Why the Dem Panic over the Debate is Getting Worse
Why the Dem Panic over the Debate is Getting WorseA tepid response and a series of new polls are raising fears at the highest levels of the party.The debate over Biden’s debate performance is heated on both sides. Biden’s defenders make the case that we shouldn’t abandon someone who has been a great President for three-plus years over “one bad night.” They argue that even discussing the prospect of the President stepping aside hurts Biden and helps Trump. The folks who think Biden’s debate performance is a reason to consider stepping aside look at the state of the polls and what happened Thursday night and worry that staying the course is tantamount to electing Trump. Both sides have been aggressive in advancing their cases. My podcast co-hosts and I are enmeshed in this conflict because of our very raw, late-night debate reaction pod. The Biden Campaign kinda, sorta attacked us in a fundraising email referencing “self-important podcasters.” Now, “self-important podcaster” is redundant and a fair hit. But as a lifelong staffer to my core, becoming a part of this story in this way makes me deeply uncomfortable. I get it. Everyone is scared because the stakes of this election are too high — something made even more evident by the Supreme Court's expansion of presidential power in their ruling on Monday. There are no easy answers. However, everyone on both sides of this internal fight operates in good faith. Everyone wants to beat Donald Trump and save democracy. They are only disagreeing about how best to do that. If President Biden remains our nominee — the most likely scenario by far — everyone will immediately come together and do everything they can to help him. The debate is forcing us to have this conversation. It’s worth noting that political elites, pundits, and self-important podcasters are late to the game. Voters have been screaming about their concerns—fair or not—about Biden’s age for years now. The party avoided this conversation in late 2022 and early 2023 when the President declared he was running for reelection. A few days ago, it felt like the Biden operation quelled the uprising. His improved performance at the North Carolina rally combined helpfully with some internal polling, supportive statements from Democratic elders like Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and a new ad. On Monday night, he delivered a well-received, pugnacious national address about the Supreme Court ruling. On Tuesday, the ground shifted again. Former Representative Tim Ryan and Congressman Lloyd Doggett became the first prominent Democrats to call for Biden to step aside. In an interview on MSNBC, Pelosi said:
And in a truly baffling move, Representative Jared Golden, who represents a very Trumpy district in Maine, wrote an op-ed declaring:
Finally, Senator Tammy Baldwin, running in a tough race in Wisconsin, changed her schedule to avoid appearing with Biden at a rally on Friday. While it’s way too early to say the damn is breaking, something has fundamentally changed in this story over the last 24 hours. Here’s my take on why: 1. Biden’s Absence from the SceneThe President attended a rally on Friday and followed that up with a fundraiser in New Jersey. After his Monday night statement on the Supreme Court, Biden made remarks after a briefing on extreme weather. The remarks were good and went after folks — including Trump — who deny Climate Change. However, the President is not responding aggressively in private or public to his debate performance. According to multiple reports, Biden had not reached out by phone to Congressional leaders or Democratic governors (the White House has since scheduled meetings with both for the coming days). Where’s the press conference? A round of interviews with the morning shows or White House Correspondents? Why not sit down with 60 Minutes for a big interview to air this weekend?... Unlock this post for free, courtesy of Dan Pfeiffer.A subscription gets you:
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Dems Must Confront the MAGA Supreme Court
Monday, July 1, 2024
The ruling in the immunity case raises the stakes in the election. Democrats must respond in kind. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
How Dems Move Past the Bad Debate
Saturday, June 29, 2024
A race that has been incredibly steady just entered a very fluid, confusing new phase. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Thoughts on a Very Scary Debate
Friday, June 28, 2024
The President's performance in the most critical moment raised real questions about whether he can beat Trump ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
How Biden Wins Tonight's Debate
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Biden can beat Trump and shake up the race with a strong, steady performance reminds people why they chose him in 2020. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
Biden's Best Argument Against Trump
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
With the debate looming, the Biden campaign unveils it's anti-Trump message ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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