Althouse: "52% of Voters Think Biden Should Resign Over Afghanistan Withdrawal."

September 1, 2021

55 comments:

MadisonMan said...: 99+% think he won't resign however.; 9/1/21, 6:28 PM
Kai Akker said...: Noooo! NEVER!! Not comma-LA, please!; 9/1/21, 6:30 PM
Mr Wibble said...: I suspect that impeachment hurt the Dems in the long run, contributing to their losses in the House, as well as solidifying support for Trump from the GOP base.; 9/1/21, 6:36 PM
rehajm said...: We shouldn’t need an impeachment, Mitch…but now we all know you all a bit better. Unfortunately for us..; 9/1/21, 6:43 PM
Yancey Ward said...: As a general rule presidents shouldn't resign over a screwing of the pooch even this badly- the reason for the fuck up matters, and mistakes are going to be made in the best of situations. Biden should resign because he is mentally and physically incapable of doing the job at an even minimal level. This was obvious to a lot of us last year, but it is now obvious to a majority of people today.

A historical analogy will serve as an example, and one I remember very well. The botched rescue of the hostages in Iran in 1980. That operation was a historic fuckup, and Carter came out that evening and took full responsibility for ordering it in the first place- a true and honest "the buck stops here moment". Carter didn't blame anyone else, and he certainly didn't ask for kudos for the military getting the rescuers themselves out after it had gone tits up. No one thought Carter was mentally incompetent for the job, and he wasn't- he took a high risk/high reward gamble and lost the bet.; 9/1/21, 6:45 PM
rehajm said...: Did you fall for this fake?; 9/1/21, 6:46 PM
Browndog said...: .."over Afghanistan Withdrawal is a fake poll-

Ask if Biden should resign for leaving possibly thousands of Americans to whims of the Taliban. Show the the picture of one military dog, and ask them if Biden should resign over letting that dog get killed because Biden kicked them off the planes to make room for vetted military aged, vetted Afghani men.

Hell, just ask them if Biden should resign, period.; 9/1/21, 6:52 PM
rehajm said...: He should be Nixoned but there are different standards for Republican vs Democrat Presidents…

Is not understanding your catastrophes due to your age related mental impairment a valid defense for a Democrat? Is that who we are?

I’m ready to take our chances with Kamala.; 9/1/21, 6:56 PM
Tom said...: There is zero chance he would ever resign. And the people who control him definitely don’t want him to resign. The only person who might want him to resign is Kamala Harris end I’m guessing Biden will stay as long as he’s alive just to spite her.; 9/1/21, 6:57 PM
Francisco D said...: Biden will resign a few months after after the 2022 elections.

He will be hailed as a transformative and visionary leader who wore himself out trying to make life better for people.

Sane people will see him a a corrupt old blowhard who could not organize a two-car funeral, even before dementia set in.; 9/1/21, 7:14 PM
gilbar said...: is it Time Yet? Can we call for: DO OVERS!! ????; 9/1/21, 7:23 PM
Sebastian said...: "McConnell: 'There isn't going to be an impeachment' of Biden"

Illustrating the fighting spirit of the GOPe.

So, how does the A-exit CF compare to the DJT Ukraine call?; 9/1/21, 7:37 PM
Chuck said...: He’s getting close to Trump territory on the number of respondents who thought that PDJT should resign. (That was 56% in January.)

https://www.google.com/amp/s/thehill.com/homenews/administration/533650-poll-majority-say-trump-should-resign%3famp; 9/1/21, 7:39 PM
Iman said...: The only surprise is that it’s not a higher percentage. But it goes well beyond the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan. The man is mentally unfit for the office. He’s a shambling national security risk.; 9/1/21, 7:42 PM
IamDevo said...: By nearly the same margin, voters think Biden should ritually disembowel himself, carried live on CNN. They could use the ratings boost, so it's only fair.; 9/1/21, 7:45 PM
Big Mike said...: McConnell is a senator and thus has no say over whether the House votes a Bill of Impeachment. But I think he's right.; 9/1/21, 7:49 PM
Achilles said...: 52% to 39%. 9% don't know.

The election was 75-79 million votes for Trump to 62-65 million for Biden.

There is no serious regression that gets Biden anywhere near 75 million votes.

Joe Biden is going to bring the entire uniparty down. He is illegitimate and everyone knows it.

