Thanks David. Jess commentary hits the nail on the head. I'm so angry at the press and the DNC. They (DNC) fold up and run the minute the minute they smell smoke instead of fighting for what they stand for. James Carville and his side show of Clinton need to get a grasp of their irrelevance. "A mini primary" I'm tempted to tell him to shove his opinions in the darker recesses of his anatomy!
Robert, I tried to sign up for the fundraiser, but the lowest donation was $25 with no other option. I'm 78, on a fixed SS income, with very limited disposable income, and I'm already making a monthly donation to President Biden. (There are some challenges left over from a number of attempts to support myself as a writer/actor, with sales jobs in between!) I was prepared to pay $10, to support and participate in your event. I'm very disappointed that that's not possible. May I asked if there was a reason for that limitation? Is there a limit on how many folks can attend the Zoom meeting? Thanks, for your consideration and for all you do!
Ah well, to this true nobody, you are a real somebody. I support Biden only because of his outstanding record and will to preserve the US Democracy (what else might there be). He will decide if and when it is the right time to step down, any other speculations by the backstabbing NYT and others is pure BS and feeds the Trumpian Chaos machine.
I'd support a yellow dog before any Republican. Besides all the points Roberts makes, they support a guy who stole from kids with cancer. Hates dogs. Calls veterans suckers or losers.
“The Trump proposal would cut SSI by more than $8 billion over the next decade, shrinking benefits for roughly a quarter of a million children with disabilities by between 38 and 66 percent. It would also increase SSI’s administrative costs and improper payments”.
That's why we should be telling MAGATs "don't slit your own throat" by supporting any Republican.
While I think Joe Biden has been by far the best President in 50 years I would vote for an empty beer can before dictator wannabe Donald Trump or any Trumpian Republican. As to all the speculation about Joe lasting another 4 years ask anyone who sings that song if they can guarantee they'll be still breathing in 4 years. They can't do it and Joe shouldn't have to prove that he can.
Nor could they accomplish anywhere near as much as he has, and continues to do. As Theodora said, he has an extremely well-qualified VP to step in if needed. He also has a Cabinet filled with capable, qualified professionals, unlike the "Tool" Cabinet that Felonious T had (which was head and shoulders above what he'll restock it with if there's a next time). For President Biden, the Presidency is a team effort; for Felonious T, it's himself.
Robert is truly a "real somebody", being able to phrase so many salient ideas that have important meaning for so many people. I am really looking forward to the fundraiser next week!
Yes, and James Carville and Jon Stewart can take a long hike out on a short pier, hand in hand together. Their heinous F bombs are more boorish than they are.
Yep. It's always interesting to see what being in the spotlight can do to a person. Stewart is a perfect example of this.
Then we have those politicians craving their moment of fame surrounded by the media sticking microphones in their face while hanging on every word as they declare their non-support of Joe Biden.
And now George Clooney. What the ....?. Everyone bailing on our president is playing into the hands of his opponent. How can they not know that? We need total and unwavering support from everyone who does not want a mentally and morally unfit convicted criminal in the Oval Office. Is this clear? Crystal!!
I am only guessing, but I think that what they are saying is that the Joe we voted for in the spring has changed. He’s not the same Joe, which is worrying. He should show signs of aging, but in the last few months, he’s aged greatly. While no one can say for certain that she or he or they will be a capable person four years from now, the odds for an 81 year old are not good, especially for one who has aged so much lately in so short a time.
You don't know. And I don't know that he hasn't aged unusually quickly in the last six months or so, but he has often had a schedule that I--at an active (my border collie and I run daily) healthy 71--would find extremely hard to follow, and probably any 40 year old would have a difficult time with it.
There was the trip to Poland and then Ukraine--plane from DC, and then 10 hours on the train from Poland to Ukraine to see Zelenskyy, during which time (w/ Z) he had to be clear headed, then 10 hours on the train again, and probably around 7 in the air from Poland home.
There were the two trips to Israel a week apart, after the Hamas attack--9 hours, across nine time zones, and having to function well on such a different time zone. And there was a trip to China, and a handful of nearby countries, negotiating with the leaders of all these countries, again on a very different time zone, plus, having to switch time zones while he was in Asia.
I agree that he has been incredible! The question, however, is how much longer can he function at this high level. A campaign is about the future. What hopeful message can he deliver about the future? And how credible will it be to the voters?
I trust Biden. I trust the people he has working with him. If he can't finish his term, for whatever reason, the cabinet he has built and his VP will continue on. They will do a good job and keep our democracy going. He's the best choice. Who would you have run instead?
I trust his people, too, but voters don’t vote for the cabinet, they vote for the President. We are asking voters to vote their fears, not their hopes: vote against Trump rather than for the person who will be around for four years to enact his/her agenda. It’s a harder sell, especially to low information voters. It’s not a strong position to campaign on.
Yes, I know he did a good job yesterday, and I totally agree that he has been an excellent president, and if he runs again I will vote for him. But we cannot unsee the debate or the chat with George. He's not the same Joe, and I am embarrassed for him that he has to defend his competence. We certainly can continue with the ticket and rely on normal operating procedures should the need arise. I would be delighted to see Kamala as President. The question is whether we can convince a majority of voters that this is a good plan.
Bruce, Pres. Biden has accomplished much to help our country grow from the middle out as he promised he would in 2020. The legislation passed with much of the House in opposition with its majority. However, he’s old and I know old. I’m the same age as he is. Yes, he’s highly capable in gathering intelligent and ethical people into his cabinet and as advisers, more so than most of our former presidents Dem and Rep. What Pres. Biden can’t do is the performative duties of the presidency. If one only listens to the debate, one could declare him the winner. But that’s not what happened. We don’t live in the world of radio; we see cameras and hear microphone speech live in real time. He failed in that role.
Our election in 2024 is to defeat trump, not to install any one specific person. It’s (IMHO) to elect a president who respects our Constitution, who sees people as people, not as pawns to be used for influence, whipping boys or as a money sources for personal gain. Many of us, also true blue Dems, have deep, deep doubts that Pres. Biden can defeat trump again. We see our Dem party in need of trusting the next generation’s leadership.
If Pres. Biden is our nominee, not presumptive, I will continue to write postcards to swing states, to donate, to do everything I can just as I will no matter who our candidate is. But, after examining my intellect, my heart, my gut, my everything, I think we Dems have and can nominate candidate(s) with a much higher probability of success.
No we can't have a higher chance of success with anyone else. I've been reading and reading on this, and watching videos.
Jess Piper has been listening to the people in the hinterlands who voted for Biden, and many of them are going to be quite pissed if we put someone else in his place.
Biden-Harris have raised over $100 million, money that cannot go to anyone else, should we anoint someone else at the convention, and that person is going to be hard pressed to raise anything like the funds Biden-Harris will have. (Only Harris could could get the money if she were to run on the top of a ticket.)
Incumbency is an always powerful asset, especially with a record like Biden’s. Stepping down makes you a lame duck. Contested primaries always weaken the candidate finally chosen because the losers’ supporters often refuse to support that candidate and either stay home or vote for a Jill Stein or Ralph Nader.
The Democratic blood bath of 1968 after LBJ stepped down should never be forgotten.
Biden should have taken the honorable route and stepped down at the end of his first term. He would have been lauded by all of us (and historians too.) Now we're faced with a big mess, an existential crisis really. Even NY is now a 'battleground' State at this point!
NO Bob. You do not speak for ALL of us sir. Your defeatist rant is nauseating to say the least. Staring down the cannons of a large Russian warship from our main deck many moons ago in the Indian Ocean, I am glad you weren't our captain on the USS Georgetown. Put on your Big Boy pants sir, and buck up. Please!
If the Democrats lose it won’t be because of Joe Biden. It will be because the country’s pro democracy faction stopped fighting for President Biden and started believing whatever rich person is running the media and their colleagues. Fight the republicans and bring the Democrats together to fight with you. You’ve given enough air time to this weak strategy to replace Biden and go back to kicking *ss and taking names like President Biden does every day. He is a powerful and effective leader.
I disagree. I'm hopeful that anyone who calls themselves a progressive also knows that they have fewer rights today than they did 10 years ago. Bodily autonomy has been gutted, corporate deregulation, tax giveaways to the obscenely rich, a million dead from Covid .... let's amplify issues over personalities.
