2024 USA Election: Wishin' and Hopin'

[Stavros]

Re: two previous posts: Gingrich was covering his backside, and goes on with sophistry to argue he is 'restoring' the Constitutional principles he thinks the US was founded on, but then goes on to, in effect say, what the hell, if they do It to Trump, Trump will do It to them. What is the FBI for if not law enforcement?

Defunding the Police was all the rage in the wake of George Floyd's death, and it was used by Republicans to show how irresponsible the Democrats were on law and order -yet as far as I know, the only Police Department to be 'de-funded' was in a Republican county I think in Maine, and Trump is not just arguing for de-funding, but the abolition of the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency so that their issues can be 'returned' to the States, thereby increasing their autonomy from the Federal structure he probably doesn't want the States to be part of in the future.

Through such actions, Trump and his cult are preparing the ground for the effective dissolution of the Union, and its replacement by 50 independent states.

[Stavros]

"Donald Trump reportedly sent vetting documents to potential running mates recently ― and the short list should be no surprise.Multiple news outlets reported Wednesday that Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) plus Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) have received the forms, as have North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson."
Here Are Trump VP Candidates Who Reportedly Received Vetting Papers For The Job (yahoo.com)

If it goes to the least known and exciting, must be Burgum...? Always assuming he doesn't go for Peter Navarro or Michael Flynn.

[Stavros]

I just watched the CNN broadcast.

America, you have a problem. A big problem.

[KnightHawk 2.0]

I just watched the CNN broadcast.

America, you have a problem. A big problem.

I have also watch the First Presidential Debate. Donald -Orange Rambling Clown-Trump used the same playbook he used in 2020,and is a pathological liar,and the incumbent Joe Biden's performance wasn't very good. And Democratic Strategists are concerned about his performance.

[filghy2]

I didn't watch it as I'm not a masochist, but it sounds like it was a disaster for Biden. I don't take pleasure in being vindicated on this, but I told you so a few months back.

The big problem with Biden isn't lack of charisma, it's age. He seems to lack mental sharpness and energy and that's only going to get worse through a gruelling campaign and then four more years if he was to win. Most of the current problems may have been due to circumstances beyond his control, but too often he comes across as passive and ineffectual in response. Successful Presidents tend to be defined by how well they respond to adverse developments.

Not surprisingly, Trump lied and dissembled continually, but Biden just doesn't seem mentally sharp enough to capitalise.

It sounds like some Democrats are now talking about whether Biden can be replaced as candidate. They should have been doing that six months ago.

[Fitzcarraldo]

It sounds like some Democrats are now talking about whether Biden can be replaced as candidate. They should have been doing that six months ago.

They've been doing that for at least four years.

[Stavros]

I didn't watch it as I'm not a masochist, but it sounds like it was a disaster for Biden. I don't take pleasure in being vindicated on this, but I told you so a few months back.



Not surprisingly, Trump lied and dissembled continually, but Biden just doesn't seem mentally sharp enough to capitalise.

It sounds like some Democrats are now talking about whether Biden can be replaced as candidate. They should have been doing that six months ago.

On one level you were right, but on another level I believe the view was that while Biden is not an inspiring speaker on public platforms his long experience in DC has given him negotiating skills, he has and has promoted a progressive agenda, and crucially, his team is made up of mature people. The obvious problem is that when it comes to presentation skills, Trump can shout louder and appear stronger though I must admit Biden's age is painfully evident, even if most of the time he is of sound mind.

Just as depressing was the abject failure of the two hosts to challenge Trump on his ludicrous assertions -have 'millions and millions' of illegal migrants crossed the border in under 4 years, and are they from mental institutions, prisons and so on? As with Farage in this country claiming immigrants are a drain on social services, most of them are young and fit and don't need health care and are available for work immediately, and in both the US and the UK there are minimum wage laws that employers ought not to violate.

Then there is the 'I did not have sex with that woman' lie, the claim Biden is a 'Manchurian Candidate', so preposterous it beggars belief neither Tapper nor Bash challenged Trump to offer proof, while all the facts -defaming E Jean Carroll, stealing government documents, endorsing the seditious attack on the US, and so on, went unremarked. Biden couldn't handle it, he had no means of directly challenging or refuting what Trump says, but were Trump's hysterical rants enough to convince undecided voters?

