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[DOOM THREAD] 2024 Presidential Election Thread - Oh. My. God. We may be fucked.


bolverk

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4 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

My current best-case: Biden handles the ABC interview fine but acknowledges he’s lost a step, greasing the skids for an honorable departure that doesn’t require him to leave office.  Harris enthusiastically endorses Whitmer and stays on the ticket as VP.  Whitmer attacks Trump relentlessly and destroys him in the Sept debate, Dems recapture all the momentum and win in a landslide.

I just don't see Harris accepting anything less than being the nominee. 

I like @softlynow now's suggestion--if Biden is going to withdraw, resign now.  The entire media will be talking Harris for the next month and it'll give her a good opportunity to shake off some of the negative perceptions of her if she's ready for it. 

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What about this scenario?

Biden doesn't just withdraw from the election; he resigns the presidency now.  Kamala gets a few months of camera time as President.  There shouldn't be any quibbles about her using the Biden PAC money in that case.  Now she's actually running as the incumbent, not as a VP trying to ascend to President.

I don't know that Joe could be talked into such a scenario, but isn't this what's actually best for the country, on multiple levels?

 

 

Edited by TexArcher
To be clear: I will vote for Joe Biden against Trump. I would vote for Darth Vader against Trump. But the guy I saw last Thursday night needs to be playing bingo with Saul Goodman right now.
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47 minutes ago, 'stache said:

So we're still ignoring the words that actually came out of their mouths, cool, cool. The worst debate performance of all time was Trump 2020 when he literally wouldn't shut the fuck up and rambled about nonsense, including the size of his own fucking dick. Anyone remember that? Of course not, because bullshit.

Are you ignoring that one side is a cult, so the other side can't just be good, they have to be amazing?

Pretty sure minorities and women have been encountering this dynamic forever.  Welcome to the party, pal.

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18 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

My current best-case: Biden handles the ABC interview fine but acknowledges he’s lost a step, greasing the skids for an honorable departure that doesn’t require him to leave office.

The issue is that the ABC interview isn't live, so no matter how good he looks, we won't know how much editing was done.

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20 minutes ago, Snake Diggity said:

My current best-case: Biden handles the ABC interview fine but acknowledges he’s lost a step, greasing the skids for an honorable departure that doesn’t require him to leave office.  Harris enthusiastically endorses Whitmer and stays on the ticket as VP.  Whitmer attacks Trump relentlessly and destroys him in the Sept debate, Dems recapture all the momentum and win in a landslide.

Large blocks of America's heads would explode if the ticket had two women.

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1 minute ago, Red Five said:

The new candidate will raise an ocean of money. I can’t believe that could be a sticking point.

It's not just "raising money"

An entire campaign infrastructure.  GOTV and field office personnel.  Everyone from the top strategists down to the media people.   You're assuming all of them will just move over to (insert new candidate not named Biden/Harris) and that won't be the case.

Also bundlers, big donors, etc. - some are not going to be happy if the DNC just tells them to shut up and accept Newsom/Whitmer/etc. over Biden/Harris. 

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1 hour ago, 'stache said:

He has been ever since, and yet here we are, still talking solely about the debate. I just don't get it.

What don't you get?  Did you not watch the debate?

1 hour ago, The Hot Dog Buffet said:

It was the worst debate performance there has ever been. I couldn't have even imagined worse. I guess maybe it could have been worse if he would have fallen asleep and a moderator had to walk up and nudge him to get him to answer a question or something.

And it's not just that.  It's that a bunch of us very much feel lied to.

We've all seen the attacks on Biden for the last year.  We argued that they're all bullshit.  And now it turns out that they're not bullshit.  White House staff has been actively concealing Biden's cognitive decline; even now they're out there minimizing it.  They're gaslighting us and telling us that we didn't actually see what we all know we saw.  

And on top of all that, we've now apparently got Hunter fucking Biden in the West Wing essentially acting as regent?

I mean seriously--what on earth could you possibly not get?

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1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

If Biden was to step down and Harris become potus, then the speaker becomes vp right?

No, she would pick a VP that would be confirmed by the Senate.  Speaker would be first in the line of succession until the new VP is confirmed.

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7 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

The issue is that the ABC interview isn't live, so no matter how good he looks, we won't know how much editing was done.

