Joe Biden, Senator from Citibank (oops, DELAWARE), to Run for President

You could interpret that as being about 'looters' as much as deplorable CHUDs.

you could do anything if you really put your mind to it

Don’t tarnish the name of my people’s holy defender the Golem by using it for the goyest goy who ever goyed

and he's just a simple country Mayonnaise Golem.

Rejected SNL Phil Hartman sketch idea.

It's official - Diamond Joe 2020!

Former Vice President Joe Biden has clinched a majority of delegates to the Democratic convention, locking up the party’s presidential nomination, according to The Associated Press.

The AP now projects that Biden has won 1,993 delegates to the national convention, just over the magic number of 1,991 required to secure the nomination on the first ballot.

...

"It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded — and I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party," Biden said in a statement emailed to reporters shortly after the AP's declaration. "I am going to spend every day between now and November 3rd fighting to earn the votes of Americans all across this great country so that, together, we can win the battle for the soul of this nation, and make sure that as we rebuild our economy, everyone comes along."

one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded

spittake

Which year was better

no martin o'malley this year

I have to admit I did miss the no-nonsense courage of Jim Webb, who knows how to fire a weapon.

82% of Republicans are enthusastic about voting for Trump, but only 57% of Democrats are enthusastic about voting for Biden.

I still think that Biden will win, but good grief, the Democrats have not made this easy for themselves.

Here's the poll: https://t.co/vJKCwRVpOV

— Stats for Lefties (@LeftieStats) June 6, 2020

I've long found this question rather stupid. I've never been "enthusiastic" about voting for anybody -- it's a duty. It's not like I'm anticipating an Olivier Assayas film or some shit, come the fuck on.

So...people are choosing Biden over Trump by a nine-point margin, but they're not caressing themselves while doing so, so this is bad news for Biden and good news for Trump. Got it. Thanks.

Biden = Clouds of Sils Maria

xp

I've long found this question rather stupid. I've never been "enthusiastic" about voting for anybody -- it's a duty.

Cool story, but is there evidence of enthusiasm having an effect on voting for all the people who aren't you?

The number of people in my life who've voted for Dems who aren't Barack Obama?

i'd beware of any electoral 'caressing' in this contest in particular

Sotosyn demands we share the low expecs of his fine state

I know plenty of people excited about voting against Trump and the GOP in November who are eh on Biden. Is your thimble-sized dialectical thinking reeling from this information?

xpost to milo

Morbs, we already know you save the complexity for your film opinions.

not interested in what Just the News or Stats for Lefties have to report. those are ridiculous sources

The number of people in my life who've voted for Dems who aren't Barack Obama?

Given the electoral record of Democrats in Florida, 'people in your life' doesn't sound like a very good measure.

I know, son.

says the troll from texas

I've heard this was Joe Biden's favorite movie as a child

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Rent_Free_Poster.jpg

That is such a subtle takedown that I have no idea what you are driving at.

He don't either

If I were running for president I would prefer to have my voters energized about my candidacy, making donations, talking to their less-involved friends, volunteering, etc, but this may be a naive and immature view of things.

Maybe it is referring to how Biden lives rent free in milo's head?

I guess it depends on what's more important - firing up registered Democrats or convincing idiots middle-ground waverers. I've read a lot lately that says 'the undecided voter' is a bit of chimera these days and that GOTV is the most important factor in winning. I don't know how true that is. But if it is true, then enthusiasm seems like an important metric.

And like, we all want the same thing here, I'm not sure why so much rancor's necessary

I love Tracer Hand!

PINEFOX I LOVE YOU TOO.

A question about Biden.

About 3 months ago, most discussion about him seemed to be about senility, his inability to complete a sentence, mental decline making him an unfit candidate.

No-one seems to talk about that anymore. Is that because other things have overtaken it, or does he seem less senile than he did?

also, Donal T

I dunno, but I suspect that as a clinched nominee, he will be surrounded by deft handlers; teleprompters containing carefully chosen and focus-grouped words; and smart, nimble surrogates.

Perhaps the thinking is that it doesn't matter if his brain has turned to tapioca, so long as the campaign can keep him smiling and doing the bare minimum?

I will absolutely not defend this candidate or this strategy, just positing that it could work.

a strong energetic running mate will help i imagine

and saying nothing that's not on the Prompter

not a secure feeling

About 3 months ago, most discussion about him seemed to be about senility, his inability to complete a sentence, mental decline making him an unfit candidate.

No-one seems to talk about that anymore. Is that because other things have overtaken it, or does he seem less senile than he did?

It's because it was always bullshit.

yeah, no

well one obvious reason is there haven't been any debates in months

No-one seems to talk about that anymore. Is that because other things have overtaken it, or does he seem less senile than he did?

The first half of that sentence mostly, I'd say, but also, he has been measurably better the last two or three times I've seen him (especially his television address a week ago).

It's because it was always bullshit.

do you really not detect any cognitive decline at all btwn speeches/appearances of the past and now

he says "shoot for the legs" very crisply

how can you possibly listen to more than a minute of Joe Biden talking and conclude that his mental decline is "bullshit"

maybe he's always on edibles

how can you possibly listen to more than a minute of Joe Biden talking and conclude that his mental decline is "bullshit"

I’ve heard Biden talk lucidly for more than a minute but I have a feeling most people only watch the clips that get shared whenever he says something dumb

He's definitely capable of speaking lucidly for over a minute. He should do more of that and fewer of the ones with what could be construed as cognitive decline.

Shutting off the pipeline of shareable clips at source is the best approach for this

I don’t think I’ve heard Joe Biden speak since he said “this is a big fucking deal” to O at the ACA signing ceremony.

Re enthusiasm, I liked what Ta-Nehisi Coates said to Ezra Klein the other day:

We have this idea of elections as this kind of sacred ritual that one is undertaking, that you should be inspired and in love with with the candidate. But I often think people need to think about it more like taking out the trash. It’s a thing that you should do. Brushing your teeth is hygiene.

So when I think of who to vote for, the question isn’t how much of my own personal politics do I see in this person so much as how much do I think this person can actually be influenced by my politics or the politics of the people around me. So I can loudly say all the things Joe Biden was wrong on and feel no guilt about voting for him. Me casting a presidential vote is not the totality of my political action within a society.

otm

That you should, for some reason, fantasize that you're Sisyphus as you enter the voting booth is wholly separate from the importance and value of enthusiasm.

Most voters, and certainly most Democratic voters, do not view it as a sacred duty that they perform regularly. How do we know? Turnout.