@bmzimmermann
I think you underestimate how broad the Dem party is and how hard it is to unify around a consensus candidate (look at 2016).
#Biden is the candidate. Talk about change now will open intraparty conflict that will be devastating. It is extremely unlikely!
So, Biden had a bad night against a lying madman. BIden is still doing great in the job and deserves another four years (and a #BlueTrifecta)
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann "great job" is questionable given his poor handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, poor handling of the genocide being committed in the middle east, failure to repeal Trump tariffs and border policies...
Some of that would be forgivable if he could articulate his policies and promise to do better, but he can't even seem to do that coherently.
We're in deep trouble, whether he's the candidate or not.
@LouisIngenthron @bmzimmermann
You're watching too much rightwing media if those are your complaints. 😂
Just to pick one - I think #Biden did a good job ending the 20 year war in Afghanistan given Trump left him only enough troops to defend the embassy and the Taliban on the march. I mean, there was *one* suicide bomber. More US troops died in Afghanistan in 3 of Trump's 4 years.
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann I'm a registered Democrat, and I'm far from the only one with these concerns.
As for Afghanistan, it wasn't just the loss of life, but also the rushed manner in which it was handled and the endless equipment we left behind. That Trump would have handled it worse doesn't make Biden's handling of the situation good.
@LouisIngenthron @bmzimmermann
Again, you're reading too much rightwing media if you're unfamiliar w the Afghan drawdown schedule Trump agreed and implemented.
By Jan 2020, there were few troops and most equipment was already gone. You're blaming the wrong person, which is not an accident.
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann I literally watch/read no "rightwing media", so your insistence otherwise just comes off as childish. Check my feed. Before this debate, I could have accurately been called a "Biden apologist."
Your responses are emblematic of the DNC's refusal to acknowledge how serious these issues are and how much of a liability they are for the ticket. Sticking our heads in the sand is not a viable electoral strategy.
@LouisIngenthron @bmzimmermann
I don't know you - and I have made assumptions about your media diet (wrongly, you say).
But your comments about Biden and Afghanistan align with rightwing talking points and show an ignorance of the facts on the ground in 2021. Other issues you've raised also align with rw attack lines. How that happened is something you might want to look into.
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann Have you considered the possibility that some of the issues the right are hitting Biden for are issues that moderates and dems are also independently concerned about?
@LouisIngenthron @bmzimmermann
I'd vote for a dead squirrel over Trump too, but I'll happily choose #Biden because he's done great work for 3 1/2 years and deserves more.
Nobody's perfect, and I agree on maybe 80%, but he's the most progressive and effective Dem president in my lifetime.
@LouisIngenthron @bmzimmermann
Of course they are! They wouldn't be effective wedge issues if there wasn't a grain of truth.
That doesn't mean they aren't being massively mischaracterised and used to deflect from more important issues.
So, again, the real question is why rw wedge issues are the concerns you lead with? Don't bother replying, I'm suggesting self-refection.
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann You maybe want to go back and review my initial list. Yes, the Afghanistan withdrawal pulls more from RW criticism, but the complaints about his handling of the border, Gaza, and Trump tariffs are all progressive left-wing complaints.
@TCatInReality @bmzimmermann To be clear: I'd vote for a moldy cheese sandwich over Trump. If Biden is the ticket, I'll vote for him.
But if he's unable to coherently defend himself against these talking points, he maybe shouldn't be the candidate.