Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) panned Democrats who are upping their criticisms of President Biden ahead of the November election, saying they might as well don a āMAGA hat.ā Fetterman notā¦
I hope itās more due to the fact that he had a stroke rather than heās doing it intentionally. Either way he has had a complete shift in personality and its disappointing to no end that heās not who he was when elected.
Iām not worried about Bidenās age mostly because I think this comes from the racist fear that Kamala Harris isnāt capable of running this country.
I think weāre worried about bidenās age less because weāre worried heāll die in office and more because weāre worried he wonāt and will keep running the country as his mind deteriorates beyond the point he should be running a bingo game.
Iām far more confident of Biden surrounding himself with capable stewards, than Trump. So even if the worst happens and he stays alive but loses it like Reagan, he will at least have intelligent, relatively progressive people behind the scenes making the actual decisions.
With sundowning narcissist Trump at the wheel? Buckle the fuck in, because itās going to be a wild ride. I wouldnāt worry about having to vote at the federal level again, so at least itāll help with that decision.
I really wish I could joke about this, but if Trump becomes president again, things are going to get very very dark.
For sure, Iām in no way advocating voting for trump I just wish the Democratic Party had ran someone who was even ājust okā instead of just barely better than the serial rapist
And they will in 4 years. This is the time where progressives need to start grooming primary candidates for 2028. Not during the 2024 general. We need some young, viable progressives (who arenāt going to Fetterman as soon as they win) to start campaigning now.
Democrats were never going to give up the incumbent advantage, and Iām legitimately surprised by how the media has been acting like itās a weird situation. Itās giving people this impression that pulling your current leader (of both the party, and in this case, the county) and running someone else in their place is a viable strategy in US presidential politics.
If you want young, progressive candidates, now is the time to start bringing them to the forefrontā¦
Note: apologies in advance for the biography that nobody will probably readā¦ But I swear itās related! You could probably skip to the " TL;DR part, but ehhh cāmon
Not to tell my life story, but it relates and ended up typing up more than expectedā¦
I have this very vivid, formative even, memory from 2004 of sitting down with my conservative, Republican, Evangelical Christian parents (basically just ālower taxes and stop abortionā days of conservatism, and the āyou canāt read Harry Potterā Christianity) and watching both partyās conventions.
This was to be the first presidential election I was eligible to vote in, and I was taking it seriously. Up until that point I was still just mimicking my parents political (and unfortunately, religious as well) views, so I remember that we were supposed to be happy, etc, when we watched the RNC, and boo/ridicule the DNC. And for the most part, embarrassingly, I did those things.
It was almost like watching WCW. I even remember mimicking my fatherās sports-like taunts we made towards the Democratic party when he saw that Zell Miller (some old racist conservative who, I guess never got the memo that the Dixiecrats left the party, and was somehow still a Democrat at the time) was a keynote speaker for the Republicans. Iāll say that again, one of the main speakers at the 2004 Republican National Convention, was a registered Democrat. Imagine that happening now, it would be like Rand Paul speaking at the DNC. Yeah he might openly disagree with the leadership of his party, but he would never do something like that unless he officially left the party. And even thenā¦
āWell itās over,ā I thought. The Democrats really must be as bad as Fox News, and my dad, are saying, if their own party members are giving speeches in support of the other guy. I ended that night still thinking the GOP was clearly the only real option hereā¦
Then a week later or whatever, we watched the DNC (on Fox News). It was a different time, but I do give my parents credit for making sure that we watched both conventions since it was my first time voting and they really wanted to drive home how important it is to be informed. They were not quiet about whom they thought I should vote for, but they wanted it to be clear that voting is deeply personal, and that the decision is ultimately mine to make.
Anyway, we watch the DNC, and for a lot of these speakers, itās the first time Iāve ever even heard of them. I was aware of Ted Kennedy because my dad used to ājokeā about driving a car off a bridge, but had never actually heard him speak and even in his advanced age I remember being a bit like, ānow hold onā¦ā. I had always been told that liberals were terrible people, but a lot of the stuff heās saying (in a silly voice/accent) was actually kind of making sense to me.
