The White House is whispering that next week President Biden will announce his intention to run for a second term, though the polls say that even most Democrats hope he doesn’t. The public understands what Mr. Biden apparently won’t admit: that electing an octogenarian in obvious decline for another four years could be an historic mistake.
No doubt it’s hard to walk away from the Oval Office after working for five decades to get there. Flying Marine One home for the weekends beats Amtrak. The chance to pull the levers of power is intoxicating, and that’s also true for the advisers who have pushed him in such a sharply progressive direction in his first term. They know Mr. Biden will lead wherever they want him to go.
Joe, your career has been politics; you set out to be, and became, a "career politician". You attained the ultimate prize.
Why upset the pinnacle with a more likely than not loss to either Trump or DeSantis?
It is simply unfair for your party to expect you to step up and "take one for the Team", and so far as yourself, you must again must not lose sight "you're gonna lose".
Some 25% of your own party wants you to step down. Nevermind the 50% comprising "the other guys".
Please do the right thing; DON'T RUN!!!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It certainly appears that Joe has settled on Kamala - and the possibility of her becoming POTUS 47. Also, be sure to note the two different microsecond clips of Amtrak equipment.
I admire and respect Joe's loyalty to his "team", but Kamala has yet to show any qualifications to be POTUS 47. She would somehow have to serve out the all too likely unexpired term. She could step down, but there are no provisions in the Constitution for a Special Election. Speaker McCarthy would automatically become POTUS 48 - and I think there are "a few" - party affiliation notwithstanding - who'd be less than happy about that!
Of course, there is always hope that the rest of that story could resemble how a one-time political hack from the Kansas City area became POTUS 33 and The Scholars' sixth greatest.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Biden announced today. Campaign slogan? “Let’s finish the job.” Anyone think of a worse one than that?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Again, while I'm hardly as "giddy" as are some around here that POTUS 47 initials will be DJT, I must get ready for a visit in Indianapolis with my long-standing very lib friends down there (he; educator: she; Executive Director social worker). "Finish the job" to her means enacting everything on Bernie's, Liz's, AOC's, and "The Squad's" agenda. To me, the "job" was finished when ARA21 COVID relief and the IIJA21 infrastructure were enacted. Help the people who had been adversely affected by COVID? Of course; that is why we have a strong central government. Infrastructure? Too many politicians had ignored it for too long.
But beyond that, Joe should have had only one initiative on his agenda - and that was to "bring us together", which would comprise no further liberal leaning legislation.
Should Joe somehow win in '24, may as well just "anoint" Bernie the Majority Leader and AOC the Speaker, for I think the "Lib Leanin'" agenda will have "only just begun."
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
If you don't think bad government will destroy a nation, look at the National Geographic's The World at Night from several years ago. There are a couple of national borders that are very obvious. There may be others, but one I looked for and the other just slapped me in the face. The line of the DMZ between North Korea and South Korea is painfully obvious. South has a lot of lights throughout. The lights suddenly end at the DMZ. North thereof there are somewhat dim lights at the major cities. Ethnically same people. Just very different governments. The other, you can follow the Nile from the Delta to the Sudan border by the swath of light. At the border the lights quit. The absolutely goofball ideas of Bernie, Liz, Biden, et al will drive the country down fast if they are not stopped. I would go for almost any of the potential Republican candidates ahead of any of the set of geriatrics and mindless nutcases we see on the Democratic side. Look at the cities with long term governments operated by those on the left edge of the Democrat party.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Harris, I agree with you to the extent that, when I go down to Florida every year, I just get the impression that "the place works".
Of course my Lib Educator/Exec Dir Indianapolis friends, who incidentally "were down" last month for a family wedding, don't agree. To her, sure fancy buildings, but does that give rise to a diverse society of equals - ethnicity and "orientations"?
So there are the two sides; you and Mr. Helfner on one, my noted friends on the other, and the "left or right of centers" like me in the mode of Bill, Jimmy, and both Bushes, "somewhere in between". We all will go to the Firehouse or wherever (me, a Park District building) on "That Tuesday in November". Till then, may the best man (person?) win.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Apparently there is a dearth of funding for Biden’s re-election. Money should have been pouring in.
quote:Biden announced his re-election bid before his campaign team was ready to go, and now is hustling to build an organization that could take on GOP frontrunner Donald Trump, who announced his campaign nearly six months ago. …
Biden’s team is well behind Obama’s schedule from 12 years ago. By January 2011, Obama’s team had announced its senior leadership, was scouting Chicago office space, and was actively courting donors. …
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Within this column appearing today in The Times, the columnist notes a Washington Post poll that gives Trump six points over Joe at this time.
Fair Use:
As for the general election, a new ABC News-Washington Post poll showed him with a six-point edge — seven points with undecided leaners — over President Biden.
I really think that for a man who has given his whole life to public service and became "a career politician who attained the ultimate prize", it is cruel for the Democratic Party elders to ask Joe to "step up and take one for the team", and at this time, that is how the landscape appears.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
I don’t know how loosely “public service” is defined these days. Someone like a policeman (i.e. who does not regard the decree of a politician higher than the written law) I usually think of as a public servant; a bureaucrat is something else altogether.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Helfner, related to your immediate is that I think it is difficult to conclude otherwise that Joe is loyal to his "team", and they in turn are loyal to back to him. Look at just how stable the White House staff has been. One Chief of Staff turnover to date; one Press Secretary, one Cabinet.
