Well, maybe Biden is doing something, I thought as I clicked over to the collection of new headlines at Memeorandum. I exclaimed, "OH!" because I thought he really was doing something, when I saw the first 3 words of this NYT headline: "Biden Takes Dominant Lead as Voters Reject Trump on Virus and Race" the New York Times.
I thought Biden was doing something dominant — demonstrating dominance in some way, maybe saying something that showed strong leadership and could help restore rationality and order.
But no, it's just a report on some poll, and Biden is — big surprise — doing better than Trump. Subheadline: "A New York Times/Siena College poll finds that Joseph R. Biden Jr. is ahead of the president by 14 points, leading among women and nonwhite voters and cutting into his support with white voters."
Well, isn't that nice for the old man in the basement? But what about us?
The article begins: "Joseph R. Biden Jr. has taken a commanding lead...." Commanding! There's nothing commanding about Biden, the man.
But the lead is "commanding." The lead is leading. The article is full of prose admiring the commanding leadership that is the lead in the polls:
... a commanding lead... a wide advantage... deep inroad... Mr. Biden is currently... garnering 50 percent of the vote...Garnering!
The dominant picture that emerges from the poll... enormous margins... an even wider margin... Mr. Biden’s towering advantage... The exodus of white voters from the G.O.P....It's Biblical!
... especially pronounced... More voters feel strongly about Mr. Trump than they do about Mr. Biden....That's squirreled away at the bottom. There's nothing about Biden that's "commanding" and "dominant" or even much of anything at all:
The picture of Mr. Biden that emerges from the poll is one of a broadly acceptable candidate who inspires relatively few strong feelings in either direction.... The limited passion for Mr. Biden among other Democratic constituencies does not appear to be affecting his position against Mr. Trump....So, presumably things will continue with maximizing the hatred of Trump and Biden just waiting there, being not-Trump. Why doesn't he DO something?!
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167 comments:
Because, Ann... Better than Nothing is a High Standard. Letting things play out is doing something. Negative space is just as important as foreground. Why are you being impatient? Has your deplorable Stockholm syndrome got you worried?
Why doesn't he DO something?!
It's possible that the discord is part of the plan.
His people must think the discord helps him--or that trying (and likely failing) to calm it would hurt.
Poor Ol' Joe doesn't even rate a capitalized tag.
Maybe someday women will be interested in systems and stability instead of feelings.
Why doesn't he DO something?!
Well, from his basement he dialed 250,000 phone calls to reserve tickets for the Trump rally.
Literally, rotary dialed.
That ain't nothin'.
I was worrying about how the mainstream media and many politicians, including Trump, are stirring things up and playing upon the frayed emotions and weakened minds of the American public.
What exactly is Trump doing to incite violence and rioting? Where is the violence and disorder from the Right? What exactly is Trump supposed to be doing differently? Trump was coasting to an election win on the back of peace and prosperity, which is precisely why the MSM and their Leftist allies stirred things up and preyed upon the frayed emotions and weakened minds of the political Left.
Trump won the election in May once the riots started. Maybe more than 40 states now. Polls are worthless.
As well ask why Governor Evers or Mayor Rhodes-Conway don't do something. Calming the voters, stopping the riots is not The Plan. The Plan (which the polls at least say is working) is to blame Trump for the chaos, and imply (but never promise) that electing Biden is the only thing that will bring a halt to it all. Given that the Ford Foundation and George Soros have funded BLM and Antifa to the tune of $100 million, that might even be true, as long as Joe knows what's good for him after the election.
"Why doesn't he DO something?!"
Because he's owned.
I don't know if you saw the NYMag link I posted in another thread, but it helps answer why doesn't he do something. We're in a witch hunt, and implying the people pulling down statues and spray painting buildings and looting, etc are not popular is incredibly racist. It is invalidating what the victims of racism have experienced.
And speaking up against it isn't going to be beneficial to any particular politician. And if you are Donald Trump saying you will meet destruction with force, then Twitter will signify you are dangerous.
So you think Biden wants that?
If Biden tried to act in a unifying manner he would loose half of his base support.
To ask the question is to answer it. It's like the anti-Socratic question.
Biden is an empty suit who has always plagiarized his best lines and he’s so far past his use-by date that all he has left are rambling platitudes. He was a better presidential candidate in 1988 when he had less hair and that Cheshire grin wasn’t so played out and he still flames out under the penetrating questioning of Connie Chung. She was such a softball slinger no one remembers any other Chung interview in her career, yet she picked at the fraying lies Joe was fabricating then (“top of my class!”) and that string defenestrated his whole campaign in one 3-minute interview. Which is why Joe is deathly afraid a real reporter will sneak in to cover him now. Safer to do a minstrel show with Barack than a network hit with a “news” person who might accidentally ask him a tough question.
It's the old salt about voting for a ham sandwich. Biden is the ham sandwich.
Junior? Joe’s father is still alive!? Maybe he should be his running mate. That would garner some votes from dead democrats.
“Why doesn't he DO something?!”
Because he can’t.
I’ve twice been unable to avoid the opening 5 seconds of a Biden ad on YouTube and I was struck by his stutter-y speech. It’s a minor thing, but he was sitting with handlers and a teleprompter and endless retakes and this was the best he could deliver. Biden is an incompetent and failing candidate, and he’s the Democrat standard bearer. He may also be our president in 5 months.
As Laslo so aptly said, your seat is also a flotation device.
I have to push back against the idea that Trump is stirring up discord.
He is responding to many weeks of destructive violence. I don't see what he specifically did or has done to stir up all of this violence. He had absolutely no control over the Minneapolis police and had no role in George Floyd's death.
