Last night, President Joe Biden addressed the country, three days following the announcement of his withdrawal from the 2024 election. The man is still getting over covid, but he quietly and effectively spoke with grace, class and integrity about how much he and his administration have done since 2021, and how he felt that his accomplishments merited a second term. He also acknowledged that something larger was at stake, and it was more important to defeat those fascist sh-theads no matter what (I’m paraphrasing).
President Biden is an American hero. Not only that, he engineered his withdrawal to simultaneously throw his support and campaign apparatus to Vice President Kamala Harris, even as people within his own party were undertaking maneuvers against both of them. My disgust at how those people treated Biden was never about Kamala Harris – I always saw her as Biden’s political heiress, which is why I felt such panic that the coup against Biden was also about passing over Harris.
For all of those people arguing that this is all old news and we need to unify behind Harris and nevermind all of the sh-t that went down after the June debate… nope. I am unifying behind Harris, absolutely. But I’m absolutely dreading the day when President Harris is in the White House and she makes a mistake or a tough-but-unpopular call or her poll numbers go down. Will her party have her back? Or will they pull this sh-t again? Democrats did this to a sitting president – a white man – who brought back working-class Rust Belt voters to the party. WTF will they do to Harris if the donors decide that they’re not happy with her?
You know Dr. Jill Biden is pissed as hell too.
To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude.
Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala.
Love,
Jill pic.twitter.com/NakOWknWlC— Dr. Jill Biden (@DrBiden) July 25, 2024
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- United States President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Featuring: Joe Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 24 Jul 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Featuring: Joe Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 24 Jul 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Featuring: Joe Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 24 Jul 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Featuring: Joe Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 24 Jul 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
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- United States President Joe Biden stands with first lady Jill Biden after addressing the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2024, about his decision to drop his Democratic presidential reelection bid. Credit: Evan Vucci / Pool via CNP Featuring: Joe Biden, Jill Biden Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 24 Jul 2024 Credit: POOL via CNP/INSTARimages.com
I’ve met him many times over the years. That “I love ya kid” and “God love ya” that he does — I hope he knows how many of us feel the same about him. God bless Joe Biden.
I didn’t cry during his remarks. Even when I realized he had a son over each shoulder. But Dr Biden’s note — that brought the tears.
Still teary eyed.. it’s been an emotional week. He is such a wonderful human being.. we as a country owe him a huge thank you.
I 100% support Kamala Harris and believe she will win. She simply must win.
I agree with you though. What happens when she does or says one thing that the party leaders/big donors don’t like? Are they going to 86 her too?
When I heard Biden was stepping down, I cried. I was so sad for him and his family. It was not surprising. The media and party heads and ‘celebrities’ had been pounding his age and health for days on end. It was disgusting. Even the assassination attempt got less coverage. He’s a good, decent, kind man who did more in his 4 year term than most do in 2 terms. After I stopped sobbing, I got in my car and went and got ice cream and sat in my car and ate ice cream in honor of him and his love for ice cream. I never once wavered. Yes, he’s old. So is the other guy. But which one is more competent? Which one is kind, humble, decent? Those are the things I care about at this point.
Thank you Mr. President for your many years of dedicated service to our country. The last 4 were probably the most needed. Enjoy your next adventure!
Exactly! Thank you! This is why so many people got upset. And I love that everyone is ignoring that the plan was to skip over VP Harris. Kumbaya my butt!
I cried watching that address last night. I hope Ms. Jill doesn’t throw hands with these idiots at the DNC. Also some of the Dem Senators and House reps have not endorsed Harris so I doubt this WTF is over yet.
This is exactly how I feel, and totally agree with Kaiser that I will never forget how we got here. I cried like a baby watching his speech, I was not going to because I knew how it would piss me off and make me cry but I owed at least that much to him. I love VPH, I originally wanted her and I will have her back for sure, but Joe Biden is an amazing President and he deserved so much more form all of us.
