November 29, 2021

"But what Biden knows, after three-plus decades of being politically left for dead, is that nothing’s over just because a bunch of unnamed staffers who spend too much time reading polls say it’s over."

"He knows from experience that the more monolithic and reflexive the popular wisdom, the more likely it will be proved wrong. Does Biden run again? Personally, I’ve always thought he was most likely a one-term, stabilizing president, and I don’t really believe he has made up his mind to seek another term. But it’s early yet, and I’m pretty sure Biden won’t be spooked into accepting everybody else’s idea of political reality."

From "Panicked Democrats are ready to shove Biden aside. Again" by Matt Bai (WaPo).

65 comments:

chuck said...

Wise old man shouts at clouds.

rcocean said...

Biden is a one term POTUS, so who cares if has High approval ratings or low ones? He stole the election, and he'll have Zero coattails in 2022. Politically, he's a complete zero. Fortunately, for him almost all the DC Democrats are mindless robots who will do anything Schumer and Pelosi want, and the DOJ/FBI/etc. are all filled with liberal/left Democrats.

And the worthless DC Republicans couldn't beat Biden even if had 1% approval, assuming they could muster the Energy, and wanted to, which they don't. Go ask Mitt Romney, Sasse, or Chicom Mitch or the RINO sisters.

Rabel said...

Omnicron. He called the new variant Omnicron twice while reading it on the teleprompter.

Chairman ξ approves.

Original Mike said...

"Panicked Democrats are ready to shove Biden aside. Again" by Matt Bai (WaPo)."

Just once I'd like to see journalists talk about policy performance and what's good for the country rather than polls and what's good for democrats.

tommyesq said...

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?

Bilwick said...

Sure, you never know. Dementia could become popular.

Crimso said...

"I’ve always thought he was most likely a one-term, stabilizing president"

Yeah, he sure has stabilized the hell out of things. Anybody who thought of Biden in those terms (even before the election, much less since) has earned having their opinions dismissed out of hand.

Dagwood said...

Written by your typical WaPo staffer who has just enough sense to realize that, as pathetic as Biden has been so far, there's no one else among current democrats with a chance in hell of attracting middle of the road voters. Or courting/fooling most of those who now regret having voted for Joe.

Richard Dolan said...

"Does Biden run again?"

I suppose they need something to write about and so you get stuff like this. Perhaps those imagining that Biden could possibly run again (not that there was all that much 'running' during the last go-around) expect that he's going to improve as he ages even more. To suggest that Biden's ability to 'run again' turns on polls, rather than the sad reality of the man staring everyone in the face, is itself a measure of the desperation in play.

cubanbob said...

Biden's record so far is nothing to positive to campaign on. But, two years in politics is a lifetime so who knows.

zipity said...


Now that's funny. They are assuming Joe is coherent enough to know what is going on.

Brilliant. Now get him a pudding cup. He's late for his noon nappy.

Critter said...

Biden a “stabilizing” president? America is more divided than ever. Chaos on the border. Breakdown of supply chains. Oil prices through the roof. Government spending bankrupting our children and grandchildren. Putting terrorists in charge or Afghanistan and arming them and providing foreign aid, all while cutting and running with Americans left behind. Failed strategy on COVID. Dictatorial executive orders batted down constantly by the courts. Politicized DOJ and FBI treating parents as terrorists for voicing concerns over the education of their children. Doing the bidding of China on every major decision. Russia too. Trying to put the Mad Mullahs of Iran in charge of the Mideast with nukes. Shrinking from defending America’s interests viz. Yemen, Hamas. Offending our Allies and causing them to rethink our alliances. Moving the world closer to a kinetic war in Ukraine, Taiwan, North Korea. Massive inflation taxing Americans that can least afford it. American people want Biden gone according to polls.

Other than that, the Brandon regime has been highly stabilizing.

Dave Begley said...

Good grief. Has Matt Bai been to the grocery store lately? Or gassed up his car?

Biden has failed on every metric possible and the polls reflect that. And, of course, his feeble mind is even worse than it was two or three years ago.

The WH staffers see every day that Biden isn't capable.

And in case Matt Bai forgot, more people have died with covid under Biden than under Trump. And Joe promised to fix that. He also promised to cure cancer when he was VP. Joe Biden is a fucking incompetent liar and is corrupt as hell.

MartyH said...

The article credits Biden with more self awareness than he has shown elsewhere. For example, he suspends new oil drilling on Federal land. He then wants oil producers investigated for price gouging when his policy restricts supply at a time of increasing demand.

gilbar said...

there's Two Things Biden deciding not to (or to) run again
there other thing is Biden being a one term President.

