So...this has been a hot button issue all day among virtually ALL of the political commentators I follow, and it's worth talking about. But the mainstream democratic response to Stewart's commentary has been quite negative. Because Stewart himself...was negative of Biden.
I think some commentators touched on what the real problem is here, and that's why I'm making another post about this. The real topic is that since Stewart left, the democratic party has lost the ability to accept ANY criticism of their side. I mean, they own most of the media. They very tightly control what's allowed on corporate media and what isnt and build relationships with the networks, the hosts, etc. Everything these days is either one of their propaganda arms, a republican party propaganda arm, or some centrist arm that kinda sorta leans toward them anyway.
So seeing someone who is actually so in touch with the pulse of the american people is jarring. And their response is to get angry. How DARE you criticize Biden, don't you realize that he's better than Trump, and Trump is an existential threat to democracy? Yeah...about that...
You see, that's another reason why this article is necessary too as an addendum to the last one. Trump IS a threat to democracy, and as Stewart himself said, it, when the barbarians are at the gates, don't you want Conan there protecting you? Not the "cookie" guy? (referring to his super bowl interview).
I didn't take the threat of Trump seriously in 2016 or 2020. Quite frankly, because I considered it to be all talk by the DNC themselves. They literally went into 2016 with (insert candidate here) is a threat to (democracy/marginalized people/blah blah blah) and you better support hillary or else. The dems never sold hillary on her merits, at best referring to her experience, pragmatism, or undying dedication to the party (as if having a spoils system is a good thing). it was, as some people today were saying, referring to how the dems are taking the criticism of Biden, very north korean esque. like everyone just praise dear leader and how dare you not like him. And that's actually why I went so hard against it in 2016. Because I saw that narrative for what it was, and knew the democrats were just cynically using it to bully people into supporting their side. I knew Trump would suck, but if the dems were gonna act like they were, I was willing to throw down with them and F around and find out.
Basically, dems love playing chicken with their voters. They know this stuff is normally a bunch of crap. But they will just cynically use these talking points to threaten YOU into supporting THEM. And i quite frankly dont think they care if they lose. They'd rather lose doing it their way, than win by changing their ways. Because they care more about their relative power within the party, than the party's success. They want YOU invested in the party's success and in existential fear of an enemy. And I kinda saw through that, and being a free thinker with my own goals, I basically refused to follow their script in 2016 and 2020. I didnt care if the dems lost under those circumstances. Because I myself didnt care about them if my view wasnt represented either. And if those guys care oh so much about democracy, then THEY should cave TO THE VOTERS.
But here's the thing. Donald Trump has shown himself to REALLY BE THAT DANGEROUS. January 6th changed the game, and we are really about to let this guy be president again. He almost successfully pulled off a coup against our government. And whatever the narrative the dems were pushing was and regardless of how truthful it seemed at the time, it's real. The threat is real. And we need all hands on deck with this.
But...there's questions about whether Biden is up to the task. I crunched the numbers. He's down about 6 points compared to where he was in 2020. heck, if you account for RFK he does even worse, and is down closer to 9-10. This is APOCALYPTICALLY BAD. We are heading toward an electoral rout not heard of in the modern era.
But the dems are....instead NOT holding a fair primary, propping up an 82 year old we're not really sure remembers what he had for breakfast that morning, and telling people to fall in line...again. Even though no one clearly wants this guy outside of the third of the country that's ride or die on the democrats no matter what they do.
This isn't good. This isn't how you win elections. We are heading right into an iceberg and they're STILL palying this weird game of chicken with their voters. I have to ask, for all of their talk about how dangerous trump is, do they not understand how DANGEROUS their own behavior is? Jon Stewart just called it like he is. No one wants the guy, he's 82, we don't know how mentally fit he really is, and maybe we should be putting someone up younger.
Yes, we could argue harris is bad. Okay, fair enough. How do others poll? We dont know, because no one's polling them, right? Why dont we do that? Why dont we inform voters of dean phillips? Are the dems really gonna black ball this guy simply because he's not one of the good old boys and that it's not his turn and he didnt earn the party's blessing? Do the dems even CARE if trump really gets in? In 2016 and 2020 id point to this behavior and say that these guys dont MEAN it, it's all just a talking point game for them, and their rhetoric is all just to scare YOU, the voter, into voting for them, but HOLY FREAKING CRAP, WE ARE LITERALLY RUNNING AGAINST A FASCIST WITH OPEN AIMS TO BECOME A DICTATOR, AND WE'RE STILL PLAYING THESE POLITICAL GAMES! Even worse, the public seems even LESS willing to play along this time with them, than even I am. In 2020, I didnt vote for Biden because I wasnt compelled by him, and because I understood the dems were playing chicken with me. But everyone else did. ERMAHGERD, TRUMP IS SO BAD, WE MUST VOTE FOR BIDEN TO STOP TRUMP they said. Then the fricker incites a literal insurrection, and now it's "meh, biden sucks, i dont want biden, let's vote for orange man again"? WTF, America? I get being exhausted, and feeling political malaise, i feel it too. But this guy is literally dangerous. This isn't the moment to do this. Let's not play this game.
