Hello, this is Eve. Tom Neuberger’s latest article, “What to do about Biden,” raises a lot of interesting discussion points, even if I don’t necessarily agree with them. The one that bothers me the most is the premise that voters should have a say. Operationally, there is no mechanism to make this happen now that the primaries are over. On top of that, it’s been clear for a long time that the Democratic Party views rank-and-file voters as mere fools, to be used and discarded. The party doesn’t support policies that the vast majority of Americans, and only self-described Democrats, want: raising the minimum wage, strengthening Medicare and Social Security, taxing the wealthy, cutting military spending, and so on. The party cheated like crazy to beat Sanders, and then didn’t even bother to throw Sanders supporters a policy bone afterwards. They also used incredibly aggressive methods to eliminate Biden’s primary competitors, especially RFK Jr., and declared head-on that Biden was the nominee and that no opponent would be allowed.
And a seemingly legitimate, feel-good convention is no joke. Trump had a truly awful convention in 2016. His campaign had a hard time getting anyone on stage who wasn’t a family member — remember the horrible, drawn-out fight with the father of a deceased Gold Star recipient — and yet Trump won.
As for any deal Biden might make, I’ll risk saying the opposite of what Tom suggests: Biden seems to be spending to the limits of his means, or even beyond. One very eagle-eyed source (pointing to lifestyle indicators such as Biden’s own expensive-to-maintain home) estimates it would cost $200 million to get rid of Biden. That’s the amount needed to keep Biden and his extended family at the level they’re accustomed to, and especially to pay Hunter’s legal fees.
By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published in God’s Spy
The donor meeting is happening now — here’s a look behind the scenesa little bit) The party’s big donors and heavyweights are (a) urging Biden to resign or withdraw and (b) holding discussions to decide who should replace him.
The point: None of this targets voters except indirectly. (Questions like “Can Harris beat Trump?” indirectly target voters by inferring their choices.)
The problem is that while everyone in the party seems to want to defeat Trump, including most of the party’s closest voters, some may be so upset by the apparent undemocratic nature of the process that they refrain from participating. At this point, the party needs every vote it can get. This is a tricky problem.
Qualification requirements
What are the requirements for candidates in this process? I think there are four:
- Donors must approve of the person and give freely to that person’s race.
- Party officials, especially those in the House and Senate facing re-election, must fully support this choice.
- The media must also fully support this choice.An uncertain future“Not anymore.”The Democratic Party in turmoil.”
- Voters, both Democrats and independents, need to consider a side.
• Did the donor make the right choice?
• Voters had a real say in the process.
All of these seem necessary, but especially 1 and 4. When donors are deciding who to open their wallets to, And we do it together — The party and the media will follow suit. Nervous Democrats need not worry about them.
but, VotersIt’s not good for the process to seem too undemocratic. Ryan Grimm I have written“For an open convention to be seen as legitimate by the public, it’s important that it is perceived as open.”
Grimm is right. The product is just Become familiar What’s good for you is feel It’s good for you, too, which is why some toothpaste brands are carbonated. If it foams, it means it’s working. Of course, that foam is often hydrogen peroxide, and it certainly works. feel It’s beneficial, and that’s what drives the product.
If the various candidates and their allies appeared on television regularly to speak on their behalf, and there were regular flash reports of endorsements from tycoons, labor unions, environmental groups, and so on, it would feel like what we understand today to be truly real and democratic: reality TV.
Reality TV. Why does it work?
The show will attract worldwide attention and create a bond between the audience and the stars of the show, especially if social media sentiment actually seems to influence how events play out. If that sentiment is seen as helping to choose the next candidate, then Trump is finished. If the Democratic Party brass nominates someone, then that person is finished.
I don’t know if I’m as confident in the outcome as Grimm, but the process is feel If it doesn’t recognise voter rights, few will support it.
Intelligence agencies speak out
It would be remiss of me not to say that the “vote” of the intelligence agencies also matters: they have already voiced their opinion at least twice, and they do not want Biden.
The first time was last September. David Ignatius Close to a ghost He did everything he could as a reporter. In 2023, he The Washington Post“President Biden should not run again in 2024The reason is Biden’s two “weaknesses”: his age and Kamala Harris.
After all, all donor It was clear from early on that Biden was frail. Crystal Ball said on her show:), and the intelligence agencies didn’t know? Ignatius and his whisperers may have changed their minds about Harris, but not about Joe.
The second time was just this week. Matt Taibbi writes: About Senator Mark Warner (Subscriber submitted, emphasis added): “(Washington) post According to the report, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Plan to bring together top Democrats to ask Biden to consider resigning. The views of the elected official who has perhaps the closest ties to the intelligence community The reason for releasing the news just before the biggest TV interview since the debate wasn’t hard to decipher.
Attention all you court watchers and King Lear “God’s spies” out there. Do you think they want Trump? The IC has a vote too.
How donors can help end the Biden administration
Before I say this, please know that I am not interested in the Democratic race. There is no progressive alternative. But I want the strongest candidate, and I want to see it soon. To that end, I am proposing this.
If all donors agree that Ms. Somebody Else is their choice, then the way to remove Biden and his spineless foes is straightforward. Denied retirement loan for him and his family.
You know what I mean: Less library funding, less speeches, Completely cold attitude From all the super rich. It’s not even a bribe. after The perfect carrot is also the perfect stick. after The chips are ok.
And it will work. Any modern ex-president would accept that deal. If they choose right, the Bidens and their closest friends will sail to the Isles of the Sun in a boat made of gold, surrounded by flowers and praise.
And we, the people, will ultimately know who was elected.
