What just happened over the last few weeks?
Well, let's see. There was a debate, or was it a golf tournament? Either way, it was a shit show.
Then, we celebrated colonialism with fireworks.
Then there was an interview. A not so goodest interview. There was also some incredibly offensive ageism and really bad messaging.
There was some finger-pointing at the "elite?" and a challenge.
There were people picking a new team, threats to support being lobbed, crazy suggestions, and interesting ideas. And there was George Clooney, Robert Di Niro, and Bruce Springsteen.
Then, there was another shooting in America.
And Shelley Duvall, Dr. Ruth, Richard Simmons, and Shannen Doherty. I don't recommend Googling "Recent Celebrity Passings" or "Recent Deaths" unless you want to go down a rabbit hole of sadness.
Then we moved about our Sunday and went to the Farmer's Market.
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First and foremost, the sky isn't falling. This country and this world have been through worse. A lot worse. Who are we to think this is just our story or that we're privileged enough to be around when the world ends?
So, let's start there. We'll be okay. But we got to get our shit together, kapish?
The Debate:
First, did anyone, honestly, for real, prepare for this debate?
I kept hearing about all this debate preparation, so what exactly did that entail?
Apparently, the two CNN anchors "prepared meticulously." But a Gen Z, post-Covid pre-teen would have been more assertive than Dana Bash and Jake Tapper at this debate. Where's the energy and honesty that Kyle Clark brought to the Colorado Congressional District 4 GOP Primary Debate?
Are these CNN anchors our elite? If so, how sad.
There was no fact-checking, unlimited response time, and every opportunity to cut someone off. There were cryptic responses to questions and shitty pivots away from them.
And that's before Biden got a word in.
And Goddamnit, I don't care about golf; I care about REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS!
To begin with, there was barely anyone watching this event. Michael M. Grynbaum of the New York Times wrote back in September of 2016 that the anticipation for the first televised matchup between former President Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton was so high that he described it as the "Super Bowl of politics. Theaters across the Country were being sold out, and a record 84 million people ultimately watched the debate.
Debate viewership has yet to be high this year and continues dwindling. Was this some evil
genius plan to bring the shit show to the forefront so we could all freak out even more? Maybe.
As I headed out the door of a fundraiser, I told a friend I was leaving to catch some of it. He said, "I wouldn't put myself through that if I were you." When I got in the car, tuned into NPR, and heard Trump's voice, I immediately regretted the decision. Then I heard Biden and wondered if my radio frequency was fuzzy. It was not.
Yeah, it was terrible. No excuses. For anyone.
Abortion is arguably the Democrats' most important issue, and Biden squandered the opportunity to discuss this as well as the other real threats laid out in Project 2025. This is an election to save our Democracy, and I was incredibly disappointed that he couldn't communicate this like a leader we deserve.
The Interview with George Stephanopoulos
I've always liked George, but those grey hairs tell me he's getting up there. America is really worried about old people; that's very clear.
But what did Biden and his team think this interview would be about?
The first question: Your team said you had a bad night, but your friend Nancy Pelosi framed the question that millions of Americans are asking: Was this a bad episode, or are these the signs of a more serious condition?
The response should have been:
"Listen, George. It's offensive to assume that just because I'm old, I am incapable of making decisions or doing what's right for the American people. Elderly people are members of this society. They are taxpayers who helped build this country and deserve representation. I have shown that I care about the needs of our seniors and their livelihoods through the Inflation Reduction Act and many other policies I've been proud to champion with members of Congress. And these policies help everyone."
"Furthermore, this country and my office have an expansive team of talented people from every age group working across the country. They are diverse, smart, talented, and care about the United States. This includes my Vice President, Kamala Harris, who can take the lead if God decides to strike me down. I am not working alone in this fight to save our Democracy; I'm just the ship's bow, and we have bigger fish to fry."
I thought that was pretty Bideny.
After the interview, more stories about Biden's health emerged, and people began to call for his resignation.
He doubled down on his stance to stay in the race.
