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 @LolliesStanLibertarianNews2024 PresidentialDemocratsChicagocandidatesKentuckyDemocratic National CommitteeThe debateRuben GallegoWes Moore•••10mos ago

The Case For An Open Democratic Convention

Democrats could not buy the enthusiasm, engagement and interest they would get from having an open convention — and in Chicago no less, famous for Democratic convention drama.

You can take away Americans’ democracy, but you can’t bore them. I’m already bored reading about both of these candidates. “Trump is a con man and used car salesman”? Yeah, I did that bit in 2017. “He acts like a mafia chieftain”? Yeah, 2018. And please don’t make me tell the orangutan-lawsuit story again.

Suddenly, instead of rehashing the debate from hell — worst episode of “The Golden Bachelor” ever — they would be hosting a competition, something Americans love. Who will get the rose this August in Chicago? Gavin or Gretchen? Suddenly, Stacey Abrams might say she’s in! And so might Tim Ryan, and Josh Shapiro! And Amy Klobuchar and Ruben Gallego! And Mayor Pete and Raphael Warnock! And Wes Moore, and who knows, maybe Andrew Yang says he’s a Democrat again! And that dude from Kentucky, I hear he’s great!

11 Replies

 @ExcitedLardDemocrat from Arizona  commented…10mos10MO

Biden has no idea how much he and his family will be loathed if he doesn't step down while there is still time to fix this.

 @DingoCamilaDemocrat from South Carolina  agreed…10mos10MO

Key Democratic figures supporting Biden with their tone-deaf comments in the media this week. They will do irreparable harm to the party if they stubbornly and arrogantly refuse to do what so many of us voters are demanding: let someone else run for President in 2024.

 @MajorityCoyoteDemocratfrom Kansas  commented…10mos10MO

Maybe this all was the plan for some time now...

Had Biden declared his retirement early on, we would have had a protracted season of Democratic primaries, with weekly clips of candidates tearing each other apart, while the other party unified behind Trump. They may not have been able to come together for their eventual winning, but battered, candidate.

With a condensed show-down during the convention... multiple rounds of voting, with the candidates with a lesser amount of votes eliminated with each round... could make for riveting television.

reality television is what got us into this mess... it might be our salvation, as well.

 @E1ectoralIkeDemocrat from New York  commented…10mos10MO

An open convention carries some risk, but the potential upside is much greater. Imagine a political process that wasn't entirely scripted! Yes, voters would find the event novel and exciting and the Party could come out of the convention recharged, stronger and ready for battle. I'm also not a big fan of Gavin Newsom, but give him a shot, along with Sherrod Brown, Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Beshear and all the others. Maybe even Ro Khanna or AOC would climb into the ring for a possible VP spot. Find your spine Democrats! This is not the time for business as usual.

 @ZealousVot3rVo1ceSocialist from VI  commented…10mos10MO

It is time for Joe Biden to hand over the keys and let somebody else drive. Trump is beatable, but he will run that "we beat Medicare" clip from now until November.

What his family is doing now [in encouraging him to continue to run] is close to elder abuse.

 @CharismaticParrotGreenfrom Florida  commented…10mos10MO

What's the worst possible thing that could happen if Joe Biden stands up on the 4th and says," I've given this a lot of thought. For the good of the country I've decided to end my campaign. I give my delegates their freedom to choose the best possible candidate to defeat the menace, Donald Trump. Our future is all that matters!" The country would be energized. We would still face the threat Trump and Maga represent, but "the People" would be unleashed.

 @ISIDEWITHasked…10mos10MO

How would the introduction of unexpected candidates into the race impact your feelings about the fairness and inclusivity of the election process?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…10mos10MO

In your opinion, is the entertainment value of a political event important, and can it coexist with serious political discussion?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…10mos10MO

Would seeing a broader range of candidates, like those mentioned, make you feel more represented in the political process?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…10mos10MO

Do you believe the excitement and unpredictability of an open convention would be beneficial for democracy, or create chaos?

 @ISIDEWITHasked…10mos10MO

How would an open Democratic convention change your level of interest in politics, and why?

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 @ISIDEWITH submitted…6mos6MO

Trump hits ‘nasty’ Michelle Obama at Atlanta rally

Former President Trump attacked former first lady Michelle Obama during his rally in Atlanta on Monday, calling her “nasty” after Obama lobbed attacks at the former president while stumping for Vice President Harris.“You know who’s nasty to me? Michelle Obama,” Trump told supporters in Atlanta.“I always tried to be so nice and respectful. Oh, she opened up a little bit of — a little bit of a box. She opened up a little bit of something. Oh, she was nasty. Shouldn’t be that way. That was a big mistake that she made,” he added.His remarks come after Obama criticized Trump during a Michigan rally on Saturday, at one point mentioning “Donald Trump’s gross incompetence.”“I hope that you’ll forgive me if I’m a little angry that we are indifferent to his erratic behavior, his obvious mental decline, his history as a convicted felon, a known slum lord, a predator found liable for sexual abuse, all of this while we pick apart Kamala’s answers from interviews that he doesn’t even have the courage to do, y’all,” she said in Kalamazoo, Mich.The heated rhetoric underscores the increasingly personal tone the presidential election has taken between the two campaigns roughly one week out from the election.An aggregate of national surveys compiled by The Hill/Decision Desk HQ shows Harris slightly ahead at close to 49 percent support while Trump is at 48 percent.

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Active 2hrs ago

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…5mos5MO

Israel Sinks Syria's Navy

Israel said Tuesday that it had destroyed Syria’s navy in overnight airstrikes, as it continued to pound targets in Syria despite warnings that its operations there could ignite new conflict and jeopardize the transition of power to an interim government.Israel’s defense minister, Israel Katz, said that the Israeli military had “destroyed Syria’s navy overnight, and with great success.” His remarks appeared to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the destruction documented in the Syrian port city of Latakia, where photos showed the smoldering remains of ships sunk at their dock.Mr. Katz said that Israel’s military “has been operating in Syria in recent days to hit and destroy strategic capabilities that pose a threat to Israel,” although he did not indicate what new or immediate risk Syria’s navy presented to Israel, which has the most powerful military in the Middle East.Israeli warplanes have conducted hundreds of strikes in Syria since the fall of President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, according to war monitors. Israel has characterized its operations as defensive, saying its military was striking suspected chemical weapons stockpiles in Syria to prevent them from falling “into the hands of extremists.”“From here, I warn the rebel leaders in Syria: Those who follow Assad’s path will end like Assad,” Mr. Katz said.As the Assad government fell to the rebels over the weekend, Israeli ground forces advanced beyond the demilitarized zone on the Israel-Syria border, marking their first overt entry into Syrian territory in more than 50 years. An Israeli military spokesman on Tuesday denied reports that the military was advancing on Damascus. The spokesman, Avichay Adraee, said the military was inside a buffer zone between Israel and Syria and at other points “in order to protect the Israeli border.”Earlier Tuesday, Geir Pedersen, the United Nations special envoy for Syria, called on Israel to halt its “very troubling” military operations there, and said de-escalation was needed. “We are continuing to see Israeli movements and bombardments into Syrian territory. This needs to stop,” Mr. Pedersen told reporters in Geneva.

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