• lemonmelon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    87
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    4 months ago

    Even having had time to prepare for this, and knowing it was essentially inevitable, this feels heavy in a way that I’m not sure how to express yet.

    • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      51
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      He needs to spend every free minute between now and his last day seating judges. Fuck blue slips. Appoint until there’s not a vacancy to be found.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      42
      arrow-down
      3
      ·
      4 months ago

      It doesn’t have to be hard. Harris should go to the top of the ticket, and the campaign apparatus stays the same.

      Have her, a former prosecutor, debate Trump and treat that shit like a cross examination.

      And make Sanders the VP to make me excited.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        49
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        4 months ago

        Sanders is too old. God love him, but it would not inspire confidence. If we’re going for a prominent progressive on the ticket, we’d have to go AOC.

        More likely though, Harris will pick someone who is an old white moderate male, though, unfortunately.

            • PugJesus@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              25
              ·
              4 months ago

              When you’re in your 80s, decline can come about VERY quickly and without warning. It, unfortunately, is much more of a concern than it was in 2016.

          • PugJesus@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            4 months ago

            Trump is 78, Sanders is 82. Realistically speaking, Trump is also at that age when decline can come very quickly, but:

            1. His cult doesn’t care

            AND

            1. Considering Trump’s ‘normal’ behavior, how would you even tell
            • flamingo_pinyata@sopuli.xyz
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              Trump is also at that age when decline can come very quickly

              The decline has already come. I’ve seen some clips of Trump from 20 years ago. He was never a good person, but he used to be coherent.

      • elbucho@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        I’d love someone like Hakeem Jeffries, Katie Porter, or (if God exists and is benevolent) Jasmine Crockett. Any of those choices would make me ecstatic.

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          4 months ago

          I don’t know Jasmine Crockett, but Katie Porter is so fucking sharp. No idea if she would run or could win, but she would be a great fucking President.

            • Mouselemming@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              4 months ago

              But vulnerable as a “loser” when added to Harris, who doesn’t have a really long track record herself. Also they need someone who can pull a swing state.

            • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              Isn’t she also from California? Her and Newsom wouldn’t work for the same (legal) reason Trump couldn’t go with DeSatan.

              • NevermindNoMind@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                That’s an interesting point. I wonder if it works better for Harris, having been in DC so long, does she claim that as her residence?

          • elbucho@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 months ago

            Oh bro. You gotta go look up Jasmine Crockett clips on youtube. She’s incredible. And hard agree on Katie Porter being a great fucking president.

    • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      29
      arrow-down
      5
      ·
      4 months ago

      It is, and always has been, in the hands of the voters. It’s the non-voters who fuck it up.

        • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          4 months ago

          There are 10s of millions of eligible voters who don’t participate but then complain about the result. If they would show up to vote then campaign managers would put an effort into polling and engaging them to win their vote. If they want to protest then they can show up and cast an empty ballot.

            • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              We can plainly see that sitting out and not voting only tells those in power and campaigning that they don’t have to spend any time or money earning your vote. A vote of no confidence would be showing up and turning in a ballot with no selection for particular races. That puts you on public record as an active voter.

              • anticolonialist@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                3
                arrow-down
                15
                ·
                4 months ago

                Allowing them to do whatever they want with no accountability has given us the political climate we are currently in.

                Biden could kill 200k Palestinians and not lose a single voter.

                • Baron Von J@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  6
                  arrow-down
                  3
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 months ago

                  Allowing them to do whatever they want with no accountability has given us the political climate we are currently in.

                  Exactly. Not voting is how you allow them to do whatever they want with no accountability. Third parties won’t be viable without election reform (which is at the state level) which we won’t get without replacing the incumbents through the party primaries.

                  Biden could kill 200k Palestinians and not lose a single voter.

                  Bull shit. He’s lost plenty of voters already for his handling of the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians. Even though he did actually put public pressure on Netanyahu for a ceasefire and he did in fact delay weapons shipments. He needed to do better, but Trump will be worse and if the Democratic party loses Trump will win. No amount of idealism will change that reality.

    • Random Dent@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      ·
      4 months ago

      Knowing the Democrats, they’ll probably run an even older ticket somehow lol.

      Jimmy Carter/Bernie Sanders 2024!

      • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        4 months ago

        Sanders is old but I still think he would have a shot on the ticket. He’s still got the same fighting spirit he had in him when he was getting arrested at civil rights protests.

        • Sarothazrom@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          He tried but the establishment stopped his momentum short. I was one of his diehards in 16.

          I like Whitmeyer, and I feel that a lot of former Bernie Bros have gotten behind her. I hope she gets the nomination, though I strongly doubt it will be anyone but Kamala.

          That said, regardless of who it is, absolutely voting for them no matter what.

          • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            4 months ago

            Fucking bewilders me that he ran twice and we got Clinton and Biden instead.

            I suppose its probably got to do with the DNC wanting one of their own on the ballot instead of an Independent

            • Sarothazrom@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              4 months ago

              Bernie hates the corporate establishment elites on the left a well as the right, and they knew the threat a Bernie presidency would be to them.

    • MagicShel@programming.dev
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      10
      arrow-down
      62
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      It’s already fucked up. Biden dropping out just handed the whole fucking thing to Trump.

      Edit: Alright, alright. This was a gut punch and I really felt Biden was our best shot. That said, this could be an opportunity and I’m here for it.

      • AFK BRB Chocolate@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        26
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        4 months ago

        Oh, stop. We’re you one of the ones also saying him not dropping out handed it to Trump? Or that the assassination attempt picture handed it to Trump?

        Nothing has handed it to anyone. There are more liberal voters than conservative, including in battleground states. We just have to decide to rally around Harris and stop with the quibbling about one issue or another.

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          9
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          No I wasn’t. I’m pretty well on record saying I’m worried that Kamala can’t win, and if agitators are able to convince black voters that we are a bunch of racist hypocrites for not running her then no one else can win either. That’s my stance and I’ll be fucking ecstatic to be proven wrong.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        22
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        Defeatism gets us nowhere. We live in unusual times - they are what we make of them. And I say we make this a Dem fucking victory so we don’t have to live (or die) under a fascist fucking regime.

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          4
          ·
          4 months ago

          I’m going to do everything I can. I’m all in on whoever the candidate is. But right now at this moment, I’m feeling really fucking defeated. But I would be so happy to be wrong.

          • elbucho@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            I mean, I guess it’s your turn. Those of us who wanted Biden to step down have been feeling really fucking defeated for months, now.

            The truth is, none of us know how it’s going to go in November. We each had visions of what we thought the best path to victory would be, and we each hoped that the party would follow our vision. I think that Biden’s poor debate performance, poor health, obvious cognitive decline, and the slew of poor polls he’s been getting mean that replacing him (even at this late hour) is the right way to go. I suppose we’ll have to keep our fingers crossed and hope.

            • MagicShel@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              5
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              I just want Trump not to win. I am really scared for my kids. I’m a middle aged white guy and I’ll be fine if Trump wins, but I have 4 daughters and a gay son and they need Trump not to win.

              • elbucho@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                2
                arrow-down
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                Hey, man, I feel you. I think that a Trump victory would mean the end of American democracy, in addition to causing the loss of liberty and life for a significant number of Americans. It’s a manichaean struggle, so, I really hope we didn’t fuck it up. That being said, I DO think that this move is the best chance we have to seize victory in November.

            • MagicShel@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              4 months ago

              We can cheerlead Harris until the cows come home, but it’s the people who were caught by surprise by this announcement that need to be reached. Bernie Sanders would’ve been President in 2016 if internet enthusiasm meant a damn. The politically disconnected are the people I’m most concerned about.

              But yes this might make the base more enthusiastic and help turnout. I hope that’s enough.

      • capital_sniff@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        ·
        4 months ago

        Nah this is just typical American behavior. After exhausting all the wrong options we are finally seeing Biden do the right thing.

      • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        8
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        Today, since there’s an influx of comments essentially proclaiming “it’s Joever, Trump Wins” or “Harris won’t be able to win in November”, I’ve had to resort to checking people’s comments from a week before if they were saying Biden had a solid chance or if “everyone and anyone would be a bad choice so don’t bother”.

        You were one that genuinely believed in Biden unlike some of the anti-US trolls. I’m sorry, you don’t deserve the downvotes, I know your disappointment is legitimate. (You can see the user cabron who replied to you is one example of the other type I’m talking about). Don’t give up, there is still hope yet.

