All right --

The Democratic Party Powers That Be seem to have staked everything, and I do mean EVERYTHING, for the next four months on the notion that Joe Biden is a viable candidate.

I know the Bernie people want to be polite and talk about issues, which Biden loses too, but I really don't see the value in allowing the Biden supporters to dominate the Internet discussion about the Democratic race with questions about "are you going to vote for Joe Biden if Bernie Sanders loses at the convention?" How important is this question? I honestly don't see Joe Biden defeating Donald Trump under any circumstances.

The standard alibi for Joe Biden's behavior is that Biden has a "stutter."

A Former Sanders Employee Is Calling Voters And Lying About Biden Having Dementia

Here are the key paragraphs. First one:

A former employee of Bernie Sanders was using the Biden campaign’s virtual phone banking tool to call voters and spreading the lie that Biden has Dementia.

and second one:

Joe Biden does not have Dementia. What Sanders and Trump supporters are calling Dementia, is, in reality, a stutter. Joe Biden has a stutter that he has worked his entire life to overcome.

The problem is that Biden's CURRENT behaviors aren't really symptoms of a "stutter," and that there is also a fair amount of evidence for Joe Biden's cognitive decline. And as for Biden's medical records, which claim that a doctor gave him a clean bill of health, they don't address the suspicion of cognitive decline in any significant way.

A number of caregivers who have worked with dementia patients (I am one of these, and Caitlin Johnstone's significant other is another) are at least worried that Biden has some form of dementia. So here's Johnstone:

Dear America, Please Stop This Nonsense Immediately. Love, The Rest Of The World.

Here's the key paragraph:

Because, you know, far be it from us to ever interfere in your electoral process, perish the thought please don’t sanction us. But we couldn’t help noticing that you appear to be getting ready to run an actual, literal dementia victim against the current occupant of the White House, who actually seems quite delighted about the matter.

Now, Joe Biden can go a long way on the fumes of America's gratitude to Barack Obama for having been the first Black President -- a lot of people apparently still remember that Biden was Obama's Vice-President. And those fumes might even allow him to coast to the nomination. But, as Nathan Robinson suggested:

If Biden is not in peak fighting shape, he will lose and lose badly. Donald Trump is the King of the Bullies. When he senses weakness, he pounces. You need to have boundless energy and stamina and fire to counteract him. And they can’t hide Biden away forever. Sooner or later, if you’re running for president, you’re going to have to make some appearances. It is not a good sign if your allies are suggesting you scale back events so that voters don’t accidentally hear you speak off the cuff.

As Biden's symptoms become even more apparent, you're going to have a candidate who doesn't make appearances. Remember the fooferaw about Hillary Clinton not having made an appearance in Wisconsin in the run-up to the 2016 election? With Joe Biden you can multiply that by a whole bunch of states he's just not going to visit because they can't risk his exposure.

Oh and here's a classic:

Sanders, Biden camps clash over Arizona debate format

The format for the next debate in Arizona — their first since Biden’s blowout Super Tuesday victories — would have the candidates seated for the first time this election cycle and take multiple questions from the audience. In the prior 10 debates, the candidates stood at lecterns and nearly all questions were asked by the professional moderators.

Right, so if Joe Biden forgets how to walk, as my Mom forgot how to walk in the later stages of her dementia, they can just wheel him in and he can sit down for the whole thing. And it's at least bizarre that they can't put it to rest, because at present it seems to be the Republican Party's main talking point against Biden.

*****

In short, we need to have a national conversation, RIGHT NOW, over the very real prospect that Joe Biden is not a real candidate, but rather a poor sap who's dying of dementia and who is perhaps complicit in his own, very sad, case of elder abuse.

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Comments

It may be a 50-state win. They'll probably lose the House too.
And then they will blame Bernie Bros.

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33 users have voted.
Cassiodorus's picture

@gjohnsit That the same people complaining that Trump is SO HORRIBLE are also the ones least willing to entertain the notion that Biden is not a viable candidate.

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27 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

Wally's picture

@gjohnsit

. . . and still feisty. Hang in there.

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@Wally
and Super Tuesday really depressed me.

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14 users have voted.

