What Is the Democratic Party For?
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- Опубліковано 7 жов 2024
- Top Democrats have closed ranks around Joe Biden since the debate. Should they?
Mentioned:
“This Isn’t All Joe Biden’s Fault (nytimes.com/20...) ” by Ezra Klein
“Democrats Have a Better Option Than Biden (www.nytimes.co...) ” by The Ezra Klein Show
“Here’s How an Open Democratic Convention Would Work (www.nytimes.co...) ” with Elaine Kamarck on The Ezra Klein Show
The Hollow Parties (press.princeto...) by Daniel Schlozman and Sam Rosenfeld
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.
You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at www.nytimes.co....
This audio essay was produced by Rollin Hu and Kristin Lin. Fact-Checking by Jack McCordick and Michelle Harris. Mixing by Efim Shapiro. Our senior editor is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Annie Galvin, Jeff Geld, Elias Isquith and Aman Sahota. Original music by Isaac Jones. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The executive producer of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.
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“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”
-Orwell, 1984
Ranked Choice Voting, FTW. The People didn't choose these candidates; the Parties did.
I thought of Orwell's book 1984 when Trump told his followers not to believe what they saw and what they heard.
@@someguy2135 When did he do that? Was it after he told people to inject bleach or when he called Nazis "fine people?"
Protip: He didn't say any of that.
Historian Heather Cox Richardson writes: Gish Gallop, "It's a rhetorical technique in which someone throws out a fast string of lies,non-sequiturs, and specious arguments, so many that it is impossible to fact-check or rebut them in the amount of time it took to say them. Trying to figure out how to respond makes the opponent look confused, because they don't know where to start grappling with the flood that just happened. It's a form of gaslighting". For me as a voter there was no debate Trump eliminated it. Trump's and Biden's answers to questions should be written and if not a real answer it is not read.
@@FactCheckerGuyWe beat Medicare.
Ezra, I am an 81 year old Democrat who has been listening to you a long time. I agree with every word you say in this podcast. We must do the hard thing now. Thank you for your frankness.
They don't have to switch out Biden - just the VP with a new, charismatic person like Cory Booker! Everybody thinks the VP will be President sometime in next 4 years. All focus will shift to the new person + re-energize the campaign. It's MUCH easier to switch out VP than top of ticket.
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
It's not the hard thing. The hard thing would've been Democrats having a meeting with him two years ago, and letting him know he can't run again.
The hard thing would've been not calling Kennedy a white supremacist, conspiracy theory expert, and running him as the Democratic candidate.
The easy thing is removing a man with dementia, and running someone else.
Don’t even think about it! In 2020, voters got excited about the Biden-Harris TEAM-knowing full well that Harris might eventually become president. That was A FEATURE, NOT A BUG. And most of the same voters still feel that way. No-the party throws Harris under the bus at its peril!
Now, a Harris-Booker ticket might be something to consider-but only in that order.
Are you WOKE?
It deeply frustrates me that we reached this point. I was someone who was mollified by the SotU, but this… these peaks and troughs remind me of my dear late grandmother. She would rally and be exactly like I remember her as a kid, but then some days it was just… hard. For her and us.
And more than anything, I’m angry with an old man’s pride and the people who are too obsequious or foolish to stand up to it. They tell me so much is on the line this year, and I agree from democracy to climate catastrophe and beyond. So why the hell are they putting this loyalty and pride BS ahead of the goddamn future of the world?
This isn't about "an old man's pride" or "love of power". It's about simple math + politics. If Joe had stood down now, Harris is his natural successor. But HARRIS CAN'T WIN. HER NET UNFAVORABLES ARE HUGE. Had Biden deferred to her, she would have been slaughtered against Trump. The easy solution is to replace HARRIS on the 2024 ticket with somebody that both Dems + INDEPENDENTS actually LIKE + trust to run the country. Once you have a POPULAR successor in place, Biden is free to step down early in his 2nd term + hand the Presidency over to the VP. With Trump running, the stakes were just too high to put Harris in b/c she was a guaranteed LOSS! Replacing VP in 2024 means everybody wins and it's much easier to do than changing top of ticket.
In this case the peaks and troughs correlate almost perfectly to whether or not there's a teleprompter in front of him. Clever devices. From the audience they look like forgettable pieces of clear plastic on stands at either side of the podium. But they are beautiful mirrors from the speaker's position... He can appear to look out at the crowd while merely reading a script.
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
Some presidents are very proactive; others set a vision, and then make a few speeches but basically delegate the implementation. Biden surrounds himself with competent people and knows how to delegate to them; and we may see him do more of that in his second term.