In order to Not be a one term President he has to do MORE than RUN AGAIN; He has to win again
In order to win again; Either HR1 has to get enacted, or Covid voting needs to continue
NEITHER seem likely at this time.
IF 2024 has voting rules like 2016 instead of like 2020.... Goodbye Democrats
If 2024 has voting rules like 2020.... Democrats will never lose again

JaimeRoberto said...

Biden also knows it wasn't over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.

Achilles said...

It all comes down to how many mail in ballots they are allowed to manufacture.

Everyone knew Biden was a corrupt incompetent tool who sold out to China years ago.

Biden lost the 2020 election on November 3rd by historic margins. He "won" in the days after the election.

Nobody is fooled by this.

And the tipping point is near at hand. Things like this move very slowly then they move fast.

n.n said...

He's not viable? Planned Presidenthood in the woke (sic) of a multitrimester progression of planned parent/hood. Their Choice. Karmic irony.

mikee said...

Biden and "stabilizing" used in the same paragraph is obscene. Together in the same sentence, such usage makes me question what reality this author inhabits. Used as a descriptor of Biden, I am convinced beyond any doubt the author is pulling readers' collective leg and is not, can not, never will, be serious at all.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

Joe's brain dead. A senile moron. On the take from the Chinese Communist Party. He's never met a bribe he wouldn't take and then come back for more. He certainly seems to be an "honest politician" : a politician who takes a bribe and remains on the take from the briber.

TreeJoe said...

Is this a joke?

I get it, we elected Obama - a do-nothing Senator who gives a decent speech - and then Trump, an insane-ranting businessman with some pretty solid policy making skills both foreign and domestic. Got it. I understand how Biden was elected.

In any sort of sane political world, a guy who has to hide his few big accomplishments after 5 decades in public service would be shunned. A guy who exited a presidential race for plagiarism previously and with a long history of lying and plagiazing again since then would be shunned. A guy who was VP for 8 years and NO ONE WANTED WHEN HE FINISHED HIS TERM would be shunned. A guy who, as President, is presiding over policies that have yielded enormous inflation and supply chain issues, who has not actually driven any better results with COVID, who has a disaster of a VP and cabinet, who has supported a Justice dept that went after parents at school board meetings....

...who is going to be ~82-83 during the next election cycle...

That guy would be shunned from running for president again.

But this is about power and image, not about actual leadership. So it's all good.

Skeptical Voter said...

It is conceivable (although just barely) that any Democrat challengers to Shufflin Senescent Joe in 2024 will be so far to the left that Dems will panic again and throw a hail mary with this brain dead old husk.

mikee said...

Joe Biden ain't no Bluto.

BLUTO: What? "Over"?
Did you say "over"?
Nothing's over until we decide it is!
Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?
Hell, no!

OTTER: -Germans?

BOON: -Forget it, he's rolling.

BLUTO: And it ain't over now.
'Cause when the going gets tough...
(Patriotic instrumental music)
the tough get going! Who's with me?
Let's go! Come on!
(Bluto screaming)
(Tense instrumental music)

BLUTO: What the f**k happened to the Delta I used to know?
Where's the spirit?
Where's the guts?
This could be the greatest night of our lives...
but you're gonna let it be the worst.
"We're afraid to go with you, Bluto.
We might get in trouble."
(Shouting) Just kiss my ass from now on.
Not me! l won't take this!
Wormer is a dead man!

Skeptical Voter said...

It is conceivable (although just barely) that any Democrat challengers to Shufflin Senescent Joe in 2024 will be so far to the left that Dems will panic again and throw a hail mary with this brain dead old husk.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

everything is so freaking STABLE right now.

Unlike life when Orange Man Bad was prez.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

CNN and pfizer are working on a cure for Biden's brain-death. Facebook meta robot inserted under Biden's skin. Like a bug.

Sebastian said...

"He knows from experience that the more monolithic and reflexive the popular wisdom, the more likely it will be proved wrong."

How do we know he "knows" that? For that matter, how does anyone know that the more "reflexive" any wisdom, the more likely it is to be proved wrong?

"I’ve always thought he was most likely a one-term, stabilizing president"

Stabilizing? Huh? As in, lurching to the left to lock in progressive policies and priorities for years to come?

Koot Katmandu said...

I doubt he will run again. I also think they are pushing Harris out and will try and get Michell O to run for POTUS.

Leland said...

I’m pretty sure Biden won’t be spooked into accepting everybody else’s idea of political reality.

Dementia presented as a good thing.

mutecypher said...

What Biden has learned over 12 decades is the political equivalent of "I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you."

He just needs to have a pulse and not be the stinkiest sock in the drawer.

Kevin said...

