I thought about calling this post, “Which Candidate Should Drop Out?” Because on Thursday night we watched Donald Trump lie through his teeth and misdirect the public about every significant issue facing the country every time he opened his mouth. A presidential candidate has a responsibility to educate the public, not employ the “gish gallop,” which legal analyst Barbara McQuade succinctly describes as a “disinformation technique” employing “a rapid series of specious arguments, half-truths, misrepresentations, and outright lies in a short space of time, which makes it impossible for the opponent to refute all of them within the format of a formal debate.” (Expert fact-checker Daniel Dale debunked 28 of Trump’s lies in a three-minute span.)
In a sane world, the media and the public would be demanding Trump to drop out of the race for his despicable irresponsibility in the debate, in which he yet again undermined our democracy. But that’s not what has been happening, of course. The intense focus has been on Joe Biden, who as I wrote yesterday had a bad night, indeed a heartbreakingly terrible night, as he looked and sounded weak and struggled to articulate both his own positions and push back against the sheer madness of Trump. People have bad nights, especially if they are not feeling physically well. But it has unavoidably—and yes, appropriately—raised the question of whether he can do the job for the next four years and, more immediately, do the job in the campaign to save the country from a march into fascism by a wannabe dictator bent on ending the American democratic experiment.
The editorial board members of The New York Times were quick to call for the president to leave the race the day after the debate. (So were columnists Tom Friedman, Nicholas Kristof and Frank Bruni in their own op-eds.) The board wrote he is “engaged in a reckless gamble,” insisting “there are others better equipped to present clear, compelling and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency.” They praised his leadership—recognizing the nation’s prosperity, confrontation of “long-range challenges” and even some healing of “wounds ripped open by Mr. Trump.” They concluded: “But the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election.”
Whatever you think of the Times these days—and I have nearly daily problems with their political coverage in this time of great danger—this editorial simply cannot be dismissed. And it should be noted that the board’s criticism is not just directed toward Biden. “It is a tragedy that Republicans themselves are not engaged in deeper soul-searching after Thursday’s debate,” they write. “Mr. Trump’s own performance ought to be regarded as disqualifying…The Republican Party, however, has been co-opted by Mr. Trump’s ambitions.” So “the burden” to “serve the nation’s interests,” they write, rests with the Democratic Party—”to protect the soul of the nation…from the malign warping of Mr. Trump.”
At this point, shy of Biden himself deciding to drop out of the race, I agree with those who think inserting an alternative right now is fantasy. Dropping out this far into the race is fraught with challenges, including how much funding already raised would be available to another candidate not named Biden or Harris and whether there is another candidate with the name recognition to quickly and successfully attract the country’s support. For the record, none of the others named and surveyed have encouraging approval ratings, including Vice President Kamala Harris (the one candidate who could use all the campaign funds). We must ask: Is the more “reckless gamble” than his candidacy for Biden to leave the race and be replaced by a greater unknown? In turn, is it possible for him to bounce back from Thursday’s debacle and strengthen the public’s trust?
Biden had an impressive answer on the day after the debate during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, with a fired-up crowd. He was like a different man: more vigorous, more youthful, dramatically more forceful. Even his skin color no longer suffered from that pale pallor. Yes, he had a teleprompter, but we shouldn’t dismiss what he energetically declared:
I know I’m not a young man…I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down you get back up!
None of us know what the next few weeks will yield. Will there be senior members of his own party who convince him to rethink his plans? Will there be another public episode that intensifies the pressure to drop out? Or was that terrible, no good, awful debate what he needed to concentrate his efforts on campaigning with the necessary vigor, intensity and clarity?
Count me among those not ready to give up on this good and decent man who—while not perfect—has proven his ability to confront the challenges we face and fight for a progressive future amid overwhelming hostile forces. He deserves from us a chance to get back up. But I also hope we agree about this: Ultimately, we must be dedicated to doing whatever is needed to protect our democracy and save the country from a vast and deep malignancy. We only have one chance to get this right. God bless America. Talk about living in interesting times.
So what do you think? Can Joe Biden still save America? Are you still with him? Or has Thursday’s debate shaken you from that support? Perhaps you’d rather comment on how stunning it remains that there are few calls for the felonious sociopath Donald Trump to get out of the race.
As always, I look forward to reading your comments and for this community to learn from each other. I know this is a controversial topic and emotions are running high, so I’m particularly adamant that we must be respectful toward each other. I will remove anyone engaged in trolling. Please do share today’s post.
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*Photo: President Biden in Raleigh, North Carolina, the day after the debate. Photo by Allison Joyce via Getty Images.
I'm staying with the guy who brought me to the dance. Nothing about his humanity, sense of decency, Presidential accomplishments, or plans for America's future has changed because he gave a weak "performance" at a so-called debate. Indeed it IS the convicted felon Trump who should be leaving the race.
The NYT would disqualify Biden based on ninety minutes of mediocre debating, whilst treating Trump's 34 felony convictions as if they were parking violations.
I'm sticking with the guy who doesn't want to be a dictator.
CNN is not interested in the truth—they don’t seem to care about the 28 massive lies by tfg; again and again and again he flat out lied:”I reduced the price of Insulin”—No he didn’t—a lie—Joe did that;”Nancy just admitted she failed to call in the NatlGuard”No she didn’t;he failed to do that for hrs—another big lie;28 OF THEM in just 90 minutes!How can we ever believe this POS?Dana Bash doesn’t care!
It was up to Biden to defend his achievement with respect to the price of insulin. He was unable to defend himself when Trump spewed his myriad lies and apparently when they negotiated the rules of the debate, the responsibility for fact checking was left out of the network’s agreement to host.
Let’s put these expressions of fealty to Biden in context. I’ll stipulate that not one pre-debate Biden supporter will switch to Trump. That’s not enough. Biden is losing according to the polls. Losing to a twice impeached felon in the swing states. We need to convince soft Trump supporters that their support for him is insane. Biden clearly is not up to that job.
Yes, but would that translate to another Democrat? I strongly believe that Joe Biden has made his pro-choice stance abundantly clear—clearer than Hillary "We need to open up a 'dialogue' with anti-choicers" Rodham Clinton ever did!
Every time I read a "Biden should step aside" comment or piece? I suspect Hillary is behind it all, trying to push the DNC for a THIRD bite of the apple, after LOSING to Trump once already!
From your mouth to the Gods' and Goddesses' ears! It's just we thought that about Richard Nixon after 1962, which is who Hillary Rodham Clinton reminds me of....
After her disgusting performance in 2016, gleefully alienating everybody to the Left of Mitt Romney while obsessing over "going toe-to-toe with Putin"*? She DESERVED to lose. Rather than stepping back and readjusting, she kept blaming everybody but herself for her failure—as late as 2020 she was STILL calling Bernie Sanders(!) a "Russian Asset"(!!!).
____
* Please do not think my loathing for Hillary means I support Putin or Trump in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, believe in a middle ground between Belligerence To Show How "Tough" You Are, and Sucking Up to The Enemy—a course I think President Biden is doing a reasonably good job of navigating with the support he's giving The Ukraine while not committing troops to fighting there, which WOULD set off a potentially nuclear confrontation with Donnie's Daddy Vladdie!
And no one else is known nationwide and the choice would cause extremely harsh feelings of the unpicked and screwed over. But I’m sure everyone wd jump on board! Sure - voters wd be pissed on but they wd vote whomever you choose. That is all BS! Grow a pair and fight for Biden. He has always fought for us. You are a wimp.
I agree Donna! And I love how you referred to Thursday’s CNN event as a so-called debate. That’s a perfect description. Trump hasn’t a clue as to how to debate. All he does is lie. President Biden called him out on his lie about “post-birth abortions,” but one of the moderators should have stated right then and there that there is no such thing, instead of thanking him for his so-called “answer.” Biden was obviously not feeling well Thursday night. You could tell from his color and the hoarseness of his voice. He’s still my guy though! I will not turn my back on him just because he had one bad night.
I've read that the Gish gallop is especially effective when used against someone who stutters. I doubt that Trump studied this technique, he comes by it naturally. But you are right, it was not a debate.
I believe it. We had an excellent candidate years ago for US Senator. He was a former mayor of a major city with major accomplishments. But the GOP oppo turned up an interesting fact. He was dyslexic. They would plant people in public meetings, even small more intimate occasions to heckle and interrupt so he could not use his notes. His staff was caught off guard. Before they developed a strategy the reputation for being bumbling and mentally slow, etc. became a ‘thing.’
The convicted felon should already BE in prison and considered unfit to run as a candidate. Why does President Biden's age matter, look at his accomplishments. Joe Biden is a time-tested decent human being first and foremost..Those words would never apply to his opponent, nor would they apply to anyone who would favor DJT for POTUS. And BTW, the NYT doesn't speak for me.
When Donald Trump was found liable for sexual assault and 34 felony counts, I did not see one Republican panic.
If they can rally around their criminal figurehead, surely Democrats can rally around our democracy and a good man working to protect it. That's President Biden.
💯 It’s possible to admit Biden’s age is a draw back and that his performance on the debate stage was terrible and I will still crawl over broken glass to vote for him and against DT. I am voting FOR democracy and against authoritarianism. Joe Biden has been a great president and he has my vote. If that same sentiment - of all that is at stake and the message of what a decent hard working man Joe Biden is, - fighting everyday for the middle class , hasn’t broken through past the lies and indecency of DT, what makes anyone think anyone else will do better? I am rallying around my president and his excellent advisors. Joe is clear this is about democracy. Now the undecided out there need to see that too.
This isn’t about being “loyal” to Joe Biden. This is about beating Donald Trump. Biden has been afforded the high honor of being elected President. We don’t owe him anything more. Biden had more ammunition than any candidate in history that he could have used in the debate against the criminal narcissist Trump (who apparently leads Biden in all the swing states) and he failed miserably. I don’t care that he had a cold. The debate was his idea. His job was to expose Trump’s unfitness for office. He failed. Give someone younger and more energetic a chance. Do we want to lose democracy because Biden had a cold? C’mon, man.
