Today President Joe Biden dropped out of the race for President of the United States. This after weeks of people within his own party questioning his cognitive fitness due to his performance in the debate against Donald Trump. This division in the Democratic Party did nothing to help Biden’s slipping poll numbers. Many Americans questioned his age.
There are many who feel that our democracy is at risk. After the events of January 6, 2021 with the attack on our Capital by followers of former President Donald Trump the idea that Trump could possibly become President again is anathema. With the experience of his first term in mind and the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025, a right wing road map written by Trump’s allies on how to “remake” government, looming over us like a dark cloud this election becomes critical.
For me this was a day of sadness. Joe Biden is a good President. He is a good man. He has shown what a true patriot is. I think history will show that. It is very rare to find a true leader, one who will put country first before his or her own personal wants. Joe Biden just did that.
President Biden, I wish you all the best. You have my sincere admiration.
71 comments:
Too early to say, but it is possible that the example Biden just struck before his country, his willingness to walk away from his personal shot at holding power, may, just may resonate with the remaining undecided voters, it may be enough to defeat Trump. May be the winning margin if the undecided voters finally notice the difference between Trump and a true public servant and patriot.
We can hope.
Joe Manchin has ended his brief flirtation with the idea of running for President. Politico And it's still early in the morning.
That didn't last long, did it?
Nope, he read the tea leaves.
As of this morning Harris has close to $50 million in grassroots donations.
Word is that younger voters are more enthusiastic now. I hope that remains so.
J.B. Pritzker (Gov. Illinois) has now endorsed Kamala Harris. Politico This is important because Pritzker is an heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune, and could have funded his own run for President without resorting to donations.
Pelosi has endorsed her and Schumer and Jeffries will soon.
But perhaps the most telling is that Republicans are calling foul saying the Democrats are going against the will of primary voters who chose Biden.
This despite their efforts to overturn a legitimate election held in 2020. Hypocrits.
It would seem that the Democrats who were championing the idea of an 'open convention' have been quite thoroughly steamrolled out of the way. Harris has is all but locked up already.
It will make things go quicker. Technically those who voted in the primaries voted for a Biden/Harris ticket. They should have known that there was a possibility of Harris becoming president if something happened to Biden. It just happened in an unusual way. While it would have been nice to put this to the voters again, I don't think there would be time. From what I see many people probably would have voted for her if a new vote had been taken.
She has had 4 years of on the job training learning from a very experienced Chief Executive. Maybe this is how it needed to be. Hopefully the American people take that into account.
Biden is scheduled to address the country tomorrow night at 7:00 pm CDT. He'll be speaking from the oval office, so this will be a 'Presidential' address and supposedly not an address by Democratic candidate Biden.
Trump's changed his mind and said he's willing to go through with the ABC debate (against Harris subbing for Biden) as previously scheduled.
I am very interested in hearing what Biden has to say. I'm betting he won't be whining about anyone pushing him out. He will conduct himself with dignity befitting a President.
I have been trying to think of who JD Vance reminds me of and it finally came to me...a male Marjorie Taylor Greene. No one can figure out why he was picked by Trump as a running mate.
I am looking forward to a debate between Trump and Harris. It might prove entertaining.
"No one can figure out why he was picked by Trump as a
running mate."
Seems pretty clear and straightforward to me. He's a total opportunist. He'll do anything, say anything to get ahead. He has absolutely no guiding political principals of his own.
He hitched his star to Trump, and he's got no other allegiances (for the time being; long enough to get through November anyway). Trump owns him for the time being; Vance doesn't even try to pretend otherwise. (Pence had this annoying streak of religious principals that got in Trump's way last round.)
And, Trump has been told, probably by Sean Hannity and/or Tucker Carson or somebody from that advisory collection (along with Trump Jr.'s fierce support for the proposition) that JD Vance plays well as a good ol' country boy and will help him win some of the old rust belt states that Trump's trying to swing back his way this time. Those being Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, maybe even Indiana.
Personally, I think Vance is gonna be seen as a slick salesman type in those locales, not much embraced, but we'll have to wait and see.
(Think I already mentioned, Vance reminds me mostly of Ted Cruz, maybe it's the beard--slimeball type.)
I recently noticed that Kamala Harris has very long hands, especially long fingers. Somebody oughta point that out to Trump. Maybe let him know about right before their debate. He won't be able to talk about it and that'll irritate him.
Lol!
It was a good speech. Joe Biden is a good man. Now we will see if character does still matter to the American people.
