My Pledge To The Democratic Party!
If efforts to push Joe Biden off this year's Democratic ticket for President succeed, I will vote Blue to help save my nation, but the day after I vote I will change my registration to Independent. The leaders of the Democratic Party will have demonstrated that they have as little regard for the vote of the citizens as do the Republicans, so I see no need, even after decades of loyal support to continue to identify myself with them.
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The latest round of back-channel discussions among leaders of the Party to oust Joe come on the heels of the end of the Republican Convention and are clearly keyed to setting up a Democratic Convention in which some way and somehow the candidate with 14, 465, 519 votes to be the nominee, or 87% of the total is replaced. That's an overwhelming number. He should under normal circumstances clinch it on the first round. He and Harris have accumulated 3, 894 delegates with only 42 remaining from the total number of 3, 949. 1968 delegates are required to become the nominee. Joe Biden has more than enough.
Now I'm well aware that a Party can choose another nominee despite the one chosen by the voters. They have that right. But if they choose to exercise that right this year, it will come with a great price. I can see droves of disaffected voters like me, leaving the Democratic Party in disgust. To turn against the will of the thousands of loyal Democratic voters who have expressed a preference, in order to cater to the will of rich benefactors fearful of actual changes in policy that might cost them a few extra dollars, will wound the Party in way they can't imagine. I'm at a loss to imagine what alternate ticket might be proposed. I cannot imagine any that will have the name recognition of the sitting President.
The last time the Democratic Party did this the President was Lyndon Johnson who was wounded by the Vietnam War. What enemy has Joe Biden succumbed to? Old age? To remove him from the ticket is a catastrophic move which could well lose the election, one which is easily winnable due to the lunacy on the other side. To do this is to openly admit for all practical purposes that the United States is a plutocracy, and that both our parties have been purchased by the ultra-wealthy who want to see things done to maximize profits.
I have been a Democrat my entire voting life, but after fifty years of support the Dems will only be able to count on my support in the general elections from now on, if then, should they make this move.
Update: I pledged to leave the Democratic Party if the Party rejected the nomination of Joe Biden, the sitting President, a leader and man I admire greatly. Let me amend that pledge, because something just occurred to me. Kamala Harris is the new presumptive nominee. I do not want it to look like I'm leaving the party because they nominated a black woman. I celebrate that choice, if the choice must be made. There is more than enough racism and the appearance of appearance racism in this country without me adding to it.
Rip Off
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Lyndon Johnson was the POTUS when I was born (in 1966) but I didn't realise he'd been removed against his will as the Democrat candidate in '68 - I've always assumed he wanted to stand down because he was fed up with the job.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid I must inform you that most non-Americans already see America as a plutocracy. The amount of money in American politics is staggering - only yesterday I heard that Elon Musk has given $45 million to Trump's campaign. The mega-rich already seem to own American politics.
Watching the US election from abroad is horribly depressing. Like any sane person I don't want the appalling Trump to win but I don't know whether Biden standing down is a good thing or not. You say the election is "easily winnable" but it doesn't feel like that at the moment. I really hope you are right.
My wording was not precise. Johnson did step aside of his own choosing, as he decided the race was hopeless, and Humphrey stepped in. I meant only that the President was still in office as his VP ran for the office. Money has always been a huge element in politics in this country, but a Supreme Court decision about fifteen years ago really opened the floodgates. I forthcoming post on how the Court has been crafting this moment for some time.
DeleteBy "easily winnable" I'm being a tad hyperbolic to drive home a position, but there is a weariness here as well about the Orange One. The Democratic candidate will win the popular vote. There's little doubt of that, but our ancient system of tabulating gives cretins too much leverage.
I couldn't agree more, Rip. Both for reasons of loyalty & of pragmatism, Joe Biden is still the best hope of defeating Trump & his authoritarian agenda. He has done a fine job, better than I ever expected, in his first term. He deserves that second term -- and we need him in that second term!
ReplyDeleteJoe Biden started running for President back when Clinton was running and I thought he was a wonderful choice then, at least in terms of policy. He has gotten more progressive since then, making him even shinier in my eye. He's a progressive who doesn't just talk it, but gets as much of it done as he can. His administration has been one of the finest in U.S history, and it grinds my gears why Dems haven't been on that message as strongly as they seem to want to push the "to old' theme.
DeleteDamn it. The breaking news just came - Biden is dropping out. Democrats had better rally behind Harris immediately & put up a united front without any delay or hesitation if they hope to save this country from Trump & Project 2025.
DeleteJust heard it myself. The Democrats have wanted this for weeks. I hope they know what to do next now that they've caught the car. The Republicans are already warming up to challenge the ballot in several states setting up a situation where once again the Supreme Court will pick the Leader of the Free World.
DeleteThe current Supreme Court - that's what frightens me most. I'm 70 & I don't particularly look forward to living out the remainder of my life under a plutocratic authoritarian government.
DeleteYep. I'm right behind you. I can only hope the mavens who engineered this move have gamed out the possibilities. I still think a yellow dog as Democrat can be the thug on the other side, but now it's not just the elections we have to overcome. I want to see the money from the bigwigs who have withheld it from Biden cough it up. Money where mouth is. I've contributed but frankly this week I withheld because I feared this move.
DeleteSame here. I'm wondering if Biden had come to this decision a few days before & was talking to party insiders about supporting Harris 100% before he announced it. He's been in politics for more than half a century & knows how these things work better than almost anyone. I'd say that one thing is sure - this has taken the wind out of Republican sails following their convention bounce, because all news is going to be about Harris in the days ahead.
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