This is all really unfair. I suspect most of us are encouraged to stay home from work when we are sick. Joe was not allowed by virtue of his office to stay home and nurse his cold. Have we all forgotten how sick we can be with a cold? Instead, he tried to stand up to such a barrage of lies that sometimes he could only stand there with his mouth agape.
💯 💯 💯 A lot of people don’t realize that the symptoms of a common cold very often mimic EXACTLY years of late-stage dementia. I’m not giving up on Biden no matter how many absentee ballots I have to fill out this year!
Steve's column following the debate was so predictable, as I wrote on his Substack, and I detected a whiff of gloating that OMG he was so right all along! I have stuck with Steve because of his exceptional writing, when he wasn't bashing our president, but I'm more concerned about the effect of subscription numbers that include, but don't identify, people who disagree with him. So, I will be cancelling my subscription.
I’ve tried to give Steve Schmidt a chance, but I think I’m done with him too. After putting forth the Congressman Dean Phillips to run against Biden, I tried again. He seems to go where the wind blows, and his videos and writing are way too lengthy and crazily verbose. Too much time outta my day!
Yes, I agree with you. Schmidt seems to have gone over to the dark side ... cannot stand his writing any more. Used to admire him. No wonder he and the Lincoln project parted company.
I don’t blame them or anyone for that matter who has questions about Biden’s performance. They gave the caveats about how bad DJT would be for the country. Did they say he should not be the GOP nominee? That his answers were often incoherent? No they accept that the GOP won’t do any “soul searching”.
I blame them for jumping to conclusions for a big headline. It was all about appearances, expectations and optics. That’s what TV appearances including fake debates are about. Their conclusions and their opinions should be limited to speaking for themselves. The Biden campaign said it raised $27M in the 24 hrs after the debate. $14M of it in the hour after the debate while DJT raised $8M.
I’m not convinced NYT cares about the will of the American people. It wasn’t so long ago news outlets said the WH was using other media to reach people instead of NYT, WaPo, etc. Using social media, TikTok videos and TV. Not sure editors like that.
Look, there are lots of things in the NYT that I wish they wouldn’t run, but given the sorry, sorry state journalism is in these days, the Times (as well as some other publications) does contain information we need to know. A few people cancelling their subscriptions won’t have any effect at all.
Still with Biden. None of the people suggesting that he step down has come up with a believable alternative. It’s a sad reflection on America that being old, even being physically weak, is considered to be worse than being a completely amoral authoritarian wannabe dictator. That should be the focus here, imo.
What worried me was that he didn't come across as in control. Beyond campaigning, can he govern at the high level we need for four more years? Believable alternative will be whoever we all line up to support after Biden voluntarily steps aside. Today that's not believable because he hasn't yet stepped aside. The tone I read here is that we'll all support the D alternative to trump. Today that is Biden, but it could be someone else.
It *could* be someone else, but in my 55 years of experience with the Democratic Party, working for campaigns and supporting candidates, I have rarely seen everyone line up to support anyone. With the short time frame we have, especially in the chaotic political environment we’ve been in since 2016, I just don’t see who could step in and make it happen. Harris is the obvious first contender, and the only one who can make use of the existing finances of the campaign, but she’s not well liked. The governors I’ve heard mentioned don’t have national presence, or, if they do have, it’s as negative as it is positive. I keep thinking of all the contenders in 2020 - many are certainly qualified, but none were successful and Biden emerged from the pack. My feeling is that we’re voting for an administration, not just one guy, and Biden’s is strong, capable, and dedicated to good governance. I have hope that others will see that as well. But I just don’t see who or how a replacement would work. Perhaps I’m overly cautious, but four months out, I think it’s too late to start over. I pray I’m not wrong, and if smarter people than me decide to go with another candidate, I’ll still be voting blue.
You’re exactly right. There is no practical way of replacing Biden. “Whoever we all line up to support”? We aren’t all going to line up to support anyone, unless Superman flies in to save the day. People think they’re living in a comic book universe.
Jon, I worry a lot about the “show” factor of modern politics. I think you’re right; so many have forgotten we’re talking about governance, not entertainment. Trump provides the circus and some folks get dazzled by the sparkles. We need a serious reset. I’m afraid I don’t have the answer for how to do that! I’m counting on young people, like my granddaughter, who is a thoughtful and serious person. Fingers crossed.
Experiences like your 55 yrs with the Dems is why I say Dems are always looking for a unicorn candidate. Not realistic to expect the candidate to be flawless, agree with everything they want, deliver everything they want immediately. We have to see beyond all that to who will work for us.
I wish one day we all look back and ponder on how ridiculous it is that we feel that an EIGHTY-ONE years old person is the only/best person to beat a flawed, childish, evil, narcissistic, selfish, and demonstrably stupid person like DJT. How did we even manage to get so stupid? Biden should’ve declared that he was a 4-years president and allow for the magical messiness of the democratic process to take place. Do we understand how ridiculous this is? I admire and respect him, and I love what he’s managed to accomplish with so little wiggled room. But the time at the helm for those born before 1960 has come to an end. This is a bloody disaster bc people who should’ve been retired and enjoying their golden years decided that they are too important and irreplaceable to let those who came after them to have a chance to be in charge. This is ridiculous. It’s not about Biden or Trump, it’s about what does it say of us as a society that these are the best we got. I understand it from the MAGA crowd bc they are in a sadistic, xenophobic, racist, anti-social/anti-democratic cult, but we all should expect better from the “sane” party. And this is insane. There’s no other way to put it. It’s insane.
Why do you wish that? Shoulda, woulda, coulda is pretty uneffing helpful at this point. No one is glad to be in this position. How about offering a constructive suggestion, if you have one.
If Biden doesn't win because of agism of the electorate what will resentment that that's why get you?
It's a question of what big risk are Democrats going to take. Biden's performance has increased the risk of him losing. Switching now is also an enormous risk. To me it is only worth taking if Biden voluntarily steps aside. His choice--I hope he will decide based on electability with the electorate we have with all its prejudices and shallowness not just his confidence that he can do the job.
One bad night does not a disqualification make. They wouldn't be yelling so loudly for Biden to drop out if they weren't truly afraid that he will win, no matter what. Turning your back on the man who has done so much for us during the last 3.5 years is despicable, especially considering all he has accomplished while the MSM was insisting he was TOO OLD to do the job. But he has done the job, is doing the job, and will continue on doing the job in the future. And that is what should matter, not one bad night, fighting off a cold AND a Gish gallop from the convicted felon.
His crew should be rethinking their strategy, too...... Donald might have been more "in control" for a longer period of time because his crazy wasn't feeding off of a live audience? Putting Joe on the right side made him appear to "look off" camera. Dressing him in black made him look more pale. Ultimately, they maybe should have postponed the debate and took the fallout for a bit, allowing him to be healthier. Did they prepare/practice for the GISH gallop? Who knows....Probably over-prepared him leading up to the debate, wearing down his voice and immune system.
It was so hard to watch (and fervently pray for!) a decent, moral leader struggle under the pounding lies of a narcissistic, felon, wannabe dictator.
Joe needs to dig deep and bring out DARK BRANDON again. I ordered the BRANDANA and look forward to wearing it!
Oh, I would love that brandana! I am Canadian and we love Biden! We are terrified of Trump and his buddy Putin! Look at the map ... we are not far from Russia!!M. Will NATO come to our aid when Trump decides we have not paid up our protection $$$? We shall see how the new Nato secretary handles the issue .... Trump simply cannot win!!
That NATO payment BS is another damn lie. I believe the goal is for nations to use 2% of their GDP for military readiness. No friggin “dues” or payments to NATO or anyone involved in that.
Ann, I’m curious why you state that “AK would invite Putie in”? I lived in Western AK for nearly 40 years so am keenly aware of the huge number of military sorties flown against the Russians, as well as the strength of the Coast Guard and other military patrols on the water. Alaska is heavily involved every day in protecting the U.S. against Russian incursions. Thanks.
The comment was somewhat facetious but with an eye to some characteristics of AK. The AK Independence Party which wants a do-over vote on statehood. It claims to be the 3rd largest independent party of any state. It is the 3rd largest in AK. (Russia feeds a similar movement in CA.) Then there is the Palin faction. If Donnie was elected again we all know he has a thing about real estate deals. Greenland comes to mind.
Yes, AK has an overwhelming number of military sites with a big influence on civilian life. The efforts you speak of are US military. Not Alaskan per se. US military personnel cycle in and out of AK or use it as a jumping off place to go overseas. Although enough remain after service to bolster the population.
I lived in Anchorage, Juneau and Ketchikan. While in Juneau I worked for the AK dept of Military Affairs. My now deceased brother-in-law was a commander of a National Guard scout battalion in the Nome-Kotzebue area. The last of my immediate family who lived in AK left about 4 yrs ago.
Yes, the more things change the more they stay the same. I saw one of the GOP surrogates today ranting loudly & breathlessly about how ‘we’ve been lied to’ and then all the stuff they’ve always spouted.
And if we SAVE our democracy by electing Biden and other Democrats up and down the ballot, we can continue to work together to improve the institutions that are in need of repair. Looking at you, SCOTUS.
It is critical for us to gain control of both sides of the Congress and in the states as well. Not to create absolute authority, but to wrest control from crazies like Trump and the MAGA’s. Most importantly to change the dynamics of the Supreme Court and its integrity.
Exactly! Joe Biden needs us now. It’s not ‘Of the donors,’ or ‘By the pundits.’ It is up to the PEOPLE who cherish our American ideals and values. He has governed well in challenging times—and governing is not debating—far from it. Together, WE can save America from a despot.
