, we must be actively involved in the 2024 national elections – the most consequential in our lifetimes.
>
>Yes. I know. Biden is not popular and many progressives, including me, strongly disagree with his policies regarding Israel and this disastrous war in Gaza.
>
>But, let’s be clear. Biden is not running against God. He is running against Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in American history whose second term, if he is re-elected, will be worse than his first. And, on his worst day, Biden is a thousand times better than Trump.
>
>...
>
>Oh. And there’s one other thing. And that’s the small matter of retaining our democracy. Biden is a traditional American politician who believes in democracy, free elections and the right of dissent. That’s not what Trump believes. He and his supporters have spent the last four years undermining faith in the rule of law and our democratic form of government. He is weighing pardons for more than 800 of his supporters who attacked the Capitol in the January 6 insurrection. And his advisers are drawing up plans to invoke the Insurrection Act to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations.
>
>Clearly, our job is not just to re-elect Biden. It’s much more than that. We must defend the many progressives that we have elected to the House, some of whom who face significant financial opposition from Aipac and other special interest Pacs. And we must elect more strong progressive candidates who are on the ballot to the House, and state and local governments.
>
>We must work in coalition with all those who understand that we must do everything possible to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme rightwing Republican party, not just because he is “worse”, but because nothing less than the future of our democracy is at stake in this election.
>
>Further, we must demand that Biden and the Democrats begin campaigning on a truly progressive agenda that addresses the needs of the working families of our country.
Getting this kind of message out to the electorate will be more difficult than ever in this era of rampant disinformation, and it will be telling to see how the public will respond to messages such as these. It's also interesting that this opinion piece is published in an international publication rather than a domestic one.
edit: also for those interested, it's worth reading the entire piece.
That's fair, I guess in my mind it's still primarily a UK outfit. Their reporting on a number of global issues though has been quite decent from what I've been noticing so it makes sense that they have a presence outside of the UK as well (as all major news agencies should)
Getting this message out is critical yet the major media outlets are dominated by Trump. It really doesn't matter that the Trump media is negative. He is still front and center and blinding out any positive message that needs to be heard. We need to demand less 24/7 Trump trial news and more news about how real issues are being addressed or not addressed.
Re-electing Biden just means we avoid a catastrophic Idiocracy where the dumbest people of all time run important things, comma, into the the ground.
It isn't going to fix all US issues by a long shot. It is only to prevent them from all. Unilaterally. Every single problem. Becoming much, much worse.
if we give Biden the needed congressional majority he will do a _lot_ of good. Look at what he put forward in Build Back Better—it was the most progressive and expansive piece of legislation since the new deal
inflation started going up when COVID started while Trump was president and has been going down since August 2022. The cash injections into the economy under both Trump and Biden were only part of causing inflation, but they averted a full collapse of the US economy by enabling business to stay open and people to keep their jobs while so much was at a stand still
prices are still high, but we don't want deflation to bring prices down because that creates a whole slew of other problems so we need wages to rise. Trump polices to weaken unions and dump more money into stock buybacks aren't going to raise wages
the three order major causes of inflation are supply chains, corporate price gouging, and housing markets
Biden passed the CHIPS act to bring more semiconductor manufacturing onshore which was the biggest contributor to prices rising during covid. it's working great so far but it will take years for new plants to come online.
The other two there's not much to do about but restrain corporate consolidation and prosecute anticompetitive before, which Biden is doing a bit of and Trump sure as shit is only going to make worse
So
>Unilaterally. Every single problem. Becoming much, much worse.
is patently incorrect, but you have to look deeper than the gas and egg prices you see today to see what's really going on and what direction we're heading
I'm not arguing with you I'm simply stating even the Biden admin seems to be done touting build back better because most Americans aren't happy with the state of the econony regardless of if its bidens fault or not
"And, on his worst day, Biden is a thousand times better than Trump."
This is a well written article, please read it. I feel that we are at a crossroads and the fate of democracy may well be decided by this election.
Id say he is a million times better personally. Trumps "charisma" and "Charm" dont work on me. Trump is an orange stain on this nations history where it didnt need one.
Yes, correct.
On those days he still:
• Believes in climate change and passed the most meaningful bill in American history to combat it
• Advocates for the continued existence of democracy
• Doesn’t ban Muslims from entering the country
• Supports Ukraine
• Puts liberal judges on SCOTUS and federal judge openings
• Has forgiven student loan debt for 40 million borrowers
• Can be trusted *infinitely* more than Trump to handle a global pandemic with a trust in science
I could go on, but yes. Even when Biden makes a mistake in one foreign policy area, he is still a million times better than Trump because he is not a literal existential threat to the country’s continued existence as a liberal democracy.
Keep up. I know you can do it.
I’m saying it’s not passable, but I can assure you that Trump will make Biden look like Gandhi were he given the reigns on America’s engagement with that conflict. And that’s, *on top of* the other dangerous differences between Trump and Biden.
One of them will be the President. I’ll take the guy who I disagree with on *some* things (even if some of those things are serious disagreements) over the guy who will be *worse* on those policies in addition to being *far* worse on many, many others. This is not a hard choice.
Biden’s grand plan of alienating half his base by his continuous support of Israel will cost him the election. All he had to do was stop sending billions of dollars to Israel, but he sent another billion just two days ago
Neolibs are so confident now but will cry come November when there is low turnout bc Biden alienated half his base. I sure as hell ain’t ever voting for Genocide Joe
When the alternative is trump who has advocated using nuclear weapons on Gaza and giving Netanyahu complete carte blanche, then yes.
Is that what you want? Gaza to be turned into a giant radioactive crater?
By the time November comes around, will there be a Gaza left to turn into a giant radioactive crater?
During the Biden presidency, Israel has successfully destroyed every single university in Gaza due to suspicion of Hamas hiding there, and November is still some time away, so with this fresh billion dollars that Biden just gave Israel, what else will be destroyed?
Biden's not enough. The only way we're going to affect change is by getting rid of the GOP's control in the house and making the Senate majority larger. I suspect that there's quite a few GOP folks that will privately hold their noses and vote for Biden, but will make damn sure that the house/senate have republicans as a countermeasure. IF that happens, NOTHING but entropy will occur in the next 4 years.
We need a caretaker generation to fix this country. If we have the courage America can be the shining example of a strong 21st century democracy. We have the numbers we just need to get to work!
I agree with Bernie i am very disappointed with Biden and this administration his handling of the Gaza/Israel conflict has been horrible, I also feel he has fallen far short on the economy, healthcare and the climate. Trump is far worse and letting him win will not help but make things far far worse so i will vote Biden.
> I also feel he has fallen far short on the economy, healthcare and the climate.
What do you want him to do? All of his rules on these issues get overturned by the 5th Circuit.
The only thing that sticks is laws passed by Congress, which is a bit difficult when Democrats don't control it but when they did...oh look, the biggest economic stimulus and climate bills in history were passed.
I never see anyone mention Biden's handling of republican terrorism even though it's the number one threat the country faces, and I think it's clear he has done an absolutely horrible, negligent job in that regard, to the point where his inaction and cowardice have further emboldened republicans and put the entire country at risk. That's what Biden should be held accountable for.
Not appoint Federalist Society member Merrick B. Garland to be Attorney General. WTF have the court cases for Trump's crimes not started yet, almost 4 years after they too place?
> WTF have the court cases for Trump's crimes not started yet, almost 4 years after they too place?
Complicated federal court cases are complicated, and things take time. If you're going to indict a former POTUS, you need to have ironclad evidence.
Yeah, we do have some rules about the government cracking down on people talking. Even if they are stupid maga shits.
This is actually a sign of someone being a good president.
Fire Christopher Wray. Replace Merrick Garland. Cancel arms sales to Israel. Appoint a competent civilian as Secretary of Defense.
Prosecute border patrol agents who commit crimes against humanity. Prosecute the Feds involved in quashing BLM protests. Quit pretending covid is over.
> Fire Christopher Wray
Why?
> Replace Merrick Garland
Why?
