Joe Biden reportedly more open to calls for him to step aside as candidate

girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to News@lemmy.world – 293 points –
Joe Biden reportedly more open to calls for him to step aside as candidate
theguardian.com

Joe Biden has reportedly become more open in recent days to hearing arguments that he should step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate after the party’s two main congressional leaders told him they doubted his ability to beat Donald Trump.

While continuing to insist he will be the party’s nominee in November, the president has reportedly started asking questions about negative polling data and whether Vice-President Kamala Harris, considered the favourite to replace him if were to withdraw, fares better.

The indications of a possible rethink come after Biden tested positive on Wednesday for Covid-19, forcing him to isolate for several days while curtailing a campaigning visit to Nevada that had been part of a drive to show his candidacy was very much alive.

It also coincides with fresh polling data showing that he now trails Trump by two points in Virginia, a state he won by 10 points in 2020.

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I do wonder how a Kamala Harris / AOC ticket would go.

Probably not well given how racist and misogynistic this country is. But it would energize many people.

Few things would energize me more. Biden would have gotten a begrudging vote from me at most. If youre going to slot AOC into the VP pick, I will estatically take 4 years of Kamala. To me there are few if any better investments in the political health of the country than VP AOC.

Few things would energize me more. Biden would have gotten a begrudging vote from me at most.

same here except i vacillate daily on voting for biden due to his history and its impact on my life.

a candidate that doesn't have a 4 decade long history of anti-gay, anti-feminist, pro-segregationists, pro-corporate, anti-student policies, actions and votes would easily convince me to vote democrat.

So electing Trump is good for working class queer women of color students?

fuck trump

So you'll do the only thing in your power and vote against him becoming president?

i'll vote for kamala, but not biden.

I think that would be too far left and you'd lose centrist votes

Vote blue no matter who? Or was that phrase just a cudgle against progressives?

You do realize there's more to the electorate than just dedicated Dem voters, right?

Just because we'll be telling people to "vote Blue no matter who" doesn't mean they'll necessarily do it.

You mean the "unions are communist propaganda but I like to call myself independent" crowd?

In part. There are even more bizarre types. I know strong union supporters who vote Republican, but have positive opinions on Bernie. I know liberal voters who voted Trump in 2016 to 'shake things up' (I am not very close with them, for obvious reasons). Many people in this country do not have a coherent ideology they vote by, and are swayed by many small factors.

It's a lot harder to shame centrists into doing the right thing.

Progressives have to stomach what they know is best for the country, even though they don't think it's good enough.

Centrists by definition aren't committed to what's best for the country.

I hate these filthy Neutrals, Kif. With enemies you know where they stand but with Neutrals, who knows? It sickens me!

When you say what’s best for the country, what do you mean exactly?

Not fascism.

And by centrists supporting fascism…elaborate please. What do Centrists support that you think are Fascist tenets?

You can want a very Progressive candidate and acknowledge that you need to win the middle of the electorate in first past the post voting systems at the same time

Bingo. AOC is a no-go for way too many.

A charismatic younger candidate pushing progressive policy improves voter turnout, otherwise what did the Dems learn from Obama's first election despite not being a big national name before running?

Nothing. But a good portion of the electorate did get to learn about the power of marketing and the difference between liberalism and socialism

Maybe among MAGA supporters who were going to vote for Trump regardless of who gets nominated.

Possibly, but would those centrists flee to Trump? He's already got the racist vote.

Kamala and Bernie

Let Bernie in the oval office. Nobody deserves it more than him. He's too old for pres, but God damn would he get shit done between inauguration as vp and his grave...

I'd be perfectly happy with that. I've even got a cat named Bernie Sanders.

AOC has time. If I were writing the script, I would go with Harris/Whitmer, followed by Whitmer/AOC. Assuming each ticket wins two terms, AOC would be in her 50's then and be one of the most qualified candidates in 2040.

Can you imagine three Female Presidents in a row?

That's quite the fantasy but no major party has held the presidency that long without the other major party literally falling apart.

It would be awesome, but don't count on it.

Or right now while she is still young, relevant, and still gives a flying fuck. You always strike while the iron's hot.

Not quite old enough I think? I checked and I think she turns 35 this year. Not sure how the particular rules apply.

She will be 35 before inauguration so shes eligible to be president which is the req for VP.

I think that'd make her the youngest ever. Added bonus to being the first all-female White House, I'm in.

I would vote for that ticket in a heartbeat.

They would never run together lmao they're total opposite ends of the democrat spectrum

You could also view it as they're the perfect way to get the conservative Dem votes and the progressive votes. And since the conservative Dem would be the presidential candidate, the owner class is more likely to permit it.

If it happened it would have a good chance to work. But I just don't see someone as progressive as AOC ever getting picked to be the VP with someone as neoliberal as Harris

That's kind of what you want in the WH. Two people who think the same things the same way don't make for good leadership.

The Obama administration seemed like pretty strong leadership and Joe and Barack seemed pretty aligned