It didn't seem to have hurt dementia Don though, which, for the umpteenth time, would again demonstrate how one-sided media scrutiny provides cover for Trump's own mental unfitness as a candidate for the highest office.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/edits-trump-interview-dr-phil-102339216.html

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13 minutes ago, DixonHur said:

Are you ignoring that one side is a cult, so the other side can't just be good, they have to be amazing?

Pretty sure minorities and women have been encountering this dynamic forever.  Welcome to the party, pal.

That's sort of my point, the replacement has to be perfect, and none of them are. The second they say something nice about trans people or immigrants, they'll get hammered for being "too extreme." Biden has a four year record of success he can campaign on to counter those attacks. Replacements don't. Again, nobody knows for sure, I'm just thoroughly convinced that a replacement would lose as much or more support for any number of reasons than would be gained. The discussion seems to be about "moderates" and "centrists" and I just don't have any confidence that anything from the left will ever please them, all indications are that they are republicans who just don't want to be considered maga. And yes, the second part is my fucking lived experience.

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Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

Thank you for the correction.  And faster than I could google it, probably. 

Carl Albert was twice the next in line for the office of President - when Agnew resigned and before Ford was confirmed (2 months) and again when Ford was elevated to POTUS and before Rockefeller was confirmed (4 months). 

There's your cool trivia for the day.

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4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

It's not just "raising money"

An entire campaign infrastructure.  GOTV and field office personnel.  Everyone from the top strategists down to the media people.   You're assuming all of them will just move over to (insert new candidate not named Biden/Harris) and that won't be the case.

Also bundlers, big donors, etc. - some are not going to be happy if the DNC just tells them to shut up and accept Newsom/Whitmer/etc. over Biden/Harris. 

This all sounds like speculation.

Who do you think is leading the push to replace Biden if not the Big Money folks?

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2 minutes ago, 'stache said:

Yes, I've seen the parts that people are talking about. Have you not seen him speak before or after the debate?

Yeah.  And I'm sorry, but if you serve me a bowl of diarrhea for the soup course, I really don't care how fantastic the appetizer and the entree were.  I'm putting that down as a pretty shitty meal. 

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Just now, Ghost of LL said:

Yeah.  And I'm sorry, but if you serve me a bowl of diarrhea for the soup course, I really don't care how fantastic the appetizer and the entree were.  I'm putting that down as a pretty shitty meal. 

So what democrat replacement would be perfect enough to gain your support? Do you speak for all "moderates" etc?

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1 hour ago, South Austin said:

I missed the part where the current Republican candidate had never before held any elected office -- state or federal -- until winning the presidency in 2016.  And look at G.W., who had only held a state governorship before winning the presidency.  Same with Bill Clinton.

Maybe there are other reasons that Whitmer shouldn't be given the nod in what is currently just a hypothetical scenario.  But lack of a federal office on her resume is not one.

I’m not saying Whitmer wouldn’t be a fine candidate. But it’s not a two horse race. There are plenty of capable possibilities. Newsom would be one too. So would Buttigieg but I don’t think he’d run. What about Warren? Or Booker? Whitmer probably ranks relatively low in terms of national name recognition. The point is that they’re all unproven candidates. There’s no sure thing. Joe Biden is the only candidate who’s proven he can beat Trump.

I see a lot of people suffering from what looks a little like backup QB syndrome where in their mind their preferred candidate is the obvious, logical choice and they seem to think it will be plug-n-play. Their candidate should get the nod and off we go. It’s not that simple. And we’ll be taking a risk with any of them. You even used the term “given the nod.” By whom? How many votes at the convention will it take before they settle on anyone? The superdelegates get involved starting with the second vote. Will they be the nod-givers? Anyone other than Harris and it’s going to be a big mess with weeks of infighting while the media focus on the chaos and ignore Trump’s insanity. Harris is the only candidate for whom the transition would go smoothly.