The mass news media has a cash flow incentive to make Donald appear "legit". When they know he's a criminal conman, driven by money and ego, who doesn't really want the job of President. Their "analysis" must ignore his malignancy, his sexual depravity, his mob boss criminality. Any one of the outlets could blow the whistle on this con and shut down his Big Con Game. An empty chair in the Oval is better than this malignant rapist. Any journalist could observe "If Donald wins, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will be registered as the residence of a sex offender. A Rapist should not be our President." But they don't.
It is unforgivable to watch the current media give this malignant narcissist the room to spread his propaganda! CNN is an abomination selling our Democracy down the tubes...I don't to think Biden should participate in another debate without fact checkers. I believe Biden should prep to rebuttal to this poison...the American public deserves to see this criminal for what he is! Joe had a bad night but NC proofs he's still capable of standing up for truth!
I don’t think he should do the second debate. To me, there’s no upside. The only rebuttal to that kind of word slaughter is to say “you’re a felon, liar, rapist, and you stole classified documents” over and over, which would surely blow TFG’s mind, but it’s just too much for regular people to handle. It’s far too divisive. At what point do they just throw down like in a ring? No debate because Trump cannot follow rules or STFU.
The corporate owned media doesn’t seem to be very bright. They are basically an endangered species on the brink of extinction if Donnie is elected. Worse, they should know it, not only from what he spouts but their experiences when he was in office.
Donald and his Trump World Gang behave very much like a crime family. He encouraged his family and lieutenants to cheat and steal while he held the Oval Office and then he pardoned them for their crimes. The "Don" almost pulled off the crime of the Century: The theft of the Executive Branch of the strongest country on Earth. He stole the GOP and RNC with bluff and bluster and threats and bullying. The formerly honorable GOP leaders crumbled. Now he's conspiring with his thugs to trick his marks out of more of their hard earned money. And pull even more dirty tricks on the gullible Press and 147 Members of Congress. Roger Stone and his Merry Tricksters will flood the zone with bullshit soon. The DNC and the legit press don't have the balls to call this what it is. Trump World is a Money Scam.
I keep thinking of FDR and all he accomplished while being in a wheelchair. It was a terrible time for the world yet he was elected 3 times because of who he was as a leader and who he brought into his circle(cabinet). Remember Trumps cabinet members? Vs who is working for US now? I would take Biden in a hospital bed before I would let Trump
The FDR thoughts were mine also. Never, never discount the strength of will power and the desire to both complete a task as promised and to honor those for whom that task was initiated. Do not underestimate Joe and more than Americans underestimated FDR.
“ Suddenly, in September 1955, Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in Denver, Colorado. After seven weeks he left the hospital, and in February 1956 doctors reported his recovery. In November he was elected for his second term.”
Yes! Excellent writing on your part as always. Your kind encouraging and correct words need to be shared everywhere. You don’t give up. I feel he’s sacrificed all of his time to do this job and he’s not walking away. I’m convinced he needs help and I’ll give.
After getting over the shock of the debate, my focus is on the issues. Too much is at stake. F* the NYT! I’m not a Maher fan, but I agree with him - I’d vote for his head in a jar!
I'm voting for the Administration headed by a decent man who knows how to choose competent, intelligent people to important posts. I'm voting for the party that will enshrine a woman's right to control her own self, to allow people to live and let live and love whomever their heart chooses, and expand Voting Rights.
In essence, I'm voting for FDR in 1940 when the conservatives are backing Hitler in 1933.
No matter who the president is, that person is not the only influence or decision maker regarding our policies or direction. Biden has proven he can do the job, and do it well. Trump and his minions have shown us Project 2025 - which is handbook for a fascist state. We know what Trump will do. Further, it's almost inconceivable that the Republicans aren't demanding Trump step out of the race. He's a convicted felon, a serial liar, and has been found liable in a sexual assault case. Beyond that, his own health is unknown as are his business interests, any indebtedness or tax returns, because he simply refuses to be honest about even the basic facts that all candidates have revealed. He is unfit. Voters must resist the drama surrounding Biden and keep in mind that it's a policy and agenda question we're deciding on in November; not a contest between two older men.
I agree completely. I have cancelled my subscriptions to The NY Times. They should be calling for that despicable convicted felon to drop out. Joe has proven himself again and again. I’ll stay with Joe!🇺🇸
President Biden represents the only thing that can save America: relentless focus on facts, reason, and the truth. No one has represented the whole of America better in the face of the evil threat posed by the vile and baleful DJT. Trumpists fear Biden more than any available alternative. Support Biden. He needs it and America needs him.
Boy! We’re awfully Quick to Cast Aside The Best President Since LBJ and FDR. WERE AWFULLY Quick to latch onto the republican playbook. The Narrative that has been so cleverly set. And we All Join in. How Despicable!
You know what we SHOULD be doing? Giving Joe a 20-dollar Bill. That’s what we Democrats SHOULD be DOING.
They made a Huge Campaign Cash Grab following Mr. Despicable’s Guilty Verdict on ALL COUNTS-All COUNTS!
Surely Friends, We Really Owe It and Should Reward Mr. President with out UNWAVERING SUPPORT! Just Saying!
If republicans had a bad night (and they did btw) they rally around and say it’s a victory and they won. What do democrats do? The hand wringing and gnashing of teeth - seriously people, get a grip!
I’m still with Joe Biden - not because I agree with all of his policies but because he is the alternative to fascism, autocracy and future playbooks such as Project 2025. There is no other choice. We have to work with what we have, not what we wish we had.
Yes, the Comstock Law as part of the theocratic playbook. I read a great book last summer about Anthony Comstock, called ‘The Man Who Hated Women’. That, he did.
Who does that? Who walks out of a presidential race because of a below-average debate performance? Not Joe Biden. Millions of others and I are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him to the end. There is no alternative unless you count on Trump, and you can't count on Trump. For all of the reasons already mentioned hundreds of times, he’s not fit to be President. He can't tell the truth. He just can't. He lives in a world of his own making, imagining himself all-powerful, unerring, infallible, and loved by all. If that's your idea of a potential President, you can keep him. I’ll take Joe and his kitchen table every time.
I was disappointed in the debate but not so disappointed that I'd walk away from a POTUS that has turned around a country that was ransack by a despot.
Joe Biden is an honorable man, kind, decent and the best damn president we've had in many years (Obama included). Biden has had to face a Christo fascist movement hell bent on destroying our democracy. He has turned around our economy that was crashing after Covid and Trumps tax cuts, and restored dignity to the office of POTUS and in the eyes of the rest of the world. Abandoning him now is not only disloyal but disastrous. It's late in the game, there's little to no time to build and launch a campaign that could effectively challenge Trump. Besides, who wants that job?
I'm proud of my governor Newsom, he's positioning himself for 2028. But more importantly, he's showing democrats how to be united and loyal to their party. I'm with Newsom. I'm sticking with a man I trust, a man who has sacrificed a lot for our country. He deserves our votes!
See Lawrence O'Donnell's brilliant analysis here. I was just a bit chastened by the facts (a good thing).
I'm not losing heart! I donated *again* to the Biden/Harris campaign. And I donated *again* to down-ballot Democratic campaigns in my town, and in my county.
We didn’t watch any political news last night but I just now watched the clip by Lawrence you posted and it was GREAT. He’s so fair and balanced but tells it like it is. Thanks for this. Hope everyone takes the time to watch it and settles down.
Thank you for the link to Laurence O'Donnell's analysis. His comments about this debate, among modern presidential debates, having the lowest percentage of watchers among the voters of the previous election puts into perspective how little (positive) difference changing a candidate after a disappointing debate performance would have.
I know we’d better be careful not to react based on panic, or judge his capabilities only based on Thursday. And I know I’d crawl over glass to vote for him if he winds up on the ballot opposite the orange fascist threat to everything good and decent.
I felt shaky that night but yesterday I got up and donated more money to Biden. It’s the least I can do for a man who has done so much for our country.
Biden is the candidate for America. He is the one to bring this country together. We must get together. If he falls, we all fall. And it will be our fault.
Personally, I’ve learned to try to achieve balance even though society seems to lean more toward extremes. While Joe Biden has had some achievements there are still many opportunities for improvement. I was quite encouraged during the debate, toward the end, when he expressed the strength of the US and admitted that it is mainly due to the people of the US, not him. That was a wonderful sign of humility which is something many (most?) people, particularly in govt positions, tend to lack. Can any one person SAVE us? No! Can we continue to make strides under the leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? I believe so but it does take more than them… it takes everyone else holding positions as well as ALL of US! Is it realistic to throw in the towel because of one debate performance? Seems pretty extreme of a response to me! I prefer a more balanced approach!
I am standing with Biden. It is a bigger chance to try to replace him now. You are giving up the strength of an incumbent on the ticket. It will put the Democratic party into chaos. Biden has proven he can beat Trump. It is only June. Biden has time to bounce back. Anyone can struggle against the continuous lies Trump spewed. I am also canceling my NY Times Subscription.
All including Biden himself agree he had a bad night. But that is no reason for him to withdraw or be bounced by the Democratic Party. He has been a splendid President who I deeply trust to guide us for four more years through whatever foreign and domestic crises arise. In fact, to my mind there is no one in America more qualified to meet these challenges.
The Morning Consult poll shows no change in the polling. In my opinion, if the Democrats look to someone else only four months from the election, it is tantamount to handing the election to Trump.
Is it too craven of me to suspect the Biden negativity coming from NYT and WAPO is because reporting on Convicted Felon Former POTUS provides more clickbait and ad revenue? A POTUS doing a good job isn’t controversial, usually just normal. Normality doesn’t generate outrage and curiosity.
Let’s rekindle the Women’s Suffrage and Rights campaigns and direct that kind of energy to defeat the personal rights infringement which is sure to come if Trump wins. Because if he does win, the country will lose.
In a sane world a CONVICTED FELON would not even be running for president!
