First, I am loyal, because I am voting for Biden/Harris and will use any slender influence I have to move support forward for the re-election of Biden/Harris.
I am a supporter of Biden and have long "had Joe's back."
But it is mutual.
Your cited article by Seth Abramson raised good points, again, at:
Now, I hope, I dearly, dearly hope Mr. Anderson is correct on his point (9):
"(9) Debates do not matter. Even if we were to put aside everything else, the simple fact is that 48 hours Fox News and the ABC News 538 polling forecast—two ends of a spectrum of reliability—were both saying that President Biden is favored slightly to win this November. So either that remains true or a single debate performance altered it to the point that President Biden has gone from being ahead to being no longer eligible to run. The problem with that analysis? Decades of polling tells us that debates do not matter, and that people only remember them for a day or two. So which is more likely: that this debate is the first debate in U.S. history that will matter, or that it’s just like all others because the 24-hour news cycle prohibits American voters from retaining any sentiment even in the medium term?"
Mr. Abramson states the point well, and I dearly, dearly hope Mr. Abramson is right on (9). If so, then Mr. Biden was quite right to focus his attention elsewhere.
I like Mr. Abramson's point (5), where in part he says:
"(5) Joe Biden is an amazing fundraiser. Joe Biden has been raking in the cash, and it may be a sad fact, but that does matter in contemporary American politics. President Biden is right now out-raising Trump, and it is angering Republicans—and scaring them—to no end."
That is a very important point that Mr. Abramson raises.
The 2024 Election will be one of the most costly elections ever. The right wing have too much of a financial interest in winning.
I, too, have fully considered the points Mr. Abramson has raised in paragraphs (1) and (2), excerpted here:
"1) Nobody now polls, or has ever polled, better against Trump than Biden. Rightly or not, it appears that at present American independents prefer one particular old white man to Donald Trump over any other option available to them. It is true now, and it was true in 2018 when Joe Biden first floated a presidential run and behind the scenes Trump and his team concluded that Biden was the biggest threat to his re-election. Team Trump thought so then—and turned out to be right—and it thinks so still. Why? Because all the polls say so. No poll has anyone else close to Trump, and Republicans are well aware of this.
"(2) Biden has beat Trump before. Even if we ignore polls, we cannot ignore results. Joe Biden beat the pants off Trump in the popular vote and Electoral College in 2020, and the results weren’t that close. Biden picked up states Democrats thought they couldn’t get, more than doubled Hillary Clinton’s popular-vote margin over Trump, and did all this while, well, old.
To be clear, I support the nominee of the Democratic Party.
I agree very much with the point that Mr. Abramson makes throughout his piece that, it is very late in the game to change nominees; where this historically occurred, it yielded miserable results; that any of the Governors or other leading contenders would: (1) Undergo a long lead-time to become familiarized to the Public; (2) Would, to use Mr. Abramson's terms, launch a Civil-War in the Democratic Party; and (3) Pit someone untested against Trump.
Those and many other reasons led me to fall short of recommending any particular action. I will accede to the situation we have: (1) Continuation with Biden/Harris; or (2) Any result of the Democratic Convention. In either case, I am solidly behind our candidates.
There is an important reason why I spent a lot of time on the Governors.
Thankfully, in our Federal System, one counterbalance to the Presidency is not merely the co-equal branches of Government -- The House, The Senate, The Court -- but rather there is a history of states' rights that now will redound to us on the left, in the event the neo-Fascists were to win nationally.
New York, Massachusetts, San Francisco Bay, all these areas reflecting my core values will continue to afford good, feasible lives for those who share your and my convictions, Mr. Jones.
I think a lot of people overlook what a powerful force liberal state governments represent as a bulwark of our liberties, even if Americans elected the neo-fascist.
As a liberal, I reserve the right to question and to seek answers.
As a strong and loyal supporter of Democrats for over 40 years, I write: There is no substitute for victory.
I think this is very loyal.
As far as "having Joe's back", I feel my strong advocacy to use any lawful means whatsoever needed to defeat neo-fascism at all levels, not merely the Presidency, but all the way down to the state, county, city, and precinct level, so we build a stronger Democratic infrastructure to dominate the polity.
As with the President of the United States, Mr. Joe Biden, my model (I am 76-years-old) is FDR, and I want a Democratic Party that DOMINATES in the way FDR and the Democrats did in his time.