The two sides are completely out of proportion.
On the one hand you have looting, destruction of neighborhoods, destruction of statues, etc.
On the other...Trump Tweets!...Trump's photo op!...helicopter back wash!
And, Trump can't even Tweet anymore without his enemies interceding.
Not everything is Trump's fault
I haven't looked at these polls but the latest trend in polling is to hide the political bias in 'independents'. Trafalgar, a reputable pollster, had Biden up by one in Michigan, where NYT approved pollsters recently had him up by mid teens...
Because he's too busy picking peanuts out of the poop in his depends. And to think that "Sundowning" used to be a euphemism for destroying the Japanese Empire. Joe might get it, at least on one of his good days.
If Biden did something, would he know it?
How could we tell?
But seriously, Biden is demented and unaware of his surroundings.
Also, Democratics are doing these things in Democratics' cities.
Somehow Althouse finds a way to blame Trump because he exists and says stuff.
Meanwhile, Democratics are destroying things and attacking people.
False.
Equivalence.
It's what NYT's readers want to hear - it's as simple as that.
Trump could have easily won by a huge margin if he cut out all the petty shit and focused on doing the job he was elected to do. Biden is a nonentity. But I'd now bet even money on him to win. And, I now hope he does.
There's no reason for Biden to do something since everything is going exactly according to plan.
The Democrats haven't even had their Convention. Are they just going to skip over that, ignore all the votes for Sanders and others and just anoint Biden.
(rhetorical question obviously they are)
>>Why doesn't he DO something?!
Because he wants to win.
And the more people see Biden, the more it reinforces your observations that he's "Not Trump", and nothing else.
This accords with my prediction since 2016: whoever the Democrats put up will win. I thought 2016 gave me the worst presidential choice of my life; now comes 2020 to prove me wrong. The question for me is: which of Biden's advisors will be making the decisions in his 'administration?'
Because he is elderly, tired, weak, and has limited mental faculties. He can read words from a Teleprompter.
Beware of who he picks for VP.
Beware.
The Democratic convention is one week before the GOP's. This will give Trump a week to react and decide whether or not to keep Pence. If I were Pence, I'd be concerned. If I were Nikki Haley, I would be cautiously optimistic.
Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?
I wondered out loud, as I was worrying about how the mainstream media and many politicians, including Trump, are stirring things up and playing upon the frayed emotions and weakened minds of the American public.
----------============
it is disconcerting that a learned Professora still harbors such longing and yearning about Joe Biden as WHITE KNIGHT
"Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?"
Trolling, right?
I mean, this is what Dems want. Do you?
He can't do anything. If he calls for calm and it doesn't occur, then he looks ineffectual, and possibly angers the radical progressive wing of the party.
You seriously wondered why Biden's not doing anything? Biden has dementia. A lot of people are ignoring it and they're either idiots or Liars. Which are you?
Wait until the Dem's find out they can't control what what has been unleashed once they take control after the election.
What are you missing, Ann? He has been doing something. He's been kissing up to every key person he has to in the woke/blm/prog movements running his party. He's trying as best he can to not appear in public. It's all he can do to not step on his oozing brain when he's doing a video conference. But at least Obama raised some $$ for him.
Biden is doing exactly what his puppet masters want of him. He's staying home. Away from live reporters- not that any of them will ask a tough question of him. Something like, oh...how many millions of dollars did you and your son make from those darned Ukrainians?
Anyway- he's been around since you were playing in the streets in Ann Arbor. Surely you've got enough information on Joe Biden to make a decision, don't you?
Why isn't Biden ahead by 50 points?
My guess is that he's physically and mentally incapable. Alternatively, within his bubble, he thinks everything going on is helpful.
I heard a political analyst on local radio say basically “Elect Biden and the riots go away.” That sounds like the Democrats plan.
Biden is a candidate, he doesn't hold any office, elective or otherwise, so he has no obligation to try and calm people down. Was he ever even known for that when he was in office? I just remember him being this smarmy guy who showed his teeth a lot.
Biden is pretty much a textbook definition of white (male) privilege, which if he wins the election will be clear evidence that it remains alive and well (although Biden himself not so much) no matter how many statues they tear down.
Why doesn't he DO something?!
Why? He's winning. "Doing something" -- indeed, even appearing in public -- would just make things worse.
Don't be so sure about that "commanding lead", though: Carter was beating Reagan just a week before the 1980 election, and lost in a landslide. (Hell, even Mondale was beating Reagan at one point in '84, and he lost even worse!)
"playing upon the frayed emotions and weakened minds of the American public."
You need to find better people to hang out with. There's none of that nonsense around here.
I despised Joe Biden even when I was a Democrat but are any of our federal elected officials speaking out except for Trump? No they are not except for a few like Pelosi who is pushing for more violence. As far as I know neither of my Senators [Casey & Toomey] have said a peep.
Why doesn't he DO something?!
Why the hell hasn’t he said anything about what is going on? He HAS to be held accountable because he “just might be” the next President of the United States. I don’t care where he makes a statement from - his basement - his bunker - his kitchen - his corner grocery store. He Needs to be called out by the press and forced to tell the American people his thoughts on this. That we don’t have any idea what his thoughts are is ridiculous and unacceptable. I am not a Biden supporter - but he doesn’t get a pass.
It took three Obama soy boys to write that "news article"?
Joe Biden is a cowardly figurehead for the Dems. He doesn't wanna see looting or statues in Wisconsin torn down. But he's too cowardly to speak out, because he doesn't want to disturb his shot at the White House.
It's long been said that a conversation that starts "Look you motherf----r!" has nowhere to go but downhill.