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          ·
          4 months ago

          I appreciate you taking the effort. And with a little time to reflect I’m not as disheartened as I was earlier. I think it’s an uphill fight, but it was with Biden, too.

      • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        4 months ago

        No, I’ve talked to people who aren’t MAGA, but weren’t fans of Biden. If Harris can mop the floor with Trump in a debate (because he only looked strong because Joe was SO bad) she’d win over a lot of people.

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        “Biden staying is handing it to Trump!” “Biden leaving it’s handing it to Trump!”

        Fuck off back to Russia, you’re just trying to persuade Democrats not to vote because Trump winning is what you want.

        • MagicShel@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          Hey, sincerely, fuck off. It would take you all of two seconds to see who I am if you really cared.

          • ABCDE@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            It would take burying your head in the sand for the past month to not realise Biden stood no chance.

            • MagicShel@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              4
              ·
              4 months ago

              I’ve been looking past Biden to what the race would look like without him, and I have very serious concerns articulated well before this announcement. That being said, let’s get behind Harris and see what we can do.

  • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    48
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    4 months ago

    So, now we get to see how many “blue no matter who”’s actually meant it.

    Remember folks, it applies to anyone who might be the candidate.

    That over…. Harris/AOC or Harris Whitmer !!

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        13
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        “I Know you don’t like MY candidate, but you know… Blue No Matter WHO!!! You don’t want a fascist to win, do you?”

        people are absolutely lying about it. the question is… how many.

        • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          11
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          You’ve not convinced me. I don’t know why anyone would use that argument if it completely betrayed their feelings. Plenty others you could use which make more sense

          • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            4 months ago

            Uhhuh.

            You don’t believe people can be manipulative assholes? Or that they lie?

              • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                3
                arrow-down
                7
                ·
                4 months ago

                You don’t see the motivation to push your preferred candidate onto people? To manipulate people who disagree with that choice?

                Or to manipulate an entire base?

                • vxx@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  arrow-down
                  2
                  ·
                  4 months ago

                  Oh no, they manipulated the entire democratic base to vote democratic!

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        11
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        I’d vote for a battered cardboad cutout of Reagan over Trump. Hell. I’d vote for a cardboard cut out of trump over trump.

        (cardboard cut outs can’t talk.)

    • EnderWiggin@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      4 months ago

      Kamala all the way! It won’t be AOC or Whitmer though. Most likely Kelly or Newsom. AOC is the future, though.

      • Zombie-Mantis@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        4 months ago

        Newsome cannot and will not be the VP. Harris is also from California, which would cause issues in the electoral college. Electors cannot cast both the Presidential and vice-presidential ballot for someone from the same state as themselves. Because both Harris and Newsome are form California, it could cause issues, and they might not get the electoral votes from California.

          • Zombie-Mantis@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            edit-2
            4 months ago

            It’s the first clause of the 12th Amendment to the United States Constitution, here’s the relevant text:

            The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves

            You can read the full text on Wikipedia or on the official website of Congress.

            What this would mean in practice, is that if Gavin Newsome were chosen as Kamala Harris’ running mate, is that many (if not the overwhelming majority) of Californian Presidential Electors would be prohibited from voting for Harris and Newsome, since the electors are generally chosen from local politicians and other locally influential individuals.

            Harris needs every electoral vote she can get, and risking any of California’s many votes would be a significant threat to her election.

            I hope that satisfies your need for citations, and please, correct me if I’ve interpreted the law wrong here.

            Edit: grammar, and added my separate other comment to the end of the above citation.

    • FanciestPants@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      ·
      4 months ago

      If the ticket is something messed up like Harris/Bob Menendez, or Harris/Blagoyavich, I might have some reservations, but would quickly look past them considering the alternative.

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        4 months ago

        Only problem I have with menendez is that I’m too broke to buy him off.

        (I suspect the people who don’t have a problem with him… are rich enough. Funny how that works.)

    • Glifted@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      I think AOC isn’t old enough to be VP. I don’t say that as a matter of opinion. I think you have to be at least 40

      Edit: it’s actually 35, but AOC is 34 so I was partially correct

      However I think the relevant language is:

      No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

      So maybe it’s okay for VP

      • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        5
        ·
        4 months ago

        She’ll be old enough to be POTUS by inauguration.

