I have been reading the comments to my posts over the last few days – there are hundreds of them – and I detect if not a panic, at least some extremely heightened concern about this election and what its outcome will be. Readers have swung from bleak if not black depression to what amounts to an unshakeable faith in the Democratic Party and Democrats turning out to vote in November.
Joe in Motor City this evening was on fire. It’s true the white elites are an abandoning him. The glorious people of color are the back bone of his Presidency. I’ve never changed my mind, it’s always been and will always be Joe.
Lucian, your wisdom and enlightenment are always a welcome in my heart and soul.
I watched that rally (MSNBC ran it from start to finish) and I felt like cheering. Joy Ann Reid commented that this is how he always is with people and that agreeing to have a debate in an empty space was a mistake. The Motown crowd adored him and kept interrupting him with chants and cheers and calls of "we love you!"
IMO Joy Reid is wrong. If they had had an audience at that debate it would actually have been worse. With probably half being pedophile lovers Biden would not have been hearing a lot of friendly voices and they even might have laughed at him. He would have even been more distracted and might have tried to answer questions shouted from the mob. Thank God nobody was out there.
You know, I had some misgivings myself. I remember another "debate" when the audience was stacked in favor of the other guy. As I recall, that was the one where he attended with covid and his family members refused to wear masks.
Greg Sargent said the Marist Poll indicates that voters are more put off by constant lying than by worries regarding aging. Lord, please let that be true🙏💙🙏💙🙏
They were also way off in predicting the French election, overestimating the far right’s chances and completely missing the strength of the left. I bet they have the same problems with polling there — missing young voters input.
It's true that the polls were way off in the French election, but a good part of that was due to a couple of significant factors. In the last week of second-round campaigning the left and center-right parties came together to block the far right which was achieved by 220 of their candidates putting country over party and pulling out of the race to avoid splitting the vote. The pollsters didn't have much time to take this into account; had it not happened the far right could well have gained a majority.
The other thing the pollsters miscalculated was a remarkable turnout. In spite of it being full summer vacation season (and French people take their vacations very seriously!) 68% of eligible voters turned up, compared to only 47% in the last legislative elections in 2022. Proxy voting (which allows you to deputize someone else to cast your vote) was up by 300%.
While pulling candidates isn't an option for November, turnout is, and THAT is what will decide America's future. All the hand-wringing about Biden's age and performance won't matter as long as enough people of good conscience show up to vote.
Jul 13·edited Jul 13Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
I agree. Polls, Schmolls! No one I know is answering any polling questionnaire online or over the phone because that is just unsafe behavior, putting one at risk of being scammed, or having your identity or something else stollen. Jay Kuo also points out that these polls include a lot of people who don't actually vote, but just want to be heard. Well, I would rather have polls of people who are going to vote. The last poll I know of was in March (when I voted), and before that in 2022 (when I voted). As far as I could see, bland, boring Biden did really well, as did the topic in 2022 of abortion. As far as I can see, now that the press is actually reporting on Project 2025 aka Agenda 47 only a week before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, we are going to see people sitting up and deciding they need to get out to vote. Abortion and birth control and any kind of autonomy for women are on the line. Social security and medicare are on the line. Your income and your taxes are on the line, unless you are a 1%. However, with one person, one vote, one percent is not enough. I cannot speak for why the White Christian Nationalists vote, or the New Apostolic Order vote, although I know that Trump is catering his whole platform to their desires. So, what percentage of the population are they? I have started reading Project 2025. The Dept of Education section makes clear that their goals are to destroy it, to destroy educational research, to destroy public education, in favor of funding home schoolers and charter schools. Of course, traditionally even home schoolers, charter schoolers and elite private schools have had to turn to the Public schools for special education evaluations, resources and supports, which will not longer exist. From what I read I can see the plans if carried out, teacher training will be White Christian nationalist in scope. Science education will be evolution and non-existent, along with scientific and medical research. And most people will not be able to fund their college education except with private loans from Trumps' grifter friends in banking and other places (perhaps Putin and Saudi Arabia will offer loans in exchange for spying or who knows what). If they
don't pay the loans they will be in trouble. Will they end up in prison (slave labor), deported (anyone claimed to be immigrant) or in the military? China will look like a bastion of liberalness compared to us, after a Trump admin gets through making the listed changes.
On Trump's website is his Agenda 47. That is what he claims he stands for. However, it leaves much out that he stands for which he does not think is playing well with American majority like ending abortion.
I think that all the media coverage will get more people to pay attention to Biden’s public appearances. If they are anything like tonight’s speech the media will look like they are just biased against him.