Thatās when I learned the term ābleeding heartā when my dad used it as a derogatory. And it just didnāt make sense to meā¦ We were an Evangelical Christian home, I had been raised on those exact same values. How is caring for others a thing to ridicule?
Anyway, finally getting to my actual point (if there ever was one). I was watching these speeches, and kind of thinking to myself, āthis sort of makes more sense, and aligns more closely to my values that the things I heard at the RNC,ā but cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing, and it doesnāt help that weāre watching it on Fox News).
So we keep watching, and next up is some young, unknown state senator from Illinois with a weird sounding name. Barack Obama. And holy shit, I was enthralled the moment this guy opened his mouth. I know hindsight and that everyone says this and all of that, but I KNEW this guy was going to be President some day. He was just in his element, and everyone could tell immediately.
He didnāt single-handedly undo the 10+ years of religious trauma that was keeping me as identifying as conservative, Iām embarrassed to say that I ultimately did not vote for John Kerry that year. But I definitely credit that speech as being one of my first major āwake up callsā that conservative ideology is rotten, and my misunderstanding of a single issue (abortion) was being used to elect awful people
And it was not only based on the quality and content of the speech (which made everything at the RNC look like Four Seasons Landscaping), but based on the fact that this previously completely unknown guy got a keynote (possibly even the keynote spot, I forget) slot at the DNC. You could tell that the party knew what they had with Obama, and within 4 years, he was goddamn President.
(TL:DR of sorts follows despite it just being the end of my comment):
So what I think Iām trying to say, after telling my life story that nobody asked for, and probably wonāt read, is that we need to be looking for our ānext Obamaā (using this simply out of convenience, I donāt want another Obama) now. Like 4 years ago even.
We need to be grooming progressive state senators, community organizers, etc. and we need to get them on the national stage, and into the American consciousness ASAP. This is the time to be doing this for the next election (hopefully we will still have them).
I apologize for this crazy long message nobody asked for lol. I will probably not proof read so sorry if something doesnāt make senseā¦
It was kind of just coming out of me and may even have helped me process how much of an effect that 2004 DNC Obama speech had on my change/growth as a political person.
First off, I want to say that I appreciated you telling your story here. Iām going to argue against some points, but I think it was a good comment even if there are points I disagree with.
Itās giving people this impression that pulling your current leader (of both the party, and in this case, the county) and running someone else in their place is a viable strategy in US presidential politics.
No other leader has been this old. And there have been plenty of times where a partyās leader didnāt run for reelection. Whatās doomed is a challenge. If Biden had followed the rumor from 2020 and stepped down after a single term, Democrats would probably be in a much better position.
The āincumbent advantageā has led to 3 of the last 7 incumbents losing. Itās not a bulletproof strategy, particularly if the incumber is very unpopular.
Iāll say that again, one of the main speakers at the 2004 Republican National Convention, was a registered Democrat. Imagine that happening now, it would be like Rand Paul speaking at the DNC.
Nah, everyone loves a āconvertā. Tulsi Gabbard has been a featured speaker at CPAC since 2022. Just like Zell, itās not really a Democrat highlighting Democratic values while supporting a Republican, itās a conservative with a good story to tell about how the other side went too far.
And it was not only based on the quality and content of the speech (which made everything at the RNC look like Four Seasons Landscaping), but based on the fact that this previously completely unknown guy got a keynote (possibly even the keynote spot, I forget) slot at the DNC. You could tell that the party knew what they had with Obama, and within 4 years, he was goddamn President.
Do you even remember who the 2020 DNC keynote speaker was? I donāt. And thatās not because we donāt have inspiring speakers (AOC is a fantastic communicator, Ayanna Pressley is one of the best orators Iāve ever heard), itās because the party establishment finds Obama-level politicians threatening. Looking it up now, they had 17 different people all give part of a speech. No risk of a rising star in that mish-mash. Thatās why, despite several political disasters under their watch, the leadership was the same dinosaurs, only to very recently be replaced by their long term acolytes.
