Unemployment up again

Outkick: "All-Black Radio Station Fires Host Who Interviewed Biden With White House-Supplied Questions." 

It's CYA-time in the mainstream media

The Corner: "The Media Want the Flaming Wreckage of the Biden Campaign to Explode — to Cover Their Tracks."

Don’t take my word for it, take Jill Abramson’s. Take Olivia Nuzzi’s, who just wrote an intolerable piece for New York magazine titled “The Conspiracy of Silence to Protect Joe Biden” where she unwittingly revealed that she’d been sitting on this story for over half a year. Hence the media rage: They did their job — why, look at how enthusiastically they coordinated with the White House on the “cheap fakes” story a mere two weeks ago! — but Biden failed to keep up his end of the deal, and now he’s going to pay. Not for being a senile vegetable posing as commander in chief while directed by a coterie of Jill Biden’s secretaries, mind you, but for dropping the curtain and revealing how deep an inside game the press has always played with the Democrats. “We simply had no idea!” is not going to wash with an American public that itself has been deeply concerned with Biden’s decline for years, only to be told how ignorant we were for falling for “cheap fakes” and Fox News propaganda.

Emphasis added.  Much more background at Instapundit.

Everybody act surprised

Hot Air: "NYT: White House Supplying Radio Hosts with Questions for Biden Interviews."

It's funny how things that conservatives have been claiming for years have become conventional wisdom.  Something must have changed.

Troll level: Master

Great audience control from the Biden campaign here:

The debate was not an aberration

Axios: ""He's toast": Biden's ABC interview flops with Hill Democrats." 

I'm hearing a lot of "when, not if" comments on Biden's withdrawal. 

I'm going to say something nice about the press

Ya know, despite the claims of bias, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash did a good job at the one (and only) debate between Trump and Biden last week.  And then tonight - despite my reservations - George Stephanopoulos did a direct and honest interview with Joe Biden.

The quip about comparing crowds between Biden and Trump was deadly, man.

I mean, better late than never I guess.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Morning Joe

Joe Scarborough, a few months ago: Biden is better than he’s ever been.

Joe Scarborough, post-debate: Thank God it’s June, we have time to replace him. This is the last chance.

Joe Scarborough, now: Everyone slow down, it’s only July. There is plenty of time.

Incredible. 🤡 pic.twitter.com/AqdefetDkX

— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) July 5, 2024

Yes, we noticed

Real Clear Politics: "They Lied to You"

"Democracy Dies in Darkness," reads The Washington Post's masthead slogan, conveniently adopted mere weeks after former President Donald Trump took office in 2017. Come again? We don't actually know who is running the country right now. It certainly isn't Uncle Joe. Now that is some serious "darkness."

Never forgive, and never forget, what these lying miscreants have done to us -- and to the republic.

The death spiral of the Washington Post is especially gratifying mostly due to this smug tagline.

Extra - CNN: "Biden’s mental fitness could have been better covered leading up to the debate, some White House reporters acknowledge."

Oh, do tell, do tell: "Media Didn’t Report On Biden’s Senility Because Republicans Noticed It." 

Let's turn our attention to Kamala

NY Post: "Dems are kidding themselves: Kamala is a terrible — and terribly awkward — candidate." 

About that "leaked" video

PJ Media: "Trump Says Biden Is ‘Quitting the Race’ and Brags That He ‘Got Him Out’."

This is just Trump trying to goad Biden into staying in the race. 

Kamala or bust?

The Washington Post has an opinion piece titled "If not Biden, who?"  I LOL'd at this comment:

You all live in a fantasy world. How do you think the Democratic base would respond to the VP, a woman and POC getting passed over? I mean, do you guys actually get paid to come up with this fan ficition? The Post is slipping, and slipping fast.

That's not to mention that almost none of the money raised nor the campaign apparatus would transfer to a replacement candidate. Again, this entire piece is just fantasy world stuff.