If the progressives stay at home and not vote up and down the ballot for Democrats and urge others to do the same, I would say they are not "progressives" at all but coffee house Utopians who love to talk a good game but are not ready for the mess of fighting tyrrany.
Very well said Dr. White. We have no time for procrastinating. Many of our peers are exhibiting 'decisional procrastination'. Just as it sounds, decisional procrastination occurs when we do nothing, or worse, do harm, when we just cannot decide what to do. Joe Biden was emotionally naked on that stage with a man so powerfully toxic, I'd venture a guess only a handful of brave souls could have endured the psychic pummeling he took for all Americans, MAGATS included. Remember the song, In The Year 2525? Zager and Evans. I've reworked the lyrics a bit (apologies to the artists) to reflect a speck of what I have learned perusing that Manifesto of Madness. Maybe for later.
I remember that song and also scratched out a parody version about all the delays in the criminal trials, ie, we will still be waiting in 2535, 3535, etc. We should remember that, though indicted, Jefferson Davis was never successfully tried for his treason. When I looked that up in mid-2021, I despaired Trump would be held accountable. But I love the comparison to Z & E song. A true gem from 1969!
We must work to bring them along. Trump has shown himself to be even more of a danger. Whatever one thinks of Joe Biden, the Supreme Court, reproductive health and rights, the safety of the world (attend to the coverage of NATO), as well as the environment is at stake. Can the EPA regulate our water? Trump and the Supremes say, not unless Congress passes a particular law, but the Supreme Court will allow a President Trump to rule as a dictator.
Everything depends on keeping Trump from and Mike Johnson, and J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio from power and fighting back against our own Supreme Court. I hope the most jaded coffee house liberal will see what is at stake. We all have to turn off our "it's so cool to be against everyone" adolescence and vote to save a democracy that allows us to have those thoughts and ideas without risking life, limb, and our children's future.
Please don't conflate very far leftists with progressives. They are not reality a based group and demand perfect alignment with their every opinion. They are a very small % of our population and never vote for the Democratic Party.
Thanks, Mr. Duffy, and any mild demur is turned into a rejection of Joe Biden. CNBC just screamed a headline, saying, "Nancy Pelosi refused to endorse Biden." The Passionate Intensity of the Right and their minions has to leave any thinking person aghast with their hubris. I remember the song "In the Year 2525." Would love to hear your reworking -- but you might need to include the lyrics of the original for the younger than 68 crowd( I am 75) who may not remember the original so well. But then, there's this thing the kids call the Internet.
You think? Do you actually KNOW any progressives? Or perhaps your definition of progressive is different from mine. Because I know a LOT of progressives and they are all working to re-elect Biden!
The past couple of years I have avoided posting my political opinions on Facebook. Even though I have a fairly even mix of pro and anti Biden friends. Last week I posted a list why Project 2025 is bad. I picked what fork I’m taking. I tried to be kind about it. An anti-Biden friend posted she indicated there were Project 2025 things she disagreed with. She also posted a link Trump was disavowing it. I countered Trump was disavowing it, because people were getting educated about Project 2024 and they didn’t like it. A couple of pro-Biden friends chimed in their agreement with me. She got a little upset, because some were her friends too. I am thinking our friendship is banged up a bit, but I have decided to take that risk. It is worth the risk to avoid Trump getting back to the White House.
Losing a "friend" like that is no loss. As a dearly-departed old friend here in Hollywood was fond of saying, "A character test is to see if you have any."
Yes, I agree! I really don’t think I have lose this friend, yet. I think we are in a fragile “agree to disagree” mode. However, this is binary choice when you agree to disagree it is just a way to stop the conversation. This conversation can’t stop
And the WORK must not stop. We can disagree about Biden's strengths, weaknesses, and whether he should "step down," or crawl on his belly like a reptile from the presidency, or be our leader for four more years. But we must not disagree on the simple truth that four more years of Trump would be an unmitigated disaster for American democracy, that frail form of government that sounds like a pleasant abstraction out of some moldy civics book. But for American democracy to lose in November would mean confusion, chaos, cruelty at every level of the U.S.A. and danger and suffering around the world. Who are the people of Ukraine rootin for? We must not throw the race to Trump by our conviction that our candidate is not perfect, or wouldn't be "my choice," or didn't do x, y, or z. We can't shilly-shally our way on high-tone principles into a president, as we did in electing Nixon in 1968, when Trump is hundred times worse than Nixon. (I never thought I'd say that about anyone). Our choice is clear, Democrats up and down the ballot and Joe Biden OR the worst disaster in American history.
Republicans, rich and middle class, or conservative Catholics or other Christians who find Trump repugnant are going to ignore Project 2025, and "hold their nose and vote for Trump," as one friend told me in 2016. Democrats and clear thinking Independents and Republicans cannot wait for the dream candidate. To my mind, Biden is a great president and a good and compassionate man, who thinks and listens, and is honest and true. I can't say any of that about Trump. He is the antithesis of what we want and need in a President. By being half-hearted in this fight, we risk abdicating the presidency to Trump. To those who advocate Joe stepping down, please consider what "rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches" toward Washington DC to end our democracy. Joe Biden stands between us and horror. Plain. Simple. Keep talking, keep working.
Thank you Sharon. I SO agree with your statement. I made a decision last fall to post political stuff on FB, starting with get out the vote information. My posts have become extremely critical of the felon and trying to educate others on Project 2025, despite having family members and friends who are maga. My relationship with some of those people has changed or disappeared, but I cannot in good conscience keep my mouth shut in fear of offending them. I don't care anymore. Saving this country and the people I love from a truly inhumane political party is more important than a cult following. Who knows - they may even thank me one day for staying true to my beliefs.
Deb, I made that same decision! I made it clear to my friends and family that my FB page was now going to be primarily focused on politics and if it made them uncomfortable, they could just not peruse it. I have had to block a few ultra-fascist stuff from time to time which I will NEVER allow on my page. Usually I just block the post and not the person.
Yesterday I unfriended an acquaintance who has been a Facebook friend, but never an actual friend. She pronounced that Facebook was only for family, pets and rainbows and she would "snooze" anyone who posted politics. I had just posted on Project 2025. I have no idea if she saw it, but it's clear she doesn't want to see it. So, buh bye
Don’t know about owners but I do know they have good buddies who were part of Epstein’s inner circle. I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that the pious George Snuffleupagus and girl-next-door Katie Couric participated in a close friends dinner with Epstein and Ghislane to plot how to improve his image — after his Florida conviction. I had read before that they were both part went to Epstein’s parties (and I bet flew on his plane) but was beyond shocked to learn just how close they were even after his perverted behavior had been made public. It infuriated me that the media always made —still makes — a point to say Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane but never that these two major media figures were part of his close inner circle.The Clintons were not at that dinner, just Jeff’s close pals. Clearly the media protects its own but gleefully trashes others, especially Democrats they don’t like.
Well, thank you for this information! And there we have it! WHY the media isn't covering Epstein-Donald pedophilia...because the media all twisted up in this nefarious Epstein mess. NYT and WAPO and CNN and ABC, NBC, CBS are all purposefully burying it.
Donald trump will be the willing tool of Steve Bannon and Steven Miller who are behind the curtain pulling the strings. They are the real brains behind this evil empire. Trump is their really useful idiot.
Steven Miller probably is more like a ruthless henchman. Bannon, on the other side, is one of the brains of the movement. That had been clear from Day 1. In the first chaotic months after winning the election in 2016 Bannon got a presumedly coveted White House position. On second thought though, he realized that he would be much more effective (destructive, that is) working outside the White House and the administration. So this ridiculous fairy tale of his falling out with Ivanka was created and he left the WH.
I am with you. Joe Biden/Kamala Harris have my vote. I am retired with limited disposable income, but I have sent donations twice since the debate & will continue to send my small donations to their campaign. I say that the poor (so-called) debate was just a bump in the road, not the end of the road. This is not Biden v Trump; this is Democracy v Fascism.
Those that suggest that Biden step down should think through the practicality of that action. It’s a bit late in the game for that to result in a win for Democracy. Many thought that Joe Biden was a mistake four years ago, but he proved them wrong. Let’s give him a chance to complete his legacy. Vote blue all the way.