Remember, they didnāt want Obama to be president. When he ran for president he was the outsider because the party establishment was all lined up behind Clinton.
Hey, Iām just glad someone read my comment lolā¦
What is a party if not just a group of people with similar values? Change the values of the Democratic party from within (which I believe is already happening, especially with all the ancients dying off) to the type of party that realizes when they need to start grooming new candidates sooner.
Easier said than done, sure. Young people need to show that they are a voting bloc that demands to be taken seriously, but that canāt happen until they actually start voting. Itās kind of infuriating. Thatās really the thing that could begin fixing all of this, and yetā¦ Who knows, maybe Taylor Swift will throw a wrench in things and get enough young folks involved.
As for Obama, maybe he was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, I donāt knowā¦ But like you said, the DNC didnāt even want him. He was a black guy with an Arab name, but he had the money and power of the DNC (and, I believe at that time Howard Dean in charge who actually knew how to get progressives elected up and down ballot. Could be wrong though, it might have been after he lost his career for getting a little too excited), and that allowed him to mobilize people who had never thought about voting before.
Thatās what we need again. We need to start bringing up young, charismatic progressives from state and local politics, and give them the money and support they need to get their message (which, letās not forget, is correct) to those types Obama mobilized back in 08.
We should have been doing this for years already. In fact, I would say Howard Deanās removal as chair of the DNC especially doomed the party to years of tepid neiliberalism.
We need another Howard Dean running the DNC and we need it yesterday.
What is a party if not just a group of people with similar values? Change the values of the Democratic party from within (which I believe is already happening, especially with all the ancients dying off) to the type of party that realizes when they need to start grooming new candidates sooner.
The party is very separate from the people who vote for it. I donāt have a vote for who becomes Speaker, only a vote for my individual representative, who himself is chosen by both Democrats and Republicans (our primary is open and everyone knows the Democrat is going to win the general election so the real election is in the primary). Heās in something like a D+30 district and still threatens to oppose Democratic legislation unless itās more fiscally conservative.
The ancients are dying off, but this isnāt resulting in an open race for replacement, theyāre using their influence to pass it on to chosen successors that share their values. Theoretically there could be a revolution, but politics isnāt really just a battle of ideas, but a complex web of relationships and fundraising. One of Hakeem Jeffries primary qualifications for succeeding Pelosi is simply that he can raise a lot of money.
But I agree thatās not fixed, and a good chair could really lean into candidates who excite voters rather than are approved by donors. The Obamaās of the party win while the machine politicians generally just maintain power in safe districts. You need someone who excites people to flip districts and states.
Itās unfortunate that Katie Porter might be eliminated in the initial round in California. We need progressive successors to our own ancients in the senate. Massachusetts has a pretty good bench getting built. Hopefully when Warren steps down Ayanna Pressley will succeed her. Iām not sure if Bernie has anyone in Vermont lined up.
Canāt really disagree with much thereā¦ I would say that a partyās views (should) reflect those of its voters. Ideally, thatās whatās supposed to happen in a representative democracy. Theyāre supposed to represent the will of their constituents, and if they arenāt, you vote in a new one (obv it doesnāt really work out that way in the real world. Maybe Finland or something).
But I agree thatās not fixed, and a good chair could really lean into candidates who excite voters rather than are approved by donors. The Obamaās of the party win while the machine politicians generally just maintain power in safe districts. You need someone who excites people to flip districts and states.
And this is kind of what Iām talking about.
