What I am doing here

A rant.

I am not dumb.

So, I knew when I wrote about Joe Biden’s age — and the political problems it continues to cause him — on Tuesday that there would be some people who wouldn’t like it.

And there were. A few select comments:

• “Please stop writing in such a negative way about Biden…Let’s focus on the positives and give the ‘average, normal’ voter something to look forward to in 2024.”

• “So WTF do we Democrats do? This is the opposite of helpful. It’s not even informative. Nothing in here is new.”

• “You can continue to show the worst of Biden's pictures like the one above and the best of Trump's pictures in this forum, that is not going to have any impact on any one in this forum, believe me.”

There were more, but these were the ones that stood out to me. Not because they criticized me. That is totally fine! But because they seemed to fundamentally misunderstand what I am trying to do in this space.

I am not an advocate. I am not rooting for Joe Biden to win — or to lose. And, when it comes to Biden’s age, I will repeat what I said in the post yesterday:

To be clear: What I am arguing is NOT that Joe Biden is too old to be president. Instead I am simply saying that by insisting that he is in fact perfectly capable of being president at his age — despite widespread doubts in the electorate — his allies and defenders are taking a MAJOR gamble.

I’ll also say this: I DO think that Donald Trump’s actions, rhetoric and announced plans for what he would do in 2025 if elected again represent both a drastic reshaping of the presidency and an active threat to American democracy.

I don’t believe any of that to be a partisan stance.

Biden’s age IS a major issue for voters — as poll after poll has shown. And the idea that the media somehow created Biden’s age as a problem gives the media far too much influence and credit. (I worked at major media organizations; we could barely coordinate what room a meeting was in.)

(Sidebar: Trump’s age — he is 77 and just three years younger than Biden — is NOT a major concern for voters. I wrote about that here.)

Trump has PROVEN his disdain for the basic tenets of democracy. He actively sought to undermine the 2020 results. He helped incite a riot at the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. He has already claimed election interference in advance of the 2024 race.

To be clear: I am NOT equating Biden’s age issue with Trump’s willingness to undermine democracy. These are not the same thing. If elected to a 2nd term, Biden would, largely, I assume, color within the established lines of how a president acts. Trump would not. One, as I said, represents an active threat to democracy. The other does not.

But, again, I am not an advocate. I view my job as informing and educating. People can — and have to — make their own decisions about the best way forward for the country. My job is NOT to make the case for Joe Biden or against Donald Trump. My job is to cover what they do and say — try to contextualize it and make people aware of the ramifications. What people decide to do with that information is up to them.

Now, back to my point at the top about not being dumb.

I KNOW that if I only wrote about why Donald Trump is terrible and why we can never elect him, I would have more subscribers (and more paid subscribers).

I look around at some of the political Substacks with big followings — far bigger than mine — and the vast majority are built on a partisan conceit: Biden (or Trump) is the devil. Every day they bash away at how stupid/evil/awful the other side is. And it works! Their subscribers soar! People pay to have their views affirmed! Commerce!

(Sidebar: This is obviously not true across the board. Some HUGE Substacks offer more measured and thoughtful political commentary. Matt Yglesias’ “Slow Boring” is one good example.)

I know the allure that lies down that road. Trust me — I would LOVE to make writing this Substack my full-time job. But, right now, I don’t make enough money from it for that to happen. Turning this newsletter more partisan would undoubtedly help grow it — and make me more money!

Which reminds me: You can get 20% off a monthly or yearly subscription. Right now! Right here!

That’s just not me, though. I went into journalism — and have stayed in it — because I fundamentally believe that the best way I can contribute to the dialogue is to observe the political landscape and offer my unvarnished takes on it. Without fear or favor.

Right now that means I write more about Republicans — and Trump in particular — because what he is saying and doing are not just remaking the Republican party but could, if he is elected, transform the federal government and the country too.

But, I am not critical of Trump because I hate him. And I don’t think that just because Trump exists that everything Biden or Democrats do is a) right or b) motivated by pure-of-heart reasons. Or that I should never cast a critical eye to what they are doing.

My basic view is this: When Republicans do something stupid or wrong, I will absolutely call it out. But the only way that my voice is credible in doing that is if I ALSO call out when Democrats do something that is stupid or wrong.

Right?

This isn’t to say, again, that both sides are equal. Republicans have moved further to the populist right than Democrats have moved to the left. The democracy-undermining efforts by Trump are far more dangerous to the country than any policy being pursued by Biden.

I believe that. And believe that facts — objective truths — bear that out. So I will keep writing and saying it.

But, this space will never be, solely, a corner of the Internet where what you already believe will be affirmed. I hope it is a place where your assumptions are challenged. Where civil conversation forces you to — maybe — see things from a different perspective and in a different light.

Many of you already do this. And, I think, have signed up (and paid) for this newsletter for just those reasons. You have my thanks for that. Truly..

For the others: I don’t ask you agree with everything I write. That would be foolish. I only ask that you a) know it’s coming from an honest and transparent place and b) engage with both the writing and the people in this community who have differing views than you (as long as those views are expressed in a civil manner).

I am working very hard day in and day out to make this a place for thoughtful and honest commentary about politics and, yes, life. Thanks for your understanding and your support. We’re ultimately all in this together.