r/politics 4d ago

'Chill The F**k Out': John Fetterman Urges Democrats To Stick With Joe Biden | The Pennsylvania senator reminded panicked Democrats on Friday that he too had a bad debate once, yet he went on to win his Senate seat.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/joe-biden-debate-john-fetterman_n_667ea850e4b0415858d6a2f1
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u/Plunderberg 4d ago

Obama's already questioned mental health and lucidity wasn't called into doubt as a result of the debate, though.

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u/MuffLover312 4d ago

Yeah this isn’t really about a “bad debate” it’s that he barely looked lucid or coherent. He reaffirmed the biggest fear people had about him.

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u/crythene 3d ago

It's a fear of the unknown too. We're not just voting for "We beat medicare." We're voting for that, plus five more years of the most stressful job on Earth.

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u/crawling-alreadygirl 3d ago

Exactly. If he's capable of looking like that in June 2024, what shape will he be in by January 2029? If it's Biden, I'm voting Biden, but that's a very real issue we can't ignore

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u/Kerblaaahhh Colorado 3d ago

He already looks worse than Reagan at the height of his dementia-presidency. At this point I doubt he'd survive another 4 years in this job.

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u/jameslake325 3d ago

I’m in the same boat. However he will lose this election, many people will not be voting for him based on his physical and mental condition and I can’t blame them.

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u/[deleted] 3d ago

He will be in elder care or dead.

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u/ridauthoritarianism 3d ago

Lets worry about now. Its obvious Biden won't run in 2029.

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u/crawling-alreadygirl 3d ago

I'm talking about his physical ability to complete another term. As I've said, I'm voting for the democratic nominee regardless, but it's a valid concern.

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u/ridauthoritarianism 3d ago

As an old persom who has cared for an old person. The ability to retreave certain words takes a minute. But you do not lose your ability to analyze and think. Biden is just having trouble retreaving words timely, which is part of a stuttering problem. He has not lost his abi.ities to thin k and reason. Back off he is OK.

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u/oldmanjasper 2d ago

If he wins this election he'll still be president in January 2029. That's the point.

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u/ridauthoritarianism 2d ago

what makes you think so. He will definitely be too old to run again.

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u/Arkzend 3d ago

I mean it would be fine. We also got Harris

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u/crawling-alreadygirl 3d ago

Harris is even less popular

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u/Rusty_Empathy 3d ago

IMO, the solution here is to replace Harris with Newsom/Pritzker/Whitmer someone that people would support running for President in the next cycle.

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u/8020GroundBeef 3d ago

Honestly I’m just voting for the best choice to defeat Trump. If that requires Biden to step down, they should do that. If that’s really not viable and we need to stick with Biden, whatever.

I’m not really that concerned about an aging Biden. I am concerned about a dictatorship.

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u/crythene 3d ago

I'm with you, but tbh having someone at the top of the ticket who most of America thinks is senile (and frankly might be sundowning a bit) really blunts attacks we can make about Trump's fitness.

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u/8020GroundBeef 3d ago

I agree. I just don’t really know what’s the best option

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u/Groundbreaking_Bet62 1d ago

This is why, if indeed it was true that he had a cold that they needed to put that forward asap not halfway through the debate.

Also, I know when I have a cold my lucidity takes a 80% hit.

There is too much at stake. I heard today we needed a C- Biden or better to win the debate and get some undecideds - we got a F Biden. That hit me.

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u/teenagesadist 3d ago

Ugh, you're right, let's go with the convicted felon.

At least he'll be aware while he destroys everything

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u/Away-Coach48 3d ago

Why not have someone who is not a convicted felon or mentally incompetent/elderly?

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u/Maximum_Pollution371 3d ago

Feel free to let us know when you manage to manifest such a person within the next 4 months.

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u/GeneralKenobyy Australia 3d ago

Are there not suitable democrat candidates the party could rally around and support if Biden steps down?

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u/anabolicartist Indiana 3d ago

In reality I feel like it would be very difficult to do so, but not impossible. Surely we have plenty of people fit to do the job. These can’t be our best options.

That being said I doubt anyone will be ushered forward to replace Biden.

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u/Away-Coach48 3d ago

Kamala Harris would be the first obvious option. Are there no other Democrats planning on running in the near future? That is all you do. Have them move up. Fuck, Bernie would still be better.

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u/AdviceNotAskedFor 3d ago

There are plenty. Plenty of good people on the bench.

Just because they didn't want to torpedo their political career, contending with the sitting president in a primary doesn't mean that no one wanted to.

Walz Whittier, newsome , klobachar, Jeffries pritzger, mayor Pete, kamala's. Etc etc etc.

The conversation needs to start. I didn't like what I saw on Thursday and I sure as shit can't imagine what two years in the future he looks like.

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u/Maximum_Pollution371 2d ago

He'll likely be dead, but that's what we got Kamala for. 🤷

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u/teenagesadist 3d ago

Because those aren't options?

I'd rather vote in George Washington myself, but I'm not going to hold out for that because he's dead.

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u/Wonderful-Driver4761 3d ago

Honestly I don't think that was the case. He just looks old because he is old. While he was sitting there with his mouth open I think that was more a look of shock at all of the bullshit Trump was saying. But because he looks 82. He looks senile.

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u/SykonotticGuy 3d ago

How can our president be in shock at something that has been going on for 9+ years? Has he not been paying attention?

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u/LoverOfGayContent 3d ago

Right, it would be a shock for Trump to be a decent human being.

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u/Hour_Gur4995 3d ago

Post birth abortion was new, you know democratic judges in blue states putting the baby to the side to decide after birth

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u/KazzieMono 3d ago

That’s all republicans do. Spout slander until it finally becomes true or enough people are convinced it’s true. It’s what happened with Hillary. Same thing here.

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u/rollem Virginia 4d ago

Yeah...

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u/CubanLynx312 3d ago

I think Obama legitimately had altitude sickness. I get that every time I’m in Colorado.

Biden doesn’t have a cold, he has an advanced neurocognitive disorder.

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u/Plunderberg 2d ago

He has neither imo, he's just old as fuck and needs to get out of the way.

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u/raouldukeesq 3d ago

If you were on that stage you'd be a puddle of goo before it even started. This high level gladiator shit. Somedays you just don't have it. Plus, read the transcript; 95%+ thoughtful and cogent answers that are correct.  

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u/Plunderberg 3d ago

I'm not trying to be president, buddy. What a pointless comparison.

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u/johnny_51N5 3d ago

"If one Thing helps with dementia is more time. Don't worry about it!"

Like what?

The bad debate & "he had a cold" narrative is just not true. It's cognitive decline. You dont just say after you like mix up things for 20 sec "we finally BEAT medicare!" As a democrat.

Thank you Mr. President.

😭

Sorry I had a cold. Yeah right.