109 Comments

Good music at end, as always

Expand full comment
founding

I’m also real late to this pod and comments. My only comment is this. I’ve heard Sarah, JVL, and Tim use the term “fantasy politics” several times since the debate. But Tim saying that whoever runs for the Dems only needs to win 3 swing states to defeat Trump. Basically saying maybe Kamala, or a popular Dem governor could do this. I’m not saying that President Biden shouldn’t end his candidacy, but who’s promoting fantasy politics here??

Expand full comment

I’m late to the comments but really appreciated the pod convo between Tim and Jon. Can’t say it made my stress level drop by any significant amount, but I enjoyed listening to the intelligent, broad sighted discussion. Thank you to Tim for always speaking his unvarnished truth and for Jon and the PSA crew!

Expand full comment

Thx Tim for asking Jon the Madison C question.

Expand full comment

I am sick of the media’s frenzied focus on President Biden’s age and decline and barely a whisper about Trump’s age, decline, lies, etc. Excerpt from Heather Cox Richardson’s Substack piece today: “Journalist Jennifer Schulze of Heartland Signal noted today that as of 8:00 this morning, the New York Times had published 192 pieces on Biden’s debate performance: 142 news articles and 50 opinion pieces. Trump was covered in 92 stories, about half of which were about the Supreme Court’s immunity ruling. Although Trump has frequently slurred his words or trailed off while speaking and repeatedly fell asleep at his own criminal trial, none of the pieces mentioned Trump’s mental fitness.”

Expand full comment

Loved this interview and the fact that you guys got into it a bit! I just wanted to point out that something we can all do is contact our Democratic senators and congressmen/women to ask them to call for Biden to withdraw. I live in OH, so I emailed Sherrod, as well as Emilia Sykes - she is not my congressperson (it's a Republican) - but she accepts emails from outside her district. Let's inundate Congress with the People's Voice!!

Expand full comment

I did the same in MN.

Expand full comment

I wrote to Sherrod, though with different thoughts.

Expand full comment

For 3 years the Bulwark has pointed out the failure of Dems to articulate a message. Agree. The people don’t like East Coast Irish in many places. ( see recent new Supreme Court members). JKK was hated by slightly fewer people than Nixon. Biden was hated by far fewer people than Trump. Biden is not loved. The performance on the debate made me ill, and I watched in at 2 am in Loch Ness. I wish I had got some message from the Loch-but only silence. Harris is hated by too many people because she is a woman and black. Her ability is not the problem. Either way the loss will probably not be at the level of McGovern vs Nixon-but it will be close. The only hope is the hatred of Trump will prevail. But I don’t think the American people know what is decent any more. And the Dems are still using Hollywood spokespeople who haven’t made a decent film in 10 years-as their primary spokespeople for fund raising. Why can’t Dems get out and kick ass? Serious question.

Expand full comment

Joe Biden could resign and make Kamala Harris an incumbent president running against Trump.

Expand full comment

#Project2025 Read Reporter, in Germany in #1930s, William Shirer’s books based on #Nazi internal records, his journals, reporting, & Neuremburg Trials.

📖👇🏽CH 4 The Mind of Hitler & The Roots of the 3rd Reich from The Rise & Fall of the Third #Reich by #Shirer. 40 pp (4% of book) Knowing this philosophy shd give you a frightening peek into a possible #TrumpReich. FIGHT BACK NOW.

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:8fdb8074-7dac-4b10-a8d4-c294410034be

Expand full comment

For sure Arlaine

Expand full comment

What if the Biden team strategy is that they keep Biden off the stage and out of sight because they believe Donald Trump will remind people how crazy he is and they want Trump to sell the fact that Biden is an alternative and people wont see the stumbles or rambling from Biden?

Expand full comment
founding

That may be the thought but I don't think it's working. Trump has been laying low this week and Biden needs to show the debate was as fluke and I'm not sure it is.

Expand full comment
founding

Whatever the answer it needs to be done ASAP. The focus is totally away from Trump and the SCOTUS debacle which should be front and center in everyone's mind. And making sure we keep the Senate and win the House

Expand full comment

Excellent conversation Gentlemen. Thank you.

