DEAN PHILLIPS is challenging Pres. Biden (1 Viewer)

[SteveSBrickNJ]

US Rep. (D from MN) DEAN PHILLIPS is challenging President Biden to represent the Democratic Party for President.
I only discovered this today (1/20/2024)
He is wealthy and expects to stay in the race even if it appears hopeless...because Biden is in his 80s and "ya never what could happen"
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U.S. Representative Dean Phillips

U.S. Representative Dean Phillips Proudly Serving the 3rd District of Minnesota

phillips.house.gov

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1) What do Democratic posters on madaboutpolitics think of him? Please consider separating your thoughts about him as a D congressman from your thoughts about his decision to challenge Biden. I'd enjoy it if you answered both...yet separately. Just a request that you naturally can ignore if you wish.
2) I anticipate that many will state that he is wasting his time, yet could his "waste of time candidacy" never the less harm Biden politically?

 

[samiam5211]

Yes it is. Prejudice means you prejudge an individual based on a group you see them as belonging too. That is always a bad thing. Everyone with a prejudice thinks they are justified in their prejudice. White supremacists think they are justified as prejudging all non-white people as subhuman. You are doing the same thing to all elderly people, but of course you feel perfectly justified, that's exactly how prejudice works.

Like I said, there is no rational discussion to be had, because prejudiced people aren't operating from a place of rationality when they discuss their prejudices.

I'm sorry that you can't see the difference between age and race.

If i got on a plane and saw that the pilot was 80 years old, i'd change flights.

 

[Dragon]

Biden is less accessable in his first term than Reagan was. Does that clear it up for you?

Yes, it is absolutely ageism. I am being unapologetic about that. No one Biden or Trump's age should be given the responsibility of the Presidency.

I'm not going to get into proving to you that Biden is fading away mentally. I do not consider it something that is debatable. Trump isn't any better, so it's not a suggestion that people should be voting for Trump.

It is a joke that we are choosing between two people who should be in retirement homes to run the country.

No matter who we vote for, we should be ashamed that we don't have better options.

Biden has been extremely busy doing actual work. You cant compare him to Trump with his eternal "look at me" attitude. I remember him attending the 9/11 ceremony after a busy and highly taskingmeeting in Asia and flying half way across the world to get there. Most people would be totally smashed after those 3 days,

 

[samiam5211]

Biden has been extremely busy doing actual work. You cant compare him to Trump with his eternal "look at me" attitude. I remember him attending the 9/11 ceremony after a busy and highly taskingmeeting in Asia and flying half way across the world to get there. Most people would be totally smashed after those 3 days,

The only way I am comparing him to Trump is that they are both too old for the job.

Trump is 100x worse for all sorts of reasons.

They are both too old for the job. We should demand better options.

 

[Lapaz]

The only way I am comparing him to Trump is that they are both too old for the job.

Trump is 100x worse for all sorts of reasons.

They are both too old for the job. We should demand better options.

My take is that Biden seems too old, and Trump is unacceptable. Whether Biden truly is too old is debatable, otherwise this thread would not be active, but if a forum that leans left is actively debating this, that’s a bad sign for persuading a right leaning electorate. That’s why I would like to see Dean get more support to give us a real choice.

 

[Dragon]

If all you have against Biden is his age, then I really don't understand it. He is doing a really good job and you want to replace him with an inexperienced congressman just because he is younger?? A person who has removed certain parts of his platform because a donor asked him to? Where do you draw the line and how sure are you that he will serve you and not his backers ?

 

[LA - L.A.]

I'm sorry that you can't see the difference between age and race.

I see the difference between age and race. That's not the problem.

If i got on a plane and saw that the pilot was 80 years old, i'd change flights.

The problem is that you can't see how your prejudice against the elderly is just as unjustified and irrational as prejudice of any other kind.

I feel sorry for you when you become elderly, because at that point you'll painfully understand the unjustified harm of prejudice against he elderly.

 

[samiam5211]

I see the difference between age and race. That's not the problem.

The problem is that you can't see how your prejudice against the elderly is just as unjustified and irrational as prejudice of any other kind.

I feel sorry for you when you become elderly, because at that point you'll painfully understand the unjustified harm of prejudice against he elderly.

When I become elderly, i should be excluded from running for president.

I don't think i will feel persecuted if that is the case.

 

[samiam5211]

My take is that Biden seems too old, and Trump is unacceptable. Whether Biden truly is too old is debatable, otherwise this thread would not be active, but if a forum that leans left is actively debating this, that’s a bad sign for persuading a right leaning electorate. That’s why I would like to see Dean get more support to give us a real choice.

I don't think it's debatable. Infact, i think we need to put in place an upper limit on running for president, just like we have a lower limit.

People debate things that aren't really debatable all the time.

When i say it isn't debatable, i mean that there isn't anything anyone could say that would change my mind about it.

 

[Lapaz]

If all you have against Biden is his age, then I really don't understand it. He is doing a really good job and you want to replace him with an inexperienced congressman just because he is younger?? A person who has removed certain parts of his platform because a donor asked him to? Where do you draw the line and how sure are you that he will serve you and not his backers ?