That speech was fairly clear: "The reason I withdrew from the race is because we have to stop Trump and his Trumpkins. It's up to you now."
"It was a good speech."
It was more clearly and unapologetically partisan than I had expected. I s'pect we'll hear howls from the Trumpkan/Republican Party about Biden using the Oval Office for that address. Screw 'em. I'm glad he did it. It was honest.
I think it has to come down to the American people to defeat Trump, or more precisely "Trumpism". At this time he represents the authoritarian bias of the Republican Party.
Howl all they want, they have created this monster and if they won't put it back in its cage then others will need to do it. If we can just get the American people's attention. Biden chose a pretty spectacular way to try to do that.
I'm somewhat surprised that the Trumpkan/Republicans aren't howling 'bout Biden using the Oval Office for a blatantly partisan speech last night.
Perhaps that's because there was nothing really new there.
Starting to percolate up into the mainstream media that Trump actually wasn't shot. Wasn't a bullet that got his ear. Wasn't a miracle from God that he avoided being killed. The kid just wasn't that good a shot. (Much to the sorrow of firefighter Corey Comperatore, who was shot, by accident if ya will, and who was acting heroically.)
I was wondering how long it'd take for the mainstream media to figure that one out.
It sounds like the FBI hasn't yet determined what actually struck Trump's ear.
But for Trump a bullet plays better with his base.
"But for Trump a bullet plays better with his base."
Indeed it does play better with Trump's base, but that doesn't mean it's true.
"…the FBI hasn't yet determined what actually struck
Trump's ear."
There's actually two questions hidden in there.
1. Was Trump hit by a bullet?
No, he wasn't.
2. What was it then?
FBI doesn't yet know (so they say). I don't know either. Shrapnel of some sort.
Apparently Trump's changed his mind again and now denies that he agreed to debate Harris as recently as Tuesday of this week. (Which he did.)
I noticed that the FBI has decided, in deference to Trump and his Trumpkins, that ricocheted pieces from a fragmented bullet are now going to be called "bullets" instead of being called shrapnel. (But perhaps only fragments that hit Trump are bullets; perhaps the rest of them are still shrapnel. I was left a little bit unclear about that.)
At a Trump rally in West Palm Beach, Florida, yesterday, called "Turning Point Believers' Summit"…
"Concluding his remarks, Trump told the audience that it was
important for Christians to get out and vote in November.
"Four years from now, he argued, the country will be ‛fixed so
good you’re not going to have to vote.’"
Politico
And nobody gets excited anymore. This is just a normal Trump stump speech.
They failed on Jan. 6ᵗʰ. They thought they were going to win the 2020 election. So they weren't ready. They'll be ready next time.
Autocracy, theocracy, its all the same to Trump, just as long as he is in charge. People don't need to get excited they just need to come out and vote him down. This race should not be this close, if it is democracy we want to continue to operate under. So perhaps it is not Donald Trump that is so scary, it is the American people.
I actually had someone tell me the other day that she wouldn't vote for Trump, but she wasn't sure about Harris because she didn't know enough about her. Really? If you don't like Trump you can't just sit this election out and let other people do the choosing for you. Not voting is a vote for Trump. I did try to tell her that.
Apparently Trump's changed his mind again and now denies that he agreed to debate Harris as recently as Tuesday of this week. (Which he did.)
Wuss. Afraid of debating a woman. Unless Trump thinks her reaction to his answers in a debate would be laughter, like mine was for the most part during the last debate. Kind of hard to respond when your opponent finds your answers ludicrous. I can kind of see why he would avoid another debate.
"So perhaps it is not Donald Trump that is so scary, it is the
American people."
Hard to come to terms with that, ain't it? So many of our citizens are so blasé about returning Trump to power. (Not to mention the ones who are eager for it.)
Many of our fellow Americans just aren't all that committed to democracy. Perhaps they never were. So much for the 'American Exceptionalism' the right-wingers once trumpeted.
"Not voting is a vote for Trump."
Technically, arithmetically, it's a ½ vote for Trump. (A vote for West, Kennedy, or Stein is likewise equivalent to a half vote for Trump.) But, it may have been best to not give her too much to think about.
So many of our citizens are so blasé about returning Trump to power. (Not to mention the ones who are eager for it.)
So very sad. It means there is no American exceptionalism. We are just as mediocre as all of those other people who let their liberty slip away.
"…arithmetically, it's a ½ vote for Trump."
No, you were right. That ↑↑ is wrong. (I was thinking of cases where one might conceivably need a tie-breaker vote, like in the electoral college which almost certainly will not apply to a presidential general election.)