What’s the alternative-Trump and HIS horrible vision for America?
@@terry9238the alternative is moving someone else (probably Harris) to the top of the ticket to continue that legacy. You’re preaching to the choir when it comes to appreciating Biden’s work as President and despising Trump and what he would do. But when it comes to winning this election, this debate has clearly shaken many voters’ image of him. You and I can scream until we’re blue in the face about our confidence in everybody around him, but there are people in this country who don’t think that way and want to vote *for* someone (not just against Trump). Right now, those people are making it clear that they don’t want to vote *for* Biden, often citing his age even before the debate. If they vote for a different candidate or stay home or whatever, then we get Trump.
It's not just one 'off' night. It's needing to have the next four and a half YEARS 'on'.
Yep. Even if that was just his floor, that's an unappectable floor. And he's only going to get worse.
This is what I fear. Even if we all agree that [Lord Dampnut] is unacceptable, can we honestly make the case that Biden is the right man to understand and respond to a crisis? That Biden can sway and persuade wavering foreign leaders, or a hostile Congress? Project an image of strength and unity that sews doubt in our enemies? In other words, do you really believe Biden can be an effective president for four more years?
Even if you and I agree that [Lord Dampnut] is unacceptable, what are the 60-80% of Americans who aren't true-blue Democrats going to think of that proposition?
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
Agreed. Biden as been clearly cognitively impaired for well of a year of not longer.
The president is his cabinet, not himself. Trumps lackeys passed every kind of bullshit during his term. Biden barely speaking passed significant legislation and drove the covid recovery.
If it were to come to that, you can either impeach him or make the vice-pres step up.
Just remember this was Biden at his BEST, with seven days of prep. The political establishment pisses on you and tells you it’s raining.
You are correct!
$14M raised after debate, I'd say so 😸
also, he's running for a four-year term. what will be like two years from now?
I think they gave him the wrong prep during pride month 😮
good point-it's like NASA telling us there's nothing wrong with Boeing's spacecraft even though they can't bring the two astronauts back.
Thank you Ezra, this is spot on 100%. I believe if Biden runs he will lose. If preventing Trump from returning to office is so important (it is) then everyone needs to face the discomfort and do what is necessary, asap.
Nope. Historically, debates have not affect election outcomes. Also, if Biden dropped out after being chose I the primaries, there are some states where getting new person on the ballot would be basically impossible
@@technoloverishThis moment does not have historical precedent, it's not that Biden had a "bad" debate performance, it's that he demonstrated he lacks the mental capacity to do the job. We can win without Ohio, which had little chance of going for Biden anyway, I am doubtful we can win with Biden.
The difference is Biden has a competent and good faith staff, if Biden is slow they can pick up the slack. Trump had some of that and systematically fired all of the staff that wasn't specifically loyal to him.
I do think Biden should step down because he is too far past his peak, but if he won't he is still the only choice because Trump *MUST* be defeated.
@@Dolby109Biden will elect Trump and if by some small chance Biden wins… the GOP will do something crazy like overthrow the government, because then we as voters would also show our lack of integrity, morals or clarity. This is giving them an opportunity to do something horrific. If democracy is on the line, we should put someone in that’s up to the task.
Does Biden have a competent, good faith staff? Who agreed to those nutso debate format and rules? Who prepped Biden for the substance of the debate? Who prepped Biden for the optics of the split camera? Who let Biden go onstage sick and pale with a voice that made him sound 101 years old that nobody could hear? My faith in the staffing is now much lower than my faith in Biden.
Thank you for articulating what a lot of us are feeling..
Raise your hand if you wake up each morning hoping both men have been relegated to history.
rfk jr is the answer, watch the real debate. He's not anti vax. he's anti big business regulating itself, which is why they lie about him.
🖐🏽
I wish every Democratic power broker and every Independent and Democratic voter could hear this clearly and convincingly articulated argument
. You are correct! We have to face the reality of where we are at this stage in the election.
You were right in February and even more right now, Ezra. Please dont let up on this.
in february!? cause sniffing children and mistaking his wife for his sister didnt happen in 2020?
What is the press for? The press is why we are here.
Stimulate ideas and never influence them.
100% they are criminals. going back at least to Russia collusion BS
They share some burden, but now it is mostly the DNC, and conversely RNC.
They literally lied and pretended that this dude was sharp as a tack since 2020. Even before he was given the nomination in 2020 they were talking about how he was entirely too old and losing it. That narrative totally changed and everyone got in line once Obama forced everyone out who still had brain cells.
