In regards to the press and billionaires, it appears autocracy came early.
Our primary votes are being denied. A handful of self-important people have decided what Americans want.
The press, who was unable to get traction with “Biden is old” in 2020 has now a receptive audience.
The ignorati have followed along, incapable or unwilling to accept that replacing Biden guarantees a Republican win.
The rich and the media have decided we are incapable of making decisions. They know best.
3/
Jon Stewart says Biden should step down to save democracy. It’s funny, no one elected Stewart to make decisions about our country.
I guess his large megaphone which influences votes is more important?
He also is more concerned about Biden’s age than policies or Biden’s record.
Because of course he is.
The problem (no pun, I sorta promise), is that he is part of the plutocracy, whether he wants to admit it or not (mostly not — he is under illusion he is not part of the 1%)
4/
And the allegedly “smart” politicians who are quick to throw Biden under the bus?
Is this country BETTER than it was four years ago?
Yes.
But they want to throw those policies under the bus as well?
What the fuck?
It’s amazing how quick BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE want to take away my primary vote.
We the people don’t decide elections… the self-important assholes do.
We remain ignorant chattel in their minds.
This is a problem.
5/
I’m here to ask how did it reach this point? Why are people allowing this kind of manipulation?
The answer lies, in my humble opinion, on the need to be right.
There were many on the left and right that argued a Biden win GUARANTEES another Great Depression. That didn’t happen.
Or HIS AGE HIS AGE and HE IS OUT OF TOUCH and that blew up in their face.
Policies have always mattered more than anything else. You can argue a lot of things, but Biden made us a better country.
6/
Let’s face it, voting Biden in has a VERY REAL chance of a Democratic trifecta. You know who has the most to fear from this?
The rich. The 1%. Those with a lot of money. Like the owners of the NYT and WaPo.
The MSM.
I’m not arguing a conspiracy, far from it. This is as old as history itself. The rich want to control — “You are either with us or against us” is an old, very old, dog whistle.
Left out of this convo is the Biden Policies.
As if they don’t exist.
7/
The reason is two-fold:
• His policies for the most part have BENEFITED Americans. This is a hard fact. It can not be disputed. Lied about, yes.
• Emotions. Never discount emotions in politics. “Invasion by Brown People” is just another racist dog whistle. Trump excels at racism. The press repeats it as if it is fact. Stenographers.
So, of course, Biden is weak in comparison. Reality is unimportant when the story is good.
The problem? It’s just a story.
8/
News stories are called that because they are not always factual. During Reagan, the press dutifully repeated AD NAUSEAM about the fictional welfare QUEENS (plural) who were driving the country to financial disaster.
It was a conservative fantasy. Make believe. Fiction. A story. But it was repeated as if it were fact.
The problem is NOT that the press lies, it has for generations. The Spanish American war was fomented by Hearst with exaggerated atrocities.
9/
Sound familiar?
“Privately, Obama family concerned about President’s cognition” — exaggeration?
Of course it was.
You are accepting click-bait. And that click is a vote for MORE click bait.
“Biden’s dog privately says he should step down”
We are one click bait away from ludicrous headlines.
“My sex life increased when it looked like Biden would step down”
And with every click, they make another $.
Welcome to corporate politics.
10
There is little intrigue here. It’s patently obvious. There is no Watergate moment. No conspiracy, no hidden figure manipulating the press.
It’s all patently obvious corporate greed.
And this is the money shot: Biden wants to increase taxes.
This is why the plutocrats fear a Democratic Trifecta. Because Biden will have no one, not a single person, blocking his ability to raise taxes on the 1%.
That’s policy that NOT EVEN JON STEWART wants to mention.
11/
There is real fear by the rich: palpable fear, that Democrats will win Congress and the Presidency.
That Biden could make good on his 2019 promise: “Biden also wants to raise the corporate income tax rate from its current 21 percent to 28 percent”
Already, the increase in IRS personnel has increased revenue by $1 billion from tax cheats.
Never underestimate the rich’s fear of PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE as they overwhelmingly benefit from government.
12/
This has ZERO to do with Biden’s age. Trump is no spring chicken, a liar and a criminal. This hasn’t stopped businesses from supporting him.
It has EVERYTHING to do with policy.
The rest is just bread and circuses.
@feloneouscat I agree with him and many other everyday citizens who think the same thing.
I'm not "the media". I'm not an agent of the right.
That is your prerogative.
But I have to ask, does my primary vote not count?
Do we now let those with the largest megaphone dictate policy?
Were the last 3.5 years all a dream? Have the overall policies been good or bad?
I’m in favor of continuing those policies.
Why are some Americans against it?
@feloneouscat do you have a Substack where this thread could be found in its entirety? It's an important essay that I'd like to share with others not present on COSO. I kept saying YES YES YES!
I have a Substack, but it’s not there.
Feel free to copy and paste.
I just rant here 😬
Glad you like my rants (sans proofreading).
Jon's hedging his bets.
@feloneouscat Boom - this is the crux of the biscuit: the oligarchs are trying to use the remains of the press, now in their sweaty hands, to take control by convincing us to do it to ourselves.
My two cents regarding Jon Stewart, I think he is a pretty good comedian but I can't imagine taking political advice from a comedian. How do you know when he is being satirical?
Keep telling jokes Jon, leave political decisions to the voters.
