His withdrawal has unleashed a torrent of enthusiasm

[pat_k]

... as I expected it would. It is wonderful to see the renewed enthusiasm -- and praise for Biden and his decision -- flooding social media.

When I expressed by my opinion that Biden should withdraw, the posts were deleted. I've been a DU member since 2004 and was shocked that debate on the topic was forbidden as "bashing." I believe that kind of curation created a false sense that "everyone" wanted Biden to stick it out, when in fact, at least 50% of democrats hoped he would choose to withdraw.

Anyway, now that he has withdrawn, I assume the topic is no longer off limits.

One thing I predicted is that withdrawing would unleash a torrent of enthusiasm and that a "must see" open convention would energize voters and drive the kind of turnout we need to win back the White House, the Senate, and the House.

Sure, we could still loose, but now I think we have the fighting chance we desperately needed. A chance I don't think we would have with a continued Biden campaign.

[democratsruletheday]

1. Agree Pat....

you are spot on. We're gonna get the train back on the tracks and get some momentum going into the DNC about a month from now.

[pat_k]

19. A friend of mine is a delegate for MN

Can't wait to connect (got his voicemail) to congratulate him on being a delegate at what is likely to be the most exciting convention in recent memory!

[W_HAMILTON]

2. It's the honeymoon phase. Just wait till the same media, right-wingers, Russian trolls, etc. that had it out for Biden..

Last edited Sun Jul 21, 2024, 08:33 PM - Edit history (1)

...turn their sights on Kamala.

It happened to Hillary. They tried it with Biden in 2020, but only succeeded getting his scalp this time around. And it will happen to whoever our nominee is.

When that inevitably happens, then -- and leading up through Election Day -- will determine whether or not this was the right decision.

[pat_k]

7. As wonderful as Kamala is...

... I would love to see Wes Moore put his hat in the ring. IMO his "superpower" is inspiring hope and empowering in a way that drives change-making engagement.

To your point, he also has the advantage of being a relatively "new" face to the Republican noise machine. He works across political divides and is well liked by fellow governors (including a number of Republicans). He shuns demonizing "us" vs. "them" rhetoric and has a great record of accomplishment in Maryland on promoting national service, healthcare access, economic growth, and public safety.

All that is great, but it is his ability to inspire hope that makes him the best candidate at this juncture (IMO). Voters are demoralized, angry, and feeling hopeless. I think he is the best person to break through and energize.

I'd like to see him put is hat in the ring if only to get his message out on a national stage. Whoever is nominated (most likely Kamala), the party will unify behind them.

Related Post: Letter to Wes Moore's Office

[travelingthrulife]

10. Who is Wes Moore???

I think my cat would be a great candidate!

[pat_k]

20. Maryland Governor

Quick bio

Wes Moore, a combat veteran, bestselling author, small business owner, Rhodes Scholar and former CEO of one of the nation’s largest anti-poverty organizations, has devoted his life’s work to a basic principle: no matter your start in life, you deserve an equal opportunity to succeed – a job you can raise a family on, a future you can look forward to.

Maryland State of the Union address:
https://governor.maryland.gov/news/press/pages/governor-wes-moore-delivers-2024-state-of-the-state-address.aspx

[Ocelot II]

31. If political junkies on DU have to ask who he is, he's not ready for this.

This time we need someone with national name recognition who can jump right in with less than 4 months to go and doesn't have to be introduced to the voters.

[thatdemguy]

39. His real ratings on maryland are not great, in the short time he has been the

Governor he has made a lot of people mad. The big things are the doubling of car registration fees, adding a huge EV fee. Plus there is a huge thing going on with a huge power line cutting across 3 counties to feed power to data centers in VA and bit coin mining place in Maryland, with huge talks of emanate domain and taking property from people. He also just removed the emission standards on huge back up generators used in data center to try to get them to move her.

Poles look ok for him but the everyday people are not happy.

[pat_k]

59. Thanks for the deeper insight.

[Rebl2]

22. They already are

[moonscape]

48. Exactly this

[Bettie]

3. Everyone I've talked to feels that we've now lost

everything, that we've thrown the election in the dumpster and started it on fire.

[Elessar Zappa]

9. Seems to be based on age.

From what I’ve seen, younger Democrats are more enthusiastic and older Democrats are crushed. I just hope the young Democrats turn out in November.