All recent conversations by the left has started out "Look, you racist!" (substitute sexist, homophobe, or whatever)
Explain how we're supposed to have any commonality. Or for that matter, any reason to even attempt to talk.
Biden is enjoying a Dukakis lead in the polls. IOW, it is all media driven.
His handlers are afraid that he will have multiple Snoopy moments if they let him out of the basement.
This "bring us together" is total and complete BS. The Left's idea of that is that the Right caves to them.
Too many on the Left are totally insane. BLM is a Marxist movement. Global Warming and the Green New Deal is more Marxism and insanity. Most Americans don't want that. But to the Left, we must agree with that crap in order to "bring us together."
The thing of it is, if Biden wins we don't know who is really President. Probably Barack and Dr. Jill Biden.
Um... Did you watch the brief clip from yesterday where Biden talks about the Cold War? Even Obama, visible on the video, clearly realizes this man isn't all there.
Nobody can fix this.
Your elites are forcing a crisis, which they will not be able to control.
Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?
Because he can’t. For most of his career Biden’s party has focused on dividing identity groups against each other. You are asking him to think outside a box that he himself helped construct. (With your own acquiescence, I might add. Where did you think identity politics would end up?)
PS Whoever does sign language interpretation for Joe Biden should receive a bonus, especially if they can keep their face from showing despair or exasperation.
Biden is the candidate to be named later. The generic Democrat, except there are no generic Democrats anymore. The Democrats like Howard and readering are just pretending there is a sane party somewhere that will really be running things if Biden should get elected by all those mailin ballots being printed in God knows where.
You seem skeptical, Althouse.
I'm sure you have a good reason for that. Care to share?
Doing nothing, saying little to nothing, is Biden's best approach in his campaign for POTUS.
LOL, clearly you are trolling us with this one!
Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?
A) The guy can't string 4 words together coherently.
B) He (more rightly his handlers) still think this is working in their favor and...
C) Are encouraging it. If the DNC did NOT want this crap to go on, it would NOT. For now, they still have some control over this monster they have created but not for much longer as their grip is already slipping but they still want this to go on.
Biden would have to address the discord in Dem run cities. The violence.
He won’t do that. He can’t.
Perhaps Biden’s absentee presidency will be soothing. Calming. But I doubt it. Obama’s wasn’t.
Biden has a bigger lead than Hillary did in 2016. He can be placed in a medical coma now until the Inauguration.
Why doesn't he do something?
The answer that satisfies Occam's razor is "He doesn't want to." Which should lead naturally to the next question: Why doesn't he want to do something? And again, let Occam's razor guide you: He believes the current unrest serves his interests (getting elected).
This fierce combination of Marxist riots following the Juwan Flu Terror is the Globalist Dem's last hope to require Mail in Ballots so they can steal the election and stay out of Jail for their crimes. So Joe , he lay low. But the America First crowd are seeing clearly now just how many people in our Government despise them.
he's been around for 40 plus years
...and you ask this now? "Hoping In Biden"?? Really???
or Believing he has the capacity? Really ??
Biden is letting Pelosi and Cortez etc be the ones to be the aggressive face of the Democrats.
By doing nothing, he can hide behind them and remain the empty vessel made of platitudes that people like to vote for.
But, by voting for him, you ARE voting for Pelosi and Cortez, etc etc.
If they are the calm voices of reason you seek, then he is your man.
I am Laslo.
I canceled my subscription today finally. They have become irrelevant. DNC Newsletter. My opinion of Brietbart is little higher than Althouses, but I think that their summaries of the paper do it justice.
All of these violent riots are being done on Biden’s behalf. The leader of BLM gave an interview where she said removing Trump was their main priority.
Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?
It's a mob. It will turn on him. Biden is like the guy you see in a zombie movie trying to be very, very quiet.
Two theories
1 he can’t
2 he doesn’t want to
I think it’s both. He is incapable of stepping forward and, in the spotlight unaided, looking like anything but a doddering fool. And his party wants the swirl of free flowing hatred we see around us.
You might be skeptical of the second claim. It is an extreme claim. But ask yourself, Why doesn’t Evers? Only reason 2.
Ann suggests that perhaps Trump isn’t perfect in every way and the commentary here is looking for a safe space. How could she?
I assume Althouse is just trolling here. The country has a 'leader'. It is the 'leader's' responsibility to fix the problems.
>>He can be placed in a medical coma now until the Inauguration.
You can be arrested for revealing state secrets, Darrell.
If I were Nikki Haley, I would be cautiously optimistic.
She put that tiny NASCAR noose around her own neck.
Polls over people is the Democrat forward-looking strategy to gerrymander democracy.
You are fast approaching the rivers of blood stage. So far, despite all the violence and mobs, the right wing has not pushed back violently. Once we see the smashing of stained glass and the toppling of religious statues that could change,fast.
Running for president in 2020 is like hunting rabbits. You must be vewy, vewy quiet.
aah...maybe because he can’t put one foot in front of the other anymore.
The Obama Administration supported similar riots in Ukraine in order to remove President Victor Yanukovych from his elected office in 2014. The Obama Administration wanted to remove Yanukovych because he had won the Presidential election on promises to improve Ukraine's relations with Russia.
Vice President Joe Biden played a key role in the Obama Administration's policy to use riots -- and the threat of riots -- to control the Ukrainian Government.
The strategy of the Democrat mediaswine is to bombard us with unbridled gaslighting until we are too weary to resist. We will never have seen anything like the next 100 or so days as we watch them choose our President for us. Joe Biden is demonstrably the worst candidate in my lifetime, perhaps in history.
Stop the shitshow! Vote for Crazy Joe!
They have nothing else.
“Why doesn't he DO something?!”