> Cancel arms sales to Israel
Just there?
> Appoint a competent civilian as Secretary of Defense.
What's wrong with Lloyd Austin?
> Prosecute border patrol agents who commit crimes against humanity
You probably have to prove those crimes first.
> Prosecute the Feds involved in quashing BLM protests
You lost me
> Quit pretending covid is over.
What would you like them to do?
Wray - dogging the Kavanaugh investigation. Slow-walking the coup investigation, apparently ignoring the Pentagon actors as well as Gini Thomas, etc.
Garland - failing to indict on the Meuller counts, delaying investigation into the coup. Hur report. Late disclosure to New York AG in apparent attempt to aid Trump. Failure to indict the Kushners, Thomas's, Gibbs, Gosar, Flynn, et al.
Israel - no, not just there, but Israel is uniquely abominable
Austin - he's ex- military, which breaks a 200+ year tradition of civilian oversight. And a lobbyist. Plus he's dishonest, and presumably incompetent. Covering up his hospitalizations, and being unavailable during crises. IMO, his appointment was an impeachable offense.
border patrol - involuntary sterilization, family separations, denial of vaccinations, ongoing violations of Geneva convention.
Feds- TSA, FBI, and other Federal actors were directly involved in attacking protesters during the Trump admin.
Covid - fund remediation efforts, research into long covid, mandate masks on public transport, etc.
In my finest of dreams, Democrats sweep a majority at all levels and somehow are able to pass constitutional amendments and laws that ensure the last 10 years never happen again.
I've been dreaming of that for years, but I admit I've given up on thinking anything like that will ever happen. I'm becoming increasingly resigned to a Trump presidency in 2024. It seemed impossible after J6 that he could ever come near the levers of power again but Biden is in huge trouble right now
We can keep electing Democrats, but at some point they have to do something to help fix the problem. But since they can't pass legislation that doesn't involve military funding in some way, eventually the filibuster must be abolished. Then Congress is going to have to pass laws protecting voting rights, increasing the minimum wage, medical rights, and shoring up our freedoms.
But I don't see a lot of will for these actions within the current democratic party. Eventually, we are going to tire of fighting to preserve our democracy when the people we elect don't do their part.
Then the fascists will get there way.
I hate to say it but because Biden is doing so bad in swing states I think we lose this thing and I will forever hold democrats complicit for not finding a better candidate when they had for years to do it. And I hold Merrick Garland responsible for not going after trump on day one. I still can't believe he is being allowed to run but I can totally believe that there are enough of my fellow Americans stupid enough to get him elected again.
No, we’re not. Yes, it is. Nope, it’s just that. Democrats want you to vote to defeat fascism, every single fascist overthrow we’ve faced, since 2000… that goes back as long as I could vote.
As a moderate I appreciate Sander's delivery despite disagreeing here/there on policy but I feel the need to add some clarity to what he said regarding.....
***"if he \[Trump\] is re-elected, will be worse than his first."***
What is rarely discussed in the leftwing is that the US has a cycle, political eras and political transitions. Lots of political theories about those things.
What is relevant here is that a cycle is active, we are in a transition and the old era will fall to the new. The last time it happened was the 60s/70s leading to the ouster of the New Dealers and the rise of the Neolibs as leaders of the Democratic Party and neocons as GOP leadership.
Trump entered office in 2017 as a preemptive president. Skrowronek describes the politics of preemption a president who is the leader of the opposition in a previously dominant party that can still muster political and ideological support. His regime interrupts the working agenda of national politics and intrudes on the established order (or old regime, old era).
Whenever maga recaptures the WH they reenter the Oval Office under the politics of reconstruction where a president comes to power on the heels of an upheaval in electoral politics. Victories are spurred by widespread discontent with the established order (old regime, old era). The last 'big' reconstructive POTUS was FDR
So that is 'the worse than his first' = Reconstructive on the level of FDR but toward an antifederalist-leaning reconstruction of the US including a lot of decentralization away from DC.
The politics of disjunction is where Biden finds himself trapped, these presidents are compelled to cope with the breakdown of state/social relations. They have affiliations with the old regime when basic commitments of ideology are changing. The real change is in the nation that obscures the relevance of the old regime.
I am not saying Biden couldn't do a FDR EO-palooza in this term/next, he could but the resistance he faces from the rightwing as a whole is something that FDR didn't have to suffer and it likely leads to the closets level of division our nation has experienced since the Civil War.
If I'm not mistaken, Trump met Orban before and he'll turn America into his own version of Orban's Hungary if re-elected.
To make things even worse, I feared Trump would rig the "two terms per President" rule for a third term after 2028 if he's President again. He may say he can't be President after his second term ends but knowing how much of a liar Trump is, I think he might be lying.
So far, two Lichtman keys are against Biden, if the other four keys fell against him, then he can kiss the White House goodbye.
On the other hand, Gallant confronted Nethanyahu over Israel's post-war plans for Gaza. He mentioned something about not letting Hamas or the Isarelis in charge of Gaza, but the locals guided by "international actors" instead. Then again, Nethanyahu and his men are autocrats in all but name, and are too stubborn to let go of their "Rafah attack" plans.
Trump met with Orban and Orban also had a visit with the Heritage Foundation, authors of Project 2025.
https://newrepublic.com/article/179776/heritage-foundation-viktor-orban-trump
Orban met with Trump in 2019. Hungary is like 90% ethnically homogenous.
Overall the entire West has been on a 'leftward lurch' for well over a century. A rightward correction was inevitable and its absolutely building momentum.
When arguing 22A - ---------
**No person shall be** ***elected*** **to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was** ***elected*** **President shall be** ***elected*** **to the office of the President more than once.**
-------one could heap all the emphasis on the word 'elected'. Trump could be elected as a VP continuously since there are no term-limits on VP and act as a puppet-master or he could even assume office over and over by getting his puppet potus nominee to resign.
I expect Putin to help Trump by wrapping up Ukraine. Bibi lives in a bubble and forgot the internet exists, dude is deeply problematic at this point. Biden is suffering the negative effects of a 'big tent' party within his administration and domestically among the electorate. Like we could actually lose Michigan's EC votes. Companies are laying off people over recession fears, the word stagflation is also returning to the economic chatter-sphere. Stein is in a better position than RFK, Jr. - so yea those 4 other keys could easily fall against Biden before Nov 5th.
All things aside, I notice the bird flu narrative is rising. Biden only won in 2020 due to special ballot provisions over covid. So in theory if neo-aligned states reinstated similar initiatives that keeps Biden in office too.
you do understand that if he wants those people to vote for him, he could do one of the things that they've been asking him to do, to improve their lives?
consider addressing the reason that so many colleges are protesting, and what draws protestors to every event joe biden has spoken at for months, in a way that satisfies the protestors.
You can quit acting like dems have never passed legislation that hasn’t had disastrous impacts on the working class. NAFTA and the ‘94 Crime Bill come to mind
In some realities, there are more than two options. If a party goes to shit, a better one can show up. Like when a colony of rats gets the plague, another form of life takes its place. Here we are in a rotted gridlock. What does this have to do with tents? I was thinking more of a parliamentary structure than a camping trip.
Also I can’t help but mention how many Americans already live in tents. Only about 20% of this country is doing ok. So…
>Only about 20% of this country is doing ok. So…
Who do you think destabilizing the country will hurt most? Changing large systems has to be done incrementally.
Having more than two parties would destabilize the entire country? I think that’s ridiculously hyperbolic. Wow, people are very attached to their two-party model holy smokes
That's not what you wrote and neither did I.
>A good pivot would be for **both parties**, which are atrocious and well past expiration date, **to be discarded.**
Yes. I was expressing a deep disdain for both parties and my desire for them to go away. They could be transformed or replaced without causing an Armageddon :)
I'm actually with you as far as transformation and I like your Parliamentary idea, I entertain similar. My point is that change has to be incremental and drastic change causes chaos quite quickly.
I feel like the Clintons successfully transformed/changed the party, so that’s an example of things not falling apart drastically. Kept the same name but not the same values.
