Good for Joe
As you already know, Biden announced today that he was stepping aside from his candidacy for president as expected. It was the right decision, and even though I believe he should have never tried to run again, I appreciate him coming around. He’s been one of the most consequential presidents in modern US history and his legacy is secure. He’s endorsed Kamala Harris as his choice for president. As I think about it, she’s probably the wisest choice for now, though personally not my first choice to run against TFG. However, she has the qualifications and the moxie to take the fight to him.
Kamala will need the right VP choice to have her back and to bring votes from the battleground states. I have two picks: First, Josh Shapiro, governor of Pennsylvania. He’s taken on TFG’s election lies directly as an AG, and is super well spoken like Kamala. My second pick is Roy Cooper of North Carolina. He’s also a former AG, and has fought (and beaten) Republicans on the own ground. A third possible in my view is Mark Kelly, senator from Arizona, husband to Gabby Giffords, and retired astronaut, but his election could cost us the Senate through a special election. All of these guys are stronger than dirt, and, at the risk of pissing off some customers, they’re white guys, which is going to be important to help bring in votes from a broader base of voters. Sorry, but it’s a fact.
Anyway, good on Joe for stepping aside. It was a tough, but correct decision. Nate Silver and other analysts won’t have numbers for a week or so; then we’ll have an idea how uphill the battle the Dems have. But at least they now have a chance.
He did the right thing and I suspect our allies will also support Harris. The only ones that are unhappy are the usual dictators.
1https://apple.news/AkYl3JaxORSWHMGZL800Ocg
If you want MAGA heads to explode, the choice for VP needs to be Barrack Obama. There is enough ambiguity in the 22nd amendment to allow for it. And even if it is not allowed, Biden now has the power to change that.
https://cornerstonelaw.us/22nd-amendment-doesnt-say-think-says/#:~:text=The%2012th%20Amendment%20only,the%20office%20of%20the%20President.%E2%80%9D
2Yes, I concur that Joe Biden has shown real wisdom today, however belatedly. He has saved himself from a no-win situation that could have buried his long history of true public service and given the country a chance, at least a chance, of keeping this authoritarian take over at bay. No promises.
One thing we know, black women are Kryptonite for Fat Donny.
He loses it, and really might 100% lose it if grilled by a female former prosecutor in a debate.
Finally, a new chant is in order to use when any GOPer is
3in front of you:
JD Vance, JD Vance, what is that smell in Fat Donny’s pants?
Mark Schlemmer,
Right on! I look forward to a Harris / Trump debate.
4I watched an awful lot of news today and NBC ran a retrospective on Biden’s career. I have to admit that the clips from the 2020 campaign, compared to this year’s, shocked me. There really has been a change over the last three or so years and not for the better. He’s lost more than a step.
I am glad, however, that everybody commenting on his bowing out of the race have put it in terms of “patriotism” and selflessness and stuff like that. Make the MAGATs refute that!
5Like some others have said here at the salon the last several hours, their anxiety of the Biden situation has been relieved. I’m there too. There’s a long way to go in a short time but I have optimism. Reports are that fundraising today has been the strongest day this year. I know I contributed today and hope many of you do the same. This is an opportunity to change the narrative and put the trumpf campaign back on their heels. Let them show their true racist colors and Democrats respond strongly. Trumpf is a big orange boil on our country that needs to be exposed. I made the mistake of thinking Biden would kick his ass in a debate. I think he’d be scared shitless of Kamala.
6President Biden did the right thing, even if belatedly. The MAGA knives have already come out for Vice President Harris, calling her a “DEI” hire and claiming she has never done anything in her life. All of the dog whistles are being blown and they are scared. As noted, the Orange Menace hates strong women, especially strong black women. They scare the shit out of him. It will be interesting to watch the first debate and see how he reacts. I am sure he will go on the attack and say all the wrong things and that will hopefully turn off a lot of potential voters.
7Cooper could work – yes as a white guy, but also because he can no longer serve as governor in North Carolina (termed out). Pennsylvania needs Shapiro to remain governor.
Of course, as a woman of a certain age, I’d love to see a two-woman team eviscerate Trump and Vance!
8A girl can dream: Harris / Whitmer.
9So if this works for the Democrats, we get another president with almost no legislative experience. That was what Obama lacked and it showed.
My enthusiasm is restrained.