I am not exactly sure why everyone thinks he looks so good in the interviews and speeches that are not prompted for him. Don't get me wrong I like Biden I think he is a great man, but I am worried about him.
An alternative you might consider, Ransom, is to stream MSNBC audio. If you hear something happening that's more visual than the usual talking heads, turn on your tv. I keep audio on all the time in a browser of its own—and Monk or Mozart on radio. Just devote a tab to https://tunein.com/embed/player/s297990/ I've used other carriers, but tunein is the most reliable albeit the most crazy-making: The braindead commercials are tuneiin's, not MSNBC's.
I can’t do commercials and I used to make a nice living making them, I stream using YouTube TV and time shift everything, if I want to watch a commercial I can, but I don’t have too. You can tell it what you want it to grab and watch it whenever you want, I think for the next 9 months, it’s all on the cloud. Biden’s rally in Detroit, where I was born, was masterful and full of energy, you could see that he was really enjoying himself, if anyone thinks that he doesn’t have the stamina to defeat the insipid lying bastard, they need to watch it. The gloves are off and it’s about time. 💥
A long lifetime of radio listening has made me way too lazy to fool around with routine time-shifting; thus I hardly ever hear a podcast either. But tunein's house ads are rampant and maddening. If they break into my train of thought I just have to lunge for the volume button. Yeah, I heard the excitement in the air in Detroit. I question how long he can keep it up, but today was memorable.
Thank you Lucian. I am an incurable optimist, so rather than an election bump, I am hoping for the Republican cult to have an election slump — for voters to turn against them en masse as they try to lie and wriggle their way out of being what they are about. I am eternally optimistic, which I guess is what makes me a born, bred, raised and forever die-hard Democrat.
Here's a good reason for optimism, our opponent is Donald Trump, a lazy, ignorant moron and one of the worst candidates in world history. He is so bad that even though Biden's approval is at historic lows he was still 2 points ahead of that idiot in a national poll that came out today.
Post debate, in conversations with friends and family, the consensus was bleak, we're screwed, it's over. But over the last few days we've been picking our heads up too.
One thing we've gotten comfortable with: if Joe doesn't run, we'd be happy to support Kamala. In fact, running against her might give the Trump team fits. A woman, part black, part Asian, with a Jewish husband, she's everything white supremacists hate all in one package. I recall from Senate hearings, she can have a sharp, biting tongue, sure to get under Trump's skin and get him to lose his shit. And we have the French example in front of us, to show that if anti-fascists band together, we can keep them out of power. So yeah...it's not over...bring it on.
Anyone who saw Joe Biden in Michigan today knows in her heart that Trump has no chance. Joe was electric ! He checked all the boxes for an hour on his feet. He made fun of Trump, called him a rapist, fraud, felon and bankrupt. He tore into Project 2025 and pinned on Trump.
It’s over folks ! There are people in the US who support Trump for many reasons, but not enough to win. We recognize who and what he is. Back Biden, dump trump
I agree with you. He also called him a loser and ticked off several failures including the bankruptcy of his casino, joking "I didn't know that was even possible. Doesn't the house always win?"
He was his old self again in addition to the NATO news conference, which was amazing, minus the Joe gaffes on those names - but of course thats what the WAPO and NYT led with!
I agree with the “stasis”.I am adamant in my loyalty to the Democratic candidate and am hoping that it is Biden.I heard a CNN commentator earlier today saying that keeping Biden would be a “ disaster “.The only disaster that I see is a Trump presidency.Full stop.
Yeah!! Where do they get that crap. Where do they get off deciding anything - it's we the voters who have already decided. And Kamala Harris is already baked in to the equation so we get two for one!
CNN needs to stop taking itself so seriously--geez, what, do they think they are "kingmakers"? Under the rightie-leaning management and ownership, they have lost me as a viewer.
Just finished watching Biden’s very strong, energetic Detroit speech. The crowd was very excited, waving their “Motown is Joetown” signs.
There was also an interesting discussion with Michael Steele on Ari Melber. Steel, who has run a lot of campaigns as well as the RNC, talked about the risks and difficulties of replacing a presidential candidate at this stage of the game. He was realistic but positive about Biden’s chances if Dems pull together and get to work
Well, it's the big donor "elites" who are causing some concern now. Too bad that they can't simply get out of their fancy limos and walk and talk amongst those of us who are die-hard supporters of Joe and Kamala. They just might come away with a different pov.
Agreed! Like you said at the end of your piece: “we have to work hard and get out the vote to win in November with Biden or with Kamala Harris or with anyone else, as long as they have a “D” next to their name.” The “ship of (dangerous) fools” has to be driven off course.
