Observation # 1- the MSM and Beltway pundits have no real interest in Trump scandals or miscues because nothing changes with them. His supporters still support him, the GOP still backs him, and the rest of us still hate him. Nothing new!
Observation # 2- since the Democrats are still a normal political party, and most liberals care what is said in the NYT and WaPo, as well as other news outlets, Democratic “scandals” mean something. Things might change! Voters might change their opinion, other elected reps may abandon the person in the scandal, and someone might get fired/resign. There’s a story there!
Observation # 3- the bulk of current “political reporting” is more akin to canvassing a high school lunch room. Even if it concerns legislation, it pretty much comes down to “Who’s up?”, “Who’s down?”, “Who’s in?”, “Who’s out?”, and basically gossip as reporting.
So after a noneventful presidential primary season, the Beltway press is wetting its pants over a moment that combines all three of those things.
Is Biden staying in? Is he being pushed out? Are the donors asking him to step down? Is Kamala going to take his place? Do they want to pick someone else at the convention?
Yadda yadda yadda….we all know it.
And suffice to say that Trump could wet his pants on stage at one of his rallies during this and no one would care. Doesn’t change anything!
OK, if nothing changing means “boring” and “no one cares”, then two can play that game.
I’d advise all Democrats, when asked, to say “I support the nominee.”
Of course the reporters asking will want to know who. But, in the end, does it matter?
I’m not taking anything away from Biden, who has been far better than I thought. I’m not uplifting or downplaying anyone else.
But the other option is Donald Trump. We’d vote for a dog instead of him (and we’d be the better for it).
For us, the Democratic base, it doesn’t matter who it is because we’re voting for them anyway. So let’s take it away as an issue.
If you have to be boring to make the gossip hounds go away….be boring in that way.
And right now, it works for us to be boring in that way. The more boring we are insofar as who the nominee is, the more time that the MSM can remind everyone how terrible Trump is, if they care to. Or the more time we have to remind everyone else, since we’re taking “who” the nominee is off the table.
If people try and read that as a move away from Biden, simply say that right now he’s the nominee, so that’s who we support. For all the questions after that, back to “I support the nominee.”
I think this decision is up to Biden (though he’s made it as of Wednesday night), not the donors or panicky Democrats. I think a lot of the people that want to swap out Joe know next to nothing about the details of getting on 50 state ballots or campaign financing. I think a lot of people view this all as a TV show, because that is what it is to them. Re-cast! Even at the last minute. There’s a trap in that. Our 21st century media can handle it: I’m not as sure about our 19th century electoral system.
But for now, let’s take the drama out of it as far as we are concerned.