Now I don't know if Joe would be "down six points" if he had ditched Kamala in favor of someone who had in their CV, suggestions that he or she had qualifications to be President. There are Democrats that do have such with names like Govs. Hochul, Newsom, Pritzker, and Whitmer.
However (if you can get to it), here is a Forbes article suggesting Joe could "make it through a second".
But I'm inclined to hold the expressed thought of Republican Candidate Nikki Haley that a vote for Joe is really a vote for Kamala - and to date, the latter has not shown too much in the way of qualifications to be POTUS 47.
However, on the flip side to that, how many qualifications did a certain hack politician from Kansas City show to become POTUS 33, whom the Scholars rank within their First Quartile?
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Truman did meet all the Constitutional qualifications for POTUS, as did/does Biden.
Harris might still have questionable qualifications with respect to the 14th Amendment and the “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” clause.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
WOW
That's a "stretch", Mr. Helfner, but I "gotta say an interesting one".
You have cited a recognized news source, for which the opinion piece, even if even by a quite controversial author and resulted in a disclaimer being added by the publisher, I thank you.
So by that measurement, the office of the Vice President has been vacant since Jan 20, 2021 and that Ms. Harris has been serving as an ad hoc "Acting VP". Therefore, should Joe die or fall to the "incapacitation" standards of the 24th Amendment, Speaker McCarthy would become POTUS 47.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Yes, Joe can "take a victory lap" showing "he still has it in him" to sit down with Kevin (whose share price has risen in tandem with MSFT) and strike the deal on the "debt crisis without getting walked all over".
While of course the "credit card limit" of the USA should not be held hostage by Congress - when it's Congress that says "you will go spend this money" - it nevertheless a fact of life, and all concerned must live with it - well until Congress decides there will be no limit on what the USA can borrow (so long as there are investors out there willing to bankroll such).
Joe, I think, was right in that he did not have a stage show enacting this legislation; you know, in a public setting such as the Rose Garden flanked by Kevin, Hakeem, Chuck, and Mitch. This was just a little piece of dirty business the Congress inflicts on the American people, and relief from such only deserves the "in the dark alley" enactment the legislation got.
Now as to "four more years" of Joe, this round table focus group sponsored by The Times, simply appears to hold otherwise. Yes Joe, you played grand mediator on your own turf this time; now what is going to happen come '28, assuming you somehow get reelected, when Xi has Formosa encircled with his now largest Navy in the world, and you have to "play poker" with him to keep the world from being on the wrong end of a "mighty big boom".
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
So far, Biden has James Comey’s endorsement, although that would be from a cheerleader.
Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey prefers RFK Junior.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Joe, at this point with seventeen months to go, you should have 20 points over anyone else.
You don't.
At this rate, even if what is noted here comes from a UK Newssource, you're going to lose, and Trump will be POTUS 47.
Even if somehow you win beyond the popular vote (that you likely will, but it's the unfair electoral vote that decides the winner), we will have "a Jan 6 2025" to address. This one, who is to say that Trump will not exhort his faithful "to peacefully march...."?
So if to lose might be best for the country in saving us from an insurrection, why must the Party Elders make you close out your long career with a loss?
Why aren't the Elders looking for a younger face to "take one for the team"? It is simply unfair to ask one who has faithfully served both his party and his country for over fifty years to do so.
Champ and Commander are in Wilmington "guarding the 'Vette" and are waiting for "a little rasslin'".
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
JL Partners also claimed that people polled believed that Rishi Sunak would be a good prime minister for the UK. As far as DeSantis, many again seem to have forgotten the definition of “fascist” which is yet another left-wing ideology based on wealth redistribution and “social justice”, so take the poll results with a grain of salt.
In other news, Hunter Biden has entered guilty pleas for two misdemeanor tax charges, in a plea deal that also will see a gun possession charge dismissed conditionally.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Regarding Mr. Helfner's second point, just one more reason for Joe "to find a way out". Newsmax, Tucker (wherever he now hangs out), and Hannity will all have their fun. Before they're done, even "Dr. Jill" will be implicated - for something to be determined.
Had Beau lived, considering no one "ever found too much on him", Joe's campaign could have focused on "the upstanding son", but I fear for naught. Maybe Joe can strike a deal; "I'll withdraw, in exchange for no further attacks on my family". Whomever the Democratic Party nominates to replace Joe will lose to Trump decisively, thereby sparing our democracy another Jan 6.
Again, back to this topic's title; "Please Joe".
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
This Times columnist, Bret Stephens, holds that the RFK Jr. candidacy should not be dismissed with a "ho hum, so what".
Fair Use:
In 1968, Senator Eugene McCarthy challenged Lyndon Johnson for the Democratic presidential nomination and ran a close second in the New Hampshire primary. The near upset by McCarthy, a Minnesota progressive, helped convince Johnson that he should not run for re-election, opening the way for Robert F. Kennedy. History might have been very different if tragedy hadn’t intervened that June at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Could a similar scenario (minus any violence) unfold again, with President Biden in the role of L.B.J., Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in the role of McCarthy, and a more credible Democrat than Kennedy in the role of his dad, ultimately winning the nomination?
Lest we forget, LBJ "abdicated" during March '68, or eight months out, so by that timetable, Joe still has nine months to accept "the party's over".