He either can’t, or he won’t. I think that both are true.
The key thing to keep in mind is that this pertain was orchestrated. A lot of training and planning went into it. We saw this coming last summer, and they had all fall, winter, and spring to get ready. So far, much of the money behind it appears to be foreign, likely a combination of at least Soros and the CCP. Much of the planning and training of both AntiFA and BLM appears to be Marxist, which again suggests CCP backing. But it was green lighted and facilitated by those running the Dem party. To me, this looks more like the handiwork of Obama and his faction, as contrasted to the Clintons and theirs. Obama is the one who has long consorted with violent Marxists, starting at least with Ayers and Dohrn.
Ask yourself why Dem politicians are almost uniformly allowing their biggest cities to be burned down and turned into wastelands, forcing residents to flee to safer parts of the country (and destroying their tax bases)? Why they are allowing statutes of abolitionists and women to be torn down? It would seem extraordinarily counterproductive. Yet they are in almost complete lockstep. Why?
I am pretty sure that the answer is because this is their current attack front against Trump. By what the Dems are willing to risk here, what resources they are willing to expend, I think shows the importance to them of beating Trump in November. It feels to me like the gamble that the Germans took in what became the Battle of the Bulge.
Which gets back to Biden’s won’t and can’t. He won’t, because in his more lucid moments, still wants to win. And can’t, for the same reasons that these governors and mayors are sacrificing their cities, their tax bases, and their political futures for the cause of beating Trump in November.
STill trying to squeeze blood from a rock? Still?
"Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?"
I'm guessing it's because he needs help with his zipper when he needs to pee.
"Why doesn’t Biden step forward....”
"If only the Tsar knew what was being done in his name...."
"Why doesn't Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?"
Because 'we' contains too many people that don't want to be brought together, and that relish the discord.
"Why doesn't he DO something?!"
Because better than nothing is a high standard.
What exactly can Biden do? What do you expect/want him to do?
He isn't a government official. He can't issue executive orders or present bills to Congress. He has no real power other than to try to be persuasive and attempt to get elected. Until then he is really only a hopeful candidate..on of many. An EX government worker, with no power to make others do anything.
What could he do to change things and what sort of change is he expected to accomplish?
14 points. All fake ones. And who can prove it wrong? Polls only are proven right or wrong once ... by the actual election. Every other poll is simply some guy standing in front of the Parks and Recreation Director saying, “We found some urine in the pool.”
I have to push back against the idea that Trump is stirring up discord.
Was it Althouse, Neo, or one of the PJ people who, in the last couple of days, posted about the subtle change in how we are told to think about freedom of speech? It used to be that we all understood we were free to speak our minds, and that others were responsible for their response to what we said; your speech, if it wasn't actually, "Take to the streets! Take up arms!", was not to blame for someone else's choosing to get violent or destructive. But over time, this relationship between freedom of expression and the response to it has been altered - not to say perverted: now, if you speak out for or against something and someone chooses to get violent or destructive, you are responsible for the other's choice: you incited the violence and destruction by your speech.
So of course Trump is responsible for everything his opponents (can I say "enemies" yet?) are destroying and violating.
Professor, have you figured out how to vote yet?
Keep your mouth shut, stand back, and let Trump keep vomiting all over himself.
The strategy appears to be working so far.
“Biden is the candidate to be named later.”
Yes, and the Democrats think he can be dragged across the finish line in that suspended state.
It isn’t going to work. You can’t drive turnout that way. For every frenzied Orange Man Bad fanatic dying to vote against Trump there’s three registered Democrats waiting to be shown something to vote for. And more riots and witch hunts probably aren’t going to be enticing enough to get them to vote.
It's clear that what these difficult times call for is an influence peddler with 43 years of experience.
Blogger MartyH said...
"I heard a political analyst on local radio say basically “Elect Biden and the riots go away.” That sounds like the Democrats plan."
I wonder about November 3rd. Will the rioters target the polling places? The rioters have proven they won't be stopped or jailed regardless of their actions, so there is no downside to disrupting the voting process. Why not send an army of rioters into Waukesha County to stop the voting? It is not hard to imagine a very violent scene.
Dust Bunny — in what sense is Biden being “anointed”. He won the majority of the delegates. Sorry but Bernie lost fair and square. How does it work in the Republican Party?
“I have to push back against the idea that Trump is stirring up discord.”
That right there is the a major part of the problem. Why do you expect those on the left to behave in a better manner than the POTUS? When Trump loses the election, I expect to see Trumpists rioting in a way that makes these idiots In Madison look like pikers. All the talk of people hanging from lampposts and the many comments wanting civil war by rightists here in these threads over the last three years tells me that Trumpists have no moral authority over the rioters in Madison.
I heard a political analyst on local radio say basically “Elect Biden and the riots go away.”
Nah the best part is Trump goes away, and they will hound him unto death, investigating and prosecuting and hopefully jailing him. You can't have someone with that big a following hang around and criticize, make trouble,raise money, run again, and who knows what else.
They may even use the Epstein option.
When asked to comment, Biden responded: "Pony soldier, chicken and waffles, vootie. Wait, what?"
I don't think I've ever seen our national attention span be shorter or more volatile. Impeachment was 5 months ago, COVID-19 shutdown was about smoothing out the number of cases leading to hospitalization and death, and George Floyd's murder was about the lack of accountability and evenness of the law against abusive police. A vaccine for COVID was never going to happen this year.
Except now impeachment/russia/ukraine/whatever is forgotten about. COVID-19 is about shutting down so that CASES DON'T RISE and we'll nationally forget to monitor hospitalizations/deaths. And George Floyd's murder is now about systemic racism within society as a whole. And a vaccine for COVID may happen this year.
