Since Biden is already our candidate, I wish to submit suggesting otherwise is dissing Democrats

[EarlG]

50. This is a complicated and fluid situation, with a relatively simple solution

DU has, and always has had, a rule against "undermining" Democratic general election candidates. (See the "Don't bash Democratic public figures" rule.)

Joe Biden is currently the presumptive Democratic nominee, and was officially declared so by DU back in March.

Therefore anyone who is directly advocating for Biden to drop out of the race at this time is in clear violation of the "Don't bash..." rule, and Juries should act accordingly.

However, we currently find ourselves in a situation where the media is relentlessly pushing stories about (mostly unnamed) Democrats whispering behind the scenes about Biden dropping out.

Personally, I think this is completely nuts given the short window that remains until the election. But we are living through unprecedented times, and we do not know what is coming.

The decision to continue running lies with one person: Joe Biden. Currently he has shown no indication that he will drop out if the race. So as the nominee, he should be protected by our rules from calls for him to drop out.

However, given the highly fluid nature of the situation, there remains a possibility that he may choose otherwise. There have been plenty of posts discussing what should or could happen if that were the case, and provided that these posts stay within the realm of discussing a hypothetical -- as opposed to actually advocating for a replacement candidate -- then that is probably a discussion that can be had on DU.

Remember that the DU rules and Jury System were created with flexibility in mind, not rigidity. They allow the community to make different conclusions based on the current zeitgeist, not on bright red lines that enforce a never-changing dogma.

This situation is still evolving, and as such, the way Juries handle potential rule violations is also evolving.

So at this time, posts advocating for the replacement of our nominee should, I believe, be treated by Juries as clear violations of the "Don't bash..." rule. However, posts discussing a hypothetical situation, in which Biden chooses to drop out and Democrats have to figure out what to do next, currently fall into a grey area which Juries may or may not allow. As ever, "you take your chances" when having these discussions, as Skinner used to say.