Editor’s note: Damon Lindelof has been a significant contributor to Democrats up and down the ballot for years, including to the campaigns of President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Joe Biden. However, after Biden’s stumbling debate performance last week, the Emmy-winning Lindelof writes that the Dems need to replace Biden soon if they want to have any chance of beating Donald Trump in November.
My name is Damon Lindelof. I am a lifelong Democrat and I love my complicated, glorious country. I am not writing this anonymously because I’m asking others in positions of influence to do the same. I don’t know if what I have to say will matter, but I know what my eyes and my ears and my heart tell me. I’ve been asleep at the wheel and it’s time to wake the fuck up.
Related Stories
There is a choice before us and the choice is this – Do we leave our pitcher on the mound or do we go to the bullpen for relief?
Watch on Deadline
Our president’s debate performance has been characterized in many ways; disappointing, upsetting, terrifying… but for me it was simply game-changing. So yes, let’s go with the bullpen please. Let’s go with relief.
I voted for Joe. I wept when the election was called for him and whooped out of the windows of my wife’s car as she honked the horn in joy, the streets filled with revelers, all celebrating a return to decency. Joe is a good man and a great president. And he has risen to leadership despite a level of loss and suffering that would bring me to my knees. I believe in Joe Biden. I believe in him so much that we wrote him a sizeable check as recently as two weeks ago. We had to considering his opponent.
The liar. The cheater. The rapist. The felon. Immune, immune, immune, courtesy of the highest court in the land. If elected, he would replace the two most conservative justices on that court with two who are thirty years younger. Which means my teenaged son will be SEVENTY before there’s even a chance at a balanced court. So … what is the remedy for imbalance?
Checks.
Because the checks are what get us in the room where it happens. I wish that wasn’t true. I wish it was strength of character or viability of ideas. But it’s checks. Checks all the way down.
The checks give us access to power and it is power that is needed to persuade our pitcher to come out of the game, because dammit, even four runs down with the bases loaded and no outs, he still feels like he’s got good stuff. Yet we’re just here in the stands. We can shout as much as we want, but the pitcher will ignore us despite our checks. Fortunately, he’s not the only one we’re writing them to.
His teammates are right there next to him. If they can be compelled to walk over to the mound, not just one or two of them, but the manager and the catcher and the entire infield… maybe, just maybe, he will hand them the ball. And we can get our reliever in.
And so, I propose a DEMbargo. No checks written. No ActBlue links clicked. For anyone.
When a country is not behaving how we want them to, we apply harsh economic sanctions. It’s a give and take — Short term hurt for long term healing.
Is it misguided to punish the entire team for the stubbornness of the pitcher? Maybe. But it’s also common sense that if he stays in, they will also lose. A rising tide lifts all boats. A falling Biden sinks them.
Some will say it is too late. That no team has ever come back from four down in the ninth. To them I say HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A SPORTS MOVIE?!?
Others will say it cannot be done. That our bullpen is so packed with talented pitchers it will be impossible to choose which one is ideal. To them I say, YOU’RE TELLING ME OUR PROBLEM IS TOO MANY GREAT PITCHERS?!? COME ON. LET’S GO!
I will admit, I am driven by the hubris implicit in thinking anything a Hollywood Elite says will matter to anyone. But I am also driven by purpose. And the polling. Oh God, the polling. He was behind before the debate. And it will not get better.
So it has to be now and we have to move fast.
When they text you asking for cash, text back that you’re not giving them a penny and you won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket. And when Joe finally leaves the mound, I will stand and applaud. Because he truly pitched a great game.
But I’m ready to hear the walkout song for our closer. And once I do, I’m going to double the size of the checks… I’m going to write so many damn checks my hand will cramp.
God bless you for making it through this stream of conscientious consciousness … and God bless America.
RELATED: Joe Biden Blames Travel Schedule For Debate Performance, Says He “Almost Fell Asleep On Stage”
RELATED: Joe Biden To Sit Down With ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos For First Post-Debate TV Interview
RELATED: White House Pushes Back On Report That Joe Biden Plans To Discuss Campaign’s Future With Family
Two words. Smoke. Monster. Dude couldn’t figure out how to end “Lost” and we’re meant to believe he has some strategic oversight of U.S. government? Fuck off man.
If you don’t understand the ending of Lost, that’s on you.
I understood it perfectly, and it sucked.
He’s right. And the GOP does not want a younger Dem presidential candidate, they are afraid of how much worse Trump will look in comparison.
Take your bow, Biden. Leave the stage.