@gjohnsit a few scenarios where even the barely-hanging on Biden could get a win:

1) the C-virus spreads widely and deeply in the US this year, causing a death toll that exceeds the yearly flu, and the Trump Régime's initial stage negligence in dealing with it is exposed to the public.

2) the C-virus spread wreaks havoc with the US economy, and again Trump gets the blame for the Great Recession/Depression.

3) Joe picks a very bold, dynamic younger person for VP that gets the approval of even most Bernie backers. Sorta an AOC type, only at least 5 yrs older.

Although it pains me somewhat to say so, given these not unrealistic scenarios Biden could prevail. I just think it's again a bit premature to speculate too far in one direction on El Trumpo's chances this year, which would be the flip side of the vast underestimation of his chances of winning throughout 2016.

I'm hoping for the best for Bernie tomorrow, but it doesn't look promising. The only way back for him is for Biden to finally implode mentally to the point where the MSM no longer can avoid discussing it.

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10 users have voted.

@wokkamile
Much more likely his masters chose a fascist - and I mean fascist, which is just a more honest way to say corporatist - to take over when Biden admits he has alzhimer's and resigns. This is a doomed strategy - Trump cannot lose to someone as obviously unable as Biden - but it would be worse if it succeeded.
But give the Democraps credit, we said that Hillary was the worst candidate in human history - they've risen to the challenge and proven us wrong. Who could be worse? Maybe the Larry Storch character from The Producers? "Ooh! We're losing the war man!"

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16 users have voted.

On to Biden since 1973

Azazello's picture

@gjohnsit
as Joe calls them.

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11 users have voted.

We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.

That’s all I think they care about. I doubt Joe has any idea.

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23 users have voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Wally's picture

@Dr. John Carpenter

Biden will nod to whatever he is told and will make the effort to read the teleprompter as best he can.

I find it hard to believe he can beat Trump but y'never know.

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enhydra lutris's picture

@Wally

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

Cassiodorus's picture

@enhydra lutris -- at the convention ("here's your new candidate, Hillary Rodham CLINTON! Yeeuh! Yeeuh!") they're not letting anything on just yet...

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

tikifire's picture

It's just sad at this point but it will evolve into terrifying if he's the nominee.

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20 users have voted.
Wally's picture

. . . and will be less likely to get us into a war with Russia.

My guess, too, is that he will die of a heart attack after eating his 10,000th Big Mac come the eighth year of his presidency.

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across the media. Certainly it shows on Rising. A couple of weeks ago, Krystal was visibly repulsed by Warren's backstabbing behaviors, then for a day or two she seemed uneasy, a day or so later she was rather woodenly promoting Warren as Bernie's VP, and this morning she's "on vacation," while everyone else marches smoothly along with Biden or Trump as our only possible future. Rising isn't smelling very sweet anymore.

I am stunned by all the Democratic assholes coming out of the woodwork to endorse Biden. Everyone even remotely capable of memory should dismiss these frauds forever.

Chris Hedges, who sees things fairly clearly, has a new opinion piece up on Truthdig, The One-Choice Election, which begins with,

There is only one choice in this election. The consolidation of oligarchic power under Donald Trump or the consolidation of oligarchic power under Joe Biden. The oligarchs, with Trump or Biden, will win again. We will lose. The oligarchs made it abundantly clear, should Bernie Sanders miraculously become the Democratic Party nominee, they would join forces with the Republicans to crush him.

and ends with,

We don’t need a “Punch and Judy” show between Trump and Biden. But that, along with corporate tyranny, is what we seem fated to get, unless we take to the streets and tear the house down.

Perhaps, but we'd leave ourselves open to state repression and one big mass media smear. Rather, I wish we could do something that would actually affect the outcome of the coming election, like find a means to vote en masse for Bernie/Tulsi. One last stab at democratic governance before we go to work dismantling this filthy mess.

Hedges also mentions the NYT's new hit piece on Bernie. For a wonderfully rational rebuttal to the NYSlime's lies, see WSWS' https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/03/07/sand-m07.html.

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18 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

Raggedy Ann's picture

@laurel
but that’s not realistic. Unless Bernie jumps to a third party after Biden gets nominated, status quote remains. Bernie won’t jump. Even Nomiki Konst said we better back Biden if he gets the nod.

It’s real revolution or it’s America’s demise. No other choices exist.