Apparently, Joe's campaign rally in Detroit today was terrific. He spoke for an hour, the crowd was welcoming, enthusiastic and, by some accounts, raucous. Dancing in the street...
Here’s the difference. Democrats can have open and honest conversation about issues and leadership without threat of retribution. If Republicans are critical of Trump or anything he says, Vinnie Bagodonuts will issue death threats to you and your family.
I'll trade you an "Oy gutinu" for your "tsouris." (Always fun, btw, when a man with four sticks after his name throws in a Yiddishism.) After much internal warfare, here's where I am: If Joe won't hand over the reins, I will vote for him with the knowledge that, assuming he wins, there'll come a time when even Jill and Hunter can't pretend he's functional, so then we get a President Harris. Would that be so
bad? She's a Democrat (with a very smart husband), a former prosecutor, and a Senator. Just for the record, a "Raw Story" hed tells the whole story. "A tale of two brains: Experts agree Trump's brain is dementing as Biden's ages normally."
"...I will vote for him with the knowledge that, assuming he wins, there'll come a time when even Jill and Hunter can't pretend he's functional, so then we get a President Harris. Would that be so bad?"
This is called damning with faint praise. This has been floating around since late June:
"I'm sorry, you're not getting a pony, no one is getting a pony. Your choices are a proven older work horse or a loud squealing pig." Those are your choices.
I don't want to say your response smacks of ageism....but your comment about Dr Biden and Hunter? It is agism pure and simple.
Jul 13·edited Jul 13Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
I can't let this go: "your comment about Dr Biden and Hunter? It is ageism pure and simple." It is nothing of the kind. My reference to Jill and Hunter has to do with their supporting his not withdrawing, aka hanging on. There is no ageism in their wishes or my remark.
If the President were 60, or let's say, 74, would you make the same remark?
"Hanging on"? He is the president of the United States. He has the right and in this case, the duty to run for another term given the alternative. He will be ranked in the top 5 this country has ever had. You call it "hanging on"?
Agreed, he's been a wonderful potus. The reality is that his faculties are failing, as is true of many or most 82 year old people. I promise you if he wins, he will not be cognitively able to duplicate his previous four year. This is not an ageist supposition, it is a medical reality.
Gee, every president may be reelected once more to the presidency. Where does that come from? The Constitution. That's why he has the "right," he is president now, he gets one more at bat. Again, it's written in the Constitution. Duh.
I beg your pardon. I thought you were trying to suggest that he had the right to be the candidate. He has the right to /attempt/ to be the candidate for another term, which is why we're having this discussion nationally. He doesn't have /any/ right to the candidacy.
Digressing slightly: all this talk about having a deep bench is contrary to my own observation. If we had a deep bench, we'd be struggling to winnow the field down to the one best candidate. Instead, the national discussion is over who could we possibly find who isn't as old as President Biden and could beat Trump. And we're coming up empty-handed.
President Biden hasn't said it as directly, but he definitely /sounds/ as if he's going to run unless he is /proven/ to be unable to win the office. And his "proof" that he can do it is that four years ago, he did it. He's already admitted that he can no longer run the hundred in ten flat -- how is that different from no longer being of an age at which he can conduct a lengthy, vigorous campaign and reach the winner's circle? "Past performance is not indicative of future results," as the legally-mandated saying goes.
That would work, my only fear is that if it happened Trump would be out there claiming "fraud" and "election interference" and try to have his cronies on the SCT overturn the entire election.
I can believe itt. The reference I saw was about attacking Kamala now for withholding information about Joe's condition and thereby causing election fraud or interference. It sounds pretty far-fetched to me but then whoever thought this SCt would elevate Trump to a King out of thin air.
Jul 13·edited Jul 13Liked by Lucian K. Truscott IV
I see this past 2 weeks as a challenge that has energized Biden, to such an extent that I am now not only wanting him to stay in the race but also thinking that he will end up winning solidly. People have always underestimated him. His command of the issues, of governance itself and of the political game places him in a really enviable position. He is the incumbant, he is the honest one and he is the underdog. America loves an underdog. The real issue today to me is how all these naysayers are going to recover from being so incessantly vehement but downright cruel toward this wonderful man and one of the very greatest Presidents. They are going to have to eat a lot of crow but their delight at Trump finally being called out for who he is is the frosting on the cake. And who doesn't love frosting.
Excellent point. Leave it to our elite media to turn a fantastically successful incumbent president running for reelection into an underdog. And you’re right; America really does love an underdog.
The white elites are really troubled. They have no where to go. Biden won’t pander to the NYT and refused to give them an exclusive interview. Oh my! The NYT has no input to the. Biden campaign. What a shame! First sign of weakness the NYT and its sycophants run for the hills demanding that Joe leave the field to an as yet unidentified successor who will be chosen after the choice of 14 million Democrats is pressured to quit. But there’s no quit in Joe. The only quitters are the NYT and its followers.
