Biden is one of the greatest and most successful POTUS in history and it is a shame that Americans don't recognize his success (for one? The greatest economy on earth 🌎)... Americans are spoiled brats that only care about the now and what they can buy now and for Xmas.
I get why he couldn't run again after the June debate but he really has been one of the most successful presidents in a generation or more. But for people in the rightwing news silo, they've only heard negative things. John Dean once warned about a "cancer on the presidency." Today that cancer has a name: FOX Noise.
I have become convinced that Chris Cillizza just doesn't like President Biden personally. I can't think of any other reason for the ongoing hostility he shows toward someone who, indeed, will go down as one of the great presidents in history.
Agree, Cillizza’s opinion may not matter much, but is it necessary to make a headline?: Biden persona non grata! It is an offence to a politician who has done much good for US over many years - and has done well as POTUS. The MAGA has been successful in deriding POTUS for years. Also, is it necessary for Cillizza to repeat Harris’ s interview with The View, since she later on several occasions have stressed that her Presidency will be different.
Cillizza just lost a subscriber, will not renew in January.
I, too, am tired of the repeated bashing that Chris continues to do, and the laughability of him thinking that he “tells it like it is”, as if the rest of us are partisan hacks.
I have jettisoned a LOT of subscriptions over this last year and it’s NOT, regardless of Chris’s opinion, because “they don’t agree with me”. It’s because I can see through their prejudices and self-delusionary comments and have reached the conclusion that their opinions have little value: if they can’t see their OWN predisposed concepts, how can I trust their view of everything else!?
I would miss the regular commenters, especially those that continue to hold Chris’s feet to the fire to keep him honest, so I am still an “undecided” on whether to renew or not…
I think you're all losing sight of the fact that Chris is a politics guru, not a policy analyst or presidential historian. He writes about political behavior; the conflicts among people and parties, status and leverage, agendas and rhetoric. Aka why politicians do/say the things that they do. As a public figure representing this nation, Biden should be subjected to this type of scrutiny. He is well-known for gaffes. I would argue Biden's approval rating largely reflects his public image, which has taken a substantial hit during his time as president because of the effects of age, Hunter's personal life, and revelations about his insecurity.
If you want a rigorous debate of policy achievements, I think you are in the wrong place. And not for nothing, among just the last seven presidents since 1980, the 2024 APSA rankings put Biden significantly behind both Obama and Clinton, and merely level with HW Bush and Reagan. He drastically outranks W Bush and Trump, which I think we can all agree is not much to brag about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion though.
Biden deserved better. But you got to win. So winning trumps ego. (Pun intended).
Folks are just plain mad at everything.
One of my saddest thoughts is that if trump had won in 2020, all of the same inflation issues would have surfaced without any sane economic experts to guide us out of it. It would have been a financial disaster. But Biden used a steady low key hand to bring us out of it. It almost would have been true retribution to see the place fall apart under trumpets reign. It's so sad to wonder if that would have finally shaken some of them. But the reality is that they don't have it in them them to accept responsibility.
And if DonOld wins, he'll be the recipient of Bidens economy and will take credit for everything, just as he inherited Obamas efforts. Inflation is going down, jobs and manufacturing are on the way up and trumpie would claim credit for everything.
The truth is this jerk has no clue how the banking system operates and what tariffs do. He's a dunce.
And the darn Maga folks don't have an ounce of understanding on how this works.
I'm sorry, Chris, but "Me and Taylor Lorenz did an entire livestream on it!"???? If you want this English teacher to continue to subscribe, please don't do this. Surely you know how to use subject pronouns.
You may find this silly, but the deterioration of our language distresses me.
I’m actually surprised that 200k people canceled their accounts. I’m not sure that I would have done. But it shows there’s a movement there which isn’t good for Trump. If some of those folks are in swing states, it will make all the difference if the margins are really that close. (I don’t think they are. I think there is a massive hidden vote driven by a woman’s right to choose, especially in the southern states.
As for Biden. Democrats love him for multiple reasons. He’s the most successful President we’ve had in decades. Remember both Democrats and Republicans voted for his bills. The MAGAS could do nothing to stop them. He stepped down when he needed to. And now, if there is any shenanigans by the MAGAS, he’s likely to do the right thing and call out defensive forces against wannabe dictators.
Biden is disliked intensely by MAGA Republicans and the media. Just as the media ignores Trumps crazy behavior, they follow every dropped syllable Biden utters. It’s disingenuous nonsense, recognized by Democratic Americans who are so angry with them they are cancelling subscriptions in droves. And voting for Harris.
