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401

Biden speech live: president says best way to save US democracy is ‘to pass torch to new generation’ (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

43 comments fedilink hide all child comments

all 48 comments

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[–] [email protected] 137 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A modern day Cincinnatus, the Supreme Court just made him a consul and he just chose to go back to being a common man for the good of the republic.

If this plays out, he’ll go down in history books as the man who sacrificed himself to save Democracy.

[–] [email protected] 71 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Fun fact, Thomas Jefferson thought of himself a modern day Cincinnatus, and mused romantically about going back to his farm.

He was famously terrible at farming. The fact stops being fun here and gets real dark real fast.

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 month ago

The fact stops being fun here and gets real dark real fast.

Like Jefferson's family tree!

[–] gravitas_deficiency 20 points 1 month ago

His slaves were great at it though. Because if they weren’t… well… you can guess.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 month ago

Yeah well, not like he was the one toiling in his fields.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

He was probably envious of the very flattering way Washington was described as a Cincinnatus.

You know, a guy who actually gave up a chance at seizing power over a fledgling democracy, multiple times, just because it would make him look bad.*

*I know "His Excellency" was not a great guy, let's skip the rant this time

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

He was!

He compared himself to Cincinnatus as he stepped away from governing Virginia, which he was also famously terrible at. So this was prior to Washington stepping down.

[–] [email protected] 94 points 1 month ago

Over the last few days, I’ve had more respect for Biden than ever.

Honorable people willingly give up power if they believe it will serve the greater good. Selfish narcissists cannot even comprehend such an act.

[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Conspiracy-Barbie Bobert is probably furious right now, that he isn't secretly dead.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 1 month ago

Or secretly her dad.

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Well damn, that's a lot more self awareness than the DNC and Dems usually exhibit.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think the media is just actually covering the Democrats good decisions for once

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

nah. Hillary didn't happen because of the media. the DNC did that because they thought they had it in the bag no matter what. I'm glad they're not making the same mistake this time and at least trying to adapt.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Free US from Israel.

[+] [email protected] -28 points 1 month ago (3 children)

We know that's not going to happen. Did you see everyone cheering on Netanyahu as he was calling for mass censorship of people? And Kamala has taken over $5M from AIPAC. So we should expect more of the same.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Citation needed

No but seriously if you have more info I would be legitimately interested in it. But for starters what you say would be blatantly illegal under campaign finance law. Even as shoddy as it currently is. I attempted but couldn't find anything like you describe.

Also I saw half of one party not even show up for that appalling address. What party was that again?

[+] [email protected] -51 points 1 month ago (1 children)

New generation is meaningless if it keeps upholding the old generation policies.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 month ago (2 children)

...do you actually believe that's what's happening, or are you just too naive to accept any progress that isn't the full scope of your ideals?

[+] [email protected] -43 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That is exactly what's happening. The only ones that are ever going to gain any influence within the party are the ones that have vowed to uphold the status quo. The status quo that has been built by generations prior.

[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 month ago (1 children)

We stand on the shoulders of giants.

Or as the young people say, we didn’t just fall out of a coconut tree.

[+] [email protected] -25 points 1 month ago (3 children)

What a weirdly sycophantic way of praising what is arguably the most corrupt House, Senate, and Supreme court this country has seen since the robber baron days.

I'm interested in how you square the circle between this fantastic view of American exceptionalism with the clear statement that voters have made that they absolutely DO NOT WANT politicians like Biden or Clinton leading them, and basically stand in disgust of institutions like the House and Senate, where House members are clearly using their positions to increase their personal wealth.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It seems that your tribe and my tribe are not the same.

64000 people just donated over $120 million to the inherent nominee in 3 days, me being one of them. You call that corruption whereas I call it hope.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

If you need to be a cheerleader to belive things, thats fine. I also donated. I also signed up to volunteer like I have for progressive and democratic campaigns for the previous 12 years.

But I also need to have clear eyes when it comes to the political context I find myself in. We need to pick up the ball that the Democrats dropped by insisting on Biden for as long as they did, drive it down field, and put it in the goal. But I'm not going to live a lie about who the Democrats are, and who they have been, for literally decades. I can't afford that. The cost of living in a fantasy about who the DNC is, how they manage their party, and how they use different demographics of voters only when its convenient for them is simply too high. I've needed them to be a better party for years and they keep choosing to not live up to who we, the voters, need them to be.