Funny, I think of the enemy as trump, not the nyTimes. The "elites" Biden was addressing are the moneybags who—seeing a candidate severely diminished—are bailing by the billion$. Do they believe in miraculous recoveries? That may depend on the returns on investment they were getting.
Biden doesn't do well in interviews. He does okay when using a teleprompter. His refusing to do the NYT interview should raise alarm bells, not promote fist pumping.
The NYT is mainly responsible for the defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016. A phony email story was run on the front page, right hand column over and over again. They knew it was BS and that she would never be prosecuted. Nevertheless they persisted. Now, after a terrible debate performance the NYT jumped all over Biden’s age issue even tho he had won the primaries 87% to 13%. Even tho the age issue was an issue in the primaries. And even tho they had yet to call Trump, unfit tho he was a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, business fraud and a serial liar. In a few days Biden went from fit to unfit? Sorry, it’s the MSM that prefers a controversy over policy. There’s no money in discussing policy differences but a whole lot of it presenting a reality show. Luckily 24 million people watched Biden perform at the NATO meeting and press conference. Polls are about the same and Biden laid waste to both Trump and Trump’s Project 2025 in front of enthusiastic union backers in Detroit for over an hour on his feet. He showed he can campaign as well as ever. If we can’t help him defeat the MAGA enemy then we should move to CANADA or Mexico.
Biden can campaign, to some degree, but he can't do an interview, because he lacks the brain power. He has Parkinsons.
His policy on Gaza has been atrocious, as well. The fact that he has campaigned on his Gaza "peace plan," as a success, while sending Israel 500 lb bombs, will sink him in Michigan, and among those under 35 who are strong advocates for peace.
But Hillary, But Trump, won't win elections. Democrats have to find a truly pro peace candidate who isn't demented, in order to win.
It’s been published every weekday by two professors since 2004 and it has the sharpest political analysis around, in my opinion.
They post a daily tally of what the electoral vote would be based on the latest polls, and they are very careful only to include polls that they believe are legitimate and accurate.
There are no ads and they don’t even use their real names — so they’re not trying to draw attention to themselves — although it doesn’t take much research to figure out who they really are.
One is a computer scientist/statistician based in the Netherlands, and the other is a history professor at UCLA.
What I would emphasize to any politically engaged person is this: it may be fun to announce to the world what your opinion is and what’s shaping it, but you are only one person. The election will be decided by a few hundred thousand people in about six swing states. They are the only votes that matter. The rest are entirely predictable: there is the cult Trump base, the vast majority of whom will not be dissuaded from their obscene and absurd worship of this vile specimen of humanity.
And, there is the Democratic base, and there are a number of states that can be predicted with absolute reliability to vote for the Democratic candidate.
The current electoral vote tally based on the latest reliable polls show Trump with 305, and Biden with 233 — of course 270 are needed to win.
And so, at least 37 of those electoral votes need to be swung into the Biden and/ or Democratic candidate’s favor.
Readers of this Substack are almost certainly 100% united in despising Trump and believing that if he is elected, it will be the end of democracy and the beginning of a 21st century fascist state in the most heavily armed country in the world.
Let’s try to keep cool heads and keep our eye on real data as we all do what we can to avoid that nightmarish dystopia.
Thank you. Facts don't care about feelings. It's all about the swing states. People who are dedicated blue or red, won't change, no matter what. But a different name on the ballot could persuade some of the undecided.
Joe in Motor City this evening was on fire. It’s true the white elites are an abandoning him. The glorious people of color are the back bone of his Presidency. I’ve never changed my mind, it’s always been and will always be Joe.
Lucian, your wisdom and enlightenment are always a welcome in my heart and soul.
I watched that rally (MSNBC ran it from start to finish) and I felt like cheering. Joy Ann Reid commented that this is how he always is with people and that agreeing to have a debate in an empty space was a mistake. The Motown crowd adored him and kept interrupting him with chants and cheers and calls of "we love you!"
Motown is Joetown! Great MoJo!
IMO Joy Reid is wrong. If they had had an audience at that debate it would actually have been worse. With probably half being pedophile lovers Biden would not have been hearing a lot of friendly voices and they even might have laughed at him. He would have even been more distracted and might have tried to answer questions shouted from the mob. Thank God nobody was out there.
If there had been an audience, Joe would have been speaking to them. For sure.
Nonsense...Pedo foolishness disqualifies you immediately.