Bravo. My feelings exactly. Was going to & will always vote blue, no matter who. But the way these people turned on him, publicly humiliated him, was disgraceful. George Clooney can keep his trap shut for good. I don’t trust that he and the others won’t turn on Harris after a flub one day.
Yes, 100%!
Heartbreaking.
Hero.
Hopeful.
Thank you Joe Biden. Thank you Dr. Jill Biden
xo
If she wins, and I hope she not only wins but wins with a clear mandate, she has political capital to push the party, especially if the team is wise enough to pick a running mate that specifically appeals to the Zoomers and energizes the reliable voters who’ve been feeling unseen/unheard.
The rich white donorbros effed with the wrong team and did it during the worst election cycle. Those people who are registering, donating and volunteering in droves? They are exactly what the party needs and they need to make sure the party leadership understands that the party is beholden to them, which means the party must change starting with new, younger leadership. The older Boomers and remnants of prior generations need to transition off, they’ve been doing the party and the people they claim they want to represent a disservice by allowing themselves to stagnate and be dragged right as the lunatic fringe took full control of the GOP. Harris is savvy so I sincerely hope a clear win in this election will embolden her spend that capital
If she wins in a landslide, they will think twice about going after her. That’s why we all need to get out the vote for her – I want a freaking 🌊 🌊 🌊 so that no one can gain say her.
It wasn’t the party elite that pushed Biden out. They read the effing room. Everyone could see the emperor had no clothes. It was depressing because everyone knew that Biden would not be able to win against Trump.
It blows my mind how mad people are at the folks who acknowledged the extreme vulnerability going into the most consequential election we’ve ever had. The Democrats were able to be adults. They recognized the problem, they made changes that were necessary to win the election. Now people are excited, we have large amounts of people that might’ve sat out that are now going to vote blue. It is a victory on the side of doing what is right for the people, regardless of ego or tradition.
Joe Biden’s speech last night was perfect. There’s an excitement I feel about Kamala being the candidate, but he added the powerful component of sincere patriotism for the potential of our country. I’ve never seen a person make such a big sacrifice and walk away from power for the good of other people, humanity.
The GOP has an incredibly flawed candidate, and instead they are doubling down on awful. I’m glad we are not so foolish.
👏👏👏, @tiffany
Thank you for being reasonable and practical amidst the histrionics.
Wow. Thanks, Newt, for expressing all of my feelings. I’ve been so emotional since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the race. I’m still choked up almost 24 hours after his speech. Joe Biden is one of the greatest men to ever serve in our government. There won’t be another like him.
God Bless President Biden, Dr. Jill and his entire family.
The democrats should have been more honest with the American people. If there was a decline in Biden’s health they should have addressed it a while ago and then Biden could’ve had the chance to step down instead of it looking like they were forcing him out. Now the people’s trust has been broken that they may do the same to Kamala
Just to clarify: Biden isn’t stepping down. He’s still POTUS and will remain so, until the end of his term. He’s simply no longer seeking re-election.
Same, I feel so bad for Uncle Joe! I was ride or die for him! I will support Kamala, 100%, but I do still wish it was Joe. The words I have for those that turned on him are not fit for printing here.
Joe Biden is a true American who puts his Country before his personal ambitions. Thank you Uncle Joe.
I’ll never not be angry about how this was handled, all the leaks and smears and sh*thead Meatheads and Stephen Kings on Twitter tweeting out their prescribed back-stabbing words from “top donors.” (George Clooney is in a rant by himself.) President Joe Biden has done an incredible job that probably surprised everyone. I do think he’s too decent and old-school (not too OLD) to know how to really lash out at the absolute skeevy insanity of the Trumpist broligarchy. Vice President Harris seems to be doing just fine, but she had a whole career fighting sleazeballs before the White House. That Harris is now full-steam ahead is a lucky blessing, and not one that was planned by the Knives Out set.