What's funny is that (allegedly) Biden decided to run for re-election because he believed that only he could defeat Trump and Kamala would be a disaster.  Now the Democrats are trapped in their own identity politics snare.

I believe (and the betting markets agree) that Kamala will be the nominee, mostly due to the campaign funding rules.  Biden won't resign and he won't be driven out by the 25th Amendment; there is zero chance he'll allow himself to go down in history in that manner.  But I think he'll be forced out as the nominee (somehow) and the Democrats will throw in behind Kamala.

[cringey cackle]

No notecards, George

Legal Insurrection: "ABC News Moves 15-Minute, Pre-Taped Biden Interview To Friday Primetime" - "It won’t help. And may well make things worse for Team Biden."

The general consensus is that this interview should be live or presented unedited.  I'm less concerned about ABC News doing some favorable editing than I am about allowing Biden to use notecards.  As I've said many times: he cannot function without a teleprompter, a laminated binder, or notecards. 

The Presidency isn't just reading a script.

"Fact-based reporting"

The New York Times literally citied videos of Biden freezing up yesterday, that two weeks ago they called misleading cheap fakes. https://t.co/bU1sP5DCUK

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 3, 2024

C'mon, man: there ain't gonna be a second debate

Hugh Hewitt: "Trump dominated the debate. He doesn’t need a second one." 

Not to worry.  It's one and done.

Money money money

Fox News: "Uncharted territory: Could campaign finances keep Biden on the ballot?" - "An FEC commissioner said there are 'too many hurdles' to replacing Biden as the nominee."

And now the Boston Globe

Boston Globe: "Why Biden should step aside." 

Harris is now higher in the betting market than Biden

That's it.  That's the headline.  Amazing.  

No, Joe, keep fighting!

NY Times: "Biden Told Ally That He Is Weighing Whether to Continue in the Race - The president’s conversation is the first indication that he is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday."

Biden needed to staunch the bleeding immediately after the debate either with a free-form press conference or a contentious interview.  Instead, a week later, he has a softball interview planned with George Stephanopoulos who has been openly hostile to Trump in every appearance.  Nobody is going to buy what they're selling.

Flashback - just a week ago:

I know — I know — I know right from wrong.  (Applause.)  And I know how to do this job.  (Applause.)  I know how to get things done.  (Applause.)  And I know like millions of Americans know: When you get knocked down, you get back up.  (Applause.)

Get up, Joe!  You need to work your 11-4 day.

Lot of resume updating in the West Wing

Legal Insurrection: "Report: ‘Anxiety is Only Increasing’ Inside Biden’s White House" - “Everyone is freaking the f*** out.” 

A conspiracy of lies

The Corner: "‘How Did the Media Miss the Biggest Story in American Politics?’ Some of Us Didn’t!"

I think the clearest answer is that a lot of people in the major mainstream media are really lousy at their jobs, because they wake up every morning asking, “How can I convince people that Democrats are good and Republicans are bad?” instead of asking, “What’s going on in the world, and what do my readers, viewers, or listeners need to know about it?”

The media has destroyed both itself and Joe Biden by covering up his infirmity for years as conservatives were posting "Weekend at Bernies" memes.

Good.

Let's go Joe!

Fox News: "Biden donors 'freaked out' by his reliance on teleprompters at private fundraisers."

That's right: even at intimate events with friendly crowds, Biden can't recite his campaign talking points without a crutch.  I've known this for a while because if you compare the transcripts for these events they are identical.

Everything's fine!

Washington Post: "Biden team circulates poll showing no change in race after bad debate."

Keep calm and support Joe, Democrats.

Schedule update

The White House says Dementia Joe will give a statement on the Supreme Court's immunity ruling at 7:45pm tonight.

But - really - this is just an opening so that Biden can take some shouted questions and then declare that he's staying in the race.  That's the only reason they shoehorned in this last-minute event.

Update - Meh, no questions taken, just reading off the teleprompter and shuffling away.