You know, I had some misgivings myself. I remember another "debate" when the audience was stacked in favor of the other guy. As I recall, that was the one where he attended with covid and his family members refused to wear masks.
Greg Sargent said the Marist Poll indicates that voters are more put off by constant lying than by worries regarding aging. Lord, please let that be true🙏💙🙏💙🙏
Also, polls don't vote, people do. The polls have been abysmally wrong for the last 8 years.
They were also way off in predicting the French election, overestimating the far right’s chances and completely missing the strength of the left. I bet they have the same problems with polling there — missing young voters input.
It's true that the polls were way off in the French election, but a good part of that was due to a couple of significant factors. In the last week of second-round campaigning the left and center-right parties came together to block the far right which was achieved by 220 of their candidates putting country over party and pulling out of the race to avoid splitting the vote. The pollsters didn't have much time to take this into account; had it not happened the far right could well have gained a majority.
The other thing the pollsters miscalculated was a remarkable turnout. In spite of it being full summer vacation season (and French people take their vacations very seriously!) 68% of eligible voters turned up, compared to only 47% in the last legislative elections in 2022. Proxy voting (which allows you to deputize someone else to cast your vote) was up by 300%.
While pulling candidates isn't an option for November, turnout is, and THAT is what will decide America's future. All the hand-wringing about Biden's age and performance won't matter as long as enough people of good conscience show up to vote.
So true. I hope everyone understands what is at stake and turnout is enormous for the good guys!
I agree. Polls, Schmolls! No one I know is answering any polling questionnaire online or over the phone because that is just unsafe behavior, putting one at risk of being scammed, or having your identity or something else stollen. Jay Kuo also points out that these polls include a lot of people who don't actually vote, but just want to be heard. Well, I would rather have polls of people who are going to vote. The last poll I know of was in March (when I voted), and before that in 2022 (when I voted). As far as I could see, bland, boring Biden did really well, as did the topic in 2022 of abortion. As far as I can see, now that the press is actually reporting on Project 2025 aka Agenda 47 only a week before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, we are going to see people sitting up and deciding they need to get out to vote. Abortion and birth control and any kind of autonomy for women are on the line. Social security and medicare are on the line. Your income and your taxes are on the line, unless you are a 1%. However, with one person, one vote, one percent is not enough. I cannot speak for why the White Christian Nationalists vote, or the New Apostolic Order vote, although I know that Trump is catering his whole platform to their desires. So, what percentage of the population are they? I have started reading Project 2025. The Dept of Education section makes clear that their goals are to destroy it, to destroy educational research, to destroy public education, in favor of funding home schoolers and charter schools. Of course, traditionally even home schoolers, charter schoolers and elite private schools have had to turn to the Public schools for special education evaluations, resources and supports, which will not longer exist. From what I read I can see the plans if carried out, teacher training will be White Christian nationalist in scope. Science education will be evolution and non-existent, along with scientific and medical research. And most people will not be able to fund their college education except with private loans from Trumps' grifter friends in banking and other places (perhaps Putin and Saudi Arabia will offer loans in exchange for spying or who knows what). If they
don't pay the loans they will be in trouble. Will they end up in prison (slave labor), deported (anyone claimed to be immigrant) or in the military? China will look like a bastion of liberalness compared to us, after a Trump admin gets through making the listed changes.
Other than 2025, do the republicans actually have a platform that you can read. One that the members have approved, and Trump is on board with?
On Trump's website is his Agenda 47. That is what he claims he stands for. However, it leaves much out that he stands for which he does not think is playing well with American majority like ending abortion.
Joe Biden's speech this evening in Detroit was kickass!!
I think that all the media coverage will get more people to pay attention to Biden’s public appearances. If they are anything like tonight’s speech the media will look like they are just biased against him.
I am not exactly sure why everyone thinks he looks so good in the interviews and speeches that are not prompted for him. Don't get me wrong I like Biden I think he is a great man, but I am worried about him.
I'm so happy to hear this from you and others on this page!
Same here!
Damn, missed it. I'm not a TV. guy. I should just leave MSNBC on so I can catch as I can.
You can usually catch these things on YouTube, or at least most of them. So glad for that!
An alternative you might consider, Ransom, is to stream MSNBC audio. If you hear something happening that's more visual than the usual talking heads, turn on your tv. I keep audio on all the time in a browser of its own—and Monk or Mozart on radio. Just devote a tab to https://tunein.com/embed/player/s297990/ I've used other carriers, but tunein is the most reliable albeit the most crazy-making: The braindead commercials are tuneiin's, not MSNBC's.
