So, I have spent the past few days pretty enraged. This is an election where literally everything is at stake, yet I feel the whole thing could not have been handled in a worse or more insensitive way. So, I have lots of questions. I do not trust the MSM, and that includes MSNBC. Frankly, I’ve not seen but a few minutes of any of the networks since November 2016, as I was so appalled with how Hillary was portrayed, the last minute hysteria (sound familiar), the obvious agendas of the networks. My life is better off without them — and yes, I follow Joy and Lawrence on Twitter (not doing “X”) but I won’t give the network ratings even for them.
Twitter, meanwhile, is a whole ball of range. People who I thought I greatly respected have turned out to be dicks. Jon Stewart, Rob Reiner, even my congressman Jim Himes. Instead of approaching this thing as something necessary, providing some tangible plan and roadmap, it came across as a bunch of super wealth white guys brokering for a candidate much like Elmo and Thiel are doing for Maga. Those initial pleas came off a super entitled and frankly devoid of any clear plan: How to set up a pop-up campaign, how to get funding, adopt a platform, win voters’ hearts and minds. So let me ask a bunch of questions in no particular order:
1) Let’s say the Biden decline is real and it’s stuff that the average person doesn’t see. Ok, my question, why in the fuck wasn’t there a primary? Why wasn’t Biden convinced to step down LAST year, giving Kamala a year plus in the job?
2) Do these backroom deals include or exclude Kamala? Because if she’s excluded, there will be massive backlash from Black and progressive voters.
3) What is the reality of the candidate being on all 50 ballots? I know Ohio can be an issue. But it is like a sure thing that the position on the ballot or is it like, well, we’ll let the Supreme Court decide. Because, I kinda can guess what they will decide.
4) Why was this stupid debate considered the be all of everything? I only saw excerpts but he indeed answered questions, got in some zingers etc. It’s not like he sat there and shat himself. Also, it amazes me that he could give 50 other real good performances and somehow it isn’t enough. Or the wildly different metric that is applied to Biden and Trump. Who here really thinks Trump would have been better if he were fact-checked and forced to research substantive policy issues? These debates have turned into a media circus with so little substance that I hope no Democrat does them again unless fundamental changes are made.
5) What outreach efforts have been planned for voters? For very angry Black and progressive voters? Also, have the tested the types of attacks that could be lobbed at any potential candidate — be it “ghetto Kamala”, “f****t Pete Buttigieg, Commie Gavin Newsom etc.? Or are people just expecting the media will be nice to the new candidate and not generate heinous stuff about them or let this slander or fake info go unchecked. Heaven knows the media was just lovely to President Gore, President Kerry and President Clinton.
6) Will any attempt be made to reach out to the 14 million people who voted for the Biden/Harris ticket? Or will it just be that Clooney/Adam Schiff/Schumer and Pelosi decided?
7) Is it wise that we let the media guide the discussion on this? Because they low-key tried this before — “Hillary has pneumonia — she should drop out for her health!! Or her emails” — If the media is able to put so much toxicity into the air, we know they will keep doing it. Maybe not “X is old” but “Y is….” They will find a narrative in hours. And the Jake Tappers and so many more of those horrific MSM people would love to grab onto them.
8) Are we looking at a lovely floor fight? If so, what are the plans to make this be different than 1968? Or any other contested convention?
9) I hear the whole range from Lichtman who say we will certainly lose without Biden to those who say we can’t win with him. Again, why wasn’t this all brought up before? But what happens if we swap out an 81-year-old man with a Black woman? I’m not talking here at Kos, I’m talking in Ohio, in Virginia etc. Or if it’s Gavin Newsom or who else. Or, are they still talking their gameshow concept to come up with a candidate?
10) How much of this is personal, political ambition instead of good for the country? How much of this is coming from California (as a native Californian, I want to know). How much of this is a downright racist attempt to circumvent a Black woman VP?
11) What would you say our odd of success are with any given candidate? Kamala, Newsom etc,? Are they like 50-50 or are they Luke Skywalker trying to hit an exhaust duct on the Death Star?
Sorry for blathering but I think all of us could use solid answers to all of these questions. I’m enraged, yet depressed yet terrified yet kind of resigned. Please give me your thoughts, reassurances etc. I’m very scared.