Respondents are being led by the pollsters to believe the selection process is open, and a dream candidate exists

[bigtree]

...that makes these 'Democrats' expressing preference for another nominee in these surveys nothing more than a fantasy exercise.

The concern here isn't Joe Biden's fitness as president, at least that's the most blatantly absurd concern out there as we can all see Joe Biden doing the job of president with distinction, grace, and intelligence.

The main concern expressed, however contradictory to critic's and doubters' public bashing of the president, is that he can't beat Trump.

The surveys and the responses are little more than an artificially constructed bedwetter's clearinghouse for apathetic and ridiculously self-actualizing fears.

Joe Biden will be nominated before or during the convention. There is no other candidate who has even hinted of their desire or intent to challenge the votes which the president's delegates will represent at the convention in far greater numbers than any other person has or will be able to organize in these few short weeks.

The general election in November will be a binary choice between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. A sucessful incumbent, and a convicted felon.

I personally resent whoever is scheming to undo my vote.

I chose Joe Biden to run in this election, and it's more than a little discouraging to see so many in our own party do nothing but tear at his candidacy.

No candidate from them, no actual plan to win anything because, they're angling to completely subvert the democratic process of elections, pretending that our votes can be represented by shifting allegiances of delegates at the convention.

It's a small tyranny that's occurring with so many elected officials using the heavy hand of their offices to bear down on the people's choice. Joe Biden is running against the media, Trump, and members of his own party.

What makes anyone believe that another candidate, standing in the place of an effectively lame-duck president if he withdrew, would fare any better against the sly and pervasive opposition coming from all quarters right now?

Where's their record of accomplishment? Where's their experience in the complex world of affairs, both foreign and domestic?

Where do their allegiances lie? Do they represent the minority and women voters who put their faith in Joe Biden as president to effect their interests and ideals? Or will they compromise on those in a backward attempt to cover ground Joe Biden has already covered in a full primary?

How does a new candidate generate the support needed to win, against all of the same forces and more that Joe Biden is weathering right now, and organize their campaign in all 50 states with volunteer, canvassers, and advocates, all of whom are now operating out of over 100 field offices in support of the president?

Replacing Joe Biden right now is not only an abomination of democracy, it's foolishness and fantasy. You won't find that truth anywhere in these surveys. They're not designed or formatted in any way for supporters of President Biden.

They're designed to oppose him in this election, and that's the result they're prioritizing for the public participants in their fantasy election game.

[Walleye]

1. I guess every one of these so-called top Democrats think they should be the nominee

But they shouldn’t have to go through that pesky primary process and stuff

[wryter2000]

2. Facts, facts, facts

Don't you know the pundits have a magic wand they can wave to instantly organize a campaign with hundreds of millions of dollars in the bank?

[DemocraticPatriot]

27. We can take the houses of Joe Carville and David Axelrod!!! I'm sure

they won't mind!

[ms liberty]

3. Well said. K&R. n/t

[Hermit-The-Prog]

4. Boiled frog journalism...

https://www.emptywheel.net/2024/07/17/boiled-frog-journalism-is-trump-an-agent-of-saudi-arabia-and-other-pressing-questions-buried-under-bidens-age/

[Autumn]

5. Elaine Kamarck has been a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC)

and a member of the Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee since 1997 and she says Biden can be replaced. Do you think she is wrong? Is she living out a fantasy election ?

[Phoenix61]

6. She was the senior policy advisor for Al Gore's presidential campaign.

I think that says more than enough.

[Autumn]

9. Makes one wonder why the DNC didn't get rid of her. Maybe she does her job well.

Still, being on the Democratic rules committee says more than enough.

[Butterflylady]

11. So she's saying we lose.

Because there's no way a new candidate will win.

[Butterflylady]

10. Heck yeah!!!!

It's 2024 and everything is different.

[Autumn]

12. It's 2024 and she's still a member of the Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee.

[we can do it]

14. The Supreme Court used to respect settled law, do you think things are different?

[Autumn]

17. Is the supreme court in charge of the DNC's rules and bylaws?

I don't think so.

[we can do it]

18. Another thing that has changed. Nothing is what it used to be.

[Autumn]

19. No explanation of what the supreme court has to do with the DNC's rules and bylaws?

[EndlessWire]

28. I thought she also said

that Biden can win against Trump...

[Amishman]

37. Joe can theoretically be replaced - by his delegates

The matter is in the hands of the delegates, anything else is illegitimate.

All this pressure on Joe to drop is un-Democratic and seriously is undermining the credibility of our party and the integrity of our system.

[Autumn]

40. I agree. But it is what is happening.

[Butterflylady]

7. Luv you big tree.

You can say it much better than me. If you take Biden out we will lose. Leave Biden in, we win.

[intheflow]

8. K&R!! 👆All of this!! 👆

I just typed out almost this same thing in response to a subthread, only to find it wouldn’t post because the post I replied to had been removed.

This is a dangerous discussion that subverts the democratic process.

The Democratic Party is NOT the party that subverts democracy!

[Alice B.]

13. Thank you for saying all of this.

I should probably stop reading here and now but you know I can't help myself.

[lees1975]

15. You nailed this.

There is a 500+ page volume sitting gathering dust on a lot of bookshelves now, called "The Mueller Report." It's pages contain evidence, mountains of it, of collusion between the Trump campaign in 2016, and the Russian government. Two of its higher ranking officials paid a visit of congratulations to Trump in the White House shortly after he won. No prosecution ever took place because after one failure in appointing one of the last "old line" Republicans as attorney general, Trump needed more protection and hired Bill Barr, who put it all on a shelf, and with his fat faced, double chinned smile said, "Nothing to see here."

