Thread by @DaytimeDan

I've had benefit of being away & had some distance from what's happened over last two weeks. In particular, the reaction from Biden-world to the debates (as seen below). To sum up: politics is a tough biz and Biden camp's hand-wringing needs to end 1/ politico.com/story/2019/06/…

Of course the big news was Kamala Harris' direct hit on Biden. On average it was seen as a big boost for her campaign, but there are those who didn't like it and saw it as unfair to Biden. A friend of mine called it counter-productive and "inaccurate" to imply he was a racist. 2/

Now, I dispute attack was inaccurate & I don't think goal was to imply Biden was racist, but rather out-of-touch due to his constant waxing nostalgic of "good ole' days." And I wouldn't be surprised to see a backlash to Harris.

But unfair? Have we forgotten how this works!? 3/

THIS IS POLITICS. People are trying to win a tough primary. The eventual nominee will NOT be running for an open seat but instead to take down an incumbent. Not just any incumbent, but one with a singular political talent: finding angles of attack & making opponents toxic. 4/

Which means absolutely every contender needs to go through the ringer, be attacked, have his/her record vetted, and learn how to respond effectively. I've heard people say "watch out, this means Harris is going to get scrutinized more now."

GOOD. Bring it on. I expect next 5/

debates will feature attacks on her record as AG. I want it all brought up, even the Willie Brown attacks.

Because Trump will throw everything at the nominee. They have to be deft and clever in how they deal and respond.

Obama used to say all the time that the 2007-08 6/

campaign vs. Hillary made him a better general election candidate. He's right. That's why the whole notion of "we don't need a circular firing squad" and "we shouldn't attack each other" is so flawed.

The nominees should absolutely attack each other! And they should learn 7/

how to handle the attacks and respond.

This is why the Biden camp's responses have been so disheartening and lame. Everything from "she better watch out because she won't get to be VP" (really? If Biden is the nominee and she helps you win, yes you will ask her to be VP) to 8/

the Barbara Boxer response saying it's unfair because Harris & Biden were friends and Biden helped Harris her Sen race, etc. Who cares? This is politics. Biden chose to enter this race long after Harris announced. They are now competitors. That's how the game is played. 9/

Remember how fierce the Obama-Hillary rivalry was? Then Hillary became SoS and Obama threw his entire support behind her in 2016? They know this is politics.

Nobody forced Biden to voluntarily name avowed segregationists as examples of people with whom he "got stuff done." 10/

Nobody forced him to stumble in response to a predictable attack that was already subject of press coverage for the previous week.

Nobody forced him to use the "states rights" argument on busing instead of having a sharper response formulated.

He should have been ready. 11/

Moreover, the notion that Biden's long-record isn't a vulnerability that Trump will exploit is ridiculous. Biden's greatest strength is 8 years as Obama's VP, but he was a politician for 50 years. Do we think Trump wouldn't use that long record (Anita Hill, etc) as a wedge? 12/

Heck, Trump used Bill's affairs as a wedge against Hillary and it hurt!

So please stop talking about it being "unfair." Start talking about this as important training for the general.

Now, I don't expect the Biden camp to call it fair. I DO expect them to counter-attack. 13/

As they should!!

But counter-attacking isn't complaining about fairness or saying "be careful or you won't get to be VP," and that's what's been happening.

That's not counter-attacking. That's whining. And it should make everyone very worried about Biden & his team's 14/

effectiveness for what will come in a general election vs. Trump.

Harris took Biden's own statements AND own record and made a completely fair attack, one far fairer and more accurate than anything Trump would use.

Biden needs to get better. It's that simple. If he does 15/

then he can thank Kamala Harris for doing him a massive favor. Frankly, she's already done Democrats a big favor.

All top-tier contenders should have their records scrutinized and be attacked in debate settings. Harris should know what's coming back and be prepared.

Because 16/

that's how we'll get a battle-tested, vetted candidate.

You cannot BOTH say we need someone to be tested but then quibble about the fairness of attacks (particularly when we know what's coming v. Trump in a general election).

And to #KHive peeps: this will apply when she 17/

gets more stuff thrown her way. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't hand-wring. Help find responses and counter-attack. The expression "politics ain't beanbag" exists for a reason. This primary shouldn't be a love-fest. It should prep our candidates to go to war with someone 18/

willing to use every lever - legal or otherwise - in order win.

Biden's camp has been a mess on this issue. Stand up for your candidate & counter-attack, but you know this is fair, and you know this is politics.

2020 will be tough. We need our candidates ready.

/end