He's not going to agree to a debate until she's the actual nominee. Nor should he.

#24. It's very simple, Joe.

She's not the nominee. Not yet. If some major negative story about her were to come out and she started dropping like a stone in water in the polls it's highly likely the Dems would drop her and insert someone else.

" Biden wasn't the "actual nominee" yet Trump agreed to debate him and Trump wasn't the "actual nominee" when Biden agreed to debate him. Neither of them were "actual nominees" when they debated in June."

The difference being they both already won their primaries. Harris never received a single primary vote.

The DNC convention is less than 2 weeks away. If Trump refuses to agree to a debate after she secures the nomination I will join you in calling him out.

" Joe eventually felt"

You make it sound like he made a choice. He was unwillingly forced out.

" Biden had not yet secured the nomination and was only the "presumptive nominee" when Trumpy "debated" him.

#35 | POSTED BY DONNERBOY AT 2024-08-01 03:19 PM | FLAG: "

He won the primary with 14 million votes. Harris didn't receive a single vote for president in the primary.

Does this mean he's agreeing to debate her?

" To continue to ignore the main constitutional role of the VP is to immediately replace the President"

He hasn't died nor has he resigned from office. If he'd done either I'd 100% agree with you on this. He would actually strengthen her chances if he were to resign IMO

#46. I'm not complaining at all. Once Biden was forced out Harris is easily the most beatable of the other Democrat names being tossed around.

" #48 So when you regurgitate the rightwing talking point that Harris "received no votes," you aren't saying she doesn't deserve the candidacy? Interesting, tell me more."

Once Biden was forced out his replacement was always going to be decided by the party elites. They had far better options than Harris but by going with her they had a relatively easy path to transferring Biden's war chest.

His debate performance exposed his condition in a way that could no longer keep hidden or spun away. They were planning on riding him through the election. They all knew his condition and that he hasn't been capable of doing the job probably since he was inaugurated (he's definitely gotten worse since then). They didn't care. It was all about winning by any means necessary. To have an incumbent announce he's not running for a second term this late in the process is without precedent.

He was ditched and Harris was the only option due to donor money transference.

They miscalculated. They challenged Trump to a debate and set all of the terms thinking that Trump would try to negotiate more equitable terms and they could then call him a coward and blame Trump for no debate. Trump's team was savvy enough to recognize a debate which didn't allow for preprepared notes, ear pieces and was just about an actual debate, even if the conditions were in Biden's favor, that it would be a disaster for Biden. And it was.

" Jeffj : Biden should drop out!

*Biden drops out*

Jeffj: but not like that!

#65 | POSTED BY ALEXANDRITE AT 2024-08-01 11:17 PM | FLAG: "

I'm happy he dropped out. He's physically and mentally infirm and while I think Harris would be a disaster for different reasons, at least she has her full mental faculties and can move around normally.

You're missing my point entirely.

Biden wasn't forced out because he's infirm. He was forced out because he got exposed as being infirm in a manner that couldn't be hidden or spun away.

Alexandrite,

Putting it another way, he had no business being POTUS given his condition. The fact that he hasn't been forced out for the remainder of his term leaves this country rudderless. And at a point where things are escalating in the ME to a potential war between Biden-enabled Iran and Israel.

This isn't quaint, cute or funny.

Joe,

Biden hadn't nearly burned through his war chest. Anyone successor not named Harris would have faced serious legal and electoral claims to that money. No way Dems we're going to risk that.

" Yeah, their master plan worked so well that the historically unpopular and doomed Dem candidate was run out of the race and replaced by someone with far greater odds of winning. What a bunch of geniuses.

#78 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-01 11:34 PM | REPLY | FLAG:"

From what I've seen is she's polling about where Biden was at pre-debate.

Hitler the debate he still had a real chance of winning.

So far, Harris is repeating Biden's 2020 bunker strategy. With so little time left, it just might work.

#82. Hitler = until. I hate auto correct and I hate my fingers. And I'm on my iPad, not my phone.

" And... your current alias' point is?

#84 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2024-08-01 11:39 PM | FLAG: "

It's the primary reason the elites anointed her over better candidates.

#86. Losing $95 million is a substantial loss.

" JB Pritzker, an actual billionaire, could stroke a check for that in a heartbeat.

#86 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-01 11:40 PM | FLAG: "

Pritzker still could ON TOP OF THE $95 million.

" #88 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-01 11:42 PM | FLAG: "

I'll clarify. Yes, she's doing tightly scripted things to a greater extent that Biden did four years ago.

She hasn't done much off the cuff. At least not yet.

No pressers and no interviews so far.

Maybe that willl change. I hope it does and it absolutely should. I have very little faith in corporate media to pay anything other than lip-service to it.

" 92 A major political party isn't going to go with a loser just so they can spend a little money losing. You have no political acumen whatsoe
#96 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-01 11:44 PM | FLAG: "

That is correct. You raise a point I havent addressed. Harris is also convenient because she was plausibly inserted without a mini primary. That process would have been potentially ugly and would have likely resulted in a brokered convention.

Hiding Biden's condition with media colluding put democrats into a spot where Harris was the only choice. It's further exacerbated by their DEI obsession and her being a woman of color checked off too many boxes.

" Lmao. Rallies aren't events now? Tell that to your bullseye of a candidate, it's all he ever does. Well that and tell black people who is and isn't black.

#101 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-01 11:51 PM | FLAG: "

Trump does all sorts of rallies. For all of his faults he's an entertainer and is good at feeding off a crowd.

I didnt say she doesn't do events. She does. And so far they are all tightly controlled and scripted. Trump just went into a hostile environment and fielded questions where he had to respond off the cuff. His performance was mixed and he notably stepped in manure as you referenced with who is and isn't black. Pretty big eff up IMO.

Having said that, let's rewind 4 years:

" Good night.

#105 | POSTED BY JOE AT 2024-08-02 12:00 AM | FLAG: "

Good night. And thank you for the discussion.

" Your current alias seems to think that unscripted commented are good."

Correct. Unscripted candidates have to think on their feet. Further, the more committed they are to their policy planks, the more evident it is when challenged, off script.
****

So, my first question would be, were fmr Pres Trump's comments at the NABJ good?

A mixed bag. He stepped in it a few times. At other times he did fine. He and Harris were both invited. It was an event that was inherently hostile to him and friendly to her. And she chose not to attend. IMO a huge missed opportunity for her.

"If so, why did his campaign seem to cut that interview short of the scheduled hour?

#103 | POSTED BY LAMPLIGHTER AT 2024-08-01 11:55 PM | REPLY | FLAG"

Well, it started about 30 minutes late. It's a strange criticism for you to make given Harris declined the invitation altogether. :

" If he was on the other team you would have called it a (D)isaster.

#110 | POSTED BY REDIAL AT 2024-08-02 12:12 AM | FLAG: "

The projection is strong in this one.

" Why would a mini-primary be needed?"

The primary theme of the DNC is that they are trying to save democracy.

Then through back- channels they force out the candidate who won their primary.

It looks unseemly but doesn't appear to have hurt them in the polls.