556 Comments
User's avatar
тна Return to thread
tomtom50's avatar

Sarah Longwell says Biden should have been challenged 10 months ago, but now it is too late. She might be right about the too late part, I'm not an expert on campaign mechanics.

She's right that coronating Biden was a mistake.

Expand full comment
E2's avatar

I agree with Sarah. Though I also understand how Biden's people at the time, seeing Trump forming up to return, and Republican servility before him, could have concluded that Biden was the best shot.

The American presidential campaign cycle *is* ridiculously long and expensive, often for rather poor yields of general-election candidates. But we have to land the plane we're in.

Expand full comment
tomtom50's avatar

I can't tell whether Dean Philips run is good or not. People (not you) refer to Kennedy's run against Carter. I remember that, it was bitter and Kennedy couldn't stand Carter. This seems so different. Philips is giving Biden credit as a good president. He is instead running because people are saying they want a change. If he makes a good run, people either pick him (seems good), or pick Biden (seems good). In either case people make a choice and aren't limited to DNC preferences.

I believe the Biden people are acting in good faith, my feeling is that we shouldn't be afraid of voters weighing in.

Expand full comment
E2's avatar

"Since the advent of the modern primary election system in 1972, an incumbent president has never been defeated by a primary challenger, though every president who faced a strong primary challenge went on to be defeated in the general election."

Expand full comment
tomtom50's avatar

That is the argument I hear. The counterargument is that history surprises, and this election is structurally way different and analogizing from the past 50 years is not appropriate. Personally when I look for a similar historical moment I go to the 1850s as much as the 1970s. We are off the normal playbook.

Expand full comment