For the second time in as many weeks, I’m skipping over what I’d planned to write about today to take on something that feels too urgent and pressing to avoid. I’ll flag some developments I had earmarked for our usual week-ahead piece over the next couple of days. Tonight I want to talk about developments that, despite being deeply disturbing, are largely being ignored. They’re important individually, but they have even more significance collectively.
I can barely tolerate reading online papers or watching the media on TV. Apparently, they learned nothing and are doing what they did before. Instead of emphasizing Biden’s many accomplishments, it’s all about low poll numbers and his age. They phrase their leads with words that make President Biden look weak and incompetent.
Joyce Vance--when you’re on tv, please speak out more about the danger in the way candidates and politics are reported, and the move toward fascism in America. Please find a way to get your Substack articles into the hands of mainstream media. Please help us--you have access that most of us don’t.
After watching 92-year-old Warren Buffett and 99-year-old Charlie Munger delivering folksy words of wisdom at the Berkshire-Hathaway shareholders meeting on Saturday, I have to chuckle at the suggestion President Biden is too old to run again. As a beneficiary of the new cap on insulin prices, I was honored to be selected to introduce him when he visited Las Vegas in March to deliver a major speech on reducing drug prices; during the few minutes my wife and I chatted with him prior to his speech, I saw a vibrant, fully engaged leader.
I loved Biden's initial national campaign ad. It stressed the word "freedom," and this is a term Democrats need to own this year. The GOP is great at messaging, but it is the Democrats who are standing tall for freedom, and they need to hammer this home over the coming months.
Every last point you've made is truly excellent, Joyce.
And for those who think all this stuff Joyce is talking about doesn't have an effect, Axios reported a poll tonight that shows it does. I quote:
"A new Washington Post/ABC News survey will be sending shockwaves throughout the Biden White House — and could reshape the conventional wisdom about Trump's chances in 2024.
"Why it matters: The poll finds former President Trump leading President Biden by seven points, outside the margin of error.
Trump's advantage over Biden is the exact same as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis', suggesting any electability gap between the two Republicans is overstated.
"By the numbers: Biden's approval ratings hit an all-time low in the survey, dipping to 36%. His disapproval rating rose to 58%.
"Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Biden does not have the mental sharpness to serve effectively as president, up from 43% in 2020.
"By a 54%-36% margin, Americans say Trump did a better job handling the economy when he was president. (This point totally gobsmacks me - what the hell planet do these people live on???)
"The bottom line: Even if this poll is an outlier, it's getting harder to say that Trump can't win another term. In fact, his odds are looking closer to 50-50 than as a true long shot."
To me, this poll is proof that the United States has become a fundamentally unserious nation. The American people obviously have no fuqqing clue what is going on, and the propagandists Joyce has pointed out here are to blame. And the "centrist" organization she didn't mention is "No Labels" which is setting things up to put up Joe Manchin as their presidential candidate and throw the election to Trump with a plurality.
Thanks Joyce for sounding the alarm!! Don't stop. You're not any more an "alarmist" than my old friend Billy Wilder was when he became a "crank" to his friends in Berlin, telling them Hitler and the Nazis were not "clowns" back in 1929-32.
Do I wish Biden was younger? Yes! And I bet he does too. But his age will not prevent me from voting for him - I will do that proudly! He has done a great job cleaning up a horrible mess and getting us back on track. I want him to finish the job! Now, all that being said… for the life of me I cannot figure out what’s wrong with MSM in their coverage of tRump. All they do is play up Biden’s age but never bring up tRump’s criminality.
I'm not jumping on the doom and gloom bandwagon. It is too soon & frankly I'm surprised so many journalists have decided for that to be their narrative. Biden's ads starting airing in Florida this weekend. They are good. We need several more like it to hammer home our pursuit of rights for all Americans. We have time & these "polls" mean nothing. We have to be determined to get out the vote & focus on issues Americans want. As a Floridian, we are starving for democracy. And as a woman I won't stop supporting elections to return our rights once and for all. It's time to dig in. Our fellow Americans have learned way too much about the former guy to ever let him back in power. Americans are smart enough to know, in spite of whatever age difference Biden and tfg have, our President Joe Biden is the best person to lead us into the future, where the number of extremists are declining & their lies are catching up with them. Gen Z is on deck to be extremely effective and focused on their futures as well. Don't lose faith now.