Chasing clicks....
I’m an independent and wanted to stay open to all options. I listened to your podcast and found it very enlightening. Thank you for your insight.
Thank you Ezra for telling the TRUTH and NOT gaslighting us like the others are!!!
Does anyone think that if they scheduled another debate for tomorrow the result would be any different? No amount of Biden yelling at a teleprompter is going to reverse this. Period. If Joe Biden truly cares about the country more than his own idea of who he imagines himself to be he will watch the tape of his performance the other night and reevaluate his candidacy. I'm not holding my breath.
If Biden steps down now, he will be regarded as a hero , the humblest president ever. The longer he waits, the more it proves that his pride is holding him back. We can do this. We're the USA, right? Since when did we back down from uncertainty? All he is doing is dividing Democrats bitterly. Give time and space for democracy to find itself again. We have no b**lls. Ezra is absolutely right.
You think Joe wants to be up there mumbling? No. He knows he’s toast.
It’s Jill who is pushing this out of her own ego to remain in power. It’s elder abuse.
100% Correct excellent report.
Thanks to FOX News and MSNBC for all this $#!+ as well.
Thank Ezra. It takes courage to tell us the truth.
This 77 yr old lifelong progressive democrat 100% agrees.
I agree with you. I do think some older elected do well, such as Bernie Sanders. He's still at the top of his game. But we all age differently and President Biden is clearly in decline.
@@belindaberdes9647 No, President Biden is not in decline. That implies he has further to go. He is at the bottom.
He is clearly unfit and it’s dangerous that he’s in office right now. He needs to go and should probably resign right now.
@drumming975convincing truly.
It could get worse...
Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
@singed8853
🙄 right- let's put in Kamala - whose net negatives are higher than Biden's. (Trump troll. )
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
Impeach him then, rat coward.
I’m not a neurologist but if last Thursday’s debate wasn’t a textbook example of sundowning, I’ll eat my hat.
Who cares what the specific term is. Whatever THAT was, it was not presidential.
@@bosshog8844And Trump was presidential? No freeken way.
@@codecodigo5461 Relative to Biden, Trump was miles ahead. Biden cannot win this.
@@bosshog8844 Biden is going to Win, when it comes down to voting most Americans will vote for Biden.
@@codecodigo5461 how wasnt he?
My mother has dementia. I've watched her slow cognitive decline over the years. She used to have good days when she could remember things. Now her long term memory is mostly gone. She's had plateaus. But no reversal of symptoms. She truly lives in the moment. Unlike Biden, her voice is still crisp and clear and the sentences she speaks are coherent. From what I've seen of Biden, he appears to me to be suffering from cognitive decline. We have been told that he has a speech impediment. But, as videos of him from years ago show, a possible speech impediment was in little evidence. Although Biden speaks well when he uses a teleprompter, can he speak coherently and convincingly without one? By continuing to support Biden, Democratic leaders have let us down. We need another candidate for president.
Biden surrounds himself with competent people, and is able and willing to delegate the details to them. The other guy is too egotistical to delegate-no matter how incompetent he is (and always has been)-because he thinks he alone is the “savior”.
I know which one I trust to run the country: the modest delegator, not the megalomaniac!
The last thing democrats should do now is "give themselves more credit".
When do these people not give themselves credit? They’re on a crazy train all the time 😂
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
This is the most thoughtful, cogent, and unbiased analysis of both political parties, particularly the Democratic party I've heard since the debate. The argument is in complete agreement with my thoughts. Specifically, I concur that if Democrats truly believe this election will determine whether our Republic survives as intended by the Founders then they would do what is necessary to ensure an electable, charismatic, smart and younger candidate is positioned against Trump. What we are experiencing now is a Democratic party that places more importance on personal and party ambition than the fate of our country.
we've been experiencing it for years, the two party system is irrevocably corrupt and only helps the wealthy.
Both of our political parties now are symptomatic of a ossified leadership structure that needs to be more dynamic and responsive.
Trump is a political entrepreneur offering simple solutions to individuals wanting simple solutions to complex problems.
Trump is result of both parties not responding to their constituents needs.
As I explain to my 23 year old son, you and your generation are going to need to fix this mess. Please fasten your seatbelts, we are entering a period of turbulence.
Please don't take this the wrong way, but as someone who's comfortably retired father often says the same thing to me:
The way to show your children you actually care is to not leave it to them alone to fix.
Nothing has corroded my relationship with my father more that his seeming desire to abdicate responsibility for what had arguably happened on his generation's watch - particularly now when he has both the means, the time, and the knowledge to do something meaningful about it.
