President Biden: The NEW one and only politics thread

More like its German forerunner, the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.

 

I'm going to keep bashing Ragu in the head with this because they're valid questions and until Trump and his staff start providing answers, the conspiracy theories that he faked it are equally as valid as anything Trump says.

It has been nearly a week since gunfire erupted at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, resulting in an injury to the former president, the death of one attendee, Corey Comperatore, and severe injuries to two others.

And although the images we’ve seen of Trump since his attempted assassination have been those of a person who was barely injured and is now in high spirits, what we’ve been told by the campaign offers very little insight into the former president’s condition, what kind of care he received or how his medical team will monitor him in the days and weeks ahead.

A full public assessment of Trump’s injuries is necessary, for both the former president’s own health and the clarity it can provide for voters about the recovery of the man who could become president of the United States once again. The concern is that gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that aren’t immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear or even psychological trauma. As a trauma neurosurgeon, I have seen how a thorough evaluation after any kind of gunshot wound can provide a complete picture and lead to a speedier recovery.​

https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/18/health/dr-sanjay-gupta-analysis-trump/index.html

The burden of proof is on him to show that he didn't blade, and that he's in good health.

 

Who is this person, exactly?

 

What is way more likely than he faked it is he got hit by shrapnel. Getting hit by glass or plastic means he didn’t come within fractions of an inch of dying. It means he didn’t have divine intervention and his triumphant gesture doesn’t seem as brave. He needs to be grazed by a bullet to make the story sound better.

The problem with it being faked is they did a terrible job selling it if it was. Right now the narrative is the secret service and law enforcement messed up and let a shooter too close and didn’t see an obvious spot for a sniper until the sniper got too close. If you fake it, you have a hero. A Reagan Secret Service agent scenario. Shooter gets too close, pulls a gun, an agent gets shot, and heroes stop the guy. Trump is wounded in the process where he cuts his arm.

This just reeks of Trump wanted to come off as macho but the report says he got a boo boo.

 

I really don't think I'm being too obvious, but it seems clear Trump has a clear ceiling in his potential support - even after the last few weeks. Some might say, "well, if its enough, who cares" but he is extremely vulnerable. His positives and negatives are "baked in," I don't think he can go higher at this point, and still just a few point lead on Biden or The Candidate To Be Named Later. The same can be said for Biden - even with a potential rate cut and people suddenly realizing the economy is pretty good with inflation falling and avoiding a recession - he's not the guy to sell the success. People are ready for someone new.

 

In regards to this: “The concern is that gunshot blasts near the head can cause injuries that aren’t immediately noticeable, such as bleeding in or on the brain, damage to the inner ear or even psychological trauma.”

A .223 round clipping his ear isn’t going to cause internal brain trauma or hearing loss. It’s a small round that hit skin, not his skull. He wasn’t standing next to the muzzle of the rifle.

A muzzle blast (the concussion, from expelled gasses) near someone’s head could maybe cause the internal trauma he describes — depending on the rifle caliber and proximity to the head. It would take something in the .30-caliber family or larger, or a shotgun, to possibly do what he suggests. Being shot through the edge of the ear from 130 yards away isn’t going to create any internal bleeding or brain damage, though. That’s idiotic to even posit and Gupta should know better.

Psychological trauma is of course reasonable for anyone who gets shot and survives. That DT ever would admit that is highly unlikely, though.

 

Very progressive U.S. Rep from Wisconsin

 

Its weird. I have a friend that is a huge Bernie guy - figures Bernie would make everything right....so he's not clinging to Biden in the least. I tell him AOC and Bernie are discouraging talk of Biden stepping down, worried that the "elites" in the party are going to push through someone a lot more moderate than Biden. I still think Biden should step aside. Keep the campaign going, let the Olympics take everyone's attention for a couple weeks, than break the news coming out of the Olympics with the new candidate in place. I worry about plans for a "mini-primary" or a floor fight at the convention. I think you put Harris at the top - find a governor from the Midwest, like Tim Walz. It would require the Dems don't get "too cute" with things, which is a big ask. It would require Harris to put her identity and personal story on the back burner and focus on selling the administration's achievements. Too often presidential candidates feel the need to be "relatable" - dance with Ellen, or whatever - just be someone focused on doing the nuts and bolts.

 

Despite himself, Trump actually struck me as, perhaps, feeling a little psychological trauma in connection with the assassination attempt.

He seemed subdued for much of the convention, and it was actually others who were keeping the fever up and the cult roaring while he just sat back and kind of took it all in, or, by turns, dozed off (I read that this occurred during a couple of speakers' turns over the course of the four days).

It seemed he enjoyed the speech by his granddaughter the most (something perfectly fine for a normal grandfather, of course). He seemed tired, and, to me, as if he didn't particularly even necessarily want to be President again -- that's it's something he's doing just to keep up appearances, and to keep the Republican narrative going. But again, it seemed others did more to do that than he did, despite his own 92-minute speech of old news and old woe-is-me wounds. And let's face it, he can't walk away now.

But, he did seem to me to be more like a normal 78-year-old than usual. I attribute it to the assassination attempt.

 

There is also the not inconsiderable matter of getting away with his crimes if he wins.

 

Looking more and more like the shooter was just looking for a "challenge," the attempt was mainly due to not having to drive too far. Had apparently researched other top Republicans and Democrats as possible targets.
https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/19/politics/trump-rally-gunman-portrait-motive-invs/index.html

 

As always, fuck cancer. Sheila Jackson Lee has died.

https://www.statesman.com/story/new...-jackson-lee-of-houston-has-died/74479818007/