Take a breath. Quit with the hysteria. Joe and all around him will be a strong, fine team. I think the exhibition(debate)showed a lot of potential voters what a complete and total ass Felon 34/45 really is all in an hour and a half.
Trump should never be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office. He is a con man, a serial liar and a sexual predator. His spewing of lies during the debate should repel any thinking person. He got elected once because people bought his song and dance and thought he could help our country.
He proved them wrong at Helsinki, at the UN, NATO and G7 meeting where disgraced himself, was laughed at, alienated our allies and weakened our standing among world powers.
During Covid, he lied, spread dangerous misinformation, deflected responsibility and blame and contributed to the death of thousands of Americans. He has proven himself in business and in government to be an incompetent buffoon. He inherited a strong economy from Obama, did little or nothing to improve it, and added millions to our deficit through his tax cuts for the rich and corporations.
He appointed three political hacks to the Supreme Court who are in the process of taking away critical health care for women, limiting voter rights and curtailing the ability of experts in our federal agencies to enact regulations the keep our air, water, food and entire planet safe.
Good lord, who in their right mind wants to give this horrible, failed man another chance to screw things up. And yes, in a sane world, it’s Trump, a convicted felon and a pawn of Putin who would be called on to step down.
Thank you Gina, I applaud you! I don't know how tfg won in 2016, maybe with a little help from his friend? It shouldn't have happened. I live in NW Iowa,so I'm doing what I can to help people understand that its imperative that they don't vote for tfg. It's an uphill battle.
Thanks for working to keep him out of office. I’m sure it is an uphill battle. I’m in MA , so the situation here is different, though we still have folks who support T. Kudos to you and others like you who are working hard in states where he has so many supporters.
Good for you, Steven! I first heard of the gish gallop while reading "Letters from an American" posted by Heather Cox Richardson. Ms Richardson explained the technique quite well. And a Google search is even more revealing. While Trump is surely completely unaware of the term 'gish gallop', it fits perfectly every statement he makes. President Biden will absolutely get my vote, not just because Trump is a despicable human being unfit for any chore, but because President Biden is the best choice for the job! I just wish I had the financial ability to contribute to the Biden Election Campaign and you as well. But, for now, I must rely on others to meet that challenge. And I thank them for that.
Wikipedia has a really good article on the Gish Gallop and ways to defuse it--which I hope the "preparers" read closely.
I'm guessing the preparers advised him to refrain from labeling what trump said as lies. He tried at first, but if that was the advice, shed it and became much more energetic when he did so.
I think Biden should stay in the race! He has had a great presidency and is well respected on the national stage. He had a bad debate as did Obama in 2012. What if Obama had been railroaded into dropping out? I agree for many reasons it would be very complicated to drop Biden now and more damaging to Democracy! I am still #RidenWithBiden
Thank you Stephen for you thoughtful piece today. First, upon seeing the headline about the NYT editorial I immediately wrote them asking if they thought it appropriate to offer this country a “death wish”, meaning giving in to a despotic, lying, dishonest, disingenuous narcissist. Another Trump presidency may be the end of democracy. Certainly they understand that. And to turn the reins over to anyone else, aside from the financial aspects, would provide fodder for Trump and his enablers to double down on the lying and misinformation. We need the Mohammed Ali of politicians to finally KO this Bozo (apologies the clown), putting him as far from the Oval Office as possible. Who might that person be? Why haven’t they stepped forward? I fully trust Joe to bounce back with vengeance and win another term for the good of our country and democracy. Full stop.
I support Biden/Harris all the way. Biden prepared to debate and Trump prepared to put on a show. Biden has and will continue to keep competent people around him to assist him if it becomes necessary. I am also appalled that the NYT and WA PO did not call out Trump on his egregious lies nor his 2025 playbook.
The initial reaction I had Thursday was too much "drama queen" & "the sky is falling" going on.... give it a day to settle out. And guess what... the 11th Hour brought it home last night. The best in depth with great guests. The first thing Lawrence O'Donnell said "it's been 24 hours since the debate & Biden is up 1% in the polls" . CNN needs to be roundly critisized for their lack of engagement and softball questions to tfg...Biden worked a full day Thursday before tfg got out of bed at noon... then another full day of work til he got to the debate... tfg probably napped, drank diet coke and texted his venom on truth social....who is going give up their bodily rights because Biden had an off night & had a cold? Get a grip... watch The 11th Hour.... the media also got canned by the guests. It would be good for the media to get out of their " echo chamber " occassionally
I won’t lie - the debate floored me - both in Biden’s persistent deer-in-the-headlights expression and the voluminous flow of lies spewing from Trump’s awful mouth. He bullied, belittled, and lied about Biden’s accomplishments, including the jaw-dropping claim that he lowered the cost of insulin.
I went to bed that night devastated and awoke at 4 am stewing about it. I eventually got up and read my Substack essays from smart people like you, Steven, and pulled myself off the ledge. Hell yes I’m staying with Biden. Today’s Republican Party is a dangerous abomination that needs to be destroyed and replaced with something with some semblance of decency, honesty, and integrity, none of which is exhibited by even one current member.
I’m still ridin’ with Biden because, like you say, the drop out scenario is a fantasy. Plus, even if we could accomplish it, it would be chaos and the final candidate wouldn’t be finalized until late Aug. in Chicago. Ballots get mailed out early Oct. That leaves Sept. plus a bit on either side to establish a campaign and win over voter in swing states. Even with a perfect candidate, we couldn’t do it.
I’m part of the backbone of the Democratic base and I’m out there telling Dems this. Biden is doing a good job despite his age. We’ve made great progress creating good jobs. We need to fix the Supreme Court. We need to save Democracy. We need to support our NATO allies so Putin doesn’t take Europe. And Democrats are still for the people vs. the rich corporations that stand to gain and exploit workers and the environment.
I'm still with him! He had a bad day for goodness sakes. He came back strong yesterday. His agenda to preserve democracy and our freedoms, especially women's, hasn't changed. IMHO, there is no one who could win if he stepped away, which could likely ensure a tRump win. We the people nominated Biden in the primaries! To paraphrase him, he's a good man who knows how to do the job. And unlike tRump, who I agree should be disqualified due to his lies and incompetence, Biden tells the truth.
I'm staying with the guy who brought me to the dance. Nothing about his humanity, sense of decency, Presidential accomplishments, or plans for America's future has changed because he gave a weak "performance" at a so-called debate. Indeed it IS the convicted felon Trump who should be leaving the race.
The NYT would disqualify Biden based on ninety minutes of mediocre debating, whilst treating Trump's 34 felony convictions as if they were parking violations.
I'm sticking with the guy who doesn't want to be a dictator.
NYT has been complaining about Biden's age for months. Why should I care now?
Well stated.
With 28 documented lies by TFG at the debate!
"Liar, Liar, Trump on Fire: A Catalog of Deceit”
In neon lights, our nation burns,
As Donald's deceit wildly churns.
The Con Don's cry, a country's rue,
Ninety minutes of lies anew.
"No one fibs like me," Trump boasts,
His venom sprays like venomous hosts.
Biden gapes, jaw slack with shock,
As Teflon Don runs amok.
"I would have accepted defeat," he cries,
"But fraud!" Trump screams, spinning lies.
A claim so bold, it sparks a storm,
Debunked, yet still his platform.
"Insulin's down," the Donald claims,
Ignoring Biden's Medicare aims.
The $35 cap, not his to own,
A 2022 act, truth be known.
"Millions from jails," he fabricates,
"Prisons, mental wards," he states.
Statistics he manipulates,
Impossible numbers he creates.
"We saved Roe," Don Juan deceives,
"All wanted it back," none believes.
The Bankrupt King, with brazen lies,
Rewrites history before our eyes.
"Fake quotes," Trump Tower's lord snarls,
"Sleepy Joe's lies," he loudly quarrels.
"Suckers and losers," Donnie denies,
His own staff leaked his contempt's disguise.
January 6th, a twisted tale,
"Ten thousand troops," a myth so frail.
"Pelosi's fault," he boldly states,
As video evidence negates.
"Evidence gone," The Donald lies,
Committee's proof his claim denies.
Records intact, for all to see,
His falsehoods clear as can be.
"Crooked Joe's a crook," he roars,
As felony charges he ignores.
House GOP sought, found no sin,
Yet still The Donald spins and spins.
"Manchurian Joe," wild Don hollers,
"China pays him!" as truth he collars.
No evidence found, claims fall flat,
But Trump cares not for facts like that.
Stormy's truth makes Donald squirm,
Court decrees, he can't affirm.
"No porn star sex," he boldly states,
As evidence accumulates.
"Best shape ever," Trump proclaims,
A joke that brings the crowd to shame.
"As good as thirty years ago,"
A claim that strains credulity so.
NATO's demise, another fable,
"We paid it all," his math unstable.
Alliance strong, despite his cries,
Another of The Donald's lies.
Iran "was broke," he falsely cries,
State Department reports belie.
"No money for terror," he declares,
As facts show otherwise, he errs.
Afghanistan, his botched deal,
"Strength and dignity," he'd reveal.
But his agreement paved the way,
For Taliban's return to sway.
"World's worst border," Trump declares,
Hyperbole beyond compare.
Danger exaggerated, fear he sows,
Reality, a tale he forgoes.
Charlottesville, "all debunked," he swears,
As recorded truth his lie impairs.
"Every anchor agrees," he claims,
But facts his falsehood maims.
"The only jobs he created," Trump sneers,
"Are for illegals," he falsely smears.
Millions of jobs since COVID's peak,
His grasp of economics weak.
COVID spending, inflation's rise,
Trump takes credit, then denies.
"I spent to save," he proudly states,
Then Biden's spending he berates.
Ukraine's dead "tripled," aid "too much,"
Contradictions in his touch.
"Do nothing," then "too much," he cries,
Logic bends as Donald lies.
