Presidential Debate Thread: Take 2 (Tonight at 9 PM Eastern)

[simplicitus]

This is very interesting. One thing about cognitive decline–once it starts it doesn’t get better and sometimes it gets rapidly worse. I very much doubt Biden will be able to operate at any acceptable level in 4 years, maybe 2 years.

I have been looking for shows where they have a neurologist on to discuss Bidends performance and likely prognosis but I haven’t seen any yet.

My mom had Alzheimer’s. I could see some minimal decline a decade prior to her passing away. I would put Bidends performance as equivalent to about her 5th/6th year in, about the time of her diagnosis.

[wiper]

̶I̶n̶ ̶C̶a̶l̶i̶f̶o̶r̶n̶i̶a̶,̶ ̶o̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶o̶t̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶o̶t̶.̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶’̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶u̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶m̶a̶r̶y̶.̶ ̶W̶e̶ ̶w̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶d̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶f̶e̶a̶s̶i̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶s̶k̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶u̶n̶e̶n̶d̶o̶r̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶n̶e̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶r̶o̶p̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶.̶
̶
̶T̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶d̶r̶o̶p̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ ̶n̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶o̶t̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶i̶n̶c̶r̶e̶d̶i̶b̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶,̶ ̶y̶e̶s̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶u̶l̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶e̶x̶c̶e̶p̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶d̶e̶a̶t̶h̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶’̶m̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶n̶o̶t̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶s̶u̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶’̶s̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶a̶s̶e̶:̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶C̶h̶u̶l̶a̶ ̶V̶i̶s̶t̶a̶,̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶d̶i̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶c̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶a̶t̶t̶o̶r̶n̶e̶y̶ ̶d̶i̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶p̶l̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶m̶o̶n̶t̶h̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶f̶o̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶l̶e̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶t̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶a̶l̶l̶o̶t̶.̶
̶
̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶s̶c̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶l̶a̶c̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶B̶i̶d̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶’̶m̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶,̶ ̶l̶e̶g̶a̶l̶ ̶m̶a̶n̶e̶u̶v̶e̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶s̶i̶d̶e̶,̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶N̶O̶T̶ ̶G̶O̶I̶N̶G̶ ̶T̶O̶ ̶H̶A̶P̶P̶E̶N̶.̶ ̶I̶’̶v̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶e̶a̶t̶e̶d̶l̶y̶ ̶s̶a̶i̶d̶ ̶w̶h̶y̶.̶ ̶B̶a̶l̶l̶o̶t̶ ̶i̶s̶s̶u̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶V̶o̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶i̶t̶y̶.̶ ̶C̶a̶m̶p̶a̶i̶g̶n̶ ̶F̶i̶n̶a̶n̶c̶e̶ ̶r̶u̶l̶e̶s̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶e̶d̶ ̶v̶o̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶s̶t̶.̶ ̶B̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶’̶v̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶u̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶“̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶N̶C̶”̶ ̶“̶c̶o̶n̶s̶p̶i̶r̶e̶d̶”̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶u̶s̶h̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶f̶a̶v̶o̶r̶i̶t̶e̶ ̶g̶u̶y̶.̶ ̶N̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶u̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶c̶h̶o̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶e̶l̶s̶e̶?̶ ̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶w̶e̶’̶d̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶a̶m̶e̶ ̶h̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶r̶y̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶e̶l̶s̶e̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶c̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶“̶w̶r̶o̶n̶g̶”̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶?̶ ̶L̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶p̶o̶l̶l̶s̶ ̶I̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶e̶d̶.̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶o̶n̶l̶y̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶N̶C̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶e̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶r̶e̶m̶o̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶s̶i̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶g̶o̶t̶ ̶T̶W̶O̶ ̶v̶o̶t̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶n̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶.̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶l̶d̶ ̶w̶o̶r̶k̶s̶.̶ ̶S̶o̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶K̶a̶m̶a̶l̶a̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶a̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶a̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶d̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶O̶K̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶?̶
̶
̶A̶n̶d̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶p̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶e̶f̶e̶r̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶s̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶g̶e̶t̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶k̶e̶d̶.̶ ̶S̶h̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶y̶…̶c̶a̶m̶p̶a̶i̶g̶n̶?̶ ̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶e̶x̶a̶c̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶h̶a̶t̶e̶…̶a̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶e̶r̶n̶a̶l̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶m̶p̶a̶i̶g̶n̶,̶ ̶w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶s̶a̶y̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶v̶o̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶n̶e̶c̶t̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶k̶?̶
̶
̶R̶e̶p̶u̶b̶l̶i̶c̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶w̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶p̶e̶t̶u̶i̶t̶y̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶t̶i̶-̶f̶a̶s̶c̶i̶s̶t̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶c̶r̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶l̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶f̶a̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶r̶e̶p̶a̶i̶r̶ ̶i̶t̶s̶e̶l̶f̶.̶ ̶S̶t̶e̶p̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶s̶i̶d̶e̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶f̶e̶e̶l̶i̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶ ̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶f̶r̶o̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶m̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶g̶h̶ ̶p̶e̶r̶s̶p̶e̶c̶t̶i̶v̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶p̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶i̶g̶h̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶r̶e̶a̶d̶y̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶e̶x̶p̶l̶o̶d̶e̶ ̶i̶n̶t̶o̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶a̶g̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶i̶n̶f̶e̶r̶n̶o̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶l̶e̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶N̶C̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶d̶i̶d̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶o̶p̶p̶o̶s̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶v̶o̶t̶e̶r̶s̶.̶ ̶O̶h̶ ̶w̶a̶i̶t̶,̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶h̶a̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶i̶m̶a̶g̶i̶n̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶.̶ ̶Y̶o̶u̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶c̶t̶u̶a̶l̶l̶y̶ ̶w̶a̶t̶c̶h̶ ̶i̶t̶:̶
̶
̶S̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶o̶a̶r̶d̶,̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶p̶o̶s̶t̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶w̶h̶o̶ ̶s̶p̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶e̶r̶a̶l̶ ̶y̶e̶a̶r̶s̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶c̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶D̶N̶C̶ ̶i̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶B̶e̶r̶n̶i̶e̶,̶ ̶i̶s̶ ̶t̶e̶l̶l̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶m̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶b̶a̶d̶ ̶D̶N̶C̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶p̶i̶c̶k̶ ̶a̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶d̶i̶d̶a̶t̶e̶?̶ ̶I̶ ̶s̶t̶r̶u̶g̶g̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶i̶t̶.̶ ̶I̶ ̶t̶r̶u̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶o̶.̶
̶
̶I̶’̶m̶ ̶p̶u̶s̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶h̶a̶r̶d̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶I̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶l̶l̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶w̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶w̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶’̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶s̶k̶i̶n̶g̶.̶ ̶W̶e̶ ̶w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ ̶a̶b̶s̶o̶l̶u̶t̶e̶l̶y̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶t̶r̶o̶y̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶s̶e̶l̶v̶e̶s̶.̶