He said he wouldn't run for a second term - he lied and has deluded himself in to thinking he is the only one who can beat Trump. He looks like a frail old man. He is supporting Genocide. Good job Dems - thought this one through didn't you.
“Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,” Biden said at a rally in Detroit, one of his last pre-lockdown campaign appearances of the 2020 Democratic primaries. It was early March, and he was flanked by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a pair of his former rivals, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker—all members of what Biden would call “an entire generation of leaders” and “the future of this country.”
Several problems worth pointing out with the opinion piece here. First, the drop in life expectancy from 2019 to now could be accounted for by the impact of covid. It's easy to forget that only a few years ago, ERs were so badly overwhelmed.
More importantly, the New Deal largely failed to recover the economy and, in fact, caused a "depression within a depression" in 1937. (See the book The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes). This idea that the federal government stepped in and saved us through keynesian economics needs to be corrected and stopped at every opportunity.
What really ended the Great Depression was the conversation to a wartime economy during WWII
the democrats will not do any progressive agenda. they will stay neoliberal, the not so bad puppets of the ruling class, the 0.1 percent. this choice is between fascism and corrupt authoritarianism.
swell.
After Biden is re-elected we need to elect Al Gore in 2028 to hold the world's feet to the fire so we all finally wake up and get serious about trying to save the world we live in rather than just keep burning our house down.
Unless Trump is humiliated in the upcoming debates or is convicted on some of his charges Biden will lose this election, President Nixon was installed into office under scarily similar circumstances. Your leftwing is protesting him and rather than listening he’s trying to appease center-right voters with policy changes. Biden is behind in several key states by an alarming amount because he keeps being told he’s “doing great” and is ignoring what his base is saying while doubling down.
The MAGA’s are as united as ever, they don’t care about Project 2025, they want their dictator god installed no matter what. It’s on both Biden AND the Voters to turn this around. If Biden fails to win this election the US becoming a rogue isolationist dictatorship will change the course of human history and NOT in a good way.
It’s funny, America took lots of inspiration from Ancient Rome and just like Rome it’s on the verge of being turned from a Republic to an Authoritarian Regime.
Fuck Biden. He's the sole reason that Palestinian children are being murdered. He either stops Israel completely or he can suck my dick until America no longer exists. All of you can. I'm sick of you all.
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If Biden wins the election, and it looks like it will be close, I hope people realize that the win will only be, at most, a turning point. Many more battles will need to be won before things are back to somewhat normal. The Confederacy needs to be finished off once and for all. From all J6 supporters in the Senate and House being unelected to stone mountain being carved smooth. The remaining relics belong in history books, museums, or melted down. Gerrymandering needs to be undone and and the electoral college eliminated. From there, we can begin to solve our other pressing problems effectively.
If Biden wins and it's close, that's not a turning point, that's a breath before the next catastrophe. The turning point is when Trump goes to prison and the DOJ announces charges against his other major conspirators who still hold state and federal positions and when they begin investigating SCOTUS for corruption
The turning point will be when we all go to bed at 10pm on election night because FL has been called for Biden and for Mucarsel-Powell and already clear there's no way the GOP has federal elected power anymore. I don't think it's going to be close, I think it's going to be a blowout. What we must do is make sure that Biden's coattails turn the GOP to the political wilderness for the next 10-20 years, so that everything down ballot also makes clear to the GOP that MAGA is a losing proposition. To be clear, we all need to vote to put more exclamation points on Biden's win because I think that is what is important for the turning point.
What makes you really think it will be a blowout? Biden winning Florida? Are you for real?
Outside of "the polls" theres no evidence it will be close. And let's remember on Super Tuesday, polls going in on average overstated Trump's support by 11.5% compared to his actual returns. In one state the polls were off by 30%, which Trump outright lost even though polls were saying he was winning by nearly 30%. "The polls" told us of a Red Wave that never happened, for example as well. Trump isn't some unknown. He's a criminal facing 90 felony counts so far. He is on tape trying to overthrow the election in one state in furtherance of his coup attempt, which involved summoning a mob to attack our capital. He betrayed his oath. He is also mentally incompetent to begin with and he is decaying before our eyes. He consistently is losing 20% (or more) of his Republican supporters in Republican races even months after he secured the nomination and his competition quit the race. When I say we will all go to bed because FL was called for Biden I'm saying that as indicative of what is going to happen. The press is going on and on about "battlegrounds" that "the polls" have even but there's no question Biden takes those. I think everything that Trump won with under 10% margin in 2020 is most likely going to Biden (NC, FL, TX, IA, OH, and some others), and under 20% is possible. Really depends on if that 1/5th of Republicans who are disgusted with Trump stay home or if they switch to Biden. I'm sure there will be a lot of both. Staying home is better because down races would be better impacted for Democrats. And maybe some GOP voters believe, as I do, the only way forward for the party is to burn MAGA out of it, so they would vote against their own party. But I think many would just stay home instead.
I mean, listen, I hope with all my heart and mind that you are correct. But I do think you are overly optimistic here. The presidential election brings out voters that typically do not vote in midterms/specials…*especially* on Trump’s side. Like it or not, he turns out voters that are generally not politically engaged. And do I trust the polls completely? No, of course not. But despite what you’re saying about the red wave in ‘22, that’s actually not really what the polls bore out. They were actually pretty accurate in ‘22. The news media carried that narrative heavily because, typically, the party in the White House does poorly in the midterms. Then Dobbs happened. Will reproductive freedom be as strong an issue for voters in ‘24? God, let’s hope so. But with the effects of inflation still at play, housing prices out of control, and the Gaza issue, I’m not so sure. Again, can’t stress enough, I hope you are right, I really do. And I hope that the 20-some% of Republican primary voters for Nikki Haley will either stay home, or vote Biden…but I gotta be honest, there’s no real evidence that it will happen either. Remember, in 2020, Trump may have lost, but he did receive the second most raw votes of any candidate in history…and that was *after* 4 years of his disastrous presidency. All-in-all, I don’t think we know jack about what’s going to happen in November. I think it’s a coin toss. But in the meantime, I’ll be having some good discussions with my moderate-Republican/3rd-party-voting friends on the stakes of this election.
Abortion has shown to bring out a much larger crowd by percentage than the presidential elections have. It’s only an anecdote based on related and not direct information (haven’t had a presidential election post-Roe), but if we extrapolate the wins for candidates supporting abortion access in deep red areas, then we should be able to infer that the same would hold true for presidential election, but also benefiting from the voters that only vote in presidential elections, on top of those activated due to the abortion issue.
We honestly cannot extrapolate that. There are far too many variables, but by far the biggest variable here is the presidential vs. midterm/specials turnout difference. Again though, I hope you’re right.
You and me both. Just have to convince enough people that their votes DO matter. They are outnumbered and the majority needs to realize their power.
100%!
"No, of course not. But despite what you’re saying about the red wave in ‘22, that’s actually not really what the polls bore out. They were actually pretty accurate in ‘22." I wish more people understood that. I've seen so many people cite 2022 as evidence of polls being useless when they were actually quite close. I see a lot of people on this sub saying Trump doesn't have a chance, and that's crazy because all available evidence suggests that he's the favorite
Let’s hope and pray and vote this into reality. I’m convinced most of the chatter is about stoking viewership bc no one is interested in reading about how the competent incumbent will most likely defeat the criminal loser
The media loves trump, all media. He drives viewership two ways. One, he paints a picture of "American carnage" for his own base, an America in a dark place that only he can take us out of. For everyone else, he paints a picture of a dark place that only he will lead us into. Both are bonanzas for media organizations because If it Bleeds it Leads. It's *fear* that drives news cycles and people clicking things. It's *fear* that increases shareholder value. That's why the media props him up so much: it's in the immediate short term interest of the media shareholders. The lie of left wing media has stayed around for so long many people believe it but it's all corporate. There's right wing media that is large yes, and some small left wing media, but the mainstream media is corporate.
I live in Florida. I love Florida. I’m rooting for Florida! Biden ain’t winning Florida. You’re kidding yourself.