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"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

@Raggedy Ann ., more than the corporate media will ever admit. If the corporate DNC cheats him out of the nomination, then his enthusiastic supporters, along with anyone who gives a damn about the future of democracy in this country, could organize a vast write-in vote.

Parties don't elect, they merely nominate. We can brush past the dirty, dishonest, corrupted party and go straight to the American people. We don't need a party.

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9 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

Raggedy Ann's picture

@laurel @laurel
and aren't allowed in many states, like mine. I hear your frustration, but we need to be real, here.

Listen to this week's Intercept podcast, where Aja Monet and Astra Taylor talk about the future if Bernie is not the nominee. Well worth the listen and gives me, anyway, hope.

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1 user has voted.

"The “jumpers” reminded us that one day we will all face only one choice and that is how we will die, not how we will live." Chris Hedges on 9/11

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann
appropriate response would be to vote third party.

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That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

enhydra lutris's picture

@Raggedy Ann
appropriate response would be to vote third party.

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0 users have voted.

That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --

CB's picture

have the candidates seated for the first time this election cycle and take multiple questions from the audience

This would give the DNC time to prep Slow Joe with the questions before they take him out in public. The seated arrangement is also especially helpful. Biden won't have to concentrate on his waning visuospatial abilities and skills. We've already seen these momentary lapses into "Where the fuck am I and what am I doing here?" during many of his stump speeches.

Poor Shoe... This last week has been pretty rough on her.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUoMlWPlYmU]
This entire DNC shit-show is just a re-run of Weekend at Bernie's Biden's. I wonder what they are spraying Biden with to keep the flies away?

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@CB I want to know who is doing his embalming...such great work.

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magiamma's picture

Every-fucking-thing. Wtf. Beyond the pale. I saw the post by Caitlin. Apt. Just ‘sluttering’ along. Elder abuse indeed. ‘They’ only care to keep their grubby grasping claws on the throttle. Omg. I have definitely moved beyond making coherent statements. No idea.

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20 users have voted.

Stop Climate Change Silence - Start the Conversation

Hot Air Website, Twitter, Facebook

RantingRooster's picture

(I'm being snarky)

I think we all need to get the Biden app and call all his supporters and make the case for Bernie, on the Issues and not Joe's mental decline.

But or a more serious note, mental health in this country is treated like dirt. Just pull yourself up by your boot straps. Oh and here's some black label psychotropic drugs to help you become a mass shooter! (But don't tell anyone I said that...)

Drinks

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C99, my refuge from an insane world. #ForceTheVote

Bollox Ref's picture

q8kkxef3rkl41.jpg

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Gëzuar!!
from a reasonably stable genius.

Cassiodorus's picture

@Bollox Ref about his situation, or withdraw him from nomination now. It's not good having Donald Trump bully Joe Biden for having dementia while the whole world watches.

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12 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

Bob In Portland's picture

As long as we can keep him from public view and wipe away any drool when he gets on or off Air Force One we'll be just fine.

Okay, that was snark.

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CB's picture

@Bob In Portland

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There is the matter of the coronavirus. With the coming of spring and summer, it may subside. But come colder weather it could come back with a vengence. Trump's main concern is looking good and the markets. Not going to be looking good if the virus kills a lot of people.

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@MrWebster but down in the southern hem, they have cases in Australia, NZ, and in the major countries of S.Am.

I don't think scientist yet have a complete picture of this virus and its strength. Could also be that they are vastly underestimating the incubation period.

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WoodsDweller's picture

from the Guardian: Coronavirus live updates: all of Italy to be placed under lockdown conditions No further information ATM.

A week or so ago I was wondering "what changed, why did someone (likely Obama) decide to pull the trigger on support for Biden?". I'm getting a clearer idea.

Coronavirus.

In a matter of a few days we went from "who can beat Trump in the general?" to "Trump will be toast in the general no matter who we run". This isn't going to go away by November. The markets won't recover until there's an effective vaccine, which will be 18 months. Quarrantines, overloaded hospitals, a million casualties, crashing markets, recession, shortages of supplies of all sorts, and nobody to take the blame but President Executive Time.