I can’t do commercials and I used to make a nice living making them, I stream using YouTube TV and time shift everything, if I want to watch a commercial I can, but I don’t have too. You can tell it what you want it to grab and watch it whenever you want, I think for the next 9 months, it’s all on the cloud. Biden’s rally in Detroit, where I was born, was masterful and full of energy, you could see that he was really enjoying himself, if anyone thinks that he doesn’t have the stamina to defeat the insipid lying bastard, they need to watch it. The gloves are off and it’s about time. 💥
A long lifetime of radio listening has made me way too lazy to fool around with routine time-shifting; thus I hardly ever hear a podcast either. But tunein's house ads are rampant and maddening. If they break into my train of thought I just have to lunge for the volume button. Yeah, I heard the excitement in the air in Detroit. I question how long he can keep it up, but today was memorable.
Thank you Lucian. I am an incurable optimist, so rather than an election bump, I am hoping for the Republican cult to have an election slump — for voters to turn against them en masse as they try to lie and wriggle their way out of being what they are about. I am eternally optimistic, which I guess is what makes me a born, bred, raised and forever die-hard Democrat.
Here's a good reason for optimism, our opponent is Donald Trump, a lazy, ignorant moron and one of the worst candidates in world history. He is so bad that even though Biden's approval is at historic lows he was still 2 points ahead of that idiot in a national poll that came out today.
I hope there are sufficient numbers of Dems plus never-Trumper Republicans to push Biden to the win. Ridin’ with Biden!
Thank you for the pick-me-up.
Post debate, in conversations with friends and family, the consensus was bleak, we're screwed, it's over. But over the last few days we've been picking our heads up too.
One thing we've gotten comfortable with: if Joe doesn't run, we'd be happy to support Kamala. In fact, running against her might give the Trump team fits. A woman, part black, part Asian, with a Jewish husband, she's everything white supremacists hate all in one package. I recall from Senate hearings, she can have a sharp, biting tongue, sure to get under Trump's skin and get him to lose his shit. And we have the French example in front of us, to show that if anti-fascists band together, we can keep them out of power. So yeah...it's not over...bring it on.
I would love to see Kamala Harris debate *Rump, she would tear him a new one without even breaking a sweat.
🎶All you fascists bound to lose… 🎶
Anyone who saw Joe Biden in Michigan today knows in her heart that Trump has no chance. Joe was electric ! He checked all the boxes for an hour on his feet. He made fun of Trump, called him a rapist, fraud, felon and bankrupt. He tore into Project 2025 and pinned on Trump.
It’s over folks ! There are people in the US who support Trump for many reasons, but not enough to win. We recognize who and what he is. Back Biden, dump trump
I agree with you. He also called him a loser and ticked off several failures including the bankruptcy of his casino, joking "I didn't know that was even possible. Doesn't the house always win?"
He was his old self again in addition to the NATO news conference, which was amazing, minus the Joe gaffes on those names - but of course thats what the WAPO and NYT led with!
Thank you for your wisdom. I just keep trying to breathe.
I need to remember that to breathe! I just saw Biden's speech in Detroit and it was great! One day at a time!
Sometimes I think I'll be holding my breath until November 6th. But tonight I'm going to watch Duck Soup and laugh my ass off.
Same here. The crowd was really enthusiastic too.
I agree with the “stasis”.I am adamant in my loyalty to the Democratic candidate and am hoping that it is Biden.I heard a CNN commentator earlier today saying that keeping Biden would be a “ disaster “.The only disaster that I see is a Trump presidency.Full stop.
Yeah!! Where do they get that crap. Where do they get off deciding anything - it's we the voters who have already decided. And Kamala Harris is already baked in to the equation so we get two for one!
CNN needs to stop taking itself so seriously--geez, what, do they think they are "kingmakers"? Under the rightie-leaning management and ownership, they have lost me as a viewer.
Just finished watching Biden’s very strong, energetic Detroit speech. The crowd was very excited, waving their “Motown is Joetown” signs.
There was also an interesting discussion with Michael Steele on Ari Melber. Steel, who has run a lot of campaigns as well as the RNC, talked about the risks and difficulties of replacing a presidential candidate at this stage of the game. He was realistic but positive about Biden’s chances if Dems pull together and get to work
Well, it's the big donor "elites" who are causing some concern now. Too bad that they can't simply get out of their fancy limos and walk and talk amongst those of us who are die-hard supporters of Joe and Kamala. They just might come away with a different pov.
Agreed! Like you said at the end of your piece: “we have to work hard and get out the vote to win in November with Biden or with Kamala Harris or with anyone else, as long as they have a “D” next to their name.” The “ship of (dangerous) fools” has to be driven off course.