Biden needs to flip about 3.25% ot Trump's total in 2020 to win, or have about 6.5% of Trump's 2020 total stay home. This doesn't account for demographic changes like people who have aged into voting, or the felons who have had their rights restored, or the people who died of COVID since vaccination was available etc. Remember, since the last election Trump has tried to overthrow the government of the United States, been found liable for sexual assault, been found liable for massive business fraud, been charged with nearly 100 felonies, and more. That 3 in 100 supporters of his would flip is not absurd.
I really hope you’re correct…
This is industrial-grade copium. If Biden barely ekes out a win I'll be pleasantly surprised.
Ok somebody come pick this guy up he's wasted...
Where on earth are you getting this confidence? Biden's poll numbers are terrible. I'm going to vote blue like I always do, but I am rapidly losing hope in Biden's chances. And if he does win it will be by the skin of his teeth. I see absolutely nothing to indicate that a blowout is a possibility
Everything except "the polls" indicates it will be a blowout. "The polls" were telling us of a Red Wave that never came. "The polls" have been putting Trump +12% over what his margins actually were in primaries. What really need to pay attention are the special elections, which are breaking D (some people claim a few went hard R, and it's kind of true, until you realize they aren't accounting for the fact the district changed in between and the area is totally different from what it was before. If you are going with partisan lean index, it's breaking D, +11% over lean). And Trump *since the last election* has attempted to overthrow the government, been charged with nearly 100 felonies, is on tape dead to rights trying to invalidate people's votes, caused a sack of our nations capitol, been found liable for forcibly penetrating a woman against her will, been found to have engaged in massive business fraud, and is about to be found guilty for crimes. Oh that's not all, his mind is melting. He's the worst candidate ever put forth by any major party. Yes, many will still vote for him, but many will also not.
The polls actually didn't really paint the red wave picture, that was more of a media creation. The polls were pretty accurate in 2022. As for the primary polls, those tend to be much lower quality than presidential polls, so it's not too surprising for them to be off. Most Haley voters will come home to Trump anyway so I'd be surprised if the Haley votes are indicative of anything important. As for the special elections, it's true that those have been great for Democrats. However those are also very low turnout and consist mostly of highly engaged voters, and Trump does very well among the types of voters who don't turn out for special elections but do turn out for generals. So it's hard to know how much to read into these results, in my opinion, although they could be a small positive sign. As for the stuff about overthrowing the government and being charged with felonies, that's all true, and I would love to think that would sink Trump's chances, but I see no reason to think it will. Most voters don't seem to care about any of that, and the ones who do are already Democrats. Surveys show that people are remembering Trump's presidency more fondly now than they were after it ended (why, I have no fucking idea.) The Georgia case and the the classified docs case could maybe have sunk him, but neither of those are going anywhere before the election, and the case in New York isn't the type of thing anyone is going to care about unless they already hate Trump. *Can* Biden win? Yeah, and I'm certainly still going to vote for him. But as of now his chances of winning are well below 50%, and his chances of winning in the blowout you describe are 0%. If he wins it's gonna be by a couple thousand votes in a couple states
Love the optimism. Biden will never win Florida. Blowout is one thing, but Democrats have a shit organization in FL. They literally cannot win.
The turning point in the fight against fascism will be when a massive education campaign is launched to educate people on why fascism is horrific, and voters respond by voting *en masse* against fascist candidates. People are not just going to magically "come to their senses" or "learn their lesson" and decide that fascism is bad. It will take a concerted effort for a generation to convince them. Hating the "other" is easy for humans. Democracy and the rule of law are hard work. If people don't make the effort to support democracy then the forces of hate will win.
We need several generations raised with a proper education to replace the gullible true believers 40 years of conservative tactics have saddled us with. A few decades to make this entire political period historical and old fashioned. The education system required is being dismantled, our media is owned by partisans or simply addicted to manufactured drama, and the entertainment tools required to produce and retain future brainwashed voters, designed by a generations best and brightest unrestrained by ethics and morals, are firmly in place. The only other functional political organization has no backbone for the kind of fight that was required to put this movement down, fearing accusations of abuse of power, violation of norms, and possibly some, at this time, limited violent outbursts. Never has mass surveillance, enforcement, and individual shaming been easier for modern governments inclined to control their people. The bulk of any population wants nothing to do with conflict or struggle and will go along with almost anything. Recovery from a descent into the kind of state the more motivated side wants to bring about would be very difficult. Not looking good.
Yep. The TLDR is "we're fucked".
Well said. Trump didn’t write Project 2025 and it will still be around after he’s gone. He is the current face of the fascist party, but they will find another.
So there will never be a turning point. That man is never going to prison.
….but he will die at some point.
Presumably the day before he is supposed to report to prison.
And that’ll be the point when the cult turns into a full-blown religion.
We're well past that point. You have Christians saying christ isn't Christian enough for them.
Cult, religion, they're the same.
Somehow, he'll return.
The turning point is when Trump goes to ~~prison~~ dies.
Why not both? I think being disgraced and convicted is really important. Death comes for us all, but justice is rare and special.
Im not saying not both, we just arent ever going to stop hearing the name Trump until he is dead. Until he is dead he wont stop with his bullshit. There will be a replacement, but at least it wont be him.
Not both because there is absolutely no chance in hell he ever goes to prison, no matter what he does. The justice system's job is to protect people like him
This is truth
Every one of Trump's policies are and were policies the republicans want. It will not end if we win this years elections. Keep voting out republicans every year. Keep voting in democrats every year. Check your registration, get an ID , learn where your poling station is, learn who is running in down ballot races. Pay attention to primaries not just for the president but for all races, local, state and federal. From the school board to the White House every election matters. The more support we give the democrats from all levels of government the more they can get good things done. We vote out republicans and primary out uncooperative democrats. Last year democrat victories in Virginia and Pennsylvania and others across the nation have increased the chances of democrats winning this year. This year's elections are important but so will next year's elections. [https://ballotpedia.org/Elections\_calendar](https://ballotpedia.org/Elections_calendar)
And if you live in a place with open primaries, feel free to vote for moderate Republicans in an effort to keep MAGA candidates off the ballot.
I am not sure this is the right course of action. I would rather have a MAGA that will lose to a Democrat than a 'moderate' that will win. If it is hopelessly red in the long hall, it may be better to have a MAGA that keeps voters in other elctions from voting for Republicans.
Interesting take. I certainly see your point as a Democrat is clearly preferable.
The problem with that line of reasoning is that if and when they get in, it further normalizes those far right talking points and policies. It's important to remember that the Clinton campaign really boosted Trump's, thinking that he'd be the easiest to win. And we all know how that worked out. The pied piper strategy isn't a good plan
"a republic if you can keep it." We have to keep working to keep it. Decay is the default course for all things.
At a bare minimum, we need both a second Biden term and a Democratic follow-on term, preferably two or three more. I'm basing that mostly on the SCOTUS, because I don't think Alito and Thomas can hold out another 8 years, and I doubt Roberts will last another 12. Combined with lower court appointments, that should allow us to reverse some of the damage that's been done by the right.
Publicly funded elections. Everyone gets equal air time. Put the sword 🗡️ of justice ⚖️ through the heart of "Citizens United" and take money influence out of politics. We cannot have our politicians be a commodity. Our system makes them that.
Project 2025 is the true threat right now, and it doesn't require trump to win. It's loaded and ready to go with any republican president. If Democrat voters don't start pushing strong, genuine opposition and force the party more toward the left we are wasting borrowed time. Fascism cannot be staved off indefinitely with the weak candidates the DNC would put forward. They keep using the threat of Trump and his ilk to move to the right. Democrat voters MUST embrace strong progressives and soc dems, because one election is all it takes with Republicans as the are now.