....
So why do we care where Biden is today, 4.5 months from election?
Let's see what happens when...
- Biden emerges and has to actually speak in public and debate trump
- Biden selects a VP candidate
- The DNC has to take leadership positions publicly at their convention
- Trump either continues his tone OR changes it once Biden is formally voted in and has picked a VP
- Trump continues with Pence or selects a new VP
- COVID continues to flatten out but local government continues to be panic prone
- Racial rioting and destruction continues for another few months
You really need to ask that Ann? On race Biden is getting exactly what he wants by doing nothing. He wants blacks furious at the system and blaming the GOP TRUMP. Biden keeps up with the fine people hoax. Ask your self one question who benefits from poor race relation in the US? Looks to me like the D politicians courting black votes. I see many blacks getting woke about the Ds though.
“ The Democrats like Howard and readering are just pretending there is a sane party somewhere that will really be running things if Biden should get elected by all those mailin ballots being printed in God knows where.”
It translates into political power, and with our multitrillion dollar budgets, that translates into fabulous wealth. Obama made a record number of billionaires. Most of us can never hope to be more than comfortable. But there is a class that aspires to riches unknown by even the wealthiest in previous eras. The ability to own your own jumbo jet, expensive yacht, multiple mansions around the world, with an army of servants. Etc. they are the ones calling the shots, esp on the Dem side. Worse now - Trump is now posing an almost existential threat to some of the wealthiest of these billionaires by having been forced, for his own political survival to attack the CDA 230 safe harbor that has been instrumental in building the companies that their wealth is derived from.
My daughter has been bingeing Parks and Recreation recently. Biden makes a couple of appearances in it. The contrast between that Biden, of no later than 2015, and today's Biden, is shocking.
Can't wait til they rip Mario Cuomo's name off the new bridge in NYC. What will the two dickhead brothers say about that?
Blogger Josephbleau said..."If Biden tried to act in a unifying manner he would loose half of his base support."
This.
“The country has a 'leader'. It is the 'leader's' responsibility to fix the problems.”
Trump is the leader of Chaos. Biden isn’t the President yet, what can he do? He could make a special address on TV in prime time and announce his black female running mate right there and then and then both of them could call for a truce and ask to give Democrats a chance to fix the shit storm that was created by Trump and Trumpism.
Biden doesn't even know where he is, never mind what to do. Wake up and smell the Progressive roses.
There is no Sister Souljah moment that Biden has the capability of grabbing. The man can't even manage scripted events any longer.
This poll was a joke, and I think almost everyone knows this even if they won't say it out loud. Trump will start with 45% of the vote as will Biden. The election is going to be won by getting a majority of the remaining 10%, and neither candidate will get more than 7/10s of that remaining undecided portion. Any poll outside that window is to be tossed onto a bonfire.
I agree this is a desperate ploy to get rid of Trump before the indictments start to come down. Foot dragging only lasts so long. Trump knows he has to let them trash the cities as they would make him look like the dictator they have always said he was. The question is can they cheat enough to beat the honest vote ?
A case could be made that one reason why the dems are stuck with Biden is that they focused too much on the poll numbers.
Laslo sez: "But, by voting for him, you ARE voting for Pelosi and Cortez, etc etc."
True, but even worse:
By voting for Biden, you are also voting for BLM and Antifa, and endorsing their campaign of looting, arson, toppling statues, and several murders. (See, Underwood, Patrick; Dorn, David).
Inga justifies the riots by citing her own fantasies and fever dreams as evidence. It’s all fake news, or should I say “fake noose.".
When Trump loses the election, I expect to see Trumpists rioting in a way that makes these idiots In Madison look like pikers.
Thank you for sharing the fantasies of your bigotry. Your expectations are, as usual, absolutely untethered to reality. But hopefully your hate keeps you warm.
"I assume Althouse is just trolling here. The country has a 'leader'. It is the 'leader's' responsibility to fix the problems."
The state of Wisconsin has a leader too. It's Tony Evers. Look how he handled things here in Wisconsin yesterday.
The city of Madison has a leader. It's Satya Rhodes-Conway. Look how she handled things here in Madison yesterday.
I'm looking for leadership. If you're only RUNNING for office, you can at least show something. If Biden is going to be meekly mild and inert, then he's offering what Evers and Rhodes-Conway are offering. That seems to be the Democratic Party brand. Are they just going to roll over for irrational firebrands? There's no leadership!
This is how you get more Trump!
Why doesn't a horse fly? C'mon, man! It's not what horses do! It's not a "horse thing."
Same thing with Biden. He's not on Team Calm, he's on Team Discord. C'mon, man!
"The country has a 'leader'. It is the 'leader's' responsibility to fix the problems."
The President should NOT take over running the cities — not unless he's asked or things devolve into an "insurrection" (a military problem).
The responsibility here is SQUARELY on the shoulders of the Democratic Party mayors of America. They are backed up by the Governors.
The President is last in line, and he's doing what he should in offering backup and putting some pressure on them to straighten things up or he might have to take action.
It's ludicrous to expect the federal government to handle law and order in the cities. And I know damned well that if Trump took direct action, you'd scream about his militarizing things.
Why doesn't he DO something?!
His spokespeople will get back to you.
Right now they’re trying to limit the number of debates with Trump.
#Priorities
Inga said…"When Trump loses the election, I expect to see Trumpists rioting in a way that makes these idiots In Madison look like pikers."
Yeah, well, you expected Trump to be indicted for colluding with Russians too.
They could be playing the long game, hoping that mass exodus from the Blue Hells will turn red states blue in 2024 and after.