It’s not an opinion that Kamala Harris holds the highest office of any of the would-be contenders. It’s a fact. She’s literally next in line to the presidency. I’ll ignore Aqua’s Ron DeSantis comparison because it’s not worthy of consideration. Have you noticed the propensity for everyone suggesting other candidates to name white candidates? (Save for Michelle Obama but that’s not a realistic suggestion.) What happens if the sitting, capable VP who happens to be black gets passed over for a white candidate of lesser standing? How will black voters deal with that insult? Talk about taking them for granted. Jim Clyburn has already stated that if Joe drops out then he’ll endorse Kamala. Don’t overlook how problematic it will be if Harris gets the shaft.

If Harris does get passed over and we move to a brokered convention, I’d bet that Gavin Newsom would be the most likely nominee. He seems to be positioning himself. He was quick to show his support for Biden after the debate. He’s flying to DC today to “stand with Biden.” Seems to me he’d be in a good position to pick up the mantle if it comes to that.

Maybe Whitmer would be a good candidate to run as his VP.  😝

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7 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

And on top of all that, we've now apparently got Hunter fucking Biden in the West Wing essentially acting as regent?

 

This is some dramatic hyperbolic fanfic.  Acting as regent - good lord. 

The decision of whether to decline the nomination and/or step down as President is going to a family decision.  Hunter is family.  He's been in the meetings with senior campaign officials and senior WH staff as they work through those decisions, 99.9% alongside Jill and I'm sure Ashley is just as involved.  

But Ashley doesn't get the headlines.

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4 minutes ago, 'stache said:

So what democrat replacement would be perfect enough to gain your support? Do you speak for all "moderates" etc?

Not to put words in his mouth, or any D's mouth, but if you're even remotely a democrat, you're supporting any nominee over fucking Trump. 

I'm in the "Biden needs to step down" camp but I sure as fuck am voting Biden if he doesn't.

Edited by dieucla98
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2 minutes ago, 'stache said:

The second they say something nice about trans people or immigrants

She, like any Dem... including Biden, would have problems with single issue anti-trans voters.

But I think she'd do better on immigration than Biden.

Governor Whitmer’s Actions to Secure the Border

  • Governor Whitmer is the first Michigan governor to send National Guard personnel in support of the southern border mission. 
  • Governor Whitmer approved requests for National Guard support under both Trump and Biden administrations.
  • The Michigan Army National Guard sent 175 personnel of 3-126 Infantry to locations in Fort Bliss, Laredo, and El Paso, Texas from March 2020 to March 2021. 
  • Additionally, 37 members of Michigan’s 1431 Engineer Company have been on the ground in Zapata, Texas, since October 2020.
  • In 2022, Governor Whitmer visited Michigan soldiers on the southern border to receive a briefing on the deployment’s mission.

 

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9 minutes ago, bolverk said:

It didn't seem to have hurt dementia Don though, which, for the umpteenth time, would again demonstrate how one-sided media scrutiny provides cover for Trump's own mental unfitness as a candidate for the highest office.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/edits-trump-interview-dr-phil-102339216.html

See cult statements above.  

If you're even with Trump, you're losing.  I wish it weren't the care, but the sooner we all recognize that fact, the better.

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3 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I’m not saying Whitmer wouldn’t be a fine candidate. But it’s not a two horse race. There are plenty of capable possibilities. Newsom would be one too. So would Buttigieg but I don’t think he’d run. What about Warren? Or Booker? Whitmer probably ranks relatively low in terms of national name recognition. The point is that they’re all unproven candidates. There’s no sure thing. Joe Biden is the only candidate who’s proven he can beat Trump.

I see a lot of people suffering from what looks a little like backup QB syndrome where in their mind their preferred candidate is the obvious, logical choice and they seem to think it will be plug-n-play. Their candidate should get the nod and off we go. It’s not that simple. And we’ll be taking a risk with any of them. You even used the term “given the nod.” By whom? How many votes at the convention will it take before they settle on anyone? The superdelegates get involved starting with the second vote. Will they be the nod-givers? Anyone other than Harris and it’s going to be a big mess with weeks of infighting while the media focus on the chaos and ignore Trump’s insanity. Harris is the only candidate for whom the transition would go smoothly.