        So, she’s probably old enough to be VPOTUS…

        • Boddhisatva@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          Irrelevant. The Democrats would never put a progressive in a position where they could be president. They’ll probably go for a centrist like Shapiro or a corporate Dem like Newsom. I’m hoping that they’ll go with Whitmer but they’ll probably shy away from a two woman ticket.

          • spongebue@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            4 months ago

            It’s relevant to the question of if she’s old enough, which is a fair question given she’s on the cusp. Even if only theoretically.

    • Machinist@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      edit-2
      4 months ago

      Before I left home this morning, I pointed to the bottle of mustard on the table and told my girl that I would vote for the mustard. We were talking about the rumors of Biden dropping out.

      At least the mustard is honest about its color. So are carrots, for that matter. I’d totally vote for a carrot.

        • Machinist@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          Yup, I’ll vote for any garden vegetable except for cucumbers and their squash and watermelon relatives. Will make an exception for pickles, they’re one of the good ones.

          Don’t know much about carrot varieties other than Queen Anne’s lace is a wild carrot. Know more about taters and tomatoes.

          Figure any real carrot would do. I’d totally vote for a beefsteak or better boy tomato over a carrot, however.

          • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            4 months ago

            Have you tried a grafted cherry tomato/white potato plant? I’ve been looking at trying it out just because growing two produces with “one plant” seems really interesting to me and I’ve read a bit about how they’re closely related enough that you can graft the tomato to the top of the potato plant.
            Also trying to get more people into container gardening and it seems like a good space saver.

            • Machinist@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              2
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              I haven’t tried it. Seems like a gimmick.

              I’m not a big fan of container gardening. From the deep south, container gardening is for places where the sun won’t dry and burn the roots.

              Grew up working on a tater farm. Sweet taters and Irish taters.

              We’re in process of moving further north and my girl is excited to try container gardening again.

              A plant takes in a certain amount of energy and turns part of that into fruit or root storage. You can’t really get anything for free.

              I prefer heirloom seed or hardware start plants grown traditionally.

              It’s been a long time since I’ve grown much of anything other than cacti, native ornamentals, and fungi. It’s a kind of work I swore off for a long time.

              Just bought a play farm, will probably grow some tomatoes. Have apple trees, blueberries, and a small vineyard I need to learn.

              • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                4 months ago

                I have a tiny yard in the south and it’s pretty much paved so container is the only way I can go until (if?) I manage to buy a house with a plantable area. Currently have some citrus in containers producing, a bunch of basil, tomatoes, and some various sprawlers like squash. I wish I had the space to put them all in the ground but I gotta work with what I have. Usually use heirloom seeds or hardware starter plants but gotta pick varieties that are good for containers so I don’t get that many options. I figured that potatoes would still be productive in the seasons when tomatoes aren’t growing on the branches due to heat or cold but I could be wrong since i’m still learning a lot.

                • Machinist@lemmy.world
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  4 months ago

                  Northern and central Alabama myself. Tater experience from central AL.

                  I’ve heard of people having great results with container tomatoes by taking the drip line of the AC unit and piping it into the tomatoes roots. Keeps the roots very cool.

                  Taters have a long season, plant just after frost is done. Blackberry Winter is no longer a constant due to climate change.

                  To try and do taters in containers, I would build my conainers from cinder blocks and fill the blocks with dirt or other insulation. 4’ wide at a minimum and however long you want/have space/can afford. This would be for one row. Paint the blocks white. Bury a soaker hose down the center. Put the hose on a timer and adjust for high temps. You’ll have to fight fungal infection due to the higher moisture so it would be delicate. I would treat with antifungal at intervals through the hose. Taters need more sand than you would think in the soil, especially if you have clay soil.

          • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            Do you grow tomatoes? Have you tried a brandywine? They’re balanced between sweet and tart. Love ‘em on a good burger.

            Oxhearts are great for sauces (they have fewer seeds and a strong flavor.)

            • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              3
              ·
              4 months ago

              My favorites are the cherry tomatoes- can’t make up my mind on a single best, though. Blomdkopfchen roast amazing well (or grill!) where Amy’s Apricots do well in salads. Want to get my hands on some black cherries, though.

