Kirk Gallaway

Every day he delays just tarnishes his reputation further. It's too bad because outside Israel Hamas, he's done a good job. Domestically given the time he lived in, he's as good at least as LBJ, though I know on the JFK side that's almost heresy because they think everything LBJ did JFK could easily have accomplished anyway. Some think Biden was the best domestic President since FDR. Sure the MSM has swarmed in. But that's fair game for any politician. The huge problem is since the debates. He looks like he's hunkering down in the White House. He had to get out there and convince people, but they've botched it . First it was jet lag, but he had been home for 13 days since he went to Europe! Then it was cold medicine, and people were saying someone drugged him, though I assume Biden didn't start that. He won't get out there at a time when he absolutely had to, and it reaffirms to everyone that that's the reason we haven't seen much of him this entire year. It looks like he's covering up. Then the main story was the Biden family deciding if Joe will continue. Give the voters some good "family sit down at the kitchen table type stuff", and play into Joe's strength as a family man. But then their pretty obvious decision. Obviously stepping down at this time will prolong Joe's life. I think the judgment by his family sort of says optimistically. "Ok we are going to be seeing less of you in the 2030'S but, you only live once, and for the country and for the Olympic spirit, "We have to go for the Gold!!! " Anyway he looks like he's hiding and stalling, which is even worse considering the gravity of the situation but I just hope he's not still running and gets the brilliant idea to throw the ball out at the All Star Game! Always looking for the best possible way for Biden to salvage his place in history, There is a good way to make the best of a terrible situation. Biden could gracefully step down, reaffirm that the issue is Democracy, and the gravity of the situation. Free up his delegates, and don't endorse VP Harris and preside over a program to give the new candidates debates before the public and then the delegates at the convention. He can be actively involved because they are his votes to give away. That would be the elderly statesman thing to do.

No, I remember that well. I was in Ecuador and I woke up, turned on the tube, and I saw the CNN panel relieved at the results of Super Tuesday and I was pissed! That's why I hate picking this apart. You've made a good case for half, but.... 1)Only Bernie and Warren are progressives. Not Butigieg, Iowa is 46%', NH 35%, Nevada 52%,( What's happened to Biden in Nevada now?) but I digress. 2)These are not representative states of the nation as a whole. There's not a battleground state here except puny Nevada.Almost half the states are New England states where Bernie VT. and Warren Mass, come from. These are the classic progressive states the Dems can almost always count on in the general election. Because where else would they go? 3)The wonkiest votes are in the primary. There are a much higher percentage of progressives voting in primaries, than in the general election. It's the moderates they are trying to score in the general election. 4)Outside of Iowa, Biden ended up winning all these states. The Democrats knew they had all those states in the bag anyway. 5.) It was the other 20%, Klobuchar, and Buttigieg,and who else folded when they knew it was hopeless? They represent the key votes the Democratic Party was going after. Being centrists Buttigieg and Klobuchar would have preferred Biden, but they both thought Biden had the best chance anyway. As I recall, didn't Warren also fold that night? They always knew they had that in the bag and took it for granted. It's a numbers game. That's why Bernie didn't really raise a stink when they lowered the boom on him. I'd like to see all the primary totals at the end. Definitely impressed with Colorado!

Of course, Newsome and Whitmer say that because that's what politicians do. They don't want to seem ambitious. They want to project loyalty to the party candidate, particularly since he's the President. And people never accuse politicians of lying when they say the polls are wrong and they are going to win the greatest upset victory in U.S. history tomorrow, (like Mc Govern)even if they know it's impossible. They're not expected to be pundits, and they don't want to dishearten their backers, who want to believe they believe to the end..