Expand full comment

Aw man, y’all’s chat about the possibility of Biden eeking it out in three states brought visions of Bush v Gore. It should be perfectly clear now that SCOTUS will hand the election to Trump if we get anorher Broward County situation. Eeking isn’t necessarily winning.

Expand full comment

Thanks for a great discussion. Just one clarification regarding student loan forgiveness for doctors. My son has close to $500,000 in student loans from his medical education. None of it was forgiven. I believe the loan forgiveness program excludes high income earners.

Expand full comment

There is no end to the continued Biden candidacy save for a humiliating defeat in November.

The worst that changing the ticket now would be ti have that same conclusion.

By acting now, there is a real chance to turn things around and save America from autocracy.

The “do nothing” option, out of misplaced loyalty to Joe Biden, is cult like.

And America already has one too many political cults.

Expand full comment
founding

Tim you are 100% correct. Those democrats that refuse to believe their “lying” eyes are the ones that sound, and act just like MAGA.

This is not a one off. This issue has been circulating for over a year. I was in denial because no one gave us an evidence it was true. I was wrong.

And Biden has been playing catch up for a year. He’s losing in every swing, and battleground state by almost double digits. States like NM and Virginia are now in play.

Biden did an amazing job, but he is not capable of governing for four more years, or capable of articulating his successes, or refuting Trump’s lies.

The good news is that 72% of Americans want a younger candidate, whether Biden or Trump, so a change isn’t a death sentence. It might actually be our saving grace. Plus, a new candidate wouldn’t have the Gaza or Ukraine baggage that is hurting Joe in crucial swing states with the youth, and Muslim communities.

Great podcast, and I agree with you wholeheartedly. I would never allow MAGA to gaslight me, and I certainly won’t allow my party to do the same.

For the sake of our republic, Biden needs to go. Voter outrage, and Biden’s inability to communicate his messaging effectively, or at all, for the matter, means we need to pass the baton to a younger generation, sooner than later.

IMHO…:)

Expand full comment

Sigh, I don't have lyin eyes, I have a way different view of what actually happened, while acknowledging it was bad, I don't think there was any conspiracy etc.

Can't you guys make your case without insulting those of us who disagree? Please..I am not insulting you

Expand full comment
founding

No offense, but I didn’t intend to insult anyone. However, I wasn’t talking about you, I was talking about people who say Biden answered all the questions honestly and correctly, and then deflect to Trump’s lies.

We all know Trump is a liar, but apparently over 50% of Americans didn’t get the memo, or believe otherwise. My point, if you’re expecting Trump’s authoritarian tendencies, and his lies, or his health to throw the election to Biden, then we’ve already lost.

That said, I’m upset because Biden and his team have been lying to us for over a year. This election is greater than any one person. If he would have decided to not seek a second term, we’d be talking about Trump, the fascist SC, and the Heritage Foundation; instead, we’re talking about Biden’s cognitive decline. He’s become a distraction, and this is a recipe for disaster.

Expand full comment

Thanks for the clarification

Expand full comment

Spot on, Robert. Thank you

Expand full comment

My 2x Trump voter Republican brother just stopped by today and we spoke about the Debate. I told him Biden should step down and we should get another candidate. He told me that he doesn’t even care about party affiliation and would vote for anyone that is not Trump or Biden. I really think if we get another candidate with a fresh much younger face, we could make some major gains.

Expand full comment
founding

Totally agree. The focus groups have been telling us that for over a year. Most Americans want a charismatic, youthful leader, whose not a psychopath. And sadly, for a country with 330 million people, we are stuck with a choice of a corrupt, narcissistic, vindictive sociopath, or an amicable octogenarian, suffering from cognitive decline.

You would think a country like ours would offer a plethora of qualified candidates, yet here we are, thanks to a two party system that’s dividing this nation in two.

Good times…:)

Expand full comment
founding

Excellent take, devoid of panic. The future of our country is what counts in the end, and it's no time to dismiss what is self-evidently true in service of faint hopes.

Expand full comment