#491 | Jonathan Darman: Why Joe Biden Didn't Drop Out and the Lessons of 1968 - The Realignment Pod

Season Premiere: Jonathan Darman, journalist, historian, and author of Landslide: LBJ and Ronald Reagan at the Dawn of a New America & Becoming FDR: The Personal Crisis That Made a President, returns to The Realignment. Marshall and Jonathan discuss why efforts to convince or force President Biden to drop his reelection bid failed, how LBJ's decision to leave the race at the height of the Vietnam War in 1968 informs how we understand Biden's motivations, the ways that the 1944, 1968, 1980, and 1984 elections offer parallels to today, and why there hasn't been a landslide electoral victory by either party in decades.

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Vanity Fair - Jonathan Darman | What Biden Can Learn from LBJ's Decision to Drop Out in 1968

0:00 - Introduction
1:12 - Biden’s debate performance
9:16 - Alternatives to Biden
18:03 - Media & Biden
22:51 - Age arguments
31:33 - What about Trump?
38:27 - 1944 & today
45:56 - Kamala Harris & VPs
51:33 - RFK Jr.
58:04 - Biden & FDR
1:03:02 - Landslide victories

[musa]

Good to know this guy has no clue. He told us from the beginning of the interview he had no idea Biden was like that.

When the debate began, it was the Biden I expected and was surprised that he didn't do worse. What shocked me was the 180 turn by the media in unison. That tells me the media was either lying or stupid. Or both. This guy fits in with them.

[dougbrady]

I'd push back on the idea that the media questioned Biden's capacity prior to the debate. It was tiptoed around, suggested, a lot of maybes and probably shoulds, but nobody came out and said what is abundantly true: he is incapable of doing the job and that is unacceptable. Dean Phillips deserves more credit for putting his neck on the line for something that was clear to everyone without partisan blinders on. Unfortunately we are leaving ourselves wide open for chaos and conflict the next 6 months because of this. There should have been a real primary and if Trump is re-elected, the center-left establishment needs to reconcile with themselves why this happened. MSM outlets (Morning Joe) were full on playing offense for Biden until the hammer dropped.

[MrJeremy]

This really seems like the American version of "The emperor has no clothes" moment.

[jmcampbell]

FANTASTIC SHOW-- WISH YOUR CHANNEL WAS BETTER KNOWN. THANK YOU BOTH FOR A GREAT INTERVIEW.

[ozzyngcsu]

Guest skewers FDR and in the middle of it notices he is perfectly describing President Biden.

[arlenelovell]

The problem is if someone debated him what would they debate Biden on? His own policies that are successful?

[kingj]

Interesting discussion. Some of these comments give a peak through the window at the other side of the aisle.

[seespacelabs]

47:00 - Swap out the VP and keep Biden in. I hadn't thought about that option, but it seems less risky and intrusive than other ideas like the Blitz Primary.

[matta]

Marshall rocking the stache is throwing me off :)

[mr.wilson]

It’s hard to take this guy seriously when he was blind to Biden’s decline in the past few years. I can’t tell if people sincerely didn’t see, perhaps due to bias, or this is just the line they tell to cover for an intentional silence.

[brucemorgan]

Respectfully, your take on RFK Jr is wrong. In the spirit of transparency, you should have him on. I’m sure he’d be happy to discuss his positions.

[SS-iuzb]

Biden might come out ahead in cognitive test?😂😅 which rock he crawled out under? A delusional guy
having a delusional conversation. So entertaining.

[Waltoo-jrji]

You gentlemen may want to consider getting your news somewhere else.

[direwolf]

absolutely ... harris is not owed or entitled to anything .. any choice to promote her will end in disaster ...

[BenSmith-mgjv]

The 1968 stuff to me is as LEGITIMATE as the 2nd AMENDMENT and using the founders conception of THEIR gun situation and OUR GUN SITUATION! aka THE CONDITIONS AND SITUATIONS ARE SO DIFFERENT THE COMPARISON FEELS LIKE TRYING TO SELL YOU ON THE IDEA THAT 🐘 AND 🐁 ARE THE SAME BECAUSE THEY ARE BOTH ANIMALS!

[JackHawkinswrites]

Trolling for the Felon. You should be ashamed.