Well said, Armando. The debate was disappointing but there is no alternative but stay the course . We have a lot of work ahead which we Boomers have the time and resources to do and support.
Ilona Goanos: We must defeat Neo-Fascism. We must do all things necessary and lawful to win. I will support the Democratic Ticket no matter what.
We cannot afford bombed debate performances. Biden did not take the matter seriously enough or care for you and me, as is his duty.
Even as I answer you, Press Secretary Katrina Jean-Pierre is speaking, defending the President's current decision to continue running.
I am not sure Ms. Jean-Pierre is convinced of her own message, but she delivers it like a good soldier.
Biden's decision to show up like a scared child is catastrophic for us, catastrophic for the upcoming election, propelled Trump up by points in the recent polls, and I support Biden/Harris for re-election.
If the Democrats decide on a new ticket, I will support that ticket.
I support any Democratic ticket whatsoever against the neo-Fascists.
There is no alternative but to fight, and to fight vigorously on.
I'd vote for *almost* anyone as long as it's not Trump. You should be a guest on the Rational Boomer podcast. I'm sure the community would enjoy your smart contributions.
Ilona Goanos: Hmmm. Thanks. I am keeping your recommendation to look into that.
I see there are 11 minute contributions and hour-and-a-half broadcasts. I bet they would have more patience for the former than a lengthy one.
I LOVE your columns, including with your daughter and your new grandkid. I have a soft spot in my heart for your piece questioning:: In the woods -- a man or a bear! "If only there were fewer creepy men." I LIKED THAT, among your other postings!
Carol L. Clark: Your own "From the Left" states the core principles which are the foundations of a system of ordered liberty, as the great Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo had stated the matter in the 1930s.
One of the points in your own writing is that it is too late for the Democrats to change course with the ticket.
Your points are so salient on that matter, that I do not advocate changing horses midstream.
As you point out, it is about 100 days away from the election, and heading the ticket with Gavin Newsome or the others put forward would probably not give the new ticket enough time.
I am with you.
That's why I do not advocate that solution.
But I am open-minded to it, too.
If the Democratic Party, as is likely, continues with Biden/Harris, Armando strongly supports that ticket.
If the Democratic Party chose an alternative ticket, Armando strongly supports any ticket against the neo-fascists.
Any Democratic ticket.
But we must do what it takes to beat the neo-fascists with all lawful means necessary to achieve that high moral purpose, without regard to personal feelings or loyalty. Our sole end-goal must be victory in November, no matter under which ticket.
But Mr. Biden really was disloyal to the public, to you, to me, to his black-women supporters in letting himself go to the debate stage with the demeanor of a scared child.
Mr. Biden is a responsible adult. Mr. Biden, for goodness sake, is the leader of the Free World.
Mr. Biden must take personal responsibility for his abject failure at the debate.
The Debate enjoyed a viewership of millions, and it was Biden's best chance to charge way ahead of Trump.
As a seasoned statesman and politician, for reasons I cannot fathom, Biden did not make the choice to deliver at the debate as we, his loyal followers, deserve.
I support the Democratic Ticket unconditionally.
It is fair to demand of the Democratic Ticket that they perform SPECTACULARLY and GALVINIZE the Public.
We can afford nothing less.
Our leadership has the choice, and I am not going to let them off the hook.
In return, I use all of my resources to support the Democratic Ticket, Biden/Harris, and to CRUSH the neo-Fascists.
Peter Jones: You raise a compelling point. And I believe this point was made in the Abramson article you cited: If our foe wants us to change horses, let us not accommodate him. Make him face Biden in November.
Very good.
I am very loyal to Biden.
And being very loyal to Biden, a "Bidenite" if there be such a thing, is it not right to expect that Biden show a compelling performance at each of his public events for voters.
Is it loyalty to want Biden to do anything less than be an orator at debates and all rallies?
It seems that it is at the root of loyalty to expect Biden to be a passionate orator at debates and rallies.
And the times are so perilous with neo-fascists, I feel we are right to expect no less from our candidates at all level, all the way down to the state, county, city and precinct level.
There is no substitute for victory, and we must trounce neo-fascism at each and every level.
Why don't you show a little loyalty and have Joe's back...
https://open.substack.com/pub/sethabramson/p/the-extremely-simple-reason-maga?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=375jvh
Peter Jones: Thank you.
