Will Biden drop out? Who replaces him?

[ZiprHead]

Jesus fucking christ. Im starting to think MSNBC and CNN want trump tp win.

Another board I am on thinks Biden hit it out of the park. And a lot of those were doubters.

 

[Ford]

I think that his initial scripted speech went reasonably well, and some of his responses to questions about foreign policy were ok, albeit a little shaky. The real story here is that every single reporter asked about electability and ability to handle four more years in office. Every single one without exception. They also asked other questions, but there was always at least a second question bringing up his perceived age-related health, electability, and ability to carry on in the future. His responses almost never addressed those questions directly, but tried to go back and deliver a litany of past accomplishments.

That's not really much of a story, though. Politicians do this all the time. A reporter asks them a question, and they use it as a springboard to launch into their rehearsed talking points.

It happened every Sunday morning on "Meet The Press." The host asks a question about something the politician said. The politician deflects. Tim Russert (or another host) says "but let's look at what you said just last week" and plays a video of some uncomfortably off-putting remarks. The politician deflects again, and launches into talking points. Bernie leaned into talking points. Elizabeth Warren fell into that trap. "Well that's a great question, Tim, but let me tell you about the things we've been able to accomplish and my plans moving forward."

The only way that Biden's responses were different in the question and answer part was that he was slower to answer and rambling in his responses. He started out being more or less succinct, but as the time went on he lost the narrative and fell back even harder on "let me give you an example" and "wait...anyway." It was not a great performance. I'm not disputing that. Yet politicians dodging direct questions in a press conference is a practice as old as time. He was not there to answer questions. He was there to make the case for him staying in the race and attempting to enact his agenda. Just like every other politician who has given a press conference.

What I'd really like to see is if Trump can do the same. Give a prepared speech, and then answer a raft of questions for the better part of an hour about his competency. I'm guessing that he'd never agree to such a thing, and if he did, he'd storm off the stage angrily ranting about the "fake news" after maybe 15 minutes.

 

[thebeave]

Jesus fucking christ. Im starting to think MSNBC and CNN want trump tp win.

Another board I am on thinks Biden hit it out of the park. And a lot of those were doubters.

Hit it out of the park? I'd hate to think what a single would be. Opening your mouth, staring off into space and drooling?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

I have to reiterate this, polls are unreliable. Even if Biden had Parkinson's (extremely unlikely), it is a condition that does not affect mentality, unlike Trump's dementia.
One of the greatest risks to Biden not winning the election is all these calls for him to step down, and disunity in Democratic Party, which is disloyalty that serves the Republican Party.
Another thing that would help the USA is if the media stopped making dubious claims about Biden and concentrated on revealing much more details of verified facts about Trump's mental and moral deterioration - his lies, his blackouts, his mental incompetence, and so on.

Exactly. So what if he has Parkinson's?

 

[Thomas II]

 

[Copernicus]

I have to reiterate this, polls are unreliable. Even if Biden had Parkinson's (extremely unlikely), it is a condition that does not affect mentality, unlike Trump's dementia.
One of the greatest risks to Biden not winning the election is all these calls for him to step down, and disunity in Democratic Party, which is disloyalty that serves the Republican Party.
Another thing that would help the USA is if the media stopped making dubious claims about Biden and concentrated on revealing much more details of verified facts about Trump's mental and moral deterioration - his lies, his blackouts, his mental incompetence, and so on.

Exactly. So what if he has Parkinson's?

That's an excellent rhetorical question. I don't care whether he has Parkinson's or not. I'll vote for Biden simply because Donald Trump is far less qualified to be President and never should have been elected in 2016. The worst president in US history, he has been a disaster and now stands as a genuine threat to our very system of representative democracy. The problem is that over half the country doesn't agree with me or my political party. According to polling data, they would vote for Donald Trump today rather than see Joe Biden reelected. This far out, that data may be completely misleading, but consider this. Joe Biden pointed out that there have been at least three presidents before him that had lower poll numbers at this point in their terms. Those three were Jimmy Carter, HW Bush, and Donald Trump. Biden did not say who they were, but that's who they were. What Biden did not mention was that all three lost their reelection campaigns.

This controversy is not about Joe Biden's ability to run the country, his record, or his competence. It is about whether he can win the presidential election in November and help downballot Democrats to win theirs. Right now, the polling data says that he cannot. Only about a third of the country gives him a positive approval rating, and polls show that more than half of his own party want him to step aside. To ignore all of this is pure insanity. It is something out of Hans Christian Andersen's folktale The Emperor's New Clothes. Joe Biden is in denial, and so are a great many of his supporters who cannot face the reality of how much of a liability Joe Biden has become for his party and for the future of his country.