Not to worry. The 200,000 will still vote for Harris. I doubt that the Post has 5,000 conservative subscribers and, if they do, those weren't the folks who cancelled their subscriptions. Do you think that the editorial board was going to endorse Trump?
I will type slowly and use little words. The Post is a liberal paper (think NY Times). Most of the paper's subscribers are liberal. Those subscribers expected the Post to endorse Harris. Bezos stopped the editorial board from doing that. 200,000 of those subscribers cancelled their subscriptions because they were mad at Bezos. Those folks will still vote for Harris. Clearly.
Thanks for the extra effort, Bob! I find myself agreeing somewhat regularly with ‘King, but on this one, he completely defies Logic.
The cause and effect couldn’t be clearer: those 200K subscribers left IMMEDIATELY after it became clear that Bezos was stopping the endorsement because of his Blue Origin business with a potential Trump administration. Period.
And of those 200K that left, how many of them were Trump supporters or those that stood on principle that WaPo *should* endorse a candidate? A handful, maybe?
The GOP (MAGA wing), as led by Fox Noise, Trump, and Trump sycophants, love to highlight Biden gaffs but ignore Trump's incoherent ramblings ("The Weave", I believe it's called). The GOP never met a double-standard they didn't love...
Looks like Chris is still obsessed with Joe Biden. May be because he kicked the MAGA cult leader out of the White House in 2020. I can't think of any other reason for this obsession.
I do think that Chris misses his own biases, and that’s one thing that makes me question the value of my subscription. Particularly when there are SO many good writers on Substack. Jonathan V. Last, Tim Miller, and Bill Kristol at The Bulwark. Jay Kuo. Heather Cox Richardson. Charlie Sykes. Dan Pfeiffer. Joyce Vance. Dan Rather. And SO many other diverse opinions….
To your point on Biden - it's not personal - it's political & practical. Jimmy Carter didn't get invited back to Democratic events for many years after his departure. It doesn't matter if you're a nice guy or a good human - people want to win and being linked to very unpopular people is not a winning strategy. Trump may find the same message for inviting a roast comic to a campaign event.
Pres. Biden has been in elected federal office longer than I’ve been alive. He won solely because he wasn’t former Pres. Trump and the fact he stated he would be a “bridge” candidate. His entire political career he was a center right democrat, but once in the Presidency tacked as far left as possible. Once he felt the allure of the Presidency, he quickly reversed course and decided to run for a second term. All his surrogate promised us day in and day out, that he was mentally as sharp as ever. One debate ruined his future (although anyone could see his actual decline well before that) and then he handed the reigns to VP Harris. Now, he’s completely underwater and dragging her down. The democrats have no one to blame but themselves when former Pres. Trump returns to the White House.
James Buchanan was sure that history would prove him right. He even published a bock after the Civil War that 'proved' he was right. Nobody cared, he went down in history as one of the worst presidents in history. Presidents who leave with such a negative favorability rating will have a hard time getting good ratings in the future, though, like Obama, Biden will be graded on a curve by contemporary historians.
As for the Post, I don't care much other than I hope Chris picks up some new subscribers. I'm also uncharitable enough that I hope Jenifer Rubin gets canned - she's the most annoying columnist they have.
Point 1) Yes the JB presidency has been an unmitigated disaster! VP Harris in a very tough spot, CANNOT run on that record! Bidenomics is a dirty word. The border a complete mess, 2 wars and hostages overseas! Yes! She has to run and run as fast as she can from JB! However, it getting very late! Joy is gone, polls are sinking, HRC losing strategy of Orange Man Bad is her closing argument! It’s a mess! Walz is zero help, awful selection. I feel bad for VP Harris, she was handed a losing hand and is trying to pull a straight flush but unfortunately for her President Trump is holding a much better hand.
Joe Biden accomplished a great deal during his presidency but he's not a good spokesman for his successes. Unemployment is down, the stock market is up, inflation is at it's lowest in three years and wages are rising faster than inflation. Inflation to begin with was the result of the pandemic (who was in charge at the beginning of that?) and U.S. inflation was actually lower than almost all over developed nations. I don't know about the border. It's been a problem a hundred years, or more. It wasn't under control when Trump was in, either. Remember the family separations and cages? Why did we need those if inflation was under such tight control. It wasn't under control under Obama or Bush or Clinton, etc. keep on going.
So why is VP Harris running as fast and far from him as she can? That makes no sense? Why haven’t we heard all about the great successes of Bidenomics? If what you say was really true, VP Harris would be running an entirely different campaign…..
So VP Harris is running away from JB because of something the republicans are saying? Do you really believe that? No you don’t, that’s ludicrous!
