We got some serious ratfucking going on with the “Pass The Torch USA” PAC. If you are not aware, this PAC has paid for a TV ad to run on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” urging President Biden to quit the presidential race. But did you know that this supposed “Democratic” PAC was formed by Dean Phillips and Steve Schmidt? There is now a report out from the NYT that one of the Pass The Torch contributors is Tom Strickler, a big donor, who has threatened Democratic Senators like Heinrich of NM with loss of funding if they do not come out against Biden (Heinrich has now publicly called for Biden to quit the race).
Before I go to the ad, here is what others have reported about Pass The Torch USA:
Pass the Torch USA was created in November to promote the presidential campaign of Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota. Phillips announced in late October that he would challenge President Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024.
Phillips, who tried to convince more well-known Democrats to run against Biden, said he entered the race because some early election polling indicated that Biden could lose in a general election matchup against former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination. In the speech announcing his long-shot candidacy, Phillips said he is “the Democratic candidate who can win” in 2024, and “it is time for the torch to be passed to a new generation of American leaders.”
Pass the Torch USA is registered as a super PAC, or independent expenditure-only committee. As such, it can accept unlimited donations that it can use to fund communications that advocate for or against candidates for public office. But it is prohibited from coordinating directly with candidates, campaigns or political parties. It also must periodically disclose its donors to the Federal Election Commission.
Steve Schmidt, who advised campaigns for Republicans George W. Bush, John McCain and Arnold Schwarzenegger, helped launch the pro-Phillips super PAC. Schmidt, a former Republican, also was part of the team that co-founded the mostly anti-Trump Lincoln Project in 2019.
Remember, Congressman Dean Phillips ran on a nothing campaign against President Biden. His only difference with Biden is, well, he is not Biden. And according to Phillips, Biden cannot win. That’s it.
Voters had a chance to evaluate Phillips, and we rejected his wealthy ass.
And should ANYONE on the Democratic side trust fuckin’ Steve Schmidt???
As for Strickler:
“If you don’t publicly call for Biden to step aside, you are not getting a dime from me,” said Tom Strickler, the founder of Hollywood talent agency WME, to New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich’s team last Thursday. Strickler said he had been planning to financially support seven of the most vulnerable Democratic senators, but would not be doing so because they still backed Biden’s candidacy.
“It’s a message that I’ve encouraged my friends to send as well,” Strickler said. “If you back Biden, you will lose our support. Over and out.”
And what did Heinrich do?
Heinrich becomes third Senate Democrat to call on Biden to withdraw
Here is more on the people behind the efforts to force Biden to quit the race:
Now, here is the TV ad:
Who the fuck is “we”? We already had primaries to pick our nominee. And President Joe Biden got the majority of the delegates. There is nothing in the ad that says, “Here is how ‘we’ can pick a new nominee.” Notice how they do not mention who the choices would be for this “we.”
NO MENTION OF KAMALA HARRIS!
This is a recipe for chaos. No one has any real plan if Biden was to drop out of the race. Those calling for him to quit seem to leave all that up in the air, and they are letting some of us think, “We just have the Biden delegates vote for Harris!”
But notice no one is saying, “Let’s go for Kamala Harris!” It’s always an after thought.
Does anyone SERIOUSLY THINK THAT DEAN PHILLIPS, TOM STRICKLER, AND STEVE SCHMIDT WANT KAMALA HARRIS FOR A PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE?
This is why I think calls for President Joe Biden to quit the race is just RATFUCKERY from those who hate Biden/Harris policies.
Snap out of it folks! The folks leading the charge against Biden do NOT care about our democracy!