Evers said in his statement that he would call upon the National Guard if he had to.
“We are prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings and infrastructure and are continuing to work with local law enforcement to understand their response to last night’s events and their plan to respond to similar events in the future.”
"Why doesn't he DO something?!" That is one heck of a weird question. For the same reason that Hillary Clinton did very little during the campaign, times a hundred. Because doing something can only hurt him, being who he is, and doing nothing seems to be working.
"The responsibility here is SQUARELY on the shoulders of the Democratic Party mayors of America. They are backed up by the Governors."
Please stop voting for them.
I heard a political analyst on local radio say basically “Elect Biden and the riots go away.”
There will be people who fall for that.
"I'm looking for leadership."
You are looking but not seeing: they are leading you exactly how and where they want.
There's no upside for Biden in doing anything. I continue to think that events outside Biden's control will determine whether Trump wins or loses. Trump's objective is to remind people that Biden is a sad-sack senile second-rater who sniffs womens' hair. Biden doesn't have to take the bait. If coronavirus surges in late summer and the economy tanks, Biden wins by default. If coronavirus subsides (somehow) and the economy continues to recover, I think Trump wins. If there's big, ugly BLM protests around either the Democratic or Republican conventions that might shift people a little, but I think that by election day, any BLM effect will probably get swamped by movement on the economy and the plague.
It is ludicrous to imagine that Obama would not have taken a genuine leadership role in the same circumstances.
If your conception of Trump is that his only possible response is to 'militarize things' then he is already a failed president.
It's gettin' hot in herre so take off all your clothes;
or
You get the High Plains Drifter you deserve.
I am Laslo.
encouraging Nero with tips on how to use a fire extinguisher
...maybe he's not interested and maybe it's too late
This country isn’t going to be pulled together anytime soon.
Any statements by politicians stating otherwise should be taken as signs for disqualification.
Or in Joe’s case, dementia.
steve uhr said... Dust Bunny [QUEEN] 😊 — in what sense is Biden being “anointed”. He won the majority of the delegates. Sorry but Bernie lost fair and square. How does it work in the Republican Party?
The Democrats have not yet had their convention or all of the primary votes for delegates to the Convention (I believe that not all states have voted. I could be wrong). He may have won the majority of delegates...so far...but it isn't over. Plus the delegates could (I think) change their minds and cast votes for someone else.
So with a partial primary and partial elections and NO convention yet were the delegates are to cast their votes for the candidates....the DNC and media seem to have decided (anointed) Biden as being the candidate.
It is like deciding the winner of a horse race about 2/3 of the way before the finish line.
I find it even more difficult than usual to believe these polls are any reflection of reality lately. Unless I am way off on this and the majority of people in this country really have collectively decided that we hate ourselves and need to burn it all down by voting for a demented stumblebum with a history of malfeasance, I don't see how some could choose Biden over Trump after everything that's happened over the last 4 years and especially the last few months. I mean, I understand that a lot of people find Trump to be unnecessarily provocative, a lout, a bore, inelegant and a million other things, but come on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvOd48zlNkAReach uppity reach gotta reach
"Power to the people & the beats
Some people accuse some people of crimes
Some people get away wit' losin' my rhyme
They don't like where I'm comin' from
So dey play dumb
Dumb diggetty dumbb diggetty dumb
But I'm tellin' you what they do
Play a fool
While the real thief cools in a pool
He who got the finger on the war button
Talkin' loud ain't sayin' nuttin
TV got 'em bigger than life
All he needs is a knife
Who's the criminal?"
Public Enemy-Hazy Shade of Biden
...er sorry slipped into my nyt voice:
Public Enemy-Hazy Shade of Criminal
It is ludicrous to imagine that Obama would not have taken a genuine leadership role in the same circumstances.
Obama and his DOJ, under Holder, created and financed BLM to foment riots and assassinate cops during his re-election campaign.
That was Obama’s get out the black vote strategy. Remember Ferguson? Dallas?
So, yes, Obama did take a “genuine leadership role.”
How quickly we forget that the Democrats run this same strategy every electoral cycle.
Where have you gone, Joe Dementia
Our nation turns it's lonely eyes to you
It is ludicrous to imagine that Obama would not have taken a genuine leadership role in the same circumstances.
Well, sure. He would have resumed the dishonest posture he adopted after Trayvon stupidly got himself killed, to the further detriment of the country.
Althouse asks: "Why [does not] Biden step forward to bring us together and calm the discord?"
Seriously? Biden is a Democrat. Democrats are the party of discord and division. Q.E.D.
If white people, especially white men, are "Fleeing Trump" and voting D, then they get what they deserve. Biden is helped by being in the basement and wearing a mask, because idiots can then project all their hopes on him. Biden can be what whatever they want in a President since he says and does nothing. He's a blank slate with a mask over it.
When is biden gong to pick his VP? I want to meet our future President.
Bruce Hayden at 9:33 and Ann at 9:51 are why this is my only blog I read daily. Such smart people who can crystallize the issues and objectively make their points so succinctly. Among many others I read with great interest. This blog is a gift.
Biden has done things for 40+ years.
He has been on the wrong side of almost every policy decision he ever made.
Were he to DO SOMETHING, it would likely follow that history.
Better he sit quietly and let the competent non-dementia officials do their jobs.
And I know damned well that if Trump took direct action, you'd scream about his militarizing things.
Damn straight.
Trump has to let this go on until the "mostly peaceful" meme has been fully discredited.
And then he has to wait a little bit more.
Because the media backlash will be he finally showed what an authoritarian, civil liberties-destroying person they've been telling you he is.