If you do nothing to support efforts to turn the tide - think carefully about how your son might feel about the "legacy" you've left him.
@@craven5328 I deeply appreciate your comment and you are absolutely correct.
The one improvement over my own father is my willingness to say, I'm sorry. I have said that more than I care to remember.
I have spoken to my son and stated that democracy is messy and a participatory form of government. We all need to be pro active in this situation as Americans.
We older Americans should not "dump" this problem on our youth. We certainly helped fuck this up and we are certainly responsible to help fix it.
The one thing that is different between your father and me is, that short of a miracle, I will be working until my last day on this planet. My son being 23, and he just started his first job at $300k.
I struggle to make $40k.
He will most likely retire well before my death.
Good for him 👏
My final words to him and you. The only thing of true value in our lives, is our time.
Spend it wisely.
I happened to bump into this set of comments, and while the political situation in our country terrifies me I'm so impressed by how the commenters above where able to critique each other while still being constructive. Not everything in the world is broken.
Trump is actually the result of the backlash to a bunch of ridiculous progressive policies that mainstream democrats have decided to adopt, but can most easily be summarized by the phrase "Identity Politics" - that's 2015 timeframe language for the phenomenon that has gone by different terms over the years, but still represents the same set of terrible ideas: Political Correctness, Wokeness, Social Justice, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Cancel Culture, Believe All Women....
In 2016, the Democrats represented roughly half the country but the vast majority of Academia, Big Tech, Media, and Hollywood.
Regular people got sick and tired of being told what they were allowed to think and say, that everything was racist and sexist, and that of course discrimination is perfectly fine as long as you are discriminating against straight, cis, white, abled, men. You have to say Black Lives Matter, but it's racist to say All Lives Matter? (newsflash Black Lives are included in All Lives... "All Lives Matter" is the *more* inclusive statement, not the less inclusive statement.)
Fast forward through 2020 and now to 2024 and the situation on the democrat side has only gotten worse. "Moderate" Joe Biden decided that the most important criteria for his VP pick and his Supreme Court pick was their genitalia and skin pigmentation. We've been told that biological men are women and should be allowed to compete in female sports. We've been told to believe all women. We've been told that the police should be defunded, and that showing photographs of violent criminals is promoting racism instead of promoting the reality of the situation. We've been told that we're racist if we think it's *possible* that the virus came from a lab in China, or if we want to limit who is allowed to legally enter our country. We were told for 3 years that Trump colluded with the Russians, even though it was never proven and that the Hunter Biden Laptop is Russian disinformation propagated by Rudy Guiliani which was proven... to be false.
Please don't misdiagnose the reasons that people want Trump. They want Trump because he is not scared by political correctness. He is perfectly fine to stand up to the insanity, expose it for what it is, and fight against it. That's the reason that Trump became popular. I'll be the first to admit that I wish he wasn't a jackass, sometimes con artist, womanizer, who goes with his gut more than his senior expert advisors. There's a lot about Trump that sucks. But in the end, people have decided that they are willing to accept Trump's flaws because he is right person to fight against the progressive agenda that mainstream democrats have decided to adopt.
The issues we're dealing with politically are less a question of personalities, and more an issue with our political systems. The systems are completely broken, and our aged government shows it... something needs to be done about a system where a vast majority of incumbents are being re-elected, because people have not a clue about how to organize to get preferable candidates on the ballot.. it has become a completely mysterious and red-taped process of grass roots organizing. We're basically at a place in America where everyone shows up to the ballot box every 2 years pretty much voting for whatever they're given.. there is no civic participation in REAL democracy (which is the process of deliberating on who will be on the ballot to begin with). We're so overworked, atomized, and distracted to the point where it's become virtually impossible to expect people to civically organize to get reasonable candidates on the ballot. It's been barricaded by money. Serving in congress has become a career track, rather than a temporary office of public service. Our decrepit politicians reflect that perfectly.
Release the delegates.
Stop gaslighting me bro.
This is an unmitigated disaster.
I feel so sad about what I saw.
Shapiro and Whitmer is the answer.
Newsom will be the best.
@@dawnfmEnthusiast
I love Newsom.
He would be the best.
But I want to win.
Shapiro and Whitmer took Penn and Wisconsin. This is a pure political calculation.
Newsom could win. Don’t give up brother.
So many better (and more importantly younger) candidates.
@@steve-real you mean Penn and MICHIGAN … right?
@@vinista256 Exactly 2 of the seven swing states.
