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Seasider

(187 posts)

80. We'll never truly know if he could've won but we should remember why Biden was the nominee in 2020

Sat Jan 11, 2025, 04:48 PM

Saturday

His campaign was life support and then he won big in South Carolina and then all of a sudden most of the Democratic field dropped out and endorsed Biden and the primaries were basically over. Why did do that? It wasn't because of his charismatic personality or that they necessarily liked him. It was because they looked at the electoral map and knew their only path to victory was winning back PA, MI and WI and Biden for all his faults was the most likely to do accomplish that.

I understand that 2020 and 2024 were very different election years with different issues but I just personally have a hard time seeing an incumbent Biden lose all the rust belt states the way we lost them in November. I know the online progressives are having a field day scoffing at his remarks but I don't think Biden is necessarily delusional in his opinion. But the Democratic leadership freaked out after the debate and we rolled the dice by changing horses in midstream and we are where we are.

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nuxvomica bucolic_frolic

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Highlight:

Biden says he 'would have beaten Trump' but withdrew to unify Democrats [View all] Polybius Saturday OP

So qazplm135 Saturday #1

Party pushed him out because they panicked over one bad debate. Obama had one bad debate too, and party wanted to push emulatorloo Saturday #49

I saw that debate. Trump wouldn't STFU and nobody stopped him. Initech Saturday #52

At the time focus groups thought Biden did better than Trump. Trump's nonsense reminded them of how crazy Trump is. emulatorloo Saturday #59

People don't want to be "governed". They think that is automatic and will never change. hadEnuf Saturday #72

I have been saying for years, OrwellwasRight Yesterday #103

His problems started way before that debate AkFemDem Saturday #54

Made up problems by selective editing on Fox News and ridiculous BS pedaled by the likes of dishonest "influencers" like emulatorloo Saturday #57

No one paid attention to her qazplm135 Saturday #90

No comparison. Obama had a lackluster debate (at least by Obama standards) LeftInTX Saturday #63

Revisionist history. Romney won that debate, Obama lost it badly. And there were plenty of calls for Obama to drop out emulatorloo Saturday #64

They weren't serious calls. LeftInTX Saturday #65

There were multiple serious editorials in the press. You don't get to claim those calls for Obama to drop out were emulatorloo Saturday #67

Was Democratic leadership telling him to drop out? Did major donors stop donating? Did Pelosi ask him to quit? LeftInTX Saturday #69

Apples and Oranges. Pelosi lost her mind. Sorry, we're not going "post-truth" on DU like Facebook etc. emulatorloo Saturday #70

They were bashing him in 2010. They told him to get out before the debate LeftInTX Saturday #71

Democrats were pushing him to drop out hadEnuf Saturday #73

Which ones? It turns out those two were actually Republican turncoats who were Romney supporters. LeftInTX Saturday #75

Go ahead and link them qazplm135 Saturday #87

We kind of figured he felt he could win Frasier Balzov Saturday #2

What we didn't know is that he still believes that. Bluetus Saturday #20

He would have been annihilated BeyondGeography Saturday #3

He's playing Trump stollen Saturday #4

Agree that it bothers Trump BeyondGeography Saturday #5

There's delusion going on but it's not President Biden. William769 Saturday #7

Post removed Post removed Saturday #29

Exactly. It's an untestable hypothesis. Chump usually LOVES those, Captain Zero Saturday #18

+++++ 1,000's of rec h2ebits Saturday #51

Which gaffe was that? Polybius Saturday #6

How soon we forget BeyondGeography Saturday #9

Maybe. But Who knows quakerboy Saturday #10

Fair point. AkFemDem Saturday #55

And at this stage of his decline, the "gotcha" press Bluetus Saturday #21

You completely underestimate the misogynistic nature of "Mericans. Ferrets are Cool Saturday #31

Biden deserved better than he received. shotten99 Saturday #8

This. He's the first president whose positive impact on my life I have unequivocally felt... Alice B. Saturday #22

I'm going to.be pissed off over that until the day I die. BigmanPigman Saturday #40

I do think there are people that didn't vote for Harris becsuse she is a woman JI7 Saturday #11

In addition to the people above, I believe the Gaza War subtracted slivers of 3 kinds of voters Tetrachloride Saturday #19

My sense is that a lot of conservatives want out of all foreign conflicts. yardwork Saturday #36

yes, a large faction is what I gather. But they might be bandwagon group. Tetrachloride Saturday #37

I want out of all foreign conflicts too LearnedHand Saturday #61

I'm not sure what you would suggest Ukraine do. yardwork Saturday #82

Yeah I wouldn't want to abandon Ukraine LearnedHand Saturday #88

From what I heard on the news, apparently too many voters didn't know who she was! Rhiannon12866 Saturday #23

I love Joe, but he should not have run for a 2nd term. Martin Eden Saturday #12

No, she was handicapped because she is female. Americans suck...at least 50% of them. Ferrets are Cool Saturday #32