I respect Joe for the decent man he is, and I hold he sincerely wants to do his best for the country. But he is simply too old to have the necessary cognitive skills. Should somehow he win re-election, that term "more likely than not" would end under the 25th Amendment and with President Harris taking the ride down Pennsylvania Avenue with her successor.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: I respect Joe for the decent man he is, and I hold he sincerely wants to do his best for the country. But he is simply too old to have the necessary cognitive skills. Should somehow he win re-election, that term "more likely than not" would end under the 25th Amendment and with President Harris taking the ride down Pennsylvania Avenue with her successor.
I will try to be polite here, but it is somewhat difficult. I feel that Biden is anything but a decent man. Despite the media being a uniform cheering section for him, there are many things coming out that show him to be one of the worst self-serving politicians to have ever held the office. It seems he has a highly varying history of himself and family, so I am not sure he even knows how to tell the truth, and his apparent mental decline over the last few years has made him a national embarrassment. I simply cringe every time he or any of his cabinet make any public pronouncements. Blinken's recent jaunt into China being an outstanding example.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Obviously Mr. Harris, your views and mine differ. My Sister, who gets her news from the Bible, Epoch Times, and Newsmax, (no longer Fox; "they fired Tucker for telling the truth") holds same. Last week, I was "out there" for SKS's Centenary (break out the checkbooks, Alums), then my Sister (Greenwich), so "I heard it all".
I drove, as I had a stop planned in Fredericksburg as well as several wineries in the vicinity. However, my longtime friend had dental surgery and she "was not in the mood to go anywhere", so with HPN roundly equidistant from South Kent and Greenwich, I should have just flown and rented. But "last minute flights and even auto rentals, uh, cost!!!".
Going out, the drive was fine, return, "uh a little different". While atop George, something happened; smack up, another Christie "bridgegate" who knows. But nothing moved (compass) Westward (highway South) for the better part of an hour. I was in the center of the span, and the bridge was definitely shaking.
Now I know Mr. Harris, that is what suspension bridges are designed to do, but for me who is just as glad to be over any bridge, all I could think was its 150' down to the Hudson.
But oh well, nice view of the Manhattan skyline or to the North, the Palisades.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Journal columnist, Peggy Noonan, who got her start as a speechwriter with the Reagan administration, wrote the perfect speech - even if brief - for Joe to deliver announcing his "abdication":
quote:“After long thought, I judge that I have done the job set for me by history: I removed Donald Trump and saw to the ravages of the pandemic. I now throw open the gates and say to my party: Go pick a president. You did all right last time, you’ll do fine this time too.”
It would be up there with that LBJ delivered during March 1968 and his "abdication". I first predicted such would occur during October '67 and then was of record with my Mother and Father during February '68:
quote:"I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President."
The world was shocked, but I wasn't.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
If Biden does something similar, you can count me among the shocked.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
This Karl Rove column today in The Journal could be enough for Joe to want to step down before "the opposition paints the picture" that he has "alley cat morals".
Fair Use:
quote:In 2020, after four years of chaos, swing voters wanted someone who would “restore the soul of America.” Democrats sold what seemed an authentic story: Joe Biden of Scranton, Pa.—the “everyman” politician and personal friend of Amtrak conductors—would rid the White House of crazy, restore normality to Washington and through decency and collegiality make government work again. But Mr. Biden is now undermining the chance that voters will buy that this is the real Joe in 2024.
The most obvious recent example is the president’s refusal to acknowledge his seventh grandchild, the result of his son Hunter Biden’s liaison in 2018 with a former stripper. Hunter says he doesn’t remember linking up with the child’s mother and refused to acknowledge he was the father or provide child support until a court-ordered test established his paternity. In late June, Hunter came to an agreement with the girl’s mother to provide monthly child support and some of his paintings. In return the mother agreed not to use Biden as his daughter’s last name.
Now I realize that Karl Rove has been a Republican "operative" since the days of Bush 41, but I do think his views, as expressed in his Journal columns, show far more "balance", such as his opposition to the Trump candidacy, than one would expect from a "partisan".
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Surprisingly I was able to access the article without slamming into a paywall. Looks like a very good description of the real Joe, although I have not seen any reason to ever vote for the guy with or without the information in the article.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Journal columnist Kimberly Strassel predictably tears into Joe's administration, but does "not exactly" give a ringing endorsement to another Trump term.
Fair Use:
quote:Mostly it will take a leader. There was no Reagan revolution without Reagan. What Donald Trump’s supporters love most about him is his fight—his willingness to take on taboo issues, to punch back at critics. What he lacks is a philosophy. The Republican Party has a bench of younger, accomplished leaders who have adopted the Trump fighting spirit—but who also have the vision and message. Conservative voters now must decide if their loyalty to Mr. Trump is worth risking this unique political opening.
America can bounce back from the Biden malaise. It has the desire, the energy, and the formula. It needs a leader.
Time for both parties to look to their benches.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Joe, there's still time to gracefully withdraw. At this time, everything suggests that you are going to lose.
A "empathetic" newssource, the Washington Post, has you ten points behind Trump, and even other polls, as reported by 538, show at best a "dead heat". That would be tragic if such came to pass. Jan 6 would be the Sunday School Picnic by comparison.