I will never forget how some uneducated nepo baby like George Clooney has the white man confidence to take out a whole page in a newspaper to tell the rest of us who dont shill for nestle how to vote
George Clooney especially is forever dead to me. I also will never donate a dime to any of the other Biden backstabbers. They can be funded by their lily-white tech bros.
We will all need to be vigilant that any attempts to undermine Kamala Harris are nipped in the bud. I may be an older white woman, but I’m not dead yet. I served two terms on the Texas SDEC and know a lot of people. I will make sure that EVERY ONE I have influence over votes straight Democratic.
I never liked Clooney but now he’s on the hate list.
That being said, I am sure there are many democrats that will support President Harris. Biden obviously loves her like a daughter, and he has been in politics for around six decades. She won’t have it easy, but I am sure she knows that. Her mother was a force of nature, Kamala and her sister are brave women. Women always have to work harder, it’s the sad truth. But women like current VP, soon to be POTUS are needed to change that.
Also for continuing to make movies with Brad Pitt. YUCK + BOOOO CLOONEY.
Agnes, I agree with everything you wrote and especially agree about shithead George Clooney. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive him for bullying Joe to step down and also claiming Harris was not the right successor. Fuck him. He doesn’t speak for the public, only his big donor pals who apparently cannot see a woman of color in the top spot. I hope Harris holds him at arms-length during both terms of office!
God bless Biden and Harris and LFG!
Clooney could not get elected dogcatcher, though I’m sure he fancies himself as the next Reagan.
I have come to see this another way. BIden’s physical health and mental decline was so evident is was beyond concerning. I have been saying since Christmas we were probably going to lose. And what our leaders were seeing behind the scenes and knew was more than us. The debate was horrific. His mental decline was shocking. Sure, Biden can pull it together at times, but everyone is on eggshells wondering each time, Can he? It was only going to get worse. The point is that his approval rating has stayed low. Also, the poll numbers showed him losing. He had no path to victory, and he was hurting down-ticket Democrats.
I was distraught even more so after the debate, but felt like at this late date there was nothing that could be done. I felt powerless, because Trump was going to win. We now know that those with power in the Democratic Party were behind the scenes trying to get him to step down, that he needed to step down. They never wanted it to go public and embarrass him. But Joe was stubborn and refusing. Also, his low approval ratings also affected Harris’s approval ratings.
So Nancy Pelosi was willing to go public if it got to the point that Joe refused to listen to many who talked to him, because they knew they could not do this to the Democratic Party with him staying in. They were right.
This goes far beyond age. Look at Bernie Sanders. He’s 82 and the difference in physical health and mental alertness is striking. Biden’s cognitive decline and physical decline shows he was not fit to get us to the finish line Election Day. I have been saying for a very long time that apathy among voters in the Democratic Party towards Biden was going to be the reason we lost. And we were losing voters of all races who wouldn’t be coming out to vote. We were losing swing states. It took his own advisors to show him him his abysmal internal poll numbers with zero path to winning that forced him to step down. Even then, he didn’t want to.
It never should have gotten this far. I love Biden and am thankful to Biden, but I am so glad now that he was forced out, even if it was done a little too late. I guess it took the debate for the public to see more glaringly what those behind the curtains already knew, and it took people publicly discussing the need for him to step down to help push that decision.
So he finally did it and was able to preserve his dignity. He had also expressed in private he didn’t know if Kamala could win. The not knowing is what was so scary for the DP voters once he announced his decision, but the outpouring for Kamala has shown yes, she can, but also how demoralized most of the DP voters had been leading up to this point. The immediate shift in energy and pouring in of grassroots money and organizations popping up and volunteers signing up in all states proves it.
He’s not the right person to take on Trump right now, because he’s a statesman, not a cage-fighter used to fending off total batshittery. Anyway, I’m glad Harris is in the ring.
One of his staffers said off-record about Kamala’s rally that it was nice to be able to relax and watch her deliver the message flawlessly instead of nervously anticipating mistakes, mix-ups, fumbles, trailing off, etc.