And his obvious dementia is going to make everyone that supports him a laughingstock.; 9/1/21, 7:50 PM
William said...: I'd rather have Biden than Harris. He seems like such a nice old man.... Also, in the none too distant future, I think I might miss Cuomo.; 9/1/21, 8:33 PM
Joe Smith said...: I haven't seen that exact poll, but I have seen others recently where the polling was heavily D, as in double-digits, meaning it's waaaay worse than it seems.; 9/1/21, 8:35 PM
Drago said...: We should withhold final judgement on Dementia Boy's Afghanistan performance until we hear from the most qualified commenter on all things military (according to our resident pro-marxist LLR Chuck): Mr Kellyanne (George) Conway.

LLR Chuck is very high on George Conway's military prowess and expertise (which is why he links to Conway so often) which was built on Conway's many years of "combat experience" battling small children at ice cream machines and in the "pie line" in popular local buffets.

You haven't experienced real danger until you've got both hands loaded down with 4 or 6 empty waffle cones which need "fillin'" and there is a rabble of small children taking too long in the line ahead of you. Well, "Art of War veteran" and "Modern Day Clausewitz" Conway knows just the strategies that will yield success in those nerve wracking scenarios and tactically dangerous situations.

This is of a piece for our resident pro-marxist democratical, LLR Chuck, who is also very high on the military tactics musings of Da Nang Dick Blumenthal, hero of Operation Stolen Valor and Purple Paper Heart Award recipient for a series of nasty paper cuts he suffered in law school.

Interesting historical side note: John Kerry "borrowed" 3 of Blumenthal's Purple Paper Heart Awards to throw over the white House fence in protest of increasing law school tuition rates and lack of sufficient sweet and sour sauce in local chinese food restaurants back in the '70s.; 9/1/21, 8:49 PM
MikeR said...: I think he should resign unless he fires all the top command who lied to him. Let him choose. That's responsibility.
There's no reason he should take the hit for their failure, unless it was his foolishness in trusting them in the first place. But there's no excuse for him to cover for their lies.; 9/1/21, 8:58 PM
Lewis Wetzel said...: On July 6th, the US abandoned Bagram air base in the dead of night. We did not inform the commander of Afghan forces there what we were doing. He woke up to find all the American soldiers and technicians gone.
According to the leaked transcript of Biden's July 23rd phone call to Afghan president Ghani, Biden told Ghani "You clearly have the best military, you have 300,000 well-armed forces versus 70-80,000 and they’re clearly capable of fighting well, we will continue to provide close air support, if we know what the plan is and what we are doing."
Something is very wrong with Biden's brain.; 9/1/21, 9:06 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: I'm reminded of the "acceptance of responsibility" that a future President took in a message written on June 5, 1944. If things had gone completely wrong on D Day in Normandy, Eisenhower's prepared message accepted full responsibility for the disaster, and praised the sailors, soldiers, Air Corps people and our allied forces for their valiant efforts. Not a word of blame shifting---not one word. He took it all on himself.

In terms of character and integrity, Joe couldn't shine Ike's shoes.; 9/1/21, 9:12 PM
Leora said...: McConnell is correct unless 17 Democratic Senators want to join the Republicans it's a waste of time.; 9/1/21, 9:20 PM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Blame Trump for the disaster, then claim it's a success.; 9/1/21, 9:21 PM
Unknown said...: And 48% think Trump should be impeached due to the Afghanistan debacle.
(credit to the Bee).; 9/1/21, 9:38 PM
Readering said...: Next poll ....; 9/1/21, 10:13 PM
Big Mike said...: @Skeptical Voter (9:12), it wasn’t just Ike. Following the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion in April of 1961, Jack Kennedy said “Further statements, detailed discussions, are not to conceal responsibility because I'm the responsible officer of the Government..."

But it was a different time, and Democrat Presidents had some notions of integrity back then.; 9/1/21, 10:48 PM
StephenFearby said...: 6 lies Joe Biden told about Afghanistan
By Post Editorial Board September 1, 2021

How can any American believe anything President Biden says after he’s lied so blatantly about an Afghanistan evacuation he claims was an “extraordinary success”?

LIE: “Americans understand we’re going to try and get it done before Aug. 31,” President Biden told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos Aug. 19. “And if there are American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out.” He reiterated the promise the next day at the White House: “But let me be clear, any American who wants to come home, we will get you home.”

LIE: “We’re making the same commitment,” Biden said Aug. 20, to Afghans who assisted America in the war effort, “those Afghans who have worked alongside us, served alongside of us, gone into combat with us and provided invaluable assistance to us,” he said. “They’re equally important, almost.”

