Joe Biden Presidency thread *Please read OP - Threadbanned Users Added 4/5/21*

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310131#Comment_121310131

It's a long way out yet and Trump has only just started vocalising his "ideas" for another Muslim ban and ideological tests for immigrants etc.

The risk is that they sit out the election , not that they vote for the GOP.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310195#Comment_121310195

Correct on the latter part. But look at what happened in 2016.

It wasn't that large portions of voters voted for Republicans, it's that they stayed home. Hillary Clinton lost multiple major key states because of that.

And unless it really is Trump in 2024 (which it may well be but there is still so much fuckery right now to say) there is still not a guarantee they show up even then if Trump is able to run a campaign to keep them out - and one readily exists: Biden's Afghanistan pullout, Biden's Israel policy, Biden's denialism of civilian casualties, including Arab-Americans and the families of Arab-Americans. It would be a serious error to think Biden can just hope this blows over by November, it requires some form of redress. Otherwise Arab-American voters have a choice between 2 turd sandwiches neither of whom appear to care about them or their loved ones. Subsequently, they sit out, and that shaves another razor across the margins.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/01/bidens-dismissal-reported-palestinian-death-toll/

Podge_irl

Whatever about the morals of the situation, Biden was on a hiding to nothing electorally speaking. There is no path he could follow that would not at least temporarily bleed support.

As to his performance, I think it is clear and obvious that the US has applied some degree of restraint onto Israel. It is clearly not sufficient, but I don't think the US is in as powerful a position to dictate things as others do. Netanyahu is too deep in **** to listen to any reason.

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121306570#Comment_121306570

And by people who would claim with a straight face that they are against "identity politics".

Overheal

Fringe republicans really hope America is stupid enough to blame Biden for their weaselly attempt to give billionaires another tax break not taking flight

https://www.mediaite.com/news/hes-bluffing-rand-paul-tells-fox-theres-no-chance-biden-vetoes-israel-aid-bill/

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310789#Comment_121310789

The US funds and supplies Israels military, they could cut them off in the morning if they so chose to do.

Netanyahu is a big bully because he has the US backing him, he wouldnt be so confident if the US renounced him which of course they wont do.

.Donegal.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121311759#Comment_121311759

Yeah. America has a lot of power over Israel in that regard. Biden asked for what was it $11b? in military aid for Israel last week. Hi Ben don’t be such a **** or you won’t get the “aid”. Apparently Israel has the right to “defend” itself by slaughtering thousands of kids and gets rewarded with billions of dollars in return. Biden actually makes me feel sick, if he came back to Ireland I doubt he’d get as positive of welcome. I certainly would have had an overall positive rather than negative opinion of him before this even though he was doting tit. Not anymore.

ancapailldorcha

Can you back any of that up or is this more fake concern?

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312016#Comment_121312016

It's a real concern.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312046#Comment_121312046

The way the post is worded suggests that it's an excuse to take shots at Biden based on disinformation.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312091#Comment_121312091

Well, it's kicking down the doors of Congress for one, the connection is pretty clear between US taxdollars and helping children get bombed. And clear the political pressure it places on Congress and on Biden:

https://www.reuters.com/world/wars-rage-biden-administration-make-case-106-billion-ukraine-israel-2023-10-31/

And I think its just a matter of fair analysis, Biden already got up and speeched, they have to obey the laws of war; if they don't what choice is he going to have but some sort of sanctioning response.

When polled Americans overwhelmingly do not support what's happening in current form:

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/majority-of-americans-republicans-support-israel-ceasefire-poll/

Biden could veto the aid bill over the IRS cut, he could also veto it because of how they've conducted themselves. At least I think that is fair to surmise.

MisterAnarchy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312133#Comment_121312133

Blinken is a warmongering hawk.

Biden made a catastrophic mistake making Blinken secretary of state.

Blinken was a top aide to Biden when the then-Senator voted to authorize the U.S. invasion of Iraq, and Blinken helped Biden develop a proposal to partition Iraq into three separate regions based on ethnic and sectarian identity.

He supported the war in Iraq- had an advisory role in the G. W. Bush government.

Advocated the over throw of Gaddafi in Libya in 2011

Supported the Saudi invasion of Yemen 2015.

Supports the Likud party in Israel in the trampling of rights of Palestinians.

Most worryingly he is the founder of WestExec, a consulting firm for defense contractors which is a clear conflict of interest, making any policy advice he gives highly suspect and likely tainted by his ongoing involvement with WestExec.

He should be in jail along with many more of his colleaguse.

Frank Bullitt

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312858#Comment_121312858

That last line is beyond ironic pal.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121310789#Comment_121310789

If Biden had come down on Israel, he'd have lost support of the Jews. If he goes soft on Israel, he loses the support of Arabs. Thing is, both the Democrats and the Republicans know who has the biggest leverage with regards to power in America and it certainly isn't the Arab community, so there was really only one path open to him.

I would also like to think that Biden and the admin were over there trying to talk the Israelis down from doing even worse things than they've already done. But I don't know if that's actually been the case. Looking at how casually callous they've been toward civilian death and the destruction of people's homes and livelihoods, it's hard to imagine that there's been any discussion on restraint at all.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121314039#Comment_121314039

I think it has already been wildly acknowledged that the US was responsible for reopening electricity and water supplied to southern gaza.

Now "that's not enough" is a perfectly reasonable response to that but they are definitely doing something. This is existential for Netanyahu though.

Overheal

Fox News incensed the WH will be campaigning against islamaphobia

https://www.mediaite.com/tv/tone-deaf-and-wrong-steve-doocy-calls-out-biden-white-house-anti-islamophobia-campaign-for-being-a-re-election-ploy-that-ignores-anti-semitism/

'How dare he not have a similar campaign for antise-' oh he DOES?