i was also arguing that Biden should step down a year ago. But Matt is right that progressives are only about a third of the Democrats and actually Harris was good choice for Biden in that Biden did handily win. But there are paths for Dems to win without having a black VP. Who heads the ticket has an effect on who the VP should be. They should try to balance the ticket. In the battleground States, Whitmer is more progressive than Shapiro. Shapiro could be an excellent choice for VP. If you have Newsome or Whitmer heading the ticket, the natural choice would be to go to the center with Shapiro. The irony is the best hope progressives have would be for a Presidential candidate, because any balancing of the ticket using a progressive as a VP would mean a Presidential candidate so far to the right, it would almost be unacceptable to them. There could be an exception with Newsome Whitmer, if Whitmer is a Michigan blue collar progressive, but I don't know enough about her. I can speak with some experience about Newsome. The NE liberal podcasters have a disdain for Newsome except maybe Pakman. I'm not sure why. Newsome knows there are a lot of international jet set rich people who like the status of having a home in California, so he taxes the hell of them, which I approve of, knowing they can afford it and though they'll complain, they are not leaving. He represents the big government crowd, is very pro consumer and pro expansion of healthcare, but his biggest problem is the homeless which he has thrown a billion or more at to no avail, as well as affordable housing. He's very lucid and could kill Trump in a debate, but I'm not sure there's going to be a debate anymore. He's a dashing young generational voice in the Dem spirit of JFK, Clinton and Obama.. Image wise, he has a lot of the same California perception baggage as Harris sort of an unbridled liberal optimism that no problem can't be fought that most of the rest of the nation just doesn't like. A lot of the Republican never Trumpers, who are a brave lot, don't like the idea of Newsome or Harris being President. In any Newsome candidacy he would immediately start talking like a centrist. ******* Both Biden and Trump should have submitted to a physical and neurological examination by neutral Doctors. Soon, you'll throw down your disguise. We'll see behind those bright -- eyes. By and By , when the sidewalks are safe. For the little guy. D.F. from S.D.

I agree Joe, I don't want Harris pushed down my throat. In this article by Pollster Nate Silver, founder of 538. Biden polls behind the current Dem Senator in all the major battleground states. -In 46 of the 47 polls, the Democratic Senate candidate polled better than Mr. Biden. -None of the 47 polls — not a single one of them — showed the Democratic candidate trailing in the Senate race, though two showed a tie.* So he's a hindrance to their campaigns. The Dems need to hold on to the Senate and hopefully gain control of the House and Biden currently stands in the way. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/opinion/biden-democrats-senate-polls.html?campaign_id=9&emc=edit_nn_20240703&instance_id=127837&nl=the-morning&regi_id=61798350&segment_id=171199&te=1&user_id=48552702f942aacb0810b9de5ca41c55 *So we're to assume all 6 of these battleground state Senate races are up for grabs. Hmmm

I agree Matt, Kamala Harris, Newsome, weren't even born. Talbot credits himself as first informing RK, as he had never even seriously looked into the JFKA or his Father's death himself until he was 50! All these people are polarized to career achievement. They don't look back! As far as Biden's excuse about recent travel. It's true as you get older, extensive travel does take a toll on you. But Joe isn't scrunching his knees, packed like a sardine in coach like we are. He's in Air Force One and can nap any time he wants to. My guess is we're already giving up a lot of campaigning time to Trump, whose robust, but a burnout who someday will probably just drop dead, and probably would have if he caught Covid at Mar Lago and wasn't President! Still I think Biden caught a huge break in 2020 because of Covid. Will he really be able to go from Grand Rapids to Lansing to Ann Arbor in a typical day? And then keep doing it? To Biden's credit, he seems open to the idea that he's going to have to prove he has the vitality, acuity and communicative skills to continue. He may do well, but I don't expect agreement, and it doesn't address his stamina and his ability to perform over the next few months. JMO

Yeah, Mike but guess what? No politician cares to do that. There's absolutely no pressure to. Gain 1% from the conspiracy crowd to upset 10% of the law and order crowd? It's that simple, it's not in the top 40 of any politician priorities. It's not even as politically actionable as the "Q" in the LGBTQ. I don't particularly like her, and she hasn't done much to make her stand out. But that's kind of the job.! Biden's going on with George Stephanopoulos this Friday, maybe to watch on Sunday. Interesting, Steve Banon curses that Trump accepted an early debate, because now they could switch candidates. I thought it was another horrible miscalculation by Biden, (as well as turning the mics off.) that I was sorry to see, but I'm now grateful for. Was it more Hubris? This left 7 weeks before the convention! Imagine Biden failing so miserably in October! We'd probably be dead!