Agree with everything else you said (really well-written post, Jayna) except I’m gonna nitpick this one a bit: “We now know that those with power in the Democratic Party were behind the scenes trying to get him to step down, that he needed to step down.”
I mean, did they though? I just think that’s giving them a tad too much credit. I think they supported his candidacy up until the money dried up and it became completely untenable.
Because if the party didn’t overwhelmingly support his candidacy then they would have called for a real primary—there would have been plenty of interested, fresh candidates that would be happy to throw their hat in the ring. It would have been better for the democratic process to hash it out and reach a consensus than forcing everyone to coalesce around Biden again.
And I think that’s why some people are so emotional and angry about this. As hard as I’ve been on Biden and some of the folks in this forum, I can understand being bitter in the sense that they all had his back until they suddenly didn’t–that’s why it’s being perceived as betrayal.
Now I made the point on another post that party leadership went with the what they perceived to be the safest choice against Trump–that’s as much thought as they gave it–Biden beat him once and he’ll do it again.
They didn’t really listen to the 18-29 voters who were saying that Biden cannot effectively deliver the message and messaging is crucial to getting re-elected. That translated into voter apathy and a marked lack of excitement and enthusiasm–it was a terrible miscalculation on their part and Biden suffered because of it.
@jayna, THIS
A. thousand. times. this.
@Jayna, I absolutely agree with each of your points. Personally I’ve been saying to fellow Dems since 2022 that Joe is in a serious decline, and the head-in-the-sand response has been ‘Oh Joe has always been gaffe-prone.’ He is an excellent president who should never have run for a second term.
@Agnes, I just wanted to say that I’ve really appreciated reading your comments over the past week, as I feel that you’ve been the best at putting into words how I’ve also been feeling, but wouldn’t have been able to articulate as clearly. PS, f*ck Clooney forever.
Haha thanks, I can only write when I’m really upset.
It’s remarkable how it’s all turned out. And that’s due to President Biden and VP Harris. It really is a historic moment for a president to make this choice and hand things off so successfully.
Biden’s in this situation because he went back on his promise to serve only one term. He did the right thing by stepping aside.
He never explicitly said that he would only serve one term though. That was just rumors from places like Politico. From what I read, he sort of said, “Well maybe” but that’s it. I think that these recent health issues have taken a toll on him, and there are a lot of enemies in the party that wanted to push him out or really never wanted him to run in the first place. I think there is a certain cadre in the Democratic party that thinks only a certain type of candidate can win, the smartest guy in the room type, and Biden didn’t fit that.
@Amy Bee that is exactly what happened. I LOVE uncle Joe but from the onset it was agreed he was going to be a one-term transitional president.
He absolutely never said that he’d serve only one term. That was a creation of the media and the disruptive left in the party. He said he’d be a bridge to new leaders which he has done by selecting Harris as VP, Buttigieg and others to his cabinet, Jaime Harrison at the DNC. He also encouraged and campaigned for many younger, newer candidates in 2022. He even won over AOC whose been one of his fiercest defenders.
Let’s stop with this falsehood once and for all.
@ a guest, Biden’s talking about being a “bridge” and a transitional president was absolutely understood, at the time and within the context it was said), as Biden intending to only stay for one term. This is also what he strongly implied. Because remember, at that time there were people already concerned about his fitness to serve as President and his age. He said this specifically to quell people’s concerns about his age and fitness. Now, this intention of Biden’s to serve only one term was widely publicized in the Press. Had Biden disagreed, don’t you think he would have said something? No, he let everyone labor under the impression that he would only be a one-term President and then changed his mind and not sticking to that is what got us in this mess.
I think he was always open to one term only, if things went well. But then the pandemic, and trump running again, I totally see why he wanted to continue, after beating him last time.
I read a quote yesterday that helped me put this in more perspective:
“ As much as I’m sure Biden loathed having to withdraw, in a long life filled with searing personal tragedies, having to drop out of the race for a second term as president doesn’t rank among his worst days.”
