A lesson in where political power really lies in America

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/17457244

A lesson in where political power really lies in America

Robert Reich is a Professor, writer, former Secretary of Labor, author of The System, The Common Good, Saving Capitalism, Aftershock, Supercapitalism, The Work of Nations. Co-creator of “Inequality for All” and “Saving Capitalism.” Co-founder of Inequality Media

  • macattack@lemmy.worldEnglish
    498·
    6 months ago

    Woof. I disagree w/ this 100%.

    The article insinuates he has unwavering support from Congress when in actuality he has tepid support and uncertainty among his contemporaries.

    Also, the donors are pushing back so hard not because they are ‘elite’ but because they were also at the Clooney fundraiser where Biden sh!t the bed there as well w/ a performance that rivaled the incoherence of the debate performance. They are of the opinion that this isn’t a one-time thing and is in fact the writing on the wall.

    Here’s the hosts from Pod Save America discussing it: (timestamped) https://youtu.be/vbVcn_VQt5A?si=5cqL5NMuUigvbps4&t=1425

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
      273·
      6 months ago

      “Tepid Support” is Joe Biden’s middle name. I’m still voting for Biden because Trump will be worse.

      • macattack@lemmy.worldEnglish
        6·
        6 months ago

        Biden will get my vote as well if he decides to stay in the race too. I’m more concerned about moderates and never-Trumpers and I don’t think Biden will ever win them over after his debate performance

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
        6·
        6 months ago

        Finally, America can resemble Canada.

        Our guy is fine, but he’s messed up a few times. No matter what he does, though, he’s better than the morally bankrupt runner-up party of canuckistanian oil-baron Republicans and thus - please god - stays in power. Even our #3 party has his back in votes because it’s the lesser of two weasels … or something.

        So. Good goin, eh? Next we shall work on your pronouncation of ‘about’ and ‘roof’.

        • Icalasari@fedia.io
          3·
          6 months ago

          I live in Alberta. What are Trudeau’s chances of clinging to power?

          It’s hard as fuck to gauge it from public opinion here

          • evergreen@lemmy.world
            3·
            6 months ago

            As a Californian currently travelling through Canada, the “F*ck Trudeau” stickers I commonly saw in Alberta made it feel eerily similar politically to certain parts of the U.S. I definitely can see why it’d be hard to gauge. It’s like the same dumbification cancer we have here is being spread there in Alberta as well.

            With that being said however, I still think you guys are a lot better off as a whole than we are in the states as far as slipping into christofascist dictatorship. Ugh.

            P.S. Please send help.

  • paf0@lemmy.world
    2910·
    6 months ago

    I am. He should step down. He no longer has what it takes to be president.

    • gatorgato@lemmy.world
      219·
      6 months ago

      Came here for this. I want him out. Who the fuck has jet lag for two weeks? Give us some Kamala to get excited about. Roe is on the ballot this November. Let’s get behind someone who can press to the win on that.

      • jf0314@lemmy.world
        5·
        6 months ago

        I’ll vote for whomever is not Trump. Period. If it’s Biden, fine. Someone else? Fine too.

      • paf0@lemmy.world
        61·
        6 months ago

        If only we were large enough donors for the DNC to care what we think.

      • corsicanguppy@lemmy.caEnglish
        84·
        6 months ago

        someone who can press to the win on that.

        … like how they switched out the incumbent in 68 and beat Nixon ?

        In fact, switching the incumbent has been a sure way to lose. What’s your angle?

        • Sconrad122@lemmy.world
          3·
          6 months ago

          Was 68 the last time an incumbent was switched out? Because as conflicted as I am about wanting Biden to give way for a candidate who is physically capable of campaigning vs being concerned about the ability to find someone with a better probability of victory than him, I don’t find the conventional political wisdom of 1968 a very convincing argument in today’s media and political landscape

  • geekwithsoul@lemm.eeEnglish
    111·
    6 months ago

    But there is one small group of people in America with the power to push Joe Biden out of the race. Who are they? The major donors to the Democratic Party.

    Surprising no one who has been paying attention.

      • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
        1·
        6 months ago

        The DNP and RNP were large and absolutely in charge long before Citizens United. They took complete control of the election system after Ross Perot had them shitting their pants back in 1992.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    71·
    6 months ago

    I’m watching his solo press conference and he strikes me as more than a little lost. If it’s still him in the general, I’ll be voting for him.

