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submitted 5 months ago by girlfreddy@lemmy.ca to c/news@lemmy.world

Joe Biden has reportedly become more open in recent days to hearing arguments that he should step aside as the Democratic presidential candidate after the party’s two main congressional leaders told him they doubted his ability to beat Donald Trump.

While continuing to insist he will be the party’s nominee in November, the president has reportedly started asking questions about negative polling data and whether Vice-President Kamala Harris, considered the favourite to replace him if were to withdraw, fares better.

The indications of a possible rethink come after Biden tested positive on Wednesday for Covid-19, forcing him to isolate for several days while curtailing a campaigning visit to Nevada that had been part of a drive to show his candidacy was very much alive.

It also coincides with fresh polling data showing that he now trails Trump by two points in Virginia, a state he won by 10 points in 2020.

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[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 50 points 5 months ago

I'm really worried about his campaign and white house staff at this point. It seems like it took the in person interviewers telling him about the bad polling. Like he looked genuinely surprised to hear about it.

If that's true they need to go. We cannot have staff that lie to the president.

[-] girlfreddy@lemmy.ca 11 points 5 months ago

Staff fudge the truth to bosses all the time. The issue doesn't lie with the staff because it is the boss' responsibility to understand the power disparity and do their best to mitigate it.

The way to do that is have a small contingent of 2-3 people who will ALWAYS tell the truth to the boss no matter what.

But again, that willingness to hear the truth and have those people around starts with the boss. And if they just want yes men around, that's what will happen.

[-] turmacar@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

Not even counting the debate the man has straight up asked for people that have died during press conferences and mixed up Putin and Zelenskyy. I don't think it's out of line to question how much of policy and press releases he's cognizant of, much less staffing decisions. Even if they are updating him about polling data he may not be processing it. I have a 94 yr old grandpa with a live in nurse and a 80 year old aunt in hospice (different sides of the family) and the disorientation is disturbingly familiar.

It seems insane to bet that he will have 4 more high pressure years to give. Or betting on him making it long enough for a VP to take over. RBG should be a warning, not a template.

[-] rottingleaf@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

It appears at this point that US presidents have this problem more than half the Roman emperors.

(Just remembered reading about Julian)

EDIT: I meant - Julian had people follow him who'd tell him when he was making a mistake, and he'd always listen and take time to think. While for him it was more real than for other emperors (some of whom would still do the same), I even wonder whether jesters in European courts are some perverted continuation of such a tradition. Perhaps at some point pointing out mistakes came out of fashion, but scolding the monarch - still a tradition, and then it turned into a way of have fun, and such a follower, and not the monarch himself, took the role of the fool.

[-] clickyello@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

this was exactly the purpose of jesters. a link.

[-] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 10 points 5 months ago

This is on Biden, not on the staff. The calls for him to drop out were ALL OVER the place, including popular media.

[-] Xanis@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

No. This is on the team, not just Biden. Being surrounded by people who won't tell you the actual truth would make most of us blind to real issues. As people on the left, as voters in general, we need to stop pointing fingers at a person and begin pointing fingers at the processes and issues that cause bad individuals to be placed in positions of authority, and the reasons why the teams behind even the good ones may not wish to speak out. This is systemic and mass recognition is the first step to a solution.

[-] Fades@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

it took the in person interviewers telling him about the bad polling.

lmao what the fuck? No it absolutely was not, it was all of the high ranking sitting dems like Schiff, Pelosi, Obama.

interviewers? polling?? Jesus fucking Christ.

[-] Maggoty@lemmy.world 2 points 5 months ago

Okay? The point is, why was this needed? What are the people around him telling him?

this post was submitted on 18 Jul 2024
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