Furthermore, it is more likely than not there will be a recession next year. The stock market has been a good historical barometer for the likelihood of such, and anyone who follows the Market knows where it has been going of late!!! Look what the '08 financial meltdown, from which the Markets were hardly immune, did to Sen. McCain and his chances.
So Joe, considering you have never lost an election and attained the ultimate prize sought by career politicians like yourself. Why should you, or for that matter your party's elders, wish to close out your career with a defeat? Even Commander thinks it's time to go (another biting incident).
Somebody else can step up to "take one for the team".
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Joe, take heart; Times columnist David Brooks holds you havent been all that bad a president; in fact a reasonably good one - and certainly better than your likely Republican opponent, who he acknowledges that if the Election were tomorrow, you would likely lose to:
Fair Use:
quote:...But I’ve also come to fear and loathe Donald Trump. I cannot fathom what damage that increasingly deranged man might do to this country if given a second term. And the fact is that as the polls and the mood of the electorate stand today, Trump has a decent chance of beating Biden in November of next year and regaining power in 2025......The bracing reality is that Trump’s cynicism and fury match the national mood more than Biden’s faithful optimism. It’s one of the reasons Trump is now leading Biden by 1.2 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics polling average. It’s one of the reasons Trump is in a stronger polling position now than at any point in 2016 or 2020. It’s one of the reasons even some Republicans are mystified by the way Democrats are standing pat behind their incumbent....
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
I really don't see how Biden can be doing that good in the polls. About the only people I know that would still vote Biden would vote the Donkey if it were the Democrat candidate, and frankly, by now I think the Donkey would do better.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Harris, I guess you hold that the ABC News/Washington Post poll I noted earlier that gives Trump 10 points over Joe to be "on mark". Somehow I think we both hope that whoever wins does so with not less than 5 points plurality in any state's vote.
I have come to hold that, for better or worse, Donald Trump will be elected POTUS 47. That RFK has chosen to run third party will siphon more votes from Joe than such will from "The Donald". I further believe that Joe will concede gracefully.
Possibly Joe's leaving Wash will be aboard an Acela 2 - and at the rate things are going with that procurement - locomotive hauled. I doubt if the Secret Service would deny such to a former president.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
quote:Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman: Possibly Joe's leaving Wash will be aboard an Acela 2 - and at the rate things are going with that procurement - locomotive hauled. I doubt if the Secret Service would deny such to a former president.
After all, when Trumann finished his term in January 1953, he and wife went to Union Station and got on a sleeper, I have forgotten what train, to go back to Missouri. And, at that time without any Secret Service escort, and I think with near no news about it.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Harris, Former President Truman on January 20, 1953 boarded the B&O National Limited, and traveled in line space to St. Louis. Once there, the MP made a Business Car (PV) available to his party for the ride to Independence.
There were newspaper reports (can't promise this will work).
Not a rock star; just a man who served his country to the best of his ability. The Notable Scholars have ranked HST as #6 of 44 (persons comprising 45 completed presidencies).
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
An addendum to my immediate; there appears to be conjecture between The Times' report linked above, and other reports I've read.
The Times reported that Truman was provided by Eisenhower the "Magellan", Wash to Independence. However, other reports I've read said Truman rode in line space Wash-StL, and that the MP did provide a Business Car onward.
Possibly, after yanking out my 1953 TRAINS copies (I have 'em all), I can find clarifying information.
For what be worth, there was no love between Ike and Truman. I've read reports that the Inaugural White House to Capitol ride was "stone silent" and that Truman referred to Eisenhower as an "Office Boy" and Ike of Truman "a Corporal".
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
First I had ever heard that Truman was offered the Magellan for his trip home. The lack of mutual regard for each other I had heard. For my Grandfather, that was the main thing he had against Eisenhower, not to mention that in 1952 a Southerner did not vote Republican, as they were regarded as the party of the invaders. He always considered Truman about the best, given that he had to deal with the whole surrender and post-war operation, which he regarded as greater significance than completion of the war itself, plus he also thought that some of Roosevelt's actions were meddling with the general's jobs. (He was very attuned to what was going on in the military as he had three sons and a son-in-law in the military, which meant all the men in the next generation of the family.)
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From April 1953 TRAINS and Travel (as the publication was then known):
quote:Then suddenly the oath-taking and parading and dancing were all over and the homeward rush was on. B&O's National Limited took three of the first passengers out: Mr. and Mrs. Harry S. Truman and daughter.
Unfortunately, TRAINS did not resolve the "Magellan issue". It further added to the conjecture saying Ms. Truman accompanied Mom and Dad, yet The Times' reported she went to New York to continue her vocal artistry career (for which she got badly panned by a well-known critic of the day).
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Here's a photo from the Truman Library collection:
This certainly suggests, assuming the National Limited had an open-platform Obs in consist during '53, that the Former President traveled in line space.
Likely the only way to resolve this matter would be to ask Mr. PullmanCo to go over to the Truman Library and do some digging.
Of course, the Library seems to need a fact checker for railroad matters; might Fireman be a bit more "on mark"?:
A much younger fellow with a political career ahead of him is willing to step up and take the inevitable defeat by Trump. For you, who I know would concede gracefully avoiding another January 6, the moment would be like unto the French at Compičgne.
I simply do not know why anyone, with over fifty years of public service and having attained the ultimate prize every career politician seeks, would want to go out in defeat.
Again, back to the title of this topic, "Please Joe".