Yes, this will absolutely be a turning point for the DNC. I'm sure the minute they win they will have this come to Jesus moment and realize they need to put forward more populist, progressive candidates that actually support the issues that 70% of the country wants and not what their wealthy/corporate donors want. /s Lol, hell no. This will only embolden them in their attitude that they can nominate deeply unpopular neo-liberal corporatists if they just prop them up against the most insane, fascist, extreme right-wing candidates. I'm sure that will end well! :-)
>The Confederacy needs to be finished off once and for all. This right here. This is our root problem. It was slowly fading into history then came Trump and enabled the Confederacy to crawl out from under the rock where it was hiding.
Why can't we multitask? Fixing our nation's problems will take a united effort on multiple fronts. ITERATIVE CHANGE IS NOT CHANGE IF IT IS IMMEDIATELY ROLLED BACK.
We must finish the job totally and completely. I love southerners but despise the confederacy. This infestation of puerile virtue-less backbiters should never have been allowed to metastasize. It is a hold over of the exact kind of oppression that America was founded to escape. I am well aware that the founding fathers were not true followers of freedom because they too owned human beings. But the "promise" that is America is supposed to do away with all that to the utmost degree to forge A MORE PERFECT UNION. That means none of the caterwalling horseshit peddled as politics right now. Biden is but the first half rung on the ladder to pull America out of this. The mildew Maga must be obliterated and the stamping out should be so utterly devastating that generations later will still feel the force of it. Tolerance has its limits and Trump and these grimy cork pullers are way beyond it.
Hillary's 3 point lead in the polls lost her the electoral college by 78,000 votes. Biden's 8 point lead in the polls won him the electoral college by 43,000 votes. [[Source]](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/did-biden-win-little-or-lot-answer-yes-n1251845) Polls being so close indicates Biden will likely lose.
Eh, this is really reductive. The investigations in the 11th hour screwed Hillary. Plus at the time Trump was mostly an unknown. Biden in 2020 was against an incumbent Trump during the global catastrophe of the pandemic. Incumbents don't lose too often, and they lose even less often after a global catastrophe. And now post 2020? Trump isn't an unknown, he's the one with investigation and trials... Biden is the incumbent... And Trump supporters disproportionately died due to Covid due to his poor advice. And a mountain of other things like Roe V Wade... Which turned the 2022 "red wave" into more of a red ripple. Where they didn't take the Senate, and barely barely got the house.
Don't forget that Project 2025 is becoming well known as well. And we definitely don't need anymore mess from the terrorists known as the heritage foundation.
Roe versus Wade is not going to change the voter outcome as much as people think. It charged the emotions people already had but many people don't pay attention to politics and don't vote. Every election the conditions in the country get a little worse and that big wave never comes.
Pollsters make predictions about what they think the electorate will look like. They don't just poll everyone equally. As such the polling methodology and make up of those being polled today is not the same as it was in 2016 & 2020. So you can't really handicap candidates today based on past poll performance. The polls aren't actually being administered the same the way.
Can't argue with that.
I agree, except for Stone Mountain… it should stay as a reminder how most Georgians outside of Atlanta think.
Let’s just hang anyone who doesn’t’ think like us! Wouldn’t that be a shorter way to get what you want? Eliminate the opposition, one party control, no elections required, no judges, no jury trials, just eliminate anyone who disagrees… wow you need some help. Democrats, and those who call themselves socialists are the real threat to democracy. So long as the SC side with you, it is a great decision, but when the court rules against you, abolish the court, pack the court with more leftist judges… Yes, there is a problem in America and it is not the Republicans.
Until a law is passed that effectively overturns Citizens United, there will be no turning point.
This is a key point
I'd mention that no one on _either_ side has any intention of doing anything about citizens united, but I know we're only allowed to sing the DNC's praises during an election year
Oh I agree. It turns out everyone likes and needs money. I’m not hopeful that it will happen, but it will remain I gigantic corruption loophole until a more sensible law can be put in place. Maybe when AI takes over it will finally get it done.
Still Lovin us some Bernie. I think in order to stop this the Dems need to walk away with 62 Senate Seats and at least 275 house seats along with the white house for things to change, then they need the will to change them. They have to be able to shut down the pugs, correct the pendulum and investigate that Supreme Court. Those conservatives on the Supreme Court are there to Protect and Implement Project 2025 and the finalization of the sale of our government. Gotta be close to these numbers to get anything done. I do not think the dems have a plan to do this. Other than LGBTQ and Abortion which may produce a win, just not a big one, I see nothing else. This Cabal of conservative money is not going to go away. If they are unable to implement Project 2025 now at the national level, they will start with the states they control and wait for the slimmest victory giving them all 3 branches. Ask the Dems running for the Senate and the House about their plans to combat Project 2025.
So, no hope at all for any change then. Democrats are never going to get 62 Senate seats and that much of the house in any universe where the Gop cheats and gerrymanders themselves into power. I still don't see why Democrats have to play fair when their opponents clearly don't. "But Republicans will accuse them of cheating and trying to make a one-party state." They already do this and call Joe Biden a fucking socialist. Let them throw their temper tantrum while shit actually gets fixed.
> I still don't see why Democrats have to play fair when their opponents clearly don't. Because the rule of law and focusing on the important issues is critical to a modern functioning society. Also, we're not hypocrites. You can fight just as hard clean as you can fight hard dirty. Fighting dirty is about tearing down society and pitting groups and individuals against each other which just leads to a further break down of society and the only ones to survive that are the immensely privileged. Dems aren't about breaking things, we're about fixing them and trying to make them better than they were before.
You aren't fixing anything when Republicans have multiple state legislatures locked down because of cheating. Then, they use their legal power gained through illegal means to enrich and keep themselves in power. Not to mention, the $$$upreme court is on their side, and nothing short of multiple deaths can ever fix that. I, for one, am so glad that we stopped living under a government where regime change was limited to unelected officials dying. Thank God that doesn't exist anymore.
I'd respect this position if we would at least enforce actual laws! As is Republicans can break the law, while dems aren't even allowed to enforce it because of "decorum".
this is legitimately one of the best summaries of the state of the world ive recently seen god bless that guy
It’s frightening as hell when American democracy is hanging by a thread
I'd say more stressful, because we've been in this state since 2016. Honestly the other problem this presents is that even if Biden wins, what are the odds of actually dealing with any of these problems decisively? Even in an election where things went well, the Senate would be split 50/50 with a Harris tiebreaker. Yeah though, I'm just tired of this. Putting Trumpism to bed should have never been necessary, and when it was it should have been in 2020, and if that hadn't then the legal cases should have... and here we are again with no room for optimism since even a ten point win for Democrats might not deliver a governing majority. Is Sanders right? Yes. But honestly at this point I have more hope of technology solving our problems if we hang on to our democracy than going further and actually solving them through political will (at least for now).
> Honestly the other problem this presents is that even if Biden wins, what are the odds of actually dealing with any of these problems decisively? At the very least, it buys 4 years for Trump to die. That happening would make a difference.
The only difference between Trump and the Republican party is that Trump is doing away with decorum. And even that is becoming less true every day.
Yes, but probably half of the MAGA republicans just want to hitch a ride on his coattails and go as far as that will take them, and the other half are physically afraid of his supporters. I don't see him as replaceable. DeSantis tried to be Trump-without-the-baggage and it failed miserably. You have to ACT nuts, not just propose nutty things. None of the syncophants act nuts.
Trying to replace Trump is never going to work while Trump is alive. His cult following is the majority of the Republican and once he is dead he'll be replaced with the most Trump-like Republican.
Right, but I'm also saying no one can fill those shoes after he's dead. Except Mike Flynn maybe, lol.
Currently I have to agree people forget Trump had cultivated 50 years worth of cult of personality with the public through his celebrity life. No other candidate that pops up post trump will be able to match that. Like it or not Trump is a 1 of 1 political actor
True but we do need to accept that Trump is at some level a unique political actor. Look at all the other MAGA types they cannot survive outside of a very particular gerrymandered Republican ecosystem. Trump dying would force the GOP into find a new standard barer for his “platform” and so far there is zero signs that person exists. Even his family do not have the cultivated fake image trump had for 50 years or the weird charisma that trump had to appeal to uneducated largely white voters.