It’s not an opinion that Kamala Harris holds the highest office of any of the would-be contenders. It’s a fact. She’s literally next in line to the presidency. I’ll ignore Aqua’s Ron DeSantis comparison because it’s not worthy of consideration. Have you noticed the propensity for everyone suggesting other candidates to name white candidates? (Save for Michelle Obama but that’s not a realistic suggestion.) What happens if the sitting, capable VP who happens to be black gets passed over for a white candidate of lesser standing? How will black voters deal with that insult? Talk about taking them for granted. Jim Clyburn has already stated that if Joe drops out then he’ll endorse Kamala. Don’t overlook how problematic it will be if Harris gets the shaft.

If Harris does get passed over and we move to a brokered convention, I’d bet that Gavin Newsom would be the most likely nominee. He seems to be positioning himself. He was quick to show his support for Biden after the debate. He’s flying to DC today to “stand with Biden.” Seems to me he’d be in a good position to pick up the mantle if it comes to that.

Maybe Whitmer would be a good candidate to run as his VP.  😝

Gavin Newsom is literally eskimo bros with Don Jr. and is Pelosi's cousin or something.

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9 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Wrong.

The new president would appoint her own vice president, who would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

Yeah, Carl Albert didn't just ascend to the VP slot when Agnew resigned.  Even though he was Speaker.  Not how it works.  The line of succession remains in place in case of death/25th/resignation, but the Speaker doesn't just get moved up the ladder to VP.  Plus he was from Oklahoma and a fucking asshole.  

I guess if your party does want Kamala, you install her before election day.  But I still think this is not the right cycle to do something like that.  But Democrats gonna be Democrats.  Maybe Air America will make a comeback and combat the FoxNews/CNN cabal.  

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3 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Gavin Newsom is literally eskimo bros with Don Jr. and is Pelosi's cousin or something.

Newsome would be the worst possible replacement IMO.

The Dems aren't losing California, but he would definitely turn off mid-western voters who have been inundated with negative propaganda telling them that Cali is a shit hole.

That's obviously not reality, but perception beats reality 10 out of 10 times.

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Gavin Newsom is literally eskimo bros with Don Jr. and is Pelosi's cousin or something.

Newsom is just so impressive, in a “Mack Brown’s initial PC at Texas in 1998” way. If you were around then you know what I’m talking about. “Yes! Yes this is exactly what we need!”

No clue how much the whole Californianess of him would damage a campaign.
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12 minutes ago, 'stache said:

So what democrat replacement would be perfect enough to gain your support? Do you speak for all "moderates" etc?

A) I don't think I'm particularly moderate.  And I certainly would never purport to speak for any moderates, much less all of them.

B) Literally any Democrat.  Harris institutionally is best positioned.  Great.  Whitmer is probably the most compelling candidate.  Love that.  Newsom is likely the best debater.  Yippee.  Literally any of them.  You could pull Beto O'Rourke out of political Siberia, and he'd absolutely have my unequivocal support.

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2 minutes ago, Red Five said:


Newsom is just so impressive, in a “Mack Brown’s initial PC at Texas in 1998” way. If you were around then you know what I’m talking about. “Yes! Yes this is exactly what we need!”

No clue how much the whole Californianess of him would damage a campaign.

I think we're better off with someone who has less name recognition that could make a big splash.  Americans love shiny new toys, and I think a "new car smell" would carry someone like Whitmer through November.

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17 minutes ago, 'stache said:

That's sort of my point, the replacement has to be perfect, and none of them are. The second they say something nice about trans people or immigrants, they'll get hammered for being "too extreme." Biden has a four year record of success he can campaign on to counter those attacks. Replacements don't. Again, nobody knows for sure, I'm just thoroughly convinced that a replacement would lose as much or more support for any number of reasons than would be gained. The discussion seems to be about "moderates" and "centrists" and I just don't have any confidence that anything from the left will ever please them, all indications are that they are republicans who just don't want to be considered maga. And yes, the second part is my fucking lived experience.

This is our most desperate hour. Help us, Swift/Kelce ticket. You're our only hope.

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6 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

A) I don't think I'm particularly moderate.  And I certainly would never purport to speak for any moderates, much less all of them.

B) Literally any Democrat.  Harris institutionally is best positioned.  Great.  Whitmer is probably the most compelling candidate.  Love that.  Newsom is likely the best debater.  Yippee.  Literally any of them.  You could pull Beto O'Rourke out of political Siberia, and he'd absolutely have my unequivocal support.