Democrats need to do better and they can't keep relying on marginalized demographics and minorities to come in here and save their asses every time they fuck up (like they've been doing with this entire primary where they just about handed the whole damn thing to Trump).

I can chew gum and walk: I can both support the nominee and dial the numbers, and also have a criticism of a party that treats its voters with the level if disrespect it has.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Poignant, but I disagree.

I think you are treating the presidency as a dictatorship. Even though you even say in your comment that the party is segmented, you are treating the party as one monolith. I think you know each faction has their own special interests.

Hell, I’ll even tell you mine. I spend my times and resources focusing on climate change. It’s been my primary political motivation since the first Earth Day that I can remember, planting trees with my Mom and watching Captain Planet thereafter.

If I had it my way, I’d have the military spend at least 25% of their resources on that alone and require all citizens to complete 40 hours per year volunteering for environmental activities that impact their local community. I’d take back the word “sustainability” to mean impact to the climate.

If it were up to me that would be my main focus until we resolved the issue as I think it’s the biggest trial to humanity of our times. Those people are my faction.

I’d do that at the expense of many other initiatives; those others would likely die on the vine.

But I’m competing with so many other important activities supported by their own special interests. Now I wonder, which one gets prioritized? Likely the one by the faction that is screaming the most or the easy one that gets broad support and improves popular sentiment.

Now, if we were a dictatorship, we could get your and my issues resolved….but I don’t want to live in a dictatorship, so all I can do, living in our current moment, is cheer and vote and wait for my turn.

And I’ll do it with vigor, because the alternative is a big step in the wrong direction.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Where do you see anyone here praising the Supreme Court?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Biden won the primary and then the election. The clear statement you'd like there to be wasn't made, even if we think issue polling means we think the electorate is further left. The only clear statement against Biden is against the mentally fading present day Biden, but that's not because of the kind of politician he was.

[+] [email protected] -92 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (7 children)

I feel like this speech was unnecessary. It only made me feel worse. I need the Democrats, and especially Biden, to stop soapboxing about "saving democracy" and "presidents are not kings" when they literally just skipped the democratic part of choosing a nominee for it to be handed down like a crown.

In fact, I'd feel a lot better if they apologized for it and told us how they were going to stop it from happening in the future.

Edit: wow, y'all really freak out at any suggestion of wrongdoing by the Democrats. I'd suggest looking backwards at how we ended up with the current primary process. 1968 Democratic primaries. The Democrats recognized the problem then and introduced reform, why is that such an outlandish thing to ask for now?

[–] [email protected] 40 points 1 month ago (1 children)

First of all according to the constitution it is up to the parties to bring their candidates. The primaries are done in a certain way for example Republicans don't allow to vote for their candidate unless you are registered Republican, superdelegates etc.

Second, Harris is a VP, she already was on the ticket with Biden. Biden just opted to not run.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago (1 children)

First of all according to the constitution it is up to the parties to bring their candidates. The primaries are done in a certain way for example Republicans don’t allow to vote for their candidate unless you are registered Republican, superdelegates etc.

No. Political parties are not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution as the founders were wary of the polarization and factionalism that parties would bring- Washington famously warned against them in his farewell speech when he left the office of the Presidency. Second, primaries aren't in the Constitution either. The DNC and the RNC are private organizations that work to get candidates on ballots according to the laws each state and Congress have passed regarding elections, but they are by no means a requirement. That's why both parties do their primaries differently.

The President is only elected when the electors from each state cast their votes after the general election. The states have decided to select their electors by having primary elections, but there is no Constitutional requirement for them to do so.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

My bad, I meant to say that as far as the Constitution is concerned, the parties can pick up their candidates however they want.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

Well that actually is in the Constitution, so you're kinda right. The first amendment promises "freedom of association" which is exactly what these parties are doing. They're choosing who to associate with as their candidate for president. They are voting, the delegates I mean.

The other guy is just upset because they didn't personally ask him. But I guarantee he doesn't donate to or volunteer for any local candidates.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

Found the trolls. No one is listening to you guys. Just give up.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

they literally just skipped the democratic part of choosing a nominee for it to be handed down like a crown

How about the fact that nobody mounts a serious challenge against an incumbent anyway, how is that any better? Is it because they were already elected in the general 4 years ago? Because Kamala was on that ticket, too. Oh, and nobody votes for the VP nominee in the primary stage, even if they are second in line. Heck, you kind of have to trust the presidential nominee on that front.