Apparently, Joe's campaign rally in Detroit today was terrific. He spoke for an hour, the crowd was welcoming, enthusiastic and, by some accounts, raucous. Dancing in the street...
Here’s the difference. Democrats can have open and honest conversation about issues and leadership without threat of retribution. If Republicans are critical of Trump or anything he says, Vinnie Bagodonuts will issue death threats to you and your family.
I'll trade you an "Oy gutinu" for your "tsouris." (Always fun, btw, when a man with four sticks after his name throws in a Yiddishism.) After much internal warfare, here's where I am: If Joe won't hand over the reins, I will vote for him with the knowledge that, assuming he wins, there'll come a time when even Jill and Hunter can't pretend he's functional, so then we get a President Harris. Would that be so
bad? She's a Democrat (with a very smart husband), a former prosecutor, and a Senator. Just for the record, a "Raw Story" hed tells the whole story. "A tale of two brains: Experts agree Trump's brain is dementing as Biden's ages normally."
"...I will vote for him with the knowledge that, assuming he wins, there'll come a time when even Jill and Hunter can't pretend he's functional, so then we get a President Harris. Would that be so bad?"
This is called damning with faint praise. This has been floating around since late June:
"I'm sorry, you're not getting a pony, no one is getting a pony. Your choices are a proven older work horse or a loud squealing pig." Those are your choices.
I don't want to say your response smacks of ageism....but your comment about Dr Biden and Hunter? It is agism pure and simple.
Oy gevalt.
I can't let this go: "your comment about Dr Biden and Hunter? It is ageism pure and simple." It is nothing of the kind. My reference to Jill and Hunter has to do with their supporting his not withdrawing, aka hanging on. There is no ageism in their wishes or my remark.
If the President were 60, or let's say, 74, would you make the same remark?
"Hanging on"? He is the president of the United States. He has the right and in this case, the duty to run for another term given the alternative. He will be ranked in the top 5 this country has ever had. You call it "hanging on"?
Again, oy gevalt.
Agreed, he's been a wonderful potus. The reality is that his faculties are failing, as is true of many or most 82 year old people. I promise you if he wins, he will not be cognitively able to duplicate his previous four year. This is not an ageist supposition, it is a medical reality.
He "has the right"? Gee, where is that written?
Gee, every president may be reelected once more to the presidency. Where does that come from? The Constitution. That's why he has the "right," he is president now, he gets one more at bat. Again, it's written in the Constitution. Duh.
I beg your pardon. I thought you were trying to suggest that he had the right to be the candidate. He has the right to /attempt/ to be the candidate for another term, which is why we're having this discussion nationally. He doesn't have /any/ right to the candidacy.
Digressing slightly: all this talk about having a deep bench is contrary to my own observation. If we had a deep bench, we'd be struggling to winnow the field down to the one best candidate. Instead, the national discussion is over who could we possibly find who isn't as old as President Biden and could beat Trump. And we're coming up empty-handed.
President Biden hasn't said it as directly, but he definitely /sounds/ as if he's going to run unless he is /proven/ to be unable to win the office. And his "proof" that he can do it is that four years ago, he did it. He's already admitted that he can no longer run the hundred in ten flat -- how is that different from no longer being of an age at which he can conduct a lengthy, vigorous campaign and reach the winner's circle? "Past performance is not indicative of future results," as the legally-mandated saying goes.
If Trump wins, he will do far more harm than Biden on Biden's worst day.
Totally agree. And IF he wins, I will do a Jim Jones.
Seems to me that it's just the opposite of ageism.
Well, since you're not that sure how a sitting president has the right to run again, you also seem to be just a wee bit unsure of what ageism is.
That would work, my only fear is that if it happened Trump would be out there claiming "fraud" and "election interference" and try to have his cronies on the SCT overturn the entire election.
If you can believe it, they're *already* calling this election a fraud, so ...
I can believe itt. The reference I saw was about attacking Kamala now for withholding information about Joe's condition and thereby causing election fraud or interference. It sounds pretty far-fetched to me but then whoever thought this SCt would elevate Trump to a King out of thin air.
Oh crap! And I was feeling so optimistic there for a minute!
She's baked in - it's a win-win!
I see this past 2 weeks as a challenge that has energized Biden, to such an extent that I am now not only wanting him to stay in the race but also thinking that he will end up winning solidly. People have always underestimated him. His command of the issues, of governance itself and of the political game places him in a really enviable position. He is the incumbant, he is the honest one and he is the underdog. America loves an underdog. The real issue today to me is how all these naysayers are going to recover from being so incessantly vehement but downright cruel toward this wonderful man and one of the very greatest Presidents. They are going to have to eat a lot of crow but their delight at Trump finally being called out for who he is is the frosting on the cake. And who doesn't love frosting.