"I'll end the war," The Donald vows,
Rejecting terms, yet still avows
Instant peace, a magic trick,
Logic bends to rhetoric.
"Putin's terms unacceptable," he'll say,
Then promise peace without delay.
A president-elect's mighty power,
To end a war within the hour.
In this inferno of deceit,
Where truth and fiction often meet,
Trump burns bright with every lie,
A phoenix of falsehoods that won't die.
From 2020's fraud delusion,
To border fears and mass confusion,
Each claim more bold than the last,
A tapestry of lies so vast.
NATO, Iran, and Biden's kin,
The web of falsehoods thick within.
Job numbers twisted, facts ignored,
As Trump's tall tales leave truth deplored.
But as his flames of fiction rise,
And smoke obscures our nation's skies,
Remember this, both far and near:
The truth, though tested, perseveres.
No candidate in history's pages
Has lied so boldly through the ages.
A testament to shameless gall,
Trump thinks he can fool us all.
Yet facts stand firm against his spiel,
His words can't change what's truly real.
Though Donald Duck may quack and crow,
His lies, like feathers, eventually show.
America, stay vigilant and wise,
See through the smoke of Trump's disguise.
For in this battle of truth and lie,
Our nation's soul and future lie.
So spread this tale of Trump on fire,
His pants ablaze, his nose grown higher.
Let truth prevail in every state,
As we approach November's date.
In twenty-twenty-four we stand,
A crucial choice before our land.
Will we succumb to brazen lies,
Or seek the truth that Trump denies?
Each voter holds the power to choose,
Between stark facts and fake news.
Remember well this catalog of deceit,
As to the polls our feet we beat.
For in this year, this vital hour,
We wield democracy's great power.
Let wisdom guide each hand that votes,
As history our choice notes.
The president may be seriously ill... he's haunted by the death of a son... the solution: ROLE REVERSAL
The president is pictured here in the 1940's...
...forcefully deciding on ROLE REVERSAL...
https://youtu.be/0adv8zQsa9I?t=57
2024: Keep Biden in the White House as VP?
This was absolutely incredible!!! Poetry at its best!! WELL DONE!!!
CNN is not interested in the truth—they don’t seem to care about the 28 massive lies by tfg; again and again and again he flat out lied:”I reduced the price of Insulin”—No he didn’t—a lie—Joe did that;”Nancy just admitted she failed to call in the NatlGuard”No she didn’t;he failed to do that for hrs—another big lie;28 OF THEM in just 90 minutes!How can we ever believe this POS?Dana Bash doesn’t care!
It was up to Biden to defend his achievement with respect to the price of insulin. He was unable to defend himself when Trump spewed his myriad lies and apparently when they negotiated the rules of the debate, the responsibility for fact checking was left out of the network’s agreement to host.
Let’s put these expressions of fealty to Biden in context. I’ll stipulate that not one pre-debate Biden supporter will switch to Trump. That’s not enough. Biden is losing according to the polls. Losing to a twice impeached felon in the swing states. We need to convince soft Trump supporters that their support for him is insane. Biden clearly is not up to that job.
Then contribute to David Hogg’s and Beto’s out reach to young voters. Also, no one mentions the palpable rage 😡 😤 boiling in women.
Yes, but would that translate to another Democrat? I strongly believe that Joe Biden has made his pro-choice stance abundantly clear—clearer than Hillary "We need to open up a 'dialogue' with anti-choicers" Rodham Clinton ever did!
Every time I read a "Biden should step aside" comment or piece? I suspect Hillary is behind it all, trying to push the DNC for a THIRD bite of the apple, after LOSING to Trump once already!
Hillary is DOA. And she knows it. Everyone does. She wouldn't be chosen.
From your mouth to the Gods' and Goddesses' ears! It's just we thought that about Richard Nixon after 1962, which is who Hillary Rodham Clinton reminds me of....
After her disgusting performance in 2016, gleefully alienating everybody to the Left of Mitt Romney while obsessing over "going toe-to-toe with Putin"*? She DESERVED to lose. Rather than stepping back and readjusting, she kept blaming everybody but herself for her failure—as late as 2020 she was STILL calling Bernie Sanders(!) a "Russian Asset"(!!!).
____
* Please do not think my loathing for Hillary means I support Putin or Trump in any way, shape, or form. I do, however, believe in a middle ground between Belligerence To Show How "Tough" You Are, and Sucking Up to The Enemy—a course I think President Biden is doing a reasonably good job of navigating with the support he's giving The Ukraine while not committing troops to fighting there, which WOULD set off a potentially nuclear confrontation with Donnie's Daddy Vladdie!
Polls are both suspect and unreliable. The only “poll” that matters is the election.
And no one else is known nationwide and the choice would cause extremely harsh feelings of the unpicked and screwed over. But I’m sure everyone wd jump on board! Sure - voters wd be pissed on but they wd vote whomever you choose. That is all BS! Grow a pair and fight for Biden. He has always fought for us. You are a wimp.
https://x.com/will_bunch/status/1807159924473917483?s=12
I agree Donna! And I love how you referred to Thursday’s CNN event as a so-called debate. That’s a perfect description. Trump hasn’t a clue as to how to debate. All he does is lie. President Biden called him out on his lie about “post-birth abortions,” but one of the moderators should have stated right then and there that there is no such thing, instead of thanking him for his so-called “answer.” Biden was obviously not feeling well Thursday night. You could tell from his color and the hoarseness of his voice. He’s still my guy though! I will not turn my back on him just because he had one bad night.
Amen. These pundits are so siloed in their info bubbles they have no clue how angry we are at them
I've read that the Gish gallop is especially effective when used against someone who stutters. I doubt that Trump studied this technique, he comes by it naturally. But you are right, it was not a debate.
I never heard of the Gish gallop until today. Yes, Trump comes by it naturally.
There is a great explanation in Heather Cox Richardsons letters to America. I hadn't heard of it until she talked about it.
I believe it. We had an excellent candidate years ago for US Senator. He was a former mayor of a major city with major accomplishments. But the GOP oppo turned up an interesting fact. He was dyslexic. They would plant people in public meetings, even small more intimate occasions to heckle and interrupt so he could not use his notes. His staff was caught off guard. Before they developed a strategy the reputation for being bumbling and mentally slow, etc. became a ‘thing.’
I agree.
The convicted felon should already BE in prison and considered unfit to run as a candidate. Why does President Biden's age matter, look at his accomplishments. Joe Biden is a time-tested decent human being first and foremost..Those words would never apply to his opponent, nor would they apply to anyone who would favor DJT for POTUS. And BTW, the NYT doesn't speak for me.
I say what Val Demings posted on twitter.
When Donald Trump was found liable for sexual assault and 34 felony counts, I did not see one Republican panic.
If they can rally around their criminal figurehead, surely Democrats can rally around our democracy and a good man working to protect it. That's President Biden.
💯 It’s possible to admit Biden’s age is a draw back and that his performance on the debate stage was terrible and I will still crawl over broken glass to vote for him and against DT. I am voting FOR democracy and against authoritarianism. Joe Biden has been a great president and he has my vote. If that same sentiment - of all that is at stake and the message of what a decent hard working man Joe Biden is, - fighting everyday for the middle class , hasn’t broken through past the lies and indecency of DT, what makes anyone think anyone else will do better? I am rallying around my president and his excellent advisors. Joe is clear this is about democracy. Now the undecided out there need to see that too.
Well yeah. And trying to replace him would be a disaster.
This isn’t about being “loyal” to Joe Biden. This is about beating Donald Trump. Biden has been afforded the high honor of being elected President. We don’t owe him anything more. Biden had more ammunition than any candidate in history that he could have used in the debate against the criminal narcissist Trump (who apparently leads Biden in all the swing states) and he failed miserably. I don’t care that he had a cold. The debate was his idea. His job was to expose Trump’s unfitness for office. He failed. Give someone younger and more energetic a chance. Do we want to lose democracy because Biden had a cold? C’mon, man.
This is all really unfair. I suspect most of us are encouraged to stay home from work when we are sick. Joe was not allowed by virtue of his office to stay home and nurse his cold. Have we all forgotten how sick we can be with a cold? Instead, he tried to stand up to such a barrage of lies that sometimes he could only stand there with his mouth agape.
Are we our own worst enemies?
💯 💯 💯 A lot of people don’t realize that the symptoms of a common cold very often mimic EXACTLY years of late-stage dementia. I’m not giving up on Biden no matter how many absentee ballots I have to fill out this year!
GROW A PAIR AND VOTE FOR BIDEN! You whine like a Republican! SCOTUS is destroying democracy by implementing Project 2025!
WHO?
I’m voting for Biden and I canceled my New York Times subscription
I did the same . And I’m sorry to say . I cancelled my subscription to
Steve Schmidt s ‘ Warning’ .
But months of negative opinions re Bidens candidacy have soured me .
I believe with his power through his site , he’s done some damage to Biden and continues to refer to him in derogatory words .
I have a subscription as well and wrote that I felt his writing was disrespectful. Clearly, something is wrong there.
He brought Palin into McCains campaign and he worked for the Weird Kennedy so why are you still reading him? He’s a grifter.
I recently dumped Schmidt's The Warning also -
Steve's column following the debate was so predictable, as I wrote on his Substack, and I detected a whiff of gloating that OMG he was so right all along! I have stuck with Steve because of his exceptional writing, when he wasn't bashing our president, but I'm more concerned about the effect of subscription numbers that include, but don't identify, people who disagree with him. So, I will be cancelling my subscription.
I’ve tried to give Steve Schmidt a chance, but I think I’m done with him too. After putting forth the Congressman Dean Phillips to run against Biden, I tried again. He seems to go where the wind blows, and his videos and writing are way too lengthy and crazily verbose. Too much time outta my day!
Not to mention, he also gave us Sarah Palin. I like Steve but his judgment is questionable at times.