@feloneouscat those things matter for the past. Elections are about the future. Biden has failed to #PassTheTorch.
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @feloneouscat
In the future, we, the public which includes not only registered Democrats but also unaffiliated voters such as myself, NEED to get back to the DNC scheduling debates rather than anointing as they did in 2016 and 2024.
I fully understand their reasons, but when they anoint they miss out on the ability to showcase the talented and sometimes younger candidates. They also miss out on the ability to besmirch candidates from other parties who are corrupt.
@Priestess @feloneouscat #Endorsed
Full disclosure, it is this *anointing* that kept me from the party for as long as I avoided it. And we're back.
I’m missing your point.
I voted in a primary. That’s not “anointing” that’s a process of picking the candidate.
You SEEM to be arguing that the process of a primary is “anointing” — perhaps I misunderstood.
However, I did NOT misunderstand that a few people with larger megaphones are attempting to change my primary vote. I fully understand that.
So, please, clarify what “anointing” means. I voted in my primary that Biden would be the nominee.
@feloneouscat @SECRET_ASIAN_MAN
The DNC did not want any good candidate choices other than Biden.
"The national Democratic Party has said it will support Biden’s reelection, and it has no plans to sponsor primary debates."
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/04/20/biden-reelection-announcement-next-week/
I understand why the DNC would not want good challengers to speak against Biden. Candidates might have presented bad policy decisions by Biden and two or more failed actions which the DNC would rather leave unmentioned.
Who are the “good challengers”?
I’m still missing why my vote in the primary isn’t valid.
@feloneouscat @Priestess @SECRET_ASIAN_MAN
Gavin Newsome, Harris, you know the list. The people they want to tag in now that they perceive things not going well(even though they are).
It's a tradition that a party support their incumbent candidate.
Now support is faltering. Rather than say we made an error supporting him when he declared for re-election they say his abilities have crumbled in the last year.
Bullshit. They are cowards who want to say later, we tried.
@KGinKS @Priestess @SECRET_ASIAN_MAN
Here is the problem: If Democrats have an open convention, we lose Ohio.
Because the nominee WILL NOT BE ON THE BALLOT.
I deal with reality.
By the time the Democratic Convention happens, the deadline for Ohio will be over.
So how will this mystery candidate be better? Vote for me because I’m younger?
That’s not a policy.
https://news.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-dnc-moves-ahead-virtual-120025562.html
@feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess yes. Because you don't hire an 82 y/ol CEO
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
He isn’t a CEO.
Government isn’t nor has ever been a business. Business people learn that real fast when they go into government.
There are several CEO’s over 80.
Here are just a few.
https://www.businessbecause.com/news/north-america/9443/sp1500-ceos-older-trump-biden
@feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess they should retire too.
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
Not based on skill or abilities but on age?
What other aspects of a person should deny them employment?
Not a dog, just curiosity. With age comes some handicaps. My hearing is total shit. Does that make me a liability in meetings? I have osteoarthritis in my hips. How can I discuss business during golf games? I have epilepsy, what if I have a seizure during a meeting with world leaders?
@feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess the president should have the same retirement age as it's citizens.
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
Many Supreme Court justices served into their 90’s. RBG was writing excellent opinions up until her death.
What age is “retirement age?”
I plan to keep working until my death because I love what I do. I’m 66.
The President does have the same right. Your argument appears to be he should be FORCED into retirement.
I’m not sure that’s a good argument.
@feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess RBG stayed too long too.
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
She was a strong defender of abortion rights, so I have to strongly disagree.
@feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess OK, could have a stronger younger version that could have lasted through the trump years.
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
So a 5-4 loss is better than a 9-3 loss?
Why do people keep pushing this?
@SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @feloneouscat @KGinKS @Priestess
More people age 65 and older are staying in the workforce. More than 9.1 million Americans over 65 were working either part- or full-time as of January 2018. This represents a 60 percent increase in just a decade, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
I would hate to lose Angus King as my rep he has so much knowledge.
@KazzyH @SECRET_ASIAN_MAN @KGinKS @Priestess
That is the problem with defining ANYTHING based on simplistic views. It’s how Texas got the heartbeat bill and why women are no longer safe if they have an unviable pregnancy.
The world is far more complex than “if x then y” — RBG served her country until 87. Many SCOTUS justices served until their 90s.
Defining people based on their age is repugnant. I was denied work because of my age.
Whether implicit or explicit, ageism hurts everyone.
The future REMAINS policies.
“Passing the torch” is a meaningless phrase. Biden never said he would be a one-term President. That is a myth with not factual basis.
In fact, in 2020 his campaign manager refuted this.
@feloneouscat Rich folks know. They want TFG's tax cuts renewed, and they don't want to pay their fair share. The rich are not like us. #eattherich #politics
@feloneouscat ALL OF THIS THANK YOU 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
2/
#politics
The reality TODAY is there has been little to NO DISCUSSION about policies. Yes, more people are working than in 50 years. Yes, wages are up. Yes, inflation is down. Yes, the Biden Administration has been incredibly successful.
Those things don’t matter, declares the Press and a handful of Actors and
Politicians. The only way to save democracy is to ignore the will of the people!
I don’t recall anyone but Biden when I voted in the primary. Do they not count?