*harpsichord plays measured chords* They Say...

[tielan]

Once more unto American politics; you're not obligated to read.

At this point, I'm glad Biden is getting out. For his sake, not for the country's. He's done good things, he's done bad things. What's that line from Washington's retirement? Something to the effect of "mindful of my faults and bad decisions, I hope that it will be lessened by the things I have done for the benefit of this country". Not the most inspiring president, perhaps, and not equal to the task which the modern world demanded of him, but a man who did his best for his country. And I respect that.

It won't make things better in Gaza. Sorry to disappoint the GenZs but it won't. I know, purity tests and cancel culture mean that Someone Who Gave The Bombs, That's Exactly The Same As Pushing The Button To Drop Them. There's no grey in that mindset - which is what one expects of the young.

Younger generations have always wanted instant change. It's just that they could never get the numbers moving to implement that change, in part because they couldn't get connected enough to organise. That is beginning to change, but is it fast enough?

Unless everyone who is anti-Trump gets behind the resultant Democratic nominee, it's going to be a shitshow.

There's a reason purity tests/cancel culture is such a big thing in social media. In America, too, driven by the societal need to see themselves as pure and bright and noble in intent (and, for the younger ones, also in action).

Personally, I hope Harris gets the nomination, even if she turns off the "wild Greenies" who were never going to vote for anything 'middle of the road'. (It always seems to be white men and women who are the Greens supporters. Can't imagine why.)

And so many people voting 'Greens' do not understand how their system works, even after 2016. A lot of them probably don't care, or think it should be different (it should, but it's not), or think that if enough of them choose their own nominee (they can't seem to decide if it's Stein or Marianne Whatshername) then that'll do the job. Don't even get me started on RFK.

Project 2025 is being steadily de-fanged by the "fact checkers" of the Dispatch. The majority of people don't know about it, and far too many who do know of it, either don't care or don't think it will touch them.

I do seriously think that Joe Biden was the best option for the Democratic party, up until the point where the media started in on him. My thought was that if he resigned on the spot, making Harris President, and she ran for "re-"election, that would give her 'incumbency advantage' and 'name recognition'. The only other option at this stage - and it is a vanishingly narrow option at this point - is for Harris to sweep the Democratic nomination, everyone to get behind her, and focus on defeating Trump and everything that comes with him.

I am reminded of that line early on in the Biblical book of Judges, however: "In those days, Israel had no leader and everyone did as he saw fit."

280 million people who hold the whole world in their hands, who cannot tell their Left hand from their Right, nearly half of whom do not vote. (Some large portion of whom are kept from voting; yes, I know.) Policy and projects are boring compared with a leader who makes exciting speeches and rouses nationalism and pride in the human heart.

I don't need to tell you guys to vote, to vote down the ballot paper, to vote out the thing that you don't want. I'm not worried about you; I'm worried for you.

FTR, my 'news' sources are:

the ones I go to for level-headed, largely factual, serious summary

Tok:
- Under The Desk News
- Politics Girl

YT:
- Beau of the 5th Column

Instagram:
- Sharon Says So (Sharon McMahon)

Web:
- the Guardian, although I haven't really looked at it in a while

Email:
- Heather Cox Richardson

They're all what I would probably call "left-ish" sources, although the adage 'reality leans left' also applies in this case.

Comments

[kass]

The Washington quote seems right on to me. (Also I am amused by all of the Hamilton references I'm seeing around today.)

I am cautiously optimistic that most of us who are anti-Trump will get behind the nominee. We've seen a fairly staggering number of endorsements today, in the 6 hours since the world turned upside-down (again). And it is strange and unfamiliar to feel hope -- at the thought of a woman and a person of color in the White House. She won't be perfect; she'll do plenty that I don't like. But I can work with that; I can live with that. The other option... terrifies me.

[tielan]

The big question is the millions and millions who aren't online, who aren't following the punditry, who Just Want It All To Stop, Maybe If I Ignore It It Will Go Away.

*sigh*

Leaders are not perfect. At best they start off shiny and new and tarnish steadily along the way. Some are a little scuffed and scuff further over time.

And then there's "the other option" who seems to have gathered a whole lot of people who are tired of the world and just want to roll around in their id, never mind the consequences or any care for others.

[kore]

"Unless everyone who is anti-Trump gets behind the resultant Democratic nominee, it's going to be a shitshow."

SO TRUE.

Idk....I don't think Biden would have flat out resigned, period. And I think that also means no second term for Harris.

But the convention has the potential to be a total racist sexist awful shitshow. God damn the tech bros. And the old white male donors.

But I feel...hopeful! And more energized.

My total uninformed guess is that Biden is really sick. Not mortally ill, but he already was flagging, and he's smack in the demographic with the worst outcomes (so was Trump, but fuck, he made a deal with the Devil or sone damn thing).

I'm already getting fed up with the doomerism and ill concealed misigynoir and that's on the LEFT. The media is just acting horribly. The NYT is now worthless. I may cancel my fucking $5 a month cooking subscription. LOWERING THE BOOM!

[tielan]

Oh, Biden wouldn't have. But that seemed to me to be the best option. And if he'd resigned right here and now, she could have run for 2 more terms. A VP can serve out up to 2 years of someone else's presidential term, and still run for two more terms. It's never happened since there's been term limits, or so I understand.

*hugs*

There's definitely good energy around this among my online groups.

My take is that a large part of the reason B didn't announce a single term before was: a) the traditional odds of incumbent vs challenger, b) Dumpf hadn't been convicted then, c) P2025 hadn't been let loose. With only the traditional odds, B was the candidate with the best chances. Once b) and c) came out, then the odds shifted.

Will the new odds favour the Dems? At this point, I suspect it all depends on i) the Dems, ii) the media, iii) whether the ordinary people wo are pro-democracy actually have those conversations, not with the extremists, but with other ordinary people who might not normally vote in important voting blocks.

[kore]

"A VP can serve out up to 2 years of someone else's presidential term, and still run for two more terms. It's never happened since there's been term limits, or so I understand."

I didn't know that! Hmmm

"Will the new odds favour the Dems? At this point, I suspect it all depends on i) the Dems, ii) the media, iii) whether the ordinary people wo are pro-democracy actually have those conversations, not with the extremists, but with other ordinary people who might not normally vote in important voting blocks."

I think that's absolutely right. It's going to depend on Dems unifying AHAHAHA //sob And a lot of hard fucking work.

[gingicat]

Yeah, I also think COVID must be hitting Biden harder than he's letting on.