First, I am loyal, because I am voting for Biden/Harris and will use any slender influence I have to move support forward for the re-election of Biden/Harris.
I am a supporter of Biden and have long "had Joe's back."
But it is mutual.
Your cited article by Seth Abramson raised good points, again, at:
https://sethabramson.substack.com/p/the-extremely-simple-reason-maga?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=375jvh&triedRedirect=true
Now, I hope, I dearly, dearly hope Mr. Anderson is correct on his point (9):
"(9) Debates do not matter. Even if we were to put aside everything else, the simple fact is that 48 hours Fox News and the ABC News 538 polling forecast—two ends of a spectrum of reliability—were both saying that President Biden is favored slightly to win this November. So either that remains true or a single debate performance altered it to the point that President Biden has gone from being ahead to being no longer eligible to run. The problem with that analysis? Decades of polling tells us that debates do not matter, and that people only remember them for a day or two. So which is more likely: that this debate is the first debate in U.S. history that will matter, or that it’s just like all others because the 24-hour news cycle prohibits American voters from retaining any sentiment even in the medium term?"
Mr. Abramson states the point well, and I dearly, dearly hope Mr. Abramson is right on (9). If so, then Mr. Biden was quite right to focus his attention elsewhere.
I like Mr. Abramson's point (5), where in part he says:
"(5) Joe Biden is an amazing fundraiser. Joe Biden has been raking in the cash, and it may be a sad fact, but that does matter in contemporary American politics. President Biden is right now out-raising Trump, and it is angering Republicans—and scaring them—to no end."
That is a very important point that Mr. Abramson raises.
The 2024 Election will be one of the most costly elections ever. The right wing have too much of a financial interest in winning.
I, too, have fully considered the points Mr. Abramson has raised in paragraphs (1) and (2), excerpted here:
"1) Nobody now polls, or has ever polled, better against Trump than Biden. Rightly or not, it appears that at present American independents prefer one particular old white man to Donald Trump over any other option available to them. It is true now, and it was true in 2018 when Joe Biden first floated a presidential run and behind the scenes Trump and his team concluded that Biden was the biggest threat to his re-election. Team Trump thought so then—and turned out to be right—and it thinks so still. Why? Because all the polls say so. No poll has anyone else close to Trump, and Republicans are well aware of this.
"(2) Biden has beat Trump before. Even if we ignore polls, we cannot ignore results. Joe Biden beat the pants off Trump in the popular vote and Electoral College in 2020, and the results weren’t that close. Biden picked up states Democrats thought they couldn’t get, more than doubled Hillary Clinton’s popular-vote margin over Trump, and did all this while, well, old.
To be clear, I support the nominee of the Democratic Party.
I agree very much with the point that Mr. Abramson makes throughout his piece that, it is very late in the game to change nominees; where this historically occurred, it yielded miserable results; that any of the Governors or other leading contenders would: (1) Undergo a long lead-time to become familiarized to the Public; (2) Would, to use Mr. Abramson's terms, launch a Civil-War in the Democratic Party; and (3) Pit someone untested against Trump.
Those and many other reasons led me to fall short of recommending any particular action. I will accede to the situation we have: (1) Continuation with Biden/Harris; or (2) Any result of the Democratic Convention. In either case, I am solidly behind our candidates.
There is an important reason why I spent a lot of time on the Governors.
Thankfully, in our Federal System, one counterbalance to the Presidency is not merely the co-equal branches of Government -- The House, The Senate, The Court -- but rather there is a history of states' rights that now will redound to us on the left, in the event the neo-Fascists were to win nationally.
New York, Massachusetts, San Francisco Bay, all these areas reflecting my core values will continue to afford good, feasible lives for those who share your and my convictions, Mr. Jones.
I think a lot of people overlook what a powerful force liberal state governments represent as a bulwark of our liberties, even if Americans elected the neo-fascist.
As a liberal, I reserve the right to question and to seek answers.
As a strong and loyal supporter of Democrats for over 40 years, I write: There is no substitute for victory.
I think this is very loyal.
As far as "having Joe's back", I feel my strong advocacy to use any lawful means whatsoever needed to defeat neo-fascism at all levels, not merely the Presidency, but all the way down to the state, county, city, and precinct level, so we build a stronger Democratic infrastructure to dominate the polity.