I like Gavin Newsom too
As someone that values my freedoms, I would like to point out that you cannot acknowledge that the Titanic struck an iceberg and still set sail for New York City. While there is time left, there is nothing radical about abandoning ship so that rescue can arrive from elsewhere. After Thursday night’s unfortunate collision with reality, I encourage my respected leaders and defenders of democracy to come up with a plan expeditiously.
You value your freedoms, and so do your workers.
That's why your workers must free themselves from their shackles!
End the tax strike by capital, and the politics will start to look more like a democracy.
Credibility is the number one messaging issue on both sides of the aisle right now.
Target a different political equilibrium. We're at the bottom of a trough, and working on credibility issues is job number one.
That means getting results, then coming back to the voting public with red meat.
Those are your future candidates, that accomplish this.
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
According to Keith Olbermann...how DARE you ask these questions???
Thank you. I totally agree. I have written emails to the White House, my senators, the Democratic party, Barack and Michelle Obama, Kamala Harris and Jeffry Hakeem to beg them to convince Biden to retire. I am scared. Not only that Trump will win, but also I don't feel safe with the president being so compromised. Please join me in letter writing. It is important to let them know how we feel.
Sadly, I don't think they care. I've already written letters. They don't even bother to respond.
òh no not another trum term! cause the last 4 years were such a disaster!
i mean they were the opposit, but this time it will obviously be different, for... reasons...
@@wasdwasdedsfExactly. Trump will cause WW3. Why didn't he the first time around. Why didn't he blow up the world?
Loyalty in the private sphere is a good thing, BUT not in the public sphere.
In both the public and private space, unconditional loyalty eventually leads to gangsterism and gaslighting.
I agree. An elected official's loyalty should be to the people and the Constitution.
Loyalty in the private sphere is why Google has changed their algorithm to bring the Internet back to the late 90s...
Excellent. I was wondering if there was still clear thinking available in America but fortunately there is.
Biden "I dont debate as well as I used to." er, buddy, you don't debate at all
Thank you so much for being the voice of reason here, Ezra
Brilliant. May you be heard.
Biden needs to step aside. We are grateful.
Interesting that you’re not saying Trump has to step aside too
Nothing would get home more love and adoration honestly
@@technoloverish they should both step aside. Trump is a felon
@@technoloverish People in the Republican party probably wish they could replace Trump. Nikki Haley would be beating Biden in a landslide right now.
100% agree!
I was one of those people who thought you were crazy in February when you proposed an open convention. I’m completely on board with the idea now.
The solution to this crisis is fairly simple. The party should require Biden to undergo comprehensive cognitive testing. If he fails, he should be given the opportunity to gracefully withdraw. If he refuses, the party should make the results public and nominate a new candidate.
This is a great idea, but we already know what the results will be. Biden must step down now or a true leader must step up and challenge him for the sake of our country and democracy.
The party can't "require" Biden to do anything. The ball is in his court. You've made this bed; lie in it.
Ezra - love your honesty and willingness to say what we ALL feel.
Clearly, establishment Dems don’t/wont allow themself to realize this is a different situation all together:
many of us Millenials saw our dads on that debate stage. We remembered when we took the keys to his car away and we all felt that pain and those emotions again come roaring back.
We then asked ourselves, “would I EVER have asked my Father (who I didn’t trust to be able to find his car) to take on the most difficult job in the world for the next 4 years?” Of course not, it would not feel MORALLY right to do. I genuinely wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that to my Father, and it’s how I feel about Biden too.
I won’t vote for Trump. But I can’t vote for Biden. I’m pretty sure I would vote for any of the 15 democrats you mentioned in this podcast.
Go Ezra! The world needs the best prezident America can give.
Thank you for speaking up.
I am not sure there is 4 more week. 4 more years is delusional. Open convention please.
Klein is right. It's really a no-brainer.
There's so much retaliation regarding this important issue.
IT'S NOT JUST ONE DEBATE.
If you think he's got good policy, but cannot win as a figurehead, then put him as VP. He's in the room but not on the debate stage.
Listening to Amy Wasserman Shultz, Monday morning on CNN, coming to the defense of Biden, was no different than listening to Lindsay Graham's talking points for supporting Donald Trump. The whole process sickens me to the point where I cannot vote for any individual who puts themselves above country, PERIOD. Unfortunalely that might be the entire Congress. We need term limits.
The voice of sanity on the left.
To be fair, I'm pretty sure we've been losing since 1980, or 1968. We never recovered from those. We deserve a sojourn of reflection in the wilderness just as much as the Republicans do.