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/09/28/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-takes-landmark-step-to-counter-antisemitism/

https://twitter.com/AndrewJBates46/status/1719882232465113197?s=20

Ohhhhh.

eire4

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312133#Comment_121312133

There is zero chance Biden will have to veto this bill it will never reach his desk. There are 18 Republicans in the house in districts won by Biden so its questionable whether the Republicans even have the votes to get it out of the house. But if they even do that its dead on arrival in the senate.

Quin_Dub

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121316023#Comment_121316023

Exactly - I'd say it has a less than 50% chance of getting out of the House and then it's instantly dead in the Senate.

rossie1977

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121312858#Comment_121312858

So he should be in jail for supporting pretty much what every American did at the time and founding a consulting firm, ok.

For such a warhawk why did the US leave Afghanistan and why not a single American boot on ground in Ukraine...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121314366#Comment_121314366

The Americans are always going to side with Israel regardless of who is in the WH.

You have huge % of Americans who will do anything to keep Jerusalem out of Arab hands.

.Donegal.

Kamala Harris is another wretched soulless POS. At this stage the USA has lost any integrity when it comes to commenting on what’s good and bad in this world. I’m disgusted with them. I’d expect this of the republicans but the democrats have proven themselves to be absolute soulless pos as well.

US vice president Kamala Harris has refused to comment on Israel's bombing of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, which hospital officials say killed more than 50 Palestinian civilians.

"We are not telling Israel how it should conduct this war, and so I'm not going to speak to that," she said, during a trip to London.

Absolute *****

mikefromcork

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121317005#Comment_121317005

You either know nothing about US politics or are completely disingenuous. I think I know which one.

Overheal

TBF I have my own deep concerns about what is happening under Blinken and Biden. And TBF I would have probably not been as engaged as I have been if it wasn't for the neck of Blinken to go off about "ten 9/11s" which really loosed my goat about this conflict. And we've seen it, the admin is trying to highwire multiple parties, warning off Israel about the war on terror etc. but also... giving them much of the ammunition, literally and figuratively, to do that, 'ten times over' at least. Trying to minimize acknowledging casualties caused by Israel while going on the news every other day to re-eulogize what happened on the 7th and who died on the 7th and how they died, and how they had their 10x 9/11, essentially reiterating Israel's permission to do what it does while trying to balance duelling 'combatting antisemitism' and 'combatting islamaphobia' initiatives from the white house. While Biden has spent about a month now, begging Congress to authorize billions of dollars in both humanitarian and military aid be greenlit for the regime that would gladly take out a refugee camp full of refugees men women and children, the sick, the elderly, if it meant taking out a few targets of interest (they allege, trust us bro)

Beasty

.Donegal. threadbanned

Tell me how

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121320992#Comment_121320992

I've been pretty active on the Israeli/Gaza conflict thread and spoke earlier on this thread how I disliked Biden's approach to the conflict.

That being said, if the election was tomorrow, and I had a vote, I would vote for Biden 100 times more than any of the other candidates. What he is doing in Israel is inline with US policy for the last 30+ years and while I disagree with it vehemently, I'm under no illusion that other Presidents would act any differently.

The same goes with the EU (and particularly UVdL) not happy with the overt and immediate alignment with Israel, still a massive supporter of the EU project.

And while I am not happy with Biden and Israel, I don't hold him responsible for Israel's actions. Israel's military and Government (led by Nethanyahu) own their behaviour in the conflict 100% and while America could and should have influenced them to show some restraint, that does not absolve Israel for what it has done or will do.

Biden isn't the only Democrat who is all too quickly supporting Israel's actions. I've no problem calling them out, because I'm not a member of a cult.

Overheal

Denying death numbers, denying poll numbers

The withdrawal from Afghanistan for instance, easy to forgive him for, Trump and Pompeo really handed him a massive turd having negotiated with the terrorists. How he handles this crisis in Gaza however is all his own.

I might still show up to vote because I'm a politico but I can't say we won't have a 2016 all over again because of depressed turnout.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/11/06/biden-democrats-polls-politics/

Podge_irl

2016 did not have a low turnout. It was above average over the last few decades and pretty much in the middle of the last 5 or 6 elections.

Tony EH

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121337762#Comment_121337762

It was lower in terms of Democrats that refused to turn up to vote for Hilary Clinton and blithely thinking that she'd walk it anyway.

Biden may not be every Democrat voter's cup of tea, as it were, but the alternative will be 4 more years of Trump. That would be a disaster. Democrat voters would do well to remember what happened in 2016.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121337554#Comment_121337554

How much room does he really have though given Israel's prominence as a US ally and the American establishment's longstanding pro-Israel stance?

Rjd2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121337848#Comment_121337848

Its very messy for him yes.

I remember one of the POD guys saying both Biden and Trump will retain about 90% of their 2020 voters easily, but its going to be very small margins with different demos which will decide the race.

The current situation is a disaster when it comes to the crucial youth vote because they are simply much more pro Palestine than Biden and DNC are.

I'm not suggesting that these voters will vote Trump and yes Biden will win this demo easily but it just needs a slightly reduced turnout next year and Biden is in trouble.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121337873#Comment_121337873

The youth vote could go either way between abstention or voting for Biden. When you look at what his opponent did with the Middle East before, a return would not bode well for the Palestinians.

I've been trying to avoid the Gaza topic as much as I can due to how poisoned the well is at this point. I don't want to comment on it specifically but this is the sort of issue which could cost the Democrats quite dearly. The centrists and their older cohort will be more pro-Israel but young people have grown up viewing Israel as an imperialist, apartheid state.