As with the President of the United States, Mr. Joe Biden, my model (I am 76-years-old) is FDR, and I want a Democratic Party that DOMINATES in the way FDR and the Democrats did in his time.
You and I share core values.
Well said, Armando. The debate was disappointing but there is no alternative but stay the course . We have a lot of work ahead which we Boomers have the time and resources to do and support.
Ilona Goanos: We must defeat Neo-Fascism. We must do all things necessary and lawful to win. I will support the Democratic Ticket no matter what.
We cannot afford bombed debate performances. Biden did not take the matter seriously enough or care for you and me, as is his duty.
Even as I answer you, Press Secretary Katrina Jean-Pierre is speaking, defending the President's current decision to continue running.
I am not sure Ms. Jean-Pierre is convinced of her own message, but she delivers it like a good soldier.
Biden's decision to show up like a scared child is catastrophic for us, catastrophic for the upcoming election, propelled Trump up by points in the recent polls, and I support Biden/Harris for re-election.
If the Democrats decide on a new ticket, I will support that ticket.
I support any Democratic ticket whatsoever against the neo-Fascists.
There is no alternative but to fight, and to fight vigorously on.
I'd vote for *almost* anyone as long as it's not Trump. You should be a guest on the Rational Boomer podcast. I'm sure the community would enjoy your smart contributions.
Ilona Goanos: Hmmm. Thanks. I am keeping your recommendation to look into that.
I see there are 11 minute contributions and hour-and-a-half broadcasts. I bet they would have more patience for the former than a lengthy one.
I LOVE your columns, including with your daughter and your new grandkid. I have a soft spot in my heart for your piece questioning:: In the woods -- a man or a bear! "If only there were fewer creepy men." I LIKED THAT, among your other postings!
I recommended you. It's well deserved.
Carol L. Clark: Your own "From the Left" states the core principles which are the foundations of a system of ordered liberty, as the great Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Cardozo had stated the matter in the 1930s.
One of the points in your own writing is that it is too late for the Democrats to change course with the ticket.
Your points are so salient on that matter, that I do not advocate changing horses midstream.
As you point out, it is about 100 days away from the election, and heading the ticket with Gavin Newsome or the others put forward would probably not give the new ticket enough time.
I am with you.
That's why I do not advocate that solution.
But I am open-minded to it, too.
If the Democratic Party, as is likely, continues with Biden/Harris, Armando strongly supports that ticket.
If the Democratic Party chose an alternative ticket, Armando strongly supports any ticket against the neo-fascists.
Any Democratic ticket.
But we must do what it takes to beat the neo-fascists with all lawful means necessary to achieve that high moral purpose, without regard to personal feelings or loyalty. Our sole end-goal must be victory in November, no matter under which ticket.
But Mr. Biden really was disloyal to the public, to you, to me, to his black-women supporters in letting himself go to the debate stage with the demeanor of a scared child.
Mr. Biden is a responsible adult. Mr. Biden, for goodness sake, is the leader of the Free World.
Mr. Biden must take personal responsibility for his abject failure at the debate.
The Debate enjoyed a viewership of millions, and it was Biden's best chance to charge way ahead of Trump.
As a seasoned statesman and politician, for reasons I cannot fathom, Biden did not make the choice to deliver at the debate as we, his loyal followers, deserve.
I support the Democratic Ticket unconditionally.
It is fair to demand of the Democratic Ticket that they perform SPECTACULARLY and GALVINIZE the Public.
We can afford nothing less.
Our leadership has the choice, and I am not going to let them off the hook.
In return, I use all of my resources to support the Democratic Ticket, Biden/Harris, and to CRUSH the neo-Fascists.
Er... trump doen't want Buden either..
Peter Jones: You raise a compelling point. And I believe this point was made in the Abramson article you cited: If our foe wants us to change horses, let us not accommodate him. Make him face Biden in November.
Very good.
I am very loyal to Biden.
And being very loyal to Biden, a "Bidenite" if there be such a thing, is it not right to expect that Biden show a compelling performance at each of his public events for voters.
Is it loyalty to want Biden to do anything less than be an orator at debates and all rallies?
It seems that it is at the root of loyalty to expect Biden to be a passionate orator at debates and rallies.
And the times are so perilous with neo-fascists, I feel we are right to expect no less from our candidates at all level, all the way down to the state, county, city and precinct level.
There is no substitute for victory, and we must trounce neo-fascism at each and every level.