[Sympthsical]

15. My Millennial cohort is overwhelmingly enthusiastic

Overwhelmingly.

I do think this is based on age. And I think that age difference is why DU is probably the gloomiest space I've seen all day. Scanning Reddit, Discord, texting with friends, etc. The prevailing sentiment is, "Finally. Now we have a chance. Let's go."

I think a lot of people just didn't understand the dearth of enthusiasm in this election, particularly among voters under 50.

That's changed today. Will it last? Who knows. 3.5 months is a long time for the American attention span.

But it's at least encouraging. Imagine a high-energy Kamala Harris lighting Trump's ass on fire?

People will often mirror someone else's energy, even unconsciously. If we run a high-energy campaign, that can seep into voters. I truly believe that.

[kerry-is-my-prez]

29. Baby boomer for Kamala checking in!

[COL Mustard]

32. Same here!

[pat_k]

38. Absolutely!!

I've been so afraid that the level of excitement for Biden outside the base was so muted it would suppress turnout.

Engagement requires hope. And hope inspires engagement... and round and round it goes.

I firmly belief excitement for the process and unity around the nominee selected will be contagious in a way that can reach across some of the seemingly intractable divides (even if just a little bit). It's all about turnout, turnout, turnout.

I also think some number of people planning to vote for Trump have mixed feelings about him - so mixed that some will stay home.

[Ms. Toad]

44. This older Democrat is relieved and enthusiastic, as is my older Democratic spouse.

I don't think reactions are as tied to age as you believe.

[Elessar Zappa]

61. I'm just going on personal observations.

You’re probably right that it doesn’t necessarily work out like that.

[doubleplusgood]

63. I'm an older Democrat (70+)...

...and I'm way more enthused about our prospects now with Kamala as the nominee. Joe did the right thing and it's time to unite around Kamala.

[pat_k]

11. I disagree

Nothing has been thrown in the dumpster. The infrastructure exists and can be retooled for whoever the nominee is (presumably Kamala). Campaign infrastructure in the states is not going anywhere -- unless some volunteers and staff refuse to get behind the nominee, which I find highly unlikely.

If someone other than Kamala is nominated, FEC rules allow the campaign committee to transfer the Biden campaign "war chest" to the DNC to keep things going.

And, our open convention is likely to have record-breaking viewership.

We are a strong party. And once the nominee is settled, a short campaign season will get the kind of attention Biden's continued campaign would never have gotten.

I have faith our delegates will nominate a candidate we can all be proud of.

[Bettie]

12. Actually, it's likely to be an ugly floor fight

with the oligarchs choosing the nominee in the end.

And do you really think the press will spin this in anything but the most negative possible way? Have you seen the coverage?

There is no "friendly" media anymore.

But, keep your rose colored glasses as long as you can, once they are gone, the world is pretty fucking ugly.

[Rebl2]

23. YEP

[kerry-is-my-prez]

24. You must not be watching MSNBC - they are overjoyed.

[Xavier Breath]

40. With endorsements for Harris just pouring in.

I get the grief this announcement has produced (even if I don't share that emotion), but from what is being said this evening people are fired the fuck up for taking on Shitler.

[pat_k]

64. Hopefully, your fear has been put to rest today

... with the party clearly coming together behind Kamala.

[Bettie]

65. I feel a bit better about it

and I tend to agree with someone who suggested that AOC being open about the anti-Harris people has made it hard for them to start tearing her down.

Plus, the other side apparently had no plan other than screaming "BIDEN IS OLD!" over and over.

[meadowlander]

16. You're talking to people here who think that we haven't.

Donald Trump is the worst candidate ever put forward by a major political party. If we can't beat him (and I think any of dozens of potential Dem candidates could) then what are we saying about ourselves as a party?

[Cuthbert Allgood]

30. The enormous donations today indicate a different reality.

[edisdead]

35. most of my crew feels the same

and most feel like the party fucked them over.

I am not there but I do feel like this was a little shady.

but then part of me feels like Biden was part of the plan and waited until the R’s married themselves to Trump and Vance officially.

[quakerboy]

36. everyone I talked to after the debate felt that way.

Havnt talked to anyone today, but I rather expect possibilities will be blooming.

[Kaleva]

4. I can see the change in attitude here at DU

[J_William_Ryan]

5. "Anyway, now that he has withdrawn, I assume the topic is no longer off limits."