So they shifted from "can we find anyone besides Bernie who can win" to "we can install anyone we want, who would that be?". They just need to prop Biden up through the convention, install their VP of choice, then Biden withdraws for health reasons right after the convention. We have a candidate that nobody voted for, that nobody wanted, but who promises to handle the crisis.

And that, kiddies, is how dictatorships are made. Never let a good crisis go to waste. The time to make money is when there's blood in the streets. Etc.

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18 users have voted.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

travelerxxx's picture

@WoodsDweller

They just need to prop Biden up through the convention, install their VP of choice, then Biden withdraws for health reasons right after the convention.

Did someone mention Her yet? Just asking for a friend....

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WoodsDweller's picture

@travelerxxx
But let's think for a moment. If it was Obama who launched this (and we don't know that for sure), is Hillary the one he would pick?
Grover Norquist famously said (2012 IIRC) "We just need a President to sign this stuff. We don't need someone to think it up or design it."
If you were installing a Puppet Dictator For Life, your main criteria are: Puppet (can you get Hillary to follow orders?) and For Life (wouldn't you want someone younger so you didn't have to do this again right away?).
How about Harris? She just jumped on board the Biden train. We've been talking about how Biden would/should chose a female POC running mate. There you go, and fairly young at that. "Look at the Democrats, they're Woke AF!!!".

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10 users have voted.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

travelerxxx's picture

@WoodsDweller

You might be right. Healthwise, Hillary didn't seem to be much more robust than Joe seems to be. It might be too obvious of a bad look. Further, Tom Perez is an Obama puppet. Not much doubt about that. So Obama has his surrogate hand on the tiller. Whomever they choose, it will tip their hand ... as if there's any doubt now anyway.

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snoopydawg's picture

@travelerxxx

after she collapsed at an event?

I'm thinking that Harris is going to get the nod either by being Joe's VP or just presidential candidate outright. The NYT wrote about some super delegates saying that if Bernie wins they won't support him and would go with someone like Harris. Merkey (?) and Pelosi were also mentioned. Yeah go ahead and watch Nancy get picked. This would give Trump the 50 state win too.

The thing is that democrats ran Hillary as the best centrist candidate and she couldn't get people in Michigan to vote for her. Biden is going to have the same problem if Bernie goes after him for NAFTA.

Speaking of Bernie what do y'all think of his answer here?

He was right not to go after Biden's thought processes. From what Twitter is saying he did really well on fox.

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Which AIPAC/MIC/pharma/bank bought politician are you going to vote for? Don’t be surprised when nothing changes.

Cassiodorus's picture

@WoodsDweller if and when Joe Biden withdraws from the race because of mental incapacity -- is speculating about a Trump victory. You don't hold elections in nearly all states and then say "oh we take it back, so-and-so is now your candidate."

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Cassiodorus

You don't hold elections in nearly all states and then say "oh we take it back, so-and-so is now your candidate."

The Democratic Party has been changing the primary debate rules ever since Tulsi showed up. Changing rules is how they operate. They got the DNC Fraud Class Action Lawsuit tossed out on the basis that they're a private entity which cannot be held to its purported promises.

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8 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

Cassiodorus's picture

@laurel It's another thing entirely to hold primaries in all fifty states and then tell the party rank-and-file, "We the elites are not going to nominate the candidate you chose, nor are we going to nominate anything close to the candidate you chose. Instead, we're going to invent a candidacy from scratch." The candidacy from scratch was already tried this year -- it was called "Mike Bloomberg," and it failed miserably despite an infusion of half a billion dollars of Bloomberg's own money.

It's either Bernie or Trump this year. It won't be Biden, nor will it be anyone else.

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Cassiodorus

The candidacy from scratch was already tried this year -- it was called "Mike Bloomberg," and it failed miserably despite an infusion of half a billion dollars of Bloomberg's own money.

Yes, it failed, but the thing is: it happened. They allowed it. There was Mike, as if he'd been there all along, but where were Tulsi and Yang, who had in reality been there all along?

They know they have the power to do whatever they want with the primary process -- the people be damned.

You say, "It's either Bernie or Trump this year. It won't be Biden, nor will it be anyone else." but you know as well as I do that the corporate DNC is, again, working to defeat Bernie and make it only Biden with his suddenly very significant VP. They want "Biden or Trump" because they know their donors are okay with either (and undoubtedly more with Biden than Trump, since Trump goes so easily off script.)