              Chadwick’s are of course the old stand by in my greenhouse.

              If you like beefsteaks, have you tried brandywine? They’re our favorite burger slicer here. (And oxhearts for saucing)

              • Machinist@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                English
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                Mostly copied from above response.

                Grew up working on a tater farm. Sweet taters and Irish taters.

                We’re in process of moving further north and my girl is excited to try container gardening again.

                I prefer heirloom seed or hardware start plants grown traditionally.

                It’s been a long time since I’ve grown much of anything other than cacti, native ornamentals, and fungi. It’s a kind of work I swore off for a long time.

                Just bought a play farm, will probably grow some tomatoes. Have apple trees, blueberries, and a small vineyard I need to learn.


                Have always heard good things about Brandywine tomatoes.

                Won’t be this year, but we’ll be trying some varieties.

                Roma, we called Romies, were my favorite as a kid. Canned tomato soup and sauce always smelled amazing and the stuff in stores doesn’t compare.

                Best judge of a tomato is to slice it up, add too much salt, and eat it with a fork.

    • Sarothazrom@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      As much as I’d love to see it in my lifetime, no way she chooses a female VP. Way too risky.

  • pjwestin@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    43
    arrow-down
    12
    ·
    4 months ago

    I’m sure this was a really hard decision, but it shows courage and strength that Biden put his own ego aside for the good of the country…

    …is what I would have said if he’d done this two weeks ago. Now, I’m just glad he was able to take off his narcissism glasses long enough to see how badly he was going to lose, and I hope his prolonged tantrum hasn’t damaged Harris’ chances too badly.

    • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      37
      ·
      4 months ago

      I wouldn’t say this is bad timing in hindsight.

      • The news media moves on from Trump’s pity party, the debate, the President Putin and Vice President Trump gaffes.
      • Facing COVID, Biden has a legitimate reason to drop out without saying that he is weak to pressure
      • Trump is now the old and doddering candidate, turning much of the past brainwashing of Republican media on its head.
      • Trump will get bigly mad since the attention’s going to be off of him. Potential for a stupid outburst.
      • The media will be hyperfocused on what’s to come from the Dem campaign, an excellent opportunity to highlight Biden’s achievements and articulate a bright future for the party and country.
      • The pre-emptive smears from Republicans are on their way, but the Dems are a moving target until they officially announce the ticket.

      It relies on Democrats getting the message right though they’d faltered before. They get one more chance to fix it in this soft reset.

      • pjwestin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        4 months ago

        Yeah, but none of these benefits are better than ending the uncertainty 2 weeks ago; at that point, the polling was clearly showing Biden was dropping in key swing states, and the party was starting to go into full panic mode, but he still let them twist in the win while he made up his mind. Hell, even if he made the announcement during the convention, he could have stolen some of Trump’s publicity this week and forced a whole lot if RNC speakers to rewrite their speeches. Instead, he left the party in chaos for a month, then gave Trump a victory lap convention before finally stepping aside.

        • dvoraqs@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          4 months ago

          There were a lot of rumors and speculation about this possibility last week that I think did take a lot of attention away from the Republican convention.

          • pjwestin@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            True, but rumors and speculation make people think that the party is in chaos. Announcements and press conferences would have made it seem like the Democrats were mobilizing. I’ve heard a couple of people say that it was smart to do this right after the convention to blunt any polling bump Trump might get, but I think the whole RNC just came across like a victory lap, and now it looks like it culminated in Joe Biden’s surrender.

    • TrickDacy@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      I was about to literally write the second half of your message then I saw you wrote it haha

      • pjwestin@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        6
        ·
        4 months ago

        Yeah, you don’t have to be a political genius to realize that almost four weeks of your own allies coming out and saying you need to step down is, ya know…bad. Like, maybe if your political implosion was creating a period of fear, uncertainty, and chaos, and there was you could do to end all that and restore order, you should do that quickly…like, as quickly as possible…as in, not nearly a month later.

        • dudinax@programming.dev
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          You don’t have to be a genius to realize that just because an option is bad, that the alternative might still be worse. Waiting until after the RNC is far from stupid, for example.

          • pjwestin@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            4 months ago

            Is it worse though? Is nearly a full month of chaos and panic actually worth waiting until the end of the Republican Convention?