NY Times/Siena poll has some bad news for Biden in almost all the “battleground” states.
quote:… The results show Mr. Biden losing to Mr. Trump, his likeliest Republican rival, by margins of three to ten percentage points among registered voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada and Pennsylvania.
Mr. Biden is ahead only in Wisconsin, by two percentage points, the poll found.
Across the six battlegrounds — all of which Mr. Biden carried in 2020 — the president trails by an average of 48 to 44 percent.
Discontent pulsates throughout the Times/Siena poll, with a majority of voters saying Mr. Biden’s policies have personally hurt them.
The survey also reveals the extent to which the multiracial and multigenerational coalition that elected Mr. Biden is fraying. Demographic groups that backed Mr. Biden by landslide margins in 2020 are now far more closely contested, as two-thirds of the electorate sees the country moving in the wrong direction.
Voters under 30 favor Mr. Biden by only a single percentage point, his lead among Hispanic voters is down to single digits and his advantage in urban areas is half of Mr. Trump’s edge in rural regions. And while women still favored Mr. Biden, men preferred Mr. Trump by twice as large a margin, reversing the gender advantage that had fueled so many Democratic gains in recent years. …
In a remarkable sign of a gradual racial realignment between the two parties, the more diverse the swing state, the farther Mr. Biden was behind, and he led only in the whitest of the six. …
The poll results have led David Axelrod to call for Biden to drop out.
quote:“Only Joe Biden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the nominee of the Democratic Party,” Axelrod said on X, formerly Twitter. “What he needs to decide is whether that is wise; whether it’s in his best interest or the country’s?” …
Axelrod is credited for revolutionizing modern day campaigning for his winning media management strategy for Obama and Biden’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns. …
One year out from election day on November 5, 2024, Biden’s Gallup approval rating stands at 37 percent. That is lower at the same stage than his six immediate predecessors — Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. …
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
If there is simply no Democrat out there, as I am starting to hold, that can beat Trump next year, why not run Kamala?
First, had she been a more effective VP, the Democrats might not have been in this predicament. Secondly, her political career is over.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Joe, time's up.
This is the window through which LBJ abdicated; he knew he was going to lose to whomever the Republicans nominated.
It's time to accept that Donald Trump is going to be POTUS47 and that you will likely be indicted and prosecuted (but unlikely convicted) for whatever (remember the German Prefect in "Casablanca"? "Find One").
Must you add insult to injury to the indictment by closing your fifty-year political career with a defeat?
I'm not sure if the SOTU will be the correct venue to announce your "abdication", but for your sake, it best be soon.
Even though as I write this, it hasn't formally happened, Nikki will "suspend" her campaign today. Whether or not she endorses Trump remains to be seen. Under the Constitution (assuming it too has not been "suspended"), she won't have to face Trump when she likely runs again in '28.
So, absent that Joe "abdicates" on Thursday as part of the SOTU, and as columnist Maureen Dowd is hoping for, we're heading for a "rematch".
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Suspension is official.
Edit: Apparently she did not endorse Trump.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Joe, what were you "high on" delivering the SOTU?
The whole performance "simply wasn't you". Just because Trump is a "circus barker" and "showman" doesn’t make you such.
That was your last chance to step down, which would have resulted in an "Open Convention".
It would be a drastic step on my part, but my Presidential vote just might be "present". Of course I'll show up to vote - both Primary and General - as I do want to support Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL6) and even if County and Local elections are a "zees iez how ve do it in zee Old Country" charade, we have some important Referenda on the ballot as well.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
He was fighting "ire with ire." See what I did there? A vote for present is a vote for Trump.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
One friend, who's "all over me" when I shared my intent to cast a "present" vote, did just that during '08. She was so enamored with Hillary and wanted her so badly, that she couldn't vote for anyone else and, acknowledging her duty to vote, did so with a write in "present".
"Present" signifies that I recognize my duty to vote, but I don't want either one of 'em. I once did vote Third Party - Anderson '80 - because I simply "wasn't ready for Reagan" (was in '84). I have held since then that I threw my vote away, but at least I selected a recognized candidate, who I think represented the third strongest such challenge in the past 100 years (1 Perot, 2 TR, 3 Anderson).
I reiterate, so far as I'm concerned, I think Joe was "on something" and I was only giving him a 50-50 that he would make it through the SOTU Address. I realize there has been favorable media comments (well, the media I am familiar with), but somebody decided to make Joe into a "Manchurian Candidate" of sorts.
Finally, as I previously noted, Trump is a natural "circus barker"; Joe simply isn't.
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
I will not be surprised if Bidden withdraws from the running at the Democratic convention. Whether gracefully or under pressure remains to be seen, and whether the pressure is obvious or near invisible likewise uncertain. If such happens I would think the chance of Kamala being the substitute is near zero. Anybody that thinks he will successfully make it through a second term is probably hallucinating. Major question: who will be the alternative? I see few of the current Democratic bright boys (or girls) being able to generate much enthusiasm, either. How about the possibility of RFK, Jr. returning to the Democrat fold? He seems a more plausible than the run of dingbat Democrat governors currently getting a lot of press coverage.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
"It's just too late" Mr. Harris; that "train has left the station".
Let's look at the other "surprise withdrawals" that occurred during the past century. Here's an overview
Coolidge announced during August '27 that filling out Harding's unexpired term and elected to one in his own right, was "enough".
