Attribution: Joe Biden: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (source: Joe Biden); User:TDKR Chicago 101 (clipping) Donald Trump: Shealah Craighead (source: White House) Сombination: krassotkin, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter
Bots,
Last week’s biggest political news should have centered around yet another disastrous week for congressional Republicans. Senate and House Republicans, in a cringeworthy display of groveling to Donald Trump, deep-sixed the combined foreign aid/border bill that they themselves had demanded from Democrats. Political hypocrisy and double dealing aren’t all that unusual. What’s unusual is the astonishingly clumsy and openly transparent way that Republicans did a backflip. In the words of the pundits: “They said the quiet parts out loud.” They publicly refused to support the bill they had demanded–and won–all so they could give Trump the issue. Why solve the problem when you can run on the issue?
This gave Democrats a temporary upper hand on the unrelentingly bad border situation, and it was, for a brief moment, the week’s top story.
But, late in the week, it was overshadowed by the release of the Special Prosecutor report on the Biden classified documents (found in his office and garage after he left the vice presidency). The report exonerated Biden. No charges will be filed. But, more importantly, the report took some very conspicuous swipes at Biden’s mental acuity. It called Biden “a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory”.
Gratuitous and vicious though this attack may be–it really had no business being in the Special Prosecutor’s report– it hit home with deadly accuracy. The Biden age issue has been simmering near boil for a couple of years now. This dart was unwanted, but the Biden campaign can’t pin the public’s feelings about this issue on the prosecutor. Public opinion polls have shown for a long time that most Americans think that Biden. Is. Too. Old.
Mojo Nixon said, of Don Henley–“It’s not that you’re O – L – D — it’s that you ain’t got no soul!” Not applicable in this case. Biden really IS super old.
He presents “old”. His stiff gait, presumably from arthritis, is a shuffle. He looks frail – as if a puff of wind could blow him over. His speaking voice is often halting. He forgets words. His voice trails off in mid-sentence. His complexion is a lunar landscape of pits and craters.You can see all this stuff, in spades, on the snippets cherry picked by the MAGA crowd and posted on social media. But it isn’t just a case of selective editing. It is happening.
Peter Baker wrote that Trump’s latest bombastic quote, uttered at a rally last weekend, has given Biden a break and overshadowed the age issue, at least temporarily. Trump made up one of his “sir” stories, and claimed that he told the leader of “a large country” that, if they didn’t pay their NATO dues, he (Trump) would tell Russia “to do whatever the hell they wanted”! Inviting Russia to invade Europe? That IS pretty out there. And it’s the kind of statement that seemingly only Trump can get away with.
But I don’t think for a moment that it has at all nullified the age issue. Oh no sir, not at all.
What can Biden do? He’s going to have to come out of hiding. I had counseled “Rose Garden strategy” only a few weeks ago, but the cat’s out of the bag now. He’s got to show he’s up to keeping the job. With a more public Biden, we’ll see more gaffes, but possibly we could also see a fairly vital, well meaning, normal leader. HIding simply is not going to work. The Biden campaign has to draw the contrast with the Trump crazy. And they need to start NOW.
Obama dismantled Romney EARLY in the 2012 campaign season. By the time Romney was up & running with his full campaign, he had already been defined as an out of touch billionaire vulture capitalist. Biden’s got all the footage he needs. Americans need to be reminded of how chaotic the Trump presidency was, and would be. My fear is that, as in all things Biden, they will dither for so long that they won’t get the knives sharpened in time.ndidate for President. It may not be ideal. But it could be worse.
Thoughts from the bots? Time for a pivot to Cornell West, RFK, or the “No Labels” ticket? Should “well meaning” Dem operatives take out Biden–maybe with an overdose of Metamucil–to open the field to Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer? Or what?
-Mark
I thought Biden did well to respond to the memory thing immediately.
I think he should lay low, give minimal camera ops as possible—for all the frailties MM itemizes below. “There’s no hiding it”. I beg to differ.
With today’s news of 34 counts—on just one case—to be tried against Voldemort over the next 12 weeks—let the mounting morass of scum pile up, while the economy soars, crime drops and let the people decide:
- Uncle Joe: Old but stable, thriving economy, low crime—aka safe
- Agent Orange: Wild card (crook, narcissist, racist, sexist, pro-lifer (‘twas he that installed the SCOTUS smaller minds)…–I know the devotees look past these things but I think the middlers, especially in the swing states are sane.
