Fantasies and hand-wringing aside, at this point in the 2024 election cycle – if you’re even remotely conscious, awake, informed, and in touch with reality – it’s pretty much impossible to deny the near-certainty that this November, we will face a choice on our ballots between President Joe Biden (and the continuation of our democracy) and former President Donald Trump (and the end of our democracy, many of our rights and liberties, etc.)
Sure, you can *WISH* that there were different likely nominees, but as the saying goes, “wishing doesn’t make it so.” Which is why it’s SO annoying to see some liberals, progressives, Democrats, and a few “never Trumpers” like Bill Kristol, STILL wasting time and energy on pushing for an alternative to President Biden. But actually, it’s even worst than just wasting time and energy; it’s actively harmful – divisive, distracting, etc. – to be doing that at this point, at least on the Democratic side, given that near-100% certainty that President Biden will – and SHOULD BE, given how effective he’s been as president – our nominee in 2024.
With that in mind, see below or at this link for a brilliant thread by Kaivan Shroff on this topic. Shroff’s thread is brilliant and should be *read, internalized, and shared* by every Democrat – and “small-d democrat” as well – who isn’t “in denial” and who sincerely wants to save our country from a very, very dark fate if Trump (god forbid) wins this November. Anyway, I wanted to share Shroff’s thread here, in part to amplify it and in part so that I always have a link to send to anyone who starts blabbering on about how Joe Biden is “too old” (FALSE!) or how Biden should step aside for…someone (note that this would trigger a very messy, divisive nomination fight that could easily tear the party apart, at a time when we absolutely can’t afford that). As Shroff writes, at this point:
Joe Biden is the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in just 9 months. Even if he wasn’t, there is no time left and there are no alternatives.
We are now deep into the election season where we are trying to execute our collective goal – defeating a man who poses an existential threat to our democracy.
Either those who consider themselves part of the pro-democracy coalition want to be a productive part of that success or they are merely standing in the way.
That’s it – so time to get a grip and start organizing, mentally preparing, etc. for the fight of our lives!
Biden Supporters Aren’t in Denial, Everyone Else Is
There’s a persistent narrative among beltway pundits and even some well-meaning armchair campaigners that pro-Biden Democrats like me are “in denial” about President Joe Biden’s advanced age.
Ironically, what has become clear as we are dragged through yet another “but Biden’s age” newscycle is that we are perhaps the only ones engaging rationally on the issue. Joe Biden is old; You won’t hear me or other pro-Biden Democratic operatives argue otherwise.
However, with just 9 months until the election, he is also the only person standing between Trump and the White House. The incessant discussion around the president’s age is derivative of a media-induced fever dream that some better candidate exists and that such a candidate would succeed in defeating Trump with just months left until election day.
As time passes, those who prioritize keeping Trump out of the White House, but predominantly focus on Biden’s age, are the ones actually in denial.
As we edge closer to the election, the mainstream Democratic response to the rehashed dialogue on Biden’s age is not only logical but necessary. It reflects a broader misapprehension among some observers who fail to grasp the urgency of the impending electoral contest.
Despite facing an unprecedented number of legal challenges, including 91 felony counts, the possibility of Trump’s political resurgence in 2024 is not to be underestimated. This scenario underscores the paramount importance of Biden’s candidacy.
Joe Biden is the single best positioned person on the planet to defeat Donald Trump this November, as he did in 2020. As an incumbent president who can run for re-election on a strong economy, Biden has two formidable advantages in the general election.
Moreover, he has already earned the vote of over 81 million Americans before and has been vetted on a national stage for decades.
Those who disagree with the assertion that Biden is Democrats’ best chance to keep the White House had several years to identify and elevate someone better. (No such candidate materialized because one does not exist.)
Now Biden is sweeping the primary contests around the nation, even winning a rare write-in contest in New Hampshire a few weeks ago. It will soon be mathematically impossible for any challenger to secure the Democratic nomination.
Some delusional scenario where the party instead anoints a Biden replacement at the Democratic National Convention in August, just over 3 months away from election day, and then that candidate goes on to defeat Trump is beyond even Aaron Sorkin’s imagination.
The insistence on revisiting Biden’s age, therefore, is pointless and a distraction from the objective at hand — the focus of anyone who considers themselves part of the pro-democracy coalition should be defeating Trump this November.
Worse, focusing on the president’s age, which cannot be changed, only serves to weaken our best and only chance at defeating Trump — who is also old. The issue should therefore be neutralized, not weaponized against our own candidate.
The execution of any plan, whether in politics, business, or any other field, involves distinct phases. There is initially an ideation period, followed by selection of a course of action, then implementation.
Initially, the brainstorming phase welcomes a wide array of ideas, encouraging rigorous scrutiny to identify potential pitfalls, blind spots, and obstacles.
Yet, as the focus shifts toward implementation, the relevance of certain critiques — such as those concerning Biden’s age — diminishes significantly. We are now well into the implementation phase of our plan to stop Trump and save democracy.
Consider the analogy of launching a product. A team is coalescing around a product that is blue. During the ideation period one member of the team notes “not everybody likes blue.” It’s a valid, even helpful, point that should be considered.
However, should the team decide to produce the blue product anyway – after weighing alternatives – the utility of that same employee incessantly reminding everyone now working towards successfully launching the product that, indeed, not everybody likes blue diminishes greatly.
Certainly, coworkers who grew weary of the redundant discussion would not be considered “in denial.” Similarly, with the election on the horizon and Biden as the Democratic nominee, the party’s collective efforts must be directed toward ensuring his success.
Continual fixation on his age not only fails to advance this objective but risks impeding it.
Democrats who are tired of talking about Biden’s age don’t think we’re keeping some great secret. We are wide awake to the realities of this political moment in ways that our critics apparently are not. A few things are certain.
Joe Biden is the best candidate to beat Donald Trump in just 9 months. Even if he wasn’t, there is no time left and there are no alternatives.
We are now deep into the election season where we are trying to execute our collective goal – defeating a man who poses an existential threat to our democracy.
Either those who consider themselves part of the pro-democracy coalition want to be a productive part of that success or they are merely standing in the way.
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