Thereās this defeatism everywhere lately (much of it is astroturfing, but I believe itās been somewhat effective, unfortunately) with people being like, āIām totally a leftist (often sus), and the conservative Democratic party is just going to run their establishment candidate no matter what and thereās nothing I can do so Iāll throw away my vote on a third party, if I vote at all.ā
Someāll throw in something about āGenocide Joeā too, somewhat betraying their actual intentions and the true reality that most of them want nobody left of Donald Trump in that officeā¦
Yet everyone seems to forget that Hillary Clinton very much was the establishment candidate in 2008. It was āher turn.ā Obama was just another nobodyās on a debate stage with like a dozen other relative nobodies, and Hillary Clinton. It would have been like (if Trump actually attended the debates, just a thought experiment) if Doug Burgum, or Will Hurd became the GOP candidate over Trump despite the party doing everything it can ($$) to get Trump as the candidate. It would be unheard of.
In other words, Democrats were making preparations for her coronation. And none of that ended up mattering, because Democratic primary voters wanted Obama. I personally switched my affiliation from āindependentā to āDemocratā to make that vote.
None of that mattered because the liberals/progressive/the left/etc.(voting) public made it very clear that they didnāt give a shit what the Democratic party wanted, they want āthat guy who gave that speech at the 2004 DNC.ā And thatās who we got, and Hillary Clinton didnāt run as a third party candidate or anything silly like that. We almost got it to happen again with Bernieā¦ Different situation and discussion, though I do think things could be very different at the DNC now that Hillary is out of electoral politics .
(To be fair, Obamaās demographics, and social media teams were on point and like a decade ahead of their time. Probably pretty rudimentary compared to that (or literally just the fact that they had a social media team)
Well said. A vote for Biden is a vote for his entire administration, including all the judges and secretaries and people behind the scenes. These have proven to be overwhelmingly competent people and the roles are absolutely critical. Trump has openly said heāll purge the entire federal government and replace them with lackeys. Itās about more than just the man.
Honestly, I would not at all be shocked if Biden resigns the day after inauguration and Harris takes over. Iāve seen several recent articles that seem to indicate sheās WAY more in tune with the concerns of the (sane portion of the) electorate, and is actively trying to step up in many areas where Biden and his campaign are dropping the ball. Weāll see what happens, I guess.
Gabbard didnāt have a shift, she was always shitty and people just didnāt notice. Her whole political background is socially conservative politics and she increased her profile during Obamaās term attacking him from the right on Fox News. Some people got infatuated by her quitting the DNC for Bernie, but that wasnāt because she was a progressive.
I hope itās more due to the fact that he had a stroke rather than heās doing it intentionally. Either way he has had a complete shift in personality and its disappointing to no end that heās not who he was when elected.
Iām not worried about Bidenās age mostly because I think this comes from the racist fear that Kamala Harris isnāt capable of running this country.
I think weāre worried about bidenās age less because weāre worried heāll die in office and more because weāre worried he wonāt and will keep running the country as his mind deteriorates beyond the point he should be running a bingo game.
Iām far more confident of Biden surrounding himself with capable stewards, than Trump. So even if the worst happens and he stays alive but loses it like Reagan, he will at least have intelligent, relatively progressive people behind the scenes making the actual decisions.
With sundowning narcissist Trump at the wheel? Buckle the fuck in, because itās going to be a wild ride. I wouldnāt worry about having to vote at the federal level again, so at least itāll help with that decision.
I really wish I could joke about this, but if Trump becomes president again, things are going to get very very dark.
For sure, Iām in no way advocating voting for trump I just wish the Democratic Party had ran someone who was even ājust okā instead of just barely better than the serial rapist
And they will in 4 years. This is the time where progressives need to start grooming primary candidates for 2028. Not during the 2024 general. We need some young, viable progressives (who arenāt going to Fetterman as soon as they win) to start campaigning now.
Democrats were never going to give up the incumbent advantage, and Iām legitimately surprised by how the media has been acting like itās a weird situation. Itās giving people this impression that pulling your current leader (of both the party, and in this case, the county) and running someone else in their place is a viable strategy in US presidential politics.
