this post was submitted on 06 Dec 2023
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politics

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[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)
[–] Pronell@lemmy.world 83 points 11 months ago (4 children)

This is why we have no honesty in politics.

For fucks sake. He's trying to do everything he can to alert the country their democracy is in grave danger to the point of admitting he wouldn't still be there if he didn't think he had the best chance of stopping Trump.

And at the sidelines we have endless hand-wringing about his age and calls for a better candidate.

THEY ARENT STEPPING UP BECAUSE THEY AGREE BIDEN HAS THE BEST CHANCE.

Everyone complains the Democrats suck at messaging and then bitch about everything they say and do, even when it's honest, straightforward, and easy to understand.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 18 points 11 months ago (1 children)

THEY ARENT STEPPING UP BECAUSE THEY AGREE BIDEN HAS THE BEST CHANCE.

This is not at all the only conclusion one would draw from an incumbent president not drawing challengers. Incumbent challenges usually cause division and a divided party may be in a worse place than a party unifying around a bad candidate. If Biden decides to run, we're pretty much stuck with him.

[–] Pronell@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

That is kinda fair.

I am totally dismissing both Cornell West* (thanks for the correction) and Robert Kennedy Jr because of their third party runs in this environment, and anyone else wanting to challenge Biden would need to make a very solid case that they are a better pick.

It's worth saying I wanted Bernie. I don't think even trying to pivot to him would be a good idea.

[–] lolcatnip@reddthat.com 10 points 11 months ago

Also RFK is batshit.

[–] Zaktor@sopuli.xyz 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Cory Booker

I don't think this is who you meant. Cornell West maybe?

I think we're stuck with Biden. We'd be in a better place if he'd had some humility and announced he wasn't going to run again so we could have a primary with worthy candidates in it, but he didn't, so here we are.

[–] Pronell@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Yeah, him, and thanks for the correction. It's late, I'm tired and obviously cranky.

Also agreed, but he would have needed to say that four years ago and honestly, that move to have everyone else step aside back then so Biden could get the nomination destroyed the credibility of every one of those younger candidates.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

To be clear, I’m fine with him and his age, I just think the minimal quote that will inevitably be amplified may be too useful for the hand-wringers and GOP.

[–] Pronell@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

That's fair, but they'll also do that with anything he says while taking credit for his accomplishments.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 3 points 11 months ago

Oh of course, I wouldn’t expect anything less than their lowest.

[–] return2ozma@lemmy.world 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Or, they could actually do more for the people.

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yeah because the NoVote crowd sure made that easy to accomplish letting the GOP back into the house.

[–] assassin_aragorn@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (1 children)

It's a vicious cycle.

  • Democrats win but don't get a supermajority

  • People balk that they aren't doing anything and need to be taught a lesson to go further left

  • Republicans win the subsequent midterm because of poor turnout

  • The country gets dragged to the right, and people balk that Democrats aren't making things better or stopping them

  • Republicans win the presidency and Congress

  • People complain that it's Democrats faults because they didn't do anything to inspire them to vote

Withholding a vote to push Dems left would work if Republicans actually were basically the same. But because they're right wing extremists, all it accomplished is the opposite. The country moves right, not left.

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

I like how in your example the Republicans get to push the country right but the Dems cant push it left. Republicans are not winning super majorities every time they do things, and yet they get it done. There's a large monied wing of the Democrats that works as hard as the Republicans to block a lot of progress, and time and time again magic spoiler democrats come out of nowhere and theres always just enough of them, really curious how there's always just enough of those types to keep the rich donors safe.

Democrats do not want to do what they say they want to do as much as Republicans want to do what they say they want do.

[–] dx1@lemmy.world -4 points 11 months ago

"Our democracy" has been dead for a century. You guys are like rats running around a maze with your moronic "lesser of two evils" between two parties all controlled by the same interests.

[–] doctorcrimson@lemmy.today 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I liked it. Makes it seem like he isn't disconnected from the world, he knows what we want.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Overall in total, I probably agree, but the raw quote of saying that he’d probably not be running if Trump wasn’t running is giving certain groups too much ammo. They won’t present or repeat everything said, just that tiny quote or versions of it.

[–] MisterCreamyShits@lemm.ee 10 points 11 months ago (1 children)

OTOH if the GOP wants Biden to drop out all they have to do is get Trump to do the same. So it’s on them. They want Biden out all Trump has to do is continue to shit his pants in FL and never run again.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 0 points 11 months ago

“all they have to do” LOL

I mean, yeah, but…….

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

He didn't say probably. He said he wasn't sure. Those are two vastly different things.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Fine, the implication drawn by hand wringers and the GOP will be the same. They don’t care about your semantics.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They don't care about truth and reality either. If you play the game of addressing every GOP slander and lie you'll lose every time. They just keep flinging crap at the wall in the hopes something sticks. They don't care how many buckets it takes.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

addressing every GOP slander and lie

I’m not doing that, I’m just saying it’s unhelpful to give them ammunition that is or could be specifically age-oriented or imply retirement, etc, when that’s the absolute number one attack point by the opposition, Dem or GOP. This isn’t hard to understand.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)

And I'm saying it's pointless to worry about ammunition when they just make everything up anyway. Playing defense doesn't work. You're looking at this statement purely defensively. You need to look at it and spin it offensively. "I care so much about this country and protecting it from blatant fascism that I'm going into the breach once more." That's the sentiment.

[–] mateomaui@reddthat.com -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Goddamn some of you are exhausting. Since you can’t get over it, I’ll just block your dumb ass.

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Careful, somebody might use that statement as ammunition as you say...