The video of the light rail stabbing certainly alters the narrative of Seattle being overrun with random acts of violence on public transit. Random that was not.

“… [smokin’ Joe] sees himself as akin to a dissenting justice who only has the power to complain, rather than a politician with the ability to do—or even try to do—something about the court”

Fecklessness
like Obama’s when
McBitch KkKonnell STOLE the
former’s USSC court pick seems
to Rule the “Democratic” partay’s oftimes
limp-wristed approach to governing 340 M Citizens

if they’re Unwilling
to borrow the so-called
‘right’’s ruthlessness perhaps
‘this little experiment in democracy’
has Finally run its Course. c’est la Vie?

@1 -- & yet
your gluttony
for Punishment
keeps you Glued.

sad.

too bad
so sad el Prez
doesn't take some
of that Power "our"
USSC just Granted him
& Test this Illegitimate court

by having Eltrumpster
declared a Clear & Present
Danger to these United States

and have his ample ass
Gitmo'd off to Much
Warmer climes
just so it's an
Official Act

it's All
Good
right?

Yep, it's time to yell at Biden for the SC decision, and not going and using it to destroy any remaining semblance of societal order, says the whiny leftie who can charge the street oversimplifying the Isreal/Gaza bit to black/white protest demands, but can't be aresed to do the same here.

Go you!

it's
Time to
let "republicans"
redefine Democracy
as Fascism & for "centrists"
to Keep the Left Silent & Compliant

@6 There's no need. You've rendered yourselves irrelevant to the discussion by your antics and purity tests. Real-life "Judean People's Front" antics. And being so unserious, all you've been for decades now is spoilers to hand things to the right. I give you NTK and Ann D.

But keep on keeping on.

The Dems are certainly looking like the Bobby Ayala of political parties!

@8 Yes, it totally alters the narrative... and ignores facts like firearms outpacing knives as murder weapons by an order of magnitude.
Strange, that.

Every morning is an epic shits show. If Biden did, indeed, have any cognitive abilities left he would do three things:
Sign an executive order (as now appointed king by the formerly supreme court) stating Donald Trump, specifically and explicitly, cannot run for president again, ever.
Resign and put Kamala Harris in the White House as president.
Step aside and allow this country to vote for someone who might actually give a shit about the people in this country instead of solely themselves.

But none of that will happen. Biden is arrogant and believes the bullshit that "only he can beat Trump." Jill Biden thinks she's Nancy Reagan. Democrats have their heads so far up their asses in denial regarding what is happening and what they could have done to prevent it.

Biden will lose the election, either legitimately, or by Trump taking it, with the full support of the corrupt, criminal, compromised, illegitimate, and partisan formerly supreme court.

Trump will succeed in destroying the country (and then die, leaving behind his fetid carcass and a carcass of a country).

The United States will cease to exist metaphorically and literally and just like every other empire that went down in flames, there will be no one left to blame, because there will be no one left. It won't be swift and it won't be painless. It will be slow and excruciatingly painful. It will, however, be.

@12 And what, exactly, are you doing to prevent the demise of American democracy?

Yeah, that's more or less what I thought.

@8 Only a moron would think that as many people in Seattle are killed by knives as they are by guns. Congrats.

@7 the left helped Biden win the Presidency, the powers of which he has decided not to use to prevent the death of democracy. Apparently for him "saving democracy" just means him fulfilling a lifelong ambition not anything substantive.

The Democratic Party’s Double Standard
Trump is not the only person on earth who cannot be trusted with power.

A man who deceives the public and wagers the planet’s future in pursuit of personal power is not, in fact, a man of great moral fortitude. Thursday night served as a frightening reminder that Trump is not the only person on earth who cannot be trusted with power.

Asking the public to vote for a man who cannot, in fact, serve as its leader requires real contempt for democracy.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/07/joe-biden-age-power-chaos.html

@13 voting for someone other than Biden or Trump. That's all I can do and it's nothing because this country has chosen Trump as the king of our demise. The people who have the power to make things any different have chosen, on purpose, to do nothing.

@8, @11 - only underscores the superiority of the firearm as a defense tool over knives or anything else!

Anyone saying that Biden can do something to alter the makeup of the current Supreme Court is beyond ignorant. Even if he used an executive order it would be quickly overruled by the present court. The Democrats are to blame for failing to understand the decades of work by the Federalist Society to subvert the federal courts. But attacking democrats now for not doing the impossible is irresponsible. Biden is still the best candidate to beat Trump. Whiny "leftists" would rather watch this nation burn than work toward a Biden victory. Too pure for practical politics.