LIE: “The United States stands by its commitment that we’ve made to these people, and it includes other vulnerable Afghans, such as women leaders and journalists,” Biden said Aug. 20.

LIE: Asked by a reporter July 8, “Do you see any parallels between this withdrawal and what happened in Vietnam,” Biden was indignant. “None whatsoever. Zero.”

LIE: Biden vowed to continue providing the Afghan army with air support. “I’ll insist we continue to keep the commitments we made of providing close air support, making sure that their air force functions and is operable,” he said Aug. 10. He’d made the promise to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in a July 23 phone call that was leaked Wednesday. “We will continue to provide close air support,” Biden said. “And all the way through the end of August, and who knows what after that.”

LIE: “Your own intelligence community has assessed that the Afghan government will likely collapse,” a reporter told the president July 8, to which a defensive Biden responded, “That is not true.” He added that “the likelihood there’s going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/01/6-lies-president-joe-biden-told-about-afghanistan/

Each lie is refuted by the Post. One example: “I’ll insist we continue to keep the commitments we made of providing close air support, making sure that their air force functions and is operable,” [Biden] said Aug. 10.

The Wall Street Journal reported Aug. 14, “In the wake of President Biden’s withdrawal decision, the US pulled its air support, intelligence and contractors servicing Afghanistan’s planes and helicopters. That meant the Afghan military simply couldn’t operate anymore.”

Biden reminds me in a certain way of Mary Macarthy's famous take on Lillian Hellman:

'When Mr. Cavett asked what was “dishonest” about Miss Hellman, Miss McCarthy answered, “Everything.” Miss McCarthy continued, “I once said in an interview that every word she writes is a lie, including ‘and’ and ‘the.'”'; 9/2/21, 12:38 AM
Quaestor said...: And his obvious dementia is going to make everyone that supports him a laughingstock.

Wrong tense.

Try "has made" next time.; 9/2/21, 1:04 AM
Quaestor said...: …but now we all know [Mitch McConnell] all a bit better.

There's some dementia at work there as well. He's been so confused by the Biden ice cream stories that he thinks the Democratic Party is headed by "Scoop" Jackson.

It was a healthy time in our history when Congress was a collegial estate of patriots and grifters with about an equal distribution of both types on either side of the aisle -- but those days are long gone. Today, it's patriots against madhouse Marxists betted by some remarkably low-IQ types who'd struggle to fill hamburger orders at McDumbells.

Hillary Clinton is the most to blame for the fracturing of a governing consensus, and it has no chance to heal until a stake is finally driven into that vampire's black heart.; 9/2/21, 1:21 AM
tim maguire said...: I don’t see any grounds for impeachment. What would the charges be? Biden and Harris should both resign. Not because of Afghanistan—presidents don’t resign over foreign policy debacles no matter how awful—but because they are unfit for office, incapable of discharging their duties adequately. They should resign out of patriotism.; 9/2/21, 5:02 AM
typingtalker said...: A more interesting question on the poll ... "If President Biden were to resign or be removed from office by impeachment, Vice President Kamala Harris would become president. How qualified is Harris to assume the duties of being president?"

I don't see the answer to that one.; 9/2/21, 5:42 AM
iowan2 said...: Most posters have hit all the specifics.

Biden demanded several hard demands. One was the priority to defend the physical structure of the embassy. The Military was locked into that demand. From that stupid priority, the cascade of bad decisions, resulted in the totality of the cluster we witnessed.
Generals should have resigned in the face of operational restrictions that assured failure. Now they should resign for their full complicity.

The embassy staff should have been moved to Bagram, Soldiers increased to a number sufficient to secure a large enough perimeter to prevent the ability to create choke points, allowing all the needed out, could get out.
We were there for 20 years, yet the public in the States were never informed an the number of SIV that had been promised. Some transparency on this would do a lot to increase public support for all operations.; 9/2/21, 6:02 AM
iowan2 said...: Forgot,
The State Dept and the Intelligence Community share at least equal parts of the shame.

Either they knew exactly what was going to happen and accept the disaster, or they were as clueless as Biden. Either way all the management of those agencies need to go.; 9/2/21, 6:07 AM
Lewis Wetzel said...: If Harris were to be elevated to the presidency, she would immediately become unqualified to cast a tie-breaking vote in the senate.; 9/2/21, 7:01 AM
Charles said...: Well...
No matter what this poll says it will not happen and in my mind, so be it. The replacement for Biden is worse than Biden and so there is a silver lining for that.; 9/2/21, 7:12 AM
Quaestor said...: I don’t see any grounds for impeachment. What would the charges be?