I didn't realize that JD Vance was the guy who wrote "Hillbilly Elegy. I bought that book ages ago, but had not read it yet. Not sure I want to now. I may just watch the movie.
I never bothered to read it. Didn't think I needed some pretender explaining my neighbors to me. (I don't think the movie is faithful to the book.)
They've come up with a new description for Donald Trump. It might have legs.
I never bothered to read it.
Well, I can't read it if I can't find it. I know I bought it but it's now buried in a stack of books somewhere...maybe if I come across it I will give it a look.
Way too many books.
"…new description for Donald Trump."
I'd seen that. Personally I was thinking that if Trump kept refusing to pronounce her name correctly (an intended insult that much delights his childish Trumpkins), she should start pronouncing his name as Donald Dump in retaliation. (Along with a public notation that he's fulla shit. And besides, his surname in the original German was Drumpf so it's closer than 'Trump' anyway.) It wouldn't amuse her supporters all that much but it'd piss the Hell outta the Trumpkins.
This is, however, contra-indicated by the "he's weird" tack. Can't use both of them, and I'd reckon the "weird" designation is the more useful of the two.
Well, I have always thought "Dump Trump" would be a catchy campaign slogan.
"…Dump Trump…"
That does have a ring to it.
And it wouldn't be in clear conflict with the "they're weird" promotion.
Willie Brown on the subject of Donald Trump:
"But never having to face the voters again, Brown is happy to
say what he thinks about why Trump has succeeded.
"‛He's an entertainer, that's all it is,’ Brown argued.
"And that can overcome everything else, all of Trump's
manifest liabilities?
"‛Oh yeah, if the public is fascinated with your antics, you
survive,’ he said, before lowering the boom. ‛It's unfortunate,
but you can't really tell the voters they're idiots.’"
Politico
Ismail Haniyah, Hamas' political leader who was the lead in ceasefire negotiations for their side, has been assassinated in Tehran while at the inauguration for Iran's new president.
So someone has just heated up that conflict even more, as if Hezbollah's involvement weren't enough.
‛Oh yeah, if the public is fascinated with your antics, you
survive,’ he said, before lowering the boom. ‛It's unfortunate,
but you can't really tell the voters they're idiots.
Granted it is difficult, but you can try. You just have to frame it a little more diplomatically, and less directly.
So Trump just said that Kamala Harris "turned black". Yup describing the guy as "weird" does seem spot on.
Thought I'd drop by what with all that's happening in y'all's country of late. Are we ready for Trump 2.0? All got our souvenir ear bandages? Biden's gone bye-bye too (six days, I note, after ole' Lee declared that "the 'dump Biden' movement got no chance now". Finger on the pulse there ;-)
Actually, I find it extraordinary how blinkered common or garden Dems were to Biden's deteriorating condition. Even after "that" debate, some were still insisting it was only a head cold. It's been obvious to the less ideologically biased for a VERY long time. Even comparing Biden 2021 to Biden 2024 is a shocking contrast. If Biden had been trying to pass a test to see if he was fit for office to the end of his CURRENT term, he'd probably have failed. As a contestant for the most stressful job on planet Earth for ANOTHER four years, you have to wonder what sort of crack the Dems were smoking.
But then the Dems have devolved into the full blown lunatic left. Claims that the election of Trump would represent the literal end of American democracy are rife. I am a rank amateur when it comes to American democracy, but claims like these make me wonder if the average Dem knows as much about it as the average foreigner. Trump is many things, including the most self-absorbed prat in US political history. You don't have to make up stupid allegations to make him look bad. He does that all by himself and leaves it open to any credible opponent to highlight his real demerits.
And speaking of credible opponents, something tells me that Kamala's entry into the fray has revealed her to be not quite the ditzy scatterbrain that right wing media loved to portray her as. She will be a more able debater against Trump than Hillary was in 2016. Hillary may have been a sleazebag but I think someone of her early boomer vintage couldn't bring herself to completely ditch decorum and get down in the fight cage with Trump.
There's a generational difference between her and Kamala, who I'd expect to come out swinging with the gloves off. You need someone who can goad Trump into making a fool of himself. On the other hand, Kamala has got some serious Achille's heels, including the state of California and the immigration story. Trump will hammer her on the latter.
Anyway, I still fear for the US under either of these two as leader. The next preznit is going to be facing a lot of headwinds. There's no doubt in my mind the US is heading for recession, possibly in the election timeframe. The new president will be tempted to react with fiscal largesse, something the US hasn't yet acknowledged it's increasingly unable to afford. Republicans, "the party of small government", are historically worse for running up debts than Dems.