A New York Times article said a Parkinson's doctor visited the White House eight times in eight months. So, I Googled, "Does Parkinson's make you dumb?" and came across stories of people with Parkinson's who were fed up with being treated like they were stupid.
For those goading on Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Biden didn't have a worm eat half his brain. Parkinson's is a disease affecting one million people in the United States. And if Biden does have it, that's sad, but many people who currently work do, so can we please wait to write him off completely until after we stop Project 2025?
Then George Clooney called for Joe Biden to resign, and the country freaks again, even me. Is Clooney the elite? Also, sad.
The Challenge:
On MSNBC Morning Joe, Biden called in.
After dropping in a few more golf comments, He tripled down on his run, conveying that all the data shows he is still the right choice. He sounded better, too.
He said dropping out is not an option. He said, "Run against me. Announce for President. Challenge me at the Convention!"
Now that's the spirit!
This interview and his Detroit Speech brought the energy back to the base. Supporters thought he sounded like his old self.
But there are still people wondering whether he can help us defeat this ongoing threat to our Democracy.
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Familiar Talking Points
Lately, it's felt like 2016 all over again.
The day after the debate, I spoke to a friend's husband, who asked me what we do now. He said, "We obviously can't have Trump." I told him I was sorry but didn't think we could turn back now, from a financial perspective alone. I said NOW we need to talk about the risks if we don't vote, Project 2025, and one of the most significant issues in this election, REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS. If changing the nominee could happen, the next smartest thing to do is to bring in VP Harris.
According to him, the two covered abortion enough during the debate, and he shook his head profusely at the mention of Harris.
I'm reading through the lines here, but he alluded to replacing Biden with an attractive viral white guy—you know, the iPhone 15 Pro Max of Bidens.
No thanks, but I appreciate the Bernie Bro nostalgia.
TRUTH:
Changing the nominee would be more than challenging; it's likely to be a catastrophe. It will lead to political upheaval in the party unless President Biden decides to step aside on his own terms. And if he does turn it over to VP Harris, we still need Joe, Jill, Doug, and many others to help relay our message to the Country. That won't happen if we're busy debating the policies of the newbies and fighting for whomever we think is the next best thing.
Furthermore, suppose Harris is the nominee, and the same shit or worse is lobbed at her and the VP - the same way it was for Clinton in 2016, Chisholm in 1972, and EVERY female candidate of all time, and Democrats lose. In that case, we will ALL be responsible for further pushing back the work of millions who hope to see a woman—and a Democratic Black Woman—in the White House.
Let's not be naïve; sexism is alive and well in America. Harris and any other potential candidate deserves a real campaign and the time their predecessors have been afforded to prepare one on their own terms. I'm not willing to throw one of my political crushes under the bus because you're worried the old white man you voted for in the first place might die. It's not her job to help you pick up the pieces. And whether or not history repeats itself, you will just continue to blame her anyway.
There are many reasons to keep the nominee the same this close to the election, and long-standing precedents show doing otherwise doesn't work.
More news is going to come out. Big news likely dropped while I was writing this. Social media will pull you in every direction, and you will have a lot of big feelings for the next few months.
But here's what you need to do:
VOTE.
Vote against Trump. Vote against hate. Vote against Project 2025. Vote against insanity.
Vote FOR Biden. Vote FOR Harris. Vote FOR Reproductive Rights. Vote FOR Democracy.
Vote for improved health care, income equality, a cleaner and healthier environment, or to get Israel out of Gaza. Whatever progressive or democratic policy you want to move, let that move you because you—we—can move Democrats.
Continue or start asking the hard questions of candidates and get their answers and commitments.
Give any amount of time and money you have to leaders in your community, the issues that define you, and a political party that, even with its infighting, still holds an ounce of care about you and this nation.
Report the Heritage Foundation for misusing their 501c3 status.
Sure, watch TikTok and use Facebook and Instagram. Live your life! Just don't let the "elite" derail this country.
And. LET'S. GO. BRANDON.
Below is a list of endorsing organizations in Washington State from which you should take a cue. Out of state? It's easy to search for the organizations working on your issues.
And many more...
Other Things I'm Reading, Watching and Listening To:
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