That's right. Dems need an incredibly charismatic leader to win, because the electoral college leans conservative and progressive policies are only attractive in coastal states. Without the personality aspect you're doomed.
Reminds me of when my brother told mom she could no longer drive. She either forgot where she parked the car, or left it in an illegal parking spot and he had to pay the ticket! But we all say you were a great mom and we still love you. . . . .
Actually, the Dems look exactly like the GOP here: Bow to an old white man 🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
Yup they look like blue MAGA, living in lala land comparing his performance to Obama’s first performance… yeah right!! This is malpractice….
As a reminder America's founding fathers were old white men and your complaint is racist and sexist.
Well if kamala could talk we could resuce
A cult of personality devoted to worshiping a selfish old man.
how do you mean bow to? why wouldnt the gop pick the best presiden in modern history?
Thank you for your thoughts ❤
Reality: "The emperor has no close."
NYT: "Cheap fake. cheap fake. cheap fake!"
It's very sad but every word here is spot on.
It's not just about November it's about the next 5 years!
The villains in "The Emperor's New Clothes" (by Hans Christian Andersen) are two travelling tailors who falsely claim their cloth is so magnificent that it becomes invisible to people who are 'unfit for office' or 'stupid'.
But the great fault lies with the emperor's advisors, who fear telling the emperor the truth-that they can not see the cloth-because they fear losing their jobs. They even tell the emperor he should wear his new clothes in a 'grand procession'.
The emperor is also at fault. Believing his advisors and fearing being discovered to be unfit for office, he pretends he can see his new clothes.
In the grand procession, when townspeople all finally see the emperor has no clothes, the emperor shivers, suspecting the townspeople are right. But he decides: 'This procession has got to go on.'
In 2016 the Republican Party failed to disqualify a flawed candidate and in turn destroyed a party that I once admired. Today the Democratic Party has the chance to nominate a younger candidate at the convention that has the requisite characteristics and strength to do the job of President. It is not too late. The two party system can work if the party will just do its job and nominate the best qualified candidate. For the sake of the country, Biden should go out on top and trust that he is not the only candidate to unify the country against that same flawed candidate of 2016.
After this election, the primary system needs some serious overhaul as it seems to have drawn out the worst political instincts of both the parties. Things are not moving as fast as they should partly because of it and the way they are organized just doesn't work.
Regardless, I'm all here for the Dem party callout arc.
The fact that he DNC can literally rig the primary to make sure biden isn't challenged is the problem. If ttrump wins again it's 100% the DNC's fault. I think it goes deeper than JUST the primary process, the bloated two party system that is owned by special interests is the enemy of democracy.
You are absolutely right, I'm a senior citizen, 50 plus year democratic voter but I find it inconceivable that Biden can be cognitively competent for another four years. What will they do if Biden keeps messing up as it is clear he will? Time to jump ship if we hope to win. Add Governor Pritzker to your list of candidates for consideration.
If we see ourselves as a family, then we have to , with love, support our elders and steer them to their appropriate positions.
I heard today that Biden is great from 10:00 to 4:00.
That’s six hours, which makes sense for an 81 year old, even outstanding-
But, the presidency is not a six hour job.
Please, listen to the American people.
Please, trust their collective wisdom!
Democratic Party needs to rethink, twice or three times, about their strategy to win at all costs. The shut down every good candididates in and enthroned H Clinton and left with panic candidate Biden. They are now shutting every other candidate this time and kept Biden. Now they are panic, plus every American. We are all panic and "embarrassed". RNC also follows similar strategy and paints themselves to the corner too.
That said, this dude will still vote for a potato over Trump.
I would too. Everybody wants Joe out because at the end of the day they don't want Trump to win.
@@michaelh4227 yes, we are proud as democrats to vote for mr potato head!! And we will beat Medicare!
😂
stop saying this online. everyone typing this into websites run by AI context filters will ensure biden continues his reign.
Me too, but that doesn't mean I think we should nominate one.
Truth.
Joe and Jill are way too venal to step aside. But, hey, there's still Kamala.
This is not about "bad Biden"! Why is no political pundit willing to identify the elephant in the room? Biden couldn't bow out in 2024 b/c his CURRENT successor is unelectable at top of ticket! (Her net unfavorables are HUGE.) The easy solution is to REPLACE HARRIS AS 2024 VP candidate with somebody that DEMS + INDEPENDENTS actually LIKE + trust to run the country. Once they win, Biden can retire early + hand the Presidency over to somebody the Biden voters are HAPPY with.
