In Reply to: Here's a differing view posted by mh on May 27, 2025 at 13:04:49
First, you're commenting on a lot of things I didn't post about. I haven't listened to Klein's podcast, haven't commented on it.
But, ya, my comments about Crispin's comments on Tapper's book.
First and foremost, Tapper (at least, in the interview) says that Biden's feebleness allowed him to be dragged wayyyyyyy further left than where he is inclined to be. Especially wrt to the border. We can disagree, but I think that Biden's border policy severely damaged the Dem prospects for the 2024 election. Several leaders of blue constituencies were saying that we have to do something about the border in 2024. And, there are other issues on which Biden was dragged way left.
I'd reverse it, and say that Trump was a referendum on Democratic policies, whether perceived or real. And, the last thing most voters wanted was four more years of the same.
Crispin comments that Tapper (I haven't listened to Klein's podcast, won't comment on that) is blaming the staff, but not Biden. That's a good point. In the lead up to the election, I posted on here that Biden was being incredibly selfish by running again. More than one poster responded that his advisors were telling him to run, because they'd lose their jobs otherwise. Fair enough, but the decision was Joe's. And, Tapper does blame Biden. At least he does in the interview - see the comments about power being an aphrodisiac, a story as old as politics.
Crispin wants to say Joe has always been impaired. Not like he was during his presidency. Crispin is just patently wrong there. But, fwiw, I thought he was too damn old to run the first time. The fact that during the 2020 election "he was amazingly incoherent all the time" doesn't excuse his decision to run in 2024. If anything, it's a further indictment of it.
Crispin says "he (Tapper)should be even more focused than he is on the uncritical media that let this stuff slide for months or years." I couldn't agree more. Total agreement. In the interview Tapper says he tried to be assertive in his reporting on Biden and now he looks back and thinks "WTF was I thinking??? (not his exact words).
"The Democrats are fooling themselves if they stick to Biden’s dementia as their explanation, and that without a more honest assessment, they’re liable to lose again." I sort of agree. Biden's dementia allowed him to be dragged way left. The Dem's big problem right now is how entrenched to the way left they are. So, to the extent that Biden's dementia enable that, it's related. And, maybe of Biden hadn't appeared at the debate looking and acting like an escaped memory care patient, thing miiiiight have gone differently? Maybe? But, absolutely, the Dem's problem in 2026 and 2028 are issue driven. And, yet no one is challenging AOC to be the face of the party, or even a face of the party. That, currently, is the huuuge problem.
The compressed timeline probably did help Harris. If only Biden had waited longer to pull out!
But, Harris was a horrible candidate, and I've got to believe that a full primary season would have honed a candidate that was muuuuuuuuch more viable than Harris. And, ya, if the candidate in 2028 is anywhere close to as terrible as Harris, Biden's dementia no excuse. Back to the issue of having a full primary season, who knows who would have risen to the fore? When the 2008 cycle started, before the primaries and Obama's vaunted "ground game," I don't think anyone was picking Obama. Clinton didn't win a primary until Super Tuesday in the South - and he ran in a year when much bigger names sat out. I disagree with a blanket "no strong candidate would have appeared" statement.
Biden should never have run.
Sadly because of our current state of affairs, the "horse race" element of the discussion is the most important.
But, all of this is ignoring the fact that Biden was not given a single cognition test during his presidency. Less than 6 months after the election, he has an advanced form of prostate cancer - and he was running for president? No one knew? And, it ignores the topic of his inner circle closing ranks, denying access, and hiding his mental decline.
I'm not saying Biden's mental decline should be a topic of discussion for the Democrats w/ regard to how to handle upcoming elections. Clearly not.
But, that doesn't mean we should not talk about Biden's mental decline and the cover up there of. Like, it's an untouchable topic? I don't think so.