DL Open Thread: Friday, June 28, 2024

Filed in Featured, Open Thread by on June 28, 2024

Anybody at that Debate Party at DelDems HQ last night?  Or is it too early to have sobered up?  I’ll merely cut-and-paste what I wrote yesterday:

Anyone else not gonna watch tonight’s ‘debate’?  I’m almost over the denial phase of my grief, headed towards–whatever comes after the denial stage of grief. As much as Biden is to blame for his chutzpah, a moribund national Democratic Party is equally to blame.  I mean, not even a discussion as to whether an increasingly-frail man in his eighties should run for reelection?  Hey, if you disagree with me, you can always attend that Debate Watch Party being sponsored by the Delaware Democratic Party. Me?  Can’t imagine a place I’d less rather be.

With this addendum:

Trump has been convicted, yet he has something like a 4-point lead nationwide.

If you don’t think that the fact that Biden is old and pretty enfeebled has something to do with it, I don’t know what to tell you.

Bottom line: He shouldn’t have run for reelection. We’re stuck with him and I’ll support him. But he was pretty much the only guy the D’s could have put up who would be in the position. I was raising this point a year ago, was told not to piss in my jeans.

I didn’t…then.

Me? I’m proclaiming a moratorium on pissed-jeans-shaming until, I don’t know, infinity and beyond?

Might also declare a moratorium on watching the news–for the next five years.  I’m at least considering it.

Now They’re Worried??!!    You know what the article says.  Read it if you’d prefer that to having nails driven into your forehead:

One Democratic donor texted a face-palm emoji with a single word: “Oy.” Another was more blunt, texting a yellow emoji spewing green vomit.

And by the time CNN’s 90-minute presidential debate between President Biden and former president Donald Trump concluded Thursday evening, even Biden’s former communications director Kate Bedingfield concluded on the network’s air, “It was a really disappointing debate performance from Joe Biden.”

One thing was clear by the end of the first 2024 presidential faceoff: Democrats were in a panic following Biden’s halting debate night performance. Their consternation encompassed the halls of Congress, the moneyed coastal cities of donors, the party strongholds across the country and the bars and living rooms where Democratic stalwarts gathered to cheer on their guy.

Because Biden, 81, failed to deliver.

The president — who desperately needed to use Thursday night’s debate to reassure skeptical voters that he has the physical and mental stamina to lead the nation — instead offered a shaky performance, especially in the early minutes, when more voters were likely to be watching.

Perhaps more alarming for Democrats, Biden played into Trump’s caricature — of an enfeebled man past his prime — that has privately worried even some of Biden’s staunchest supporters.

‘Privately’.  That word again.  Because the Democratic Party’s strategy was to rally behind a guy too old to be President and to hope that nothing bad happens.

Next strategy, please.

What do you want to talk about?

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  1. mediawatch says:

    Seriously, this is something we wish we didn’t have to talk about.
    This debate felt like a volcano lifting up a Model T that had run out of gas and throwing it into a ditch.
    Maybe Joe and his crime family should start thinking about retribution, and a way of doing it quickly and outside the legal system — anything to make Trump’s bogus fears come true.

  2. MonteCristo says:

    We can’t nominate this guy. I’m not looking to anyone in this failed state for leadership on that issue.

    But he needs to be pressured to drop out and I hope we see it soon from elected officials here.

    A whittmer/moore ticket sounds nice.

    As a larger matter, I think everyone over the age of 60 needs to be taken out of party leadership.

    If you’re running in a democrat primary as the establishment in this state -you’re done. The down ballot effect this is going to have on races here…. The presidents home state….. I’m fascinated to see.

    This is nothing but a gut punch to the party and an embarrassing development for the state. Imagine thinking you’re going to the convention from the presidents state. And then this happens.

    Bye bye Betsy.

    • Of course, who you replace Biden with–and how you make that determination–creates a whole new set of problems.

      You just kick Kamala Harris to the curb? You nominate her?

      No solution will be less than messy. But that’s where we are because we didn’t have an open primary to select the nominee.

      • MonteCristo says:

        Agreed. It’s a mess. Kamala is far far from my favorite but she likely has a better chance of winning than Biden.
        The entire argument for Biden has been that we risk democracy by voting for the other guy.

        I love Joe Biden. I hate Donald trump. I’m a life long democrat. But I have a hard time going in with a straight face and voting for Joe Biden now. He obviously isn’t well mentally or physically. I don’t see how he saves democracy.

        Joe Biden needs to drop out today. If he actually gives a fuck about us.

        Release his delegates. Let’s have candidates run and let’s vote on it at the convention. I think that process, while messy, will lead to a better outcome then where we are now. There’s still four more months of this election. Joe Biden isn’t going to be elected again. He and his family needs to understand that.

  3. Alby says:

    Still waiting to hear from someone whose vote was changed.

