this post was submitted on 09 Jan 2024
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politics

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[–] [email protected] 123 points 9 months ago (4 children)
[–] [email protected] 68 points 9 months ago (5 children)

Everyone complains about Biden's age, but this guy actually tries to primary him and it gets a collective yawn from everyone.

I wish Biden weren't super old, but throwing our weight behind anyone but the incumbent just seems like a bad idea to me.

[–] [email protected] 44 points 9 months ago (4 children)

Only republicans yell about Biden’s age. Everyone who’s not braindead repube cares more about democracy vs fascism than someone’s age.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I care a lot about bidens age, actually, I just care that he isn't trump a lot more.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Also, if Biden's age is a factor, then Trump's age has to be a factor too. Trump is 4 years younger than Biden. That's nothing at their age. It would be like me saying that I'm 48 and a friend of mine is 50. All other things being equal, there would be little to no difference between us at our ages.

Of course, all other things aren't equal. Trump has demonstrated some worrying signs of cognitive decline. For example, claiming that he's running against Obama or claiming that he beat Obama in 2016. Yet the media seems to keep dismissing that as "Trump says weird stuff all the time." But if Biden has the tiniest slip-up, they'll scream "DEMENTIA" for weeks.

To me, there's another factor too. Let's say that either Trump or Biden, after winning in 2024, would have a major medical event and would be propped up Weekend At Bernie's style. For whatever reason, they'll still appear to be President, but the administration would actually run the show. Which administration would you want running things? Biden's or Trump's likely administration?

It's not even close in my book.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago

Seriously... Listen to Biden's recent interview on Conan O'Brien's podcast. He was surprisingly lucid, and I was very impressed by how he handled himself.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 9 months ago

Don't vote for the 81 year old guy. Vote for the 77 year old young guy!

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[–] [email protected] 31 points 9 months ago (14 children)

It's not just his age. I don't like Biden as a candidate or as a president. I want to vote for someone more progressive, and I wish he were a stronger competitor who guaranteed a victory. He is supremely beatable in November.

But hes the incumbent president, and there's no other Democrat who would be a better choice. Unless he dies or is otherwise incapacitated, he will be the nominee, and he's the best chance at keeping Trump, or any conservative, out of office.

This guy in New Hampshire, I've already forgotten his name and it's literally only a short scroll away, he isn't a serious contender. I don't care what he does because it is irrelevant.

[–] [email protected] 41 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I don't like him much, but he's a better president than I thought he would be. He's actually moved us down a more progressive path than I expected, especially considering he's had to fight every step of the way. He just never promotes any of it for some reason. The Inflation Reduction Act was a pretty good start on rebuilding our infrastructure even if the climate change goals were torpedoed by Manchin and even though Biden couldn't go as far as he wanted with his American Rescue Plan. He's been filling the federal courts with left-wing judges. He's done a huge amount to repair our international reputation after Trump threw it in the trash (although we'll see if that's still true considering Biden's Israel stance). He allowed Medicare to negotiate drug prices, which lowered the cost of insulin for millions of Americans. He got a ton of people's student loans forgiven, although not nearly as many as he wanted.

Do I wish we had an even better president? Absolutely. But he has been better than I expected and he has never had enough of congress on his side to get his agenda passed anywhere near the way he wanted it.

[–] [email protected] 36 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (6 children)

Build Back Better is the single largest investment in green infrastructure by any nation anywhere.

I want more, but I don't know that a more progressive president could have done better in this environment.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Build Back Better was killed by centrist darling Joe Manchin.

Do you mean some other piece of legislation?

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The best way to get more left leaning candidates is to move the Overton window left by destroying the repubs at the polls time after time.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Right. This isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. One of the most frustrating things I've seen progressives do is not get everything they want and then rage quit politics without realizing that this is even worse than only getting some of what you want.

In one respect, I wish progressives could be more like Republicans. After Roe v Wade, Republicans didn't rage quit politics. They pushed for abortion bans, lost, tried again, lost, and repeated until they got some small concession. Then they used that to slowly, over 50 years, build until they overturned Roe.

Now, obviously, I disagree with their goals. However, I can admire the long term effort put into this. If progressives could do this (with much better goals, of course), we might be able to do some amazing things. Yes, it would be slow at first and that can be frustrating, but imagine if we could have a country 30-50 years from now as far to the left as the Republicans are to the right (but much more sane).

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

I don't like his position on Israel, but I believe any other position would be political suicide, and with fascist traitors waiting in the wings for a second try, he can't afford to rock that boat. He's doing pretty well, considering how divided the country is, and the hand he was dealt.

Something has to give; our democracy is fraying. If not Orange Stalin, we are in serious danger that the next Republican will be someone more clever, but just as amoral. God forbid we see another Nixon.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago (1 children)

You're not wrong, but I think that says more about his ability as a leader than it does about the populace. If he were stronger, had better convictions, made better arguments, he probably would not be backed into so many corners.

But I also don't think he has strong opinions. I think he's an octogenarian politician who just wants to ride out the wave of circumstance into the history books. He was the right guy in the right place at the right time, offending the fewest and opposing the worst of humanity.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago

I mean, I don't want biden, but Phillips is basically just biden except young, basically every policy he has the same or worse position as biden.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

Well, at least he tried 😄 second winner 😄

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 9 months ago

Glad I'm not the only one, apparently all of new Hampshire as well.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago
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[–] [email protected] 32 points 9 months ago (2 children)

His girlfriend would've been there, but she goes to another school

[–] [email protected] 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

In Canada, you don't know her, but he has a pic proving that she is real! :-D

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 9 months ago (3 children)

"Government Repair Truck Coffee Conversations"

WTF does that even mean? Maybe that's part of the problem?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 9 months ago

I feel like there's a hyphen missing.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

Conversations over coffee with the driver of the government repair truck.

It’s so convoluted of a way to say I am going to fix the government and would like to hear from you on how

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Here's his platform if anybody wants to read it. I took a brief look and he doesn't look materially different from Biden. And Biden at least knows to cancel an event when it's 20 degrees and the roads are still being plowed. I hope.

I think the big problem in America is that we don't know what better even looks like anymore. Yeah, I could work and fight and donate and call and text for Dean Philips and I'll get more of the same. Or we might get worse, because Trump can at least draw flies.

The system is broken, and we all feel it.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 9 months ago (8 children)

It was literally like the first really cold day after the first decent snow storm this winter in New England, and it's a weekday. I wouldn't have gone even if I knew who the hell he is.

The primary candidate has already been chosen for the Democrats. Biden is probably the only candidate that stands a chance against Trump which is pretty fucking sad.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

He's the only one who stands a chance because he's effectively demanding the nomination (not an unusual stance from the party's incumbent). Any prominent Democrat could beat Trump, and probably more reliably than Biden given the polling and his unfavorables, but no one of stature will challenge Biden and risk splitting the party. Biden is not our best chance, but he's the only chance we're going to get.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Even more people know who Cenk Uygur is.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 7 points 9 months ago (5 children)
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[–] [email protected] 9 points 9 months ago

outside

amazing planning

[–] [email protected] 4 points 9 months ago
[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 months ago

I wonder if he is making money, or at least getting fundraising dollars

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