As I mentioned over on the reading thread, I'm going through the new Jonathan Allen and Amie Parmes book "Fight" that was released yesterday and purports to be the inside story of the Democrats' 2024 disaster of replacing Biden with Harris. Most of the shock value things have been - unsurprisingly - reported and in many cases oversold by clickbait headlines and media. Furthermore, I don't think there's been anything in the book so far that would "really" surprise anyone who knows how the movers and shakers all talk to and about one another.
I'm at page 90 of a 317-page book of text (it's about 400 with all the hub-bub), and so far:
- there was a noticeable shift in Biden's "acting foggy" in the spring of 2024*
- the time Biden asked for a dead GOP Congresswoman was a flash point for his side.
- Ds went full meltdown and one freshman seeking reelection in Michigan posted in an online chat that she was for "Governor Whitmer"
- this caused the Congressional Black Caucus to blow their stacks and basically say "if Biden withdraws, we will accept no replacement besides Harris"
- the black vs white scenario unfolded before Biden ever even left Atlanta (where the debate was)
- Harris was in LA and had to try to salvage something in the post-debate spin, something virtually nobody in her orbit thought she could do given her repeated fluffs in the VP role
- Harris, however, did a good job of framing it as "a choice in November about the future" and conceded it was not Biden's best night but didn't turn on him
- they set up a conference at 1230 AM after the debate and all hell broke loose
- they decided their spin would be that Biden started slowly but finished strong, which caused one of their wealthiest donors to tell them they were "living in a bleeping alternative universe" if they said it
- at 1 AM, a Biden spokesperson made it worse by sending a text message to several members of the press that said, "Of course he's not dropping out."
- this text had the effect of telling the media they were even talking about that concept
- Biden was old school and knew he had won in 2020 by not doing everything his new school consultants kept telling him to do, so his stubborn streak was sort of, "Hey, I won last time when you didn't think it would work"
- in 2023, the DNC began gameplanning scenarios for replacing him if necessary or what to do if Harris was suddenly thrust into the Oval Office**
- Harris would only be seen as a legitimate President if Biden DIED; if they removed him, she would be seen as a puppet
- they had a listing prepared and given to two different people of REPUBLICAN judges not appointed by Trump in every state in the country in case lightning struck; the idea was that a Republican judge administering the oath to Harris would be seen as more legitimate if it happened
- less than 48 hours after the debate, Biden was at a fundraiser in Jersey with some rich bigwigs; the fact he had to look at a fluorescent strips on the floor to walk to his place didn't help matters
- one rich donor said he was going to ask Biden if he was staying in the race and was told that was fine but at least have the courtesy to do so privately
- the fact Biden had a TelePrompTer set up in a small room to talk to these folks didn't help, either
- you would think Trump would be happy but - of course he wasn't. He wanted credit for "destroying" Biden and "showing strength" and all he was reading was how bad BIDEN had been, no credit
- remember when Trump vanished from the news for about 11 days? Well, he didn't want that, and he spent all that time whining about how he was no longer the story.
- Speaker Johnson then made a royal mistake by calling for Biden's removal, which was the last thing the GOP consultants wanted.
- let them figure it out, if they replace him there's less time, if they don't, it helps us
- the ONE THING the GOP feared was Harris in the White House running as the new President
- Morning Joe called for him to step aside as did a number of lefties
- when his manager (Jennifer O'Malley Dillon) tried to persuade donors, she looked like a hostage video
- Clyburn and Jefferies decided they were sticking with Biden and would not give up the black woman's place in line without a fight
- Lloyd Doggett called for him to step down; he could since he wasn't running for reelection
- Biden appeared to have caught a break when he went home for July 4, this too would pass
* - a lifelong "Reagan Democratic" friend of mine who admits to not being a medical person has long theorized Biden suffered a minor stroke somewhere between October 2023 and April 2024, not overly serious but serious enough for a person his age with his medical history (3 aneurysms in 1988) to reduce function even more. He's not a conspiracy theorist nor is he hostile to the Democrats, but he noticed a difference even before it became pronounced and said "It looks like something happened to him."