LBJ, regarding whom I was on record during October '67 would be the case, announced during March '68.
Joe's last chance was the March SOTU, but instead "his handlers" hopped him up "on something" and he went on TV like he was, say, Obama. Joe simply is not an orator and fortunately for himself, he did not need to be one to win during '20.
This time around, it's going to be a bit different.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Harris, I think RFK, Jr. has "burned all too many bridges" within the regular Democratic party to be considered (his Super Bowl ad sure didn't help). So far as the other "possibles" such as, Gavin, Gretchen, and Kathy, all are Governors, which for better or worse gives them experience in managing large organizations.
Even if the Democrats have fatalistically accepted, as have I, that Trump will be POTUS47, may as well run Kamala, so that the others can stay fresh for '28 (assuming we have a free election and not some Putin-like one).
And what if somehow Kamala won; she just might be a latent Harry Truman, who despite a low point 22% job approval, is regarded by the Notable Scholars as our sixth greatest POTUS.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Today, The New York Times reports that Trump leads Joe in five of the six "battleground" states.
Why the Fathers caved in to the agrarian interests at the Convention simply escapes me. The repeal of the Electoral College Constitutional provisions (Article II and XIII Amendment) would be impossible, but that doesn't make it fair.
Why should I even bother to vote (of course I will; it's my duty) when my vote is only worth 10% of, say, Dick or Liz Cheney's (you know where they live, you know where I live; just do the math)?
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
quote:Originally posted by George Harris: I will not be surprised if Biden withdraws from the running at the Democratic convention. Whether gracefully or under pressure remains to be seen, and whether the pressure is obvious or near invisible likewise uncertain.
Mr. Harris, I wish I could agree but as I noted "that train has left the station". Now the report from The Times that Joe is behind in five of the six battlegrounds; there is little time left to turn things around.
Joe does not like chaos and instability; and presides over a workplace where such is not tolerated. On that point, just think of the chaos and instability he would cause if he were to withdraw now.
Some might say that he wants the "Pyrrhic Victory" of likely winning the popular vote - but that is not how presidential elections are decided.
But one thing is a virtual certainty now; Trump will be POTUS47.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Remember when there were Republicans venting on Clinton-
"When you have a president that in my opinion has cheated on his wife, he will cheat on the American people. When you have a president that can't tell the truth about his mistakes and own up to them, he won't be able to tell the truth to the American people. And he hasn't." - Rep. Tom DeLay (R-TX)
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
The editorial board of the Boston Globe has joined the media chorus calling for Biden to bow out.
quote:… (I)n the view of this board, and a growing number of other editorial pages and Democratic officials, the greater risk lies in allowing Biden to continue as the party’s standard-bearer. Serious questions are now in play about his ability to complete the arduous work of being leader of the free world. Can he negotiate with a hostile Republican Congress, dangerous foreign powers, or even fractious rivals within his own Cabinet? The nation’s confidence has been shaken.
And can he convince the American electorate of his fitness to lead? If not, all other questions become moot. So consider the polls: The president was trailing in most of them before that disastrous debate, and now the chances that he can win over wavering independent voters, much less hold onto loyal ones, are rapidly fading. …
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Obviously after the Debate, it is a virtual certainty that Trump will be POTUS47.
But as I noted at another topic, Joe's staff is extremely loyal to him with only two "visible" departures - a Press Secretary and a Chief of Staff, who is now "back in the game" as Campaign Manager.
This means that if Joe is to withdraw (lot going on behind the scenes right now - vote of confidence by the Democrat Governors notwithstanding), he likely will pass the torch to Kamala, who hasn't got a prayer against Trump.
As noted at another topic, the Democrats should pick a candidate from a "Bled" state such as Pennsylvania (Gov. Shapiro) or Michigan (Gretchen). But I'll bet those and others want to stay out so as to be "fresh for '28".
So it's time for Kubler-Ross Phase 5 and accept it's Trump. Maybe he will choose to step down in '28, but then he might not.
While we're at it, get ready for a change to this oath:
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands.
One nation, under God and the leadership of our President, Donald Trump, and for all who are deserving, liberty and justice.
Anybody think I'm kidding?, we shall see.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Times column appearing today why all powerful people - Joe et al - just can't step away:
Fair Use;
quote:There’s a formal name for this trap: escalation of commitment to a losing course of action. In the face of impending failure, extensive evidence shows, instead of rethinking our plans, we often double down on our decisions. It feels better to be a fighter than a quitter.
One of the tragedies of the human condition is that we use our big brains not to make rational decisions but rather to rationalize the decisions we’ve already made. We stick around too long in dead-end jobs. We stay in unhappy marriages even after friends have counseled us to leave. We stand by candidates even after they violate our principles.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I'm pondering if Trump's Justice Department will indict and prosecute Joe when he leaves office next January?
I'm reminded of this famous scene from Casablanca and the line of script - "find something":
Naturally the SCOTUS Decision to hold sitting presidents virtually immune, such will apply to Joe as it equally applies to Trump. But considering what a vindictive person Trump has proven to be (inciting a riot and once started doing as good as nothing to stop it; theft of classified information), will he, "find something"?
addendum: this Peggy Noonan column in The Journal is "provocative".
