this post was submitted on 05 Feb 2024
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President Joe Biden on Sunday ticked through a list of reasons he says a second Donald Trump presidency would be a “nightmare” for the country as he urged Nevada Democrats to vote for him in the state’s presidential primary this week and for his party at large in November.

Biden opened a campaign swing with a fundraiser where he focused on Trump’s ample history of provocative statements — his description of Jan. 6 rioters as “hostages,” his musing about a former top military officer deserving execution, his branding of fallen soldiers as “suckers” and “losers,” his wish to be a Day One “dictator,” his vow to supporters that “I am your retribution,” and more.

Then it was on to a community center in a predominantly Black section of Las Vegas, where he told his crowd of several hundred that “you’re the reason we’ll make Donald Trump a loser again.”

Biden said the stakes were huge when he took on Trump in 2020 — “what made America America, I thought, was at risk’ — and they are even larger now as a likely rematch looms.

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[–] [email protected] -1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

if there was a better alternative

The White House campaign team and the DNC made a very deliberate effort to prevent anyone with a serious shot of challenging Biden off the primary ticket. I have no idea what they needed to trade (although I suspect its a fist-full of cabinet positions and a ton of fundraising money), but I guarantee there were better alternatives waiting in the wings. Even Gruesome Gavin Newsome and "Look out she's got a stapler" Klobacher aren't completely senile, and they're both still very hungry to try for the Top Job.

How do I "save democracy" by voting for this guy when he's done such a spectacular job of demolishing the institution at the primary level? How do I save democracy from a guy who insists there is only one valid choice in an election cycle?

I could say this about Biden, but lets be real. I could say this about practically anyone in the Two-Party Duopoly. I'm being told I need to defend democracy while living in a gerrymandered district who routinely watches his red governor strip tens of thousands of names off the voter rolls in my bright blue city. How the fuck does supporting this asshole do that?

you can only be optimistic for next time round

I've been optimistic since my first presidential election in 2004. This is the fifth time I've been told to "just be optimistic about next time". I'm out of optimism. These people suck. This party sucks. Its a suckers game to keep supporting them.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

aren’t completely senile

You completely lost all credibility at this point. By no metric is Biden "senile." He has been running a very competent administration. It's just some stupid propaganda that he isn't mentally fit to serve, based almost entirely on the fact that he's old and has a speech impediment.

How do I “save democracy” by voting for this guy when he’s done such a spectacular job of demolishing the institution at the primary level?

This literally never happened. The party always protects the incumbent, because they have tend to have the best chance of winning. Just because you think there are other better candidates doesn't change the benefit of being the incumbent. The party, of course, is going to protect itself and push to keep legitimate challengers off the ballot by telling them not to run but there has been no demolishing-the-primary going on. This is just made up nonsense.

How the fuck does supporting this asshole do that?

Who do you think is more likely to do something about gerrymandering and protecting voting rights?

Its a suckers game to keep supporting them.

If you are actually serious, the problem is that you have fallen into the typical pitfall of "it's a top down" game. That's not how it works. If you want real change, you should be working locally. Expecting to elect a president and then all of your problems are solved is just pure naivety. This doesn't mean that a POTUS can't really harm you (just look at how the election of Trump led to a drastic rightward shift of the COTUS and how it has stripped individual rights and is likely going to strip the executive branch from the ability to regulate) but if you want change, you have to work for it at the local level, and then work to help it trickle up.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

By no metric is Biden “senile.” He has been running a very competent administration.

So competent he's getting heckled out of his campaign events by the base of his party? So competent he's lost 20 approval points since October in a gangbusters economy?

Who do you think is more likely to do something about gerrymandering and protecting voting rights?

At this point? Trump does appear to be a guy who will bust up the system if it gets in his way.

Biden just rolls over, for fear of upsetting his fellow House octogenarians.

Expecting to elect a president and then all of your problems are solved

Donald Trump as president is an existential threat

Joe Biden as president is a useless lump.

What a curious way to view the office.

you have to work for it at the local level, and then work to help it trickle up.

Fuck right off with that nonsense. The party doesn't want help. They want to take your time and your money, then leave you used up when they've won.

This is a party of social climbers, not socialists. They aren't your friends and they have no interest in doing you any favors.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

So competent he’s getting heckled out of his campaign events by the base of his party? So competent he’s lost 20 approval points since October in a gangbusters economy?

You base a person's competency on public perception? Wow. Also, how does him getting heckled prove he is senile? You are basically saying "well, other people are falling for the propaganda! So that makes it true!"

At this point? Trump does appear to be a guy who will bust up the system if it gets in his way.

Wait, you're arguing that the guy who we have, on tape, trying to get someone to overturn an election they lost, is the one more likely to protect your right to vote? And you think they'll do this by "tearing it all down" and magically put something back in place that doesn't favor them? Holy shit.

Joe Biden as president is a useless lump.

You can see nothing between "solving all your problems" and being "a useless lump"? Again, wow.

This is right in line with the level of critical thought I normally see from "muh both sides!"-ers.

Fuck right off with that nonsense.

Of course, you don't want to work. You just want to complain.

This is a party of social climbers, not socialists. They aren’t your friends and they have no interest in doing you any favors.

I understand this, but I'm also smart enough to think on my own and actually see that the shit they are doing is thousands of times better for us all, especially in the long run, and not caught up in the doomerism propaganda that you are slurping down.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You base a person’s competency on public perception?

In a democracy, you kinda have to. That's the entire premise of the system.

You are basically saying “well, other people are falling for the propaganda!"

The most effective forms of propaganda are simply restatements of obvious truths that support your view.

Wait, you’re arguing that the guy who we have, on tape, trying to get someone to overturn an election they lost, is the one more likely to protect your right to vote?

No, I'm suggesting the guy we've got on tape trying to strong arm governors into overturning an election is the guy mostly likely to strong arm legislators into changing election laws.

Biden couldn't even deliver on DC Statehood. If the DC has been a free two Senator / six House Rep pickup for the GOP, Trump would have passed that bill on day one.

Of course, you don’t want to work.

Sisyphus fails because he is too lazy.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

In a democracy, you kinda have to. That’s the entire premise of the system.

Lol literally nothing about a democracy that requires you to hold such a dumb position as measuring competency on public opinion.

You're either incredibly dumb, or just incredibly disingenuous. Either way, I'm done.