How about treason? Specifically, the charge is collaboration with an avowed enemy against the interests of the American People and especially those citizens abandoned in Afghanistan by the direct order of the President.

If Biden can't be justly impeached for that crime, then impeachment is merely a legal fiction, and the American People cannot be rid of a criminal wielding power over them except by the same means we rid ourselves of George III -- revolution!; 9/2/21, 7:48 AM
jaydub said...: "He’s getting close to Trump territory on the number of respondents who thought that PDJT should resign. (That was 56% in January.)"B\

I'd like to see a poll on whether folks would trade Biden for Trump now. I suspect Biden would lose in a landslide.; 9/2/21, 8:03 AM
tolkein said...: I thought The House impeaches the President and the trial is in the Senate. So McConnell is right.; 9/2/21, 8:19 AM
Kai Akker said...: Can't see a breakdown on this one, but most of the polls of the last few months have shown Independents breaking against the current administration, often decisively. That bodes well for a course correction in 2022, but in the meantime the nation is stuck with what the Democratic Party foisted off on us through its electoral maneuvers and chicanery. There could be a heckuva price still to be paid by the nation as a whole for what they did.; 9/2/21, 9:11 AM
Chris Lopes said...: Thanks to the rabid insanity of a Democrat controlled House, impeachment doesn't mean squat any more. It's merely a way for the party that controls the House to express displeasure at the President if he happens to be from the other party. It doesn't get as meaningless as impeaching a President as he's leaving office anyway. A Constitutionally protected power is now just an instrument of political grand standing.; 9/2/21, 9:12 AM
Chris Lopes said...: "He’s getting close to Trump territory on the number of respondents who thought that PDJT should resign. (That was 56% in January.)"

That's right, a story about how badly Biden is doing in with the public HAS TO also be about Trump. Joe can not be allowed to sink or swim on his own merits because apparently the choice is we either love all that is Biden or we want Orange the Clown back. Guess what, invoking Trump's name doesn't make Biden's fuck ups any better.; 9/2/21, 9:23 AM
rcocean said...: I see dumbo conservatives are getting upset over McConnell's wimping out over impeachment. I hate McConnell, so I dislike defending him. But you'll need a R House to impeach Biden. Unlike the R's, the Democrats support their presidents and don't reward traitors to their party.

Even if the R's win the House 2023, we'll need to win the Senate too. and that's not in the cards. Again, Schumer isn't like McConnell. He's not going to sabotage HIS president or cause him problems.; 9/2/21, 9:24 AM
Robert Cook said...: Heck,every president we've had for at least the past 20 years, (and farther back) should have resigned for their respective offenses or failures in office, but none of them did...none will. It's up to the people not to vote these corporate stooges into office...which means not voting for any Dem or Republican candidate.; 9/2/21, 9:49 AM
Chuck said...: Chris Lopes said...
"He’s getting close to Trump territory on the number of respondents who thought that PDJT should resign. (That was 56% in January.)"

That's right, a story about how badly Biden is doing in with the public HAS TO also be about Trump. Joe can not be allowed to sink or swim on his own merits because apparently the choice is we either love all that is Biden or we want Orange the Clown back. Guess what, invoking Trump's name doesn't make Biden's fuck ups any better.

I've said repeatedly that I don't love Biden. I don't even much like Biden at all. But I had to choose, Biden or Trump. I chose Biden. And I'm not sorry at all. Moreover, I like reminding everybody just how bad Trump was, since memories seem to be so defective these days.

The single worst thing Biden has done -- a hasty and ill-planned pullout from Afghanistan -- is what Trump was planning throughout 2020. I see absolutely no loss in having voted for Biden. My only regret is that if there was to be a pullout from Afghanistan (a rotten idea), that Trump didn't own all of it.

What I really want is to be able to vote for a Romney, a Cheney or a Kinzinger for President.; 9/2/21, 10:09 AM
TJ said...: IMO he will not resign or be impeached.

I think impeachment would only embolden Biden's supporters (think Clinton, Bill) and end up being counterproductive given the complacency (or cheerleading) of the largest media voices. The story would be the R reaction to what happened as opposed to what Biden did.

Thinking he will resign is just wishcasting. Would be shocked if it happened...