VP Harris is actively running away from JB. The reason is it’s a failed administration. Not because republicans say so it’s because the American people say so. Right track Wrong track polls prove this fact, as will the vote next Tuesday
Ed, you are reminding me of VP Harris right now. Answer the question if you will. If it’s not a failed administration, why is VP Harris running from it?
Orange man is bad is a great closing argument for Harris Dutch. Thanks for pointing that out. I can’t believe Trump isn’t 900 points ahead at this point. What is going on? Can it really be neck and neck? Perhaps banning women from voting altogether next time will seriously help Trunp’s margins. (If bothersome voting is still legal of course)
Chris, you’re just wrong about Biden’s popularity with the people, stupid polls be damned! He is loved and revered for his outstanding accomplishments for the party and the people over a long career of unselfish service. He miraculously pulled us out of the depths of Trump chaos, or didn’t you notice? The rigors of the presidency took their toll, he was wise enough to step aside, and will stay on the sidelines for the benefit of her highly successful campaign! It’s called smart politics—something Trump and the sick jackasses he hired know NOTHING about! Joe Biden has been judged by historians as the 14th best president in our history, and that’s good enough for me!
Kamala has exactly the right strategy. Joe Biden has done quite enough damage… and came within an ace of throwing the election to Trump.
Biden is widely disliked by an overwhelming majority of voters, and represents nothing but risk and liability for the Harris campaign - any “senior moment” or new display of cognitive decline will distract from the Harris campaign’s closing message at a crucial time.
Outside of Scranton and Rehoboth Beach, there aren’t any voters groups where Biden is more popular than Harris.
Biden is one of the greatest and most successful POTUS in history and it is a shame that Americans don't recognize his success (for one? The greatest economy on earth 🌎)... Americans are spoiled brats that only care about the now and what they can buy now and for Xmas.
Shaun Dakin history will prove you right.
I get why he couldn't run again after the June debate but he really has been one of the most successful presidents in a generation or more. But for people in the rightwing news silo, they've only heard negative things. John Dean once warned about a "cancer on the presidency." Today that cancer has a name: FOX Noise.
I have become convinced that Chris Cillizza just doesn't like President Biden personally. I can't think of any other reason for the ongoing hostility he shows toward someone who, indeed, will go down as one of the great presidents in history.
It doesn't matter what Cillizza thinks of Biden. It only matters what the American voters think of Biden. And, sadly, they don't like him.
Agree, Cillizza’s opinion may not matter much, but is it necessary to make a headline?: Biden persona non grata! It is an offence to a politician who has done much good for US over many years - and has done well as POTUS. The MAGA has been successful in deriding POTUS for years. Also, is it necessary for Cillizza to repeat Harris’ s interview with The View, since she later on several occasions have stressed that her Presidency will be different.
Cillizza just lost a subscriber, will not renew in January.
I, too, am tired of the repeated bashing that Chris continues to do, and the laughability of him thinking that he “tells it like it is”, as if the rest of us are partisan hacks.
I have jettisoned a LOT of subscriptions over this last year and it’s NOT, regardless of Chris’s opinion, because “they don’t agree with me”. It’s because I can see through their prejudices and self-delusionary comments and have reached the conclusion that their opinions have little value: if they can’t see their OWN predisposed concepts, how can I trust their view of everything else!?
I would miss the regular commenters, especially those that continue to hold Chris’s feet to the fire to keep him honest, so I am still an “undecided” on whether to renew or not…
I think you're all losing sight of the fact that Chris is a politics guru, not a policy analyst or presidential historian. He writes about political behavior; the conflicts among people and parties, status and leverage, agendas and rhetoric. Aka why politicians do/say the things that they do. As a public figure representing this nation, Biden should be subjected to this type of scrutiny. He is well-known for gaffes. I would argue Biden's approval rating largely reflects his public image, which has taken a substantial hit during his time as president because of the effects of age, Hunter's personal life, and revelations about his insecurity.
If you want a rigorous debate of policy achievements, I think you are in the wrong place. And not for nothing, among just the last seven presidents since 1980, the 2024 APSA rankings put Biden significantly behind both Obama and Clinton, and merely level with HW Bush and Reagan. He drastically outranks W Bush and Trump, which I think we can all agree is not much to brag about. Everyone is entitled to their opinion though.
Biden deserved better. But you got to win. So winning trumps ego. (Pun intended).
Folks are just plain mad at everything.
One of my saddest thoughts is that if trump had won in 2020, all of the same inflation issues would have surfaced without any sane economic experts to guide us out of it. It would have been a financial disaster. But Biden used a steady low key hand to bring us out of it. It almost would have been true retribution to see the place fall apart under trumpets reign. It's so sad to wonder if that would have finally shaken some of them. But the reality is that they don't have it in them them to accept responsibility.