Thank you Jean for your commentary and contributions. People like you would probably have had more money had the GOP not taken over with Reagan in 1980. Among other things, they lowered taxes on the wealthy, and raised them on the rest of us.
Robert Hubbell gives us 18 “guarantees”—all of which strike me as accurate and reasonable. I agree we must stop this internecine bickering and unite behind our President who, as of now, stands as the most effective and admirable opponent to the utterly vile Donald Trump.
The only thing I can think of is PTSD from the 2016 election. Some people appear to think that we would have won then if we had had a more "popular" candidate. The lesson I took from 2016 is we would have won if people had got out to vote and supported the candidate we had!!
I wish I had bookmarked it, but someone posted a comment to one of the substacks I read about getting an email from Postcards to Swing States apologizing for the delay in getting them the postcards they had requested. The reason was that PC to SS had been inundates with postcard requests AFTER the debate. Grassroots are on the right track - keep your nose to the grindstone and help get out the vote - and register new voters, too!
Clinton lost by in the low tens of thousands in at least two of the swing states that resulted in her overall loss. Jill Stein got in the low tens of thousands of votes in those two states. There were a couple of other third party candidates who took votes from her in those and the third swing state.
Getting the vote out this year is absolutely critical.
I trust in the man himself, Joe Biden, to know whether or not he can make it another four years. It’s common sense that if there was a health issue, that he would gracefully step aside for the sake of the party. We are not listening to him. He has said he will continue to run for President! He may not be flashy and flamboyant, nor loud and boisterous in his campaigning but I trust in Biden to know himself well enough as to whether or not he is fit enough to continue as president of this country for four more years. Is there any guarantee he will make it through four more years? No. Neither is there a guarantee that Trump will make it another four years. Neither is there a guarantee that you, the reader, will be alive in four more years. You see my point? There are no guarantees in life.
The big problem lies in how we view the elderly in this country. We are warehoused in nursing homes and not seen, so as not to offend the youthful vitality of the younger set, so that we are not seen as a reminder that, yes, we are all aging with each passing year. Just look at the ads for Botox, aimed at forty somethings, lest they should have the beginning of “crow’s feet” around their eyes, God forbid! My point, “OLD” is not fashionable. And yet, if you would look around you, there are plenty of octogenarians and nonagenarians who are leading productive lives, who are a vital part of their communities. Yes, they may speak softly, they may not have a spring in their step but they still contribute intellectually and have plenty to offer as a valuable citizen of this country. That is how I see Joe Biden. He has my support and come November I will vote for this man who has kept his nose to the grindstone for his love of this great democracy we are so privileged to live in. Just because someone shows signs of aging does not mean their mental faculties are gone. Be real.
No ! Ladies, I am 85 and I watched the debate in its entirety. Quite frankly, I was really really anxious. Not because of ageism which I cannot be accused of but because I thought that there was no way that poor man could face the next 4 hard years ! Regardless of what the next 4 years bring for any of us, we are not the President with all the attendant stresses. Our apprehensions are valid even tho there is not one chance that we would vote for anyone else. Or do some other cockamamie thing like leaving the Presidential space on the ballot blank.
Excellent points. I would only add that I think Jill Biden would be urging him to quit if she thought he needed to do so. And if she urged him to quit. he'd do so.
Excellent points you have made, Monique. Your second paragraph really sums things up about us who are getting older. I will not be relegated to a home that’s not mine unless I am fully incapacitated and Joe won’t either. He also has a right to bring Putin to his knees and I hope he gets that chance.
But this isn’t about discounting the elderly. He clearly shows a decline in his cognition. Not everyone who is older does, there are super-agers. But he isn’t one of them. I don’t trust him to know or be honest with himself, I think he is in denial. I fear that because of this, if he stays, we will lose, which would be catastrophic. And yes, it’s late in the game, but they can do it in Britain, they did it in France. So I’m not ruling it out.
Margaret- please point out what you see as "decline in cognition". I don't see any evidence of that. He was ill prepared, exhausted and taken aback at Trump's defiant drugged up state. I'm a retired oncology/cardiac nurse that spent 4 decades assessing cognition declines for signs of trouble, so I think I'm a pretty good judge by now (nurses are at the bedside all day so get pretty good at this assessment). I DON'T SEE IT! And to be frank, I'm getting really testy when people keep proclaiming that his gait, studder or soft voice are their evidence. There is no evidence of cognitive decline in Joe Biden.
I agree. My late husband had early onset of Alzheimers and I am more than familiar with that disease (which falls under the umbrella of dementia). President Biden shows absolutely NO sign of cognitive decline. When a person cannot even think of a word or uses the wrong word as a substitute or repeats ad nauseum the same phrases over and over, who makes up stories out of thin air to cover his inability to state the facts (or the truth), or fades off mid statement, who speaks word salads that make no sense...those are the behaviors that indicate "something" is seriously amiss. Being old and tired and recovering from a week of illness and facing a deranged lunatic in a "debate" that is not moderated, is absolutely NOT an indication of "cognitive decline." It was a horrible night. Yes. Everyone acknowledges that. But it was as someone here pointed out "a bump in the road" and the only reason it has gained traction is because so many have jumped on this bandwagon. I'm for jumping off it now and getting to work for our candidate. He needs our support and our votes not our participation in this whisper campaign to sow distrust and spread angst among voters.
While drama continues to swirl among Democrats, none of us in the trenches can impact decisions that will be made at the highest levels of our party. BUT while the dust settles, WE CAN AND MUST CONTINUE OUR EVEN-MORE IMPORTANT WORK OF TURNING OUT THE VOTE IN SWING STATES!
Stay the course! Write more postcards! Attend Robert’s fundraiser! Make calls and knock doors! This isn’t our first rodeo and issues of Choice, Fundamental Freedoms and Court Reform remain our issues and those of majority of Americans in swing states.
Remember 2022 and shake off Red Wave anxiety. Our job - our only job - is to GET OUT THE VOTE- SO DO SOMETHING!
As a non US citizen living abroad and thus practically side-lined (apart from tirelessly disseminating information on Project 2025, Schedule F, parallels to 1930's Germany etc. online) I applaud and admire your commitment and efforts.
You are doing this for many people not just in the US but around the world. We are in this together.
Yes! The Brits and the French have stepped up and now it’s our turn to stick it to the autocrats, not only here but abroad — Putin in particular. He has spent untold amounts of money on his insidious anti-democracy hacking, bots, etc. (The very damaging hacker in 2016 “Guccifer” was traced directly to Russian intelligence headquarters.) Russia was not only involved in helping destroy Hillary but also promoting the disastrous UK Brexit. You can bet Russia is doing the same in all western democracies. The American media needs to stop playing along.
While everyone is free to voice their opinions here, I wish those naysayers who are claiming that it's "time to be realistic" and that President Biden "has no chance" will take their negativity elsewhere, because the rest of We the People in the "tens of thousands of readers" are going to follow Robert per his statement:
"If we disagree, we remain allies, not enemies. But we are at a fork in the road and must take it. If you choose a different path, I beg you to be a leader who rallies others to your cause—but not by attacking the Democratic presumptive nominee or those who support him. That is a risky and destructive strategy. It is exactly what Trump is hoping for."
To repeat: "not by attacking the Democratic presumptive nominee or those who support him."
I believe a lot of this negativity and bile is coming from Russian disinformation (AI, bots and trolls).They are trying to rile up voters and get them to sink into despair.We need to be aware of this and move forward positively.
Who needs Russia when you have the major US media outlets pushing negativity. All Putin needs to do is sit back and gleefully watch because he knows that Steve Bannon was right when he said it’s the mainstream media that does the real damage to Democratic candidates. Media Matters recently posted their findings about the wildly biased pre-debate media coverage:
“ Over the past five months, five of the top US newspapers have published nearly 10 times as many articles focused just on Biden's age or mental acuity as focused on just Trump’s”.
Clearly they are not trying to inform the public, they are pushing their own agenda in order to make Dems drop Biden. While our mainstream journalists are so busy respecting Trump voters, interviewing them in diners and lecturing Dems to be more empathetic with MAGAites they are also busy showing their long time disdain for Democratic voters. They see us as a bunch of silly, squabbling kids who need the media to tell us what to think. Don’t surrender.
