this post was submitted on 12 Jul 2024
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United States | News & Politics
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Man, this situation is fucking rough.
We all want the same thing: Continuation of democracy by ensuring Trump never touches office again.
But... Biden is obviously a qualified politician, a sitting incumbent which boosts his chances of keeping the job, and doing everything he can to be a good leader. On the other hand... I mean, we all know how things ended with Ruth Bader Ginsberg. She was one of the best Supreme Court Justices ever, and because she did EXACTLY what Biden is doing now and held onto the job even when it might not be appropriate to do so... Well, that's how we got Amy Coney-Barrett, a hard right supreme court, and the complete ruination of everything good that RBG ever did, all over that one mistake.
If replacing Biden with someone else was obviously possible, it would be a no-brainer. But... IS it possible to do that without giving Trump exactly the opportunity he needs?
It's a hell of a decision. One that might not even have a right choice.
Except that's not how Presidental succession works. If Biden dies, Harris gets the job, not a lifetime GOP yes-woman like Amy Coney-Barrett. The RBG comparison makes no sense.
Replacing the incumbent Presidental candidate a few months before the election is political suicide. No election has ever been won that way, and it's sure as fuck not a good time to start experimenting with bizarre and dangerous ideas.
Say Biden dies tomorrow. Is it still too late to pick someone else? Would we just hand the election to Trump?
I can see that argument being made if the election was a few weeks away, but it isn't for 4 months. Over 100 days away. Are you really saying that nothing could be done in that time? And if you think him dying would be different circumstances than the mess we're in now, I challenge you to ask yourself why you think that way.
If Biden dies tomorrow, the election would be lost. If we switch out Biden for somebody else, the election would be lost. If people decide to not vote because they aren't dazzled by their Democratic candidate, the election is lost.
If Biden dies after winning the election, Harris takes over, and we still have a Democratic President.
Those are your outcomes. Pick one.
So if Biden bows out and lets Harris run the ticket then sounds like you get the same result as him dying.
She can't be attacked for being old and sleepy, she could probably even whip Trump's ass at a debate because she has a functioning brain.
She has the bonus of having access to the current election funds that Biden has because she is on the ticket already.