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Radio host Lenard McKelvey, aka “Charlamagne tha God”, the man to whom Biden said back in 2020 “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black”, has added his voice to the demands for Biden to step down.
quote:Charlamagne tha God pushed Tuesday for Democrats to take on President Biden at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
“All I hear is ego,” the radio host said on “The Breakfast Club” in response to recent comments by the president in which he dared other Democrats to face off with him at the upcoming convention.
“And I hope they take him up on his offer,” he continued. “Every single Democrat who feels like the Democrats can’t win if President Biden is the nominee needs to challenge him at the convention. Take him up on his offer.”
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Monday, Biden called in to the show and said he was “getting frustrated by the elites in the party, ‘Oh, they know so much more.’ Any of these guys that don’t think I should run, run against me. Announce for president, challenge me at the convention.” …
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
"All I hear is ego." Sounds absolutely correct. And I would suspect that most of it is from Hunter and Jill.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
From the "dead heat" in the polls pre-Debate, to the six points estimated Trump picked up from that, and to now my guess of another five "sympathy points" from the assassination attempt, gives Trump an eleven point advantage, which, aside from carrying enough "battlegrounds", would give Trump a "decisive" victory.
Just may as well, Joe, continue to run, because no Democrat can now beat Trump.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
That begs the question as to what the Democrats actually stand for, particularly if they are indeed issues that are detrimental to the Republic and why they are selling them and thus giving the easy advantage to Trump issues-wise.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
It's time to accept everything is falling in place for Trump to be POTUS 47. He could even win by a landslide.
Now the Florida judge (his appointment, BTW) has thrown out the classified documents case.
I fully expect the New York conviction to be dismissed as well. Somebody who came within one inch of losing his life (that's the estimate) deserves sympathy.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I would have thought, and as I noted, that Trump would have gotten a five point "sympathy bump" after the assassination attempt, but, according to Newsweek, such does not appear to be the case.
Fair Use:
quote:Donald Trump has not received a poll boost in the first presidential election survey conducted since the failed assassination attempt on Saturday.
The poll, conducted by Morning Consult of 2,045 registered voters on Monday, reveals that Trump is leading Joe Biden by just one percentage point with 46 percent, compared to the president's 45 percent. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Begs the question as to who Morning Consult polled.
Edit: Axios now saying that Democratic reps are reviving a push to replace Biden.
quote:Democratic members of Congress are reviving a fight over President Biden’s candidacy following a brief respite in the wake of Saturday’s assassination attempt against former President Trump, Axios has learned.
Some lawmakers are uneasy about the Democratic National Committee’s plans to forge ahead with a virtual roll call vote to nominate Biden weeks before the Democratic convention.
“People are back to being angry at Biden and a push to sign on to this letter is going around … the ‘replace Biden’ movement is back,” a House Democrat told Axios. …
The DNC moved toward a virtual vote before the debate in response to Ohio threatening to not put Biden on the ballot because the party’s convention was after their deadline. Ohio changed the rule, but the DNC has pushed forward — arguing that the legislature could in theory reverse itself. …
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Helfner, I would guess that after, first, the Debate, then followed by the assassination attempt, the Democratic "powers that be" held that Trump was unbeatable, and if Joe wanted to be the sacrifical lamb, let him. Keep the others "fresh for '28".
Now this poll comes out today, suggesting that the "bump" from these two events has either eroded or simply was never there. So now it's time to "bench the past his prime quarterback and reach for an 'up and comer'".
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
I noted further up the thread that Nikki Haley had not endorsed Trump when she dropped out, as Ron DeSantis did when he dropped out. During the convention, she gave Trump (in her words) “strong endorsement”.
I would be surprised if Morning Consult was actually able to poll conservative Republicans, who would know who they are and actively avoid them.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Looks like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries and Adam Schiff are now among the voices calling for Biden’s withdrawal.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
While, as MSNBC reported, Joe has "mild COVID" and is out of sight in Rehoboth to recover, I think much will go on behind the scenes.
If Trump wins by a landslide, which I'm not about to dispute, there goes the "down ballot" for Democrats - and with that, control of at least one House.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
Remember the song from "Little Shop of Horrors," "Suddenly Seymour"? I can't help thinking about a new one called "Conveniently Covid."
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
quote:… Since a disastrous debate in Atlanta upended the trajectory of his campaign three weeks ago, Biden has again and again attempted to dig in, bucking efforts to dislodge him from power.
But there is now a palpable sense that the ground has shifted underneath him, according to five people with knowledge of the situation, even among some of the president’s most defiant internal backers who now believe the writing is on the wall.
“We’re close to the end,” a person close to Biden said.
That person, who previously doubted Biden would ever step aside, acknowledged that it’s still the president’s decision but joined in the array of Biden allies who say he is nearing a point of no return. …
… A person who spoke with a senior campaign official said a sense of a new reality has fallen over the campaign.
“They’re finally realizing: It’s a ‘when’, not ‘if’,” the person said. …
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
Mark Halperin of Newsmax says that Biden may step down this Saturday.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I think the most recent for a timeline would be '72 when Thomas Eagleton dropped out as VP from the McGovern ticket and was replaced by Sargant Shriver.
Of course that year the Democrats could just have nominated Yogi the Bear, as they had no chance against Nixon.
McGovern only carried only The District and Massachusetts.
Posted by Ocala Mike (Member # 4657) on :
After last night's speech, I know who I'll be writing in- Viktor Orban/The Late Great Hannibal Lector. What a ticket!