my bad yall, i was wrong.

[simplicitus]

@nunnehi

You should. It’s a great indicator of the bull**** posting on this site you whiners have that you won’t. It’s why the country is in the state it’s in and why I consider none of you who talk the way you do to be representative of the country or to be serious people.

They were joking I believe.

[ParlaySlow]

@skydiver8

In California, once you are on the ballot, you do not come off the ballot.

Biden is not yet on the ballot in California. The person receiving the majority of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention in August will be on the ballot in California. The relevant California statute was already posted ITT.

[nunnehi]

Not those people. That’s par for the course. AQ may have been joking (he gave a subtle clue later) but I doubt he read it.

[AngryQueer]

The joke is that you think that post has any relevance whatsoever.

Well, that, and that you couldn’t say it in two sentences. Three tops

[CS04]

Yes, the country is in the state it’s in bc people aren’t reading Nun’s drawn out anecdotal experiences with old people.

[skydiver8]

can someone else please post the substance of what I said in my post above? I actually would like to hear what people think of it.

Bottom line: I don’t trust you all to not turn around and shank the DNC for choosing “wrong” because you spent years bitching about the DNC and Bernie. So come on, tell me why you want the DNC to save you now.

[AngryQueer]

I definitely think the party installing a replacement puts a huge stink on that candidate automatically in the voters eyes, one that most likely cannot be overcome, and it’s fascinating to me that people are finding indirect ways to say nah to that

Like “well me personally I wouldn’t mind. Historically we didn’t have primaries anyway”

Ok???

[ParlaySlow]

@skydiver8

So come on, tell me why you want the DNC to save you now.

You are conflating the necessary process of replacing Biden (a brokered convention) with the actual underlying desire (Biden dropping out).

[simplicitus]

I’m fine with the DNC having more power. 230 years of more democracy got us Trump.

If a candidate could get on the ballot in 50 states they would have a legit shot. I think anti Trump votes get anyone to 45% and they would need to hustle for 5%. Money wouldn’t be a problem. Anti Trump voters would donate 100M/week to the campaign of a new candidate.

I think Biden promise to nominate a black woman and then landing on Kamala showed about as much insight and strategy as Lincoln picking Johnson.

If Biden were a real leader he would drop out this week.

[NotBruceZ]

@skydiver8

So this board, all of you posters who spent literal years bitching about how the DNC iced out Bernie, is telling me that now you want the big bad DNC to pick a candidate? I struggle to believe it. I truly do.

A lot of people are results-oriented thinkers.

[skydiver8]

paging @SweetSummerChild

[LFS]

I’m definitely on board with the idea that if it’s not Biden it’s got to be Harris. If they were to pass over the “obvious” successor who is also a female POC things could completely tailspin.

Given that, I think I’m ridin’ with Biden failing something in the data that shows Harris is a much better choice.

[AngryQueer]

The DNC should have American Idol style voting on the replacement

[NotBruceZ]

The real problem is that Dems should be able to run a ham sandwich against Trump and win easily. Unfortunately, we live in a country where that isn’t the case.

[AngryQueer]

@simplicitus

If Biden were a real leader he would drop out this week

A year ago minimum

[zimmer4141]

I think most of us are acknowledging the reality at this point that Biden is the best candidate and all alternatives suck. We are also venting our frustration at the fact that literally everybody could see this coming and yet we are in this position anyways.

I don’t think most people would actually think that a brokered convention crowning a winner would produce a better electoral chance than Biden staying in the race.

[AngryQueer]

It’s so funny to me watching people ITT say that we need to have less democracy so that Trump won’t win. Why is it so important to not let Trump win? Because Trump wants us to have less democracy

[AngryQueer]

@zimmer4141

We are also venting our frustration at the fact that literally everybody could see this coming

That is so not true. Dem employees and the journalists they go to lunch with have, for four years now, been pre-emptively scolding anyone who said they saw this coming