WOW! I think I read your article as fast as you typed it... You are absolutely right, trump is nothing more than a wannabe dictator that has been able to con practically the entire southeastern portion of the US to his way of alleged thinking. Right now, yes, speed in doing something about him is of the essence. I so want Congress to invoke the 14th amendment, section 3, and get him banned from ever holding any office, elected or appointed, again. Whether this will happen, whether there are enough Senators and Representatives that can see the truth and have the spine to uphold it is the big question.
Everything you say in this article is fact, and hopefully Jack Smith can bring his case before the 2024 election. I'm certain that a jury would convict trump in an eye-blink for all the sh*t he's pulled. Fanii Willis also has an excellent chance, just get the case open and on trial before the stalled December one. So we need another smoking gun, or video of any more crimes... I don't think so..
Re President Biden... he should run, and be re-elected. I believe Democrats will support him 110%, and there are more of us than "them". He has the wisdom of the Universe within him, and the mental acuity to do the job.
The murmuring about Biden's age says the opponent has not much better to use against him. Worse, they are echoing Democrat's concerns, which makes it seem like it's coming from the left and some of it may be. Biden has many accomplishments of which to be proud. I worry that Trump will again get too close to the Oval Office. If Trump gets in again, he won't hesitate on big changes that will destroy America.
Democrats have to step up to the fact that today’s Republican party is at war with democracy. Straight from the fascist playbook, at the local and state levels, the intense and coordinated bullying and threats against honorable public officials is having the desired effect of having people not willing to run for school boards and city councils and election positions and to decline to run again. When we barely elected a Democratic federal trifecta in 2020, two senators blocked protecting our democratic institutions. And nothing was done to add seats to SCOTUS, so there went women’s healthcare rights. Here comes the end of the Chevron rule and with it the ability of federal agencies to regulate. This is more than Biden versus tfg.
Dear Joyce, I am bombed by today’s newsletter. As a university educator in the public CUNY system of New York City, I am very fearful of Dump’s ability to dismantle our education system. His Secy of Education, Betsy DeVoss came very close. I am an activist, born 1949, and I am with you. Have supported the young at Harvard registering and organizing Gen Z citizens all over the country. Tell us more of what we can do to publicize, engage and fashion a plan to resist this fascist takeover of the United States. Never thought I would write those words. OMG
Every time I see an article or comment about Joe Biden and it starts with a comment about his age I always call out the author on that. And I always dispute the stated as a fact that he is demented. (Biden is not exhibiting any clinical signs of dementia, unlike Reagan who did.)
Every time I see an article or comment about Harris being incompetent I call that out as well.
Anytime I see reference to Biden/Harris poor showing polls I point out just how reliable polls have been in the last 6 years.
None of these things are true, yet MSM seems to write this crap over and over and over. I assumed the writers were just lazy. After reading this column, I now realize it may actually be something more nefarious. Thanks for opening my eyes. Which of course will now stay open for the rest of the night as I toss and turn and worry. Yeah, been doing that a lot since 2016.
To your point Joyce about the circulating stories about Biden’s age and capacity to serve. The young woman who I go to for my hair startled me the other day. I have been going to her for at least 8 years. She is probably in her early thirties. She can’t stand Trump and definitely leans more liberal. We have had many conversations over the last years about how dangerous Trump is to our democracy. We celebrated when Biden won the election. I hadn’t been in for several months and we got on political discussions. I said I couldn’t believe Trump was running again. First of all she said she didn’t know that and had turned off any political news. But what she did know was that Biden was too old and senile to be president. So I asked her if she turned off politics where was she getting this information. She said “oh I hear it from friends”. I proceeded to go through his list of accomplishments since elected and reminded her of the things we used to talk about concerning Trump. That he’s an authoritarian turned fascist. She said well I don’t like him either but he’s not senile. I explained that Biden is a stutterer and his speaking is slow and deliberate. And it can appear that he can’t find his words . But he has incredible experience, knows what he is doing and is saving our democracy. I added if you want to live under Fascist rule then Trump is your guy. She did listen but seems to be under some other influence which really haunted me after leaving. It was unsettling .