 

[Spacetime Inhabitant]

I have to reiterate this, polls are unreliable. Even if Biden had Parkinson's (extremely unlikely), it is a condition that does not affect mentality, unlike Trump's dementia.
One of the greatest risks to Biden not winning the election is all these calls for him to step down, and disunity in Democratic Party, which is disloyalty that serves the Republican Party.
Another thing that would help the USA is if the media stopped making dubious claims about Biden and concentrated on revealing much more details of verified facts about Trump's mental and moral deterioration - his lies, his blackouts, his mental incompetence, and so on.

Exactly. So what if he has Parkinson's?

That's an excellent rhetorical question. I don't care whether he has Parkinson's or not. I'll vote for Biden simply because Donald Trump is far less qualified to be President and never should have been elected in 2016. The worst president in US history, he has been a disaster and now stands as a genuine threat to our very system of representative democracy. The problem is that over half the country doesn't agree with me or my political party. According to polling data, they would vote for Donald Trump today rather than see Joe Biden reelected. This far out, that data may be completely misleading, but consider this. Joe Biden pointed out that there have been at least three presidents before him that had lower poll numbers at this point in their terms. Those three were Jimmy Carter, HW Bush, and Donald Trump. Biden did not say who they were, but that's who they were. What Biden did not mention was that all three lost their reelection campaigns.

This controversy is not about Joe Biden's ability to run the country, his record, or his competence. It is about whether he can win the presidential election in November and help downballot Democrats to win theirs. Right now, the polling data says that he cannot. Only about a third of the country gives him a positive approval rating, and polls show that more than half of his own party want him to step aside. To ignore all of this is pure insanity. It is something out of Hans Christian Andersen's folktale The Emperor's New Clothes. Joe Biden is in denial, and so are a great many of his supporters who cannot face the reality of how much of a liability Joe Biden has become for his party and for the future of his country.

Your Emperor's new clothes analogy fails, as the emperor had 100% support from his citizens.
The analogy better applies to Trump - despite totally nakedly lying, his supporters still 100% support him.

 

[TV and credit cards]

It was OK at best. Referring to “Vice President Trump” on the first question was not a good start. Of course Trump repeatedly mixes up Biden with Obama among his many other gaffes, but his support is baked in to half the country no matter what he says or does.

This mixing up of names is very common. Names are associated with events, subjects, places, etc., and in the recall process one is blurted out for another. This is especially prevalent when a person is multitasking.
Parents often cycle through the names of their children until they land on the right one. Even in her twenties and thirties, my mother would often do this between myself, brother, and sister. Particularly if one of us did something wrong, she would often blurt out my name first.

 

[Janice Rael]

I think Booker has what it takes except the panache. Personally I'd like to see Booker/Buttigieg. I just think it would be an interesting experiment to have two smart people heading up the Executive. Who knows what might happen.

ummm... do you not know anyone from New Jersey, or, anyone Black, or, anyone queer? Maybe you need to lurk in some communities.

Cory Booker? Pete Buttigieg? ohh, @TV and credit cards ... no...

They not like us, they not like us.

I speak for the broke, poor, and perhaps bar-going queers, Mayor Pete? um, GGGG, not LGBTQ. He also has yet to fulfill his Transportation Secretary promises and duties. Cory Booker is just a punchline. They have not accomplished anything that would broaden their profiles to make them appeal to their alleged own people, much less to the nation. Trust me, they're not of their own people. I can find some Instagram or TikTok videos from people I follow, who are from Newark NJ and who definitely have unfavorable opinions about Cory Booker. Yay, he once ran into a burning building to save lives. I would drop my cane to do the same and I sure hope you (plural you) would do the same as well. So what. That's the last good thing Booker did, that people like me remember. Now imagine what people who aren't into politics might remember? Yeah, nothing.

NJ Dem Senator Bob Menendez is going to be found guilty of bribery charges. How many NJ Dem Guys videos do you think there might be that show Booker supporting Menendez? Booker barely complained about the open secret in 2023. That's all the opps need to defrock the Dem Saint Booker. His national profile is low and not in a good way. He has done nothing important enough to raise his national profile. I am not saying he is a bad person or even bad at his job. He may be good at his job. How would I know? idk? I read headlines all day long and I see what comes from DC.