And if DonOld wins, he'll be the recipient of Bidens economy and will take credit for everything, just as he inherited Obamas efforts. Inflation is going down, jobs and manufacturing are on the way up and trumpie would claim credit for everything.
The truth is this jerk has no clue how the banking system operates and what tariffs do. He's a dunce.
And the darn Maga folks don't have an ounce of understanding on how this works.
Well said, and I agree with you 💯!
I'm sorry, Chris, but "Me and Taylor Lorenz did an entire livestream on it!"???? If you want this English teacher to continue to subscribe, please don't do this. Surely you know how to use subject pronouns.
You may find this silly, but the deterioration of our language distresses me.
It bothers this teacher too.
Just watch what happens to the language as its status as lingua franca expands across the world this century.
I’m actually surprised that 200k people canceled their accounts. I’m not sure that I would have done. But it shows there’s a movement there which isn’t good for Trump. If some of those folks are in swing states, it will make all the difference if the margins are really that close. (I don’t think they are. I think there is a massive hidden vote driven by a woman’s right to choose, especially in the southern states.
As for Biden. Democrats love him for multiple reasons. He’s the most successful President we’ve had in decades. Remember both Democrats and Republicans voted for his bills. The MAGAS could do nothing to stop them. He stepped down when he needed to. And now, if there is any shenanigans by the MAGAS, he’s likely to do the right thing and call out defensive forces against wannabe dictators.
Biden is disliked intensely by MAGA Republicans and the media. Just as the media ignores Trumps crazy behavior, they follow every dropped syllable Biden utters. It’s disingenuous nonsense, recognized by Democratic Americans who are so angry with them they are cancelling subscriptions in droves. And voting for Harris.
I'd bet you a beer that every one of those 200,000 cancelled subscribers are Harris voters.
That’s called hopium, I think. Remember, 5000 votes is likely enough to flip a state. lol
Not to worry. The 200,000 will still vote for Harris. I doubt that the Post has 5,000 conservative subscribers and, if they do, those weren't the folks who cancelled their subscriptions. Do you think that the editorial board was going to endorse Trump?
Clearly Bezos wanted to lol.
I will type slowly and use little words. The Post is a liberal paper (think NY Times). Most of the paper's subscribers are liberal. Those subscribers expected the Post to endorse Harris. Bezos stopped the editorial board from doing that. 200,000 of those subscribers cancelled their subscriptions because they were mad at Bezos. Those folks will still vote for Harris. Clearly.
Thanks for the extra effort, Bob! I find myself agreeing somewhat regularly with ‘King, but on this one, he completely defies Logic.
The cause and effect couldn’t be clearer: those 200K subscribers left IMMEDIATELY after it became clear that Bezos was stopping the endorsement because of his Blue Origin business with a potential Trump administration. Period.
And of those 200K that left, how many of them were Trump supporters or those that stood on principle that WaPo *should* endorse a candidate? A handful, maybe?
The GOP (MAGA wing), as led by Fox Noise, Trump, and Trump sycophants, love to highlight Biden gaffs but ignore Trump's incoherent ramblings ("The Weave", I believe it's called). The GOP never met a double-standard they didn't love...
It's a shame the people who will pay for the subscription exodus are the journalists who are probably just as outraged as everyone else.
Biden took down Trump and hopefully Kamala will keep him down for good. He is not irrelevant. That would be Mike Pence.
Looks like Chris is still obsessed with Joe Biden. May be because he kicked the MAGA cult leader out of the White House in 2020. I can't think of any other reason for this obsession.
Don't blame Chris. He's reporting reality. The truth is Biden is unpopular.
And that he will go down in history as one of our finest presidents.
“Reality” through his small lens, maybe, Daniel.
I do think that Chris misses his own biases, and that’s one thing that makes me question the value of my subscription. Particularly when there are SO many good writers on Substack. Jonathan V. Last, Tim Miller, and Bill Kristol at The Bulwark. Jay Kuo. Heather Cox Richardson. Charlie Sykes. Dan Pfeiffer. Joyce Vance. Dan Rather. And SO many other diverse opinions….
To your point on Biden - it's not personal - it's political & practical. Jimmy Carter didn't get invited back to Democratic events for many years after his departure. It doesn't matter if you're a nice guy or a good human - people want to win and being linked to very unpopular people is not a winning strategy. Trump may find the same message for inviting a roast comic to a campaign event.