@13- I will blame xina and all the other morons in the “can’t vote for Biden or Trump” crowd. By any objective standard, the Biden presidency has been quite successful. And before anyone yells “but the Border!”, you have to show me that you personally know, or have been yourself, someone who’s been raped/killed by a bad hombre or actually lost your job to one. Not heard about it on Fox, but actually had it happen. Yeah, I didn’t think so.

@19 what? He can appoint more justices and have the Senate confirm them. SCOTUS isn't a high school lunch table the justices already there can't tell new ones they don't get to sit with them.

@21 So what? Go ahead. Denying Biden's diminished cognitive state and the reality of him NOT BEING CAPABLE OF BEING THE PRESIDENT 2025-2029 is FACT. And the Biden Administration wasted his entire first term by doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to prevent what is happening from happening. If blaming me and anyone else unwilling to vote for the candidates we are being told are the ONLY options for leadership of this country makes you feel better, have at it. You are going to have deal with the reality that whoever is squatting in the White House in 2025, this shit show is only going to get worse, because the damage has been done. How much worse it will get and how long it will take is simply a matter of degrees. So blame me. I'm pretty much dead already, so your vitriol and blame and denial of reality don't mean anything to me. And since you asked, what are you doing to prevent the demise of American democracy? Voting for Biden isn't it.

Latest Economist/YouGov poll has Kamala's unfavorables finally lower than Joe's, and CNN polling has her ahead of not only him but any other Democrat possibility. It's over, and it's time to get her in there - last chance.

@22 Huh. So you're getting to know and understand the folks who approve of authoritarians by cosplaying one of them? Odd choice, but there you go. Now your insistence that might makes right in Gaza makes sense--that's you playing the role of a Maga man. After all, nobody loves violent regimes that care nothing for civilian deaths than the Maga crowd.

Me, I'm setting up for canvassing on behalf of liberal organizations that are not the Democratic Party here in the primary, hopefully using that time to run an experiment about how canvassers can best increase turnout, and planning to spend most of my free time on October on GOTV efforts.

The debate isn't behind them. It's going to continue impacting fundraising for months, has already provided tons of material for ads (just imagine how "we finally beat Medicare" or the NYT editorial asking Biden to drop out are going to be used).

We can say with certainty the effects and consequences will get worse as time unfolds.

This would be a good time to start picking a running mate for Harris?

@24 - Take a look at Biden's speech from yesterday re the Supreme Court's decision. Or the SOTU Or anything besides that horrendous debate performance. He's doing fine. And the country is dong pretty well all things considered. Have you forgotten that he's managed to clean up the pandemic inflation without crashing the economy? the IRA? Getting the decarbonization of the economy well underway? The general competence as opposed to the previous dipshittery from the Orange Anus? Name another President who was handed the pile of shit he was given and managed to pull things out. And, even if he becomes unable to serve at some point (dead etc.), that is why we have a qualified, competent VP. Or do you have a diatribe prepared against Harris as well?

Really - your whole nihilistic schtick about how we're doomed no matter what we do so let's just hand the keys to Trump is getting way past old. And BTW, typing whole phrases in all caps is kind of MAGA dialect.

Our dear Hannah and Ashley are sort of like the Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert of The Stranger's staff. Then throw in miscellaneous nutjob commentors like Our Dear Xina (own Sarah Palin) and Kristofarian (Marianne Williamson?), who would never be happy with anyone, and one has to wonder why one bothers with this publication.

@22 How many people have you convinced to leave the authoritarian fold?

@30 So why do you bother?

@29 President Barack Obama (who had a much worse situation when he stepped into the White House, because what he had to clean up was done by so-called reasonable Republicans, who not only blocked everything he worked to do as POTUS, but also stole a seat on the Supreme Court from him, when they had already stolen the presidency from Al Gore and given it to GWB in 2000.); oh and whose accomplishments Biden loves to takes credit for - AND who so many, incomprehensibly, believe should be forced to step in and save America).

Biden is unfit to be the Commander in Chief. Period. Full stop. Refusing to acknowledge that is a big problem and this country already has a shit ton of big problems. No amount of calling me names or saying nasty things about me will change any of this and when the shit show gets shittier and everyone is sitting around gobsmacked because the Democrats refused to do a goddamn thing about the MAGAts, none of these comments will matter. They don't even matter now. Denial is what will destroy this country - it has been doing a damn fine job for over a century now and it will bring us down completely. So sad, pathetic, and stupid.