Biden has been through so much in his that would probably have broken some of us. I admire him for his years of dedicated public service inspite of the adversary he’s faced. He did the right thing in stepping aside and launching VP Harris campaign.
Now having said all that, yeah I’m taking names of all those rat bastards who knifed him in the back and tried to do an end around VP Harris and install their chosen white male candidate. That was my biggest fear and caused the most angst that there didn’t seem to be a plan and they were trying to install their own person as the Dem candidate. Thankfully, once the base realized what was happening, the small donor floodgates opened and showed the big money donors, oh no, we choose the candidate, not you. The 2026 and 2028 primaries will be a day of reckoning for all those rats.
It’s nice to have had one president in my lifetime that I could love and respect. I truly believe this man always acted with integrity and out of concern for what’s in the interest of the average American. And because I’m on this website, I’ll also say I love it that he skipped Charles’s coronation, but did go to Ireland a month before. A proud Irish-American!
Honestly, I am happy for the man that he isn’t gonna die in office and will spend rest of his life with his family hopefully in peace. Remember how Obama went from black hair to gray during his presidency. It is a stressful job especially if you care about your country. That is why it didn’t do sh*t to Trump.
That’s how I feel too. I hate that he was pushed to this point, but ultimately it seems to be the right answer, because the goal has to be winning. I hope he has peace with the decision, and is able to enjoy life with his family.
He’s had such a life of service, I won’t be surprised to see him follow in Jimmy Carter’s footsteps, working to help people, but I do hope he gets to rest and relax. Being POTUS is a brutal job, and especially with his opponent, the state of the country, the pandemic, all of it.
Same. Same. When I saw Dr. Jill get off the plane in Paris I was thinking to myself: I hope she has a giant glass of champagne, cheers her classy Dr. Jill-ass off for Team USA and gets to just ENJOY herself.
Honestly, I don’t really sit through political speeches I usually just watch the highlights after. But I sat through Biden’s speech and I’m glad I did. When you compare that to that rambling 90 minute sh*t show that Trump put on at the RNC? Well there is no comparison. I don’t know WTF is wrong with people nowadays that they want to even consider allowing Orange Troglodyte anywhere near the White House again.
Sadly, it says a lot about half of our country. The fact that above all else he put his vice president in danger while causing the insurrection shows that he has zero morals, not even to his loyal soldiers. Everyone is his enemy if they don’t adhere to his orders.
Pence stayed in that corrupt White House, but the one redeeming thing he did as an act of morality and following the rule of law is refuse Trump’s order on not certifying the election results on that fateful day. What did that get him? Trump’s wrath and siccing his “followers” on him and putting his life in danger, along with everyone else in the building, resulting in death. And the RNC this year? The Trumplican cult were booing when Pence’s name came up. The whole Republican Party, elected officials and voters, still supporting Trump and putting him back up as their presidential nominee, suck and are amoral for their allegience to this dangerous felon. It boggles the mind. I can’t believe what has happened to this country.
Joe Biden will be remembered as one of the greatest Presidents who ever lived. His legacy was sealed last night with his gracious speech. He also sealed victory for Kamala Harris when he told the American people he put country over himself. The independents, never trumpers , and Nikki Hailey fans love that statement. That is one thing trump will never do and that makes an impact on swing voters.
It was a beautiful speech. I was choked up during it. I love watching the commentators on MSNBC and CNN talking about the parts of the speech that moved them. I just wanted to soak up the reverance for his speech and for the man.
He has secured his legacy. While his approval ratings have been low for a long time, time and perspective will show the true greatness of his presidency and devotion and sacrifice for four years for the country, and his presidency will be appreciated by more than just the loyal democrats.