This is how it actually works. This is real life in the heart of a completely corrupted system.

For anyone who gives a damn, this is intolerable. True power should reside with the people and those who value them simply because they are the people.

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8 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

Cassiodorus's picture

@laurel It's going to be Trump.

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5 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Cassiodorus

and they're fine with it. The whole point is to keep the people, represented by Bernie and Tulsi, out.

We have no choice to fight, this time. The stakes are too high.

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9 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

WoodsDweller's picture

Fox News refuses to cut away from Bernie Sanders town hall for Trump’s coronavirus briefing

Fox News Audience Agrees: Bernie's Ideas Aren't Radical

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jthr_9gIkKo]

How many opinion pieces/videos have I seen in the past week saying that Bernie needs to go on the offensive and say that he's the candidate that's really moderate? Looks like they're giving it a try.

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15 users have voted.

"The greatest shortcoming of the human race is our inability to understand the exponential function." -- Albert Bartlett
"A species that is hurtling toward extinction has no business promoting slow incremental change." -- Caitlin Johnstone

@WoodsDweller . In case no one's noticed, Bernie's biggest enemies are the corporate DNC and the corporate media -- especially the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Guardian, CNN, and MSNBC.

But the American people, the working people who literally feel this economy throughout their struggling days, they love Bernie.

Screw "parties" -- if the corporate DNC cheats Bernie again, let's do a write-in campaign. Let's get all the disaffected who stay home on election day to get up, go out, and write in Bernie Sanders for President and Tulsi Gabbard for Vice President.

Then, if they cheat us on election day, we might consider further measures to force democracy on this country.

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7 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

polkageist's picture

@laurel
If the Democrats are successful at keeping Bernie down, I will write-in he and Tulsi. I will not vote third party again. If the oligarchs start trouble, then we should give it back to them in spades.

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10 users have voted.

-Greed is not a virtue.
-Socialism: the radical idea of sharing.
-Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.
John F. Kennedy, In a speech at the White House, 1962

@polkageist . If corporate-owned political parties manage to cheat too many people, then the people can go ahead and vote without them. If we get enough people interested, we might even make a difference and, who knows?, become a force to be reckoned with.

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5 users have voted.

Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

It's 2020 agenda was 1) defeat Sanders and 2) defeat Trump. If "they" were publicly honest, we would know that "they" never wanted Biden in the race at all; hence his weak fundraising that lagged far behind four other candidates. Too old and what they referred to as too gaffe prone. What they didn't count on was Biden being too much in the way for one of their preferred candidates to get traction or MO. Kamala was one of "their" favorites and had to have been green-lighted to go after Joe in that first debate. Successfully because Joe's poll numbers dropped 5% and hers increased 13%.

By last fall "they" were down to Biden or bust with IA and NH looming, and where Biden couldn't hide behind TV and ad mediated campaigning and exposure and the instate party machines weren't that robust. Wiped out in both. The Democratic Party still hasn't lost its touch in reanimating a preferred candidate that objectively was out cold.

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@Marie

damn expensive side show at that

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@QMS
it was not only no cost to the DNC/party but Bloomie filled their coffers and hired lots and lots of Democratic operatives with contracts through November. (Now trying to figure out how to legally move all those workers to a general election super-pac. Legally not because any federal or state authorities will move in if its not, but because the GOP/RNC is about to let Bloomie get away with it.

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@QMS
had Bloomie taken off and knocked all the others out, the DP PTB would have been fine with "our mega-billionaire" against their single digit billionaire.

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@QMS I was suspicious at first, but the debate clinched it for me. From the way he was parachuted in to Warren's playing off him in her usual "all bark, no bite" manner, it just seemed a little too obvious.

As to cost, well, first, they have Bernie hurting. Second, he's been promised a gig in a Biden administration. And third, as I read the other day, he could give everyone in the country a million dollars and not even feel it.

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1 user has voted.

Idolizing a politician is like believing the stripper really likes you.

Cassiodorus's picture

@Marie "defeat Sanders," is now the only option being pursued. There is no way the electorate is going to be able to prop up Biden (or whomever replaces him should he withdraw) against Trump. They know this.

