The Case For Biden

'BLUFFTON, S.C. (AP) — Joe Biden is finalizing the framework for a White House campaign that would cast him as an extension of Barack Obama’s presidency and political movement. He’s betting that the majority of Democratic voters are eager to return to the style and substance of that era — and that they’ll view him as the best option to lead the way back.'

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2019/04/15/biden_to_campaign_as_extension_of_obamas_political_movement_140055.html

'Former Vice President Joe Biden is putting the finishing touches on the rollout of his presidential campaign and is expected to announce as soon as next week that he is joining the sprawling field of 2020 Democratic contenders.'

WSJ

He will enter the favorite and within the next three months do something to cause him to retire from the field. He's not a "gaffe machine" he's an old fool.

I'll confess some growing doubts about my earlier prediction that Biden will delay any consideration of a candidacy until he and senior Democrat figures see what unfolds among the 22 0r so announced candidates : he may well act sooner.

My reasons for this are a growing impression that none of the announced Democrat candidates has yet resonated with the public in a way that sets them apart from the crowd. Newly announced candidates get their several days in the spotlight, as we have seen so far with Mayor Buttigieg, but this fades fast, as we have seen with "Beto" O'Rourke. Meanwhile Bernie Sanders so far dominates the field with lavish promises of (impossible to budget) government financing and operation of our educational and Health Care systems (However much he excites his large, but still minority, base, I don't believe he can win, and I suspect most Democrat Party leaders see it that way too ). All this suggests to me that Democrat Leaders may come to prefer a possible single Term Biden Presidency as a potential replacement for an otherwise likely second Trump Term. ( I also suspect that some, more canny, Democrat contenders, such as Kamila Harris may see that to their advantage as well.)

Even in this scenario, I suspect some delay may occur as the passage of time either supports or negates it, and those involved refine their political calculations, and further estimate the likely strength of the emerging far left wing of their party ( a group that increasingly appears to be unwilling to accept Sanders as their leader).

I hate to see Biden get dragged down, but I’m sure he’s been warned. I’m not sure he possess the ability to assess the situation logically.

The delay in his announcement has probably been more about D factions arguing about whether or not they should put his legacy on the chopping block. I really don’t think he realizes what he’s in for .

I think he intended to wait longer but general consensus is the field will narrow quickly. I'm sure he thinks he will be a survivor.

I think the DNC is going to throw everything they have behind the one they think has a chance to beat Bernie. It might be Biden, but I think they want Harris.

Should a White Man Be the Face of the Democratic Party in 2020?

I could tell a few weeks ago that the machine was not going to get behind Bernie. I think Tulsi would have to get super popular and be his pick for him to get anywhere, possibly Warren. Would be interesting to know what those two think at this point, certainly too early for them to signal who they'd like to be a running mate with.

The downside still is Tulsi is way serious and reserved, I wonder about her likable factor, and Warren's is almost nil.

I think you might be right. So far she has cannily avoided the spotlight, while others, like O'Rourke and Butt-whatever (someone's going to make a joke about that) spend themselves in it and gradually fade in the process.

I gotta say—I have incredible respect for Tulsi. She’s going up against the military industrial complex and the same major industries as Bernie. The establishment is trying to shut her out, and doing a pretty good job of it.

Warren is torture to watch and listen to. She used to be the truth teller a lot of people were attracted to, but she lost that cache. I used to think she’d be the first woman president. She can’t seem to get any traction.

There’s a local article about Gillibrand going to a church in Spartanburg and addressing the congregation with the familiar pastor-type oratory cadence. “Inauthentic,” a congregant said. Since S.C. is the first major hurdle for the candidates, I’ll be hanging out in some black churches, listening to some liars and asking them questions and videoing their lies. (Biased much?? Haha.)

I hear you about the running mate question. With old guys like Bernie and
Biden, that question — and answer— is crucial. Committing to a Veep this early opens the Veep prospect to deeper investigation (longer) and leaves lots of time for them to verbalize uncoordinated takes on random news issues. Still, it might work to come out with a super popular character (a black chick would definitely spice up one of the old white guys’ chances), and some are saying Biden might boost his chances by committing to one term.

What you think so far?

Beto has humiliated himself; Buttigieg is beginning to look like a tiny brownshirt. With a husband... So, ...different.

Buttigieg has real problems other than appearing different because of his husband. (admittedly, we in this country and many others I suspect have a long way to go before we would want a gay man or woman as President who has a same sex husband or wife.)

His number one problem occurred during the Trayvon Martin case when he fired the police chief for taping other top brass police officers using racial language. Those tapes have yet to be released.



https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/us/politics/buttigieg-black-police-chief-fired.html

Perhaps people not aware of it, I wasn't until I read about a few weeks past.

More later, but for now something that bugs me about Tulsi is the 'aloha'. It's nice and well meaning and it means a lot to her being from Hawaii....but it makes her sound like she's from another country. Lose it.

I agree. Too much of it is off-putting.

I think his husband would be accepted, but Buttigieg’s got some rigidly conservative tenets that absolutely should be beyond the pale for liberals—even establishment democrats.

I’ll try to find specifics.

After a more thorough read of your link, the overlapping cases seem too muddy to make a clear call. Boykin cannot wiretap, but the whole thing should have been more transparent. Looks like the outcome has ruined Buttigieg in the black community.

That's not good. They are the people who keep us safe.

That's interesting. The media portrayed it as the chief being fired because of the police's handling of the case, which I thought was grossly unfair since they handled it OK.

My bad I guess for believing the media.

Why do the women always seem to have to pass the likability test, but not the men?

My problem with Tulsi is not a likeability problem. But her comments about Assad in Syria. I agree with Megan McCain on it.

Tulsi Gabbard Says Syria’s Assad Not ‘Enemy’ of U.S., Country Poses No Direct Threat

Meghan McCain Demands Tulsi Gabbard Call Syria's Assad 'the Enemy of the United States'


She wants peace with a dictator who used chemical weapons against his own people. I disagreed with Obama not using more force and going directly hard against Assad after Syria used chemical weapons. They continue to suffer even now.