This event has made me see how profoundly selfish, manipulative, and frankly unpatriotic the Bidens are. The only good thing about this situation is that it will be the end of the Bidens and their enablers. But at a terrible cost. The coming fascist dictatorship will be their legacy.
So true
Well said!
So glad I left that cult. Don't have to vote or defend this nonsense anymore!
Thank you. I hope you are heard by the people that can make a difference.
I think this is the chance for democrats to show its not the man, its the process. Republicans at this point could never replace trump, its all a cult of personality. and its way way not too late to pick a candidate. historically they were picked at the conventions. I also don't mind that Biden is taking some time to withdraw, but I think he should give into the process for the good of the country.
"the process" that they rigged to make sure biden wasn't challenged. the DNC IS the problem, along with the rest of the two party system. The sad truth is that moneyed special interests have a near complete control over our politics, thanks in no small part fo citizens united. RFK Jr is the only one acknowledging this.....
Ezra: You are correct on all points. Yes, we don't have the choice to fully vet any candidate who might emerge from an open convention, but we have to take that risk. Gretchen Whitmer or Chris Murphy could win Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, and that gets us to exactly 270 electoral votes. The same cannot be said of Kamala Harris or Newsome. In addition to the heavy lift of getting Biden to accept reality, I think we face an equally heavy lift of getting Kamala Harris to agree to run again as VP to avoid any further deterioration of Black voter participation.
I appreciate the honest intellectual analysis. It is not about the Man, it is about the cause. It is not a Cult, it is an intellectual debate to chose the proper public servant.
Pleaae any democrat in the house including Ezra? Could someone help me out. Biden said he knows how to tell the truth? Did he tell the truth during the debate?
Both parties have positions I simply can't vote for. Get rid of both of them.
So you more okay with a national abortion ban then?
@@technoloverish No, I'm saying we need more choices. A binary isn't a real choice.
The Supreme Court returned a portion to the states .
How can there be a national ban ?
It works both ways .
It’s not the parties, they are only supporting what constituents & donors want. So there are ppl in this country that support these party positions.
rfk jr is the best answer for now, watch the real debate. He's not anti vax. he's anti big business regulating itself, which is why they lie about him.
Let's not get hysterical here. Scarborough says this version of Biden is the best version ever. Let's see how he does in the 2nd debate.
Bravo!
Thank you Ezra. I share much of the views you express here. I feel lonely hopeless and angry.
The problem isn’t really Biden’s age or performance. These are all understandable.
The big problem is not promoting Kamala Harris enough, even though she is the VP.
It’s obvious the DNC thought that Harris’ candidacy was as used for symbolic purposes to usher in the woman and poc base.
If the VP had been more established, i feel like Biden’s performance wouldn’t matter at all.
Exactly
Ezra, keep the hard critique coming. Biden was meant to beat Trump once, be a stateman, and move aside for . . . .what the Democrats can produce to beat this and the next authoritarian.
Vote for Biden! Senile lives matter!
This is real diversity. Thanks to Biden the Democrats will get that coveted Alzheimer's vote.
I can’t stand Trump, but Biden would likely be worse. We need better candidates on both sides!
We yet have a few talented Americans of courage and integrity. Like Ezra here. And Jon Stewart. Proof through the night that our flag is still there. ya feel
Yeah, we got to watch hope for our democracy take a direct hit and the draining of what's left of its integrity. Doesn't mean we're lost though. Who will be there to count my earthly Blue vote? Vote for truth and our democracy!
Indeed
Ruth Bader Biden
It's a very searching question that deserves careful consideration and serious scrutiny because the Democrats despise the Demos - and regard their natural constituents, the working class, as a "basket of deplorables" - and resorting to lawfare and all kinds of underhand methods to proactively thwart Democracy. Like the 2 main parties in the UK - the Tories and Labour - they want to be in the power just for its own sake, and be nothing more than the unthinking, mindless mouthpieces of a hidden, unelected, and unaccountable, entitled elite.
This is an unholy mess of their own making, and the Democrats, and the mainstream media have finally found out - too late - you can't fool all the people, all the time. They need to get real and work out what they're about and who they are they are there to represent.
It is a single Uniparty supporting war and Wall Street with two factions, Republicans and Democrats. Regardless of which faction wins, we the people lose, while the billionaires, warmongers, and genocidaires win.
Who cares what is best for the Democratic Faction?
What is best for the majority of Americans?
Certainly neither faction of the Uniparty has the interests of the majority of Americans at heart.