Trump can't do anything without approval of the mayors/Governors.In the '67 Detroit riots Romney and the Detroit mayor had to ask for Federal Troops, LBJ couldn't just sent them on his own. The only exception would be if Trump wanted to protect FEDERAL property, so Trump on his own could sent troops to defend it. But no more than that.
I agree with DBQ. Biden is not even the nominee yet, he doesn't have a lot of standing under these circumstances. Once he is the nominee he will have more of a platform, but I would guess everything will have blown over by then.
Why does anyone bother with the NYT on anything vaguely political? It is written for affluent, educated, urban, white women who need reassurance that their comfortable lives and comfortable opinions will not be disturbed. Or as someone has called them: the whiny white wine women of Westchester (County). That's the audience NYT advertisers are trying to reach.
When has the D Party ever been the party of law and order in the last 60 years? They've always been on the side of the rioters. They were never in forefront of condemning violence. And even when the populace FORCES them to send riot police or troops, they immediately find ways to reward the rioters with $$ and power.
People in blue states & cities seem to agree, since they continue to vote D, no matter what. When have the citizens of Seattle or Portland gotten upset at the CHAZ or the constant Antifa violence? Never.
Why doesn't he DO something?
Why does the sun always rise in the east?
Hating Trump is his hammer. Lies are his nails.
"Evers said in his statement that he would call upon the National Guard if he had to."
Wait until the property and monuments are trashed and the businesses shuttered and then call in the National Guard. Good plan.
I don't believe that Biden has a 14 point lead over Trump. Neither does Michigan Rep.Debbie Dingell (D Dearborn). https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2020/06/15/dingell-i-dont-believe-these-numbers-showing-biden-big-lead/3195827001/
Why doesn’t Biden DO something? The first rule of politics is never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.
Good catch by Inga regarding the atrocious statement by Evers. The governor stood by and watched while the mob assaulted a state senator, but he'll call in the National Guard to protect buildings.
Sundowner is clueless, someone will tell him what to do after the blm/antifa/democrat destruction of american has petered out.
But mentioning memeorandeum site, I used to go over there because it had some pretty balanced stuff, man, no more. It's amazingly biased, just full blown democrat propaganda aggregator.
Biden's people believe the discord helps Biden.... which is why Biden supporters are creating all the discord.
Meanwhile the Silent Majority sits and stews at the increasingly shocking shenanigans..
The polls are useless. Do you think Trump supporters will express support when all it will earn them in June is doxxing, twitter bans, violence and risk to their businesses and livelihoods?
We will speak in November. Again.
Meanwhile, these rioters become more unhinged. Protesting the Dem cop in the Dem city with the Dem mayor and Dem congressperson and 2 Dem Senators and Dem governor who all stood aside to provide "room to destroy".
"Room to Destroy" ought to be Biden's campaign slogan. He is manifestly unfit and if elected we will see more of this BS, not less.
Today, a statue of an abolitionist and the "Onward" statue. Tomorrow, the economy and society.
looking up the word Prairie I get
What Does Prairie Stand For?.
The meaning of the given name Prairie represents practicality, realism, reliability, discipline, sincerity and experience.
----------============
how many in Madison would meet the qualities characterized?
@Bruce Hayden at 9:15
I don't think the plot is that involved. Dem leaders don't say anything because they are terrified of their base. They're just hoping to be eaten last.
DBQ, Biden has secured enough pledged delegates to win on the first ballot at the convention. They are required to vote their pledge by party rules. It's a done deal unless he withdraws.
MartyH said...
I heard a political analyst on local radio say basically “Elect Biden and the riots go away.” That sounds like the Democrats plan.
-------===========
hmmm ... Democrat campaign rallies in a different guise
Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...
It is ludicrous to imagine that Obama would not have taken a genuine leadership role in the same circumstances.
Oh yes, he would be leading the rioters, like he did in Ferguson. The left has war gamed this and decided they need to create chaos to beat Trump. The impeachment backfired, The virus failed. This is all they have left.
However, the torpedoes fired so far have all circled back.
No...really. What do you all want Biden to actually DO to bring us all together? What do you guys envision would really work and have some results?
What?
Beijing Boy: "It is ludicrous to imagine that Obama would not have taken a genuine leadership role in the same circumstances."
LOLOLOLOL
obama DID take a leadership role......and he made things worse in every case.
Trayvon Martin case where Obama jumped in to slander the "white hispanic".
Ferguson
Baltimore riots
Open season on killing cops
obama even made it policy to send high powered automatic assault rifles, untraceable assault rifles (cool huh?), to Mexican drug cartels and the obama admin didn't even bother notifying the Mexican authorities they were doing it.....because, lets face it, we all know the Mexican govt would not be too appreciative of even MORE guns being given to the border cartels.
But obambi didn't care. He was on a mission to frame the NRA in the same way the obambi team attempted to frame Trump with the collusion hoax...all after using the IRS and other federal agencies to harass political opponents and opponents of the corrupt Iran deal.
So, yeah, obambi took a "leadership role" alright....
Inga: "Evers said in his statement that he would call upon the National Guard if he had to."
LOL
@Balfegor,
Trump's objective is to remind people that Biden is a sad-sack senile second-rater who sniffs womens' hair. Biden doesn't have to take the bait.
I think that Biden's problems are even deeper than what you mention, true as it is. Biden's past is full of positions & wrong-think that, while standard for a Democrat of the time, are now considered far-right hate speech. It's going to be very difficult to bring on the Bernie wing of the party once the far Left & the Republican talking points start highlighting Biden's ideological history.
Biden in 2020 is very much like Hubert Humphrey in 1968 -- a moderate to conservative Democrat, ex VP, & not especially charismatic caught up in a moment of left-wing social frenzy.