Thank you, I’m tearing up once again. The way he out maneuvered them in the end to make sure his Heir, Kamala had a shot was just masterful. Also I too have a list of the Coup Crew and they can all F*ck all the way off
I know there are many on this site that feel he was treated poorly. Politics is not nice, but what would you rather have, a second Trump presidency? Case in point: My 82 year old mom was mad at me for flagging her 10 year driver’s license renewal by mail. She had recently knocked her mailbox over and separately gotten lost while driving in the town she had lived for 40 years. She denied anything was wrong. It was her glasses’ fault! Of course she should keep driving, she had had only one ticket in 60 years! She had to come in and take an in person driving test and failed it. The debate was the president’s driving test for license renewal. He failed it and the party asked him to give up his keys, and he did. The energy and fundraising and call to action for Kamala since the announcement has been phenomenal and although we’re not there yet, I have faith that Trump and MAGA will be defeated in November. History will remember President Joe Biden with reverence, as it should.
This is where I am too. I respect Biden and I think history will be kind to him (unlike Trump) but the bottom line is we NEED to win in November and I cannot believe it but we probably wouldn’t have had he stayed on the slate. I hate that this is the case but that’s where we were. Not, thankfully, where we are now. There is hope now.
The majority of us believe that Biden stepping aside for VP Harris was the right thing to do and are all in supporting VP Harris. What many of us are salty about is the way it was done so publicly AND the fact the donor bros were trying to do an end around VP Harris. They did not want her on the ticket. Thankfully President Biden blocked them by endorsing VP Harris and the small donors/base of the party made their voices heard by the flood of donations.
@ann, @sue, Totally agree. @midnight, I seriously doubt that this was sprung on Biden in a public manner. I think talks have been going on behind the scenes for a while. The debate just brought them to the fore. Heck, I didn’t think he should have run in ’20 (not because of his age but because of my perception of his frailties). I suspect the problem was that Biden refused to entertain any notion of stepping aside. I think they were forced into it (being addressed publicly) because of his stubbornness and refusal to see/acknowledge his cognitive and political shortcomings.
Now, putting on my tin foil tiara, I think Hunter had something to do with Biden wanting to stay in the race as well. Remember, Biden only promised that he wouldn’t pardon Hunter. He never said anything about not commuting any of his sentences.
This is why I come here. To read these comments and know I’m not the only one who cried this week about what was done to Joe.
He was the best President of my life and I truly believe he saved us after Trump and COVID.
I also want to note how perfectly he set up Kamala for success. The timing of when he announced and his handing off to Kamala was a master class in politics. The GOP wanted Dems in disarray and fighting. Instead they got an energized and united party – because of Joe Biden!
I dream of Joe and Jill at the beach house eating ice cream and hanging with their family in the years to come. They deserve it.
God bless Joe! Let’s Go!
My favorite part of Biden’s splendid speech was this:
“But nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy. That includes personal ambition.
So I’ve decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation. It’s the best way to unite our nation. I know there was a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There’s also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. And that time and place is now.”
I skipped school to watch JFK’s inauguration 63 years ago so Biden’s speech resonated for me a in special way. Here are JFK’s words:
“Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans–born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage–and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world.”
JFK accepted the torch. Biden passed it along.
Joe is an American hero and will go down in history as such. He pulled us out of our darkest days. He loves this country fiercely.
Dr. Biden is a Philly girl at heart. I loved her email. She’s not going to forgive the spineless backstabbers who did her beloved husband dirty.
Thank you, my fellow Celebitches, for making me feel less alone! I cried mightily on Sunday, and then again last night, and am still so emotional about how things have played out. I am so comforted to know that others feel the same way about our wonderful, beyond decent and patriotic president as I do. No one around me, not even my husband–a little more sympathetic–or brother–who wanted Joe out and Kamala replaced–seems to get my anger or sadness at how this process played out, with the backstabbing and humiliation. I love Kamala, and, as an Indian-American woman, am so grateful that Joe ensured his backstabbers would not toss her the way they have him. But it’s going to be a while–if ever–before I can trust the Dems like Pelosi (even Obama). The media is a lost cause.
I teared up during his speech but I felt so proud too. So proud of my party (f*ck the other side) for nominating this man and putting him in office. He pulled us out of a dark place, not just in terms of the pandemic and economy but of where our psyche was after four years of Trump. He is decency, optimism, and civic spirit personified.
