Biden’s top priority for a second term: restoring abortion rights
Biden’s top priority for a second term: restoring abortion rights
“It is unfathomable that women today wake up in a country with less rights than their ancestors had years ago,” Biden's deputy campaign manager said.
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I'd love to believe him, but it's weird it hasn't been a priority till now, and won't be till after we elect him again.
Feels like the bare minimum would be start trying now.
I wouldn't be surprised if day 1 of his second term we hear he'll start looking into if he can do anything, and then we won't hear about it again.
It wasn't a priority because he wants the debate. He knows that the GOP is on the wrong side of history, and knows angry people vote. Winning the battle would energize anti-abortion voters while placating everyone else.
Joe Biden is a better president than any of the GOP challengers would be. But that doesn't make him a good man, or a good president. He's not going to fight a political battle that will cost him votes on both sides of the coin.
You just summed up the problem with the democratic party for decades
They never made an attempt to codify it before, because it's a useful stick.
And once they lost ground, they refused to do anything because it became a bigger stick...
So if Biden gets elected again, why do you think he'll actually fix it? It was just a huge help in getting a dem elected.
By your own logic, Biden is most likely to not do anything to fix any issues, to prevent a Republican from winning.
That strategy hasn't been working very well, but you're right. I think that's what he'll do.
And I'm still pissed about it.
They're literally playing with people's lives and knowing the consequences.
But to them it's better if it helps them keep a couple more years in office, even tho long-term it means a Republican will eventually win and make things even worse.
Shit stays bad, and a third of the country won't vote because of it. But these people don't have to find a different job for 4-8 years, so worth it I guess for them?
If the codification of abortion rights happened before Dobbs, at Best voters would have shrugged and said "so what? we already had that right. Nothing changed". At worst, Democrats would have had to spend a huge amount of political capital, get blocked by their own members who don't support abortion, and trigger a SC decision overturning abortion even earlier than we did. Now, the Republicans spent their political capital getting rid of abortion and Democrats get extra support for defending it. Sucks but that's politics.
Assuming that's true, what's going to be different Bidens second term?
How many of those Democrats that wouldn't support codify abortion access are still in office?
How were the people they're supposed to represent supposed to have known since there hasn't been any votes on it?
Are you going to be surprised if even with Dem majorities just enough Dems will say they'll oppose it and Biden will say there's no point in trying?
Or do you think they'll pull out the classic where party leadership claims there's enough against it to stop it without identifying them and that means no vote will be held and voters have zero choice to hold them accountable?
Something to consider, Biden when asked was reasonably in favor of legalizing marijuana. Granted it's a different issue but it has some strong opposition from the fundamentalists and religious types which spans both parties.
While weed is still schedule 3, he has made efforts to have it rescheduled by directing HHS to reevaluate it. They have, and now they are working with DEA who are in charge of how it's scheduled regarding it's status. In addition to that he's done two separate mass pardons for weed related charges.
Let's not forget his campaign promise about student loans. He did the thing, while the supreme court (and the Republicans) rejected it.
He's not perfect but he has put in work where he said he would in other issues, I would say that's reason enough for me to believe that he will put in work on abortion rights codification in his second term. I hate that he is playing it this way but as the other commentor has said, that is politics.
Giving those examples though, tell me what has you pessimistic. I'd like to understand your viewpoint on this.
While weed is still schedule 3, he has made efforts to have it rescheduled by directing HHS to reevaluate it.
Great example.
When running he said he'd decriminalize federally.
A couple years in office, and he's "looking into it" like it hasn't been studied for decades.
He'll never do it, because that's a carrot. And just like they don't want to lose a stick. They don't want to lose a carrot.
I have a question for you, how well versed are you in how the federal agencies work?
How I laid things out, Biden is directing the agencies to reevaluate the status of marijuana. That's how the system works, power has been given to the agencies and the president doesn't get to unilaterally say "ok this is how it is now" unless we're dealing with an authoritarian such as our previous president.
Under our current one, there are checks and balances and things happen a bit slowly but he has done something. I understand it's not instantaneous but our government has never and should never be instantaneous lest we end up having a king.
Edit: looks like some people don't appreciate checks and balances. Good grief.
He didn't say it... His staff said it...
I feel like that's relevant with Biden. I don't think Biden is actually doing much of anything.
One thing he IS doing though, is exactly what he himself said he would do during his campaign... He's being not trump. It's all he promised personally, I think it's all he's done personally, and if you voted for him last time, you should vote for him this time, because he did exactly what you voted for.
And frankly, as a moderate who frequently votes other, that's perfectly acceptable :)
He’s being not trump. It’s all he promised personally, I think it’s all he’s done personally, and if you voted for him last time, you should vote for him this time, because he did exactly what you voted for.
Why is that the only option and only threshold?
There's about 330,000,000 other Americans who are also not trump. And some of them would actually try to make things better. And a few of them are even qualified to be president. A sizable amount or even younger than 80.
and if you voted for him last time, you should vote for him this time, because he did exactly what you voted for.
I explain this all the time. But voter suppression isnt experienced equally, some people need to take hours to vote. And it's rare that 2/3s actually do so.
Why not try seeing if actually helping motivates them to vote?
The worst that will happen is we help people.
If everything goes according to your plan, the country suffers for 8 years under changes trump made...
Eventually another Republican will be elected, and they're making shit worse again.
And frankly, as a moderate who frequently votes other, that’s perfectly acceptable :)
Things never get better, but you get to make smug social media comments while Rome burns.
Meanwhile people with empathy are chumps for being upset everything is going to hell for most Americans?