-D
I agree that he did well in his response. He was testy, prickly, and outraged at the Beau Biden jab (supposedly he didn’t know when his son had died). It was great!…. Until he started ad libbing about Gaza, and mixed up the presidents of Mexico and Egypt. Ouch!
Today’s Manhattan case provides a sugar high for Never Trumpers. But it’s a mirage. It is a very weak case. The charges are essentially record keeping errors, and would be misdemeanors except for the novel legal theory that ties them to the campaign. Also, the star prosecution witness is Michael Cohen, who is captured on tape telling his mob boss Trump that he (Cohen) will take care of the payment details. He is going to be sliced up on cross, as they say on Law & Order.
Any faith that’s being placed in the legal system to stop Trump is, in my view, misplaced. It’s the Mueller Report all over again.
The economy SHOULD bail Biden out. But… what if “It’s the economy, stupid” no longer holds? Facts don’t matter anymore, it seems. Republicans and Democrats live in different fact universes.
“Old but stable”? I dunno. I felt that way in 2020 for sure. Not sure the swing voters do either.
I am clutching my pearls, collapsing on my fainting couch, and staying away from windows above the first floor!
MM
Don’t forget about my homeboy, Dean Phillips. He’s still running as the Biden-but-Younger candidate. He makes a plausible case that he is the best hope to beat Trump in November, in the face of Biden’s continually falling poll and favorability numbers. It’s true that America doesn’t know the guy (hell, I hardly know the guy), but that is a self-fulfilling reality by the MSM that steadfastly ignores him. I think the establishment would rather ride the horse that they know, despite the fact that that horse is old and lame and isn’t sure which direction around the track they are supposed to run.
I listened to a long interview with DP on a left podcast and learned a lot about the guy. Seems real level headed and sensible on a lot of issues. He’s also quick and articulate and can respond to pretty sharp questioning of the sort one might receive in a debate. Well, until the questions turned to the topic of Israel and the Palestinians, when he promptly kinda lost his shit. The emotion was immediately audible in his voice and in his defensive reactions. I see this reaction in many Jewish people who get a media platform. It may also be true of Arabs who get a media platform, but I see a lot less of them. When I hear what he says and how he says it (equally important in my view), I question where his first loyalty would be as commander-in-chief, with the U.S. or with Israel. Hell, I wonder that now, but that’s besides the point.
Regardless, the Democratic Party needn’t worry about democracy upending their coronation of Biden for the nomination. Various Dem state (e.g. Florida) apparatchiks aren’t even allowing Phillips on their primary ballots. Why aren’t they running free and fair primaries? Because they don’t have to! There are no such legal requirements on political parties. Besides, there’s a backup plan should Joe not make it to the finish line in November. Kamala Harris! That should work, yep.
As to potential Plan C, drafting a wildcard at the convention, that could have potential. Gavin Newsome is photogenic as hell but he has massive baggage from his governorship of California. It’s not all his fault, or even mainly his fault, but California is a basket case and that will be hard to sweep away. And the French Laundry dinner scandal will be tossed in his face over and over and over. Gretchen Whitmer is also plenty photogenic but I think the Dems best shot to beat Trump is through good old-fashioned lawfare. They may not get him imprisoned or disqualified, but they’re doing a good job of crippling him financially. That may do the trick.
MarkO
Solid info.
Agree the crook stuff won’t stop him from going against Biden…sugar high is so apt.
BTW: Do we agree we should only talk about the middle voters…even there, just the one’s in the swing states. It’s obvious the “only Trumpers” are a cult.
Focusing on those “either wayers”, I am hopeful the increasing barrage of news stories—just the fact that the NY case IS going to trial means news, news, news….for 6 weeks, lots of courtroom shots, quotes, seedy lawyer, and eventually, I contend, a reasonable person has to say to his/her/their self: Ya know…this guy really is not presidential material. And a funny thing about human nature I’ve noticed. It is pretty easy to tell when a human is lying…or not confident…or hiding something…or fearful. I remember when Floyd Landis came down to meet the press after an incredible tour de force ride in a late pivotal stage of the Tour de France—post Lance–and I could see it in his eyes—even the devout Mennonite from Pennsylvania was a cheat. Same with Rafael Palmero when he tried to “yell” at Congress in a how dare you tone, pointing his finger…I have NEVER taken steroids, NEVER!…later found guilty as hell.
