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PaperclipPerfector  2mo ago (text post)   38672 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of July 15, 2024

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I don't think so. I think politicians say stuff with no intention or ability to actually change things all the freaking time.

It probably shows that more and more Democrats are making the calculation that it's better for their personal position to call for him to drop out than to keep pretending that he's fine.

That pivot has to have some correlation with perceived likelihood of him dropping out, though? There were whispers, they quietened a bit, and now they're back in action so I think there must be some sort of potential weakness displayed by Biden.

That pivot has to have some correlation with perceived likelihood of him dropping out, though?

I think it has to have some correlation with him doing badly. That could be dropping out or losing the election.

But if this is some managed kabuki theater before Biden steps down, I'd expect one of the names floating around to replace him to be solidified a bit before any of it actually goes down. Maybe I'm not plugged in enough, but that doesn't seem to have happened.

Betting markets think it's most likely Harris

so I think there must be some sort of potential weakness displayed by Biden.

The weakness displayed by Biden is that he hasn't responded, at all.

Your ace pitcher goes out and gets shelled. Ok, whatever, off night, it happens, no real impact on your perception of him. But then he goes out and gives up three runs in five 2/3 innings the next time around. Normal below-average outing, not reallly a sign of anything. But then he goes through two more starts and never makes it to the seventh inning. Now you're starting to wonder if he's lost his fastball.

I think Biden has been distinctly below average, but not notably so, over the time since the debate. If he had performed well at the debate, we wouldn't have any feeling that this represented a problem. But after the debate, he needed to come out and right the ship, and he hasn't. And a lot of people in the horse-race political media are saying "Why aren't the Biden people doing more?" And it's slowly becoming clear that they're not doing more because they can't, because he can't.

It is weird. If they didn’t come out and say anything, then isn’t the blame mostly with Biden? If they say something and Biden stays and loses, then isn’t some of the blame directed to them? Likewise if Harris replaces Biden and loses, isn’t some of the blame directed to them?

What is the upside play? I wonder if this helps somehow down ballot races.

It is weird. If they didn’t come out and say anything, then isn’t the blame mostly with Biden? If they say something and Biden stays and loses, then isn’t some of the blame directed to them?

I don't understand this. If Biden loses after you (some Democratic politician) stay silent, then Democratic voters can blame you for not pressuring him enough to drop out (even if "enough" to convince Biden were an impossibility). Biden would probably still take most of the blame, but you'd be left vulnerable due to your apparent lack of effort to prevent this outcome. On the other hand, if you speak out and Biden still runs and loses, you can claim to have predicted this and worked your hardest to prevent it but was helpless to do so due to Biden not listening to reason. It'd at least provide a defense.

I suppose voters could blame you and others who spoke out for casting doubt on Biden and thus making him a weaker candidate vs Trump? Given how many Americans, even Democrats, seem to consider Biden already too old to run the campaign/country, I'd think that a politician loudly proclaiming such doubt wouldn't stand out as harmful, just as someone speaking an uncomfortable truth.

Maybe. I was just thinking it is pretty deadly to their candidate.

I think a lot of the upside play is they don't have to go around making themselves look stupid insisting Biden is as sharp and vigorous as ever.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

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