C) No one over 65 unless it's Warren Buffett.

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29 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I’m not saying Whitmer wouldn’t be a fine candidate. But it’s not a two horse race. There are plenty of capable possibilities. Newsom would be one too. So would Buttigieg but I don’t think he’d run. What about Warren? Or Booker? Whitmer probably ranks relatively low in terms of national name recognition. The point is that they’re all unproven candidates. There’s no sure thing. Joe Biden is the only candidate who’s proven he can beat Trump.

I see a lot of people suffering from what looks a little like backup QB syndrome where in their mind their preferred candidate is the obvious, logical choice and they seem to think it will be plug-n-play. Their candidate should get the nod and off we go. It’s not that simple. And we’ll be taking a risk with any of them. You even used the term “given the nod.” By whom? How many votes at the convention will it take before they settle on anyone? The superdelegates get involved starting with the second vote. Will they be the nod-givers? Anyone other than Harris and it’s going to be a big mess with weeks of infighting while the media focus on the chaos and ignore Trump’s insanity. Harris is the only candidate for whom the transition would go smoothly.

It’s not an opinion that Kamala Harris holds the highest office of any of the would-be contenders. It’s a fact. She’s literally next in line to the presidency. I’ll ignore Aqua’s Ron DeSantis comparison because it’s not worthy of consideration. Have you noticed the propensity for everyone suggesting other candidates to name white candidates? (Save for Michelle Obama but that’s not a realistic suggestion.) What happens if the sitting, capable VP who happens to be black gets passed over for a white candidate of lesser standing? How will black voters deal with that insult? Talk about taking them for granted. Jim Clyburn has already stated that if Joe drops out then he’ll endorse Kamala. Don’t overlook how problematic it will be if Harris gets the shaft.

If Harris does get passed over and we move to a brokered convention, I’d bet that Gavin Newsom would be the most likely nominee. He seems to be positioning himself. He was quick to show his support for Biden after the debate. He’s flying to DC today to “stand with Biden.” Seems to me he’d be in a good position to pick up the mantle if it comes to that.

Maybe Whitmer would be a good candidate to run as his VP.  😝

Whitmer has name recognition in the region that actually elects the president. She would have to completely shit the bed to lose Michigan and she probably has better odds in Pennsylvania than anyone else.

Edited by The Hot Dog Buffet
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I think putting Newsome, Whitmer, or Pete up there would open undecided eyes to the fact that there are folks out there that are reasonable and not pieces of shit like Trump.  No one is a perfect candidate but any of the above would be respectful and rational enough to garner middle votes solely on the fact that they are reasonable people.

 

 

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36 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Wrong.

The new president would appoint her own vice president, who would have to be confirmed by the Senate.

The new VP has to be confirmed by both houses of Congress. The GOP house simply won’t confirm a replacement and the threats to Harris’s life will increase exponentially.

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1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

I guarantee my "centrist" buddy who has been blaming Dems for the past 3 years about running Biden will find fault in whoever replaces him.  It's insanity.  People are so afraid of the dotard that they go against anyone the Dems will nominate so they can have an out if dotard wins.  "Well I knew all along they picked the wrong person!!!11!!"

If Biden drops out, we’re going to find out that a lot of people were lying through their teeth when they said it was his age that was keeping them from voting against Trump. I don’t know about your friend but for most I don’t think it’s because they were afraid of Trump. Quite the contrary. I think deep down they like him. They’re just afraid to admit it. 

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2 minutes ago, TexArcher said:

I just had a vision...

Biden resigns on the 4th of July and gives a tear-jerking, noble, and patriotic speech.

Kamala is inaugurated as President immediately after that, and she gives a powerful and inspirational speech.

Kamala challenges Trump to honor the other scheduled debate.  He backs down like the coward that he is.

Kamala is put in front of cameras 714 times over the next 4 months and pulls away in the polls, as Trump's thinly-veiled racist jabs work against him.

Kamala wins comfortably in Nov.

Trump is convicted in his other trials and sentenced to prison.

Internet Gravy Seals talk about busting Trump out, but otherwise don't do much.

Trump is shanked to death in the shower by a guy named Marquintus whose grandfather was denied housing by Trump in the 1970s.

jerk off tv land GIF by #Impastor

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