Now the press can take a pic of anyone and make them look the way they want to. This is basic journalism skill and ethics. Requires judgment. I’ve noticed most media does a good job at this—the expression, the camera angle, the lighting…all those non-verbal cues fit the context. Even the Times showed Trump in a complimentary way after he snake oiled the small minded Hawkeyes. But live video is less manipulative and we’ll see a lot of squirming, wincing, fear, anger …various negative human traits coming out of the sacrificial Cohen but many others, including trump in the coming weeks. And the photos, rest assured, will fit the context. It is this steady diet of negativism that has a good chance of penetrating the thicker skulls out there. And since Trump does draw audiences, chances are good they’ll tune in.
Hopefully voters will compare and contrast that miasma with a glowing economy.
Aside on steroids: Ever take them? I learned the hard way that one should run, not walk, to prednisone if you get poison ivy. I’ve had it about 4 times. All were itchy as hell. The first two took forever to cure naturally. I forget but more than a couple weeks. The 2nd two I went in and they put me on the prednisone. I get the impression it is brutal on the liver. They start you out on 3/day, then 2/day then 1 for about a week—and wow, the itching is minimal and it’s gone in a week. However, it sounds like it is very dangerous to the liver…and other things. The other side effect is the bulking up. What a stud I was for those couple weeks. Could just feel it in my biceps and noticed it riding a bike—suddenly I was faster than some peers I struggle to keep up with. So, reporting no surprises here—steroids work—thus so tempting when the advertisers for the Tour are ready to ink some big deals. Same for all other sports. And now it is much more refined than the “candy” of the Sammy Sosa, Rafael, Clemens, Bonds…days. Also, Ken Caminiti—R.I.P.—sold his soul for an MVP. (For Floyd I believe it was Lance’s trick—blood doping, btw.)
-D.
Dave,
You raise a key point: Do we agree we should only talk about the middler voters…even there, just the ones in the swing states. (And I also have some hope that the accumulating weight of Trump’s legal problems, as well as the outrageous dysfunction of Congressional Republicans, will work their magic on these voters.)
So yes, persuadable middle of the road voters (especially in the swing states) are indeed a key to this election. BUT there’s another important element to include in the equation–enthusiasm and (especially) turnout among each party’s base. Both candidates are facing challenges on that front.
To win, Trump must get EVERY vote that he got in his campaign of 2020, plus a sizable number of middlers. But his problem is that, despite the robotic obeisance of his core followers, he has LOST support among those Republicans who still eat with a knife and fork. There simply are more never Trump Republicans than there have ever been. The raw numbers are not huge, but in a swing election poised on a knife’s edge, their failure to vote for their party’s candidate could make the difference.
Biden, meanwhile, is suffering from a big loss of enthusiasm among younger voters disenchanted by Gaza. I view the “Joe is too old” issue as a similar threat to turnout. Younger voters who are not inclined to vote for Trump simply MAY NOT turn out for Biden. They just can’t get behind a guy they see as doddering and senile. They have the option to go independent -or- to not vote at all. But I think that, fortunately for Biden, the message to both swing voters and wavering young voters is the same: “We have to stop Trump!”
MarkO, the cynicism of Dean Phillips’ campaign is pretty stark. He’s the “in case Biden has a stroke” candidate. He hasn’t bothered to offer a single idea or thought or platform that distinguishes him from the ol’ geezer. I have heard him on a podcast, and I think he is a pretty charismatic speaker. But I think you’re right to look to other candidates than DP if the Dems do wind up breaking the glass on the fire alarm and nominating an alternate. I think Newsom is pretty good, but like any other human candidate who has an actual record, has some notable flaws.
MM
Good reminder about voter enthusiasm. In that regard I forgot to mention…WTF??? re Fani Willis beginning a romance with the prosecutor she hired. Well at least he wasn’t a male Stormy. Various details in that coming out that I only half listen to…a human fault not to listen too closely to dissonant news, ay. One tidbit was “it’s a black thing”—keeping lots of cash at home—a Fani quote. Gail Collins says, it looks like she did nothing illegal, just extremely stupid. Half-full: Maybe, as she exonerates herself—dodges the crack back blocks of the Trump legal hit men—maybe it will galvanize all those Atlanta and hundreds of thousands of other Georgia urban voters to turn out in November-as was the case in 2020. It is my memory that it was these “city folk”—in ATL, Milwaukee, Philly, Vegas…that won the election for Biden. Dems note the double standard and play the Fani being persecuted card to get this vote out again. And of course, her own matters are irrelevant to Trump’s attempt to overturn Georgia results. As I recall, many legal eagles, even ‘bots were rating this one of the big (4), as having the greatest likelihood of sinking the ship and all of a sudden its Biden vs Haley. I’m going to speculate on that in a second but first an itemization/latest status of trump’s legal woes:
- The NY case we’ve been talking about—mostly about Stormy and illegal use of campaign funds/ (By the way, a friend was just in DC, in the Capitol Building—some back staging room where an army of pages were gathered to distribute literally hundreds of King cakes–a nice gesture by a congressman from Louisiana (King cakes are a final indulgence before lent fasting). A grand gesture, harkens back to more convivial times…or a blatant waste/mis-abuse of taxpayer money?—even if he’s rich and says it was out of his own pocket. I thought the former but my daughter, who works for NASA JPL and just had several hundred of her colleagues laid off, saw no joy in it.