I also will not forgive the ones who picked him apart and publicly back-stabbed him for months – MONTHS – leading up to this. I have no beef with those on the inside who were genuinely worried about his physical state but kept their concerns and conversations private; maybe they knew things we didn’t. But I will forever loath the journalists, pundits, and public figures who not only threw him under the bus but did so while proposing unrealistic alternatives that would have harmed, not help, our chances.
A brokered convention or public fight? Sure, because that’s always a good look.Gretchen Whitmer, even though she said in no uncertain terms “Hell No?” When his Veep, the one he chose to replace him should anything happen, was RIGHT THERE?! Disgusting.
We are in a good place now, but it is no thanks to those weasels. It is because of Biden himself, and Harris, and all of the people who did what they had to do to help get a Democrat elected in November, WITHOUT betraying this fine man.
I agree about those who did this publicly. I’m now in agreement that he made the right (and patriotic) move stepping down, but people like Clooney blasting him publicly, and people in Congress doing so too? Very poorly handled. This could have all been dealt with behind the scenes, and then it would have felt more like Biden’s decision too, rather than influence and pushing from others.
He engendered a ton of good will by making such a difficult, selfless decision. He was also VERY smart to quickly endorse Kamala because it teed her up to have the entire party coalesce around her candidacy—and so quickly. He will be remembered as a successful president who made the ultimate sacrifice instead of an arrogant guy who stayed too long, cost the Dems the election, and consigned the country to four more years of Trump.
The party overall was always happy with his presidency, it was his candidacy this time around that was the issue. He was mess on the trail and he needed to be laser-focused because there’s just too much on the line.
Thank you, Biden–we appreciate your service but as VP Harris says: it’s time to look forward. No more looking back.
I’ll personally be very happy when the Biden Mourning Period is over and people finally allow Harris to have her moment because she has absolutely earned it.
I am not American, but I do love your country and care deeply about what goes on in it. As an outsider looking on, I see Biden as both one of the best and worst presidents I have observed. His domestic policy has been terrific but his stance on Palestine has been shockingly cruel. His comments denouncing student protest were harsh and wrong. I get that you love him and that he has TWICE been the one that has saved the country from all of the horrible things that come with a Trump presidency but as a brown outsider looking in, he hasn’t been the hero and mensch he is being lionized to be.
Overall, Biden has been excellent on foreign policy. He has the experience, personal relationships, and skill set to accomplish what he sets out to do. He has been quite masterful on keeping NATO in sync and helping Ukraine fight out off Putin.
It feels like stepping into a mine field to address the Israel/Hamas conflict on this site. I understand why people are upset about the way the war has been conducted. I’m Jewish and though I support Israel, I want Netanyahu gone yesterday. IMO both the Israelis and the Palestinians have been ill served by their leaders, which is what led to so much unnecessary violence in the first place.
Israel is America’s long standing democratic ally in that region. We have a special relationship, one which is sometimes tricky to maintain. Biden isn’t a fan of the current Israeli PM either, but we will stand by our allies when they are attacked. Biden went to Israel in the midst of a war and has tried to broker cease fires repeatedly. It isn’t his fault that they fell through. He’s not controlling any puppet strings here.
MaisiesMom, thank you for your thoughtful reply. I agree that addressing this conflict on this site feels like stepping into a minefield. I absolutely hear your point about the position of Biden but disagree about his role, impact and ability to impact change. I am not Jewish, but most of my husband’s family is. My heart absolutely broke on October 7 and I cried for all of those people in Israel who were killed and hurt. Equally though, my heart has been broken time and time again and I have cried over and over again just about every day since for the people of Palestine. I agree that you have to stand by your allies, but also agree that if you are the one supplying the bombs that you also share in the culpability. Again though, thank you for your thoughtful and measured response.