    • I’m sure they’re all flocking to Biden as we speak…

    • anon says:

      Your point is well taken, but also illustrates the problem. Biden needs to change some votes and/or get non-voters or occasional voters to the polls. His performance last night will not accomplish either of those tasks. Furthermore, his performance depresses any enthusiasm from the activists on the ground trying to do that work on his behalf. This is going to be a mess and its a mess of the Democratic Party’s own making and hubris.

    • mediawatch says:

      He hasn’t changed my vote, but that performance changed my mind about opening my wallet on his behalf between now and Nov. 5. Anything I’d give wouldn’t make a difference.

    • Jarvis says:

      You won’t, because the people who changed their mind last night decided that given the options, voting wasn’t worth their time. When you start losing the interest of casual/low info voters, the MAGAs win

    • Alby says:

      As always, lots of bold predictions about what other people will do. Hubris indeed.

  4. Bamboozer says:

    Fighting on in old age despite a strong urge to get the hell out in 2016, political cowardice ruled the day when Biden was not challenged for the nomination, as expected for this round he lost and there is no putting a bright face on it. As noted until we clear house at the DNC nothing will change.

  5. Jason says:

    If it results in tearing down the DNC’s Clintonite Ancien Régime once and for all, I guess the Trump years would have accomplished something.

  6. Sussex Worker says:

    The Delaware Supreme Court has overturned the Superior Court decision prohibiting Early Voting and Permanent Absentee lists. The Court determined that the Plaintiffs, Jane Brady, Gerald Hocker et. al., lacked Standing, as they alleged no harm The decision reinstates both Early Voting and Permanent Absentee ballots for the 2024 General Election.

  7. Supreme Court Takes Chainsaw To Regulations:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/28/supreme-court-chevron-federal-agency-authority/

    “The Supreme Court on Friday curtailed the power of federal government agencies to regulate vast swaths of American life, overturning a 40-year-old legal precedent long targeted by conservatives who say the government gives unaccountable bureaucrats too much authority.”

    “The precedent, established in 1984, gave federal agencies flexibility to determine how to implement legislation passed by Congress. The framework has been used extensively by the U.S. government to defend regulations designed to protect the environment, financial markets, consumers and the workplace.

    “While lower courts have relied on the Chevron in tens of thousands of cases evaluating federal rules and orders, conservatives have balked at the legal precedent, and the approach has fallen out of favor in the last decade as the Supreme Court moved to the right. The high court’s conservative supermajority includes three justices nominated by President Donald Trump, whose administration put a premium on judges skeptical of federal government power and the so-called administrative state.”

  8. Supreme Court: “Fuck The Homeless”:

    https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/28/us/politics/supreme-court-homelessness.html

    “The Supreme Court on Friday upheld an Oregon city’s laws aimed at banning homeless residents from sleeping outdoors, saying they did not violate the Constitution’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment.

    The decision is likely to reverberate beyond Oregon, altering how cities and states in the West police homelessness.”

  9. Supreme Court: “Rioters Improperly Charged”:

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/28/supreme-court-obstruction-jan-6-trump/

    “Federal prosecutors improperly charged hundreds of Jan. 6 defendants with obstruction, the Supreme Court ruled on Friday, upending many cases against rioters who disrupted the certification of the 2020 presidential election.

    The Supreme Court’s ruling has the potential to affect the convictions and sentences of a small set of rioters — around 27 — who are serving time in prison for only this felony. It also could impact about 110 more who are awaiting trial or sentencing, according to prosecutors. In addition, the ruling could affect former president Donald Trump’s stalled trial for allegedly trying to remain in power after his 2020 defeat; two of the four charges he faces are based on the obstruction statute, and he could move to have those charges dismissed.”

  10. Which reminds me–one idea being floated is to convince Sonia Sontamayor to retire and to nominate as her replacement–Kamala Harris.

    Raising the all-too-obvious question: Could she/would she cast the tie-breaking vote to put herself on the Supreme Court?

  11. The MoMo says:

    The Corrupt ChristianaCash Cult is about to change — the vote to unionize won with 68% in favor. I think this has only been a public effort for under two months, which is pretty incredoble. And, I’ve heard that they will be the biggest medical worker union in the country. Meanwhile, the removal of multiple members of ChristianaCash executive leadership right around the time this effort began publicly still has yet to fully come to light… but I suppose whistleblower suits take time…

  12. Arthur says:

    Statistically, one or both candidates won’t survive the next 4 years. So we really aren’t voting for the next 4 years. It’s a vote for the next 40

  13. paul says:

    Even an experienced debater can get stymied by a well delivered Gish Gallop. Why didn’t Joe’s staff prep him for that. It’s how djt demolished the field in 2016. For djt’s part, having nothing else, it was worth a try…