It's similar to considering whether to give a 4 year contract to a QB in his prime that has played well in his limited experience vs giving a 4 year contract to say a 40 year old QB that has obviously started declining. You may luck out with a Tom Brady, but you're much more likely to get a steep drop-off such as occurred with Peyton Manning and Drew Brees. I think the rigors of both jobs are very high.

I happen to like Dean, but there are others that I would like even more if they ran, however Dean is a good option. I think he would make a good president. I had that same opinion about Obama, despite his even more limited experience. There are things that I may not like about most candidates. For example, I don't like the way Biden is handling the border, but I will still support him if (and likely when) he wins the nomination, likewise I'm not crazy about the platform change, but a trivial change in Dean's platform doesn't dissuade me from supporting him. I assure you that all politicians adjust their positions regularly, either due to changing norms, electorate opinions, or persuasive donors; however, Dean's adjustment wasn't a polar change, so it doesn't bother me.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I don't think it's debatable. Infact, i think we need to put in place an upper limit on running for president, just like we have a lower limit.

Do you also think we should put in place minimum score requirements a psychological evaluation, intelligence assessment and cognitive assessment for every candidate that's age qualified?

 

[samiam5211]

Do you also think we should put a minimum score limit for each of a psychological evaluation, intelligence assessment and cognitive assessment for every candidate age qualified candidate?

I would be fine with that.

We need to do something to help us do a better job of picking leaders. There needs to be a filter, because we aren't responsible enough to just do the right thing.

It is more likely than not that we are going to get another Trump presidency.

To be honest, i'm soured on the idea of people being allowed to govern ourselves.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I would be fine with that.

We need to do something to help us do a better job of picking leaders. There needs to be a filter, because we aren't responsible enough to just do the right thing.

Then wouldn't it make sense that anyone that meets the minimums on those test are qualified to run for president, regardless of their age?

To be honest, i'm soured on the idea of people being allowed to govern ourselves.

If we can't be trusted to be allowed to govern ourselves, then who among the same group of us should be allowed to govern the rest of us?

 

[samiam5211]

Then wouldn't it make sense that anyone that meets the minimums on those test are qualified to run for president, regardless of their age?


If we can't be trusted to be allowed to govern ourselves, then who among the same group of us should be allowed to govern the rest of us?

An 80 year old is too old to lead the public. Mental acuity is only part of it. I am ageist. It's not just about their mental sharpness. An 80 year old can't inspire 20 year olds. The most important job of the president is to lead the public. Most of the work is done by the cabinet and federal agencies.

2016 was not an aberration, it is a trend. We are about to get Trump again. The Republic is already dead, we are just in denial.

A couple of generations of a dictatorship might teach us a valuable lesson.

 

[bird]

Imo, the founders envisioned a republic that would have a limited pool of potential candidates to draw from meaning wealthy, white propertied men. In addition, they probably thought age would be limiting in and of itself as health, diet and medicine were poor In general. They probably never thought that the general populace would live that long nor did they think that the vast majority of the populace would become urban.

While I myself am not youn I do not see any way that the criteria for being president can be changed without an amendment. Mental acuity testing would be even more problematic no matter whether it should be done or not.

As for Dean? He is playing a game. His game is for himself alone. He stands exactly zero chance of gaining the nomination while at the same time potentially diverting voters from Biden. There are always potential “good” candidates scattered among governors, congresscritters and senators. Most would be unelectable for president because they lack name recognition and, more importantly, money. Those issues can be overcome but not against an incumbent.

 

[MT15]

I would be fine with that.

We need to do something to help us do a better job of picking leaders. There needs to be a filter, because we aren't responsible enough to just do the right thing.

It is more likely than not that we are going to get another Trump presidency.

To be honest, i'm soured on the idea of people being allowed to govern ourselves.

There is the crux of the issue. You feel the same way that Trump supporters do. When you don’t like what the people want to do, you want to take away their ability to govern themselves. It’s exactly how right wing extremists feel. Sorry to be so blunt but it’s the truth.

 

[MT15]

An 80 year old is too old to lead the public. Mental acuity is only part of it. I am ageist. It's not just about their mental sharpness. An 80 year old can't inspire 20 year olds. The most important job of the president is to lead the public. Most of the work is done by the cabinet and federal agencies.

2016 was not an aberration, it is a trend. We are about to get Trump again. The Republic is already dead, we are just in denial.

A couple of generations of a dictatorship might teach us a valuable lesson.

This is the horseshoe theory in real life. It just couldn’t be clearer.

 

[samiam5211]

There is the crux of the issue. You feel the same way that Trump supporters do. When you don’t like what the people want to do, you want to take away their ability to govern themselves. It’s exactly how right wing extremists feel. Sorry to be so blunt but it’s the truth.

I don't want any of this.

It has already happened. We have lost the ability to govern ourselves.

We will not be a Republic in 50 years.

People are to stupid to govern themselves. Plato was right.

 

[MT15]

I don't want any of this.

It has already happened. We have lost the ability to govern ourselves.

We will not be a Republic in 50 years.

People are to stupid to govern themselves. Plato was right.

FWIW, I don’t see Trump having a chance in the general. He will lose by much more than he did in 2020. There are lots of signs that this will be so, but at the same time we have to all turn out to vote. Biden is doing fine, even though you’re not getting everything you want immediately.

I just saw this: