Name: Progressives embrace 'Settle for Biden' rallying cry, wait to fight him once elected
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Progressives embrace 'Settle for Biden' rallying cry, wait to fight him once elected

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Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosProgressive Democrats want to beat President Trump so badly that they're tabling their apathy about Joe Biden — organizing hard to get him into office, only to fight him once elected.Why it matters: That's a big difference from 2016, when progressives’ displeasure with Hillary Clinton depressed turnout and helped deliver the White House to Trump.Progressives will be pushing Biden to move in their direction on a range of issues, including Medicare for All, adding justices to the Supreme Court, abolishing the Senate filibuster, cutting defense spending, decriminalizing border crossings and reallocating federal dollars for police reform. What they're saying: "In 2016, everyone thought Hillary was going to win, so it was kind of a free runway,” said Jesse Lee, a senior adviser at the Center for American Progress. “That's obviously not the case in this cycle.”The state of play: The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC), which endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president, often Biden during the primary, calling him "the least electable Democrat that we could possibly nominate." Progressives know they can’t work with Trump — and they detest him. They have accepted Biden as an imperfect vessel, and they've already started seeing some progress. While Biden has renewed his message around health care after Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death, progressives are zeroing in on packing the court as the appropriate response to Republicans jamming through a replacement. The bottom line: No one knows how long the truce between the progressive wing of the party will last.What’s next: Waleed Shahid of Justice Democrats, the progressive group that recruited AOC to run, hinted about progressives’ long-game strategy during the Democratic National Convention.President Trump has been practicing with flashcards and prepping with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie before Tuesday's presidential debate.Behind the scenes: Top aides tell Axios he's been testing his attacks on the campaign trail for weeks, seeing what ignites his crowds or falls flat. One of the biggest themes Trump plans to drive home is his "tough guy" persona, which advisers see as an advantage with voters in .Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge announced in an op-ed Sunday that he would be voting for Joe Biden.Why it matters: Ridge, who was also the first secretary of homeland security under George W. Bush, joins other prominent Republicans who have publicly said they will either not vote for Trump's re-election this November or will back Biden.Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday proposed a deal with the United States that would guarantee neither country interfere in the other’s elections weeks before the U.S. holds its general election.Why it matters: Putin's proposal comes amid warnings from U.S. intelligence and cyber experts that Moscow is trying to influence the U.S. presidential election.

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosProgressive Democrats want to beat President Trump so badly that they're tabling their apathy about Joe Biden — organizing hard to get him into office, only to fight him once elected.Why it matters: That's a big difference from 2016, when progressives’ displeasure with Hillary Clinton depressed turnout and helped deliver the White House to Trump.Progressives will be pushing Biden to move in their direction on a range of issues, including Medicare for All, adding justices to the Supreme Court, abolishing the Senate filibuster, cutting defense spending,...

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Hans Nichols

Alexi is a political reporter at Axios. She covers the 2020 presidential election, focusing on the cultural concerns and trends that will help decide the next president.

https://www.axios.com/authors/Alexi_McCammond

Alexi McCammond

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Progressives embrace 'Settle for Biden' rallying cry, wait to fight him once elected

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