This is meant as an unofficial thread for the Daily Kos Elections crowd to discuss what is going on with Biden and efforts to get him to step down from the Presidential nomination. This is because very wisely talk over who should be the nominee aka primary talk is forbidden because it tends to drown out all other talk. All I ask for in this thread is that we keep it to electoral politics (how it will affect the election) rather than policy.
As things stand. The debate is in the rear view mirror but the press is in a general feeding frenzy. Some of it being summer being slow news days and there is nothing to knock it off the front page. Some of it being the Biden campaign has let it fester as it concentrated on reassuring inside players and waited until the George Stephanopoulos interview to have Biden make his public case.
He is ramping up his campaign schedule and seems on the outside going back to normal. Though towards a highly insulated normal. Opinions on his TV appearance like the debate probably have a lot to do with expectations. Mine were low for the debate so I never quite got everyone else’s freakout. TV appearance was okay. Looked tired and halting and low energy. Message wise he hit the right notes though not as strongly as one might like.
He looked pretty good in his public rallies. My take? People talk about Trump feeding from energy from the crowd. Biden is the same way if not more. The campaign needs to stop insulating him so much. A quiet interview or debate without an audience and barriers towards arguing with his opponent? That does not work for Biden. Sleepy quiet pleasant cerebral Biden does not play as well as feisty loud angry argumentative Biden.
Give him hard obnoxious questions. Give him an audience to play to. Give him challenges and challengers and he can rise to the occasion. Put him in a tired stale environment and he will look tired and stale.
To re-iterated process since any attempt to replace Biden must remain in reality.
1) The candidate for the Democratic Party will be chosen soon in a a roll call vote that will be virtual. Unless Biden steps aside he will win on the first ballot because almost all the delegates are pledged (even if not bound) to him. And these are people mostly selected by his campaign. If there is no majority on a first ballot voting will continue as many times and for as many days as necessary. This will occur BEFORE the convention which will not be “open.” Second ballot opens the Super Delegate flood gates.
2) The reason for the early nominating roll call is fears over challenges to ballot access. This means once August rolls around any switch in candidates comes with risks. The process post virtual roll call is a Pandora’s Box involving the DNC and Rules Committees. You are stepping into the unknown with plenty of opportunities for messiness. Which is why you should view the roll call as a reasonable deadline for Biden to dispense with any and all second thought.
3) The system has been set up for the presumptive nominee to control the nomination. Everything from rules to accreditation are in the hands of people the Biden campaign wants.
4) All of this means functionally that Biden cannot be forced off the ballot against his will. Other people can issue press releases, make threats, beg or whatever. But Joe Biden is not going anywhere unless Joe Biden agrees to it. Some of the feeding frenzy is some people feel doubts on Biden’s part they can appeal to. But if Biden steps aside it is his choice and his choice only.
5) The Biden campaign is the Biden-Harris campaign whose resources, infrastructure, and money can only be utilized by Joe Biden and/or Kamala Harris. Which is why if Joe Biden were to step aside Kamala Harris is the most likely alternative.
6) Voting is soon. Would you believe four months until election day with early voting happening sooner? But still it’s not even Labor Day and things move fast in politics. Everything can change in that period multiple times. For better or worse everything is fluid and various events foreign and domestic can change the narrative in an instant.
And I’ll change up the poll. Last time I asked who people wanted. Now I will ask who they think it will be. Very different question.