President Biden: The NEW one and only politics thread

Why Biden Was Really Forced Out
of the Race, According to Anita Dunn
The longtime presidential adviser blames the press and her party.

Excellent Q&A interview here. Behind-the-scenes perpective of the lead-up to Biden's decision, and then going forward from there.

Dunn's clear and measured answers show a lot of integrity. Headline is a little click-baity, though, since she deflects away from being baited herself. Solid performance.

I'm happy with the new ticket and the momentum it has triggered, but this interview seems to be a good insider account of the backstory.

And Dunn's respect for Biden are obvious when she declines to answer questions appropriate only for Biden. Harris and Walz come off looking good, too. To wit:

In his speech in his Oval Office address, he didn’t really explain why he wasn’t going to run again. He didn’t say, “I’m not going to be the nominee of my party anymore because I don’t have the energy to campaign,” or “If I’m reelected, I can’t serve for four more years,” or “I feel fine, but the voters think I’m too old.” He made an allusion to party unity. But he never really said why.

I think you’re going to have to wait until he writes his book. Maybe he’ll come on your podcast.

Well, I know the reasons that Schumer and Pelosi were saying to him, which were about those things. It doesn’t seem like he ever agreed with those arguments.

Well, I would say he was campaigning. He was campaigning in front of large and enthusiastic crowds. So the idea that somehow he couldn’t campaign was just ludicrous. The second thing, though, is he had been performing the job of president and has transformed this country and has been a great president. And even as recently as last week, when he brought the hostages home from Russia.

His approval rating is going up too.

So the idea that he couldn’t be president or couldn’t campaign for president are both just ridiculous.

So that’s not why.

Read his book when he writes it.

I interpret the “unity” thing as, “I think I’m fine. I can run and serve, but they don’t think I can. So to preserve party unity, I’ve got to step aside.”

He’ll speak to this when he’s ready to speak to it.

Let’s talk about the aftermath, the decision to endorse Harris, and her quick consolidation of the party. I assume there was never any question that once Biden made this decision that he was going to endorse Harris?

Never a question.

Because previous presidents have not. Barack Obama famously did not. No question, as far as you know, that that was going to happen?

No, this was not a traditional kind of time. It’s a 100-day sprint. And when he chose then-Sen. Harris to be his vice presidential nominee in 2020, it was because he believed she was ready to be president and because he believed politically that she was also very strong. Nothing that has happened over the last three and a half years has changed his view. In fact, it has only solidified that view. He feels that she’s ready to be president, and obviously he felt that she was the strongest person politically to come in, unite the party and go beat Donald Trump.

Speaking of running mates, I was reminded today that Tim Walz organized the governors’ call and meeting with Biden to talk about Biden staying in the race. I don’t know if you were on the call or in the room, but is there anything notable that you remember about Gov. Walz at that moment in time? You don’t think he was plotting this whole thing?

[Laughs] No, I did not think Gov. Walz was plotting this whole thing.

In fact, Gov. Walz, somebody we think very highly of, was the co-chair of the Rules and Bylaws Committee.

I did not know that.

We had asked him to play that role. And obviously he was important in the decisions around pushing back a couple of days — but keeping the virtual vote intact — which was something that was very important to us. So he is seen as someone who was very loyal to us. He put together the governors’ meeting, and I was not in the room for it, but I think everyone felt that he ran it very well and that it was a constructive and productive meeting.

 

If this becomes a story, I would applaud this so much. Would be a helluva scene.

Hell, at this point consider having Maya Rudolph and Steve Martin appear at the convention and do a bit as Harris and Walz.

 

Story says Dunn is going to work for the Harris campaign. She is not helping the cause with this whiny, often clipped set of remarks.

 

That's a goddamn good question but it's rhetorical. It's obvious Team Stinky has been knocked back on its ass and what brain trust he has can't cope.
Thank Tebow that Lee Atwater has been taking a dirt nap because he was the dirrrtiest GOP fighter of them all.
Karl Rove is the second-dirrrtiest and he is at best Stinky-sniffing.

 

Anita "Gett Sumpin" Dunn.

Sumpin' got dunn.

 

Feels like the Trump campaign knows shit ain't working and trying to take a break to "figure things out." Hoping they don't.

 

Nobody's dirtier, or sleazier, than Roger Stone.

 

Nope

Does Anyone in America Miss Joe Biden as Much as Donald Trump?

 

You think maybe she went there with Biden's blessings?

I'm inclined to listen to a close Biden friend than to all those outsiders tossing around rumors.

Also, clipped remarks? Well, she was dealing with Ryan Lizza there.

 

Or crazier.

 

The campaign won’t let Trump out for X days.

Then Trump will get anxious and ask why he’s not out on the trail, and demanding that he gets on the trail, to the point where he’s throwing ketchup bottles across the room.

So Sundowning Donold will make an appearance somewhere in Michigan and make some new asinine statement, and we’ll be back in business.

 

Unless there's something medically going on, I'd be stunned if he doesn't do something next Friday or Saturday before the Dem convention starts. He can't help himself and you know he doesn't want to go that long out of the spotlight.