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8 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Cassiodorus
to defeat Sanders last fall and hope for a miracle to drag Biden over the finish line in November. To those not paying close attention, they might view Biden's comeback from IA and NH as a miracle.

However, at the moment, Biden may not be the only one who ends up in need of a miracle.

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Cassiodorus's picture

@Marie would have to be something on the order of "stave off dementia for the next eight months."

Ever take care of a dementia sufferer before?

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7 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Cassiodorus
for the earliest stage of dementia to develop into a diagnostic level. For some the decline can be rapid and for others it's very slow or seemingly very slow.

In Biden's case, everybody around him has a vested interest in getting him through November; so, they're not going to recognize any serious cognitive declines in him. The public sees too little of him to conclude definitively that he has dementia. Garbled speech, losing words, gaffes, etc. are not uncommon in presidential candidates and presidents. Reagan, GWB, and Trump presented all of that, and to the best of our knowledge, only one of them was later diagnosed with Alzheimer's, but there's still time for GWB and Trump.

You may be right wrt Biden as qualitatively his cognition appears to be significantly diminished from that of four years ago and that suggests a rapid decline progression. Time will tell.

btw - the DNC, unlike the RNC, has no set procedure to replace a nominee that has to drop out before the general election.

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Cassiodorus's picture

@Marie cared at all about presenting the American public with a solid (albeit neoliberal) choice for President this year, they would have chosen Amy Klobuchar to oppose Bernie Sanders. The fact that they didn't do this means that they really do not care about public opinion, and probably also that they are open to another set of election frauds to add to what they did in 2016 for Hillary Clinton.

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3 users have voted.

"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

@Marie
retail, as in IA and NH, just don't work for him.

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Cassiodorus's picture

Tim Black was just on his radio show, saying "Joe Biden has got dementia."

https://youtu.be/9GPZ6yXgNbk

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"The war on Gaza, backed by the West, is a demonstration that the West is willing to cross all lines. That it will discard any nuance of humanity. That it is willing to commit genocide" -- Moon of Alabama

studentofearth's picture

and what steps can be taken to keep them on the road lets look at Glenn Campbell's final tour after his Alzheimer's diagnosis.
full video 10:38 (3:16 to 4:04 examples of denial)
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqRXOPJzgdY]

Joe has been performing on the campaign trail so long it is a very familiar part of his comfort zone. At this point in time it simply requires those around him to maintain that bubble for him to perform to an audience. Any change in his physical health and we will see rapid decline.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.

@studentofearth . But there could be another cause. When he showed up a while back with a brand new face, it was obvious he had had extensive plastic surgery. I had a string of orthopedic surgeries a few years back, each one requiring general anesthesia, and at one point I woke up very fuzzy after an operation and stayed that way for months. It was scary; I felt so helpless. I seem to be back now, but when an orthopedist or rheumatologist mentions surgery, I tell them that I won't do it until they can come up with anesthesia that does not cause post-op cognitive decline. It isn't worth it; I'll live with the pain, thank you.

Given how his problem appeared right after that amazing facial transformation, I'm still not convinced Biden's problem is Alzheimer's.

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Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

TheOtherMaven's picture

@laurel

or so it's been reported. That can have cognitive consequences down the road, says our friendly neighborhood Alligator.

I plan to vote Bernie/Tulsi whether they're on the ballot or not.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

@TheOtherMaven . Sorry for him. But glad to hear this --

I plan to vote Bernie/Tulsi whether they're on the ballot or not.

At some point, what else can we do?

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Lurking in the wings is Hillary, like some terrifying bat hanging by her feet in a cavern below the DNC. A bat with theropod instincts. -- Fred Reed https://tinyurl.com/vgvuhcl

studentofearth's picture

@laurel The possibilities you raise are valid. The signs, symptoms and coping mechanisms are similar for nearly all the various types of dementias. The Campbell's were open about the problem and participated in filming what they were experiencing with a specific diagnosis provided by a physician. The documentary Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me actually provides a pretty good window on how an individual and their family is effected.

If someone does not have personal experience with dementia, of any type, the excuses being provided for Biden's behavior and verbal skill changes could seem believable. It is not uncommon for the person having a cognitive problem to be unaware of their actions. It is hard to believe those around him are not aware of a problem.

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Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.