@maisiesmom and N.A thank you both for your words on what is surely one of the worst tragedies we have seen. I believe it is this kind of thoughtful expression that is the only way forward for both sides. Netanyahu must go.
I don’t love him. I appreciate the things he has gotten right—and there are many—but I agree that he has failed to respond appropriately to the situation in Gaza AND he has utterly minimized Covid, choosing to hope (against plenty of scientific evidence) that we can “vax and relax”, and then get right back to work boosting the economy. History will judge Biden on the question of whether or not that turns out to be a disaster. If covid DOES end up having long-term health impacts, it will not be kind to him, and that will be justified.
Haven’t watched the speech yet but just wanted to say as someone who never ranked Biden first in the 2020 primaries (i wanted Harris!), Biden has turned out to be the GREATEST President of my lifetime bar none. I have been sad and angry for 3.5 years at how little thanks and appreciation this country has shown him including the backstabbers who humiliated him by demanding he step down. I hope and pray that history will write his name in gold as he deserves.
Let’s go #Harris2024!!!!!!
I look at this as an opportunity to clean house and make wholesale change. All those people who publicly humiliated and embarrassed President Biden? Names are on a list, especially the ones that are around the same age as Biden. For sure I’ll be donating money to the people who primary these Judas’s. We’ve been saying that we need new people in the house and senate, but familiarity is comfort and I get that. But if people don’t forget, as they are currently saying they won’t we might have an opportunity to continue to make HUGE change, not just with a President Harris, but a lot of different blood in Congress. I would be very happy about that. As for Obama, that’s some rarified air he’s breathing isn’t it. He thinks so highly of himself that he believes he would overshadow President Biden? Better start hanging with some regular people again and not only billionaires because it seems like he’s lost touch.
I WILL be donating to the candidates who have the best chance of winning in their respective states because a functioning, Dem-controlled Congress is key to Harris’s ability to affect real change with her presidency.
I WON’T be donating based on some weird Biden loyalty test because that’s some self-sabotaging Republican shit.
Democrats are not a cult of personality who vote based on the perceived hurt feelings of our former president–we vote smart and strategically. We vote for the collective good of the country. We vote to win.
Amen!
Thank you for everything. Mr President. 💙
No matter what happens I will always remember the night a red state like Arizona went blue. Which is why i will keep hoping Mark Kelly is the VP pick. Though in my perfect world it would be Pete B.
But the way they flipped the bird at Trump over his treatment of Senator John McCain was just mind blowing.
Joe saw those Nazis walking down Main Street and had enough. President Biden stepped up for the country. Now he is stepping down for the country. Because unlike Dictator Trump. Sometimes the bigger choice, the more important choice is passing the power on.
I am coming around to Mark Kelly since he has recently committed strongly to being pro-union and to voting accordingly. Although, if he was picked, the governor would appoint a Democrat to his seat, sure, but it is my understanding that it triggers a special election for that seat in 2026. His term otherwise wasn’t up until January 2029. It’s a big risk if we lose that seat in 2026. I don’t know if that election would be in early 2026 or later in the year either.
I watched CNN going over the paths to get the number of electoral votes we need. My nerves were shot watching them go over the map. I really believe the VP pick is so important in this election.
I think what Biden did behind the scenes is important, but we’ll probably never know about. He handed over his entire campaign apparatus to Kamala to use as she wished. I have no doubt that he made calls to union presidents to get them on board. I have no doubt that he wanted to make sure the promises he made for the next four years will happen. That wouldn’t be a problem as far as Kamala is concerned, because I believe those are her promises, too. I believe he let it be known what he wanted to accomplish for the rest of his presidency and got agreements not to stand in the way. He fully backed Kamala, which isn’t a surprise. He wouldn’t have chosen her as VP if he didn’t have confidence that she had the smarts and ability to be President. Those are the things that we’ll never know although we might suspect.
As far George Clooney is concerned, well I’m boycotting any and all of his movies. Since money is so important to him that he would do publicly what should have been done privately, he won’t get any of my money.