The Democrats’ predicament — a candidate dropping out after sweeping mostly unchallenged through the party primaries to become the presumptive nominee — is unknown in the modern era.
We need to be absolutely, completely fucking crystal clear here: the root cause of all this drama (as well as the electoral faceplant in 2016) is the DNC leadership and how they run the primary. They let the donor class sideline extremely compelling candidates because they’re not neoliberal or corporate-friendly enough for their tastes, and then we get a milquetoast “electable” candidate.
There are very real reasons why so many people are unenthused by Biden, despite his accomplishments on paper. Pretending the primary process is actually fair and actually yields the best leadership candidates is an exercise in self deception.
At any rate: I hope the DNC’s old and new guard can just agree to be pragmatic and stop the fucking fascists at all costs for the next few months.
I have no idea. I think it’s a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation. Picking the next nominee is going to be a clusterfuck. Mike Johnson already calling for him to resign. It’s going to be challenged in court. This is going to be a constant fight until the election. What about the donors who have give money to Biden, but then don’t like whoever they go with? Do they go with Harris? She isn’t much more popular and (this isn’t me being sexist, but understanding Trump’s misogyny) are they really going to run another woman against him? And there is no guarantee that people that need to be swayed are going to be happy with whoever is picked.
But then again, how do you continue with Biden? If the next debate isn’t perfect for him, he’s doomed. Can they take that risk?
This is wild.
I also think it’s objectively the right call, in the context of taking the most aggressive and pragmatic approach to stopping the fascists.
Also, in response to this quip from the relevant WaPo article:
We need to be absolutely, completely fucking crystal clear here: the root cause of all this drama (as well as the electoral faceplant in 2016) is the DNC leadership and how they run the primary. They let the donor class sideline extremely compelling candidates because they’re not neoliberal or corporate-friendly enough for their tastes, and then we get a milquetoast “electable” candidate.
There are very real reasons why so many people are unenthused by Biden, despite his accomplishments on paper. Pretending the primary process is actually fair and actually yields the best leadership candidates is an exercise in self deception.
At any rate: I hope the DNC’s old and new guard can just agree to be pragmatic and stop the fucking fascists at all costs for the next few months.
I have no idea. I think it’s a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t situation. Picking the next nominee is going to be a clusterfuck. Mike Johnson already calling for him to resign. It’s going to be challenged in court. This is going to be a constant fight until the election. What about the donors who have give money to Biden, but then don’t like whoever they go with? Do they go with Harris? She isn’t much more popular and (this isn’t me being sexist, but understanding Trump’s misogyny) are they really going to run another woman against him? And there is no guarantee that people that need to be swayed are going to be happy with whoever is picked.
But then again, how do you continue with Biden? If the next debate isn’t perfect for him, he’s doomed. Can they take that risk?