None of us can prove anything, but IMHO, I don't think the "anointment" made much, if any, difference. spooky3 Saturday #42

Don't underestimate the power of the primary Martin Eden Saturday #44

I haven't seen any evidence that it influenced voters. Those who spooky3 Saturday #46

Negative impact in the context of what happened is one thing Martin Eden Saturday #48

Don't underestimate the incumbency advantage. Also don't overestimate "battle tested" in an open primary. emulatorloo Saturday #56

Hillary Clinton was widely disliked long before the primary, mostly due to decades of rightwing smears Martin Eden Saturday #78

I'm certain that Biden would have won in 2016. yardwork Saturday #83

History would say otherwise MichMan Saturday #95

Biden has never lost a general election though. That's history too. emulatorloo Saturday #97

In addition, only one sitting VP has won election since 1836, and that was also in 1988. MichMan Saturday #98

2016 was an incredibly close election, just as 2024 was. yardwork Yesterday #105

and maybe the orange anus would have beaten him in 2020 even with a pandemic pstokely Yesterday #102

Clinton had high favorability numbers during and after her tenure as Secretary of State. emulatorloo Saturday #96

I thought Biden was a good president, but that kind gives credit to the dementia thing. doc03 Saturday #13

Did the lack of a red wave in 2022 change his plans? pstokely Saturday #14

Good question. nt spooky3 Saturday #43

I've always thought that that was exactly it Polybius Saturday #53

There's nothing wrong w Biden's cognitive function and you know it. Unrec for buying into talking points from MAGA emulatorloo Saturday #60

It was obvious for a long time physically but doc03 Saturday #68

He will always be 1 - 0 against TSF. Rhiagel Saturday #15

He wouldn't have beat him, but I've been watching the felon for 40 years. Scrivener7 Saturday #16

He's delusional. speak easy Saturday #17

Implying there's a tradeoff between victory and unity FBaggins Saturday #24

I just don't see it. I think Biden would have lost too. To much Musk. BradBo Saturday #25

"I could have beaten Trump" was the only answer Joe could give. sop Saturday #26

President Biden was an awesome President PennRalphie Saturday #27

The truth is we don't really know the answer dlk Saturday #28

I agree with Joe. hamsterjill Saturday #30

Possible due to baked in white + man vote kerouac2 Saturday #33

Yes. Continuous campaign. Going forward. No reason to go silent now. Keep up the pressure bucolic_frolic Saturday #35

I don't want us piled with regrets, but don't dismiss Biden's claim outright bucolic_frolic Saturday #34

Let's not forget Gymbo Saturday #38

Gosh...At the end of 2024, this should have been the story of the year. Not just Clooney, but the whole dogpile LeftInTX Saturday #39

Will this become a precedent moving forward ? MichMan Saturday #41

I love Biden, but let's not have short memories about this. Music Man Saturday #45

Let's not forget that Biden was counted out in 2020 nuxvomica Saturday #47

+ 1000 emulatorloo Saturday #62

No one was questioning his competency qazplm135 Saturday #89

In 2020 some DU'ers where claiming Biden was a senile racist rapist. emulatorloo Saturday #99

So this is more about qazplm135 Saturday #100

IMO, a lot of the pure enthusiasm for Harris was precisely because she wasn't Biden. MichMan Saturday #74

I agree with this assessment - democrats would've had a better chance TBF Saturday #77

There was no "beating Trump" this time. The fuckheads that be (Fox / Heritage / Federalist) already wrote the script. Initech Saturday #50

Of course he isn't going to say he would lose JBTaurus83 Saturday #58

Absolutely! Uncle Joe's one sly ol' fox... GoldenMezzoDiva Saturday #66

Counter-factual. malthaussen Saturday #76

A primary would have been nice JoseBalow Saturday #79

We'll never truly know if he could've won but we should remember why Biden was the nominee in 2020 Seasider Saturday #80

The inability of Democrats to articulate Biden's successes, and the narrative the GOP created on inflation lees1975 Saturday #81

Could have, would have, should have...2nd thoughts and more, in analyzing what happened in the 2024 election SWBTATTReg Saturday #84

One government, of the money, by the money, for the money. bucolic_frolic Saturday #86

Sadly, how true. SWBTATTReg Saturday #91

Like how? Nasruddin Saturday #85

Joe Biden has never lost a general election. emulatorloo Saturday #94

Biden didn't actually say that Progressive dog Saturday #92

Joe Biden is absolutely the best President we have had since FDR/LBJ SnoopDog Saturday #93

There is no way he would have won. NH Ethylene Yesterday #101

Honestly, he shouldn't have run for a Luciferous Yesterday #104

I wish Biden would shut the hell up. Martin68 Yesterday #106

He is of course, 100% correct -- His own party fucked him Blue_Tires Yesterday #107