I hope truly that people are watching and remember how poorly he has done. I am not confident though.; 9/2/21, 11:17 AM
Ceciliahere said...: Is there such a thing as a presidential recall? If not, then maybe there should be.; 9/2/21, 11:38 AM
Drago said...: pro-marxist LLR Chuck: "I've said repeatedly that I don't love Biden."

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

You and your beloved Lincoln Pedophile Project and The Google/Facebook Bulwark explicitly asserted that Biden was above reproach and would restore dignity and the "norms" back to our nation.

You didn't "love" Biden...but like all democratical politicians you ADORE them and defend them and will broach no criticism of any of them.

And you've been doing it for 6 years.

Did you really think no one would ever notice you doing that FakeCon Boy?; 9/2/21, 12:32 PM
various buts said...: Often left unspoken in these discussions (without debating the merits of a Biden presidency or the capabilities of Harris) is where is the bench for the Democrats? And it's not a political question, though it's answer helps drive politics. I really don't see anyone with a national or nearly national profile who is the future face of the party. After 1988, Bill Clinton was a star of the party with clear ambitions. Al Gore (again no debate of his merits) was the focal point of the party after that. Then Obama got legs shaking after his speech at the convention in 2004. Since then...who is the future of the party? Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders? Those ships sailed so Team Obama could make Biden the standard-bearer. Biden himself has no legacy to offer outside of Delaware. Harris didn't even make it to the Iowa caucus. Cuomo might land on his feet again in NYS, but his national ambitions are toast. Newsom, who is likely to be recalled in his own state? Schumer has never shown any desire to decamp from his butt-grooved couch in NY and is another old man anyway. Pelosi is older. Gillibrand?? Bloomberg? Kobluchar?

I suppose it's Harris by default, but that is the most damning state of affairs in my lifetime (currently approaching 51). There have been some terrible D choices such as McGovern and Mondale (I would leave Carter higher than both), but they at least "qualified" insofar as they got to be nominees through the nationwide process, which Harris couldn't even start because of a lack of organization and support. After her, where does the party turn? I might be missing something because I'm not tuned into the mindset of people who would vote for Biden, but that question should be troubling us all a lot more than whether Biden should resign or Harris is a capable executive. Those issues are, for practical purposes, backward looking and therefore they obscure the moral and leadership vacuums staring us down just a few years from now. Despite the COVID panic, the world will continue to spin and regardless of political affiliation, we need people at the national level who are able to lead and minimally project an aura of confidence to the population.

The Republicans aren't much better off, but DeSantis is showing he is willing to lead (again, no commentary on what the results of his leadership are). I don't support Senators taking up the presidential cause, but Cruz has a seat at the table if only because he's still relatively young and remains firmly on the right. But again, after that...Abbot doesn't have the profile right now. Jindahl was a blip. I don't think Haley has the reputation to be the face of the party at this point.

There might be some other options I don't see and I am very open to having my eyes opened. I just really hope we can do better in the near future.

ps so happy our hostess found a better solution for commenting. I really missed my daily dose of many of you.; 9/2/21, 2:06 PM
Richard Aubrey said...: Heard a speculation some time back: The dems chose their slate in order to lose. Let Trump make even more enemies, get some younger folks more exposure, and come back next presidential election.
They forgot to tell the swing state election officials.; 9/2/21, 3:41 PM
typingtalker said...: "52% of Voters Think Biden Should Resign Over Afghanistan
Withdrawal."

But what percent of voters have revealed the well reasoned and insightful analysis that led to their opinion? Assuming that there was a well reasoned and insightful analysis ... which I doubt.; 9/2/21, 4:07 PM
gilbar said...: "I suppose it's Harris by default"

Don't forget Beta O'Rourke! Don't forget Petie Butifuc!!
Wait a minute... Forget them; nevermind

Serious Question
Remember back when Beta O'Rourke was Going To Win The Nomination! and Win The Presidency!!!
What were we smoking back then?; 9/2/21, 4:30 PM
Jamie said...: So - Biden'a unplanned rout was the equivalent of whatever Trump's year-long planned withdrawn would have been.

Maybe. But we'll never know, will we?; 9/2/21, 8:11 PM
Chris Lopes said...: The choice is no longer between Biden and Trump, it's between Biden and reality. Biden is screwing up on just about every level imaginable (immigration, energy policy, the economy, and now foreign policy), saying Trump's name won't change that.; 9/3/21, 9:30 AM