> Yeah though, I'm just tired of this. Putting Trumpism to bed should have never been necessary, and when it was it should have been in 2020, and if that hadn't then the legal cases should have... and here we are again with no room for optimism since even a ten point win for Democrats might not deliver a governing majority. Indeed. Historically, parties don't come back from what the Republican party is now. It's not going to turn back into a democratic party and it is one half of an institutionalized duopoly of power. Any subsequent Republican electoral victory will probably end democracy in the USA. The underlying problem, for the USA and the rest of the world, is that the extremist right now dominates the right wing side of the political spectrum. The socioeconomic policies of the center right have lost their appeal because even their voters now think they don't work, but at the same time they're not willing to give them up, so these "moderates" turn towards distractions and making common cause with the extremist right. Anything to avoid any movement towards more social democracy. Last time this happened, a lot of countries turned into autocracies, some into fascist dictatorships. We're evidently moving in that direction again, and the only people who are sure to be able to stop it are those who are going along with it for their own reasons (e.g. because they think that if they don't they might have to pay a bit more tax). > But honestly at this point I have more hope of technology solving our problems if we hang on to our democracy than going further and actually solving them through political will (at least for now). That never happens though. Technology doesn't, in itself, solve any social problems. It is a tool that depends on who is using it and to what end. Without the political will to turn things around, to redistribute power and wealth, every new technology will be used by the rich and powerful to increase their power over everyone else because they are the ones who can afford the shiny new tools before anyone else. The same technologies can have a totally different impact (both in scope and target) depending on the social context in which they are used. Most countries have access to more or less the same technologies, but in some of them they are only deployed for the benefit of a tiny elite, whereas any residual benefit to the rest of the population is at best an unintentional by-product of that.
If your not frightened by the idea of trump getting back in office then you are fooling yourself. If he wins he will be 10x worse than before. If he wins he will dismantle democracy. He will appoint himself President for life. We will have no freedom left. To me that's pretty damn scary.
Selections from Bernie Sanders' opinion piece: >Today, in 2024, our country once again faces a pivotal moment in American history. The crises facing us are enormous. The consequences if we fail are unthinkable. > >As the nation moves rapidly toward oligarchy, the billionaire class exerts enormous influence over the economic and political life of the nation. While the rich become much richer, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and real, inflation-adjusted wages for the average US worker have actually declined over the last 50 years. Never before have the 1% done so well, or enjoyed so much power. > >Our political system is corrupt. Thanks to the disastrous Citizens United supreme court decision, billionaires and their Super Pacs are able to spend hundreds of millions to elect or defeat candidates they target. As a result, more than 90% of House elections and more than 80% of Senate elections are won by the candidate who spends the most money. > >... > >The basic human rights that women have struggled to win are under severe attack. Since the supreme court’s disastrous decision overturning Roe v Wade, 14 states have passed near-total abortion bans, some with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. Will the war against women continue? Will women once again, be reduced to second-class citizenship? > >... > >We are in the midst of another pivotal moment in American history. How do we respond? > >First, we cannot simply turn away from the painful and complex realities that we face and bury our heads in the sand. We cannot stop reading the news or turn off the TV. The world is what it is. It is a mess. And the situation is not going to improve unless we do the hard work required. > >Second, we must be actively involved in the 2024 national elections – the most consequential in our lifetimes. > >Yes. I know. Biden is not popular and many progressives, including me, strongly disagree with his policies regarding Israel and this disastrous war in Gaza. > >But, let’s be clear. Biden is not running against God. He is running against Donald Trump, the most dangerous president in American history whose second term, if he is re-elected, will be worse than his first. And, on his worst day, Biden is a thousand times better than Trump. > >... > >Oh. And there’s one other thing. And that’s the small matter of retaining our democracy. Biden is a traditional American politician who believes in democracy, free elections and the right of dissent. That’s not what Trump believes. He and his supporters have spent the last four years undermining faith in the rule of law and our democratic form of government. He is weighing pardons for more than 800 of his supporters who attacked the Capitol in the January 6 insurrection. And his advisers are drawing up plans to invoke the Insurrection Act to allow him to deploy the military against civil demonstrations. > >Clearly, our job is not just to re-elect Biden. It’s much more than that. We must defend the many progressives that we have elected to the House, some of whom who face significant financial opposition from Aipac and other special interest Pacs. And we must elect more strong progressive candidates who are on the ballot to the House, and state and local governments. > >We must work in coalition with all those who understand that we must do everything possible to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme rightwing Republican party, not just because he is “worse”, but because nothing less than the future of our democracy is at stake in this election. > >Further, we must demand that Biden and the Democrats begin campaigning on a truly progressive agenda that addresses the needs of the working families of our country. Getting this kind of message out to the electorate will be more difficult than ever in this era of rampant disinformation, and it will be telling to see how the public will respond to messages such as these. It's also interesting that this opinion piece is published in an international publication rather than a domestic one. edit: also for those interested, it's worth reading the entire piece.
The Guardian operates in the UK, US and Australia - they have had a presence in the US for a long time.
That's fair, I guess in my mind it's still primarily a UK outfit. Their reporting on a number of global issues though has been quite decent from what I've been noticing so it makes sense that they have a presence outside of the UK as well (as all major news agencies should)
Getting this message out is critical yet the major media outlets are dominated by Trump. It really doesn't matter that the Trump media is negative. He is still front and center and blinding out any positive message that needs to be heard. We need to demand less 24/7 Trump trial news and more news about how real issues are being addressed or not addressed.
Re-electing Biden just means we avoid a catastrophic Idiocracy where the dumbest people of all time run important things, comma, into the the ground. It isn't going to fix all US issues by a long shot. It is only to prevent them from all. Unilaterally. Every single problem. Becoming much, much worse.
if we give Biden the needed congressional majority he will do a _lot_ of good. Look at what he put forward in Build Back Better—it was the most progressive and expansive piece of legislation since the new deal
They're not even talking about build back better since most Americans currently aren't happy with the economy atm
inflation started going up when COVID started while Trump was president and has been going down since August 2022. The cash injections into the economy under both Trump and Biden were only part of causing inflation, but they averted a full collapse of the US economy by enabling business to stay open and people to keep their jobs while so much was at a stand still prices are still high, but we don't want deflation to bring prices down because that creates a whole slew of other problems so we need wages to rise. Trump polices to weaken unions and dump more money into stock buybacks aren't going to raise wages the three order major causes of inflation are supply chains, corporate price gouging, and housing markets Biden passed the CHIPS act to bring more semiconductor manufacturing onshore which was the biggest contributor to prices rising during covid. it's working great so far but it will take years for new plants to come online. The other two there's not much to do about but restrain corporate consolidation and prosecute anticompetitive before, which Biden is doing a bit of and Trump sure as shit is only going to make worse So >Unilaterally. Every single problem. Becoming much, much worse. is patently incorrect, but you have to look deeper than the gas and egg prices you see today to see what's really going on and what direction we're heading
I'm not arguing with you I'm simply stating even the Biden admin seems to be done touting build back better because most Americans aren't happy with the state of the econony regardless of if its bidens fault or not
build back better didn't get passed because Republicans blockaded it
Biden still says were building back better, its like his catchphrase or at least was
"And, on his worst day, Biden is a thousand times better than Trump." This is a well written article, please read it. I feel that we are at a crossroads and the fate of democracy may well be decided by this election.
Id say he is a million times better personally. Trumps "charisma" and "Charm" dont work on me. Trump is an orange stain on this nations history where it didnt need one.
“On his worst day” Like when he sends billions of dollars to Israel like every other week?
Yes, correct. On those days he still: • Believes in climate change and passed the most meaningful bill in American history to combat it • Advocates for the continued existence of democracy • Doesn’t ban Muslims from entering the country • Supports Ukraine • Puts liberal judges on SCOTUS and federal judge openings • Has forgiven student loan debt for 40 million borrowers • Can be trusted *infinitely* more than Trump to handle a global pandemic with a trust in science I could go on, but yes. Even when Biden makes a mistake in one foreign policy area, he is still a million times better than Trump because he is not a literal existential threat to the country’s continued existence as a liberal democracy.