Of course, I dont really blame the voter. Democrats need to understand that the real owners of democracy are the voters, and the voters are suck and tired of the dems' crap. It doesnt matter if trump is a fascist. They're just so sick and tired of biden that they're not wanting to vote for the dude again. And the dems NEED to step up their game if they really care about democracy as much as they act like they do. If the dems don't step up, and dont do the right things to secure their own reelection, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE TO TRUMP. THAT IS FACT. And idk if they actually do understand that yes, trump is literally as scary as THEY SAY HE IS this time.
I dont think Biden is a bad president either, mind you. He actually has earned my vote. And Im not just saying that because of trump. We've seen my metrics and outside of marianne williamson and dean phillips, Biden IS the best candidate. Even taking away the 10 point non spoiler advantage I give to democrats, Biden STILL scores a bit higher than jill stein and cornel west.
I actually think the public has been somewhat unfair and uncharitable to Biden, and that he's getting a lot of blame for things he doesnt deserve.
However, at the same time, I could've told you this would eventually happen. I saw what happened through the obama years, and how we went in with high approval and support only for the public to turn on the dems the longer they were in office doing nothing. And that's LITERALLY what i make of Biden's numbers. Part of it is trump's propaganda of inflation and immigration, but a lot of it is just that the dems didn't do enough to earn their own reelection. They had the house, the senate, and the presidency, and still barely passed any legislation. What little biden did do was easily rolled back over time. And most people are like "what did he do for me lately?" as their grocery bills go up. I couldve warned you a milquetoast president wouldnt be able to hold it together. Because the same thing happened under obama. People want change, they want something different. Elections are a matter of who is more motivated, and milquetoast centrists who are politically ineffective demotivate their own side. So the trumpers are fired up, and dems aren't. And the dems can scold the people all they want, but they arent gonna listen to them. The dems needed to learn 8 years ago that they cant just bully people into voting for them and expecting it to work. Idk why they keep insisting on such a suicidal strategy, but they are.
So, that said, you got the dems, out of touch with reality, out of touch with the pulse of the country. All the media regurgitates their propaganda day in and day out, and the second the daily show guy comes abck they lose their crap because this guy is popular, and has their finger on the pulse of how REAL americans think and are just like HOW DARE YOU GOOD SUH!? And in typical democratic party fashion, they're trying to shoot the messenger. Theyre not listening to the messenger or asking why they feel that way, they've been in their own bubble so long they forgot that gee, people dont always agree with their ideology and propaganda or see things their way. It's like a shock for them. You finally get an honest guy in the room who tells it like it is, and they not only dont listen, they actually get outraged that he says what everyone is actually thinking.
Our democracy is very sick. We have a two party system. Neither party is in touch with the public. neither really listen to what the majority of the public wants. Both are beholden to big money. Both are corrupt. Both have their own little oligarchies and patronage systems going. Both largely control the media. The public hates them both. Most Americans are independent these days. Each side only has a 30% approval rating. Most are voting for lesser evils, with the swing vote voting against those in power in hopes that the other guy actually does a better job, and things keep going back and forth with nothing changing. And right now we got an 82 year old whose mental competence is under question and who no one really wanted and only voted for as an alternative to the last guy who was even less popular at the time. And now the public wants to put the last guy back in charge due to nostalgia and ignorance and because they now think he will do a better job, DESPITE HIM TRYING TO OVERTURN THE LAST ELECTION, and omfg America, what are you doing?
Seriously. This is where the weimar republic was in the 1930s. Remember how the liberals couldnt get it together against the fascists and then the fascists got into power, took over the government, and disbanded democracy? Yeah, that's us, if we don't WAKE THE FRICK UP!
Am I being hyperbolic? maybe? I dont know. And that's the scary part. I dont know. All I know is that trump IS that dangerous and should be treated that way and we shouldnt be messing around given how dangerous the guy is. And the democrats need to stop doing their political game of chicken crap unless they wanna lose. This isn't a fricking game any more. Our democracy, or what's left of it, given the above concerns, really is on the line.
Or maybe that's why they dont care. because they know democracy is actually dead. And to them it is a political game. And they'd rather milk this for all its worth than avoid giving the people a real taste of power.
Either way, this is scaring the crap out of me. We are not in a good place. And Jon Stewart is right to call this crap out.
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