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Very interesting to learn where Mark Halperin landed, Mr. Helfner.
I first learned of Mr Halperin when he was a commentator on a now-cancelled show called "The Circus", which aired on Showtime. With other hosts like Alex Wagner and Jennifer Palmieri, you can guess which way the "slant" leaned.
He left that show on "suspicious grounds" (hands not where should be), and now to learn he is on Newsmax, sure shows $$$$ talk louder than ideology.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
"For those tuning in late", Joe Louis was considered the greatest fighter of his era ('30's-40's). But he "just plain stayed too long"; and had "issues" managing his $$$.
What was sad, but indicative of the times, was that most celebrities who signed up to "entertain the troops", all (White males) were Commissioned Officers. However, Joe Louis, who did same, was only Sgt. Joe Louis.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
THANK YOU, JOE.
You're a great American who has devoted his life to public service.
He's endorsed Kamala; but lest we forget it's just an endorsement. Joe's delegates are now "free agents" and not bound to anyone. Further, if the eventual nominee is to access the some $110M "campaign kitty", it will first have to be returned to the donors (no tax consequences; the contributions were not deductible when made), then the donors can choose to donate those funds to "whoever's" campaign.
So sad it has to end this way.
Finally to Mr. Helfner, Wow, did Mark Halperin ever call it "on mark'. I actually watched him for about 15 min on Newsmax Sunday night. He seemed quite level headed and "balanced".
Posted by George Harris (Member # 2077) on :
Not so sure Biden walked off the stage under his own power or was dragged off the stage by those around him that finally realized he was a sinking ship and these rats did not want to go down with him.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
KDOV can handle a VC-25 (a B-747 that is Air Force One in the vernacular) and if Joe is to return to KADW today, I'm sure that departure will be live covered (with of course the MSNBC and CNN reporters observing Joe one way, and the FOX and Newsmax reporters another).
By the way, when Joe goes to his Wilmington home, KILG cannot accommodate that aircraft, so he "must get by" with a C-32 (a B-757 that the VP, SecState, and SecDef normally use).
Author's note:stationed Dover AFB Nov 65 through Jun 67
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Harris, I hope, and like to think, that Joe's stable and loyal staff (really, you have to admit that his staff has been loyal, with only two visible defections to date - and one, former CS Ron Klain, came back to be his campaign manager) will be there to guide him through these final 5mo 27da of his presidency. If any "bad boys" try to "pull something", I'm sure the response would be same as if Joe had his faculties, which I fear he no longer has.
Various reports hold that Kamala has sufficient delegates now supporting her (they're not locked in owing to primary victories, lest we forget) to have the nomination. So much for a "back to '52" open convention. I guess the only institution remaining with such is the Roman Catholic Church to select a Pope (think they'd best get ready for just that soon).
Finally, "utter dumb-dumb" had to be Speaker Johnson getting out there saying Joe should resign now. Once again, his staff is experienced and loyal, and for Trump, he would find himself running against a "sitting president", with all the "trappings" of the office, rather than merely a VP, who really hasn't got a job beyond being a "stage prop" at the pleasure of the POTUS.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Looks like Joe got a C-32 for his flight KDOV to KADW.
Posted by irishchieftain (Member # 1473) on :
There remains some question as to who is really holding the reins of the country, particularly with Harris on the campaign trail.
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
Mr. Helfner, no matter Joe's cognitive state, which along with you, I don't think is very good, he has an extremely loyal staff which, save a Press Secretary (former CS Klain is apparently back in the picture in some capacity), has been on the job since Day 1.
With "123 and a wake up" to go, I think "they'll hold it together".
And disturbing as this thought may be, the election could possibly end up being Former President Trump v. PRESIDENT Harris. Someone having to transition to a new job, while campaigning to keep it, would be unprecedented in our history, and just might be an "institutional overload".
Posted by Gilbert B Norman (Member # 1541) on :
I've been "trying to think it over" regarding why Joe waited so long to abdicate?
There have been many a report that his cognitive skills were deteriorating even when he was Obama's VP and definitely during the "Trump interregnum" as a private citizen.
To campaign during '20, he "lucked out" as all he needed to do was to make scripted addresses from a TV studio in his home. This resulted in his "razor thin victory", which will be disputed by some "forever".
He sold himself as a one term "bring us together" President. On that objective, he failed miserably. So far as his legislative "achievements", help those financially hurt by COVID?, sure; that's what a government is for. Infrastructure? well too many politicians swept that under the rug for too long. After all, where's the "photo-op" with a repaired stretch of highway?
Now to the Inflation Reduction Act. What that had to do with its title escapes me. It was really just a "grab bag" for Bernie, Liz, AOC, and The Squad to have what they wanted in return for their '20 and '24 support.
But Joe should have recognized that he "didn't have it" for a full-fledged "can't hide in my studio" campaign against, Donald, Nikki, Ron, or Swami, and should have withdrawn about when this topic was originated.
Finally, I must wonder how many of "the Democrat Bench" just might be rooting for Trump. After all, Kamala never really had standing with them as she flitted from "Backbench Senator" to unsuccessful Presidential Candidate to "stageprop VP". For if Kamala wins, '28 by custom will be held open to her, so the likes of Amy, AOC, Gavin, Gretchen, Kathy, JB, and Josh, will all have to wait for '32. Several of them could well have "aged out" by then.