I mean… Sure. They “can’t,” but we all know they do. In this case it’s very easy for the potential candidate to coordinate before they’re the candidate, or for the superpacs to just pay for non-stop ads about abortion, affordable housing, J6, and felonies.
With a fully functional candidate, this is the most obvious campaign ever to strategize.
If ever there was a presidential election where field ops can be bypassed, it’s this one. Social media ads, tv ads, free media out the ass because of the craziness… And offering everyone a non-Trump choice under 60 years old is going to drive people to vote.
Yes you still need an operation, I get it. But over $14 billion was spent in 2020 overall. Biden has about $200M on hand? It’s complicated and all, but where there’s a will and a few billy, there’s a way. If he dumps the $200M over, they find a way to get $200M that otherwise would have gone to the superpac into the campaign and/or some quasi independent superpacs funded field op. Here’s an idea: put all the campaign money into field ops in the swing states, gamble on th superpac handling field ops in California, Hawaii, New York, Massachusetts, etc. It’s risky down ballot and I’m sure this idea makes you want to rip your hair out given your experience and role, but I think most of us would gladly gamble the down ballot to reduce the risk of Trump.
If FEC laws are what is holding us back, I mean… (gestures wildly at the last 20 years of developments in this arena) … If I recall correctly, Trump violated 25+ FEC laws and not a damn thing happened.
I’m also going to point out that this debate was crazy early and Dems wanted that for a reason. I saw reporting tonight that Schumer told people privately that a switch is possible, given the early debate.
He bombed the debate in the worst possible way, it’s time to get him to step down and throw as much money and creativity as possible at workarounds, and where all else fails bet on the FEC being as feckless the next few years as it was the last few. We’re truly in a situation where the smartest people in the party should be in the same room in a “there are no bad ideas, let’s brainstorm,” meeting.
When Trump becomes mini-Hitler and I’m in my concentration camp writing my book on how the eDems were the reincarnation of the Weimar Republic, I’m going to use Sky’s posts as direct source material. Utterly deranged insider brain worms.
We can’t hurt Kamala’s feelings, are you kidding me? How about Kamala be a fucking adult and make a realistic assessment if she is the best candidate for “the most important election of our lifetime?”
The Dems are basically the PGA Tour right now. Arguing about people’s feelings as the existential threat looms. What a bunch of self important delusional geriatric narcissist gasbag fuckwits.
Newsome wins by 5+ points btw. Yeah the CA governor couldn’t get the money part figured out. GTFO
What I feel now is empathy for Trump voters whose primary motivation is disgust with the establishment on both sides. Everything they have ever said about eDems is 100% true. There is no argument on that point anymore.
Obviously Trump isn’t the answer but there are no answers.
Yeah, Biden couldn’t directly give what’s left over to the replacement candidate, but he is allowed to give it all directly to the DNC and then the DNC can use it to fund the replacement candidate and other down ballot races.
Seems insanely complicated, probably too hard to figure out. Guess we can’t have nice things now.
And seriously, we’re thinking Newsom can’t raise funds?
The eDems are using Trump to blackmail us into supporting and voting for a man who is manifestly unfit for the job. No pretense that morality and decency are even part of the equation anymore.
And they’re completely oblivious to the fact that a bunch of the youth vote that saved them in 2020 and the midterms is planning on staying home now. You’re not getting them back without a new candidate that gives them a reason to believe.
Technically he would have to give it to the DNC, and they would have to spend it on the replacement nominees campaign. But effectively this is correct.
Skydiver is right on the campaign technicalities here, fwiw. I still think Biden is going to get curb-stomped though and it would be nice if he stepped aside and dems tried something.
Honestly that post comes across as lying while being technically correct. Technically, Biden can’t hand his war chest directly over to a replacement campaign. But they are allowed to hand it over directly to the DNC, and then the DNC is allowed to spend all of those funds on the replacement nominees campaign. Which is effectively the same thing.
But it’s the type of argument you make when you want to throw up imaginary roadblocks to make it seem harder than it actually is to replace Biden.
Nah, she’s not lying about the logistical clusterfuck that field operations becomes. It’s not just about the money. And get out the vote is really fucking important.
On the other hand, I give Biden maybe a 2-3 percent chance of beating Trump right now, and a significant portion of that equity comes from Trump dying before the election.
Also, best way to get out the vote is have a candidate who actually energizes the base.
Where are these supposed field operations by the way? Because if I based it only on what I see in the world every day, I’d have no idea Biden is even running a campaign right now.
I disagree with it, but I do still appreciate skydiver posting and sharing her POV here. For me it’s unfortunately insightful to what the thinking is actually in the DNC right now, and why we can’t have nice things. We’re focusing on why it’s too hard to do what we need to to win, and that we might hurt the VPs feelings.