This is bad all around, for the Democratic party and for the guy who’s looking to risk upending democracy in this country in the furtherance of his own ambition. Look for Dean Phillips’ name to go down in history next to such personages as Benedict Arnold. We have a dicey situation right now, not only domestically with the GOP in meltdown, but two foreign wars rage abroad. Second-term Congressman Dean Phillips has decided that he needs to run an adjunct Republican campaign within the Democratic party, attacking our President, Joe Biden, for being old — a quality which, as a person up in years myself, I wish to point out that the man has no control over.
Age does not equal infirmity per se and I’ll throw down a challenge right now to any blogger half my age to put out quantity and quality equal to mine. This story isn’t about me, but it is profoundly about ageism and I see it for what it is, just like I’ve seen sexism for what it is my entire life, since I’ve been at the effect of it. So if any of you are 35-year old bloggers, come and get me. And watch this asshole Dean Phillips go for Uncle Joe’s throat on exactly that lame premise, that somehow youth alone is magic and inexperience is no biggy. Joe Biden has forgotten more about government, foreign and domestic policy than this upstart will ever learn.
Who the hell is Dean Phillips?
— Samuel Culper 722 (@politiwars) October 24, 2023
Very good question. Dean Phillips is the U.S. Representative from MN-03, and has been since 2019. So he’s got, wowey, four years experience in politics as opposed to Joe Biden’s 53 years. Phillips is 54 years old, so he was one when Biden first got elected to the New Castle County Council in 1970. But he knows more than Joe, you see.
What’s actually comical and I can tell him this and Joe Biden certainly would, is that at 54, he’s not so very “young” and when he gets a few more years on him and gets to the magic six-oh and people start talking to him like he’s an idiot because his hair is grey, he’ll understand ageism from a perspective that he does not now have.
You need to click this link and listen to Rick Wilson talk about this for three minutes. Wilson wrote his suicide bomber blog on this topic a few weeks ago. He saw this coming. And come it has. I don’t know how much damage Phillips is going to be able to do to Biden. Yes, there is some splintering in the Democratic party now over the Israeli war. But I have to believe that a few pro-Palestinians aren’t going to throw democracy to the dogs in order to try to get Phillips on the ticket over Biden.
Rick Wilson says this is the best news the Republicans have had in weeks and “they’re popping corks at Mar-a-Lago.” I don’t doubt it for a minute.
Before we panic…let’s remember back when Biden was toast, as the nominee losing primaries until South Carolina. I forget the black congressman’s name who controlled the democratic vote essentially, but he was struggling as to who to endorse. He wanted to endorse Biden but was conflicted since Biden wasn’t finishing first in other primaries. He went to a small black church to pray. He tells the story that after the service, and most of the folks gone, an older black lady named Ms. Johnson waved him over. She asked him who he was going to endorse. He said Biden was his man but he was conflicted. She said if Biden is your man then get out there and shout it from the rooftop. He did. Biden won the state and went on to the presidency…all because an old black lady had the guts to stand up and be counted. Often things in this life turn on a dime. I never thought there wouldn’t be challengers. The democrats need to stand up and clearly tout Biden’s accomplishments in spite of the Maga cult and insurrection, THE ONLY TIME IN OUR HISTORY THE CAPITAL WAS STORMED BY OUR CITIZENS. They may think in the fascist state of Florida this is significant, but it’s too early to celebrate when their candidate is clearly a criminal, and has gone on record time and again showing, if age has caught up with anyone, it has him. Of course, to anyone paying attention, his nazi stupidity has been with him ALL HIS GODDAMN LIFE. Age has nothing to do with it.
I’m sorry-Dean who? I’ve never heard of this putz. Quite frankly I’d be surprised if too damned many people living in his c.d. have and I would make book very few outside it have. Maybe he needs some of that free advertising press coverage provides so we have this “primary”.
What worries me is a compilation of factors: 1. No Labels; 2. Dean Phillips; 3. Schism in Democratic party over Israelis/Palestinians. You get enough weird stuff peeling off support, it can be problematic. Of all of these No Labels scares me the most. Remember, we don’t live in a Reagan/Mondale world anymore where a phenomenal landslide is possible. We live in a world where 77,000 (in 2016) and 45,000 votes (in 2020) can determine an election.
Ursula, your math is perfect as usual … I’m wondering how this development could cause a red wave when the House is in such a mess that unity from the Republicans is NOT a calculable item … Maybe the coin flippers have an inside idea, BUT your take on the, “No Labels”/ “Dean Phillips”, is a scare for those that cherish the last day of October … Nice report … we are seeing the scary side of everything Trump now, I just hope he does not blow a spleen as he realizes how bad it will be for his daughter as well as himself, the whole Trump World is fast dropping through that trap door … I can see Trump crying like the baby brain he is and, with much sniffling, desk slamming and maybe the court officers having to restrain him, just before the Judge sends him to jail …
Trump is walking a very thin wire these days, pushing the Judges to do the dirty on him, we STILL have time for many POP CORN feeds, his exit from the Court room each day is closer to a cry baby incident — hard to wait for him to get what he really deserves …
A Democratic primary challenge doesn’t mean that much. Biden is the INCUMBANT PRESIDET and WILL get his party’s nomination. GENERAL election challenges from the LEFT (Corny West) are more problematic as they would peel votes mostly from Biden. But more centrist (No Labels) and even lunatic “left” (RFK Jr) general election challenges could actually pull more votes from Trump.
Ursula you’re right to be concerned. When Mr West touts social justice but takes money from Harlan Crow, the forces of evil are marching. Sometimes i feel like we are members of the fellowship of the ring and our only hope lies in the unlikely event people will smarten up…and, as the Who sang long ago…we won’t get fooled again. The world seems to hang in the balance. That’s why I keep trying to scare the people into realizing the ultimate danger we are in. As Claude Rains replied in Casablanca when asked the possibility of Lazlo getting out via letters of transit…” it would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles.”
You know what would be absolutely incredible after this primary announcement bit? If President Biden made a public statement saying that he gladly welcomes Mr Phillips’ primary challenge as the opportunity to help inform the voters on any true policy differences, etc, just to show how he RESPECTS the process, even if he may feel he’s the better candidate, unlike a certain former Republican president who feels the GOP nomination should be his by default.