WP: Jeffries and Schumer privately warned Biden he could imperil Democrats

[Yorkie Mom]

Jeffries and Schumer privately warned Biden he could imperil Democrats

The Democratic leaders pointed Biden to polls suggesting his candidacy could damage the party’s hopes of controlling the House and Senate

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, in separate private meetings with President Biden last week, told Biden his continued candidacy imperils the party’s ability to control either chamber of Congress next year.

Jeffries met with Biden on Thursday night at the White House and Schumer met with him on Saturday in Rehoboth Beach, Del. In the meetings, each congressional leader discussed their members’ concerns that Biden could deprive them of congressional majorities, giving Republicans a much easier path to push through legislation, according to four people briefed on the meetings who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe private encounters.

In a separate one-on-one conversation, a person close to Biden told the president directly that he should end his candidacy, saying that was the only way to preserve his legacy and save the country from another Trump term, the person said. The president responded that he adamantly disagreed with that opinion and that he is the best candidate to defeat Trump. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

More: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/07/17/jeffries-schumer-biden-hurting-democrats/

Link to tweet

[Model35mech]

1. This isn't about reality, it's about Schumer et als FEAR of uncertainty

NO ONE CAN TRULY EASE THAT FEAR.

If we bring HER back there is NO GUARANTEE she will win.

If we Bring ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH! back, there is not guarantee she will win

If we promote a novel candidate, there is NO GUARANTEE He/She would win.

HEY Chicken Little!!! Don't claim the sky is falling! It IS NOT.

[Elessar Zappa]

3. Bring who back?

If Biden drops out the nominee will likely be Harris. Or it should be.

[Deek1935]

15. And then everyone will be saying Harris can't win for the reasons you damn well know, fair or unfair. And voters will

want a say.

[Elessar Zappa]

22. Agree.

This whole thing is a clusterfuck.

[bigtree]

2. as their own actions actually imperil Democrats

...how can they not hear themselves and see the effect of this right as the RNC should be in our target.

I don't believe they have the best interest of this election at heart. Witness this arrogant second-guessing of our voted for nominee.

They not only have no respect for the democratic process, they have no clue about how to win a presidential election.

[emulatorloo]

9. Law of unintended consequences: they're helping the Trump Re-Election Campaign, no matter how well-intentioned they

think they might be.

[chiffondior]

4. As a New Yorker.....

.....I have always disliked Schumer. The rumor has long been that he is terrified of AOC primarying him. I hope that his worst fear happens in 2026, assuming we still are allowed to vote by then.

[bdamomma]

5. The sky is falling

the sky is falling!!! I wonder what spooked Hakeem and Schumer??? Does it have anything to do with VP Harris????

[Sympthsical]

6. Feels like the snow has been loosed from the top of the mountain

I guess we'll see what we'll see.

Mind the slopes.

[emulatorloo]

7. REPLACE BIDEN - "Not knowing what else to do, Dems shit on their own": unrolled thread from former VOX reporter

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

FULL THREAD ‘unrolled’ HERE:

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1809311013839466846.html

To be clear up front: I don't give one tiny hot fuck who the Dem nominee is. I truly don't. Biden's fine. Harris is fine. A warm puddle of vomit is fine. *There is no conceivable resolution to the nomination fight that could change the basic calculus of this race.* (snip) Just gonna make my one point, which is this: the idea that that the process of jettisoning Biden & choosing someone else will go well -- will be *allowed* to go well -- is a deeply deranged fantasy.

The idea that Dems will do this & will end up feeling unified, that Harris will come out popular, that "the dynamics of the race will shift," all of that ... fucking deranged. Deranged in such a perfectly characteristic Dem way.

"This person/policy/slogan/approach has been irredeemably slimed by Republicans & a hostile media -- let's throw it overboard!" That's the Dem way. Always with this starry-eyed hope that they can reset, start over, get it right this time. Just as one example -- other people have aggregated these -- there have been "calls" for every Dem nominee of the last 30 years to step aside. Dems practically delight in abandoning their own people, policies, & principles in response to bad-faith pressure. They f'ing love it.