** - I doubt they really waited until 2023 to do this. This is smart preparation regardless, I just think don't want it to get out and sound like, "Hey, we were planning on replacing this guy - or him dying - from day one!"
I'm at page 90 of a 317-page book of text (it's about 400 with all the hub-bub), and so far:
- there was a noticeable shift in Biden's "acting foggy" in the spring of 2024*
- the time Biden asked for a dead GOP Congresswoman was a flash point for his side.
- Ds went full meltdown and one freshman seeking reelection in Michigan posted in an online chat that she was for "Governor Whitmer"
- this caused the Congressional Black Caucus to blow their stacks and basically say "if Biden withdraws, we will accept no replacement besides Harris"
- the black vs white scenario unfolded before Biden ever even left Atlanta (where the debate was)
- Harris was in LA and had to try to salvage something in the post-debate spin, something virtually nobody in her orbit thought she could do given her repeated fluffs in the VP role
- Harris, however, did a good job of framing it as "a choice in November about the future" and conceded it was not Biden's best night but didn't turn on him
- they set up a conference at 1230 AM after the debate and all hell broke loose
- they decided their spin would be that Biden started slowly but finished strong, which caused one of their wealthiest donors to tell them they were "living in a bleeping alternative universe" if they said it
- at 1 AM, a Biden spokesperson made it worse by sending a text message to several members of the press that said, "Of course he's not dropping out."
- this text had the effect of telling the media they were even talking about that concept
- Biden was old school and knew he had won in 2020 by not doing everything his new school consultants kept telling him to do, so his stubborn streak was sort of, "Hey, I won last time when you didn't think it would work"
- in 2023, the DNC began gameplanning scenarios for replacing him if necessary or what to do if Harris was suddenly thrust into the Oval Office**
- Harris would only be seen as a legitimate President if Biden DIED; if they removed him, she would be seen as a puppet
- they had a listing prepared and given to two different people of REPUBLICAN judges not appointed by Trump in every state in the country in case lightning struck; the idea was that a Republican judge administering the oath to Harris would be seen as more legitimate if it happened
- less than 48 hours after the debate, Biden was at a fundraiser in Jersey with some rich bigwigs; the fact he had to look at a fluorescent strips on the floor to walk to his place didn't help matters
- one rich donor said he was going to ask Biden if he was staying in the race and was told that was fine but at least have the courtesy to do so privately
- the fact Biden had a TelePrompTer set up in a small room to talk to these folks didn't help, either
- you would think Trump would be happy but - of course he wasn't. He wanted credit for "destroying" Biden and "showing strength" and all he was reading was how bad BIDEN had been, no credit
- remember when Trump vanished from the news for about 11 days? Well, he didn't want that, and he spent all that time whining about how he was no longer the story.
- Speaker Johnson then made a royal mistake by calling for Biden's removal, which was the last thing the GOP consultants wanted.
- let them figure it out, if they replace him there's less time, if they don't, it helps us
- the ONE THING the GOP feared was Harris in the White House running as the new President
- Morning Joe called for him to step aside as did a number of lefties
- when his manager (Jennifer O'Malley Dillon) tried to persuade donors, she looked like a hostage video
- Clyburn and Jefferies decided they were sticking with Biden and would not give up the black woman's place in line without a fight
- Lloyd Doggett called for him to step down; he could since he wasn't running for reelection
- Biden appeared to have caught a break when he went home for July 4, this too would pass
* - a lifelong "Reagan Democratic" friend of mine who admits to not being a medical person has long theorized Biden suffered a minor stroke somewhere between October 2023 and April 2024, not overly serious but serious enough for a person his age with his medical history (3 aneurysms in 1988) to reduce function even more. He's not a conspiracy theorist nor is he hostile to the Democrats, but he noticed a difference even before it became pronounced and said "It looks like something happened to him."
** - I doubt they really waited until 2023 to do this. This is smart preparation regardless, I just think don't want it to get out and sound like, "Hey, we were planning on replacing this guy - or him dying - from day one!"