    But I sure hope he steps aside and lets someone else do this. I just don’t see how he’s able to do the job for 4 years. If he has to step down partway through a second term, fine, but I don’t see how the undecided and independents vote for this guy, and that’s how elections are won or lost - by what a lot of low-info people do.

  • Beaver [she/her]@lemmy.caEnglish
    2928·
    6 months ago

    Republicans, corporate democrats, Russians and naive people who expect perfection without pushing for ranked choice.

        • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
          3·
          6 months ago

          So who do you recommend replace him?

          You ain’t pulling any MAGA supporters off Trump no matter what you do so why try? A Harris / Ocasio-Cortez ticket would energize the Dem base, drag Progressives in by the train load, pull over all the Dem leaning Independents and almost certainly more than a few of the “We want political change!” people.

          It would also result in heart attacks for double digit percentage of MAGA people and they can’t vote if they have passed into the great beyond.

          Aside from the funny it’s also a balanced ticket with Kamala “The Understudy” Harris on top and Alexandria “The Squad” Ocasio-Cortez present but without any real power as the VP.

          Then have them get out there and swing for the fences. Harris can be the calm one while AOC can get all fiery and tirade on everything. It would be a great time!

          I don’t swing their way politically but I’d honestly vote for that ticket ahead of anything else that’s probably going to be on there. Trump is a total non-starter for me, the Libertarians have gone loony, and no one else has any chance at all of being elected.

        • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
          86·
          6 months ago

          We should allow that to be determined at the convention.

          Btw do you get checks from the Heritage Foundation for the constant trolling* you do?

          *[Sealioning]

          • CaliforniaSober@lemmy.caEnglish
            12·
            6 months ago

            Which convention? The one that “unfairly” nominated Hillary? The convention that nominated Biden?

            Bottom line is that “conventions” will not satisfy folks who don’t care and don’t take the effort to understand. The checks from the heritage foundation appear to only perpetuate crap like you mention…

            • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
              84·
              6 months ago

              No, Biden is not the same asshole he was even 12 months ago. 12 months ago he had gotten infrastructure done and was moving on to student loan forgiveness, hadn’t bombed thousands of children into their graves, hadn’t advocated for the most draconian border policy of all time, and could remember the beginnings of the sentences he was supposed to be finishing.

              Biden isn’t the same person he once was. Also, since you acknowledge that you are intentionally in clear violation of Rule 4, @[email protected] .

      • TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world
        114·
        6 months ago

        Hexbears, “communists,” genocidejoers

        Ah yes, George Clooney. Known hexbear enthusiast, only incidentally responsible for Biden’s (possibly anyone’s?) largest single night fundraising ever.

  • jumjummy@lemmy.world
    79·
    6 months ago

    This thread exemplifies the little naive echo chamber you”Biden needs to step down” people are in. There’s no scenario where any other candidate can do better this late in the election. This is “Bernie or Bust” all over again.

    Interestingly, many of the talking points have shifted from “Genocide Joe” to this. Nothing more than the next wave of disinformation joined by a bunch of naive people who don’t know how far off their opinions are from the rest of the country.

    • TokenBoomer@lemmy.worldOP
      51·
      6 months ago

      I appreciate this perspective, but I would recommend reading Robert Reich’s message. The billionaire donors aren’t just a little naive echo chamber, they fund the campaign.

      • Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world
        4·
        6 months ago

        They also funded Hilary’s campaign. I didn’t want Biden to begin. Most ppl didn’t want Biden. Now all of the sudden with 4 months to go the high class donors feel they know better now and want him to step down. You had over 2 years to do this. These aren’t the first fundraisers Biden has had.

        Trump is going to win because the DNC are a dysfunctional mess that’s more concerned with being the king maker instead of listening to the public. No other candidate is going to get swing voters and 4 months isn’t enough time to counter Republicans who have been campaigning since Biden won.

        I fucking hate being stuck with democrats. If there was ANY other viable party that I could vote for beside these two dumbass parties I would

      • jumjummy@lemmy.world
        41·
        6 months ago

        Hey, I voted for Bernie and really wanted him to win, but the Bernie or Bust mentality is how we ended up with Trump so… falls right into Russian propoganda reasoning.