XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.home.repair, alt.politics.trump   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns   
   From: president@kamala.haha   
      
   On 29 Jun 2024, J Carlson  posted some   
   news:v5poqd$2mio$4@dont-email.me:   
      
   > The nature of winner-take-all (or "first past the post") elections is   
   > that third parties disappear.   
      
   Third parties are the exact reason why Europe is so fucked up and   
   stagnant.  You can't kiss ass with every stupid woke group and accomplish   
   anything worth while.   
      
   Former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton on Friday tried to do some   
   damage control following President Joe Biden’s debate fumble against his   
   November election opponent, former President Donald Trump.   
      
   “Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know. But this election is still a   
   choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life   
   and someone who only cares about himself,” Obama said in a post on X,   
   linking to Biden’s campaign website. “Last night didn’t change that, and   
   it’s why so much is at stake in November.”   
      
   Several hours later, Clinton mimicked the defensive play.   
      
   “I’ll leave the debate rating to the pundits, but here’s what I know:   
   facts and history matter,” Clinton said in his own post on X, following   
   with a brief list of Biden’s accomplishments.   
      
   Throughout the 90-minute showdown on Thursday, Biden regularly stumbled,   
   taking mid-sentence pauses to gather his words and tripping over his   
   sentences. The blunders happened even on topics like abortion and the   
   economy, which he tends to be cogent on during campaign rallies and White   
   House events.   
      
   The messaging from Obama and Clinton marks a shift in strategy for   
   Democrats as they try to course-correct after Thursday’s flop.   
      
   Much of Democrats’ spin immediately following the debate attempted to play   
   down Biden’s conspicuous blunders, instead attacking Trump’s performance   
   and giving Biden a generous evaluation.   
      
   “As the night went on, I think [Biden] really kind of rose to the   
   occasion,” Biden co-campaign chair Mitch Landrieu told NBC News Thursday   
   night after the debate. “I’m proud of the fact that he stood up to Donald   
   Trump.”   
      
   The comments from Obama and Clinton represent a new tact: Acknowledge the   
   debate disaster and then tell the public not to focus on it.   
      
   Biden himself followed that framing on Friday during a rally in North   
   Carolina: “Folks, I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as   
   smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to. But I know   
   what I do know: I know how to tell the truth.”   
      
   But debates do matter to voters. After the September 2020 debate, a slew   
   of polls found that voters thought Biden did a better job, which helped   
   him maintain his lead against Trump.   
      
   This year’s presidential race has been a near dead-heat so far and will   
   likely be won by tight margins come November, leaving little room for   
   error.   
      
   In the days since the debate, Democrats have been concerned about how it   
   might weigh on voter perceptions, which are already rife with worries   
   about Biden’s age and fitness to lead the country for another four years.   
      
   Some Democratic strategists, donors and pundits have already suggested   
   that Biden should drop out of the race and reopen the Democratic field to   
   potentially stronger candidates.   
      
   The Biden campaign has so far rejected that proposal. Biden and Trump are   
   scheduled to face off at a second and final debate on Sept. 10.   
      
   https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/29/obama-clinton-excuse-biden-trump-   
   debate.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)