Joe Biden is going to win. Buck up!
June 27, 2024
By media consensus, Joe Biden lost the debate on Thursday evening. I disagree. Joe Biden did what he had to do in the debate. He was okay; not good; not bad; okay. But that was enough. Joe Biden will win the 2024 election if we do not surrender to defeatism.
I won’t make any excuses for Joe Biden’s sometimes tentative performance and hoarse voice during the debate. He did the best he could with an opponent who is unconstrained by the truth and moderators perfectly willing to allow Trump to lie. Unfortunately, Biden started weak and finished strong, while Trump started strong and finished weak. But many people had stopped watching after the first break.
What concerns me more than Joe Biden’s performance is the fragile and defeatist comments from many Democrats being quoted by media sources. I acknowledge that there may be biased reporting in choosing which Democrats to quote, but I saw the same thing in some of the remarks in the newsletter chat (before I closed it for technical reasons). Comments like, “I feel sick,” “Joe looks so old,” and “Why won’t he look into the camera?”
Worse, a few readers suggested Biden should drop out by repeating media lies that “Democratic operatives” are saying that the Democratic party will replace Biden. Those “democratic operatives” are paid consultants who say things off the record to give their buddies in the media baseless quotes to fill their headlines. It is a symbiotic, parasitic relationship.
The hypocrisy and double standard is sickening. One candidate on the stage lied from start to finish. And no one is suggesting that he drop out.
Here’s my takeaway: Joe Biden learned a lot tonight. Every statement Biden makes from this point forward should include “convicted felon,” adjudicated sexual abuser, “hush money to porn star,” stolen classified documents, and Trump believing veterans are suckers and losers. Those statements are all true and they are what is necessary for Joe Biden to break through the constant stream of lies that spew from Trump's mouth.
It is also clear that the debate format is broken. It is silly. It is unfair. But that is a topic for another night, not an excuse for tonight.
Here is what we need to do: Redouble our efforts. Go to Joe Biden’s official campaign site (Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website) and make a donation now—the amount doesn’t matter. Millions of donations will be a vote of confidence for Biden. And that is what we need—confidence, not defeatism.
How we comport ourselves, communicate the urgency of the cause, and articulate the issues will be the difference in the election. If we say Biden should drop out—even if we sincerely believe so—we are signaling to others that they should give up. Biden isn’t giving up, and neither should we. I mean this in the nicest way possible, but if you believe Biden should drop out, the best thing you can do for your country is to keep your opinion to yourself to avoid dispiriting others.
It is understandable and reasonable to be anxious. But, as I told one reader who said he was scared by tonight’s debate, “Buck up! We are better than that!” (No criticism of the reader implied; his is a great Biden supporter.)
Our job is made all the more difficult because the few remaining Democratic allies in the media panicked on Thursday evening. They took phone calls from their friends (allegedly) inside the campaign and suggested that even campaign members have lost confidence in Joe Biden. That is false. Three MSNBC reporters are mainlining their political connections and confusing the chatter from those inside the beltway pundits for the views of the American people.
During the debate, one candidate lied continuously. That fact got ZERO coverage on MSNBC during the first thirty minutes of analysis—except for Lawrence O’Donnell, who made that point repeatedly. Remember when lying mattered? We have descended into pure optics in the media. We are better than that.
And suggesting that we abandon Joe Biden because he did not “win” one debate in the eyes of the media is unforgivable. When Trump was convicted of 34 felonies, his supporters rallied around him. When he was adjudicated to be a sexual abuser, his supporters rallied around him. When he was fined hundreds of millions of dollars for running fraudulent businesses in New York, his supporters rallied around him. So, when Joe Biden has an off night in a debate against a geyser of lies, we are going to abandon him? Seriously???? We are better than that, we are tougher than that, and we should be more loyal than that.
In many ways, this is the start of the fight, not the end. Trump lied every moment he opened his mouth. We can deal with that when we are not constrained by two-minute alternative sound bites. Joe Biden needs to do better, true. But his surrogates in the administration must also be unleashed to carry part of the burden. MAGA extremists are everywhere, like invasive weeds. Democratic surrogates must match their reach but spread truth and hope instead of lies and hate.
Because I wanted to get this newsletter out to readers as soon as possible, I will cover the day’s other news tomorrow.
Here is my concluding thought: Joe Biden is the most successful president in the last 75 years. If he isn’t the smartest, he is the wisest and most experienced, except for FDR. He polls better than any of the fantasy-football “players to be named later” who would allegedly replace him. On the merits, it is not a close contest. As Americans get closer to election day, they will pay attention to the ways that their lives will be worse under Trump and better under Biden. That truth will decide the election.
And it is time for Joe Biden to take of the gloves and start speaking the unvarnished truth about Trump at every opportunity.
We are made of stronger stuff than the panicked reactions exhibited by some this evening. For Joe Biden to win, we need to be resolute, hopeful, and tireless—just like the heroes on whose shoulders we stand. We would not be at this moment but for their abiding courage and faith despite setbacks and losses. We don’t need to win every battle, just most of them—including the battle on November 5, 2024.
I mean this with the utmost sincerity: We have every reason to be hopeful but no reason to be complacent. It is always so—and is true tonight, just like all other nights.
Talk to you tomorrow. In the meantime, go give Joe Biden some money. Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website
[The Comments section is open to all readers for this edition of the newsletter.]
My thoughts: 1) The bases will be unmoved. MAGAs gonna be MAGAs and Dems absolutely know that Trump and Project 25 are existential threats to the democracy.
2) The most important cohort - the Gen Z middle - by and large are unlikely to have watched.
3) WaPo and the NY Times will come out with another set of badly done, biased polls that drum up the horse race mentality in their complete dereliction of duty to the country. They will focus almost exclusively on Biden’s age and ignore the fact that Trump lied continuously, refused to answer at least five questions, and specifically used the same trope of refusing to accept the election unless it is fair that he used in 2020.
4) The election will be decided by women (all people, but especially women) whose lives are under threat from a runaway corrupt Supreme Court and an insane MAGA caucus.
Here’s Joyce Vance’s take on the debate:
“I’ll let the political analysts and the pollsters assess the debate's impact and leave you with an encouraging conversation I had tonight. I asked some young people if they and their friends were paying attention to the debate. The bottom line was that while some of them wanted to watch it, most people weren’t paying attention—the election is still too far away. But when I asked whether they were going to vote for Biden, the response was clear: “Of course.” Sure, they think Biden is old. They don’t like all of his policies. But, “We’re not stupid,” they told me. “We understand what’s at stake.” These young people, who get that they have the most to lose if Trump wins, are prepared to do what’s necessary in November.”
I just made my contribution to Biden. Not a huge amount, but more than I’ve given to anyone else, including Joe, on a one-time basis. I hope others show their support. I couldn’t watch the debate and appreciate your words, Robert.