Pres. Biden has been in elected federal office longer than I’ve been alive. He won solely because he wasn’t former Pres. Trump and the fact he stated he would be a “bridge” candidate. His entire political career he was a center right democrat, but once in the Presidency tacked as far left as possible. Once he felt the allure of the Presidency, he quickly reversed course and decided to run for a second term. All his surrogate promised us day in and day out, that he was mentally as sharp as ever. One debate ruined his future (although anyone could see his actual decline well before that) and then he handed the reigns to VP Harris. Now, he’s completely underwater and dragging her down. The democrats have no one to blame but themselves when former Pres. Trump returns to the White House.
James Buchanan was sure that history would prove him right. He even published a bock after the Civil War that 'proved' he was right. Nobody cared, he went down in history as one of the worst presidents in history. Presidents who leave with such a negative favorability rating will have a hard time getting good ratings in the future, though, like Obama, Biden will be graded on a curve by contemporary historians.
As for the Post, I don't care much other than I hope Chris picks up some new subscribers. I'm also uncharitable enough that I hope Jenifer Rubin gets canned - she's the most annoying columnist they have.
Point 1) Yes the JB presidency has been an unmitigated disaster! VP Harris in a very tough spot, CANNOT run on that record! Bidenomics is a dirty word. The border a complete mess, 2 wars and hostages overseas! Yes! She has to run and run as fast as she can from JB! However, it getting very late! Joy is gone, polls are sinking, HRC losing strategy of Orange Man Bad is her closing argument! It’s a mess! Walz is zero help, awful selection. I feel bad for VP Harris, she was handed a losing hand and is trying to pull a straight flush but unfortunately for her President Trump is holding a much better hand.
Joe Biden accomplished a great deal during his presidency but he's not a good spokesman for his successes. Unemployment is down, the stock market is up, inflation is at it's lowest in three years and wages are rising faster than inflation. Inflation to begin with was the result of the pandemic (who was in charge at the beginning of that?) and U.S. inflation was actually lower than almost all over developed nations. I don't know about the border. It's been a problem a hundred years, or more. It wasn't under control when Trump was in, either. Remember the family separations and cages? Why did we need those if inflation was under such tight control. It wasn't under control under Obama or Bush or Clinton, etc. keep on going.
So why is VP Harris running as fast and far from him as she can? That makes no sense? Why haven’t we heard all about the great successes of Bidenomics? If what you say was really true, VP Harris would be running an entirely different campaign…..
Because the Republicans have seized on the false narrative that the country is not doing well.
So VP Harris is running away from JB because of something the republicans are saying? Do you really believe that? No you don’t, that’s ludicrous!
VP Harris is actively running away from JB. The reason is it’s a failed administration. Not because republicans say so it’s because the American people say so. Right track Wrong track polls prove this fact, as will the vote next Tuesday
It's not a failed administration. That's a false narrative. Many believe that, I suppose, but it's not true.
Ed, you are reminding me of VP Harris right now. Answer the question if you will. If it’s not a failed administration, why is VP Harris running from it?
Orange man is bad is a great closing argument for Harris Dutch. Thanks for pointing that out. I can’t believe Trump isn’t 900 points ahead at this point. What is going on? Can it really be neck and neck? Perhaps banning women from voting altogether next time will seriously help Trunp’s margins. (If bothersome voting is still legal of course)
Best of luck!
Let’s talk next week 😎
The trolls are on the move!! Quickly, to the Bridge of Khazad-Dûm!!
Chris, no one will mind if you do a little told-ya-so dance over the Washington Post's subscriber debacle.
“Me and Taylor Lorenz…”? Come man, what are we even doing out here, man?” 🫠
Chris, you’re just wrong about Biden’s popularity with the people, stupid polls be damned! He is loved and revered for his outstanding accomplishments for the party and the people over a long career of unselfish service. He miraculously pulled us out of the depths of Trump chaos, or didn’t you notice? The rigors of the presidency took their toll, he was wise enough to step aside, and will stay on the sidelines for the benefit of her highly successful campaign! It’s called smart politics—something Trump and the sick jackasses he hired know NOTHING about! Joe Biden has been judged by historians as the 14th best president in our history, and that’s good enough for me!
Kamala has exactly the right strategy. Joe Biden has done quite enough damage… and came within an ace of throwing the election to Trump.
Biden is widely disliked by an overwhelming majority of voters, and represents nothing but risk and liability for the Harris campaign - any “senior moment” or new display of cognitive decline will distract from the Harris campaign’s closing message at a crucial time.
Outside of Scranton and Rehoboth Beach, there aren’t any voters groups where Biden is more popular than Harris.
I pray that Biden will call out *massive*defensive forces if the MAGATS become violent again.