But, as I've been saying for, oh, 20 years now, the situation is structural. The current situation is an outcome of a particular incentive structure & that structure will remain exactly the same if Harris takes over the ticket.
For centrists, journalists, pundits, *even Dem electeds*, the way you prove you are a Reasonable, Serious Person in DC is by shitting on Dems. For the left, the way you prove you are a true radical is by shitting on Dems. For the right ... well, obviously.

Everyone's professional incentives are to shit on Dems. Dwelling on Trump & his fascist movement -- however justified by the objective facts -- just doesn't bring that juice, doesn't get the clicks & the high-fives, doesn't feel brave & iconoclastic. It's just ... no fun.

So, say Biden stepped aside in favor of Harris tomorrow. How long until the vapid gossips we call political reporters find something wrong with her, some alleged flaw they just have to write 192 stories about? How long until the hopped-up mediocrities we call pundits ...

...find some "counter-intuitive" reason that the new Dem ticket is flawed after all? How long until the irredentist left gets over the temporary thrill of its new Harris memes & remembers that she's a cop & turns on her? How long before the ambient racism & misogyny in the US...

... lead center-leftists to conclude that, sure, they'd support a black woman, just not *this* black woman? In other words: how long before everyone reverts to their comfortable, familiar identity & narratives?

About 30 f'ing seconds, is my guess.

Dems uniting, feeling good, telling a clear story, receiving credit for their accomplishments--all of that is *impossible* in the current environment. It won't be allowed. Dems can punch themselves in the face all they want, abandon whoever they want, apologize all they want...

... they simply will not be allowed to turn the page & start fresh, because everyone's incentives remain the same. If they did that, elites, including media elites, would have no choice but to openly & frankly grapple with Trump & what he represents & they *don't want to*.

…more at link

[Mersky]

14. This is pretty much where I'm at

Last edited Thu Jul 18, 2024, 12:06 AM - Edit history (1)

Just today, I spoke with two people who’ve not heard about Project 2025, but we’ve got to go through the pain of dropping an incumbent? It just seems so simple, run against their fascism, not our Biden. Since I cannot fully review internal polling aside from some slick highlight reports, this is the best I’ve got.

tRump will continue to crab walk away from Project 2025, but the only way he can do even half the crap he spews about is by using that damned plan. The media should be metaphorically stapling the 900 pages to his generous rump, but instead we’re here just wasting time.

Biden looks and sounds great in the Oval, speaking at rallies, and gosh, on the tarmac in his aviators, duh. I have no idea why in studio is a problem for him, but maybe he just needs to appear more where he shines.

I respect Schumer, Jeffries, and Schiff, but they better be damned sure this is the route as I’m still standing over here with Biden.

[orangecrush]

8. Trashing

[emulatorloo]

10. Probably the best option.

[orangecrush]

11. My ignore list

Is growing exponentially

[senseandsensibility]

12. I'd like to know what alternative

they're suggesting.

[ucrdem]

13. Both meetings took place last week and have been discussed.

Schumer and Jeffries promised their cohorts to bring their concerns to Biden; Jeffries did it after last week's press conference, Schumer immediately before the shooting.

This parrot is dead, ma'am.

[Demsrule86]

16. If it is private how does anyone know...Biden says he is staying in so maybe we can't get rid of these sort of posts.

and start trying to win this election.

[Demsrule86]

17. Trashing...and now on ignore.

[Yorkie Mom]

18. Thank you!

If you are upset by the news, it should be trashed.

[Emile]

19. This is about throwing an election to Trump.

[Yorkie Mom]

20. You think Jeffries and Schumer are trying to throw the election to Trump?

Is that correct?

[Emile]

21. I don't think they mean too, but that could be

what happens.