More importantly, it’s no longer a topic dividing Democrats.

Talk of President Biden withdrawing should never have happened to begin with for the very reason that it divided Democrats.

When Democrats are divided, Republicans win.

[pat_k]

17. I disagree

Democrats were already divided.

Before he announced his intention to run, many, many people in the party prayed he would keep his promise and "pass the torch" -- that we would have a vibrant primary contest, new voices on the national stage. He decided to run, and for better or worse, the party coalesced behind him. Our votes in the primary were a rubber stamp on a "done deal" many were not happy about. President Biden is a powerhouse with a fantastic record. Unfortunately, Candidate Biden's age was problem that President Biden could not solve. We did our damndest to generate enthusiasm, but many, particularly people under 30, felt his age represented a fossilized party out of touch with them. People were committed to voting against Trump, but the level of excitement needed to drive the sort of turnout we must have to defeat Trump was not there, and the polls reflected this. The lack of enthusiasm predated the heart-breaking debate. That debate just brought the issue into sharp relief.

Democracy can be messy, but debate in the public square makes us stronger, not weaker. Democrats are not, and will never be, the sort of cult of personality that requires silence from anyone who doesn't go along with the "company line."

[Paula Sims]

6. Enthusiasm or anger?

I'm pissed as he'll he was ever put in that position but now I'm enthused as ever. I don't care -- I just want the votes.

[Raftergirl]

8. ActBlue reported $27.5 million from small dollar donors in just the last 5 hours since the announcement.

I’ll be donating tonight and over the next four months. H and I were waiting until after the convention but we’ve changed our mind. Likely will give even more than we would have since, imo, Joe was going to lose. I have a lot more hope now.

[pat_k]

18. My 83 year-old step-father just made...

... a donation of $100 to the DNC via ActBlue to show his support for the decision. This is the first political donation the man has made in a decade.

It's not just the young who have a sense of renewed hope.

[Rebl2]

27. Actblue

will get no more money from me.

[doc03]

53. I just donated $50 nt

[Johnny2X2X]

13. Agree

Biden was the best president of my lifetime. But there has been a dark cloud for a while because of his age and because of the effort to replace him.

Now we unite! Age is only a factor for Trump now. Dems will unite and win!

[pat_k]

21. Hear, Hear!!

[travelingthrulife]

14. torrent of enthusiasm with everyone backing a different candidate

n/t

[pat_k]

25. I have faith the delegates will...

...nominate a candidate we can all be proud of. Probably Kamala, but I have no problem with hearing from other voices on our deep "bench."

I also have faith that anyone else who may throw their hat in the ring will have a positive message. A contest -- if any -- will serve to collectively showcase the best of our party.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

28. That's not what I'm seeing.

The debate I'm seeing is who will be the VP candidate.

[honest.abe]

26. Yes, I thought the "enthusiasm" would happen also.

I was canned for comments related to Biden dropping out and just got reinstated today.

I now feel a bit vindicated.

[Kaleva]

47. Alert stalking was rampant

[honest.abe]

49. Yep.

It pissed me off for awhile but I somehow knew this was going to happen and i would be back. We are all on the same side so it’s water under the bridge now.

[Kaleva]

50. Yes. We all need to focus on beating Trump

[yardwork]

33. The evening news is all about people endorsing Harris.

There's no talk about the miserable old orange man tonight.

Joe Biden has done an incredible thing. Dark Brandon, I salute you. Thank you.

[Woodwizard]

34. Was a bit crazy with the groupthink.

I have confidence in Biden because more than knowing everything, he picked people with the knowledge he needed.

I think if he stayed and was president we would be in good hands.

His dropping out just let the wind out of the Republicans sails. And now the age issue can be focused on Trump. Which won't deter the cult but they are not near a majority.

And maybe more of the young voters will be excited to vote.

[Ocelot II]

37. The problem - at least for me - was that Democrats in Congress were *publicly* insisting

that he step down. Those conversations should have been held privately rather than making public (and humiliating) demands. And nobody was offering persuasive reasons; it was just a lot of vague stuff about the debate and it's time to pass the torch, blah blah blah. That, combined with the news that some big donors were basically bribing some politicians by either offering or threatening to withhold contributions, was pretty infuriating - like our primary votes were stolen by rich people who wanted a different result. On the other hand, while the complaints about Biden's age were problematic and sometimes overtly ageist, at least that issue is off the table on our side; Trump is now the only "senile" old guy and we can take those gloves off. Anyhow, what's done is done, and we have to move on. I'm hopeful that Harris and whoever is chosen as her running mate can defeat Trump.