Believing Biden has no chance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy driven by the media frenzy. Frenzy is not an exaggeration. The fact that prominent media outlets like the Times and WaPo published article after article about Biden’s age even before the debate proves they have an agenda. Do they really think voters don’t know Biden is old? Do they really think Trump isn’t and isn’t slipping mentally?
Exactly! The task at hand is to rid ourselves of the Trump, MAGA agenda once and for all. A vote for a third party is a vote for Trump, same with staying home. The only way to proceed is to vote for Biden/Harris being aware of the misinformation that is flooding our media.The media, SCOTUS, trolls and bots can go straight to hell.
Robert, your newsletter is a calming island of positive sanity in all this insanity. There was an interesting article in The Atlantic discussing all the Russian disinformation campaigns at work. They were particularly aggressive in the UK and France before their elections. They are also very active in the US. I will continue to support the Biden/Harris ticket and vote blue all the way. Sometimes it helps to take the occasional breather away from the news cycle and clear your head.
I agree. I stopped watching television two years ago. I read articles from different media outlets that appear on my iPhone and do some background reading. I look up information. I am furious with the NYT and almost cancelled my online subscription. I cancelled one so-called journalist who always had a poll in his daily newsletter because he was bashing President Biden
daily (Smerconish).
I am making up my own mind. No, I did not watch the debate nor did I watch Biden’s interview with George Stephanopolis. I know that President Biden is having some difficulty. I wish he would not put himself in those positions. I also wish that he would take a relaxing vacation and get some rest. He is up for the job, he just needs to get more rest and allow the Vice President to take on more responsibilities. I have absolute faith in him.
Hi Virginia, I have done the same, except I decided to cancel my NYT and Wapo subscriptions as I did not care for the Biden bashing countered with, it was okay to be a lying orange blow hole.
I follow good writers and journalists too. I think Biden does need a break, I believe he crossed the Atlantic 6 times prior to the debate. That takes alot out of a young person. You can't debate a crazy person, even Hillary mentioned that point.
I have given up on reading the NYT and the WP, but I haven’t given up reading your excellent newsletter every morning. It starts my day on the right note. Go Joe! Go Robert!
I actually appreciate the last12 days. I canceled the Sulzberger Sniper and Bezos Bugle and any number of the Least and the Dimmest here on Substack, and I feel better informed already.
When I bought my "Don't Despair Vote!" (Civil Discourse) t-shirt it came with a small sticker of "Let's finish the job! - Joe" I put it on my travel mug.
An idea I've not seen anywhere... Biden could win the election, realize in two years that in fact he isn't up to the job, resign and we have the first black, Asian, female as President. Isn't that the generational change that some are looking for? (h/t to Snyders fourth option)
Exactly! And that is the only way VP Harris can become President, not by Joe stepping down and endorsing her as the incumbent. A majority will not vote for a Black Woman no matter how accomplished she is. Yes, the Democrats need a younger, revitalized leadership core, but that shift cannot happen at this time. Strategically, We The People must prevent a regime change by doubling down on all our current efforts to register voters and GOTV.
Speaking of VP Harris. "Remarks by Vice President Harris at Swearing-In Ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics"
In her remarks, she said this: "My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' (Laughs.)
'You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.'"
Don't you just love that? Three cheers for education, I say!
An excerpt from a column David Sedaris wrote in the New Yorker has been gaining traction and is worth repeating. To paraphrase, he wrote that it is the equivalent of being on an airplane, and the flight attendant comes down the aisle and gives you a choice: can I interest you in the chicken or would you prefer a platter of sh*t with bits of broken glass in it? And he writes, to be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and ask how the chicken is cooked.
What a lot of people don’t know is that he wrote this before the 2008 election, when it was McCain versus Obama. This is not even close. If this is your choice, pick the chicken, even if the chicken is old and tired, and may not be able to debate the sh*t.
I am so glad you posted this. I couldn’t remember (Call the Times so they know a 70 year old Democrat couldn’t remember something) whose story it was! Bless David Sedaris.
I’m an Aussie watching this media driven madness unfold with fear and horror because my own country is being nudged down the same path by similar forces. Thanks to Mr. Hubble, HCR, and Beau of the Fifth Column, I understand how to best serve my own country by learning lessons in democracy from the USA in realtime.
America may not be perfect, but it is the leader of the free world for a reason. Here’s hoping enough citizens vote to save the motherland of democracy come November.
I have lived abroad for 34 years. I am horrified by what is happening in America. How can anyone read the list of accomplishments of this administration and not support Biden against Trump, even with doubts, is beyond me. When in the history of your voting have you ever supported someone without any niggling doubts? My father always said the a vote is almost always against, not for. In this case my vote is resoundingly against Trump and confidently for Biden whose record in 3.5 years is astonishing. Thanks to our "nobody" who keeps reminding us what the real issue is. We're it not for him and for Heather Cox Richardson, I would have long ago turned away. Horrified as I am, I am committed to staying the course.
Hi, all. I neglected to include the link for the Joe Biden fundraiser. Here it is:
https://secure.joebiden.com/a/obtsosilgnydufxaumas
Here's a link to a superb recommendation for Joe Biden:
https://jesspiper.substack.com/p/the-loudest-pundits-dont-talk-to
Thanks David. Jess commentary hits the nail on the head. I'm so angry at the press and the DNC. They (DNC) fold up and run the minute the minute they smell smoke instead of fighting for what they stand for. James Carville and his side show of Clinton need to get a grasp of their irrelevance. "A mini primary" I'm tempted to tell him to shove his opinions in the darker recesses of his anatomy!
I continue to believe Carville and the former guy missed their chance as a vaudeville duo. Two whack-jobs.
:D!!
Thank you David! Jess Piper's perspective is brilliant and needed for my own writing.
It certainly helped me understand what was going on!
Thank you for that link--heartening piece by Ms. Piper.
Robert, I tried to sign up for the fundraiser, but the lowest donation was $25 with no other option. I'm 78, on a fixed SS income, with very limited disposable income, and I'm already making a monthly donation to President Biden. (There are some challenges left over from a number of attempts to support myself as a writer/actor, with sales jobs in between!) I was prepared to pay $10, to support and participate in your event. I'm very disappointed that that's not possible. May I asked if there was a reason for that limitation? Is there a limit on how many folks can attend the Zoom meeting? Thanks, for your consideration and for all you do!
Your described circumstances are a mirror of my own! I have to believe that those small grassroots donations made by us do help.
Thanks, Karen. I am convinced that they do! Blessings,
Ah well, to this true nobody, you are a real somebody. I support Biden only because of his outstanding record and will to preserve the US Democracy (what else might there be). He will decide if and when it is the right time to step down, any other speculations by the backstabbing NYT and others is pure BS and feeds the Trumpian Chaos machine.
I'd support a yellow dog before any Republican. Besides all the points Roberts makes, they support a guy who stole from kids with cancer. Hates dogs. Calls veterans suckers or losers.
Want to screw the lumpen proletariat. As president, Trump tried and failed to cut benefits drastically. Some Republicans wanted to replace the entire SSI and disability system. See. Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Trump, House Republican Cuts to SSI Would Harm Children With Disabilities, Sept. 18, 2017, Kathleen Romig and Guillermo Herrera. https://www.cbpp.org/research/social-security/trump-house-republican-cuts-to-ssi-would-harm-children-with-disabilities
“The Trump proposal would cut SSI by more than $8 billion over the next decade, shrinking benefits for roughly a quarter of a million children with disabilities by between 38 and 66 percent. It would also increase SSI’s administrative costs and improper payments”.
That's why we should be telling MAGATs "don't slit your own throat" by supporting any Republican.
Thanks Daniel
While I think Joe Biden has been by far the best President in 50 years I would vote for an empty beer can before dictator wannabe Donald Trump or any Trumpian Republican. As to all the speculation about Joe lasting another 4 years ask anyone who sings that song if they can guarantee they'll be still breathing in 4 years. They can't do it and Joe shouldn't have to prove that he can.
No he doesn’t. He has an extremely well-qualified VP to step in if that is needed.
Nor could they accomplish anywhere near as much as he has, and continues to do. As Theodora said, he has an extremely well-qualified VP to step in if needed. He also has a Cabinet filled with capable, qualified professionals, unlike the "Tool" Cabinet that Felonious T had (which was head and shoulders above what he'll restock it with if there's a next time). For President Biden, the Presidency is a team effort; for Felonious T, it's himself.