If you want young, progressive candidates, now is the time to start bringing them to the forefrontā¦
Note: apologies in advance for the biography that nobody will probably readā¦ But I swear itās related! You could probably skip to the " TL;DR part, but ehhh cāmon
Not to tell my life story, but it relates and ended up typing up more than expectedā¦
I have this very vivid, formative even, memory from 2004 of sitting down with my conservative, Republican, Evangelical Christian parents (basically just ālower taxes and stop abortionā days of conservatism, and the āyou canāt read Harry Potterā Christianity) and watching both partyās conventions.
This was to be the first presidential election I was eligible to vote in, and I was taking it seriously. Up until that point I was still just mimicking my parents political (and unfortunately, religious as well) views, so I remember that we were supposed to be happy, etc, when we watched the RNC, and boo/ridicule the DNC. And for the most part, embarrassingly, I did those things.
It was almost like watching WCW. I even remember mimicking my fatherās sports-like taunts we made towards the Democratic party when he saw that Zell Miller (some old racist conservative who, I guess never got the memo that the Dixiecrats left the party, and was somehow still a Democrat at the time) was a keynote speaker for the Republicans. Iāll say that again, one of the main speakers at the 2004 Republican National Convention, was a registered Democrat. Imagine that happening now, it would be like Rand Paul speaking at the DNC. Yeah he might openly disagree with the leadership of his party, but he would never do something like that unless he officially left the party. And even thenā¦
āWell itās over,ā I thought. The Democrats really must be as bad as Fox News, and my dad, are saying, if their own party members are giving speeches in support of the other guy. I ended that night still thinking the GOP was clearly the only real option hereā¦
Then a week later or whatever, we watched the DNC (on Fox News). It was a different time, but I do give my parents credit for making sure that we watched both conventions since it was my first time voting and they really wanted to drive home how important it is to be informed. They were not quiet about whom they thought I should vote for, but they wanted it to be clear that voting is deeply personal, and that the decision is ultimately mine to make.
Anyway, we watch the DNC, and for a lot of these speakers, itās the first time Iāve ever even heard of them. I was aware of Ted Kennedy because my dad used to ājokeā about driving a car off a bridge, but had never actually heard him speak and even in his advanced age I remember being a bit like, ānow hold onā¦ā. I had always been told that liberals were terrible people, but a lot of the stuff heās saying (in a silly voice/accent) was actually kind of making sense to me.
Thatās when I learned the term ābleeding heartā when my dad used it as a derogatory. And it just didnāt make sense to meā¦ We were an Evangelical Christian home, I had been raised on those exact same values. How is caring for others a thing to ridicule?
Anyway, finally getting to my actual point (if there ever was one). I was watching these speeches, and kind of thinking to myself, āthis sort of makes more sense, and aligns more closely to my values that the things I heard at the RNC,ā but cognitive dissonance is a powerful thing, and it doesnāt help that weāre watching it on Fox News).
So we keep watching, and next up is some young, unknown state senator from Illinois with a weird sounding name. Barack Obama. And holy shit, I was enthralled the moment this guy opened his mouth. I know hindsight and that everyone says this and all of that, but I KNEW this guy was going to be President some day. He was just in his element, and everyone could tell immediately.
He didnāt single-handedly undo the 10+ years of religious trauma that was keeping me as identifying as conservative, Iām embarrassed to say that I ultimately did not vote for John Kerry that year. But I definitely credit that speech as being one of my first major āwake up callsā that conservative ideology is rotten, and my misunderstanding of a single issue (abortion) was being used to elect awful people
And it was not only based on the quality and content of the speech (which made everything at the RNC look like Four Seasons Landscaping), but based on the fact that this previously completely unknown guy got a keynote (possibly even the keynote spot, I forget) slot at the DNC. You could tell that the party knew what they had with Obama, and within 4 years, he was goddamn President.
(TL:DR of sorts follows despite it just being the end of my comment):
So what I think Iām trying to say, after telling my life story that nobody asked for, and probably wonāt read, is that we need to be looking for our ānext Obamaā (using this simply out of convenience, I donāt want another Obama) now. Like 4 years ago even.
