Trump Trial Time - banish all memories of Mueller.

BBC reporting last night that the only name being mentioned in terms of who the Republicans most fear as an opponent is “Michelle Obama”.

Oh if only!

I know she’s said in the past that she’s not interested but could you imagine if she agreed a 1 term deal, give the Dems time to plan a proper succession, one capable of taking down the likes of Vance who would be the front runner for the 2028 Republican nomination.

BBC also saying Trump’s speech last night was one of the longest convention speeches by a nominee and was pretty boring and rambling, as usual.

@Zonder I’m not saying they hate each other, but there are lots of articles referring to “tense relations” between the two. A few examples

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/07/11/obama-and-bidens-sometimes-tense-relationship-and-what-role-obama-may-be-playing-now/

https://time.com/6211752/barack-obama-joe-biden-bromance-myth/

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/08/14/obama-biden-relationship-393570

Really? I thought they had a good friendship.

Good point.

Clock ticking on Biden as pressure to quit race increases www.bbc.com/news/articles/c2j3e94p3kvo

I hadn’t realised until I heard fairly recently that Biden and Obama don’t get on. Apparently Biden still holds a grudge for Obama not endorsing him in 2016 so he’s unlikely to listen to pleas from that quarter.

Thanks @CaveMum

Not surprising, Russian foreign minister Lavrov endorses JD Vance.

I think it may well be timed to (coincidentally) coincide with Trump's keynote speech... 😎

Washington Post

Former president Barack Obama has told allies in recent days that President Biden’s path to victory has greatly diminished and he thinks the president needs to seriously consider the viability of his candidacy.

That's already quite late! His Dr could encourage him to do so today.

Meanwhile Russia says Donald Trump is a total loser who can't do anything right

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-says-it-wont-accept-ultimatum-type-invitations-second-ukraine-peace-2024-07-18/

@Notonthestairs there was another thread on Project 2025 but it didn’t get much interest, mores the pity!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/in_the_news/5004352-why-is-no-one-talking-about-project-2025?reply=136722594

Axios is reporting that Biden will drop out 'as soon as this weekend'.

Very mixed feelings, but terror at all scenarios is winning.

The only plus thing - maybe for our grandchildren, is fascism eventually forms a circular firing squad.

It never ceases to amaze me how many really thick fuckers there are out there who get themselves all lubes up at the idea of the first 1/3 of a fascist regime that they never seem to be able to finish the book.

Because it only ever ends one way.

This is extremely troubling (paywall off)

www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/us/politics/trump-vance-vp-decision.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8E0.uA1t.9J53DGKuicCT&smid=url-share

Saw this article linked to on a Hilary Clinton tweet.

people.com/what-is-project-2025-inside-far-right-plan-trump-presidency-8622964

"The 2025 Presidential Transition Project, more commonly known as Project 2025, released a 900-page manifestoo_ last year titled "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise." The policy guidebook — compiled by the conservative think tank Heritage Foundation in partnership with more than 100 other conservative organizations — lays out a far-right, Christian nationalist vision for America that would corrode the separation of church and state, replace nonpartisan government employees with Trump loyalists and bolster the president's authority over independent agencies."

I noted with interest the section on Section F -

In practice, Schedule F could easily purge qualified subject experts from advisory positions at the first sign of disobedience and turn federal agencies into ultra-partisan arms of the Heritage Foundation's mission

It rang some bells with me about how Truss wanted to reshape the civil service.

Aside from that the section on reproductive rights is frankly terrifying.

(Apologies if it's been linked to before.)

I think that they just have to get rid of Biden because he is deteriorating so fast now. Graphic 3d image shows how close the bullet came to hitting Trump.

www.facebook.com/SkyNewsAustralia/videos/miracle-shocking-new-footage-shows-just-how-close-donald-trump-came-to-death/795829249205177/

The interesting thing is that the polls don't actually seem to indicate that Trump is doing any better now than he was last month; only the panic over the debate of the chatterati and media (who, let's face it, love a Story, and Trump's obviously being demented and suffering a severe physical decline has been going on for so long it is no longer a Story) makes it appear so.

On the other hand, the chap who has correctly called every presidential election result since the1980s or so, apart from the one when he thought Al Gore would win, reckons Biden will win, but if he is disposed of by his party then Trump will.

Just referring back to TRIP US now that I've listened to it, it's starting to look questionable if the Dems will convince Biden to step down and even if they did who would step into the breach. As it starts to look more and more likely that Trump will win many Dems are getting nervous about putting themselves forward as they don't want a loss to him on their own record. A lot of them are already looking at 2028, which boggles the mind!

How on the one hand they can say Trump needs to be stopped but on the other hand seem to be saying "but by someone else, not me" I don't know. It's hypocrisy of the highest level.

On a lighter note, has everyone seen Gaetz new face 😂

...

https://x.com/ezraklein/status/1813779276128526733

First the Schumer leak, now Pelosi. "Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi privately told President Joe Biden in a recent conversation that polling shows that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that Biden could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term, according to four sources briefed on the call"

They won't. It's over bar the shouting for Biden and I think he's accepted that. I just hope they can come together and chose a successor without ripping themselves apart.