            • dudinax@programming.dev
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              4 months ago

              What about the chaos that would have ensued if Biden had just quit right away?

              This kind of thing isn’t supposed to happen. It was always going to cause chaos and problems for the Democrats, not to mention the rest of the country.

              I’m not a great strategist. I don’t know whether he should have waited or not. I do know you can’t judge the decision by merely pointing out one-sided negatives.

              • pjwestin@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                1
                ·
                4 months ago

                I’m judging the decision by the three-dozen Democratic lawmakers who have been forced to slowly come forward and publicly ask him to step down. This should never have been this drawn out or public as Biden made it. Once it was clear that the rallies and the George Stephanopoulos interview weren’t going to make this go away, he should have left the race. But instead, he tried to run out the clock until the Convention, wasting valuable time that could have been spent coordinating around Harris or executing the, “Blitz Primary,” they were planning at the beginning of the month.

  • JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    27
    ·
    4 months ago

    If Kamala does become the new nominee, I wonder how hard Trump will fight to avoid debating her.

    Shit would be funny as hell to watch. Trump would be balling by the end.

    • hdnsmbt@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      17
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      4 months ago

      Why do you refer to the female candidate with her first name and the male candidate with his last name? The same thing regularly happens with Clinton. I assume the casual disrespect is not intentional but I’m very curious as to why this happens.

      • Ember@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        18
        ·
        4 months ago

        I think people tend to choose the more unique/recognizable name to call candidates by. For example, we also call Bernie Sanders by his first name more often than his last. “Harris” is a more common name than “Kamala”. “Clinton” could be confused for Bill, but “Hillary” isn’t going to be mistaken. I don’t think it has anything to do with the candidate’s gender.

        • WhiteRabbit_33@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          4 months ago

          Going to throw in a few other unique examples like how Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is almost always called by her first and last name or the initials AOC. Similarly Ilhan Omar is almost always referred to by her first and last name.

          The right loved to call Obama, Barack Hussein Obama with emphasis on Hussein to highlight how non-white he was, pin him as Muslim, and draw associations to Sadam Hussein. This was done to rile up their xenophobic and racist base.

      • Wilzax@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        edit-2
        4 months ago

        “Harris” is a more common name than “Kamala”, and “Donald” is a more common name than “Trump”. This is just my opinion, but I think Kamala is a more powerful sounding name than Harris, and that helps with her image as a stern prosecutor who wants to crush injustice towards women.

        “Clinton” refers (in most people’s minds) to Hillary’s husband Bill moreso than Hillary herself. In her campaign, she leveraged her first initial for her slogan “I’m with Her” with the stylized right-pointing arrow in the H. For her, it seems to be her choice and more clear. For Harris, it just seems to be because “Kamala” sticks out in people’s minds more than her last name.

      • suction@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        4 months ago

        They want to signal that they’re close to them, like Springsteen fans calling him “Bruce”.

    • Ghostalmedia@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      18
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      Make it Harris / Stewart.

      Harris up top because she’s already on the ballot, has Biden / Harris war chest, and won’t get as fucked with by republicans who try to block a new name.

  • ThatOneKrazyKaptain@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    10
    ·
    4 months ago

    Assuming the new candidate(probably Harris) avoid any major disasters as does Trump, we’ll be returning to the May 2024 status quo of things. Harris is more popular than post-debate Biden, was slightly behind pre-debate Biden, and will probably need a month to get back there(winning the nomination and undoing all the damage from 4 weeks of infighting.)

    On the plus side, that’ll drop the hemorrhaging, New Mexico and New Jersey safe, Virginia and Minnesota probably safe. On the downside at this point Georgia and North Carolina are lost, there just isn’t time and the Republicans spent 4 years pouring resources into them.

    This is back to the main 5. Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. The important factor is that if they lose Pennsylvania, they lose. They can win the other 4 here, but it’s 268-270. Unless they snag something extra like Georgia(unlikely in this scenario), that’s it.