Sir,
You appear to think times are normal. They aren’t and haven’t been since Trump turned his sights on the presidency.
Biden’s old. Really? He was old 4+ years ago when you supported him. Did you think he’d age like wine?
Well, it’s too little too late. Biden is who we asked to the dance. And I for one believe you all would be creating a much bigger mess than what we’ve got.
Suck it up as the rest of us have done, the “Us” that aren’t wealthy media & entertainment peeps, or uber-wealthy tech bros.
Don’t want to donate? Fine. But stop whining when very little of this will ever affect you.
Be forewarned I’m going to use a LOTS of CAPS (like Lindelof is notorious for doing)
SO much that should be said, starting his claim that Joe is a “good man and a great President”
It turns out the “family business” of Joe and James and Hunter Biden has been revealed to be BRIBERY (which the Constitution explicitly says is grounds for IMPEACHMENT) or something so corrupt that it is at best “de facto Bribery” and OUGHT to be Bribery. No ACTUAL “good man” like Jimmy Carter would even CONSIDER getting within A COUNTRY MILE of anything as sleazy and slimy as the “Biden family business”
“Great President” ?!
SO much that should be said, but I’ll make this SIMPLE:
Do we have MORE or LESS Peace and Prosperity than we had BEFORE Biden took office?!
Did you WATCH that fucking FIASCO of a withdrawal from Afghanistan BIDEN pushed on his Generals?
Did you know we could have SAFELY flown out EVERY AMERICAN TROOP AND ALLY FROM BAGRAM AIR FORCE BASE instead of desperately trying and failing to withdraw everyone from a CIVILIAN AIRPORT?
Were you paying attention when PUTIN decided Joe’s “threats” were a JOKE and INVADED UKRAINE?
Do you STILL believe Adam Schiff’s claim that he’d seen EVIDENCE that Trump was colluding with Putin? Did you remember when TED LIEU blaming Trump when RIOTERS LOOTED SANTA MONICA?!
(I too was once stupid enough to vote for those worthless jerks…wouldn’t do it again for a 3-Movie Deal)
Do you ACTUALLY STILL BELIEVE you know more than ROBERT MUELLER ?!
Can you provide an IOTA of proof Trump ever gave Putin anything OTHER THAN COMPLIMENTS ?!
Are you too young or dumb to remember REAGAN ALSO COMPLIMENTED GORBACHEV ?!
Have you tried FILLING UP YOUR CAR IN BEVERLY HILLS LATELY?
Or SHOPPING FOR GROCERIES at the Rock and Roll Ralphs ?!
God HELP YOU if you prefer to shop at WHOLE FOODS or EREWHON!
Most Voters weren’t fooled by Biden’s bad record BEFORE his pathetic attempt to imitate Clint Eastwood “Make my day, pal!” boomeranged right back into his face at the debate — held on friendly territory on CNN — against a Trump who wasn’t at HIS best either and got his ass handed to him.
Oh and btw, BOTH OF THEM LIED.
That “narrative” that only Trump lied is TOTAL BS only the DUMBEST people could possibly believe.
Biden’s always BEEN a liar (yes so is Trump, but that’s not the point) and HE ALWAYS WILL BE.
Biden’s polls are were bad BEFORE they debate and now they’re dropping like a rock FOR GOOD REASON — The Emperor Has No Clothes! And MANY of us could see Biden’s ADVANCED AGE was ALREADY a problem FOUR YEARS AGO. Now the RESTS of you can finally see too — CONGRATULATIONS!!!
You might want to try pulling your noses out of your NEO-LIBERAL BUBBLE WORLD BOOTIES more often, Fellow Hollywood People. You might actually LEARN a thing or two and make BETTER CHOICES…
PS Demonizing your fellow Americans who never have or no longer SLAVISHLY VOTE DEMOCRAT is EXACTLY THE SAME THING you IMAGINE every “working class White Person” in “flyover States” want DO TO YOU.
IN REALITY, they continue to ENJOY watching your TV shows and Movies and continue to help make (some of you) RICH AND FAMOUS…ACTUALLY treating you MUCH BETTER than YOU feel ENTITLED to treat THEM.
And People call TRUMP a NARCISSIST…
Yes he IS one but he’s FAR from the ONLY one causing us PROBLEMS…
Damn! That was so satisfying.
Enjoy Biden’s second term and Trump’s incarceration.
Serious question, what drug and where can I get some?
Fifty-One intel agents agree…Joe’s fine! Wait, now he’s not!