It is possible in life to do the right thing and suffer negative consequences. Ten years from now, Joe Biden will understand that.
After winning the popular vote and blocking Trump’s court challenges to the electoral vote, Biden thought accusing Trump of sedition was the right thing to “preserve our democracy” from the party of “insurrection” and “Jim Crow 2.0” and “cruel” Supreme Court justices. His party branded Republicans as traitors (Ron Johnson) or patriots (Liz Cheney). Elections? The GOP holds a 9-point lead heading into the mid-terms, and his media allies now write he should not run in 2024.
Yes, Trump is being investigated, might be indicted, and is on the outside looking in. But, he seems OK as the unwanted gate-crasher. It’s where he began, attacking his enemies, and I’m pretty sure he has a “plan” to win the nomination and get re-elected president. Things probably won’t go as planned, but Trump’ll show up as long as there’s a crowd.
Joe Biden is the man in a world of hurt, starting with his own “democracy” problem: voters don’t share his antipathy for the GOP. If they did, his approval would be higher than 33% (source: Quinnipiac), Trump wouldn’t have an 8-point “favorable” advantage over him (source: Harvard CAPS), and congressional Democrats wouldn’t be stuck at 21% approval (source: Gallup). Angry voters are why Biden keeps hitting “record low” approval numbers.
A big part of President Biden’s problem is that he never rose above the Trump Resistance. January 6 was (fill in the blank), but the Electoral College vote was certified the next morning. The Biden presidency was on its way – with no more interruptions – so why not forgive and forget Trump? Seriously. Think like a banker who’s exposed an embezzler. If the choice is jail time or money back, the banker takes the money (the White House) and moves on.
But not Joe Biden. He’s blamed Trump for the border crisis, Afghan pull out, inflation, and recent mass shootings. His stated fears are the “cult of Trump” (i.e. conservatives) and “ultra-MAGA” policies (e.g. the right to bear arms). Some in-party angst is just politics, but having his name in the news is how Trump won in 2016. Is the Trump threat even real, and are Democrats acting in their best interest?
Of course, Trump can run again, but that window grows ever smaller. Look at Virginia, where Youngkin didn’t seek his help, and won – or Georgia, where Trump opposed Governor Kemp to no avail. Biden had better watch Florida, where Governor DeSantis is kicking ass and taking names, because he leads Trump in several polls. And, when the GOP runs Congress in 2023, who’s talking on the Sunday news shows – committee chairs or Trump?
Is there a “Trump bump” or just a big ego taking credit for his endorsed candidates winning 94% of their primaries? Ian Anson, a political scientist, says most of Trump’s endorsements were favored regardless, and his boasts are “reverse causality” logic (like thinking people holding umbrellas caused it to rain). If Adam Laxalt had not been endorsed by Trump, he still would’ve been favored to win Nevada’s GOP senate primary (he did).
Nevada should be a wake-up call for soon-to-be-powerless Pelosi and soon-to-be-investigated Biden. Like many other strong GOP state brands, Laxalt is not in need of Trump’s support in November. But, according to NBC News, Laxalt can count on “the Jan. 6 Select Committee hearings” to turn out Nevada’s MAGA voters, who describe the hearings as “disgusting…political…reprehensible” theater “to get Donald Trump off the ballot.” Oops!
It sure looks like the Democrats’ stay-in-power strategy backfired, starting with no mandate from the electorate. That, and the media blockade on any post-election question of legitimacy. If anything, gag orders raise suspicions. One can even argue they sowed the seeds of January 6.
Many polls show most Republicans and almost half of independent voters had some questions about how votes were cast and counted in 2020. Numerous politicos say the 232-197 impeachment vote in 2021 failed to meet the “bipartisan” standard set by the 410-4 resolution to launch Nixon’s impeachment in 1984. And, by the end of 2021, thirty-six states had enacted some form of election-integrity laws.
Democrats claim “ultra-MAGA” is THE threat to democracy, but ruined non-MAGA colleagues; turning 10 yea votes into GOP pariah by demonizing 197 Republicans that voted not to impeach Trump. Already, four have retired facing primary losses, Tom Rice (SC) just lost his primary 25-51, and Liz Cheney (WY) trails her primary’s leader 28-56.
Absurdity. It’s what Democrats have become and why Biden’s approval with his base has tanked: Black (49%), Hispanic (24%), and women (39%). That’s buyer’s remorse, and ultra-MAGA policies are not the problem. GOP primaries include record numbers of Black (81), Hispanic (103), and women (253) candidates, who aren’t afraid of ultra-MAGA policies. The big absurdity is Dems getting tangled up in Trump.
What Trump did (and does) really well is depict the ultra-woke as stupid. He blasted Liz Warren (D-MA) for false claims of Cherokee heritage and – – how long’s it been since she was taken seriously? It worked, and dumb Democrats, like Terry McAuliffe (VA), ride ultra-woke to defeat (he actually called his GOP opponent Trumpkin).
The lesson is as old as the hills: if you listen too long for thunder, you’ll get struck by lightning. Convinced they’ll run against Trump in 2024, Democrats ignore the much stronger threats of DeSantis, Haley, Pompeo, and even Youngkin.
Don’t say I didn’t warn them (and do not forward this to the DNC).