Biden has Covid

[Viviennemary]

Just heard this on the news. They are making a big thing of it. I bet he will use this as an excuse to step down. Bit too convenient IMHO. They are saying very problematic.

Yes, I agree.

@Cecilly What current world leader would you rate as better than Biden on foreign policy?

The pollster Sarah Longwell seems to think, based on her focus groups, that a Harris/Josh Shapiro (democratic governor of Pennsylvania) ticket would stand a decent chance, but I think it's almost impossible to know at this point.

@SpidersAreShitheads

I also don't think she's been particularly visible in the last four years, and doesn't seem to have built up a strong reputation as an exceptional politician. It's said that she's weak on policy and hasn't really made any progress on the areas she was responsible for.

On a personal level, I don't get much of a presidential vibe from her. I'm not especially impressed when I see her, much as I'd like to be.

I've listened to her a lot over the last couple of weeks and I think she's really grown into the job. She's excellent on Dobbs and I think would make absolute mincemeat of Vance in a debate. And vps are never really very visible in a first term. I think her role in the administration has been pretty standard par for the course.

I think Biden and Harris’s weak spot is very much that they have damaged the rights of women and girls with a whole heap of gender identity ideology becoming law, in schools, sports, scholarships, higher education, services like healthcare and prisons. It’s a huge issue now, really impacting on ‘Middle America’ and millions of floating voters.

In the US it additionally is an ideology with built-in safeguarding fails that offends many in the religious majority. But mostly it bumps up hard against women’s rights, and the rights of girls, to equality and equity. So the ‘be nice’ in theory has turned to toxic shit in practice (as the Labour government in the UK is realising). ‘Even’ in the US, the majority will vote for women’s reproductive health to be a matter for women not the state.

Biden’s let bad things happen to women, and Trump sees the opportunity to exploit Biden’s huge errors - Trump’s an opportunistic prick but an effective one.

It’s really unfortunate optics. Trump gets shot! A hero who comes out with a scratch and is back campaigning. Biden is so frail he has to take a break because of an illness known to be worse in older people.

Surely the Biden camp must be frustrated about the timing. Unless, as some PPs have suggested, it’s made up.

this gives him time to rest he looks frail, the contrast is what people are seeing at the moment between Biden and Trump what they are saying is second to this

but I do not think he is planning to go anywhere, he absolutely should step down but this has become very personal to him to beat Trump again for

To be honest, I think he should have not started a second term campaign and passed the batton. And it will be a good thing for him to retire. And for all of us.
I do not think there is much room to stopping Trump, though. I think it is likely that Trump will win.

I suppose the other issue around the unlikely scenario of Michelle Obama being persuaded to step in at the last minute as the Democratic candidate to 'save America' in a fanfare of relief and hope is: who would be her running mate?

And if he was meant to have Covid why did he shake hands with quite a few people before he got on the plane and wasn't wearing a mask. Gone off into isolation apparently. Bit fishy I think and even last night the reporters were commenting on this.

I think Michelle Obama could possibly or even probably save the day

Even if he stepped down today, it's too late. Biden has been campaigning for more than a year. Anyone who takes his place will have mere months to pull a campaign together. It can't be done. Trump has won. Brace yourselves for another 4 years (at best) of horrible leadership, and endless mouth vomit from a guy who sweats hamburgers.

For a guy who sweats hamburgers? What a way to tell us that you are unhinged OP. 😂

His message to the nation after the Trump shooting was great. Not some of the others obviously but credit where it's due.

What's the problem if he does step down due to COVID? He said he'd step down if diagnosed with a medical condition so it'd just be consistent to his statement if he did step down.

😆

Why do people keep saying stuff like this? I've seen Mark Kelly's name mentioned a lot recently. He'd be amazing and his profile would suggest he'd appeal to swing and centrist and less than committed republican voters. If I could choose anyone it'd be him.

Why Michelle Obama? Seems random.

I read yesterday in Independent or Guardian or something like that, that polls show that the Trump shooting hasn't even moved the needle on votes and the race remains close, so Trump is nowhere a sure thing at this moment in time. I'm sure he's showboating and getting his people to make our like he has it in the bag though.

Well whatever happens with Biden, if the Dems do happen (by whatever miracle) to win by a whisker, will there be a repeat of the dramas of the last time?

The inevitability of a Trump win is not guaranteed YET either. Said in much hope.

As I mentioned earlier on the thread, because of the polling that deliberately put her name in the frame.

That's one of the more endearing metaphors I've read about Donald Trump.

Because she is sensible, strong and is a well recognised figure on the world stage and commands respect. And doesn't irritate folk. I'm sure there are plenty more reasons. But Biden is finished. I expect an announcement within the week.

Surely he can't step down due to Covid? Unless there are complications, it's something you get over in a few days, not something you end a Presidential career over?

It does give him a few days off to avoid any more blunders though. I agree that he should never have run for a second term, but it's far too late to change and anybody else beat Trump now, unless it's somebody stellar, like Michelle Obama...

Here (dated 3rd July 2024):

Michelle Obama only Democrat to beat Trump in new poll

The survey, conducted by Reuters/Ipsos, found Obama was the only Democrat with a lead on Trump in a hypothetical match-up, garnering 50 percent support to his 39 percent.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4753294-michelle-obama-donald-trump-joe-biden-democrat-2024-hypothetical-matchup-survey/

There's a big covid wave underway right now, so I think it's very likely he genuinely has it.

No-one really talks about the neurological effects but of course they exist (can bring on or exacerbate dementia, for example, and can cause cognitive loss in anyone). That is not a good possibility in a president whose acuity has already been called in to question.

But unless the acute phase is serious (which it usually isn't, especially if he is prescribed antivirals) then there will be no immediate reason for him to step down.

Is the reason no one else stepped up becuase ita not convention to challenge the standing president? If Biden had announced he wasn't running, there would have been a whole different candidate pool. Although I don't know enough about American politics to know who they are, surely Clinton, Obama and Biden must have left some sort of legacy/succession structure.

I remember the first time I read his bio - he is a truly wonderful man. He's a great role model.

Nobody on this thread has researched potential rival candidates or how they poll. Michelle is just thrown around on social media as an ooo she'd be good wouldn't she option. She's not in the running.

However people like Mark Kelly are, and are polling 5 points above Biden presently. You should take a look at the guy, he's a former military guy, a NASA spaceman, looks a bit like he should be in Die Hard, and is someone whose optics and approach seems like it would be very very attractive to a lot of voters. He has an amazing wife, too. He's only 60. I found out about him from a newspaper article the other day.

I genuinely respect Joe Biden, but in a perfect world it'd be Mark Kelly for me.

She's not a senator though and isn't in the running and doesn't want to be.

Here's an up to date poll with realistic choices, all polling 5 points ahead with some strong options.

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4777222-biden-replacement-democrats-battleground/

Yes, there will be a repeat I fear.

Already Kari Lake has said she won't concede if she loses