Totally agree with your assessment and with Jonathan Alter's suggested plan. There is no reason for the VP to become the presidential candidate other than precedent, which is an important reason in my mind. Harris bombed in the 2016 debates. She always sounds phony to me, and a recent article by Lee Fang calls into question some aspects of her service as district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of CA. I certainly hope that James Clyburn, James Carville and former presidents Clinton and Obama have nothing to do with the selection of candidates. Let the polls decide.
Here’s James Zogby, long time DNC member and an Arab American, on Democracy Now with a proposal for a process to choose a candidate when Biden does the right thing and steps aside.
The Ds became the party of the administrative and professional elite after getting rid of the New Dealers and their {shudder} egalitarianism. What I call Ivy Ds, an elite that believes itself a "meritocracy," convinced it's sooo superior to us worker peasants.
Besides, they remember what happened when that "far leftist" (read: New Dealer) almost brought down their last anointed one in 2016. The Ds fear such rank and file activist old style populism; they push it out and denigrate it as nothing but "a basket of deplorables."
Les Leopold has years of research and stats proving otherwise? So what! By definition, either unimportant--see "meritocracy," or not possible--see "basket." A few minor pro-majority working class items are supported because the Ds still have to get votes. But the insane econ system itself?! The D elite is neolib; for them the econ system is never, ever to be questioned.
We BIPOC and liberals are supposed to be thrilled at the prospect of a woman of color as President. Her record wasn't progressive, so no threat to the D "meritocracy" (read: oligarchy,) or to the trickle up econ system, or to the 1%er plutocrats who fund both parties. The D elite message is that you, too, regardless of color or gender, can become one of them. All it takes are qualifiers that distinguish you from the declasse' masses. For Kamala Harris, two parents who were college professors.
Oligarchies, plutocracies, and dictatorships are only possible because the administrative and professional class 10-20% keep them running.
What if all this were debated? Messy, sure. But would show a functioning democratic (and Democratic) system to the nation and to the world. And I'd bet would interest American voters and engage them directly in the process because the outcome would matter to them personally.
yeah, but a black woman with presidential immunity? and Biden cruising the trail in his shades( hey, it,s afternoon!), saying, "it took a lot of convincing, but you shouldn,t have to vote for an old man!"
All evidence suggests that the White House and Democratic National Committee have no interest making the selection democratically.
From Dr. James Zogby: "I've Been With the DNC for 31 Years. Here's My Democratic Proposal to Get Us Out of This Mess"
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/joe-biden-replacement-2668701117
Totally agree with your assessment and with Jonathan Alter's suggested plan. There is no reason for the VP to become the presidential candidate other than precedent, which is an important reason in my mind. Harris bombed in the 2016 debates. She always sounds phony to me, and a recent article by Lee Fang calls into question some aspects of her service as district attorney of San Francisco and attorney general of CA. I certainly hope that James Clyburn, James Carville and former presidents Clinton and Obama have nothing to do with the selection of candidates. Let the polls decide.
Here’s James Zogby, long time DNC member and an Arab American, on Democracy Now with a proposal for a process to choose a candidate when Biden does the right thing and steps aside.
https://portside.org/video/2024-07-05/how-replace-biden
Of course it's about ||who's next in line.||
The Ds became the party of the administrative and professional elite after getting rid of the New Dealers and their {shudder} egalitarianism. What I call Ivy Ds, an elite that believes itself a "meritocracy," convinced it's sooo superior to us worker peasants.
Besides, they remember what happened when that "far leftist" (read: New Dealer) almost brought down their last anointed one in 2016. The Ds fear such rank and file activist old style populism; they push it out and denigrate it as nothing but "a basket of deplorables."
Les Leopold has years of research and stats proving otherwise? So what! By definition, either unimportant--see "meritocracy," or not possible--see "basket." A few minor pro-majority working class items are supported because the Ds still have to get votes. But the insane econ system itself?! The D elite is neolib; for them the econ system is never, ever to be questioned.
We BIPOC and liberals are supposed to be thrilled at the prospect of a woman of color as President. Her record wasn't progressive, so no threat to the D "meritocracy" (read: oligarchy,) or to the trickle up econ system, or to the 1%er plutocrats who fund both parties. The D elite message is that you, too, regardless of color or gender, can become one of them. All it takes are qualifiers that distinguish you from the declasse' masses. For Kamala Harris, two parents who were college professors.
Oligarchies, plutocracies, and dictatorships are only possible because the administrative and professional class 10-20% keep them running.
What if all this were debated? Messy, sure. But would show a functioning democratic (and Democratic) system to the nation and to the world. And I'd bet would interest American voters and engage them directly in the process because the outcome would matter to them personally.
yeah, but a black woman with presidential immunity? and Biden cruising the trail in his shades( hey, it,s afternoon!), saying, "it took a lot of convincing, but you shouldn,t have to vote for an old man!"