for god's sake can we please primary biden, please

[Psy-Fi]

2023 still has 23 days left, so there could and probably will be more to add to this later...

President Joe Biden's most embarrassing moments | 2023 gaffe compile

[SGR]

So looks like Biden's team has tapped Hillary as a big name surrogate for his reelection:

Hillary Clinton is a risky Biden 2024 surrogate

[Lisnaholic]

^ That would be a weird re-match

I hope those Trump supporters had the good sense to keep their "Lock Her Up" placards stored away safely.

[Guybrush]

Sigh. Isn't there a presidential candidate who doesn't have dementia, is a career criminal or who eats baby adrenochrome (?) for lunch?

[Nimbly9]

Sigh. Isn't there a presidential candidate who doesn't have dementia, is a career criminal or who eats baby adrenochrome (?) for lunch?

[Guybrush]

What is that and who does pushups on their knees?

[Nimbly9]

What is that and who does pushups on their knees?

That's RFK Jr., who is surprisingly buff for a 70 year old.

[Psy-Fi]

RFK Jr. faces steep hurdles and high costs to get on ballot in all 50 states

[Nimbly9]

RFK Jr. faces steep hurdles and high costs to get on ballot in all 50 states

See, this is ultimately why people who say "democracy is under threat" are full of it - this very story demonstrates that we don't really have one. Nobody should have to pay tens of millions of dollars to get on the ballots if the polls show that they have significant clout as an option that isn't a big D or R.

[SGR]

See, this is ultimately why people who say "democracy is under threat" are full of it - this very story demonstrates that we don't really have one. Nobody should have to pay tens of millions of dollars to get on the ballots if the polls show that they have significant clout as an option that isn't a big D or R.

Psh, getting on the ballot won't do him much good if Biden's administration won't even give him secret service protection. We've seen this story twice already, we know how it will play out if he continues to gain traction.

[DJChameleon]

See, this is ultimately why people who say "democracy is under threat" are full of it - this very story demonstrates that we don't really have one. Nobody should have to pay tens of millions of dollars to get on the ballots if the polls show that they have significant clout as an option that isn't a big D or R.

There is a huge push to have the popular vote be the way that presidencies are decided. Not the BS electoral college ish that has been going on.

I feel like that would represent a true democracy if that could end up being set into place.

[Jwb]

That would require a constitutional amendment.  And it would clearly favor the democrats and hurt the Republicans.  So there's no way to get the bipartisan consensus necessary for such a measure.

I really also don't think ballot access is the decisive barrier here.  It might be one among many,  but even without that the idea of an RFK coming in and being truly competitive with the candidates from the two parties seems like a massive stretch.

[DJChameleon]

That would require a constitutional amendment.  And it would clearly favor the democrats and hurt the Republicans.  So there's no way to get the bipartisan consensus necessary for such a measure.

It doesn't need a constitutional amendment to change the current system. The electoral college and the way that presidents get elected currently wasn't in the constitution.

The state-by-state winner-take-all method of awarding electoral votes is not in the U.S. Constitution. It was not debated at the Constitutional Convention. It was not discussed in the Federalist Papers.

The winner-take-all rule is used today in 48 of the 50 states because it was enacted as a state statute in those states, under the same provision of the U.S. Constitution (empowering the states to choose the method of awarding their electoral votes) being used to enact the National Popular Vote plan.

Source

[Jwb]

OK that would still be the electoral college, though. But you're right it would be a better approximation of the popular vote,  if they got rid of winner take all.

[DJChameleon]

Yeah I mis-understood it. It wouldn't completely toss the electoral college.