I very much agree! At least he’s on track with the spirit of “The Warning”, but he tends to take a few wrong turns within it.
Yes, I agree with you. Schmidt seems to have gone over to the dark side ... cannot stand his writing any more. Used to admire him. No wonder he and the Lincoln project parted company.
I just canceled the Warning as well.
I did the same. They are not helping.
I cancelled my NYT subscription several months ago because of the bad press about Biden!
me too
Me three.
Me, too.
I cancelled mine a while back!
Good!
Mine is cancelled as well
Me too! And made an extra donation. Since when do we throw a successful president under the bus.
Me too!
I am canceling mine as well.
We can all write letters to the NYT without subscribing. They may not provide a platform for us, but they will know the will of the American people.
I don’t blame them or anyone for that matter who has questions about Biden’s performance. They gave the caveats about how bad DJT would be for the country. Did they say he should not be the GOP nominee? That his answers were often incoherent? No they accept that the GOP won’t do any “soul searching”.
I blame them for jumping to conclusions for a big headline. It was all about appearances, expectations and optics. That’s what TV appearances including fake debates are about. Their conclusions and their opinions should be limited to speaking for themselves. The Biden campaign said it raised $27M in the 24 hrs after the debate. $14M of it in the hour after the debate while DJT raised $8M.
I’m not convinced NYT cares about the will of the American people. It wasn’t so long ago news outlets said the WH was using other media to reach people instead of NYT, WaPo, etc. Using social media, TikTok videos and TV. Not sure editors like that.
Bravo!!!!!
Look, there are lots of things in the NYT that I wish they wouldn’t run, but given the sorry, sorry state journalism is in these days, the Times (as well as some other publications) does contain information we need to know. A few people cancelling their subscriptions won’t have any effect at all.
But I won’t be violating my principles by supporting more rt wing bias.
Then no one should subscribe at all! They don’t want us or need us.
https://x.com/will_bunch/status/1807159924473917483?s=12
Still with Biden. None of the people suggesting that he step down has come up with a believable alternative. It’s a sad reflection on America that being old, even being physically weak, is considered to be worse than being a completely amoral authoritarian wannabe dictator. That should be the focus here, imo.
What worried me was that he didn't come across as in control. Beyond campaigning, can he govern at the high level we need for four more years? Believable alternative will be whoever we all line up to support after Biden voluntarily steps aside. Today that's not believable because he hasn't yet stepped aside. The tone I read here is that we'll all support the D alternative to trump. Today that is Biden, but it could be someone else.
It *could* be someone else, but in my 55 years of experience with the Democratic Party, working for campaigns and supporting candidates, I have rarely seen everyone line up to support anyone. With the short time frame we have, especially in the chaotic political environment we’ve been in since 2016, I just don’t see who could step in and make it happen. Harris is the obvious first contender, and the only one who can make use of the existing finances of the campaign, but she’s not well liked. The governors I’ve heard mentioned don’t have national presence, or, if they do have, it’s as negative as it is positive. I keep thinking of all the contenders in 2020 - many are certainly qualified, but none were successful and Biden emerged from the pack. My feeling is that we’re voting for an administration, not just one guy, and Biden’s is strong, capable, and dedicated to good governance. I have hope that others will see that as well. But I just don’t see who or how a replacement would work. Perhaps I’m overly cautious, but four months out, I think it’s too late to start over. I pray I’m not wrong, and if smarter people than me decide to go with another candidate, I’ll still be voting blue.
You’re exactly right. There is no practical way of replacing Biden. “Whoever we all line up to support”? We aren’t all going to line up to support anyone, unless Superman flies in to save the day. People think they’re living in a comic book universe.
Jon, I worry a lot about the “show” factor of modern politics. I think you’re right; so many have forgotten we’re talking about governance, not entertainment. Trump provides the circus and some folks get dazzled by the sparkles. We need a serious reset. I’m afraid I don’t have the answer for how to do that! I’m counting on young people, like my granddaughter, who is a thoughtful and serious person. Fingers crossed.
Experiences like your 55 yrs with the Dems is why I say Dems are always looking for a unicorn candidate. Not realistic to expect the candidate to be flawless, agree with everything they want, deliver everything they want immediately. We have to see beyond all that to who will work for us.
I agree it's too late and there's no other viable alternative. I am not a Democrat but I believe Trump has to be defeated at all costs.
I wish one day we all look back and ponder on how ridiculous it is that we feel that an EIGHTY-ONE years old person is the only/best person to beat a flawed, childish, evil, narcissistic, selfish, and demonstrably stupid person like DJT. How did we even manage to get so stupid? Biden should’ve declared that he was a 4-years president and allow for the magical messiness of the democratic process to take place. Do we understand how ridiculous this is? I admire and respect him, and I love what he’s managed to accomplish with so little wiggled room. But the time at the helm for those born before 1960 has come to an end. This is a bloody disaster bc people who should’ve been retired and enjoying their golden years decided that they are too important and irreplaceable to let those who came after them to have a chance to be in charge. This is ridiculous. It’s not about Biden or Trump, it’s about what does it say of us as a society that these are the best we got. I understand it from the MAGA crowd bc they are in a sadistic, xenophobic, racist, anti-social/anti-democratic cult, but we all should expect better from the “sane” party. And this is insane. There’s no other way to put it. It’s insane.
Why do you wish that? Shoulda, woulda, coulda is pretty uneffing helpful at this point. No one is glad to be in this position. How about offering a constructive suggestion, if you have one.
You presume too much. I don’t line up very well with all the age discrimination
If Biden doesn't win because of agism of the electorate what will resentment that that's why get you?
It's a question of what big risk are Democrats going to take. Biden's performance has increased the risk of him losing. Switching now is also an enormous risk. To me it is only worth taking if Biden voluntarily steps aside. His choice--I hope he will decide based on electability with the electorate we have with all its prejudices and shallowness not just his confidence that he can do the job.
We talk like it all depends on one man. He has surrounded himself with an awesome administration. I have faith in that.
Biden's delivery was poor, but his words were strong. Read the transcript...just because the vessel looks bad don't mean what is inside is runied.
wonderful point!! Do enough Americans read more than three lines on Twitter or fb?
Very few...
I don’t read Twitter at all. Speaking of bias!
Thank you.
That is what NYT’s editorial board could have pointed out. Instead they tried to get in front of the bandwagon like their hair was on fire.
One bad night does not a disqualification make. They wouldn't be yelling so loudly for Biden to drop out if they weren't truly afraid that he will win, no matter what. Turning your back on the man who has done so much for us during the last 3.5 years is despicable, especially considering all he has accomplished while the MSM was insisting he was TOO OLD to do the job. But he has done the job, is doing the job, and will continue on doing the job in the future. And that is what should matter, not one bad night, fighting off a cold AND a Gish gallop from the convicted felon.
His crew should be rethinking their strategy, too...... Donald might have been more "in control" for a longer period of time because his crazy wasn't feeding off of a live audience? Putting Joe on the right side made him appear to "look off" camera. Dressing him in black made him look more pale. Ultimately, they maybe should have postponed the debate and took the fallout for a bit, allowing him to be healthier. Did they prepare/practice for the GISH gallop? Who knows....Probably over-prepared him leading up to the debate, wearing down his voice and immune system.
It was so hard to watch (and fervently pray for!) a decent, moral leader struggle under the pounding lies of a narcissistic, felon, wannabe dictator.
Joe needs to dig deep and bring out DARK BRANDON again. I ordered the BRANDANA and look forward to wearing it!
Oh, I would love that brandana! I am Canadian and we love Biden! We are terrified of Trump and his buddy Putin! Look at the map ... we are not far from Russia!!M. Will NATO come to our aid when Trump decides we have not paid up our protection $$$? We shall see how the new Nato secretary handles the issue .... Trump simply cannot win!!
Thanks. Yes, God help us if tRump and Palin were ever in power together! I appreciate that you get it.
Yes, be on guard. AK would invite putie in.
That NATO payment BS is another damn lie. I believe the goal is for nations to use 2% of their GDP for military readiness. No friggin “dues” or payments to NATO or anyone involved in that.
Ann, I’m curious why you state that “AK would invite Putie in”? I lived in Western AK for nearly 40 years so am keenly aware of the huge number of military sorties flown against the Russians, as well as the strength of the Coast Guard and other military patrols on the water. Alaska is heavily involved every day in protecting the U.S. against Russian incursions. Thanks.
The comment was somewhat facetious but with an eye to some characteristics of AK. The AK Independence Party which wants a do-over vote on statehood. It claims to be the 3rd largest independent party of any state. It is the 3rd largest in AK. (Russia feeds a similar movement in CA.) Then there is the Palin faction. If Donnie was elected again we all know he has a thing about real estate deals. Greenland comes to mind.
Yes, AK has an overwhelming number of military sites with a big influence on civilian life. The efforts you speak of are US military. Not Alaskan per se. US military personnel cycle in and out of AK or use it as a jumping off place to go overseas. Although enough remain after service to bolster the population.
I lived in Anchorage, Juneau and Ketchikan. While in Juneau I worked for the AK dept of Military Affairs. My now deceased brother-in-law was a commander of a National Guard scout battalion in the Nome-Kotzebue area. The last of my immediate family who lived in AK left about 4 yrs ago.
Yes, the more things change the more they stay the same. I saw one of the GOP surrogates today ranting loudly & breathlessly about how ‘we’ve been lied to’ and then all the stuff they’ve always spouted.
It’s our job to save America. Biden just runs it.
And if we SAVE our democracy by electing Biden and other Democrats up and down the ballot, we can continue to work together to improve the institutions that are in need of repair. Looking at you, SCOTUS.
It is critical for us to gain control of both sides of the Congress and in the states as well. Not to create absolute authority, but to wrest control from crazies like Trump and the MAGA’s. Most importantly to change the dynamics of the Supreme Court and its integrity.
What integrity? They are so obnoxious in their power grab. They lied to Congress as well.
Exactly! Joe Biden needs us now. It’s not ‘Of the donors,’ or ‘By the pundits.’ It is up to the PEOPLE who cherish our American ideals and values. He has governed well in challenging times—and governing is not debating—far from it. Together, WE can save America from a despot.
I like what Gavin Newsom said. “ Bidens had our backs for a long time , maybe it’s time for us to have his”
The mass news media has a cash flow incentive to make Donald appear "legit". When they know he's a criminal conman, driven by money and ego, who doesn't really want the job of President. Their "analysis" must ignore his malignancy, his sexual depravity, his mob boss criminality. Any one of the outlets could blow the whistle on this con and shut down his Big Con Game. An empty chair in the Oval is better than this malignant rapist. Any journalist could observe "If Donald wins, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will be registered as the residence of a sex offender. A Rapist should not be our President." But they don't.
It is unforgivable to watch the current media give this malignant narcissist the room to spread his propaganda! CNN is an abomination selling our Democracy down the tubes...I don't to think Biden should participate in another debate without fact checkers. I believe Biden should prep to rebuttal to this poison...the American public deserves to see this criminal for what he is! Joe had a bad night but NC proofs he's still capable of standing up for truth!
I don’t think he should do the second debate. To me, there’s no upside. The only rebuttal to that kind of word slaughter is to say “you’re a felon, liar, rapist, and you stole classified documents” over and over, which would surely blow TFG’s mind, but it’s just too much for regular people to handle. It’s far too divisive. At what point do they just throw down like in a ring? No debate because Trump cannot follow rules or STFU.
I didn’t Trump calling President Biden Joe. He should call him President Biden
I agree with you that there be no more so-called debates. Donald Trump has NOTHING to offer the American People
The corporate owned media doesn’t seem to be very bright. They are basically an endangered species on the brink of extinction if Donnie is elected. Worse, they should know it, not only from what he spouts but their experiences when he was in office.
Example A: — It is the third instance over the last month in which a news media organization has disclosed that federal authorities seized the records of its journalists in an effort to identify sources for national security stories published during President Donald Trump’s administration.— https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-business-arts-and-entertainment-government-and-politics-ca37d8079ee3ae88ba1bea1158e14f59
Example B: This one begs the question: Why did the DJT WH want to stop reporting at the border? —The U.S. Government Tracked, Detained, and Interrogated Journalists. We’re Suing on Their Behalf. [ACLU] — https://www.aclu.org/news/civil-liberties/the-u-s-government-tracked-detained-and-interrogated-journalists-were-suing
Donald and his Trump World Gang behave very much like a crime family. He encouraged his family and lieutenants to cheat and steal while he held the Oval Office and then he pardoned them for their crimes. The "Don" almost pulled off the crime of the Century: The theft of the Executive Branch of the strongest country on Earth. He stole the GOP and RNC with bluff and bluster and threats and bullying. The formerly honorable GOP leaders crumbled. Now he's conspiring with his thugs to trick his marks out of more of their hard earned money. And pull even more dirty tricks on the gullible Press and 147 Members of Congress. Roger Stone and his Merry Tricksters will flood the zone with bullshit soon. The DNC and the legit press don't have the balls to call this what it is. Trump World is a Money Scam.
The mass news media cash flow is indeed the rationale for supporting the felon instead of Biden.
If only!
No one else on earth can do what President Biden can, beat Donald. He’s done it before.
Biden will win! Let’s hope we also win the Senate and the Congress and can address 13 SCOTUS vs 9
Yes! Biden will trounce criminal Drumpf.
I keep thinking of FDR and all he accomplished while being in a wheelchair. It was a terrible time for the world yet he was elected 3 times because of who he was as a leader and who he brought into his circle(cabinet). Remember Trumps cabinet members? Vs who is working for US now? I would take Biden in a hospital bed before I would let Trump
The FDR thoughts were mine also. Never, never discount the strength of will power and the desire to both complete a task as promised and to honor those for whom that task was initiated. Do not underestimate Joe and more than Americans underestimated FDR.
Well stated, Cynthia
To your point:
“ Suddenly, in September 1955, Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in Denver, Colorado. After seven weeks he left the hospital, and in February 1956 doctors reported his recovery. In November he was elected for his second term.”
https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/dwight-d-eisenhower/
Yes! Excellent writing on your part as always. Your kind encouraging and correct words need to be shared everywhere. You don’t give up. I feel he’s sacrificed all of his time to do this job and he’s not walking away. I’m convinced he needs help and I’ll give.
After getting over the shock of the debate, my focus is on the issues. Too much is at stake. F* the NYT! I’m not a Maher fan, but I agree with him - I’d vote for his head in a jar!
I'm voting for the Administration headed by a decent man who knows how to choose competent, intelligent people to important posts. I'm voting for the party that will enshrine a woman's right to control her own self, to allow people to live and let live and love whomever their heart chooses, and expand Voting Rights.
In essence, I'm voting for FDR in 1940 when the conservatives are backing Hitler in 1933.
No matter who the president is, that person is not the only influence or decision maker regarding our policies or direction. Biden has proven he can do the job, and do it well. Trump and his minions have shown us Project 2025 - which is handbook for a fascist state. We know what Trump will do. Further, it's almost inconceivable that the Republicans aren't demanding Trump step out of the race. He's a convicted felon, a serial liar, and has been found liable in a sexual assault case. Beyond that, his own health is unknown as are his business interests, any indebtedness or tax returns, because he simply refuses to be honest about even the basic facts that all candidates have revealed. He is unfit. Voters must resist the drama surrounding Biden and keep in mind that it's a policy and agenda question we're deciding on in November; not a contest between two older men.
I agree completely. I have cancelled my subscriptions to The NY Times. They should be calling for that despicable convicted felon to drop out. Joe has proven himself again and again. I’ll stay with Joe!🇺🇸
President Biden represents the only thing that can save America: relentless focus on facts, reason, and the truth. No one has represented the whole of America better in the face of the evil threat posed by the vile and baleful DJT. Trumpists fear Biden more than any available alternative. Support Biden. He needs it and America needs him.
Still voting for Biden / Harris. He had one bad night.
Thank you 🙏. Many seniors are sharp well into their nineties. He is capable to govern and the country needs to get behind him.
Boy! We’re awfully Quick to Cast Aside The Best President Since LBJ and FDR. WERE AWFULLY Quick to latch onto the republican playbook. The Narrative that has been so cleverly set. And we All Join in. How Despicable!
You know what we SHOULD be doing? Giving Joe a 20-dollar Bill. That’s what we Democrats SHOULD be DOING.
They made a Huge Campaign Cash Grab following Mr. Despicable’s Guilty Verdict on ALL COUNTS-All COUNTS!
Surely Friends, We Really Owe It and Should Reward Mr. President with out UNWAVERING SUPPORT! Just Saying!
Hear hear!
If republicans had a bad night (and they did btw) they rally around and say it’s a victory and they won. What do democrats do? The hand wringing and gnashing of teeth - seriously people, get a grip!
Grow a pair people
Right, Patric. I donated to Biden/Harris last night for that very reason, and I’ll bet a lot of folks here did too.
Our Democracy depends entirely upon
All Americans to Vote and Biden has my Vote full stop! Ty Steven for supporting
Our democracy and our constitution!
I’m grateful for your wisdom..Marsha
I’m still with Joe Biden - not because I agree with all of his policies but because he is the alternative to fascism, autocracy and future playbooks such as Project 2025. There is no other choice. We have to work with what we have, not what we wish we had.
And the Comstock Law.
Yes, the Comstock Law as part of the theocratic playbook. I read a great book last summer about Anthony Comstock, called ‘The Man Who Hated Women’. That, he did.
He would fit right in with the misogynistic Trump team.
He really would. It is scary how alike they are, over 150 years apart.
Who does that? Who walks out of a presidential race because of a below-average debate performance? Not Joe Biden. Millions of others and I are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him to the end. There is no alternative unless you count on Trump, and you can't count on Trump. For all of the reasons already mentioned hundreds of times, he’s not fit to be President. He can't tell the truth. He just can't. He lives in a world of his own making, imagining himself all-powerful, unerring, infallible, and loved by all. If that's your idea of a potential President, you can keep him. I’ll take Joe and his kitchen table every time.
I was disappointed in the debate but not so disappointed that I'd walk away from a POTUS that has turned around a country that was ransack by a despot.
Joe Biden is an honorable man, kind, decent and the best damn president we've had in many years (Obama included). Biden has had to face a Christo fascist movement hell bent on destroying our democracy. He has turned around our economy that was crashing after Covid and Trumps tax cuts, and restored dignity to the office of POTUS and in the eyes of the rest of the world. Abandoning him now is not only disloyal but disastrous. It's late in the game, there's little to no time to build and launch a campaign that could effectively challenge Trump. Besides, who wants that job?
I'm proud of my governor Newsom, he's positioning himself for 2028. But more importantly, he's showing democrats how to be united and loyal to their party. I'm with Newsom. I'm sticking with a man I trust, a man who has sacrificed a lot for our country. He deserves our votes!
I am still a Biden fan. People should be calling for that orange crime wave to abandon HIS flawed candidacy. Biden is still the best option.
See Lawrence O'Donnell's brilliant analysis here. I was just a bit chastened by the facts (a good thing).
I'm not losing heart! I donated *again* to the Biden/Harris campaign. And I donated *again* to down-ballot Democratic campaigns in my town, and in my county.
https://youtu.be/GgjyHwQOUoo
We didn’t watch any political news last night but I just now watched the clip by Lawrence you posted and it was GREAT. He’s so fair and balanced but tells it like it is. Thanks for this. Hope everyone takes the time to watch it and settles down.
Thank you for the link to Laurence O'Donnell's analysis. His comments about this debate, among modern presidential debates, having the lowest percentage of watchers among the voters of the previous election puts into perspective how little (positive) difference changing a candidate after a disappointing debate performance would have.