Joyce, your words in this issue should be reprinted in every paper and magazine in the country. It lays out so well the terror that we would be living in if Trump wins. We would see our democracy peeling off layer by layer. We would see the dismantling of our colleges and all education, ripping apart the judiciary, installing yes thugs and loyal cronies in offices, denying rights to anyone other than white Christian’s, and on and on right before our eyes. We MUST
speak out!! We MUST get out the vote and we MUST do all that we can think of doing that is legal to stop this horrific Hitler like monster
So Joyce, where the heck is Merrick Garland? If Trump is indicted on criminal charges how can he run for office? I don’t understand why he will be allowed to run for office! Is DOJ just going to stand back and watch this happen?
NO. 1 Biden's age and propaganda spreading the word about his mental incapacity and all else being made-up, along with a 'unity ticket' being proposed, and his very poor poll numbers: I start off saying yes to all this, but there is at least one more important point that is not being considered.
Living in the US is not pleasant, and it gets worse with every shooting. Americans don't like living here. Who are we going to blame? On top of everything that social media, Fox and PROPAGANDA INC., are creating, life here stinks and it's Biden's fault!
3. I think every whisper and shout about Tucker seems out there. We're obsessed with Tucker as we are with Trump.
I would like to skip Trump's fascist marketing business and ask a question. Joyce, have you considered reading our comments starting from the back of the bus? Readers' locations, work, etc., may make it impossible for them to read Civil Discourse soon after it drops into their mailboxes. The back of the line of readers are not likely to be less interesting than the beginning. You might also reach different sections of the country.
That scares the hell out of me!
I can barely tolerate reading online papers or watching the media on TV. Apparently, they learned nothing and are doing what they did before. Instead of emphasizing Biden’s many accomplishments, it’s all about low poll numbers and his age. They phrase their leads with words that make President Biden look weak and incompetent.
Joyce Vance--when you’re on tv, please speak out more about the danger in the way candidates and politics are reported, and the move toward fascism in America. Please find a way to get your Substack articles into the hands of mainstream media. Please help us--you have access that most of us don’t.
I love democracy and want to keep it.
After watching 92-year-old Warren Buffett and 99-year-old Charlie Munger delivering folksy words of wisdom at the Berkshire-Hathaway shareholders meeting on Saturday, I have to chuckle at the suggestion President Biden is too old to run again. As a beneficiary of the new cap on insulin prices, I was honored to be selected to introduce him when he visited Las Vegas in March to deliver a major speech on reducing drug prices; during the few minutes my wife and I chatted with him prior to his speech, I saw a vibrant, fully engaged leader.
I loved Biden's initial national campaign ad. It stressed the word "freedom," and this is a term Democrats need to own this year. The GOP is great at messaging, but it is the Democrats who are standing tall for freedom, and they need to hammer this home over the coming months.
Well, that was like a Goya painting. I'm feeling wide eyed, hands at the side of my face, The Scream.
Holy moly, Molly, America better wake up. We knew it was this scary, but seeing in one page is jolting.
Every last point you've made is truly excellent, Joyce.
And for those who think all this stuff Joyce is talking about doesn't have an effect, Axios reported a poll tonight that shows it does. I quote:
"A new Washington Post/ABC News survey will be sending shockwaves throughout the Biden White House — and could reshape the conventional wisdom about Trump's chances in 2024.
"Why it matters: The poll finds former President Trump leading President Biden by seven points, outside the margin of error.
Trump's advantage over Biden is the exact same as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis', suggesting any electability gap between the two Republicans is overstated.
"By the numbers: Biden's approval ratings hit an all-time low in the survey, dipping to 36%. His disapproval rating rose to 58%.