At least the beer can is worth a 10 cent deposit here in Or. Trump is as costly as a toxic waste dump.
Trump IS a toxic waste dump!
Robert is truly a "real somebody", being able to phrase so many salient ideas that have important meaning for so many people. I am really looking forward to the fundraiser next week!
Ditto here Lynn!
Yes, and James Carville and Jon Stewart can take a long hike out on a short pier, hand in hand together. Their heinous F bombs are more boorish than they are.
I have been extremely disappointed in Jon Stewart. A tragic waste of intelligence and wit.
Yep. It's always interesting to see what being in the spotlight can do to a person. Stewart is a perfect example of this.
Then we have those politicians craving their moment of fame surrounded by the media sticking microphones in their face while hanging on every word as they declare their non-support of Joe Biden.
What happened to the idea of a moral compass?
And now George Clooney. What the ....?. Everyone bailing on our president is playing into the hands of his opponent. How can they not know that? We need total and unwavering support from everyone who does not want a mentally and morally unfit convicted criminal in the Oval Office. Is this clear? Crystal!!
I am only guessing, but I think that what they are saying is that the Joe we voted for in the spring has changed. He’s not the same Joe, which is worrying. He should show signs of aging, but in the last few months, he’s aged greatly. While no one can say for certain that she or he or they will be a capable person four years from now, the odds for an 81 year old are not good, especially for one who has aged so much lately in so short a time.
You ARE guessing, and who is the "they"?
You don't know. And I don't know that he hasn't aged unusually quickly in the last six months or so, but he has often had a schedule that I--at an active (my border collie and I run daily) healthy 71--would find extremely hard to follow, and probably any 40 year old would have a difficult time with it.
There was the trip to Poland and then Ukraine--plane from DC, and then 10 hours on the train from Poland to Ukraine to see Zelenskyy, during which time (w/ Z) he had to be clear headed, then 10 hours on the train again, and probably around 7 in the air from Poland home.
There were the two trips to Israel a week apart, after the Hamas attack--9 hours, across nine time zones, and having to function well on such a different time zone. And there was a trip to China, and a handful of nearby countries, negotiating with the leaders of all these countries, again on a very different time zone, plus, having to switch time zones while he was in Asia.
The man is incredible!!!
I agree that he has been incredible! The question, however, is how much longer can he function at this high level. A campaign is about the future. What hopeful message can he deliver about the future? And how credible will it be to the voters?
Eleanor, what you need to realize is that you have bought into the propaganda. One bad debate does not mean he’s changed.
Scroll down a few comments to my next comment, and you'll understand that it's too late to install anyone else.
So who then?
I trust Biden. I trust the people he has working with him. If he can't finish his term, for whatever reason, the cabinet he has built and his VP will continue on. They will do a good job and keep our democracy going. He's the best choice. Who would you have run instead?
I trust his people, too, but voters don’t vote for the cabinet, they vote for the President. We are asking voters to vote their fears, not their hopes: vote against Trump rather than for the person who will be around for four years to enact his/her agenda. It’s a harder sell, especially to low information voters. It’s not a strong position to campaign on.
the reason he is haggard is his schedule is pretty grueling. Just monitor "what joe biden did today" and you'll see how incredibly busy this guy is.
Sounds like you did not hear him address NATO yesterday
Yes, I know he did a good job yesterday, and I totally agree that he has been an excellent president, and if he runs again I will vote for him. But we cannot unsee the debate or the chat with George. He's not the same Joe, and I am embarrassed for him that he has to defend his competence. We certainly can continue with the ticket and rely on normal operating procedures should the need arise. I would be delighted to see Kamala as President. The question is whether we can convince a majority of voters that this is a good plan.
So who are you recommending run instead?
That’s why he has a great VP.
Amen brother.
Bruce, Pres. Biden has accomplished much to help our country grow from the middle out as he promised he would in 2020. The legislation passed with much of the House in opposition with its majority. However, he’s old and I know old. I’m the same age as he is. Yes, he’s highly capable in gathering intelligent and ethical people into his cabinet and as advisers, more so than most of our former presidents Dem and Rep. What Pres. Biden can’t do is the performative duties of the presidency. If one only listens to the debate, one could declare him the winner. But that’s not what happened. We don’t live in the world of radio; we see cameras and hear microphone speech live in real time. He failed in that role.
Our election in 2024 is to defeat trump, not to install any one specific person. It’s (IMHO) to elect a president who respects our Constitution, who sees people as people, not as pawns to be used for influence, whipping boys or as a money sources for personal gain. Many of us, also true blue Dems, have deep, deep doubts that Pres. Biden can defeat trump again. We see our Dem party in need of trusting the next generation’s leadership.
If Pres. Biden is our nominee, not presumptive, I will continue to write postcards to swing states, to donate, to do everything I can just as I will no matter who our candidate is. But, after examining my intellect, my heart, my gut, my everything, I think we Dems have and can nominate candidate(s) with a much higher probability of success.
No we can't have a higher chance of success with anyone else. I've been reading and reading on this, and watching videos.
Jess Piper has been listening to the people in the hinterlands who voted for Biden, and many of them are going to be quite pissed if we put someone else in his place.
Biden-Harris have raised over $100 million, money that cannot go to anyone else, should we anoint someone else at the convention, and that person is going to be hard pressed to raise anything like the funds Biden-Harris will have. (Only Harris could could get the money if she were to run on the top of a ticket.)
You can watch the terrific Lawrence O'Donnell on how switching candidates at this time would fail. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9vsivYrC4U
I’m supporting Biden only because the alternative is a reprehensible horror show. Still angry at Biden for not stepping down after one term.
As my dad used to say, we’re stuck with him.
Incumbency is an always powerful asset, especially with a record like Biden’s. Stepping down makes you a lame duck. Contested primaries always weaken the candidate finally chosen because the losers’ supporters often refuse to support that candidate and either stay home or vote for a Jill Stein or Ralph Nader.
The Democratic blood bath of 1968 after LBJ stepped down should never be forgotten.
Biden should have taken the honorable route and stepped down at the end of his first term. He would have been lauded by all of us (and historians too.) Now we're faced with a big mess, an existential crisis really. Even NY is now a 'battleground' State at this point!
Some links from this morning:
Joe Biden has made a mess of the Democratic Party
https://punchbowl.news/article/washington/joe-biden-democrats-mess-inside-the-party/
Biden Support slips in deep blue state
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/10/biden-new-york-trouble-00167198
John Ganz comparing Julius Ceasar with Trump and Biden - Perceptive Read
https://www.unpopularfront.news/p/rule-and-repetition
NO Bob. You do not speak for ALL of us sir. Your defeatist rant is nauseating to say the least. Staring down the cannons of a large Russian warship from our main deck many moons ago in the Indian Ocean, I am glad you weren't our captain on the USS Georgetown. Put on your Big Boy pants sir, and buck up. Please!
Never did I say I'm speaking for anyone but myself.
"He would have been lauded by ALL OF US (historians too)." That statement covers a large swath of us Bob. You said it, so own it now please.
My dad use to say “ we can’t change it so we make the best of it we can”
Or, as I like to say, make the most of what is here, and the least of what is gone.
I think Robert's a somebody too. If not, I've been deceiving folks frequently when I've said with authority, "Somebody told me that..."
If the Democrats lose it won’t be because of Joe Biden. It will be because the country’s pro democracy faction stopped fighting for President Biden and started believing whatever rich person is running the media and their colleagues. Fight the republicans and bring the Democrats together to fight with you. You’ve given enough air time to this weak strategy to replace Biden and go back to kicking *ss and taking names like President Biden does every day. He is a powerful and effective leader.
Jo Ann, I read your short and crystalline post after I wrote my longer response. I should have waited. Yours is perfect.
OMG Jo Ann. Thank you. Perfectly said.
🏆
Amen.
Sad but true.
Too many progressives will stay home.
I disagree. I'm hopeful that anyone who calls themselves a progressive also knows that they have fewer rights today than they did 10 years ago. Bodily autonomy has been gutted, corporate deregulation, tax giveaways to the obscenely rich, a million dead from Covid .... let's amplify issues over personalities.
If the progressives stay at home and not vote up and down the ballot for Democrats and urge others to do the same, I would say they are not "progressives" at all but coffee house Utopians who love to talk a good game but are not ready for the mess of fighting tyrrany.