I'd bet that those who know, and who work in tech communication, are having multiple, daily encounters with information pouring in through social media and the internet, attacking security walls and attempting to work its way into places where it can be used by appearing alongside actual media data and political reporting. And we must be realistic, there are Americans who will, for money, do just about whatever you ask of them to do.

What we're seeing, in our party right now, is just incredible. Just answer a few questions. Inflation has been a problem for a while now, and the perception of issues with the supply chain and the economy go back almost two years. But in head to head polling, Biden was comfortably ahead of Trump, until this past spring. Then there were shifts in the polls, as inflation began to relax. Economic growth has always been strong, but it seems the impression is that it's not. I rarely encounter a Democrat who doesn't have a good perspective of the fact that this is the strongest economy we've seen in decades, but the polls never reflect the existence of that Democrat.

Here's the bottom line. Biden is the same threat to anti-Democratic despotism that he has always been. And so he is a target of propaganda aimed at convincing people he's no longer capable of leadership. They've got absolutely nothing else but that. And that notion is defeated by our Constitutional system which provides for a Vice President who is capable of taking over in a heartbeat. Literally. She's also a threat to the anti-democracy crowd and especially to the MAGA minority. Hence, we are seeing all kinds of technological attacks through media. What a coup Trump and Putin would have pulled, if they get their most effective opponent to quietly step down because he is too old, not out of being defeated at the polls, which they will NOT do, but because the media browbeat him into stepping down.

Here's the perspective we should all be taking. I don't care if Joe Biden would have to be wheeled into the oval office on a stretcher, and have someone put the pen in his hand to sign bills, he'd still be a much better president than Trump would be.

[Tommy Carcetti]

16. A replacement candidate exists.

Her name is Kamala Harris, she’s the Vice President and first in line in succession in case anything happens to President Biden.

This is all so superfluous. There’s no crisis. It’s all built in the Constitution. It couldn’t be any easier for us.

Why do we insist on making someone simple so difficult?

[bigtree]

20. she's not one of the ratfuckers.

...you really think it's 'simple' to step on my vote and elevate your choice in this election?

You're not being truthful. (reasons stated above)

[intheflow]

21. I think you misunderstood the post you're replying to.

The process is in place. If something happens to Biden, Harris steps up. That’s not about Biden stepping down, it’s the order of succession as per the Constitution.

[bigtree]

23. is something actually 'happening with Biden?'

...or is something hyping with Biden?

See what I did there?

[intheflow]

24. His age is a valid concern for many people.

People are terrified of a second Trump term.

But what you’re missing is the counter-argument - the very one you made in the OP - that the conversation should stop there because the Constitution provides a remedy for any concerns. So what that JFK was assassinated at 46? Should we never elect anyone again because they might suddenly croak? The poster was agreeing with you and you called them a liar.

Twentieth Amendment, Section 3: If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President.
https://constitution.congress.gov › ...
Amdt20.S3.1 Presidential Succession - Constitution Annotated - Congress.gov

[bigtree]

30. fuck them

...we know his age when we voted.

They had an entire primary to run a candidate.

Now some people have invented this 'concern' about a visibly functioning, cogent, and successful president as a way to second-guess voters, as if they weren't paying attention on election day.

This bullying of our choice in this election is an attempted subversion of that democratic process of elections.

THAT'S the valid concern here.

[intheflow]

32. Well, you're sure to win converts with that attitude.

[Deek1935]

36. What "attitude"? He is saying that we had a primary, Biden won, and now there is a SHIT effort to undo all that. SHIT.

[Deek1935]

34. YUP!

[Tommy Carcetti]

38. Exactly.

She’s only a replacement by virtue of the Constitution and her status as Vice President.

She wouldn’t screw over Joe at all.

People are acting like Joe needs to step aside because there would be chaos if he somehow was unable to fulfill his duties.

Meanwhile, Vice Presidential succession has gone off 9 times in history without a hitch.

Joe doesn’t need to be replaced at all. Doing so just messes with our morale and the advantage of the incumbency.

The solution to anyone’s worst fears is already there, and it’s in the Constitution. So I have zero clue as to why some Democrats are freaking out about a non-issue.

[Deek1935]

35. Are you saying another candidate should just be installed without any say from the voters? Really?

[Tommy Carcetti]

39. No. Not at all.

I’m firmly of the opinion that Joe need not go anywhere.

What I’m saying is that we have a Vice Presidential line of succession in the event he were ever unable to fulfill his duties, and a fully capable and qualified Vice President in that position.

And that people are freaking out that there would be chaos if President Biden were somehow unable to go on as President for whatever reason.

It’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen.

[Deek1935]

41. Oh ok. I thought you meant Harris should be poofed in as the new nominee if Biden stepped out. That would be a MESS.

Voters would want a say, and MANY would now say that Harris can't win, for a number of reasons and we all know what they are.

[Starry Messenger]

22. It is stressful how few people seem to understand the primary process

I’ve been breaking it down for old friends for weeks now. That’s why irresponsible messaging from the leadership is so bad for us. No one is going to understand it in normieville and we don’t have enough runway to even mitigate that. They need to zip it, stfu, and get in and drive

[intheflow]

29. Yes! We need a national civics education before

we need Biden to step down. That’s the conversation we should be having!

[bigtree]

31. first thing to explain is the sanctity of our votes in an election

...class dismissed.

Review above lesson for homework.

There will be tests.

[Hekate]

25. KnR, bigtree

[58Sunliner]

26. K and R!!!

[Deek1935]

33. GREAT post! Just imagine if instead of all this BULLSHIT, they were actually closing ranks and supporting our nominee.

[myohmy2]

42. +1...

...