We need to be grooming progressive state senators, community organizers, etc. and we need to get them on the national stage, and into the American consciousness ASAP. This is the time to be doing this for the next election (hopefully we will still have them).
I apologize for this crazy long message nobody asked for lol. I will probably not proof read so sorry if something doesnāt make senseā¦
It was kind of just coming out of me and may even have helped me process how much of an effect that 2004 DNC Obama speech had on my change/growth as a political person.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED talk.
Itās not surprising or weird, I just wish we werenāt here
First off, I want to say that I appreciated you telling your story here. Iām going to argue against some points, but I think it was a good comment even if there are points I disagree with.
No other leader has been this old. And there have been plenty of times where a partyās leader didnāt run for reelection. Whatās doomed is a challenge. If Biden had followed the rumor from 2020 and stepped down after a single term, Democrats would probably be in a much better position.
The āincumbent advantageā has led to 3 of the last 7 incumbents losing. Itās not a bulletproof strategy, particularly if the incumber is very unpopular.
Nah, everyone loves a āconvertā. Tulsi Gabbard has been a featured speaker at CPAC since 2022. Just like Zell, itās not really a Democrat highlighting Democratic values while supporting a Republican, itās a conservative with a good story to tell about how the other side went too far.
Do you even remember who the 2020 DNC keynote speaker was? I donāt. And thatās not because we donāt have inspiring speakers (AOC is a fantastic communicator, Ayanna Pressley is one of the best orators Iāve ever heard), itās because the party establishment finds Obama-level politicians threatening. Looking it up now, they had 17 different people all give part of a speech. No risk of a rising star in that mish-mash. Thatās why, despite several political disasters under their watch, the leadership was the same dinosaurs, only to very recently be replaced by their long term acolytes.
Remember, they didnāt want Obama to be president. When he ran for president he was the outsider because the party establishment was all lined up behind Clinton.
Hey, Iām just glad someone read my comment lolā¦
What is a party if not just a group of people with similar values? Change the values of the Democratic party from within (which I believe is already happening, especially with all the ancients dying off) to the type of party that realizes when they need to start grooming new candidates sooner.
Easier said than done, sure. Young people need to show that they are a voting bloc that demands to be taken seriously, but that canāt happen until they actually start voting. Itās kind of infuriating. Thatās really the thing that could begin fixing all of this, and yetā¦ Who knows, maybe Taylor Swift will throw a wrench in things and get enough young folks involved.
As for Obama, maybe he was a once in a lifetime phenomenon, I donāt knowā¦ But like you said, the DNC didnāt even want him. He was a black guy with an Arab name, but he had the money and power of the DNC (and, I believe at that time Howard Dean in charge who actually knew how to get progressives elected up and down ballot. Could be wrong though, it might have been after he lost his career for getting a little too excited), and that allowed him to mobilize people who had never thought about voting before.
Thatās what we need again. We need to start bringing up young, charismatic progressives from state and local politics, and give them the money and support they need to get their message (which, letās not forget, is correct) to those types Obama mobilized back in 08.
We should have been doing this for years already. In fact, I would say Howard Deanās removal as chair of the DNC especially doomed the party to years of tepid neiliberalism.
We need another Howard Dean running the DNC and we need it yesterday.
The party is very separate from the people who vote for it. I donāt have a vote for who becomes Speaker, only a vote for my individual representative, who himself is chosen by both Democrats and Republicans (our primary is open and everyone knows the Democrat is going to win the general election so the real election is in the primary). Heās in something like a D+30 district and still threatens to oppose Democratic legislation unless itās more fiscally conservative.
The ancients are dying off, but this isnāt resulting in an open race for replacement, theyāre using their influence to pass it on to chosen successors that share their values. Theoretically there could be a revolution, but politics isnāt really just a battle of ideas, but a complex web of relationships and fundraising. One of Hakeem Jeffries primary qualifications for succeeding Pelosi is simply that he can raise a lot of money.