Very well said Dr. White. We have no time for procrastinating. Many of our peers are exhibiting 'decisional procrastination'. Just as it sounds, decisional procrastination occurs when we do nothing, or worse, do harm, when we just cannot decide what to do. Joe Biden was emotionally naked on that stage with a man so powerfully toxic, I'd venture a guess only a handful of brave souls could have endured the psychic pummeling he took for all Americans, MAGATS included. Remember the song, In The Year 2525? Zager and Evans. I've reworked the lyrics a bit (apologies to the artists) to reflect a speck of what I have learned perusing that Manifesto of Madness. Maybe for later.
I remember that song and also scratched out a parody version about all the delays in the criminal trials, ie, we will still be waiting in 2535, 3535, etc. We should remember that, though indicted, Jefferson Davis was never successfully tried for his treason. When I looked that up in mid-2021, I despaired Trump would be held accountable. But I love the comparison to Z & E song. A true gem from 1969!
Didn’t many of them vote for Jill Stein because Hillary and the other one were “the same”? Arses.
We must work to bring them along. Trump has shown himself to be even more of a danger. Whatever one thinks of Joe Biden, the Supreme Court, reproductive health and rights, the safety of the world (attend to the coverage of NATO), as well as the environment is at stake. Can the EPA regulate our water? Trump and the Supremes say, not unless Congress passes a particular law, but the Supreme Court will allow a President Trump to rule as a dictator.
Everything depends on keeping Trump from and Mike Johnson, and J.D. Vance and Marco Rubio from power and fighting back against our own Supreme Court. I hope the most jaded coffee house liberal will see what is at stake. We all have to turn off our "it's so cool to be against everyone" adolescence and vote to save a democracy that allows us to have those thoughts and ideas without risking life, limb, and our children's future.
Please don't conflate very far leftists with progressives. They are not reality a based group and demand perfect alignment with their every opinion. They are a very small % of our population and never vote for the Democratic Party.
Agree LInda, Once they read the summary of project 2025, they'll vote.
And you know this how? Detail please. Many thanks!
Thanks, Mr. Duffy, and any mild demur is turned into a rejection of Joe Biden. CNBC just screamed a headline, saying, "Nancy Pelosi refused to endorse Biden." The Passionate Intensity of the Right and their minions has to leave any thinking person aghast with their hubris. I remember the song "In the Year 2525." Would love to hear your reworking -- but you might need to include the lyrics of the original for the younger than 68 crowd( I am 75) who may not remember the original so well. But then, there's this thing the kids call the Internet.
You think? Do you actually KNOW any progressives? Or perhaps your definition of progressive is different from mine. Because I know a LOT of progressives and they are all working to re-elect Biden!
No true progressive will stay home, when the convicted felon is the alternative!
Good distinction, Tayama. Let's get all the progressives on board.
The past couple of years I have avoided posting my political opinions on Facebook. Even though I have a fairly even mix of pro and anti Biden friends. Last week I posted a list why Project 2025 is bad. I picked what fork I’m taking. I tried to be kind about it. An anti-Biden friend posted she indicated there were Project 2025 things she disagreed with. She also posted a link Trump was disavowing it. I countered Trump was disavowing it, because people were getting educated about Project 2024 and they didn’t like it. A couple of pro-Biden friends chimed in their agreement with me. She got a little upset, because some were her friends too. I am thinking our friendship is banged up a bit, but I have decided to take that risk. It is worth the risk to avoid Trump getting back to the White House.
Losing a "friend" like that is no loss. As a dearly-departed old friend here in Hollywood was fond of saying, "A character test is to see if you have any."
Yes, I agree! I really don’t think I have lose this friend, yet. I think we are in a fragile “agree to disagree” mode. However, this is binary choice when you agree to disagree it is just a way to stop the conversation. This conversation can’t stop
And the WORK must not stop. We can disagree about Biden's strengths, weaknesses, and whether he should "step down," or crawl on his belly like a reptile from the presidency, or be our leader for four more years. But we must not disagree on the simple truth that four more years of Trump would be an unmitigated disaster for American democracy, that frail form of government that sounds like a pleasant abstraction out of some moldy civics book. But for American democracy to lose in November would mean confusion, chaos, cruelty at every level of the U.S.A. and danger and suffering around the world. Who are the people of Ukraine rootin for? We must not throw the race to Trump by our conviction that our candidate is not perfect, or wouldn't be "my choice," or didn't do x, y, or z. We can't shilly-shally our way on high-tone principles into a president, as we did in electing Nixon in 1968, when Trump is hundred times worse than Nixon. (I never thought I'd say that about anyone). Our choice is clear, Democrats up and down the ballot and Joe Biden OR the worst disaster in American history.
Republicans, rich and middle class, or conservative Catholics or other Christians who find Trump repugnant are going to ignore Project 2025, and "hold their nose and vote for Trump," as one friend told me in 2016. Democrats and clear thinking Independents and Republicans cannot wait for the dream candidate. To my mind, Biden is a great president and a good and compassionate man, who thinks and listens, and is honest and true. I can't say any of that about Trump. He is the antithesis of what we want and need in a President. By being half-hearted in this fight, we risk abdicating the presidency to Trump. To those who advocate Joe stepping down, please consider what "rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches" toward Washington DC to end our democracy. Joe Biden stands between us and horror. Plain. Simple. Keep talking, keep working.
The work must not stop.
You can disagree about pineapple on pizza, not democracy vs fascism.
Erica, Exactly
Love it! That is a perfect comment.
Thank you Sharon. I SO agree with your statement. I made a decision last fall to post political stuff on FB, starting with get out the vote information. My posts have become extremely critical of the felon and trying to educate others on Project 2025, despite having family members and friends who are maga. My relationship with some of those people has changed or disappeared, but I cannot in good conscience keep my mouth shut in fear of offending them. I don't care anymore. Saving this country and the people I love from a truly inhumane political party is more important than a cult following. Who knows - they may even thank me one day for staying true to my beliefs.
Deb, I made that same decision! I made it clear to my friends and family that my FB page was now going to be primarily focused on politics and if it made them uncomfortable, they could just not peruse it. I have had to block a few ultra-fascist stuff from time to time which I will NEVER allow on my page. Usually I just block the post and not the person.
Yesterday I unfriended an acquaintance who has been a Facebook friend, but never an actual friend. She pronounced that Facebook was only for family, pets and rainbows and she would "snooze" anyone who posted politics. I had just posted on Project 2025. I have no idea if she saw it, but it's clear she doesn't want to see it. So, buh bye
I know, I know, the list practically is endless, but let me just supplement three points to your list
- Donald Trump will be a willing tool of the evangelicals to convert the US into a theocracy
- Donald Trump will be a willing tool of Putin to change the rules based international order
- Donald Trump from day one will sabotage all efforts to fight climate change.
And Donald Trump will be proven to be a pedophile; like Epstein, having raped young girls and even sexually assaulted little boys as young as 10.
Yes!! Why isn’t the media all over the Epstein files and Trump’s ties to this horror show?
I wonder if the media isn't all over the Epstein story because there are media owners/CEO/etc who were/are in the Epstein circle...
Don’t know about owners but I do know they have good buddies who were part of Epstein’s inner circle. I nearly fell out of my chair when I read that the pious George Snuffleupagus and girl-next-door Katie Couric participated in a close friends dinner with Epstein and Ghislane to plot how to improve his image — after his Florida conviction. I had read before that they were both part went to Epstein’s parties (and I bet flew on his plane) but was beyond shocked to learn just how close they were even after his perverted behavior had been made public. It infuriated me that the media always made —still makes — a point to say Bill Clinton flew on Epstein’s plane but never that these two major media figures were part of his close inner circle.The Clintons were not at that dinner, just Jeff’s close pals. Clearly the media protects its own but gleefully trashes others, especially Democrats they don’t like.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/katie-couric-woody-allen-jeffrey-epsteins-society-friends-close-ranks
Well, thank you for this information! And there we have it! WHY the media isn't covering Epstein-Donald pedophilia...because the media all twisted up in this nefarious Epstein mess. NYT and WAPO and CNN and ABC, NBC, CBS are all purposefully burying it.
Because that risks the failed insurrectionist becoming completely unacceptable to some middle of the road voters who might support him.