List of things Joe has "stabilized":

-- Afghanistan
-- Illegal border crossings
-- The budget deficit
-- The rate of inflation
-- Trust in the electoral process
-- The crime rate
-- Putin's ambitions in the Ukraine
-- Xi's ambitions in Taiwan
-- Rate of Covid deaths (Non-Florida Division)
-- The Iranian nuclear fuel enrichment rate
-- His own approval rating

Kevin said...

You'd never know it, but the Dems have until Friday to keep the government from shutting down.

That's how "stable" things are right now.

Michael K said...

Biden and reality have never met, not even when he was not senile.

Temujin said...

This is a senseless article and I cannot believe a breathing adult is trying to make this argument. People who write for the major media corporations are no longer journalists. They are nothing but trolls.

Not even worth commenting on. But I will.

Joe Biden as a 'stabilizing' President? If filling your cabinet with communists is a stable move, then yes- he's getting there. If offering up money and the space to develop more nuclear arms to Iran is stabilizing, then yes. If walking away, hat in hand, when the Communist Chinese insult and threaten you at the 'negotiation' table is stabilizing, then yes. I suppose it is for the Chinese. If paying your labor force to stay home and not work, then threatening to fire those who do show up for not either wearing a mask or getting a vaccine, then yes- he's quite stabilizing. Cutting out our energy production then begging OPEC and Putin for more oil is very stabilizing. For Putin. Watching as Putin masses 100,000 troops outside of Ukraine and answering by promoting Rachel Levine as the first 4-star woman admiral is immensely stabilizing. Looking to spend 900 Quadrillion dollars that we don't have to promote taking over cradle to grave 'care' (read: oversight) for everyone, while our current debt is over $28 TRILLION is certainly stabilizing. Government does such a good job at everything else, why not just turn our entire lives over to their care?

Joe is stablizing in the sense that eliminating the Archduke Ferdinand was stabilizing.

Joe Smith said...

'Personally, I’ve always thought he was most likely a one-term, stabilizing president...'

This idiot gets paid to write?

He is demonstrably too dumb to breathe without a prompt if he thinks Joe is 'stabilizing.'

MadisonMan said...

Has Matt Bai been to the grocery store lately?
Ive been surprised that milk has been almost bought out the last couple times I've been to Sentry. And it wasn't on sale either.
I did score a deal on pork yesterday, but it's Turkey Season, so that's to be expected.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

I happened to see some of the Morning Show on CBS yesterday, they had a brief segment on inflation. They really do think their viewers are idiots.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXf84WBWrzc

Probably because they are.

Unknown said...

Everyone's chatting about whether Biden runs again in 2022.

How about the elephant in the room? Does he even finish his first term?

wendybar said...

Stablilizing??? Seriously?? These fools are really deranged. What universe are they living in??

Big Mike said...

Just once I'd like to see journalists talk about policy performance and what's good for the country rather than polls and what's good for democrats.

Fully agree!

Ceciliahere said...

STABILIZING???

doctrev said...

The "Biden" regime headed by Ron Klain, Merrick Garland, and Anthony Blinken (paid for by Michael Bloomberg) can best be understood as people frantically trying to destroy America before they're turfed out of office. IF they expected to last until 2024, I'd consider their success possible.

As it is... they're likely to be dragged into the streets and skinned alive once the midterms come around, and maybe before then.

PM said...

It'll be Gavin "whether you like it or not".

Michael K said...

The only thing that could save him is another election steal via the "Omicron" virus and another panic ----> 100% mail-in ballots. I doubt the public will buy into this plan but it worked last time.

Greg The Class Traitor said...

We've been watching Joe Biden pretty steadily deteriorate for the last 2 years.

By 2024 he won't be able to give a "acceptance speech" at the DNC. He also won't be able to participate in any debates, even with the "moderators" propping him up.

Absent aliens visiting in the next 2 years and giving us an Alzheimers cure, there's no way Biden's running in 2024.

Heck, come 2023, when both the House and the Senate are controlled by the GOP, Biden won't even be able to stumble his way through a "State of the Union" address.

And while "deep fakes" are getting better, I can see the GOP putting together a "sample deep fake" of the Biden SotU address based on the released text, and releasing it before the "remote video Biden SotU address".

Say, 15 minutes before, when it's too late for the Dems to alter their fake Biden

Maynard said...

I do not understand why people think that Biden is screwing up as POTUS.

This is all intentional. The fact that he is approaching senility is a feature because he will be blamed later on. The Marxist party will only suffer for the next two election cycles - and not even then if we have universal mailing voting.

My name goes here. said...

Oh good god.

