That entire debate was a mess and worse than I thought it would be.
Honestly, I am coming around to the idea the whole debate from the democrat side was a ruse to justify the swap.
Look at the coordinated media reaction afterwards. There were no apologists or pundits saying it wasn't that bad, Trump didn't do well either, it was coordinated knives out for Biden.
I still think a July switch is unlikely but the pressure will mount. Every day Biden doesn't step aside is a day the democrat and media machine will be gunning for him.
this territory is moderated
Here's the thing I was surprised by.
The media was actually not covering for him at all. They were saying that democrats in office are panicking. They were pointing out that there are discussions about making a switch. Now, I believe these conversations aren't new. There are likely many in the party leadership that want to give Joe the boot. But the media not pretending he's fit to do this job. That is new. Its a clear shift.
I think its 50/50 but before the debate I thought replacing him was a long shot.
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If his health continues to decline then he won’t have a choice
Possible 25th amendment action
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It sounds like they're already looking into that. I don't think that stops him from running, though.
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Section 4 of the 25th Amendment allows the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to declare the President unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office, immediately transferring power to the Vice President as Acting President[1][2][3].
Specifically, Section 4 states:
"Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President."[3]
The President can contest this declaration, but the Vice President and Cabinet majority can persist. If they do, Congress must decide the issue within 21 days, requiring a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate to keep the Vice President as Acting President[1][2].
Section 4 has never been invoked, though its use was considered in 1973 during Watergate and in 1981 after the assassination attempt on Reagan[2][4]. Invoking it would be an unprecedented step to remove a sitting President against their will.
Sources [1] What you need to know about the 25th Amendment, Section 4 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/08/what-you-need-know-about-25th-amendment-section-4/ [2] Breaking down the 25th amendment: What you need to know https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/breaking-down-the-25th-amendment-what-you-need-to-know [3] The 25th Amendment - Rock the Vote https://www.rockthevote.org/explainers/the-25th-amendment/ [4] What Is the 25th Amendment? A Simplified Guide https://blog.prepscholar.com/what-is-the-25th-amendment-simplified [5] Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
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But that doesn't make him ineligible to run for president. They could remove him from office for the next few months, but some other process needs to happen if they want him to stop running for president.
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I will be shocked if 25th amendment is invoked because it’s not necessary.
Didn’t Biden say he would be one term president in 2020?
Regarding the 25th, what if Kamala refuses to play along and forces Biden to retire or resign so she can be President lol
Again I will be shocked if Kamala leads the 25th amendment motion
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I agree. Technically, Kamala already was the first female president, because she was the acting president while Biden was having some medical procedure.
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The 25th amendment was passed in response to Woodrow Wilson and his wife.
Woodrow suffered a debilitating stroke in 1919 - he was incapacitated his last 18 months in office so the First Lady decided she is now in charge of the Oval Office and west wing. A de facto President while her husband was incapacitated physically and mentally
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Right, but it doesn't make you ineligible to run for president, does it? It's just a removal procedure.
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Succession and disability
It was ratified in 1967!
Maybe it had more to do with JFK assassination than Woodrow in 1920.
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25th amendment section 4 can be used as a back door impeachment and conviction.
If you have the votes, then skip a trial and declare the President unfit to serve.
But that’s not the intent of the amendment.
Not surprisingly, no such removal or disability provision exists for Senators etc.
Fetterman had a stroke and recovered and now is a different person and politician
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I thought the moderators came off as so neutral, compared to how nakedly partisan they've tended to be. That may have been part of the tank job. Removing the normal handicap Biden would have gotten made him look that much worse.
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The moderators were pretty good.
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Which is very suspicious
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Anyone in the media being neutral and actually doing their job is indeed very suspicious. That's sad to say, but it's the truth.
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Pretending to do their job
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I agree. Otherwise, they would have leaned into the "Biden was sick" narrative.
My sense is that they've been trying to clear him from the board for a while in more subtle ways and this is what it escalated to.
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Otherwise, they would have leaned into the "Biden was sick" narrative.
5 Surefire Ways To Tell If You Are A Racist That Hates The Environment.
  1. Cant distinguish between someone who has a cold vs someone too old to serve.
  2. Thinks using a calm, relaxed, 'inside-voice' is a sign of weakness
  3. Doesn't understand some people prefer to stare off into space while gathering their thoughts (note: Gandhi did this)
....
etc
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Haha. @thebitcoinbugle we need this article.
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