Exactly! Lawrence and also his guests had NO doubts!!
Thank you for sharing Mr. Lawrence’s day After response. Exceptional perspective!!
Highly recommend 💪🏼
I know we’d better be careful not to react based on panic, or judge his capabilities only based on Thursday. And I know I’d crawl over glass to vote for him if he winds up on the ballot opposite the orange fascist threat to everything good and decent.
I felt shaky that night but yesterday I got up and donated more money to Biden. It’s the least I can do for a man who has done so much for our country.
Thank you, Jeni
Biden is the candidate for America. He is the one to bring this country together. We must get together. If he falls, we all fall. And it will be our fault.
Personally, I’ve learned to try to achieve balance even though society seems to lean more toward extremes. While Joe Biden has had some achievements there are still many opportunities for improvement. I was quite encouraged during the debate, toward the end, when he expressed the strength of the US and admitted that it is mainly due to the people of the US, not him. That was a wonderful sign of humility which is something many (most?) people, particularly in govt positions, tend to lack. Can any one person SAVE us? No! Can we continue to make strides under the leadership of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris? I believe so but it does take more than them… it takes everyone else holding positions as well as ALL of US! Is it realistic to throw in the towel because of one debate performance? Seems pretty extreme of a response to me! I prefer a more balanced approach!
Yes. 100%.
I am standing with Biden. It is a bigger chance to try to replace him now. You are giving up the strength of an incumbent on the ticket. It will put the Democratic party into chaos. Biden has proven he can beat Trump. It is only June. Biden has time to bounce back. Anyone can struggle against the continuous lies Trump spewed. I am also canceling my NY Times Subscription.
Why would any one rationally “give up” on Joe Biden? It’s time to stop the hand-wringing and focus on saving the nation.
All including Biden himself agree he had a bad night. But that is no reason for him to withdraw or be bounced by the Democratic Party. He has been a splendid President who I deeply trust to guide us for four more years through whatever foreign and domestic crises arise. In fact, to my mind there is no one in America more qualified to meet these challenges.
The Morning Consult poll shows no change in the polling. In my opinion, if the Democrats look to someone else only four months from the election, it is tantamount to handing the election to Trump.
Is it too craven of me to suspect the Biden negativity coming from NYT and WAPO is because reporting on Convicted Felon Former POTUS provides more clickbait and ad revenue? A POTUS doing a good job isn’t controversial, usually just normal. Normality doesn’t generate outrage and curiosity.
No, that’s exactly what’s happening. You’re dead on.
and WAPO has new powers up top too!
American women are literally in the fight for our lives & if anyone thinks 1 bad debate will change our minds?
They have not met US when we stand together & demand equality & justice
I always support women's rights so I never vote @GOP
& never ever vote for a convicted rapist
We #StandWithBiden
VoteBlueToProtectOurRights
Let’s rekindle the Women’s Suffrage and Rights campaigns and direct that kind of energy to defeat the personal rights infringement which is sure to come if Trump wins. Because if he does win, the country will lose.
In a sane world a CONVICTED FELON would not even be running for president!
Take a breath. Quit with the hysteria. Joe and all around him will be a strong, fine team. I think the exhibition(debate)showed a lot of potential voters what a complete and total ass Felon 34/45 really is all in an hour and a half.
Trump should never be allowed anywhere near the Oval Office. He is a con man, a serial liar and a sexual predator. His spewing of lies during the debate should repel any thinking person. He got elected once because people bought his song and dance and thought he could help our country.
He proved them wrong at Helsinki, at the UN, NATO and G7 meeting where disgraced himself, was laughed at, alienated our allies and weakened our standing among world powers.
During Covid, he lied, spread dangerous misinformation, deflected responsibility and blame and contributed to the death of thousands of Americans. He has proven himself in business and in government to be an incompetent buffoon. He inherited a strong economy from Obama, did little or nothing to improve it, and added millions to our deficit through his tax cuts for the rich and corporations.
He appointed three political hacks to the Supreme Court who are in the process of taking away critical health care for women, limiting voter rights and curtailing the ability of experts in our federal agencies to enact regulations the keep our air, water, food and entire planet safe.
Good lord, who in their right mind wants to give this horrible, failed man another chance to screw things up. And yes, in a sane world, it’s Trump, a convicted felon and a pawn of Putin who would be called on to step down.
Thank you Gina, I applaud you! I don't know how tfg won in 2016, maybe with a little help from his friend? It shouldn't have happened. I live in NW Iowa,so I'm doing what I can to help people understand that its imperative that they don't vote for tfg. It's an uphill battle.
Thanks for working to keep him out of office. I’m sure it is an uphill battle. I’m in MA , so the situation here is different, though we still have folks who support T. Kudos to you and others like you who are working hard in states where he has so many supporters.
Good for you, Steven! I first heard of the gish gallop while reading "Letters from an American" posted by Heather Cox Richardson. Ms Richardson explained the technique quite well. And a Google search is even more revealing. While Trump is surely completely unaware of the term 'gish gallop', it fits perfectly every statement he makes. President Biden will absolutely get my vote, not just because Trump is a despicable human being unfit for any chore, but because President Biden is the best choice for the job! I just wish I had the financial ability to contribute to the Biden Election Campaign and you as well. But, for now, I must rely on others to meet that challenge. And I thank them for that.
Wikipedia has a really good article on the Gish Gallop and ways to defuse it--which I hope the "preparers" read closely.
I'm guessing the preparers advised him to refrain from labeling what trump said as lies. He tried at first, but if that was the advice, shed it and became much more energetic when he did so.
I think Biden should stay in the race! He has had a great presidency and is well respected on the national stage. He had a bad debate as did Obama in 2012. What if Obama had been railroaded into dropping out? I agree for many reasons it would be very complicated to drop Biden now and more damaging to Democracy! I am still #RidenWithBiden
The job description does not include listening to a candidate spewing lies and disinformation. How can you combat this in a 2 minute sprint???
Yes.
Thank you Stephen for you thoughtful piece today. First, upon seeing the headline about the NYT editorial I immediately wrote them asking if they thought it appropriate to offer this country a “death wish”, meaning giving in to a despotic, lying, dishonest, disingenuous narcissist. Another Trump presidency may be the end of democracy. Certainly they understand that. And to turn the reins over to anyone else, aside from the financial aspects, would provide fodder for Trump and his enablers to double down on the lying and misinformation. We need the Mohammed Ali of politicians to finally KO this Bozo (apologies the clown), putting him as far from the Oval Office as possible. Who might that person be? Why haven’t they stepped forward? I fully trust Joe to bounce back with vengeance and win another term for the good of our country and democracy. Full stop.
I support Biden/Harris all the way. Biden prepared to debate and Trump prepared to put on a show. Biden has and will continue to keep competent people around him to assist him if it becomes necessary. I am also appalled that the NYT and WA PO did not call out Trump on his egregious lies nor his 2025 playbook.
exactly! Trump was ranting. Biden was debating a pair of twits reading questions ...
The initial reaction I had Thursday was too much "drama queen" & "the sky is falling" going on.... give it a day to settle out. And guess what... the 11th Hour brought it home last night. The best in depth with great guests. The first thing Lawrence O'Donnell said "it's been 24 hours since the debate & Biden is up 1% in the polls" . CNN needs to be roundly critisized for their lack of engagement and softball questions to tfg...Biden worked a full day Thursday before tfg got out of bed at noon... then another full day of work til he got to the debate... tfg probably napped, drank diet coke and texted his venom on truth social....who is going give up their bodily rights because Biden had an off night & had a cold? Get a grip... watch The 11th Hour.... the media also got canned by the guests. It would be good for the media to get out of their " echo chamber " occassionally
haven't seen the polls but YAY.
Right on!!! ODonnell was masterful, along with the guests, Zerlina Maxwell and Stuart Stevens! Your comment is perfect!!!
I won’t lie - the debate floored me - both in Biden’s persistent deer-in-the-headlights expression and the voluminous flow of lies spewing from Trump’s awful mouth. He bullied, belittled, and lied about Biden’s accomplishments, including the jaw-dropping claim that he lowered the cost of insulin.
I went to bed that night devastated and awoke at 4 am stewing about it. I eventually got up and read my Substack essays from smart people like you, Steven, and pulled myself off the ledge. Hell yes I’m staying with Biden. Today’s Republican Party is a dangerous abomination that needs to be destroyed and replaced with something with some semblance of decency, honesty, and integrity, none of which is exhibited by even one current member.
I felt exactly the same way. Am now back and in the fight of a lifetime. Go Joe 💙
I’m still ridin’ with Biden because, like you say, the drop out scenario is a fantasy. Plus, even if we could accomplish it, it would be chaos and the final candidate wouldn’t be finalized until late Aug. in Chicago. Ballots get mailed out early Oct. That leaves Sept. plus a bit on either side to establish a campaign and win over voter in swing states. Even with a perfect candidate, we couldn’t do it.
I’m part of the backbone of the Democratic base and I’m out there telling Dems this. Biden is doing a good job despite his age. We’ve made great progress creating good jobs. We need to fix the Supreme Court. We need to save Democracy. We need to support our NATO allies so Putin doesn’t take Europe. And Democrats are still for the people vs. the rich corporations that stand to gain and exploit workers and the environment.
I’m with you. If we surrender this decision to our current click quickly culture, we would be making an historic mistake.
I'm still with him! He had a bad day for goodness sakes. He came back strong yesterday. His agenda to preserve democracy and our freedoms, especially women's, hasn't changed. IMHO, there is no one who could win if he stepped away, which could likely ensure a tRump win. We the people nominated Biden in the primaries! To paraphrase him, he's a good man who knows how to do the job. And unlike tRump, who I agree should be disqualified due to his lies and incompetence, Biden tells the truth.