Biden as a movement, as a person that people really wanted to vote for died in 1988. Yeah, he can keep the grift spigots running long enough to keep getting elected in Delaware. And he made sure that all that influence he bought made him an ideal (enough) candidate for Veep. Heck the biggest part of why Biden was hosen for the VP slot was because they wanted someone that would not draw even one photon of the limelight away from the anointed one.

He has been a dead politician walking for 30 years now. They keep him around because of how they an benefit from him in a seat of power.

Chris Lopes said...

Ok I'll say it.

He's not dead, he's just sleeping!

narciso said...

yes klain is the melakon, garland who knows who he answers to, and blinken defers to rob malley (nod) and wynken (sherman)

farmgirl said...

“… most likely a one-term, stabilizing president, and I don’t really believe he has made up his mind to seek another term.”

A (un)stable genius- lol
… end of quote.

Lurker21 said...

I’m pretty sure Biden won’t be spooked into accepting everybody else’s idea of political reality.

Dementia is all about not accepting everyone else's idea of reality.

Biden was politically dead. It took Obama, Trump, Sanders, Clyburn, COVID and the media to drag his festering corpse across the finish line.

Butkus51 said...

Theyre in denial about this guy. Yeah, ok, Joe is cunning and calculating.

gpm said...

>>Omnicron. He called the new variant Omnicron twice while reading it on the teleprompter.

Reminded me of Neal Stephenson. Loved The Diamond Age, which a friend gave me to read on vacation 25 years ago, though the ending was a bit abrupt. Started Anathem but couldn't get through it after a couple hundred pages (ditto w/Atlas Shrugged, FWIW). Haven't essayed Cryptonomicon.

--gpm

doctrev said...

One thing to add: Ruth Bader Ginsburg died in office, despite the best attempts of the left to wish her into a state of functionality, to the political advantage of Donald Trump. Yet she was obviously more lucid and less decrepit than Biden is now.

The NPCs are still stuck on the same script, as anticipated, but that will only make their tears all the sweeter.

walter said...

I wouldn't bet Joe can clear his secretions in a few years.

TRISTRAM said...

Saw a new word: Feebile - A portmanteau of feeble and senile. Usage: President Biden is acting feebile again.

Jamie said...

Anybody remember the Heinlein novella Double Start? Wherein an actor, almost entirely unknown, is hired to impersonate a politician who has been kidnapped just before an important event? Then the politician is found by his own small team, secretly, but his kidnappers have abused him to the point that he has a stroke and is almost entirely incapacitated and finally dies after a second stroke, and the actor ends up taking his place permanently. Hmm.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

When the corrupt left's corrupt media GET THEIR WAY - that's stabilizing.

Narayanan said...

TRISTRAM said...
Saw a new word: Feebile - A portmanteau of feeble and senile. Usage: President Biden is acting feebile again.
-----------
you beat me to it : was just coming over from AOSHQ - Collecting Mixed Metaphors & Accidental Words - —Buck Throckmorton

worth adding to /increase your word power/

Big Mike said...

@Jamie, it was Double Star, not “Start,”and I realize I had forgotten all about it when I saw Kevin Klein in “Dave.”

Lewis Wetzel said...

Bai is wrong. Biden was never considered "one of the brightest hopes of his generation." FYI, Bai would have been 19 years old in 1987.
The article is full of assertions that are simply tossed out there with no supporting arguments or evidence.
But what Biden knows, after three-plus decades of being politically left for dead, is that nothing’s over just because a bunch of unnamed staffers who spend too much time reading polls say it’s over. He knows from experience that the more monolithic and reflexive the popular wisdom, the more likely it will be proved wrong.
Biden supported the 1994 crime bill that was then popular, but is unpopular now. Biden voted against the 1992 gulf war that later proved to be popular, and voted for the 2003 Iraq War that later proved to be unpopular. Biden has never shown any tendency to understand that "the more monolithic and reflexive the popular wisdom, the more likely it will be proved wrong."
Look at the hackneyed way the article ends: "If there’s any one lesson of his political life, it’s that realities usually change."
Bai could have sleep-walked his way through writing this. It is really bad, a sign of the decline of progressive rhetoric.

Amadeus 48 said...

Let's face it--he is Super Joe. Elected from a podunk state (sorry, Althouse), he managed to hang around Washington for 50 years, injecting a peculiar brand of dopey viciousness into everything he touches.

It's not over yet, and it is going to get worse.

Charlie said...

Yes, because he's done such a great job so far "stabilizing" the country.

Gospace said...

Gee, the term "stabilizing" has already been mentioned and dissected- nothing more need be added. That's the one idiot thought he had that stands out from all the others in it's idiocy.

Bunkypotatohead said...

The Dems can nominate Hunter, to carry on the Biden legacy.
Dr Jill can remain in the whitehouse, to oversee the transition to a new generation of graft.