    If they win Pennsylvania, they need at least two others in ideal circumstances(Michigan needs to be one of the two and Nevada can’t be one of the two, second one would have to be Wisconsin or Arizona), 3 others in unideal circumstances if Michigan isn’t there and they get Nevada. I should also note several of these scenarios are razor thin (270-268 with Pensylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin and 271-267 with Arizona instead) and thus vulnerable to faithless electors. Or worse, if Maine’s statewide went red(which is more likely than Georgia going blue or Virginia going red at this point) the former would be a win and the latter would be a tie. In the tie scenario the House picks the president(so Trump) and the Senate picks the Vice President(so Vance would be ousted) which would be an absolute nightmare and gambling on Trump dying in that situation isn’t worth it.

    I note this because even in the base line May scenario Pennsylvania was one of the worse polling one for democrats(Arizona and Wisconsin were the blue edging ones), and Pennsylvania is not a state where the stars are aligning. It was Biden’s home state, Scranton boy, him being off the ticket hurts things there probably more than they help. AND, while it’s true nationwide the post-shooting bump for Trump was relatively minor, Pennsylvania is where the shooting happened and has gotten the largest bump in the polls since, 3 or 4 points. Biden leaving demotivates the base there harder than anywhere else in the county and the Trump shooting re-motivated the base there harder than most.

    My call? If they don’t pick Shapiro or Whitmer, it’s over 100%, and even with it’s iffy. Pennsylvania is perhaps the one state where any replacement is going to do worse than Biden even post-debate, and the one state the Trump shooting caused a notable bump. What are the odds it’s also the single most crucial state in this election?

    • conditional_soup@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      4 months ago

      I disagree. Harris is basically polling within the margin of error of Biden, that’s true, but she’s also been the incredible invisible woman basically forever. It’s to the point that really the best the republicans can do against her atm is ads that amount to “LOOK AT HER LAUGHING >:{”. There’s good and bad there, but the positives outweigh the negatives in that she’s something of a known quantity at the national level, she’s got experience in the executive branch, and she really doesn’t have much baggage to speak of while still being able to claim Biden’s wins. If the democrats lean in behind Harris, get her polished up and just re-tool the Biden campaign for her, and she goes swinging out of the gate, I think she’ll make for a strong contender.

      • ThatOneKrazyKaptain@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        I’m going off the week 1 polls. She was weaker than everyone else when adjusted for name recognition and was the only one within the margins of Biden. I also don’t disagree on the base point, but there’s 3 months, the war machine needs time to spool up and the Republicans have had a 2 week headstart. It’s gonna be tight and Pensyllvania is not going well

    • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      I appreciate your analysis. Is there anything Harris can do or say that can make the situation any better for the Dems? A pivot to a message of Obama hope would be something I could think of. It’s not too late, they have more than 3 months.

  • aaaaace@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    2
    ·
    4 months ago

    He was giving too much away for the wealthy donors to stomach.

    So instead if two oldsters, we have a choice of two people who will persecute poor people, which is much more in line with wealthy donors to the the Bloomocrats.

    • wreel@lemmy.sdf.org
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      7
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      4 months ago

      A politician who’s only really known in one state and another octogenarian? No thank you.

      • lemonmelon@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        4 months ago

        It’s disingenuous to say Newsom is only known in one state. He’s the governor of a highly populous state who has already explored a presidential run. That’s essentially equivalent to saying that Abbott or DeSantis aren’t nationally relevant. Disliking the idea of that being the ticket that the Democrats trot out is one thing, I’m certainly not on board with it either. Dismissing it on a false premise is something else altogether, and it’s not a helpful narrative.

        • wreel@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          4 months ago

          I respect that perspective but Desantis did fail miserably. As far as a larger opinion, refer to my response to morph in this thread. Yes, California is a different league of gubernatorial duties. He has the juice but my gut says he doesn’t have the household name recognition and can’t build that in three months.

        • wreel@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          4 months ago

          With a two year lead for campaigning and news coverage to become a household name. I actually like Newsom and California is as good as a test for executive leadership as anything else a politician can do but this timing is not good for him to actually win.

    • comador @lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      4 months ago

      No offense at your choice, but there’s not many Californians (47% disapproval rate by last Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll), who like Gavin enough to vote for him. He’s a mouthpiece and a showman for sure, but he’s useless when it comes to getting anything done.

  • angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    5
    arrow-down
    32
    ·
    4 months ago

    I think Biden should step down as president too. I don’t think it looks right for them to be saying Biden isn’t fit to run but is fit to fill the remainder of his term.