Obama dealt with an ordinary recession. A bad one, but ordinary. There was no pandemic mess to clean up, and at his worst W did half the damage to the country than the Insane Clown Pussygrabber. You've presented nothing to show that Biden is doing a poor job as C in C, or that his handling of the economy has been sub-par. And yes, Obama lost a Supreme Court seat. But Biden walked in and had to deal with 3 freshly appointed rabid Nazi "justices" appointed by Fat Donald. In other words, a bulletproof fascist majority brought to you by the assholes who voted for Trump the first time. But other than one bad debate where Biden looked kinda old, what can you cite?

Also, what exactly do you propose the Dems "do about" the MAGAts? Camps? Death squads? The only people "doing anything" about that problem are the ones trying to keep the MAGAt King from getting back into power. Which you by your own admission are not. So, yeah, it's kinda going to be your fucking fault.

@20 Yes, the fact that I barely acknowledged your parroting of a contrived, pro-gun-violence assertion, is because I could not see the point.
Way to go.

Those who argue, dare I say rant, that President Biden should have done more ignore the act that the Senate is a 50/50 tie with the VP only intervening when there is a tie vote. Anything which had no Republican support, which is damn near everything, had to pass the approval of Sinema and Manchin. There is no way expanding the Court was going anywhere. It will be either Trump or Biden unless one of them drops out. Saying there is no difference is foolish and ignorant. Those who said there was no difference between CLinton and Trump got three Supreme COurt Justices who will be with us for a long time doing immense damage. It could have been different.

Biden accomplished more in his first term than Obama did in both terms (combined). At this point Biden has probably done more good (and less harm) than anyone since FDR. LBJ accomplished more, but also got us into Vietnam. Biden stumbled with the exit in Afghanistan, but otherwise has done fairly well. He has managed to support the Ukrainians without getting us into a nuclear conflict (a real possibility, since it is next to Russia and not a typical proxy war). Biden has not fixed the mess in the Middle East but no president can do that. It is basically up to the Israelis and the Palestinians and both are being led by idiots right now. Neither side wants peace. They want vengeance.

The problem is that Obama was young and cool, while Biden is old. Biden didn't have major policies named after himself either. The Biden-Climate-Rescue Act. The Biden-Fix-Shit proposal. The Biden-Cheap-Insulin-Finally Act. As a result, most of the populous (which is ignorant as shit) has no idea what happened. We have the best economy in the world -- for the first time since Clinton? -- Black unemployment is at an all-time low. Inflation has dropped to normal levels and yet people have no fucking idea.

They somehow want a fucking king. Crazy thing though. Democrats, by their very nature aren't really fond of fascism. You need the other guy for that.

FFS when you can't even deal in actual facts there is no point in even trying.

Obama dealt with just an ordinary recession?

The 2007–2008 financial crisis, or the global financial crisis (GFC), was the most severe worldwide economic crisis since the Great Depression.

Obama was cock blocked by Congress who made it their mission, stated OUT LOUD AND EXPLICITLY BY MITCH MCCONNELL, to make Obama a one term president. He still served two and he still got the ACA passed.

FFS what kool aid are you drinking? I hope for your sake it's not the Jim Jones variety.

Then again, obviously, it is.

Doesn't really matter, though, does it, because we're all gonna be kissing our asses goodbye.

This country is being undone by everything it founded itself on - white supremacy and the dehumanization of all who are not white and male. It's fitting, actually, and exactly what it deserves.

@36 Remind me again how many Trump voters you've converted to Biden voters with your listening tour? How many blue collar workers in swing states have you talked to? Have you communicated the results of your listening tour to any campaigns so that they may gain from your wisdom? Or is it all just navel-gazing?

One of the things I'll be doing in October is postcarding swing states, which increases voting turnout by ~0.9 points even in heavily contested swing states in presidential election years. Between everyone in our household, we'll probably send out about 300-500 postcards, which will result in ~3-5 people voting who wouldn't have otherwise. Is that enough to swing a swing state? Of course not, but neither is your listening tour. The key part is making the difference that you can and combining that with other people to make a larger difference that could swing the election.

https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/alaunasafarpour/files/bryantetal2020_article_thepowerofthestatehowpostcards.pdf

Of course, I'll also be canvassing swing districts (state and US House) to try to run up the score in the WA legislature and retake the House.