"Nearly two-thirds of respondents said Biden does not have the mental sharpness to serve effectively as president, up from 43% in 2020.
"By a 54%-36% margin, Americans say Trump did a better job handling the economy when he was president. (This point totally gobsmacks me - what the hell planet do these people live on???)
"The bottom line: Even if this poll is an outlier, it's getting harder to say that Trump can't win another term. In fact, his odds are looking closer to 50-50 than as a true long shot."
To me, this poll is proof that the United States has become a fundamentally unserious nation. The American people obviously have no fuqqing clue what is going on, and the propagandists Joyce has pointed out here are to blame. And the "centrist" organization she didn't mention is "No Labels" which is setting things up to put up Joe Manchin as their presidential candidate and throw the election to Trump with a plurality.
Thanks Joyce for sounding the alarm!! Don't stop. You're not any more an "alarmist" than my old friend Billy Wilder was when he became a "crank" to his friends in Berlin, telling them Hitler and the Nazis were not "clowns" back in 1929-32.
Do I wish Biden was younger? Yes! And I bet he does too. But his age will not prevent me from voting for him - I will do that proudly! He has done a great job cleaning up a horrible mess and getting us back on track. I want him to finish the job! Now, all that being said… for the life of me I cannot figure out what’s wrong with MSM in their coverage of tRump. All they do is play up Biden’s age but never bring up tRump’s criminality.
I'm not jumping on the doom and gloom bandwagon. It is too soon & frankly I'm surprised so many journalists have decided for that to be their narrative. Biden's ads starting airing in Florida this weekend. They are good. We need several more like it to hammer home our pursuit of rights for all Americans. We have time & these "polls" mean nothing. We have to be determined to get out the vote & focus on issues Americans want. As a Floridian, we are starving for democracy. And as a woman I won't stop supporting elections to return our rights once and for all. It's time to dig in. Our fellow Americans have learned way too much about the former guy to ever let him back in power. Americans are smart enough to know, in spite of whatever age difference Biden and tfg have, our President Joe Biden is the best person to lead us into the future, where the number of extremists are declining & their lies are catching up with them. Gen Z is on deck to be extremely effective and focused on their futures as well. Don't lose faith now.
WOW! I think I read your article as fast as you typed it... You are absolutely right, trump is nothing more than a wannabe dictator that has been able to con practically the entire southeastern portion of the US to his way of alleged thinking. Right now, yes, speed in doing something about him is of the essence. I so want Congress to invoke the 14th amendment, section 3, and get him banned from ever holding any office, elected or appointed, again. Whether this will happen, whether there are enough Senators and Representatives that can see the truth and have the spine to uphold it is the big question.
Everything you say in this article is fact, and hopefully Jack Smith can bring his case before the 2024 election. I'm certain that a jury would convict trump in an eye-blink for all the sh*t he's pulled. Fanii Willis also has an excellent chance, just get the case open and on trial before the stalled December one. So we need another smoking gun, or video of any more crimes... I don't think so..
Re President Biden... he should run, and be re-elected. I believe Democrats will support him 110%, and there are more of us than "them". He has the wisdom of the Universe within him, and the mental acuity to do the job.
Us frogs ain't gonna be boiled.
The murmuring about Biden's age says the opponent has not much better to use against him. Worse, they are echoing Democrat's concerns, which makes it seem like it's coming from the left and some of it may be. Biden has many accomplishments of which to be proud. I worry that Trump will again get too close to the Oval Office. If Trump gets in again, he won't hesitate on big changes that will destroy America.
Democrats have to step up to the fact that today’s Republican party is at war with democracy. Straight from the fascist playbook, at the local and state levels, the intense and coordinated bullying and threats against honorable public officials is having the desired effect of having people not willing to run for school boards and city councils and election positions and to decline to run again. When we barely elected a Democratic federal trifecta in 2020, two senators blocked protecting our democratic institutions. And nothing was done to add seats to SCOTUS, so there went women’s healthcare rights. Here comes the end of the Chevron rule and with it the ability of federal agencies to regulate. This is more than Biden versus tfg.