I am poor and disabled and disenfranchised; so, the kind of Congressional actions that make it to my algos to matter to me begin with "GURL. BABY GURL." The GOP needs to be taken down, and I trust AOC and Rep Crockett a lot more than I trust Cory Booker, to do this in any meaningful manner. That's why I feel passionate about it.

I hate being disabled, I hate seeing my own side lose because no one will listen to me regarding language and talking points; not to mention facts and information.

This is how Dems lose with spectacular regularity: by assuming that a pol who appears to represent a niche community or a minority populace does so, and, is also ready to represent everyone else nationally (technically, this ought to be their motivating factor) as a result, because they 1) uplift their own people, who will vote for them as a result; and, 2) will uplift the entire nation so much that they'll win in landslides and the GOP and Heritage Foundation can go retire and play golf or enjoy their yachts and resort properties full-time.

Cory Booker? Pete Buttigieg? We don't claim them as ours. I'd vomit in real life if I had to vote for Cory Booker again. Mayor Pete can go retire to the Midwest, where the gay bars don't have dance poles. They not like us, they not like us.

BIDEN NEEDS TO DROP HIS HUGE EGO AND STEP ASIDE AND GO TAKE SEVERAL NAPS.

 

[southernhybrid]

AT this point, partly due to the damage the Dems have done to their own, I agree that Biden should give up the race. But, it's almost too late for him to do it. If the Dems have an open convention, it will probably be a nightmare, as there is no one candidate who is going to be able to campaign enough to get the double haters, the undecided and the apathetic to vote. Harris may be popular in the Blue states but not so much in states like mine, where even Black females may not vote for her and those who do will vote for anyone who is a Democrat. The only thing that really matters is who can win in the small number of states that will decide this election, due to our idiotic electoral college.
I disagree with Janice about Booker and I do know people in NJ, who love him. But, I doubt he would be the nominee.

The only type of nominee who might have a chance at this late date is someone from a swing state or a conservative state, who has already been popular among conservatives and moderates. So, maybe the governor of Kentucky or someone like that could win, with a female or minority male as his VP. I can't predict the future, but I doubt that Harris could win enough purple or swing states to beat the Trump. Sadly, he has built up a strong cult.

I watched some Black folks who support him on Monday's Daily Show. They were strong supporters of the racist bigot who has been accused of sexually assaulting many women, yet two of the three were Black women, who sounded educated. How can this be? I don't know. Our only chance is for people who have the energy and time is to work to get out the vote. When I was working, very few of my coworkers ever voted. One young Black woman voted when Obama ran, but then she seemed apathetic and missed the next election. It's not easy to get people to understand the importance of voting.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Jesus fucking christ. Im starting to think MSNBC and CNN want trump tp win.

Another board I am on thinks Biden hit it out of the park. And a lot of those were doubters.

Word on the street was Biden did fine. Senile people couldn't perform like he did last night.

It is the debate that is still hanging around his neck. Of course, the press is pushing it still. Trump garbles an entire paragraph, in part as he has to fakes empathy, and nothing. But the press keeps reminding people of the debate.

As far as nominees if replaced, Harris - Abrams or Harris - Whitmer.

As things stand, the question is becoming, if Biden is managing the NATO event and the press conference well, what are the other Democrats seeing? While one can prep for a press conference because you can know what will be asked, it is still a Press Conference.

 

[barbos]

if Biden is managing the NATO event and the press conference well,

He can still read a teleprompter.
His debate performance was not a result of a cold, cold does not make you stupid.

 

[barbos]

Clooney, Pelosi, Stewart, Stephanopoulos are with "Biden needs to step down" crowd.

 

[ZiprHead]

if Biden is managing the NATO event and the press conference well,

He can still read a teleprompter.
His debate performance was not a result of a cold, cold does not make you stupid.

Really? I thought it was pretty cold in Russia.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

if Biden is managing the NATO event and the press conference well,

He can still read a teleprompter.

At a press conference?

His debate performance was not a result of a cold, cold does not make you stupid.

You used an extra 'c'. He wasn't stupid, he was tired. He had a very bad night. Presidents shouldn't have very bad nights. But Trump isn't a paragon of youth, wisdom, or experience. And at least Biden has a team of people that would be competent when needed. Trump's first cabinet was... unique. His next one is going to be syncopatic.

Clooney, Pelosi, Stewart, Stephanopoulos are with "Biden needs to step down" crowd.

Only one of those names matter, but it matters significantly.

 

[barbos]

At a press conference?

Why not? If questions are prepared and known, you might as well use teleprompter.

He wasn't stupid, he was tired

Jon Stewart disagrees with you.