[pat_k]

43. Understood.

I hope others upset with the public statements don't harbor resentments.

I may be wrong, but I think most of the lawmakers who came out publicly did try to convey concerns privately through Jefferies and Schumer, and only came out publicly because concerns they believed were legitimate were brushed aside.

Perhaps it's a chicken egg sort of problem. Were the lawmakers giving voice to voter concerns, or did the public statements drive voter concerns? I think the former -- that
a significant portion of democratic voters had concerns that predated the debate and any public statements by lawmakers. The lack of enthusiasm for Biden (e.g., Biden polling behind Senate candidates) predated the debate. The heart-breaking debate ratcheted up concerns and the lawmakers gave voice to the concerns they were hearing/seeing, first within their respected caucuses, then in public statements.

[Ocelot II]

46. I think it had reached critical mass when the media kept flogging the story

and publishing unsourced or second-hand comments, which caused more concern internally, which caused more leaks and negative stories, until there was an inescapable doom loop.

[pat_k]

57. Here's hoping the vicious cycle turns into a virtuous cycle of

unstoppable hope, enthusiasm, and record-breaking turnout!

[lanlady]

41. We're of like mind, pat_k.

One recent poll I saw said that 2/3 of Democrats wanted Biden to drop out, so even though my opinion on the matter wasn’t welcome on DU, I knew that I had lots of company in the general population of Democrats.

I like the way you put it - we have a fighting chance now. If Kamala runs a strong campaign get ready for a huge blue wave at the polls in November. We may look back and say that while the Biden debate disaster looked like another one of Trump’s endless lucky breaks, it turns out it may just have saved our democracy from Trump.

[pat_k]

56. I'm feeling very optimistic

I'm trying not to get carried away, but the folks in my orbit are all smiling today. One described it like this: supporting Biden felt a bit like being tasked with carrying a heavy weight across the finish line. They were hell bent on getting it across, but damn it felt like a slog. Today they feel like that weight as been lifted. However things play out, hope has replaced dread.

I wish I lived in an alternate world where Biden choose to "pass the torch" in the first place. But that didn't happen. These past weeks have been painful but I too hope that we look back and see the ways things unfolded as a sort of "blessing in disguise."

[Deek1935]

42. I believe Joe would have won and all REAL predictors pointed in that direction.

[Ocelot II]

51. Maybe, but we've got what we've got now and we have to go forward.

I think Harris/??? can win also, and there are a couple of new developments that will actually help: 1) the fact that Trump is now the only old guy, by 20 years, and it will be a lot easier to point out his mental lapses without having to defend our old guy (although Biden has all his marbles while Trump is down to a couple of chipped aggies). And 2) the other thing is that Trump's campaign is configured entirely to oppose Biden, and now all of a sudden they have to retool to deal with Harris and a yet-unnamed running mate. Trump didn't want Biden out, despite Vance's demand that he quit, because he wanted to rerun all his old talking points. I don't think they know quite what to do now, besides their usual slurs and insults. Although I'm sad that Biden is out I'm also hopeful.

[Blue_Roses]

45. We are not going to lose.

Keep saying that

[Rorey]

55. I'll do you one better: We ARE GOING TO WIN!!!

I expect a fire to be ignited in the party in the next few days. We're going to kick butt!

[JohnSJ]

54. Too early to tell, though I do believe if nothing else it will consolidate

support among Democrats which should improve the poll numbers in the coming weeks.

[CentralMass]

58. Your mileage may vary.

[Raftergirl]

60. $50 million as of 10pm tonight.

‘Democrats Donate More Than $50 Million Online After Biden’s Exit’
Sunday was the single biggest day for online Democratic donations in years — a significant show of enthusiasm after weeks of sluggish fund-raising.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/21/us/politics/bidens-exit-democratic-donations.html?partner=slack&smid=sl-share

[planj07]

62. There is a fighting chance

I like Joe but the campaign was undeniably sinking hard and fast. Harris must step it up. She has a ton of support behind her. Pick Shapiro or Kelly for VP and I have optimism that we can keep Trump out of the White House.