Professional lady: "I don't believe that Biden has a 14 point lead over Trump"
Sure he does!
It's the very same 14 point lead Hillary had over Trump (remember all the "landslide" discussions), Kerry had over WBush and Dukakis had over HWBush.
Go back and read the NY Times articles on Dukakis' massive lead over HWBush at this point in the campaign. Too funny. Talk about living in a bubble.
Biden is busy getting speech therapy and anger management counseling.
And rest..lots of rest.
Most of all, he needs to keep breathing.
So, presumably things will continue with maximizing the hatred of Trump and Biden just waiting there, being not-Trump. Why doesn't he DO something?!
Why should he? You'll vote for him whatever he does or does not do.
From the post: "I was worrying about how the mainstream media and many politicians, including Trump, are stirring things up and playing upon the frayed emotions and weakened minds of the American public."
I had a hard time getting past this first sentence. I've never heard anyone accuse (no evidence proffered in this post) the mainstream media and Trump of essentially being partners, colluding as it were, in the Protest-Riots.
And this requires that the people involved in participation and viewing of events have not only frayed emotions but weakened minds. I can go with the former, but the latter is quite the slur and one I can't accept as a generalized assertion.
I have become a regular reader of Althouse because, even when I disagreed, the discourse was reasoned and logical. This post was more like "The Scream"
"Biden is not even the nominee yet, he doesn't have a lot of standing under these circumstances."
The nominee-to-be doesn't have "standing" to stand up and tell his side to knock off the rioting? Bullshit.
I can't see the poll behind the paywall but I find NYTs bratty 'make your excuses before we print the poll results tomorrow, righties' disclaimer.
Makes me more suspicious than I normally would be- which is very supicious.
YH: "Biden in 2020 is very much like Hubert Humphrey in 1968 -- a moderate to conservative Democrat, ..."
So now even the "moderate to conservative" democrats spend time in the Oval Office ordering the framing of domestic political opponents by the FBI.
@drago,
So now even the "moderate to conservative" democrats spend time in the Oval Office ordering the framing of domestic political opponents by the FBI.
Yes, exactly like President Johnson did when Humphrey was his VP. Do you think only Nixon did dirty tricks? Johnson was a master at the political payback, and he wasn't too moral about how it got done.
"Biden in 2020 is very much like Hubert Humphrey in 1968 -- a moderate to conservative Democrat, ..."
Only to people ignorant of modern American political history. The Hump was "a moderate to conservative" only in contrast to the Yippies.
Rush Limbaugh made a great point about "bringing us together." He said there's not a single thing that the Right and Left agree on today. It is a zero sum game. And the Left never compromises. Never have.
There's the Houston Police Chief on TV now being asked how he would close down CHOP/CHAZ. I didn't listen because the best solution is Military 101.
Before you assault a citadel, you besiege it. You try to starve it out. No more food or electricity. First, you put up your wall around the city. You tell the people to leave and their soldiers to desert because at some point, the shit will hit the fan.
As people leave, ID info should be taken and those who actually live in the district should be bused to the nearest half-empty 5-star hotel at the the City's expense, with full room service, until such time as their homes are secure and their neighborhood cleared of garbage.
You will also probably need the countervailing wall, to keep enemy resupply out. That said, I'd evacuate another two blocks of residents on all sides. There's a lot of empty hotel rooms in Seattle.
Eventually, BLM/Antifa will come stumbling out. I suppose they could try to assault their way out but LOL. Bada-bing, bada-boom, nobody gets hurt. Fun's over.
Since Seattle says they're going to take the precinct back, I offer this unifying idea to Joey "Plugs" Biden. Yah, Nobody Gets Hurt.
I forgot to mention, after the 24-hour evacuation of residents, anyone coming out of insurrectionist zone gets arrested and held for federal trial. My bad.
Your wondering why a 77 year old man clearly exhibiting significant mental decline and perhaps has Senile Dementia (likely) or Alzheimer's has not "done something". Really Ann Althouse? They already canceled the first debate. Who really expects him to ever debate?
What did President Lincoln do to insure the integrity of the election in 1864?
Biden is not really the candidate, Obama is. Biden is just a stand in. At his current stage of dementia he barely knows what is going on. If he gets elected I have predicted all along that he will not last long. He will be removed by the 25th Amendment due to his advanced dementia. His VP - Kamala Harris, hand-picked by Obama - will assume office. Her first term will be Obama's third, she will take all direction from him (and Jarrett, of course, the Assistant President). This way Obama will build upon the current turmoil to complete his (and Bill Ayers, his mentor) "fundamental transformation" of America into a totalitarian socialist state. People who vote for the D ticket will be the perfect examples of Lenin's "useful idiots."
Why doesn't he DO something?!
Well, because he's suffering from dementia, and isn't actually capable of doing anything.
Any other questions I can help you with?
I’m afraid MountainMan could be pretty close to hitting the bullseye here at 6:18 with his comment. There’s probably a key role for Susan Rice to play, as well (State?). And Rahm Emanuel will be in line to serve as Chief of Staff again. I’ll not be surprised to see Janet Napolitano somewhere in the Cabinet (he could do a lot worse, if she’s “reliable" — just don’t know --- as she might be a little too strong-willed). Notably, Napolitano has resigned from her gig at U of California, effective soon enough. Then, we’ll see Paul Krugman trying to “advise” on the economic front and the "other Emmanuel" stepping in as some kind of health care czar to rescue Obamacare. Al Gore for the environment. Bernie Sanders gets to pick someone to his liking as well. I’m in the process of selling my urban home before the crash hits; back to renting an apartment.
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