But I agree thatās not fixed, and a good chair could really lean into candidates who excite voters rather than are approved by donors. The Obamaās of the party win while the machine politicians generally just maintain power in safe districts. You need someone who excites people to flip districts and states.
Itās unfortunate that Katie Porter might be eliminated in the initial round in California. We need progressive successors to our own ancients in the senate. Massachusetts has a pretty good bench getting built. Hopefully when Warren steps down Ayanna Pressley will succeed her. Iām not sure if Bernie has anyone in Vermont lined up.
Canāt really disagree with much thereā¦ I would say that a partyās views (should) reflect those of its voters. Ideally, thatās whatās supposed to happen in a representative democracy. Theyāre supposed to represent the will of their constituents, and if they arenāt, you vote in a new one (obv it doesnāt really work out that way in the real world. Maybe Finland or something).
And this is kind of what Iām talking about.
Thereās this defeatism everywhere lately (much of it is astroturfing, but I believe itās been somewhat effective, unfortunately) with people being like, āIām totally a leftist (often sus), and the conservative Democratic party is just going to run their establishment candidate no matter what and thereās nothing I can do so Iāll throw away my vote on a third party, if I vote at all.ā
Someāll throw in something about āGenocide Joeā too, somewhat betraying their actual intentions and the true reality that most of them want nobody left of Donald Trump in that officeā¦
Yet everyone seems to forget that Hillary Clinton very much was the establishment candidate in 2008. It was āher turn.ā Obama was just another nobodyās on a debate stage with like a dozen other relative nobodies, and Hillary Clinton. It would have been like (if Trump actually attended the debates, just a thought experiment) if Doug Burgum, or Will Hurd became the GOP candidate over Trump despite the party doing everything it can ($$) to get Trump as the candidate. It would be unheard of.
In other words, Democrats were making preparations for her coronation. And none of that ended up mattering, because Democratic primary voters wanted Obama. I personally switched my affiliation from āindependentā to āDemocratā to make that vote.
None of that mattered because the liberals/progressive/the left/etc.(voting) public made it very clear that they didnāt give a shit what the Democratic party wanted, they want āthat guy who gave that speech at the 2004 DNC.ā And thatās who we got, and Hillary Clinton didnāt run as a third party candidate or anything silly like that. We almost got it to happen again with Bernieā¦ Different situation and discussion, though I do think things could be very different at the DNC now that Hillary is out of electoral politics .
(To be fair, Obamaās demographics, and social media teams were on point and like a decade ahead of their time. Probably pretty rudimentary compared to that (or literally just the fact that they had a social media team)
Well said. A vote for Biden is a vote for his entire administration, including all the judges and secretaries and people behind the scenes. These have proven to be overwhelmingly competent people and the roles are absolutely critical. Trump has openly said heāll purge the entire federal government and replace them with lackeys. Itās about more than just the man.
Honestly, I would not at all be shocked if Biden resigns the day after inauguration and Harris takes over. Iāve seen several recent articles that seem to indicate sheās WAY more in tune with the concerns of the (sane portion of the) electorate, and is actively trying to step up in many areas where Biden and his campaign are dropping the ball. Weāll see what happens, I guess.
And then sheāll be the incumbent we canāt primary in '28.
Yeah, Iāve known a couple family members who had a stroke and became better people.
Sometimes it works the other way.
Personality changes arent a rare after effect, itās pretty common.
Itās apparently a trend.
Gabbard didnāt have a shift, she was always shitty and people just didnāt notice. Her whole political background is socially conservative politics and she increased her profile during Obamaās term attacking him from the right on Fox News. Some people got infatuated by her quitting the DNC for Bernie, but that wasnāt because she was a progressive.
Sheās not the only one:
How an Anti-Sexist Candidate Got Smeared as Sexist
Elizabeth Warrenās Biggest Donor Is Revealed To Have Also Funded A Major Trump Ally