“ So why do you bother? “

Good question, boatgeek dear. Part of it is out of habit: I’ve been a slog commenter for more than a decade. I predate the registration system. At one point we had some great commentors, commenting on the articles that were written by (mostly) great writers, almost all of whom have moved on to better things.

That’s not to say that there’s not still some great commenters, or even great writers at The Stranger, but they are increasingly rare. Coverage of City Hall is juvenile at best. The SECB, which used to be snarky and fun, but also very much to the point, is petulant and many times embarrassing.

Is part of my dissatisfaction my increasing age? Rose-colored glasses? Yes, there’s probably something there, but I really do think that the quality of The Stranger’s writing staff has waned, and many of the comments are evocative the late Mr. Poe.

@41 All fair points, and ones I’ve considered too. I feel the reduced quality of SECB endorsements very keenly.

nyt’s lede:

Biden’s Lapses
Are Said to Be Increas-
ingly Common and Worrisome

People who have spent time with President Biden over the last few months or so said the lapses appear to have grown more frequent, more pronounced and, after Thursday’s debate, more worrisome.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/us/politics/biden-lapses.html

one reader’s comment:

I'm a strong Biden supporter. He's been a great president. I think he's a decent man who's done tremendously good things for the country.

But here's the thing: a majority of the voters don't have any problems with his policies or platform. In fact, polls show that his policies have had very strong support nationally, and with the demographics that will determine this election.

The problem for Dems is the perception problem--that he is not up for the job. It is not about whether he can do the job if elected, but whether he can get elected. Remove that one issue, and Dems should have no problem winning this election.

So, for the good of the country, the people around need to nudge him into handing things to someone else. Biden will be remembered for being one of the most accomplished presidents in modern history.

And he'll be remembered for doing what needed to be done in this country's time of need.

--No Name; Somewhere

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/02/us/politics/biden-lapses.html#commentsContainer

step aside, Mr. President*
and be Remembered
for being The Guy
Who Defeated
Eltrumpster

Fucking
TWICE

*no reason
to pull an RBG
nor a Feinstein, Sir.

@37 assuming for the same of argument you're 100% right about Biden's success, if the electorate doesn't know about it that's entirely his fault. He's currently campaigning for reelection. His one job is to convince people he's done well and deserves a second term. The debate was a great opportunity to make that case but he couldn't even complete sentences consistently and the opportunity was lost. Biden was nominated in 2020 primarily if not purely because a majority of Dems believed he had the best chance to defeat Trump, but at this point very few believe he can again. He should do the honorable thing and step aside.

@48

oh
Joe'd
be plenty
parralleled

he's pulled
his share or so
of Boners but we
needn't go there now

but his so Doing
might be the Jumpstart
to another Democratic Dynasty

hell I'd prolly
Revere him
for it

with an Unleashed
Progressive at
its Helm

FDR or LBJ or
whoevertf Round Two
or is it 3? put Human Beings
fucking BEFORE money-making

this World's been Engineered
for some small Faction
whom we just Happen
to Outnumber by
what 100,000
to one?

and just LOOK
where they're
Taking Us to

@45 So how many people have you listened to? How many first steps?

Also, there’s one group that routinely calls the Democratic Party the Democrat Party. Republicans. So that’s kind of an admission.

"Asking the public to vote
for a man who cannot,
in fact, serve as its
leader requires
real contempt
for democ-
racy."

--@xina

good point.

they'll spend their
BILLION$ encouraging
The Electorate to sit this one out

and be Rewarded
with a 10,000 yr
Eltrumpfster
Dynasty

remember who's
Second in Line
squeaker of
the House
Mike Joh-
nson

a most Efficient
Fascist waiting
in the Wings
salivating

more
Crazy Talk from
the Lunatic Fringe:

perhaps some
Good News
nyt:

Biden
Told Ally
That He Is Weighing
Whether to Continue in the Race

President Biden’s conversation is the first indication that he is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating debate last week.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/03/us/politics/biden-withdraw-election-debate.html

jfc, smokin’ fuckin’ Joe
have you Seen the
fucking Videos?
so Damning
and so A-
larming

continue on
and hand it all
Over to Eltrumpfster
or Step Aside and be
Remembered as one of
Thee Greatest Presidents
of the 21st Century? so Far?

Remember what’s
MOST Important
Sir: your Legacy

oh and THANK YOU
Sir FOR YOUR
SERVICE!