- The GA case—“I need 11,000 votes” Seems like all those fake electors should be a suit to…I get vague on that one…the RoJo two step.
- The $450M judgment case that just went through yesterday. I think this is the overvaluation of real estate case. Gross overvaluation. Answers the question how do rich people often pay zero taxes. Answer: Massive paper losses. And they have to be massive in order to generate real cash–cuz losses only get one 20% (cap gains rate—typically). No doubt in my mind that there are hundreds if not 1000s of folks out there that cheat on taxes this way. Analogous to the war tactic of cutting off supply lines, not to mention a howitzer to trump’s ego. Money talks.
- The $83M E Jean Carroll case. Another hit…tho both will be appealed
- The Jack Smith Jan. 6th insurrection case. Delayed…but looming.
- Any others?….I thought there were (4), but that’s (5)…maybe most didn’t include the E. Jean Carrol case. But there is also the Colorado and what’s the other one…Maine?…rulings that need to be reversed. I assume SCOTUS will do as told…but one can always hold out hope.
So maybe there is something we don’t know? Maybe there is a reason why the Koch brothers donated so much to Nikki? What a year it might be—historically—if both parties break the fire alarm glass. A hoot. A few speculative takes on that:
- I’d be smiling just knowing Trump was out. I can live with Nikki.
- Dems: Harris, Newsome, MO keeps bringing up Minnesotans—Amy K. (she did pretty well in 2020…), My fave is Pete Buttigieg (he saved Lebanon from that railroad dump of toxins so maybe he can solve Gaza too. 😎—is America ready to elect a gay president? I think so—he comes off as genuine and bright. And he’s articulate. Like B. Clinton, but not Teflon slick.
- How the heck would the Dems pick one in such a fire drill?. Newsome is impressive…but do enough Dem voters NOT have a knee jerk negative rxn to all things CA? Amy is a smart, safe choice. But wait….she’s a woman…Is America ready to elect….
- The Alexei Navalny murder yesterday was depressing. A few topics there:
- News reports reminded us of Putin’s time as Lieutenant Colonel in the KGB….”really Major” said one Russian journalist interviewed…whatever… it brought my back to the Vlad busking in Paris story started years ago by MO. We concluded it was fake, yet…?
- Navalny already survived a poisoning…and I can’t figure out why he went back to Mother R. An epic hero/martyr?…had family there?—essentially had gun to his head?….thought he had a chance of getting Vlad’s seat? Dead at 47.
- And this Russian way of doing business. So corrupt, so evil, so alive and well…Gorbachev was like a mirage in the timeline of history… Sigh.
- And, gloom and doom: If Putin does get isolated—even the crackpot in Turkey is now approving NATO entries…martyrdom energy from the Navalny murder…. Will he do something really stupid? Can he be stopped? Only people that understand money and the KGB/army in Russia know if a faction will ever rise—such that Vlad slips out of an upper story window…or gets a bad batch of borscht.
Enuf,
-D.
A lot to unpack in there! Some very trenchant comments, DFS.
I have to admit to the same failing–I eagerly consume every detail of the various Trump outrages, and there are so so many. But I have to force myself to read or listen to the (much lesser volume of) scandals generated by Trump opponents. Fani Willis is a good example. Only after being repeatedly cudgeled over the head have I taken the time to ingest it. I agree, what a fine example of “when smart people do dumb things”. The heart wants what it wants, I guess. But jeebus. Did you really have to HIRE the dude?
On a similar note, I am still only vaguely familiar with the various Hunter Biden failings. But this is a case where some pretty weak tea is being hysterically presented as “the Biden Crime Family”. So I think my INattention is warranted. (As a side note to this. Back in 2020, when the Hunter laptop “scandal” broke, in the days just before the election, we had cable TV and I was watching Fox News. Anchor Brett Baier is supposed to be one of the “good guys” over there — a so-called “straight” journalist. But over a period of a couple of hours, I saw him and Fox repeatedly flog this non-story. I lost all respect for him at that point….but I did hear some excerpts of an interview that he did with Trump last year, and I have to admit he was tough on the ol’ charlatan. So maybe there’s something redeemable in Brett’s soul.