If I was a voter (and obviously I'm not) my choice would be determined by foreign policy (and equally obviously I AM a foreigner, so maybe that figures). That would mean holding my nose and voting for Kamala. In spite of many constraints (like not wanting to start WWIII) Biden did an admirable job on Ukraine. Thousands died in that country as a direct result of Republican intransigence until Mike Johnson had his Damascene conversion. I don't know what Trump's one-day magic solution is, but I suspect it involves capitulation to Vladimir Putin. I would vomit at the though of Putin being reinstated as a world leader. I don't want to see him rehabilitated, I want to see him hanged for war crimes. Ain't no chance of Trump delivering on that.
You're as shallow as always Petes.
"Personally, I s'pect they'll get closer to ridding themselves
of Biden if they quit hectoring him and let him look at his own
polls and look to his own friends and resources. He might yet
decide that he's not gonna win this time. Biden being Biden,
he'll probably let someone else make the effort if he thinks he
can't carry tha load himself anymore.
"(As the old sayin' goes: 'He may be led, but he won't be
driven.')"
Lee C. @ Wed Jul 10, 05:58 am earlier thread
Turns out I's right.
Biden held in, held on until the polls solidified a few weeks after his debate fiasco, and during that weekend he when had covid and went into isolation he reviewed the polling numbers and trends with his most trusted advisors. They came to the conclusion that Biden was gonna lose. (He'd been convincing himself he was gonna beat Trump again and that he'd be able to recover from the debate, but his own polling finally convinced him it wasn't gonna happen that way.)
The Democrats' internal "Dump Biden" movement didn't get him to quit. (Beyond what unknown effect it may have had on the public polling.) In the end, they failed, but Biden quit anyway, for the reason I'd already identified.
I let this one go because it didn't fit in with the point I was making above, and who cares anyway…
But then I thought about it and decided I'd just nip your comeback in the bud as it were.
Just 'cause you're simultaneously so clueless and so full of yourself…
When I wrote the the Dump Biden movement had "no chance" of grabbing back the headlines, nor of forcing Biden out… (Lee C. @ Mon Jul 15, 05:18 am) I was right about that too.
I understand Trump also went on a rant about the 'Black Lives Matter' protests of the summer of 2020, following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He has taken credit for calling out the National Guard in Minnesota during the riots. Not true, it was Governor Walz who did that...eventually.
Petes,
It feels like old home week! First I hear from Bridget, then Jeffrey stops by and now you. I was just thinking about you the other day when Daniel Wiffen took gold at the Olympics. Congrats to Ireland!
Yes, this election has all the twists and turns of a good thriller. We have an assassination attempt, a candidate drop out at the last minute and the likely nomination of a Black woman as the Democratic nominee, an historic first.
I certainly hope there is no Trump 2.0, for everyone's sake. *shudder*
As for the threat he poses to our democracy, I think that is real. But it is not Trump alone who is the danger, it is those who follow him and give him free reign. We have always worked best when we achieve a balance between "left" and "right". When we lose that then there are problems.
The next preznit is going to be facing a lot of headwinds.
And then some. I do not envy anyone in that job. But at least it would help if the person actually desired to serve our country rather than themselves.
There's no doubt in my mind the US is heading for recession, possibly in the election timeframe.
From all I've read it appears we are actually heading toward a "soft" landing. Hopefully that proves true.
I would vomit at the though of Putin being reinstated as a world leader. I don't want to see him rehabilitated, I want to see him hanged for war crimes. Ain't no chance of Trump delivering on that.
Totally agree.
Correction to the failed link regarding the 'Dump Biden" movement. (Lee C. @ Thu Aug 01, 08:38 pm) ↑↑ correct link
"As for the threat he poses to our democracy…"
The clear and present danger is that he almost certainly intends to it try again, and this time he might be able to pull it off. (Hitler failed on his first attempt as well, got himself jailed for a little while instead, but he managed to pull it off on the second try. They didn't take him serious enough the first time.) And Trump's got some fairly clever people hiding behind him and hoping to help make it happen (but not for Trump's sake).
Ksenia Karelina, a dual Russian/American citizen who was living in Los Angeles, California, and Marc Fogel, a Pennsylvania based school teacher are still prisoners in Russia. Fogel is doing his third year of a 14 year sentence for bringing in a half ounce of medical marijuana. Karelina is awaiting trial on treason charges for donating $51.80 to a Ukrainian relief charity (while she was in the United States).
