?????? v Trump (and one or two others) The US Presidential election 2024. Read OP before posting

I reckon the democrats thought Trump would be history at this stage. Biden was good enough to beat trump in 2020 and they got their strategy right there. But it’s like they have no plan for a resurgent Trump. This was not supposed to happen. The republicans were supposed to have reformed and have a different ‘ business as usual ‘ candidate to beat Biden. This is woeful bad strategy by the democrats. They have a few weeks to sort this out. They should have been sorting it out over the last 4 years.

Who would replace him though? Kamala Harris wouldnt get anywhere near the votes Biden would, especially in the swing states and the outliers in the South. Is there any Democrat that has any sort of Charisma that can be prepared to go head to head with Trump?

Hmmm…

ramp up military investment in europe and ireland should really be contributing more

Pretty reckless of the Republican party leadership, Joe's inner circle and advisors to allow him to participate in a debate, knowing his issues. Are they all in some sort of collective denial? Afraid to say that the king has no clothes?

They'd want to wake up very quick or Trump will be a shoe in.

Surely any younger, sensible, sane alternative from the Democrats with reasonably clean hands will likely prevail over Trump.

So the debate was aimed at convincing 'double haters' to soften their stance toward one side or the other and make casting a vote a bit more palateable. From what I've seen, they'll be even more convinced that a vote for neither is the sensible and ethical option. Trump is a malignant narcissist and inveterate liar while Biden looked worse than we've ever seen him in ages. It's shaping up to be a record low turn-out for this election, which is great news for mushroom-dick.

Got to think at this stage that this it what the DNC secretly hoped for. The debate is 3 months earlier than any previous debates and you got to now think they wanted this to give time for a replacement.

How does Biden withdraw though and remain president until January? If they say he is not up to it there will be a carcophony of calls for him to stand down. And if he was to stand down as president Kamala Harris would be hard to shift as the default alternate candidate and to me she is virtually un-electable

Where was the Biden from the SOTU? He didn't look good last night.

It's not fast and certainly it's not something new, but until now the incidents were contained, he was managed out of those situations and they were covering it up as maga crowd lies and deep fakes. He's clearly unfit to be the president, he should be removed from office now, forget about running for another term.

Hubris

Bernie would have beaten trump in 2016 and this future would never have happened

Bernie would have mobilised the younger more left leaning portion of of the Democrat base, but turned off the older centre-right crowd, so it depends on what the difference in those groups' number was if it were to be mean a boost in numbers over Hillary.

Anyway, at least Bernie stands for things, as opposed to Hillary who had no message other than generic focus grouped soundbites.

It’s a mess TBH- Is the talk about Michelle Obama just “talk” or could there be something happening behind the scenes? Lots of “gossip” about Michelle not supporting Bidens campaign right now after some falling out or other but I wonder is there something afoot.
I imagine Biden would stay in power until end of his term even if he decided not to go a second term?

those are the people who always vote anyway.

No way they would have voted for Trump instead or spoiled their vote or not voted

It's a gerontocracy. Bush jr, Clinton and Obama all did two terms and they are all younger than Trump and Biden.

I fear for what our gerontocracy phase may look like.

It looks like a step too far for Biden, watching to see how the DNC react now.

If it is Newsom, expect some manufactured "surprise" at some point from the trump campaign.

It's like we are witnessing the fall of an empire. The very fact that the two of these are the "best" America can put forward is a disgrace. In saying that my criticism of both are completely different. Biden is clearly not up to it but is a different kettle of fish from that incompetent piece of human excrement he's running against.

It's actually depressing. Whilst we are told it'll have little impact on the rest of us, I am terrified what another Trump term will do to geopolitics around the world. What becomes of Ukraine? If Ukraine falls what next? Especially since Trump is vocally anti nato and had made some outlandish comments.

It's a depressing time.

I think the whole world has been watching this slow motion car crash now for some time - I don’t think any one person or group of people had the power to stop it happening though - it takes a lot of money and time to build up a presidential candidate - it’s no easy task

Agree, but I just cannot understand that the democrats had 4 years to put forward a new candidate. Ageism aside it's just not sound to putt all your eggs in an 81 year old man. He was the right man to beat Trump in 2020, but they should have started to build a new candidate on Thursday 5th of November 2020. Even if they didn't need to use him/her, they had a break glass in case of emergency. It's clear to all that Biden has been fading badly over the last few years and is moving and acting every bit his age.

The issue is now, they have lost control of the narrative to a scumbag criminal. If Biden wins it's highly unlikely he can serve another 4 years which means the narrative will be that a vote for Biden is a vote for Harris as president. So why not just pull the cord and pick a new candidate. It wouldn't take much to beat Trump so a new candidate could actually win.

Yeah with you on that - I guess the one person who could persuade Biden not to run again and just see out this term, is his wife. She’ll be critical but by some accounts at least, she seems to relish the First Lady status so she’ll have to get over losing that first, before she can bring her mind around to persuading Joe not to run again.

As for agism, again I agree - this has nothing to do with age but as we’ve seen with pretty much all past US presidents, the office ages you quite considerably - it is certainly a “young persons” game - you need to be mentally tough but also physically tough to endure the rigours of this office and for the American people to have a strong leader whether it’s Republican or Democrat - I know a 90 year old who I’d place well ahead of Biden in terms of both mental and physical agility- but I wouldn’t recommend him for office either. I don’t like Trump but he certainly presents fitter but his ramblings do give cause for concern -but again, I think there a better stronger and more capable leaders out there who have the right energy - and yes younger too. Leaders throughout the western world are a lot younger these days - a country leader role today demands a lot more of the person than it did 30 years ago

Michelle Obamas name in some news reports on TV when presenters are talking with the reporters - I’d be very surprised though if that came to be.

Dirt! Thats the biggest fear I’d say of picking a new candidate at short notice - you don’t know what the tabloids will uncover