Presidents shouldn't have very bad nights. But Trump isn't a paragon of youth, wisdom, or experience. And at least Biden has a team of people.

It was not merely a bad night. It was his usual night.
You call his people competent???

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

At a press conference?

Why not? If questions are prepared and known, you might as well use teleprompter.

But he didn't.

He wasn't stupid, he was tired

Jon Stewart disagrees with you.

Stewart thinks he should drop out, not that Biden is stupid.

Presidents shouldn't have very bad nights. But Trump isn't a paragon of youth, wisdom, or experience. And at least Biden has a team of people.

It was not merely a bad night. It was his usual night.
You call his people competent???

Yes. Virtually every President has a massive staff doing things that the President isn't directly involved in. Trump was the first to edge out the "deep state", and in 2025, he'd fire just about everyone. It'd be like the RNC, but worse.

 

[barbos]

But he didn't.

How do you know?

Stewart thinks he should drop out, not that Biden is stupid.

I am petty sure it was Stewart who said that.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

The question was asked in order to get a straight answer from her about the 8 visits of that one specific neurologist. However, she and everyone in that room knew exactly what the press was after--not confirmation of the doctor's name, but confirmation that Biden was not suffering from a neurological disorder. She could easily have confirmed his name, because it was already in the public record. If she didn't know whether he had examined Biden, she could have said so. It turns out that the White House did confirm that that particular neurologist had examined Biden but that no evidence of Parkinson's had been discovered. OK. Next tooth to be pulled--has President Biden been diagnosed with any other neurological disorder? And they should stop with the idiotic claim that he undergoes a neurological exam every day. They need to be straightforward and not play silly word games. That kind of thing may work with supporters like you, but it doesn't with most of the public, including a great many Biden supporters like me.

She can't disclose it without explicit permission from the patient. And even if she knows the answer is "no" she still can't say that. This has nothing to do with Biden and everything to do with US medical privacy laws.

No, it is not confidential. It is in the visitor's log. The name is public, as is his medical specialty. Confirming whether this neurologist had examined Biden and, if so, what the results were should have been pretty easy. She could even have said that she didn't know and would get back to them. Press secretaries do that all the time. What she did was generate embarrassing headlines for Biden's campaign with all that back and forth over confirmation of his name. It made it look like she was trying to hide something.

The fact that he was there is in the logs. Why he was there is not. And she was--she was being asked a question that legally she can not answer!

The White House finally had to clear up the mess later--well after the damage had been done--by issuing a letter from the doctor himself, which admitted that he had examined Biden. How was that protecting his identity?

The doctor can release his identity if he chooses. It is no one else's choice to make.

Were you not aware that he had done that after the drama in the press conference? His name was never an issue, just whether they would release the requested information about his involvement with Biden's neurological condition. The doctor confirmed that he had examined Biden at least once.

And the doctor was wrong to say that.

They have been handling this issue in a totally incompetent manner. The excuse that the time frame was off is pure bullshit. Karen Jean-Pierre knew exactly what the people in the room were trying to find out, and she was being deliberately uncooperative. The Biden administration needs to be transparent and open, not obstructionist, on these issues. If it looks like the press has to pull teeth to get answers, that is a very bad look.

Following the rules of confidentiality is incompetence now? Absolutely no one has a right to release medical information of someone else without their permission.

If I had done that when I worked in the hospital I would have been fired and been subject to a $200,000 fine from the government.

So you say to the press that you don't know and will get back to them. The argument over confirming a name came off as evasive. After the her stalling, the White House simply got the information requested out to the public. My complaint is that Biden and his staff are simply not handling this issue competently.

She can't even offer to get back with them on it.

I agree with much of what you have said and that's okay when it comes to political figures. However, the doctor was not a political figure. He was just a poor shlub that got stuck in the middle. Like those two poor ladies that Giulliani smeared, that was wrong, and so was this.

But the doctor had no problem with issuing a statement about his involvement in an examination of Biden. There was no need to hide his identity, as it was fully disclosed in the White House visitor's log. All she had to say was that she would consult with the White House and get back to them. That is what they did in the end anyway.

It's not the doctor's name that is confidential, it's the patient. And that is binding on anyone that sees such records as part of their job even if they are not medical themselves. And even if it's not formal employment.

 

[barbos]

Yes. Virtually every President has a massive staff doing things that the President isn't directly involved in

At this point the only thing Biden is directly involved is looking alive and even at that he has a lot of help.
Now, his people are incredibly incompetent and flat out stupid, some are evil.