This is the last thing I’m going to say regarding Biden dropping out or nah. I have my opinions on it (a: not gonna happen so it’s a moot point b: there are shit tons of logistical problems if he does ranging from overcoming “disarray” and “smoky back room” narratives to “can they get their name on all the state ballots” to “you know, the donations can’t be just switched over, nor can the campaign materials)
...but also, just to be clear: if I am wrong, so be it, I’ll welcome it.
Don’t care about being right. Don’t want to argue. Will literally vote for three dead raccoons in a trench coat and crawl over broken glass to not only do so but try to persuade as many people as I possibly can to do so also.
Because the alternative is fascism. Yes, we’ve been saying it, but with the SCOTUS decision on Monday, shit just got a LOT more real.
That’s the narrative. That’s the campaign.
That’s on US. The media, yes, but also every single shit poster, Tiktoker, people writing letters to the editor or calling in to yell at pundits, talking to relatives (sure am looking forward to mine).
Vote for the Dem ticket—ALL of it, but especially POTUS-- or we’re fucked.
That’s it. That’s all.
I want to allow some grace for the people who claim they FEEL gaslit because THEY are alarmed by Biden's performance, and that's cool, I get ya, *you may be right.* Maybe he is in cognitive decline. Maybe he’s just old and stubborn and tired and stuttery and doesn’t like being told what to do. Maybe it’s both. Maybe it’s Maybelline. Maybe he’ll drop dead tomorrow.
But if we're doing the straight talk thing: It. Doesn't. Matter.
Here’s why:
No one is coming to save us. Not Biden, not Harris, not ?unknown candidate with a strong voice and good hair and a better polling average in the Siena/NYT average that actually lasts.
Obama was supposed to be the one, right? We’re not getting another Obama, and as it turns out, Obama was never enough anyway. We went from hope and change to this.
That doesn’t mean stop believing in hope and change. It means we *need to stop believing someone else is going to fix this.*
We can’t count on The Right Candidate. We can’t count on the press. We can’t count on the courts, fuck knows.
Scary as shit as it is, we are the grownups we’re looking for. And acknowledge: this is unknown territory.
Reality is acknowledging we don’t KNOW what’s going to happen, but we can only take the steps we can take.
As such, while we still can work within the trappings of democracy. At least to start with, I went ahead and, like many of you signed up for postcards. secure.everyaction.com/…
If you haven’t, and don’t have anything else you’re already doing, I want to implore you to do this with me. Note: I HATE handwriting anything. I have dyspraxia. My writing looks like undead chicken scrawl. Nonetheless. It’s simple enough.
That’s one thing. It’s small. It’s bougie. It may not be enough. But it’s where I’m starting this week.
What else this week: I canceled my WaPo subscription and wrote them a nice long comment as to why--to wit: yes, the narrative matters in a campaign, and YOU ARE CONTRIBUTING TO IT and why the hell are the SCOTUS decision, Project 2025 and Heritage Foundation goon declaring victory over the left, “bloodless,” IF we don’t fight back not ALL the fucking front page (domestic) articles.
I also bought a couple of these nifty t shirts as modeled by the lovely 10th Doctor (David Tennant, IYKYK)
steviesafespaces.com
The original “You Will Have To Go Through Me” and also “Gender Affirmative Treatment Saves Lives.”
Why: I have had many trans loved ones, and loved ones with trans loved ones, and also trans clients. Not minor, but I’m acutely aware of how life or death appropriate health care is, and how cruel and awful it already is and will undeniably get so much worse if Trump gets in. (and even now, SCOTUS’ decision to gut agencies’ authority is already making an impact on yet another Biden executive order, to trans peoples’ detriment).
And I am going to take a deep breath and finally sit down and read all of Timothy Snyder’s “On Tyranny.” I’ve been so stomach twisted to really read through the whole thing, but seems like now would be a good time.
I did get as far as lesson one:
“Do Not Obey In Advance.”
i would submit, in conclusion here, that running away with the narrative of BIDEN MUST (or must not, even) DROP OR WE’RE DOOMED or WE’RE DOOMED ANYWAY THERE IS NOTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT is, in fact, a form of obeying in advance.
Because they want us to be scared and swallow their narrative.
Let’s reframe. And we can be scared—fuck knows I am, but also? Let’s be MAD.
Let’s be FURIOUS.
I fucking am.
And yep, even hopeful. Not fantasy. Just hope.
Note: I will not be engaging with further arguments about Biden dropping out (or not). You do you.
I will be engaging with people talking about what actions they’re taking. I’m looking for ideas, especially on community building.
EDITED TO ADD:
By the way, I am NOT saying there is not ALSO plenty to go on viz Biden’s track record, and the superiority of the Dem platform in general, and absolutely we should also be saying this. Another boost to this diary, and thank you for posting it, jai2 www.dailykos.com/…
What I am suggesting mostly with this here diary is this:
Fear and anger are GREAT motivators. That’s how Trump does it, after all.
If you can’t trust swing/disaffected/hate both sides voters to respond atavistically to blunt and clear presentation of “this is what SCOTUS just did, this is Trump declaring his intent for military tribunals, this is Project 2025, this is your democracy on life support, any questions,” what -do- you trust them to respond to?