What’s going on at the JPL? Please enlighten.
The real estate overvaluation case is interesting. Trump is being busted out of NY business for something like 2 years. The truth is, overvaluation for the lenders combined with undervaluation for the tax authorities is a pretty common practice. But Trump apparently took it to new heights. The technical term is “he just made shit up”. Claimed his penthouse is 30,000 feet–nope. Only 11,000. Some of the information came out when Forbes Magazine investigated just how rich Trump is, for proper inclusion on their “richest people” list. I have some sympathy for Trump’s claim that this case was a political attack. But not much. It’s about time that his shady practices caught up with him. I learned that in the 2000s or 2010s, Trump had a “charitable foundation”. This was a deal where Trump, who claims to be so rich, would raise money from other people and then put it in his foundation. Which then proceeded to spend the funds in wildly inappropriate, noncharitable, self-dealing ways. Trump and his kids (officers in said foundation) have been banned for life from ever again having a charitable foundation in New York state.
I find Amy Klobuchar to be an attractive candidate for whatever office. She just emanates Midwest common sense. I loved Al Franken for the same reason, and his demise is just so unfortunate. A case of the Democrats eating their own.
WRT to Trump’s legal issues. It’s obvious that the SCOTUS will rule in his favor on the Colorado ballot case. The real question is, how long is it going to take for them to address theJack Smith immunity issue? The Appeals Court took forever to dispose of Trump’s absurd arguments, and now the Supremes seem to be taking their sweet time. Justice delayed in this case is justice denied.
MM
Hey bots,
Yikes. Bots gone wild. It’s like we’re a platoon of Army recruits just finished with basic training and let loose on a Saturday night. I’m surfing on this tsunami of words and ideas, trying to hang ten on the edge of rationality over a sea of political chaos.
I also think Biden seems too old for the job. I think he is probably—at least at this point—coherent and smart enough to still run things. As has been pointed out, he looks like a doddering old man, and, in politics, bad optics is a death sentence, and good optics make up for a lot. (Look at Sarah Palin—some people actually thought she was hot). I personally would love to see Elizabeth Warren have another go at it, but her stern schoolmarm persona does not seem presidential enough. Maybe if she hosted a reality show or went on Survivor or Dancing With the Stars, she might have a better chance. Or maybe we could doll her up with AI.
If you’ll indulge me, I wrote two recent blogs about our Octogenarian in Chief, which I’ll share:
I don’t know what’s going to happen in November. I have to say I’m a little apprehensive. Fifteen years ago, I would have said no way could a lying, avaricious, lewd, misogynistic, racist, pandering, blathering, and idiotic jerk like Trump get nominated, let alone elected. Yet here we are. I have little hope that the American electorate is going to experience a sudden epiphany about Agent Orange. They’ve been led to believe their worst instincts—tribalism, isolationism, fear, and anger—are survival instincts, and I don’t if they (we) can rise out of it. I hope I’m wrong.
Dave, in terms of Putin, I saw a feature on MSNBC last night (reporting on a story in (The Vox), I believe) about Trump’s long connection with Russia. Apparently, according to this report, elements of the KGB had been cultivating this man, whom they termed (and I paraphrase) a person of limited intelligence prone to flattery. He’s been on Putin’s radar for a long time. So, Trump is a tool in many more ways than one, and is a clear and present danger to Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and all of NATO.
So, what do we do? My brother Paul has become active in the Democratic party and has volunteered as a poll worker. I’m wondering if I should join ranks with my union brothers and do a little work door-to-door or on the phone bank. Maybe, considering the American voting public, that might be pissing in the wind, but….
G
Wait? Sarah Palin was NOT hot? Ok, I guess. My hormones are out of control anyway.
I actually have done some canvassing for the Radical Left Marxists, er, Democrats (or Demon Rats, as they have been so aptly characterized). I did 3 hours of door knocking in New Berlin a couple of Saturdays ago. Lemme tell ya, it was like banging my thumb with a hammer. It felt good when I stopped! Ba dum. But there actually are a few hidden Never Trumpers even out there in the wilds and cul de sacs.
MM
Yeah, I did some work on the Recall Walker campaign out in Menomonee Falls back 2011 or so. I was going to mostly Dem houses, but still, I wasn’t getting a lot of love. Maybe I’ll join the Stormy Daniels for Mushroom Cap Queen campaign this year.
G