Again Cliff, yes the stakes are high! Does that make it inevitable that the American voter will wake up to that fact? it's not that I don't see some reason for staying put and praying Biden doesn't look worse. You can continue doing what you're doing which is taking a page from George Bush Sr's playbook. 1. Stay the course!!! 2. A thousand points of light! 😀😃😄😗 of course a big question is who wouldl replace Biden? You can make an argument that at least the public is familiar with Joe. Will it take time for the voter to warm up and get to know the new candidate? But picking candidates at the convention was what was done for the entire U.S. history of 190 years! People really didn't know JFK. When JFK won the Democrat nomination, there was only 14 state primaries! Actually with 8 years of exposure, almost everybody in the U.S. would like the idea of a fresh candidate and a shorter campaign. And Trump is a very weak opponent. Particularly with younger people, Both candidates are very weak. He took a thousand points of light! And then he said "what's missing?" People let me tell you what he did! Sorry pre Beatle!

Well as I recall, you predicted something like 340 electoral votes for Biden and I had 291. I ended up missing one state out of 50, that was Georgia. Oh! here it is from the 56 year thread. Page 215 Nov. 2nd, 2020! Cliff: Final Prediction Biden 340 electoral votes (Hillary states plus Florida, Georgia, N. Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Neb - 1) 85,000,000 popular votes Trump 198 75,000,000 And here's my final prediction, Nov. 2nd, Page 216 I think Michigan is Biden. The entire rust belt outside of Ohio as well. Yes Arizona is Biden, as Cliff said. I don't trust the South or any of the State governments, outside of possibly Florida. But Florida has always teased and failed. Once burned, twice shy. Biden 291, Trump 247, if Biden can get Florida Biden 320, Trump 218 Biden wins by 7-8 million. 2.5 times HC's lead in 2016. Wow!, I didn't realize I got it exactly right, 7-8 million! uhhhh feeling lucky Cliff? If it comes down to voting for Biden, I will. But you guys better start getting serious. Biden is currently teetering! This isn't a joke!

Not if Biden can't win. This ups the stakes, it's true.. Cliff, what I've found for years now, is a supremely confident group here thinking Biden will win. Here's the reality. -Biden will not take any states away from Trump in 2020! -But Trump will take from Biden! - If the election is held today. If he loses any one of the 3 states Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, Biden loses the election! -In all these 3 states, they are currently too close to call, with Trump with a slight edge in 2 of them! - It's going to probably be the closest election in U.S. history. The most electoral votes Biden could possibly get I think would be 276-262! -Another words , Biden was not a shoo-in, even before his terrible performance! You can adopt the "unforced error "attitude that the American people will finally see Trump self destruct, or maybe a new scandal will do him in, which could happen, but personally, I don't want to depend on that!

Here's my argument why I believe Joe should retire and the Dem's nominate someone else. We should know how stiff the resistance is when polls come over this week. Unless he slides precipitously, which I doubt because the undecided are such a small % of the overall number of voters. There's too much inertia standing in the way of switching candidates. It's the most powerful office in the world, and you could always see the aging in anyone who was in the office. However the aging of Biden is like no other. But that's because we have never elected a President who was this old. My dad looked better at 92, but he lived to be 101. I don't think Joe will make it to his 90's, but I don't know. Rigby will always make the argument that U.S. style of trying to make the world safe for Capitalism wasn't near as profitable as British Colonialism, ( that is, coming in and ravaging a horribly undeveloped country of their resources), and he's probably right. Paul, tell your mother Eleanore, I think she's Sweleanore!

Nice and concise.

Why is the standard answer always conspiracy when the most logical answer is just garden variety senility. W's had extensive career experience with this and can give an extensive unofficial diagnosis but officially all we are doing is speculating. I've had a total of 30 years seeing dementia in my parents and Grandparents. My Dad looked better at 95 then Biden looked in the debate at 81. Of course, my Dad lived to be 101. My guess, from seeing the difference in Joe's performances in 2020 is that Joe probably won't make it to 90, but I don't know. I do recall Carter looking better in 2005 and he's not looking well, but would be 100 in October.

Matt, what i said in my first sentence is, it was never hidden! W., Doug and I gave you these observations a year ago. Obviously we were praying we would end up being wrong and this wouldn't happen. If you didn't see it, you certainly weren't going to hear about it from his aides!