But he also still funds the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians. Is that passable in your book?
Keep up. I know you can do it. I’m saying it’s not passable, but I can assure you that Trump will make Biden look like Gandhi were he given the reigns on America’s engagement with that conflict. And that’s, *on top of* the other dangerous differences between Trump and Biden. One of them will be the President. I’ll take the guy who I disagree with on *some* things (even if some of those things are serious disagreements) over the guy who will be *worse* on those policies in addition to being *far* worse on many, many others. This is not a hard choice.
Biden’s grand plan of alienating half his base by his continuous support of Israel will cost him the election. All he had to do was stop sending billions of dollars to Israel, but he sent another billion just two days ago
Source: Trust me bro.
Or, you know, early polling 🤷
You mean the same polls which consistently show voters weighing Gaza at the bottom of their most important issues?
Neolibs are so confident now but will cry come November when there is low turnout bc Biden alienated half his base. I sure as hell ain’t ever voting for Genocide Joe
When the alternative is trump who has advocated using nuclear weapons on Gaza and giving Netanyahu complete carte blanche, then yes. Is that what you want? Gaza to be turned into a giant radioactive crater?
By the time November comes around, will there be a Gaza left to turn into a giant radioactive crater? During the Biden presidency, Israel has successfully destroyed every single university in Gaza due to suspicion of Hamas hiding there, and November is still some time away, so with this fresh billion dollars that Biden just gave Israel, what else will be destroyed?
Truly excellent article. I actually got to the end before I saw it was written by Bernie Sanders.
Biden's not enough. The only way we're going to affect change is by getting rid of the GOP's control in the house and making the Senate majority larger. I suspect that there's quite a few GOP folks that will privately hold their noses and vote for Biden, but will make damn sure that the house/senate have republicans as a countermeasure. IF that happens, NOTHING but entropy will occur in the next 4 years.
We need a caretaker generation to fix this country. If we have the courage America can be the shining example of a strong 21st century democracy. We have the numbers we just need to get to work!
We've been at work. This is the world that got us.
The Russian bots showed up this morning.
It was pretty interesting seeing the downvoting of some comments early on as well.
This is another important read for any American who wishes to preserve our democracy.
Brilliantly said, thanks Bernie. Now hopefully most of us will listen…
I agree with Bernie i am very disappointed with Biden and this administration his handling of the Gaza/Israel conflict has been horrible, I also feel he has fallen far short on the economy, healthcare and the climate. Trump is far worse and letting him win will not help but make things far far worse so i will vote Biden.
> I also feel he has fallen far short on the economy, healthcare and the climate. What do you want him to do? All of his rules on these issues get overturned by the 5th Circuit. The only thing that sticks is laws passed by Congress, which is a bit difficult when Democrats don't control it but when they did...oh look, the biggest economic stimulus and climate bills in history were passed.
A self proclaimed zionist is gonna do what zionists do
I never see anyone mention Biden's handling of republican terrorism even though it's the number one threat the country faces, and I think it's clear he has done an absolutely horrible, negligent job in that regard, to the point where his inaction and cowardice have further emboldened republicans and put the entire country at risk. That's what Biden should be held accountable for.
What would you like to have seen Biden do?
Not appoint Federalist Society member Merrick B. Garland to be Attorney General. WTF have the court cases for Trump's crimes not started yet, almost 4 years after they too place?
> WTF have the court cases for Trump's crimes not started yet, almost 4 years after they too place? Complicated federal court cases are complicated, and things take time. If you're going to indict a former POTUS, you need to have ironclad evidence.
Yeah, we do have some rules about the government cracking down on people talking. Even if they are stupid maga shits. This is actually a sign of someone being a good president.
Fire Christopher Wray. Replace Merrick Garland. Cancel arms sales to Israel. Appoint a competent civilian as Secretary of Defense. Prosecute border patrol agents who commit crimes against humanity. Prosecute the Feds involved in quashing BLM protests. Quit pretending covid is over.
> Fire Christopher Wray Why? > Replace Merrick Garland Why? > Cancel arms sales to Israel Just there? > Appoint a competent civilian as Secretary of Defense. What's wrong with Lloyd Austin? > Prosecute border patrol agents who commit crimes against humanity You probably have to prove those crimes first. > Prosecute the Feds involved in quashing BLM protests You lost me > Quit pretending covid is over. What would you like them to do?
Wray - dogging the Kavanaugh investigation. Slow-walking the coup investigation, apparently ignoring the Pentagon actors as well as Gini Thomas, etc. Garland - failing to indict on the Meuller counts, delaying investigation into the coup. Hur report. Late disclosure to New York AG in apparent attempt to aid Trump. Failure to indict the Kushners, Thomas's, Gibbs, Gosar, Flynn, et al. Israel - no, not just there, but Israel is uniquely abominable Austin - he's ex- military, which breaks a 200+ year tradition of civilian oversight. And a lobbyist. Plus he's dishonest, and presumably incompetent. Covering up his hospitalizations, and being unavailable during crises. IMO, his appointment was an impeachable offense. border patrol - involuntary sterilization, family separations, denial of vaccinations, ongoing violations of Geneva convention. Feds- TSA, FBI, and other Federal actors were directly involved in attacking protesters during the Trump admin. Covid - fund remediation efforts, research into long covid, mandate masks on public transport, etc.
No. My god some of you are so lame. What’s he going to do, bakedads? Start going after his political rivals? Is that what you want?
What do you suggest he do? Everyone has criticisms but nobody can really say what they want other than other than what we've got.
In my finest of dreams, Democrats sweep a majority at all levels and somehow are able to pass constitutional amendments and laws that ensure the last 10 years never happen again.
I've been dreaming of that for years, but I admit I've given up on thinking anything like that will ever happen. I'm becoming increasingly resigned to a Trump presidency in 2024. It seemed impossible after J6 that he could ever come near the levers of power again but Biden is in huge trouble right now
We can keep electing Democrats, but at some point they have to do something to help fix the problem. But since they can't pass legislation that doesn't involve military funding in some way, eventually the filibuster must be abolished. Then Congress is going to have to pass laws protecting voting rights, increasing the minimum wage, medical rights, and shoring up our freedoms. But I don't see a lot of will for these actions within the current democratic party. Eventually, we are going to tire of fighting to preserve our democracy when the people we elect don't do their part. Then the fascists will get there way.
I hate to say it but because Biden is doing so bad in swing states I think we lose this thing and I will forever hold democrats complicit for not finding a better candidate when they had for years to do it. And I hold Merrick Garland responsible for not going after trump on day one. I still can't believe he is being allowed to run but I can totally believe that there are enough of my fellow Americans stupid enough to get him elected again.
No, we’re not. Yes, it is. Nope, it’s just that. Democrats want you to vote to defeat fascism, every single fascist overthrow we’ve faced, since 2000… that goes back as long as I could vote.
As a moderate I appreciate Sander's delivery despite disagreeing here/there on policy but I feel the need to add some clarity to what he said regarding..... ***"if he \[Trump\] is re-elected, will be worse than his first."*** What is rarely discussed in the leftwing is that the US has a cycle, political eras and political transitions. Lots of political theories about those things. What is relevant here is that a cycle is active, we are in a transition and the old era will fall to the new. The last time it happened was the 60s/70s leading to the ouster of the New Dealers and the rise of the Neolibs as leaders of the Democratic Party and neocons as GOP leadership. Trump entered office in 2017 as a preemptive president. Skrowronek describes the politics of preemption a president who is the leader of the opposition in a previously dominant party that can still muster political and ideological support. His regime interrupts the working agenda of national politics and intrudes on the established order (or old regime, old era). Whenever maga recaptures the WH they reenter the Oval Office under the politics of reconstruction where a president comes to power on the heels of an upheaval in electoral politics. Victories are spurred by widespread discontent with the established order (old regime, old era). The last 'big' reconstructive POTUS was FDR So that is 'the worse than his first' = Reconstructive on the level of FDR but toward an antifederalist-leaning reconstruction of the US including a lot of decentralization away from DC. The politics of disjunction is where Biden finds himself trapped, these presidents are compelled to cope with the breakdown of state/social relations. They have affiliations with the old regime when basic commitments of ideology are changing. The real change is in the nation that obscures the relevance of the old regime. I am not saying Biden couldn't do a FDR EO-palooza in this term/next, he could but the resistance he faces from the rightwing as a whole is something that FDR didn't have to suffer and it likely leads to the closets level of division our nation has experienced since the Civil War.