Excellent point. Leave it to our elite media to turn a fantastically successful incumbent president running for reelection into an underdog. And you’re right; America really does love an underdog.
And no retribution from Joe...he just doesn't have it in him!
The white elites are really troubled. They have no where to go. Biden won’t pander to the NYT and refused to give them an exclusive interview. Oh my! The NYT has no input to the. Biden campaign. What a shame! First sign of weakness the NYT and its sycophants run for the hills demanding that Joe leave the field to an as yet unidentified successor who will be chosen after the choice of 14 million Democrats is pressured to quit. But there’s no quit in Joe. The only quitters are the NYT and its followers.
Funny, I think of the enemy as trump, not the nyTimes. The "elites" Biden was addressing are the moneybags who—seeing a candidate severely diminished—are bailing by the billion$. Do they believe in miraculous recoveries? That may depend on the returns on investment they were getting.
Biden doesn't do well in interviews. He does okay when using a teleprompter. His refusing to do the NYT interview should raise alarm bells, not promote fist pumping.
The NYT is mainly responsible for the defeat of Hillary Clinton in 2016. A phony email story was run on the front page, right hand column over and over again. They knew it was BS and that she would never be prosecuted. Nevertheless they persisted. Now, after a terrible debate performance the NYT jumped all over Biden’s age issue even tho he had won the primaries 87% to 13%. Even tho the age issue was an issue in the primaries. And even tho they had yet to call Trump, unfit tho he was a convicted felon, adjudicated rapist, business fraud and a serial liar. In a few days Biden went from fit to unfit? Sorry, it’s the MSM that prefers a controversy over policy. There’s no money in discussing policy differences but a whole lot of it presenting a reality show. Luckily 24 million people watched Biden perform at the NATO meeting and press conference. Polls are about the same and Biden laid waste to both Trump and Trump’s Project 2025 in front of enthusiastic union backers in Detroit for over an hour on his feet. He showed he can campaign as well as ever. If we can’t help him defeat the MAGA enemy then we should move to CANADA or Mexico.
Biden can campaign, to some degree, but he can't do an interview, because he lacks the brain power. He has Parkinsons.
His policy on Gaza has been atrocious, as well. The fact that he has campaigned on his Gaza "peace plan," as a success, while sending Israel 500 lb bombs, will sink him in Michigan, and among those under 35 who are strong advocates for peace.
But Hillary, But Trump, won't win elections. Democrats have to find a truly pro peace candidate who isn't demented, in order to win.
I strongly urge you and the readers of this Substack to keep an eagle eye on this website:
https://www.electoral-vote.com
It’s been published every weekday by two professors since 2004 and it has the sharpest political analysis around, in my opinion.
They post a daily tally of what the electoral vote would be based on the latest polls, and they are very careful only to include polls that they believe are legitimate and accurate.
There are no ads and they don’t even use their real names — so they’re not trying to draw attention to themselves — although it doesn’t take much research to figure out who they really are.
One is a computer scientist/statistician based in the Netherlands, and the other is a history professor at UCLA.
What I would emphasize to any politically engaged person is this: it may be fun to announce to the world what your opinion is and what’s shaping it, but you are only one person. The election will be decided by a few hundred thousand people in about six swing states. They are the only votes that matter. The rest are entirely predictable: there is the cult Trump base, the vast majority of whom will not be dissuaded from their obscene and absurd worship of this vile specimen of humanity.
And, there is the Democratic base, and there are a number of states that can be predicted with absolute reliability to vote for the Democratic candidate.
The current electoral vote tally based on the latest reliable polls show Trump with 305, and Biden with 233 — of course 270 are needed to win.
And so, at least 37 of those electoral votes need to be swung into the Biden and/ or Democratic candidate’s favor.
Readers of this Substack are almost certainly 100% united in despising Trump and believing that if he is elected, it will be the end of democracy and the beginning of a 21st century fascist state in the most heavily armed country in the world.
Let’s try to keep cool heads and keep our eye on real data as we all do what we can to avoid that nightmarish dystopia.
I do hate the Electoral College!! It isn't doing what it was designed to do - in fact,, it does the opposite. It should be abolished!!
Yeah, I 'love' how the Electoral College basically disenfranchises so many people in this country and elevates a few to importance.
Yes! Hillary won the popular vote, but Dumbo Donny won the Electoral College vote.
Thank you for the link to electoral-vote.com!
Thank you. Facts don't care about feelings. It's all about the swing states. People who are dedicated blue or red, won't change, no matter what. But a different name on the ballot could persuade some of the undecided.
Thank you for your wise words as well as the link.