We need to keep re-posting things like this. Let's keep this alive!
I would like to add one more:
Donald trump will be the willing tool of Steve Bannon and Steven Miller who are behind the curtain pulling the strings. They are the real brains behind this evil empire. Trump is their really useful idiot.
And Roger Stone.
And Newt Gingrich is still involved too!
Steven Miller probably is more like a ruthless henchman. Bannon, on the other side, is one of the brains of the movement. That had been clear from Day 1. In the first chaotic months after winning the election in 2016 Bannon got a presumedly coveted White House position. On second thought though, he realized that he would be much more effective (destructive, that is) working outside the White House and the administration. So this ridiculous fairy tale of his falling out with Ivanka was created and he left the WH.
I am with you. Joe Biden/Kamala Harris have my vote. I am retired with limited disposable income, but I have sent donations twice since the debate & will continue to send my small donations to their campaign. I say that the poor (so-called) debate was just a bump in the road, not the end of the road. This is not Biden v Trump; this is Democracy v Fascism.
Those that suggest that Biden step down should think through the practicality of that action. It’s a bit late in the game for that to result in a win for Democracy. Many thought that Joe Biden was a mistake four years ago, but he proved them wrong. Let’s give him a chance to complete his legacy. Vote blue all the way.
Thank you Jean for your commentary and contributions. People like you would probably have had more money had the GOP not taken over with Reagan in 1980. Among other things, they lowered taxes on the wealthy, and raised them on the rest of us.
Robert Hubbell gives us 18 “guarantees”—all of which strike me as accurate and reasonable. I agree we must stop this internecine bickering and unite behind our President who, as of now, stands as the most effective and admirable opponent to the utterly vile Donald Trump.
The bickering is so destructive, Roger! I'm perplexed by it, and need it to stop! However, I write postcards as often as possible. That helps!
The only thing I can think of is PTSD from the 2016 election. Some people appear to think that we would have won then if we had had a more "popular" candidate. The lesson I took from 2016 is we would have won if people had got out to vote and supported the candidate we had!!
I wish I had bookmarked it, but someone posted a comment to one of the substacks I read about getting an email from Postcards to Swing States apologizing for the delay in getting them the postcards they had requested. The reason was that PC to SS had been inundates with postcard requests AFTER the debate. Grassroots are on the right track - keep your nose to the grindstone and help get out the vote - and register new voters, too!
PTSD from '16--that's for certain!
Clinton lost by in the low tens of thousands in at least two of the swing states that resulted in her overall loss. Jill Stein got in the low tens of thousands of votes in those two states. There were a couple of other third party candidates who took votes from her in those and the third swing state.
Getting the vote out this year is absolutely critical.
I hate Jill stein l
It's probably better to put your energy into getting the vote out than in hating Stein, but I certainly sympathize with that sentiment!
I can do both. And am. Thanks. 😊
I trust in the man himself, Joe Biden, to know whether or not he can make it another four years. It’s common sense that if there was a health issue, that he would gracefully step aside for the sake of the party. We are not listening to him. He has said he will continue to run for President! He may not be flashy and flamboyant, nor loud and boisterous in his campaigning but I trust in Biden to know himself well enough as to whether or not he is fit enough to continue as president of this country for four more years. Is there any guarantee he will make it through four more years? No. Neither is there a guarantee that Trump will make it another four years. Neither is there a guarantee that you, the reader, will be alive in four more years. You see my point? There are no guarantees in life.
The big problem lies in how we view the elderly in this country. We are warehoused in nursing homes and not seen, so as not to offend the youthful vitality of the younger set, so that we are not seen as a reminder that, yes, we are all aging with each passing year. Just look at the ads for Botox, aimed at forty somethings, lest they should have the beginning of “crow’s feet” around their eyes, God forbid! My point, “OLD” is not fashionable. And yet, if you would look around you, there are plenty of octogenarians and nonagenarians who are leading productive lives, who are a vital part of their communities. Yes, they may speak softly, they may not have a spring in their step but they still contribute intellectually and have plenty to offer as a valuable citizen of this country. That is how I see Joe Biden. He has my support and come November I will vote for this man who has kept his nose to the grindstone for his love of this great democracy we are so privileged to live in. Just because someone shows signs of aging does not mean their mental faculties are gone. Be real.
These points about our collective disrespect for the elderly are spot-on. Thank you.
Hey, Monique, good post.
I just wonder where is it written that speaking softly is somehow a sign of mental decline? Honestly!
'Speak softly and carry a big stick" doesn't quite apply, but maybe if we think of Biden's experience and record as such, it does.
Agree, MaryB!
No ! Ladies, I am 85 and I watched the debate in its entirety. Quite frankly, I was really really anxious. Not because of ageism which I cannot be accused of but because I thought that there was no way that poor man could face the next 4 hard years ! Regardless of what the next 4 years bring for any of us, we are not the President with all the attendant stresses. Our apprehensions are valid even tho there is not one chance that we would vote for anyone else. Or do some other cockamamie thing like leaving the Presidential space on the ballot blank.
I'm 78, Monique, and I still have a spring in my step! I am with Biden all the way!
Thank you for putting into thoughtful words the agita about this treatment of Joe and our elders that has been roiling in my head for weeks now. ❤️
Excellent points. I would only add that I think Jill Biden would be urging him to quit if she thought he needed to do so. And if she urged him to quit. he'd do so.
Excellent points you have made, Monique. Your second paragraph really sums things up about us who are getting older. I will not be relegated to a home that’s not mine unless I am fully incapacitated and Joe won’t either. He also has a right to bring Putin to his knees and I hope he gets that chance.
YES! YES! YES!
But this isn’t about discounting the elderly. He clearly shows a decline in his cognition. Not everyone who is older does, there are super-agers. But he isn’t one of them. I don’t trust him to know or be honest with himself, I think he is in denial. I fear that because of this, if he stays, we will lose, which would be catastrophic. And yes, it’s late in the game, but they can do it in Britain, they did it in France. So I’m not ruling it out.
Margaret- please point out what you see as "decline in cognition". I don't see any evidence of that. He was ill prepared, exhausted and taken aback at Trump's defiant drugged up state. I'm a retired oncology/cardiac nurse that spent 4 decades assessing cognition declines for signs of trouble, so I think I'm a pretty good judge by now (nurses are at the bedside all day so get pretty good at this assessment). I DON'T SEE IT! And to be frank, I'm getting really testy when people keep proclaiming that his gait, studder or soft voice are their evidence. There is no evidence of cognitive decline in Joe Biden.
I agree. My late husband had early onset of Alzheimers and I am more than familiar with that disease (which falls under the umbrella of dementia). President Biden shows absolutely NO sign of cognitive decline. When a person cannot even think of a word or uses the wrong word as a substitute or repeats ad nauseum the same phrases over and over, who makes up stories out of thin air to cover his inability to state the facts (or the truth), or fades off mid statement, who speaks word salads that make no sense...those are the behaviors that indicate "something" is seriously amiss. Being old and tired and recovering from a week of illness and facing a deranged lunatic in a "debate" that is not moderated, is absolutely NOT an indication of "cognitive decline." It was a horrible night. Yes. Everyone acknowledges that. But it was as someone here pointed out "a bump in the road" and the only reason it has gained traction is because so many have jumped on this bandwagon. I'm for jumping off it now and getting to work for our candidate. He needs our support and our votes not our participation in this whisper campaign to sow distrust and spread angst among voters.
France and Britain function differently from the US. Listen to this smart, witty account of why it's too late for us to switch, and you'll understand.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9vsivYrC4U
And Mindi Gramberg, directly below, has the experience to know whether someone is declining or not, so read her post if you haven't already.
Margaret that is NONSENSE !!!
Friends,
While drama continues to swirl among Democrats, none of us in the trenches can impact decisions that will be made at the highest levels of our party. BUT while the dust settles, WE CAN AND MUST CONTINUE OUR EVEN-MORE IMPORTANT WORK OF TURNING OUT THE VOTE IN SWING STATES!
Stay the course! Write more postcards! Attend Robert’s fundraiser! Make calls and knock doors! This isn’t our first rodeo and issues of Choice, Fundamental Freedoms and Court Reform remain our issues and those of majority of Americans in swing states.
Remember 2022 and shake off Red Wave anxiety. Our job - our only job - is to GET OUT THE VOTE- SO DO SOMETHING!
