r/politics • u/bustersnuggs5011 Pueblo • 4d ago

Biden’s Family Tells Him to Keep Fighting as They Huddle at Camp David Soft Paywall

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/30/us/politics/biden-debate-anxious-democrats.html
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u/Independent-Bug-9352 4d ago edited 4d ago

This is an enormous mistake.

I've repeatedly asked anyone defending Biden's remaining in where they're getting their confidence that he can defeat Trump in November and they cannot point to a single, solitary piece of data.

Why? Because it all shows Joe Biden is performing significantly-worse than his 2020 run where he won by merely 40,000 votes in 3 battleground states.

Let's face reality:

  • Biden is TEN POINTS nationally below where he was at this time in 2020.
  • Biden is losing in every single battleground state.
  • Biden is losing a large chunk of black and Hispanic voters compared to his 2020 run.
  • Biden's aggregate approval ratings for Presidency are 37.7% with 56.7% disapproval.

Former Obama/Biden staffers from Pod Save America are pretty much outright saying he should step down. Nate Silver wrote a data-driven article saying he should step down. The NYT Editorial board said he should step down. Ezra Klein. Thomas Friedman....

It's now or never before the convention.

And to those who think we should ride this horse to the end, tell me: what happens if Biden worsens from now until November? What happens if the 81-year-old suffers a fatal medical emergency in October? Then we are really screwed.

We either take the chance to nominate a fresh, younger face (you know, what the vast majority of Americans keep telling us they want), or watch this car crash in slow motion.

I am so unbelievably pissed off right now because my children's future is on the line because of the ego of this octogenarian and his out-of-touch Yes Men who surround him.

Edit: Preliminary post-debate polling data results are in. Trump won the debate.: "Voters are more concerned about Biden's age than Trump's criminal charges." Keep in mind that while it says, "other candidates perform similarly against Trump," that's pre-viral media attention and the entire DNC apparatus including Obama rallying behind someone like Whitmer. Most of those candidates, people just haven't heard enough of. But they would in the coming months if the headlines are, "President Biden Resigns; Endorses Gov. Whitmer."

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u/bluuuuurn 4d ago

Former Obama/Biden staffers from Pod Save America are pretty much outright saying he should step down.

No, they aren't. What they've said in the two post-debate episodes is that it's complicated either way, and that a robust and serious debate needs to be had about it. Either direction is a big risk, and the choice is not clear.

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u/Independent-Bug-9352 4d ago edited 4d ago

I don't think it takes much reading between the lines to know this is how at least Favreau and Lovett feel based on what was said (mock-debate aside), as well as Mehdi Hasan for bonus.

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u/bdepz 4d ago

Mehdi takes no prisoners. Even though I disagree occasionally, I find it refreshing to hear takes with no apology.

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u/[deleted] 4d ago

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u/porniopia 4d ago

Stewart-Hasan 2024.

"Truth to power."

I'd vote for it.

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u/Independent-Bug-9352 4d ago

Oh man I wouldn't just vote for that, I'd campaign my ass off for them.

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u/porniopia 4d ago

You know they'd have the sickest cabinet and bring in the best experts on every issue. I'd love it.

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u/Cazzah Australia 4d ago

Well the thing is, if you give this advice, and then Biden doesn't step down, then there can be soundbites of you for the rest of your life saying Biden shouldn't be President. It's career suicide, and it's also bad for the Democrats if they do stick by the President.

Even talking about getting rid of the incumbent when the primaries are already over- by the standards of a career Democrat, they might as well be screaming "MUTINY!" and handing out guns to the other sailors.