I still think it's a bad idea. He has been a very successful President. The economy is booming and crime is down. Most importantly, he ain't Trump. And yet for all that good news, he looked bad one night and everybody (and all of them allies) have leaked news pieces about how senior leadership wants Biden to quit. I don't know why that story was the one where I thought, "My God, he's actually going to do it," but my mood has changed since I saw that headline.
It continues to amaze me how many liberal writers and talking heads whose opinions I had trusted have basically gone over to The Dark Side and are openly demanding Biden step down. Just yesterday at work, Thom Hartmann, who I think is a very cerebral guy, was not only confident Biden was quitting but spoke about this impending move with such confidence and glee. And then he had the audacity, the balls, to say, "It's best for Joe Biden. I don't think anyone wants to see his legacy tarnished like that." What, the Dow Jones at a record high, the country's reputation restored around the world, jobs aplenty and the most progressive agenda this country has seen since The New Deal -- that legacy? He had one bad night, and he has looked sharp and even feisty ever since. And no, a bout with COVID doesn't change a damn thing. The concern trolling by Hartmann was so startling in its juvenalia. I don't think I can listen to this guy until Biden actually quits or after the election is over.
I am still holding out hope that these stories, sourced by anonymous people, is bullshit. Some people I'm trusting on Twitter/X believe that to be so, and the steady drumbeat of Biden-hating has not persuaded him to quit, thank Buddha. And yet I still marvel at the near universality of news sources and people in the entertainment industry (and I can't believe that either) who, in my humble opinion, have turned on Biden. I wonder why, and the only thing I can think of is evidenced by the surprising fact that the progressive wing of the Democratic party is backing Biden to the hilt. He came in as the moderate, but his legislative victories have helped millions of people that are middle- and low-income. Somehow, this centrist has become a leftist. And it looks like the moneyed class, the donor class that somehow pays Democrats, don't like it. And they're the ones pulling the strings, telling Democratic leadership Biden goes or no other Democrat gets money, or telling their reporters to run hit pieces on Biden and the "worries" over his old age.
I keep falling back on a mantra -- Biden is still with it, Biden has been enormously successful, Biden kicked Trump's ass once and he can do it again, etc. Also, we don't vote just for a man but for an administration. There is no need to rush this; let's get Biden elected and then go from there -- if we have to. Furthermore, there are so many obstacles the party has to overcome in order to switch candidates midstream like this, some aspects of which are unprecedented. I believe there are two or three swing states that won't even allow a different candidate on the ballot besides Biden at this point in time. And this will provide so many entry points for Republicans to gum up the works and inject themselves into our side of the selection process, and that would be a fuck-up that we brought on ourselves.
And there is one final point. I believe that this coup attempt (and let's face it, that's what this is) is being spearheaded by rich donors who would thrive regardless of who is president. The fact not enough people are heeding is that there was a chance to get Biden out of the race. It was primary season. I have to apologize to Dean Phillips, one of my state's representatives. He may have been lonely leaning against the back of a rented pick-up truck waiting for someone to take his donuts earlier this year, but he was the one complaining about how Biden was old when he was supposed to challenge Biden. Yeah, we all ridiculed and mocked him. But it turns out he was the one who obeyed the process. Everyone now thinks we can just name a new nominee when 12 million votes for Joe Biden have been cast. No one can be certain that all 12 million will just be happy voting for some other person. And no Democrat should take for granted that they would vote for the replacement just because fascism lies on the other side. It's a fucking heavy thing to take away your vote then say, "I know what's good for you." I think many Black voters voted for Biden in the primary. If they all just get cancelled, this will be another case where minority voting interests are haphazardly punted to the side because some White dude wants something. I can totally see them getting so pissed off that they won't vote for the replacement. Why the fuck would they? They had their opinions and they were summarily rejected.
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I went to exercise in the evening. There were no sports on besides the NBA Summer League. (Aside: The WNBA should have all their teams playing Games during the All-Star break. Now, the league did have Games Tuesday night [the night of the All-Star Game] and Wednesday, but there should be Games all four Days there isn't any regular MLB action. And yes, I'm aware that the WNBA's Olympic break is coming up and that may be a reason why Games weren't held Monday and yesterday/Thursday.) I dipped into political coverage gingerly, partly because The Republican National Convention was on and partly because I didn't want to get more depressed by seeing more anti-Biden news. But I saw some better news instead. The co-Chair of the Biden campaign went on MSNBC and insisted, again, he is not quitting. Also, there are some other polls that show Biden remaining tied and sometimes even leading Trump, thereby blunting other polls that show Biden behind. I still cannot and will not believe Biden can't beat Trump, and that all the zeitgeist saying Biden can't be Trump is fed by oligarchs and The Media (who, I have to tell you, has been extremely disappointing. I used to use #IStandWithTheMedia when I tweet. I can't fucking do that anymore). By the way, people continue to creak open the door of possibility of him stepping down, but only if it is "his decision." Well, a lot of people are trying to convince him to make the decision to leave, and fuckin' A, that's just fucking coercion, so IMHO, that ain't exactly "his decision."
Add to all that Trump's acceptance speech last night. He was talking about Hannibal Lecter? He hugged and kissed the fireman's hat and coat of the guy who died in the assassination attempt on his life like he was saying, "Thanks for taking that bullet for me." (And you know that is what that motherfucker was thinking.) And Biden has to quit??? Fuck that. Seriously, fuck that. Hey, if Biden says he's still in after the weekend is over, that Axios piece was bullshit, and I won't trust The Media ever again. The key to the election really isn't "Vote blue no matter who." It's "Ridin' with Biden" because that is who people who cared enough to vote when they were supposed to vote voted for. And goddammit, cut out this divisive backstabbing!!!
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