I don't buy that he was drugged! Almost all the film of Biden over the last year lead up to this result! Staring vacantly, looking down, and too much time spent with his mouth open and not talking! That's huge! I always wondered why none of his aides ever confronted him about this. If they were clueless, they at least could have hired a media consultant! I was wondering if it was because they saw that he was very lucid in his dealings with them, and could easily overcome the low expectations that people were drawing from his appearance. To me his first excuse for his poor performance was so Trumpian, blaming the other guy. Saying he was so astonished at Trump's lies it froze him! He knew from his previous debates that Trump is a pathological liar, and he handled it well before! Biden asked for the format, and it only made Trump look more self disciplined, and Biden unable to fend off Trump lies as they happened. A bad calculation! We should know how stiff the resistance is when polls come out this week. Unless he slides precipitously, which I doubt because the undecided are such a small % of the overall number of voters. There's too much inertia standing in the way of switching candidates.

I've heard that Doug. I've heard it was Boris Johnson who came in and ruined the negotiation. Now was he under authority as if it was Joe Biden? Was this the unofficial NATO position? The former US official also claimed that White House believed Putin was “salivating” at the prospect of peace. "Salivating"? Yeah nice evenly balanced quote! Of course Biden and Nato were first prepared to offer Zelensky asylum, but he said he "doesn't need assylum, he needs guns" or something to that effect. I understood in 2011 , in polling ,it was pretty much split down the middle whether Ukraine wanted admission to Nato. And after the 2014 revolution, it was solidly for Nato admission. It seems like the article ends up hedging a little whether Russia had the right to iater invade and as a guarantor, veto power over outside intervention? That would seem like deal breaker! Just my take. But obviously if Ukraine decided it was in it's best interests to eventually accept a joint proposal, this whole war could have been avoided, or at least put off.

But Biden started and his start was horrific! In 2020, i was worried before the debates but he had composure even though Trump was constantly interrupting him trying to get him to stutter. Then he had the abortion issue, the real softball where he could make points and he says some good stuff and then segues into the Venezuelan immigrant killing that American and actually acknowledges that Trump was at her funeral! WTF! Yes of course, Biden picked the format. The camera often was split. And Biden should have shaken his head or managed a number of different visual responses every time Trump lied. Instead he looked down would not let you even see his eyes and played into looking like a disengaged old man. Just the opposite of what he should have been trying to do! He did do that a few times. But in that format, sometimes it was too late. and with his mic off, He had to at least shake his head and deal with Trump lies the only timely way he could.

Thank you for the summary. Well of course, you're an American. I'd like to change everything, the electoral system, Scotus, Citizens United, money out of politics, but most Americans people don't vote in their interests. Are the French any more likely to vote in their interests? I used to think the typical European was much more informed and voted more in their interests than Americans. I came in from Barcelona, rented a car in Montpelier, from there I went to Avignon, Guordes, those beautiful canyons I forget the name of, Nice, Cassis, San Tropez, Cannes and left off the car at the Eastern border.

Yeah, "one way or another, this darkness has got to give!" Just curious as to your response. So I hear that Macron shouldn't have called for those elections and the right wing have made big gains? What are your thoughts ?

Bill are you an American living in France or are you French? I spent over a couple of months in Southern Europe a couple of years ago. I had a blast! Including Southern France! Yes, that's a nice spirited comeback speech. It was read from a teleprompter. If you want to feel even better and gain some more confidence, speed Biden up to 1.25. That might have been the speed of his delivery in 2020I It's good that all the Democrats are not in denial about the performance. But as far as the question of Biden hubris. I'd like to ask him "what were you thinking.? and see what his response would be. I think it would be telling!

Yes, I do think there is a serious disconnect in Biden. And his unawareness of how poorly he came off could end up so disheartening. His aides should probably have been aware. He was incapable of any real push back. He had both the Social security/taxation and the justice to blacks question and he completed his response and twice was reminded he could fill in a lot more time. The future looks horrid and the stakes are too high. I never felt I had a stake in the process until I was 40 and Bill Clinton got elected. Of course, with the old age issue the younger voter is just reminded about how disenfranchised they feel.