As for the Democrats, procedurally they have to find a new candidate if Jill can persuade Joe to drop out (I don't think anyone else can), but then there is the list for the Convention to consider -Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, Beshear, Buttigieg, and someone called Wes More about whom I know nothing, in fact I never heard of him until this morning- I assume any one of them would shred Trump in a public debate, but the process of choosing one of them will not be easy.

There is still time to act, but will they?

[KnightHawk 2.0]

I didn't watch it as I'm not a masochist, but it sounds like it was a disaster for Biden. I don't take pleasure in being vindicated on this, but I told you so a few months back.



Not surprisingly, Trump lied and dissembled continually, but Biden just doesn't seem mentally sharp enough to capitalise.

It sounds like some Democrats are now talking about whether Biden can be replaced as candidate. They should have been doing that six months ago.

Completely agree,if the Democrats thought that President Joe Biden wasn't up the task of serving a second term?,they should have began the process of finding someone who they think has a better of defeating Donald Trump over a year ago.But they didn't ,the 2024 Election is over four months away,and it is too late now to find a replacement and Joe Biden will be the Democratic Nominee whether they like it or not.

[KnightHawk 2.0]

On one level you were right, but on another level I believe the view was that while Biden is not an inspiring speaker on public platforms his long experience in DC has given him negotiating skills, he has and has promoted a progressive agenda, and crucially, his team is made up of mature people. The obvious problem is that when it comes to presentation skills, Trump can shout louder and appear stronger though I must admit Biden's age is painfully evident, even if most of the time he is of sound mind.

Just as depressing was the abject failure of the two hosts to challenge Trump on his ludicrous assertions -have 'millions and millions' of illegal migrants crossed the border in under 4 years, and are they from mental institutions, prisons and so on? As with Farage in this country claiming immigrants are a drain on social services, most of them are young and fit and don't need health care and are available for work immediately, and in both the US and the UK there are minimum wage laws that employers ought not to violate.

Then there is the 'I did not have sex with that woman' lie, the claim Biden is a 'Manchurian Candidate', so preposterous it beggars belief neither Tapper nor Bash challenged Trump to offer proof, while all the facts -defaming E Jean Carroll, stealing government documents, endorsing the seditious attack on the US, and so on, went unremarked. Biden couldn't handle it, he had no means of directly challenging or refuting what Trump says, but were Trump's hysterical rants enough to convince undecided voters?

As for the Democrats, procedurally they have to find a new candidate if Jill can persuade Joe to drop out (I don't think anyone else can), but then there is the list for the Convention to consider -Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, Beshear, Buttigieg, and someone called Wes More about whom I know nothing, in fact I never heard of him until this morning- I assume any one of them would shred Trump in a public debate, but the process of choosing one of them will not be easy.

There is still time to act, but will they?

I watched President Joe Biden give a fiery speech at a campaign rally in Raleigh North Carolina earlier today,where the crowd was chanting four more years and chanting his name. He also really went after Donald Trump,and addressed the elephant in the room about his age and says he could do the job. And it sounds like he's not stepping down from the Campaign Trail anytime soon. However if he did decide to step aside,Vice President Kamala Harris would be the next in line to be the democratic nominee,and she would mop the floor with Donald Trump and shred him in a public debate. No i don't think they will act.

[filghy2]

As for the Democrats, procedurally they have to find a new candidate if Jill can persuade Joe to drop out (I don't think anyone else can), but then there is the list for the Convention to consider -Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, Beshear, Buttigieg, and someone called Wes More about whom I know nothing, in fact I never heard of him until this morning- I assume any one of them would shred Trump in a public debate, but the process of choosing one of them will not be easy.

There is still time to act, but will they?

They need to find someone who satisfies the minimum requirement of being able to make clear arguments off the cuff without losing their train of thought, but on previous form they probably won't. Biden seems to have a bad case of stubborn old man syndrome. Ironically, in trying to protect his pride he is probably ensuring his own humiliation.

It's galling that many people in the party who see more of him than we do must have know it wasn't tenable for him to run again, yet they talked themselves into a state of paralysis where any other option was seen as too hard. In it's own way, this is almost a big a failure as the Republican Party's failure to see off Trump after the last election.

Given Biden's age, more thought should have been given to the future in the lead-up to the 2020 election. More thought should have been given to choosing a VP who would be able to step into Biden's shoes if needed. Those who through their support behind him in 2020 should have insisted on conditions about running again. They should have known that statistically there was a big risk of mental and physical decline.