Onward!
As a non US citizen living abroad and thus practically side-lined (apart from tirelessly disseminating information on Project 2025, Schedule F, parallels to 1930's Germany etc. online) I applaud and admire your commitment and efforts.
You are doing this for many people not just in the US but around the world. We are in this together.
Yes! The Brits and the French have stepped up and now it’s our turn to stick it to the autocrats, not only here but abroad — Putin in particular. He has spent untold amounts of money on his insidious anti-democracy hacking, bots, etc. (The very damaging hacker in 2016 “Guccifer” was traced directly to Russian intelligence headquarters.) Russia was not only involved in helping destroy Hillary but also promoting the disastrous UK Brexit. You can bet Russia is doing the same in all western democracies. The American media needs to stop playing along.
I'm with you, Paula!
While everyone is free to voice their opinions here, I wish those naysayers who are claiming that it's "time to be realistic" and that President Biden "has no chance" will take their negativity elsewhere, because the rest of We the People in the "tens of thousands of readers" are going to follow Robert per his statement:
"If we disagree, we remain allies, not enemies. But we are at a fork in the road and must take it. If you choose a different path, I beg you to be a leader who rallies others to your cause—but not by attacking the Democratic presumptive nominee or those who support him. That is a risky and destructive strategy. It is exactly what Trump is hoping for."
To repeat: "not by attacking the Democratic presumptive nominee or those who support him."
I believe a lot of this negativity and bile is coming from Russian disinformation (AI, bots and trolls).They are trying to rile up voters and get them to sink into despair.We need to be aware of this and move forward positively.
Who needs Russia when you have the major US media outlets pushing negativity. All Putin needs to do is sit back and gleefully watch because he knows that Steve Bannon was right when he said it’s the mainstream media that does the real damage to Democratic candidates. Media Matters recently posted their findings about the wildly biased pre-debate media coverage:
“ Over the past five months, five of the top US newspapers have published nearly 10 times as many articles focused just on Biden's age or mental acuity as focused on just Trump’s”.
https://www.mediamatters.org/washington-post/top-newspapers-fixate-bidens-age
Clearly they are not trying to inform the public, they are pushing their own agenda in order to make Dems drop Biden. While our mainstream journalists are so busy respecting Trump voters, interviewing them in diners and lecturing Dems to be more empathetic with MAGAites they are also busy showing their long time disdain for Democratic voters. They see us as a bunch of silly, squabbling kids who need the media to tell us what to think. Don’t surrender.
Believing Biden has no chance becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy driven by the media frenzy. Frenzy is not an exaggeration. The fact that prominent media outlets like the Times and WaPo published article after article about Biden’s age even before the debate proves they have an agenda. Do they really think voters don’t know Biden is old? Do they really think Trump isn’t and isn’t slipping mentally?
Exactly! The task at hand is to rid ourselves of the Trump, MAGA agenda once and for all. A vote for a third party is a vote for Trump, same with staying home. The only way to proceed is to vote for Biden/Harris being aware of the misinformation that is flooding our media.The media, SCOTUS, trolls and bots can go straight to hell.
Robert, your newsletter is a calming island of positive sanity in all this insanity. There was an interesting article in The Atlantic discussing all the Russian disinformation campaigns at work. They were particularly aggressive in the UK and France before their elections. They are also very active in the US. I will continue to support the Biden/Harris ticket and vote blue all the way. Sometimes it helps to take the occasional breather away from the news cycle and clear your head.
It would be interesting to find out how many of the Diaper Democrats on social media are actually Russian bots.
There was one lurking on Today’s Edition although “she” wasn’t very smart …with a last name as “Bot” !
...or actual Russian agents, footing the subscription price and playing like an American.
I agree. I stopped watching television two years ago. I read articles from different media outlets that appear on my iPhone and do some background reading. I look up information. I am furious with the NYT and almost cancelled my online subscription. I cancelled one so-called journalist who always had a poll in his daily newsletter because he was bashing President Biden
daily (Smerconish).
I am making up my own mind. No, I did not watch the debate nor did I watch Biden’s interview with George Stephanopolis. I know that President Biden is having some difficulty. I wish he would not put himself in those positions. I also wish that he would take a relaxing vacation and get some rest. He is up for the job, he just needs to get more rest and allow the Vice President to take on more responsibilities. I have absolute faith in him.
Hi Virginia, I have done the same, except I decided to cancel my NYT and Wapo subscriptions as I did not care for the Biden bashing countered with, it was okay to be a lying orange blow hole.
I follow good writers and journalists too. I think Biden does need a break, I believe he crossed the Atlantic 6 times prior to the debate. That takes alot out of a young person. You can't debate a crazy person, even Hillary mentioned that point.
I mostly read other news from the Times, but I may cancel them soon.
I agree - breathers are necessary. Then we step right back into the fray, & send $$$ and write postcards.
Agreed, I am currently working on 1,000 post cards for Swing State. Whatever we can do for democracy.
I have given up on reading the NYT and the WP, but I haven’t given up reading your excellent newsletter every morning. It starts my day on the right note. Go Joe! Go Robert!
I actually appreciate the last12 days. I canceled the Sulzberger Sniper and Bezos Bugle and any number of the Least and the Dimmest here on Substack, and I feel better informed already.
Ditto!
When I bought my "Don't Despair Vote!" (Civil Discourse) t-shirt it came with a small sticker of "Let's finish the job! - Joe" I put it on my travel mug.
An idea I've not seen anywhere... Biden could win the election, realize in two years that in fact he isn't up to the job, resign and we have the first black, Asian, female as President. Isn't that the generational change that some are looking for? (h/t to Snyders fourth option)
Exactly! And that is the only way VP Harris can become President, not by Joe stepping down and endorsing her as the incumbent. A majority will not vote for a Black Woman no matter how accomplished she is. Yes, the Democrats need a younger, revitalized leadership core, but that shift cannot happen at this time. Strategically, We The People must prevent a regime change by doubling down on all our current efforts to register voters and GOTV.
Speaking of VP Harris. "Remarks by Vice President Harris at Swearing-In Ceremony of Commissioners for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics"
In her remarks, she said this: "My mother used to — she would give us a hard time sometimes, and she would say to us, 'I don’t know what’s wrong with you young people. You think you just fell out of a coconut tree?' (Laughs.)
'You exist in the context of all in which you live and what came before you.'"
Don't you just love that? Three cheers for education, I say!
I also like how we're seeing Harris more and more. Her messaging has become clear, crisp, energizing. This is a Biden-Harris ticket and agenda.
An excerpt from a column David Sedaris wrote in the New Yorker has been gaining traction and is worth repeating. To paraphrase, he wrote that it is the equivalent of being on an airplane, and the flight attendant comes down the aisle and gives you a choice: can I interest you in the chicken or would you prefer a platter of sh*t with bits of broken glass in it? And he writes, to be undecided in this election is to pause for a moment and ask how the chicken is cooked.
What a lot of people don’t know is that he wrote this before the 2008 election, when it was McCain versus Obama. This is not even close. If this is your choice, pick the chicken, even if the chicken is old and tired, and may not be able to debate the sh*t.
(Apologies for the language.)
I am so glad you posted this. I couldn’t remember (Call the Times so they know a 70 year old Democrat couldn’t remember something) whose story it was! Bless David Sedaris.
I’m an Aussie watching this media driven madness unfold with fear and horror because my own country is being nudged down the same path by similar forces. Thanks to Mr. Hubble, HCR, and Beau of the Fifth Column, I understand how to best serve my own country by learning lessons in democracy from the USA in realtime.
America may not be perfect, but it is the leader of the free world for a reason. Here’s hoping enough citizens vote to save the motherland of democracy come November.
I have lived abroad for 34 years. I am horrified by what is happening in America. How can anyone read the list of accomplishments of this administration and not support Biden against Trump, even with doubts, is beyond me. When in the history of your voting have you ever supported someone without any niggling doubts? My father always said the a vote is almost always against, not for. In this case my vote is resoundingly against Trump and confidently for Biden whose record in 3.5 years is astonishing. Thanks to our "nobody" who keeps reminding us what the real issue is. We're it not for him and for Heather Cox Richardson, I would have long ago turned away. Horrified as I am, I am committed to staying the course.