This was my comment above. Did Chomsky die again, Koch? You intentionally changed the topic from Tippit's sons death to yet another unprepared, unfocused, completely irrelevant comment allegedly trying to challenge me about the Jupiter Missiles in Turkey below. I stand by my comment. Jim is completely right. Here we have it, in no less than the NYT, in August 15, 1963 , talking about the removal of Jupiter Missiles in Turkey. Kirk:but I think it was public knowledge by the time of JFK's death. Hint: August 1963 was before JFK's assassination.! Case closed! ANKARA, Turkey, Aug. 15—Ten weeks after last autumn's Cuban crisis the United States started to dismantle its Jupiter missile bases here. Most Turks consequently believed we had made a secret deal with Russia to scrap offensive weapons on each other's borders. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1963/08/16/81823797.html?pageNumber=26

W.and I, at one time warned about this. I was hoping we Baby Boomers could leave the scene with grace back in 2016. But the Dems felt they owed Hilary for Obama's candidacy and they could get historical standing for electing the first woman President. Then came the "Trump revolution" and now it looks real tired. They talk like there's no Barry Goldwater in the Democratic party to talk Richard Nixon into standing down. But I'd say there is and it's Obama. Biden would never have achieved his lifelong desire to become President if he wasn't picked for VP by Obama. They should get Biden to step down and go for the youth. There is 2 candidates i think are front runners and that's Gavin Newsome and Gretchen Whitmer who seems to have gained some gravitas in recent interviews I've seen. Re: Newsome , it seems to me like California is the least popular state in the union. The truth is, Biden would easily still win in California as he is currently leading by 20 points. Without sweeping Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, Biden will lose, so Whitmer might be a better first choice. Of course, with a total overhaul of the ticket. That would leave a few more states up in the air, like maybe Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina that the Dems could pick at. If this could be done resolutely. The Dems would impress on the public that they are completely committed to stopping Trump,Fascism and a complete breakdown of the"administrative State". Since everything has been so predictable and boring with 2 old candidates who have already been President, a new youth movement could be seen as exciting and finally breathing some life into the electorate again. I think Biden's domestic policies were as good as anything in 60 years, including JFK, and he'll always be remembered as a hero who stopped us from devolving into Fascism. Would Jill really be a hindrance to standing in the way? Why wouldn't they really want to retire like everyone else? Well, we'll see. I would be relieved.

Johnny, I really appreciate you contribution of the RFK interview with David Frost ,some of it is inspirational but a bit of it is politician boiler plate as well. Just so this isn't swept under the rug. Since Jim has me and many others on "ignore." Maybe you can ask Jim's opinion on Robert Morrow's quote here on RFK in the CBM by Sheldon Stern. From start to finish, and on several occasions, RFK can be heard on the tapes, and read in the transcripts, arguing not only for an air attack but for an air strike followed by an invasion of the entire island of Cuba. Sheldon Stern, the library’s former chief historian, who has studied the tapes and transcripts more thoroughly than anyone, writes in his forthcoming book The Cuban Missile Crisis in American Memory: Myth versus Reality: “RFK was one of the most consistently hawkish and confrontational members of the ExComm.” Having said this ,Jim is right, I'm not sure if the idea about the Missiles in Turkey potential swap was public at that time, but I think it was public knowledge by the time of JFK's death. I agree with Robert and Jonathan, the incidents involving Tippit's son's death divulged by Cloud have no significance. I don't know what Koch is thinking.

Is the constant haranguing about the files some JFKA some loyalty test here? We all are sufficiently outraged that the last 2 Presidents haven't released the files! If there's serious news on the files front, ok. But how many times are people expected to act out their outrage to a handful of people here who keep insisting on it? If I were Biden, I would have made a condition to debate. (since in negotiation, he was in the driver's seat because Trump was so eager to debate) that both candidates were able to show clips of previous public statements* made by either candidate and ask for clarification, and Biden can focus for detailed clarification on irresponsible, dangerous, statements made by Trump and hold his feet to the fire about it! I'm much more concerned about that! Nobody's probably going to ask those the JFKA files questions because it panders to only about 3% of the population who have it in their top 10 concerns and honestly, while I'd like a question about it near the end of the second debate. It's not some litmus test about the validity of the debates to me because I read and have some grasp of current events, and a perspective that includes more pressing, relevant issues! *since they're both so vulnerable because of age issues, you discount those gaffes and confine yourself to the content of previous public statements made by either candidate.