10In this crazy world IMO the correct decision. I love Biden but every time I watched him his words and actions made him look unwell.
great clip of Maddow yesterday …
‘Regret’: Why Rachel Maddow thinks Trump is now kicking himself over J.D. Vance pick”
https://www.rawstory.com/jd-vance-2668786878/
clip from the video …
Rachel Maddow, “Biden was presenting himself as emfeebled in a way that would be difficult for this campaign.”
11https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY7XsEo1Y8o
Hopefully Biden will address the Nation sooner rather than later. The repubs are already asking for “proof of life”.
To be honest, I still think he could have done it (announcing ending his campaign) in person – from the Oval Office for instance. Instead of just writing a letter on social media. (What comes to the Hatch Act, there would have not been any need to promote Harris in this particular address.)
Just my opinion though.
Anyway, it feels good today, hopeful. Besides, Trump does not like those developments AT ALL – among other things, it takes the spotlight off him and points it to someone else, which he hates!
12Harry @ 10 – You’ve been taking some potshots the last few days. Harris most certainly has legislative experience being the in the Senate for 4 years. She was well known for her aggressive questioning during hearings. Obama was a senator for a shorter period of time, about 2 years if I recall. Those with no legislative experience? Reagan, Clinton, GWB, and Trump. BTW, in an earlier thread you said something about “crazy Muslims” choosing our president. What was that?
13I see Pelosi just endorsed Kamala. Obama needs to help, not divide. He certainly has the ability and experience to do so.
Thanks El Jefe. Good points.
14I asked the same question. I think I know what the answer will be so I’ll wait to comment.
Of the three you mentioned, Mark Kelly is the only one with military experience, not to mention his name recognition as an astronaut. He has experience in engineering, combat piloting, orbital flights and piloting, and has a raft of medals and decorations. He’d be my choice.
15Good news on Politico for a change. Will be interesting to see if the NYT can say something positive-
https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook-pm/2024/07/22/scoop-harris-big-donor-money-bomb-00132333
16https://x.com/RandomIDoIt90/status/1813994644910555414
I sure wish you’d stop quoting Nate Silver like he isn’t bought and paid for.
17El Jefe @ 13
Governors have a kind of legislative experience. We can be thankful that trump had none, which helps explain why he failed so often.
My remark about craziest Muslims refers to 1980, 2004 and this year,
Recall that the original intaparty attack on Biden was not about his age, No primary voters showed the slightest concern about that.
The first sniping at Biden came from far leftists (e.g. Jayapal) worried that his support for Israel would cause dual-loyalty Palestinian-Americans in Michigan to cost him that state.
The current euphoria has pushed that out of the news but I notice some concern here and there.
18“craziest Muslims refers to 1980, 2004 and this year,” What does that even mean? Every person in the party I know was primarily focused on Biden’s age starting way before October 7. If you mean Muslim Americans were upset at Biden’s all-in support for Israel, I don’t find that crazy at all. That IS an issue. Don’t get me wrong; what Hamas did was simply awful. But that attack doesn’t warrant all out genocide and bombing Gaza back to the stone age. And opposition to that is most certainly not crazy.
19I mean crazy Muslims in Iran, Afghanistan and Iraq and in Gaza.
And — allegedly — in Dearborn.
Maybe all the Democrats you know were fretting about Biden’s age, but evidently none of your friends was voting in the primaries.
Genocide? Serious word. If Israel wanted to kill all the Palestinians, they’d have done it by now.
Saying ‘what Hamas did was simply awful’ and then condemning IDF strategy is nothing but blaming the victims. If you have an alternate strategy, it’s way past time to trot it out.
20Harry: What makes you think that Israel doesn’t want to exterminate all the Palestinians? It’s a slow-motion extermination. No end in sight…
Glad El Jefe took on the lack of legislative experience whine with the list of prezes who also had very little or none. Actually, Kamala has been in politics quite a while, with three elections under her belt. Let’s give her a chance, shall we? The alternative is simply unacceptable, as even as president he didn’t figure out how politics works. Four years as a money-maker at our expense is quite enough. And as a POS in addition. Let’s get him jailed.
21Harry @ 21 – The alternative strategy? Give the Palestinians back their land. Put Bibi in jail. Draw lines fairly for a two state solution. Israel is doing to Palestinians what Hitler did to Jews in the 30s and 40s. They’re bombing Gaza indiscriminately. They just take away and wreck Palestinian homes that have been there for generations. That’s called genocide. Peace is never obtained by occupying land and murdering people. BTW, this thread is not about the Israeli-Palestinian policy. It’s about the election. Want to talk about that, go somewhere else.
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