The Harris campaign claims to have raised $310 million in July. I think the Trump campaign reported $137 million. We may be looking at a developing enthusiasm gap.
It sounds like we are sending more forces, equipment and troops, to the Middle East. What are the odds that Biden will be able to leave office without there being more conflict in the Middle East that draws us in?
Netanyahu will not stop and neither will Israel's enemies.
It is so sad that the others who are being held in Russian prisons as pawns in Putin's game were not freed as well.
But it becomes harder and harder for me to have sympathy for people who travel to Russia. They know what the government of that country is like.
Apparently the Trump campaign and FoxNews have agreed between themselves to terms for a Trump dominated debate against Kamala Harris. (For some reason CNN is treating this a real thing.)
Apparently the Trump campaign and FoxNews have agreed between themselves to terms for a Trump dominated debate against Kamala Harris.
A power play on Trump's part. They already have an (originally) agreed upon date and place. Harris should stick with that and tell Trump to come to her if he wants a debate. She's VP, he's just a former.
Word is that Ukraine has sunk a Russian submarine in Crimea. It was a Kilo-class submarine capable of deploying Kalibr missiles.
Do you remember way back during the Mueller probe of Trump's association with Russia there was a foreign company that was refusing to comply with a subpoena and racking up penalties of $50,000 a day? The probe ended without any details as to what was happening, if I recall correctly. But if you're already aware of what was going on, forgive my lapse in memory.
Anyway, it was actually an Egyptian bank that was on the receiving end of those fines and it wasn't about Trump's association with Russia but his association with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and a $10 million bank withdrawal made by someone. Interesting reading. You'll probably have to scroll up to the top, for some reason that link is stopping in the middle of the article.
Fresh out of dry dock, the Ukrainians sent it back to the bottom again.
Hopefully it stays there this time!
"…for some reason that link is stopping in the middle of the article."
Turn off your javascripting (I had to then it worked for me),
I'll have to read it later.
As of this morning Harris is leading Trump in the 538 average of polls and the RealClearPolitics average of polls. Both within the pollings' margin of error and certainly not be enough to overcome the Republicans' structural advantages in the Electoral College. But, it's a start.
Well, dang it! We're going to lose our Governor. I was of two minds on this. I think he will make a good VP, but I really liked having him in our state government. He has always been a steadying voice.
He was already half way through his second term, wasn't he?
Yes, he is in his second term. I suppose the Lt. Governor will take over. I don't know. There are no term limits in Minnesota for Governor.
"There are no term limits in Minnesota for Governor."
I had assumed incorrectly. "Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe" would assume the governorship. Politico
"Minnesota Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe" would assume the governorship.
That could be interesting.
Ukriane has been busy. They decided to go where Russia wasn't looking. Smart.
I found this comment on a Ukrainian vlog:
@binkie419
13 hours ago
US: You can only use HIMARs within 50 miles of the front line. AFU: Let's move the front line closer to our targets...
That works.
I suggested the Ukrainians ought to flank the Russian lines a few weeks ago. So, I'm obviously in favor of this move. I'm not sure this incursion is supposed to lead to a flanking encirclement, but they're up to something. They've been out there several days now. And they've now extended their attacks into the Lipetsk Oblast (east of the Kurst Oblast), attacking a Russian air base there with a wave of drones.
And… The Biden administration has already weighed in with a statement that this offensive is fully in compliance with all of our restrictions on Ukraine's use of American weaponry. Go get 'em.
It is a nice flat area with some interesting military targets. And as Zelensky said it allowed the Ukrainians to refill their prisoner exchange "fund" with new Russian prisoners. There is also a nuclear power plant in the region, although a bit of a stretch.
It seems the Ukrainians have 3 vectors of attack ongoing.
Looks like Trump's still trying to dominate Harris. He posted the following late last night on his own proprietary 'social media' site. (Politico)
"The first Debate with Kamala Harris, for President of the
United States of America, will be with FoxNews on September
4th, 2024, LIVE from beautiful Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The
second Debate will take place on Fake News ABC, home of
George Slopadopoulos, to be anchored by David Muir, on
September 10th, 2024, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The third Debate will take place on NBC, in
Grand Rapids, Michigan, on September 25th, 2024, to be
anchored by Lester Holt - Details to follow. I look forward to
seeing Kamala at all three Debates! DJT
Aug 10, 2024, 11:22 PM"
Somehow he doesn't seem to understand that she's not likely gonna let him force this issue.
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