Dear Joyce, I am bombed by today’s newsletter. As a university educator in the public CUNY system of New York City, I am very fearful of Dump’s ability to dismantle our education system. His Secy of Education, Betsy DeVoss came very close. I am an activist, born 1949, and I am with you. Have supported the young at Harvard registering and organizing Gen Z citizens all over the country. Tell us more of what we can do to publicize, engage and fashion a plan to resist this fascist takeover of the United States. Never thought I would write those words. OMG
Every time I see an article or comment about Joe Biden and it starts with a comment about his age I always call out the author on that. And I always dispute the stated as a fact that he is demented. (Biden is not exhibiting any clinical signs of dementia, unlike Reagan who did.)
Every time I see an article or comment about Harris being incompetent I call that out as well.
Anytime I see reference to Biden/Harris poor showing polls I point out just how reliable polls have been in the last 6 years.
None of these things are true, yet MSM seems to write this crap over and over and over. I assumed the writers were just lazy. After reading this column, I now realize it may actually be something more nefarious. Thanks for opening my eyes. Which of course will now stay open for the rest of the night as I toss and turn and worry. Yeah, been doing that a lot since 2016.
To your point Joyce about the circulating stories about Biden’s age and capacity to serve. The young woman who I go to for my hair startled me the other day. I have been going to her for at least 8 years. She is probably in her early thirties. She can’t stand Trump and definitely leans more liberal. We have had many conversations over the last years about how dangerous Trump is to our democracy. We celebrated when Biden won the election. I hadn’t been in for several months and we got on political discussions. I said I couldn’t believe Trump was running again. First of all she said she didn’t know that and had turned off any political news. But what she did know was that Biden was too old and senile to be president. So I asked her if she turned off politics where was she getting this information. She said “oh I hear it from friends”. I proceeded to go through his list of accomplishments since elected and reminded her of the things we used to talk about concerning Trump. That he’s an authoritarian turned fascist. She said well I don’t like him either but he’s not senile. I explained that Biden is a stutterer and his speaking is slow and deliberate. And it can appear that he can’t find his words . But he has incredible experience, knows what he is doing and is saving our democracy. I added if you want to live under Fascist rule then Trump is your guy. She did listen but seems to be under some other influence which really haunted me after leaving. It was unsettling .
Trump has GOT to lose in 2024!
Joyce, your words in this issue should be reprinted in every paper and magazine in the country. It lays out so well the terror that we would be living in if Trump wins. We would see our democracy peeling off layer by layer. We would see the dismantling of our colleges and all education, ripping apart the judiciary, installing yes thugs and loyal cronies in offices, denying rights to anyone other than white Christian’s, and on and on right before our eyes. We MUST
speak out!! We MUST get out the vote and we MUST do all that we can think of doing that is legal to stop this horrific Hitler like monster
who controls by fear and lies!!!
So Joyce, where the heck is Merrick Garland? If Trump is indicted on criminal charges how can he run for office? I don’t understand why he will be allowed to run for office! Is DOJ just going to stand back and watch this happen?
NO. 1 Biden's age and propaganda spreading the word about his mental incapacity and all else being made-up, along with a 'unity ticket' being proposed, and his very poor poll numbers: I start off saying yes to all this, but there is at least one more important point that is not being considered.
Living in the US is not pleasant, and it gets worse with every shooting. Americans don't like living here. Who are we going to blame? On top of everything that social media, Fox and PROPAGANDA INC., are creating, life here stinks and it's Biden's fault!
3. I think every whisper and shout about Tucker seems out there. We're obsessed with Tucker as we are with Trump.
I would like to skip Trump's fascist marketing business and ask a question. Joyce, have you considered reading our comments starting from the back of the bus? Readers' locations, work, etc., may make it impossible for them to read Civil Discourse soon after it drops into their mailboxes. The back of the line of readers are not likely to be less interesting than the beginning. You might also reach different sections of the country.
Thank you for your deeply informative pieces.