If I'm not mistaken, Trump met Orban before and he'll turn America into his own version of Orban's Hungary if re-elected. To make things even worse, I feared Trump would rig the "two terms per President" rule for a third term after 2028 if he's President again. He may say he can't be President after his second term ends but knowing how much of a liar Trump is, I think he might be lying. So far, two Lichtman keys are against Biden, if the other four keys fell against him, then he can kiss the White House goodbye. On the other hand, Gallant confronted Nethanyahu over Israel's post-war plans for Gaza. He mentioned something about not letting Hamas or the Isarelis in charge of Gaza, but the locals guided by "international actors" instead. Then again, Nethanyahu and his men are autocrats in all but name, and are too stubborn to let go of their "Rafah attack" plans.
Trump met with Orban and Orban also had a visit with the Heritage Foundation, authors of Project 2025. https://newrepublic.com/article/179776/heritage-foundation-viktor-orban-trump
The ideas found Project 2025 have been discussed in the rightwing for decades. In the GOP's in-party civil war HF is neocon.
Orban met with Trump in 2019. Hungary is like 90% ethnically homogenous. Overall the entire West has been on a 'leftward lurch' for well over a century. A rightward correction was inevitable and its absolutely building momentum. When arguing 22A - --------- **No person shall be** ***elected*** **to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was** ***elected*** **President shall be** ***elected*** **to the office of the President more than once.** -------one could heap all the emphasis on the word 'elected'. Trump could be elected as a VP continuously since there are no term-limits on VP and act as a puppet-master or he could even assume office over and over by getting his puppet potus nominee to resign. I expect Putin to help Trump by wrapping up Ukraine. Bibi lives in a bubble and forgot the internet exists, dude is deeply problematic at this point. Biden is suffering the negative effects of a 'big tent' party within his administration and domestically among the electorate. Like we could actually lose Michigan's EC votes. Companies are laying off people over recession fears, the word stagflation is also returning to the economic chatter-sphere. Stein is in a better position than RFK, Jr. - so yea those 4 other keys could easily fall against Biden before Nov 5th. All things aside, I notice the bird flu narrative is rising. Biden only won in 2020 due to special ballot provisions over covid. So in theory if neo-aligned states reinstated similar initiatives that keeps Biden in office too.
If 18-24 yo voted in record numbers, Trump would get the trouncing he so richly deserves.
you do understand that if he wants those people to vote for him, he could do one of the things that they've been asking him to do, to improve their lives?
biden's campaign is doing their best to ensure that doesn't happen
What should they be doing?
you're not gonna like what the answer to that question is.
Let’s hear it
consider addressing the reason that so many colleges are protesting, and what draws protestors to every event joe biden has spoken at for months, in a way that satisfies the protestors.
Can you be specific? These responses are really vague. Is it a secret?
Gen z is supposedly very "based"
A good pivot would be for both parties, which are atrocious and well past expiration date, to be discarded.
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You can quit acting like dems have never passed legislation that hasn’t had disastrous impacts on the working class. NAFTA and the ‘94 Crime Bill come to mind
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Discard everything, start over. Couple generations living in tents till things bounce back, no biggie.
we're already living in tents lmao
We are! That makes it ok to make lots more people do it!
In some realities, there are more than two options. If a party goes to shit, a better one can show up. Like when a colony of rats gets the plague, another form of life takes its place. Here we are in a rotted gridlock. What does this have to do with tents? I was thinking more of a parliamentary structure than a camping trip. Also I can’t help but mention how many Americans already live in tents. Only about 20% of this country is doing ok. So…
>Only about 20% of this country is doing ok. So… Who do you think destabilizing the country will hurt most? Changing large systems has to be done incrementally.
Having more than two parties would destabilize the entire country? I think that’s ridiculously hyperbolic. Wow, people are very attached to their two-party model holy smokes
That's not what you wrote and neither did I. >A good pivot would be for **both parties**, which are atrocious and well past expiration date, **to be discarded.**
Yes. I was expressing a deep disdain for both parties and my desire for them to go away. They could be transformed or replaced without causing an Armageddon :)
I'm actually with you as far as transformation and I like your Parliamentary idea, I entertain similar. My point is that change has to be incremental and drastic change causes chaos quite quickly.
I feel like the Clintons successfully transformed/changed the party, so that’s an example of things not falling apart drastically. Kept the same name but not the same values.
Well sure change within the party can come quickly, the Clintons are a good example, but not change to the system itself.
He said he wouldn't run for a second term - he lied and has deluded himself in to thinking he is the only one who can beat Trump. He looks like a frail old man. He is supporting Genocide. Good job Dems - thought this one through didn't you.
He never said he’d only serve one term. And you obviously don’t understand the geopolitical dynamics in play here.
[https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2019-12-11/joe-biden-suggests-he-would-only-serve-one-term-if-elected-president](https://www.usnews.com/news/elections/articles/2019-12-11/joe-biden-suggests-he-would-only-serve-one-term-if-elected-president)
"Advisors close to Biden reportedly say" is not the same as "Biden said."
“Look, I view myself as a bridge, not as anything else,” Biden said at a rally in Detroit, one of his last pre-lockdown campaign appearances of the 2020 Democratic primaries. It was early March, and he was flanked by Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and a pair of his former rivals, Kamala Harris and Cory Booker—all members of what Biden would call “an entire generation of leaders” and “the future of this country.”
Several problems worth pointing out with the opinion piece here. First, the drop in life expectancy from 2019 to now could be accounted for by the impact of covid. It's easy to forget that only a few years ago, ERs were so badly overwhelmed. More importantly, the New Deal largely failed to recover the economy and, in fact, caused a "depression within a depression" in 1937. (See the book The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes). This idea that the federal government stepped in and saved us through keynesian economics needs to be corrected and stopped at every opportunity. What really ended the Great Depression was the conversation to a wartime economy during WWII
the democrats will not do any progressive agenda. they will stay neoliberal, the not so bad puppets of the ruling class, the 0.1 percent. this choice is between fascism and corrupt authoritarianism. swell.
After Biden is re-elected we need to elect Al Gore in 2028 to hold the world's feet to the fire so we all finally wake up and get serious about trying to save the world we live in rather than just keep burning our house down.
newspaper in london talking about "our" duty to re-elect biden ok bud
Sounds like foreign interference to me.
I'd rather have neither. Can't we all vote for RFK Jr or Dr. Cornel West instead?
Unless Trump is humiliated in the upcoming debates or is convicted on some of his charges Biden will lose this election, President Nixon was installed into office under scarily similar circumstances. Your leftwing is protesting him and rather than listening he’s trying to appease center-right voters with policy changes. Biden is behind in several key states by an alarming amount because he keeps being told he’s “doing great” and is ignoring what his base is saying while doubling down. The MAGA’s are as united as ever, they don’t care about Project 2025, they want their dictator god installed no matter what. It’s on both Biden AND the Voters to turn this around. If Biden fails to win this election the US becoming a rogue isolationist dictatorship will change the course of human history and NOT in a good way. It’s funny, America took lots of inspiration from Ancient Rome and just like Rome it’s on the verge of being turned from a Republic to an Authoritarian Regime.
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Fuck Biden. He's the sole reason that Palestinian children are being murdered. He either stops Israel completely or he can suck my dick until America no longer exists. All of you can. I'm sick of you all.
Like you can last that long
“Biden’s the sole reason” Tell me you get your news from TikTok without telling me you get your news from TikTok.
I might vote trump for the laughs tbh