Since neoliberalism began in full force in the 80s, the political and economic elites have only been losing public legitimacy, which has only accelerated in recent years.
The Uniparty offers not a single viable candidate to the people. To state otherwise is to gaslight the American people. Stop it. Stop lying the American people. Stop pretending to package a genocidal oligarchy as a democracy.
There is absolutely nothing sacred about either of these factions. Once corporations, private interests, or foreign lobbies own our officials, only a revolution will have a chance of returning legitimacy to the government.
I've seen some arguments that President Biden does most of his work between 10 AM and 4 PM, and that his poor performance was due to the debate happening at 9PM. This line of argumentation does not reassure me, even if it's true.
I have listened to a few views on Biden stepping aside and became defensive of Biden but listening to Ezra from the beginning realizing he is correct. I know I have always stood up for the little guys which makes me a better healthcare provider however this isn’t that.
I agree we must make the hard call for our democracy and citizens including our grandchildren’s grandchildren
Yes. Well said. It's heartbreaking to see President Biden lose his capacity. But to go on with this is more dsngerous.
Let's say Biden can win, with "Trump is worse" as the only compelling argument for his re-election (which is a terrible strategy, btw).
If I were someone who wanted project 2025 to happen, another four years of Biden would be almost as useful to me as a Trump victory.
That isn't true of any other candidate.
I fear that you're right on.
Excellent insights ❤
My! Ezra Klein sounds more and more like Cenk Ugyr every day! I am not saying that as an attack, but it is probably time for the "mainstream intelligentsia" to accept that the core of the criticism that TYT has been making for over a decade now is right.
People don't care about the dementia. People care about the bad policies. The open border, inflation, awful covid policy, left wing judicial appointments, and radical climate policies are motivating voters to choose a return to sanity.
The only thing they agree on is it's about taking the money people earn and giving it to who they want.
Agree 💯
I think most Americans would say that Lincoln or FDR were great presidents, but you cannot run Lincoln or FDR in 2024 based on how great a president they WERE simply because they do not exist in 2024. So even if you believe that Biden has been a great president, unfortunately, the debate has shown that Biden (almost) doesn’t exist anymore in 2024 either. It’s about the future and not the past, all of Biden’s past successes mean nothing if he can’t even complete a basic thought anymore. And that’s just for half the country that thinks Biden has been great, there’s a whole other half of the country that believes Biden has been a terrible president. So the battle is for only a few 100 thousand independent voters in key states. Tell me, how has Biden’s debate performance convinced a single independent voter to vote for him?
It isn't even half the country that thinks Biden has been great. I doubt it's 30% who think that. His approval rating (not even his "greatness" rating) is in the high 30s. So, roughly 37% think he's just okay. I'm not in that camp. I think he's a better option than Trump, just as covid is preferable to ebola. Biden is a mercenary mediocrity. For most of his career, he did the bidding of big business. He is a man who has always been hungry for power. He has been a weak president who did nothing to vanquish Trumpism and who continued driving up an unsustainable national debt. He did nothing to put Social Security and Medicare on a better footing. He did nothing to rein in healthcare costs. That would have meant displeasing the very rich. He supported genocide in Gaza. Now, that mercenary mediocrity has shown he is sliding into dementia. And yet the Democrats stick with him, even though he is bound to lose the election and usher in a fascist dictatorship. I am finished with the Democratic Party. I frankly think they may want a losing candidate because they secretly support the agenda of the superrich to replace democracy with unvarnished plutocracy.
Great Podcast, the greatest expression was: BIDEN IS NOT AGING IN REVERSE
Ezra is right. As always.
Please get this dialogue to the top democrats!!!!! They will need to pressure Biden.
Speaking as a Reagan Republican that despises Trump and has not voted Republican since John McCain, the vast majority of Americans would NOT hire either one of these candidates to be our lawyer, or accountant, or even sell us replacement windows. We need much more from our political parties. I would vote for Haley or even Harris in a second than either of these two candidates.
I'm really thankful that in 4 years from now, we will be over with these two and maybe, just maybe, our parties will pull their heads out of their asses and bring up some more competent options.
💯.
I see this as the end game for the era of white male presidents. One might argue that that era ended with Obama, but a large part of the electorate (especially the white electorate) was still not ready for the change, and the backlash gave us Trump. I’m not saying that a white man will never have a chance again, but from 2028 on, I think it will no longer be taken for granted that both of the major party tickets will be headed by white men, given the more diverse composition of the next generation of leaders.
Harris v. Haley would be a great match-up!
Biden is sharper in the mornings. Dems should make sure the next debate happens before noon.