Althouse: "You're Joe Biden. Suppose your goals are to a) get reelected, b) in the process let in as many migrants as you can, because you..."

December 27, 2023

"You're Joe Biden. Suppose your goals are to a) get reelected, b) in the process let in as many migrants as you can, because you..."

"... and many of your supporters think it's a good thing. You've made impressive progress on (b), letting in migrants at a rate that’s now at least around 2 million a year,. But now goal (b) is conflicting with (a) as the massive surge of illegals at the border has become a 'sucking wound' on your 2024 chances. What to do?"

Writes Mickey Kaus, in "Biden's Border 'Briar Patch'/'Please, please, don't fix my most serious political problem for me!'" (Substack).

75 comments:

wendybar said...: Letting illegals in to rob citizens blind...just like Government employees. Vermin. Leeches. Slugs.; 12/27/23, 6:41 AM
gilbar said...: WHY would you think that's a "good thing"?
as many migrants as you can.. But NOT ones with skills or culture or morals?

Maybe i'm wrong; Maybe the current crop of migrants HAVE the skills culture and morals they're looking for?
(drug dealing gangbanging gang raping)

And how does THAT fit into their goal of being reelected?; 12/27/23, 6:47 AM
gilbar said...: Are migrants more (or less) likely to

be on welfare?
commit crimes?
be unemployed?
be unemployable?; 12/27/23, 6:49 AM
Dave Begley said...: One mistake in that analysis: Dems cheat at the polls.

The Dems have their fake ballot printing operation and the mail-in voting scheme. They’ll get millions of votes from illegal aliens.

The fact that the Dems have perfected election stealing is the main threat to our democracy.

Zuck spent $500m on the last election. What are the Dems planning for 2024?

Too bad the Press isn’t doing its job.; 12/27/23, 6:49 AM
rehajm said...: Not to derail but I find it odd people believe Biden is capable of pondering policy goals. The people running things have an agenda worth contemplating however. Why would the people running the country want to destabilize the united states and allow so many unvetted people into the country illegally without considering adjusting immigration policy? Now that’s a question worth pondering…

…though I’ll stab at Kaus-es point: we’re in a post election United States and the people running things do not concern themselves with issues like electoral optics; 12/27/23, 7:01 AM
Leland said...: I'm enjoying the blue city mayors complaining about bus loads while being annoyed that each bus represents about 30 minutes of crossings each day.; 12/27/23, 7:02 AM
rehajm said...: …I mean you fudge some numbers and have your people write shiny think pieces do distract from all the unsavory…it still seems to be working.; 12/27/23, 7:02 AM
tim maguire said...: Processing those 2 millions, feeding, housing, guarding them during the process, bussing and flying them around the country. This costs money. I find it odd that not even those opposed to our open borders have done the math to let people know how much it is costing us.; 12/27/23, 7:17 AM
Ann Althouse said...: I strongly recommend reading the article at the link. I just quoted K's question. He answers it in detail and very cleverly.; 12/27/23, 7:17 AM
Temujin said...: We're literally being invaded, to the tune of 10 million that we can count, just since Joe Biden came into office. He has another year to continue this, at least. At the same time he refuses to defend our own borders and allow a wide open invasion and drug infestation, killing thousands of Americans, he has sent our military out to the Middle East and tied their hands, making them sitting ducks while medieval death cultists send drones and rockets on them in Syria, Iraq, and the Red Sea.

This is the man and his team who oversaw the butchery that was our pull-out of Afghanistan. (PS- there are still allies and Americans stuck in Taliban land).

Biden is literally working to unwind America. Show me how I'm wrong. And tell me how long we all get to just sit here and watch it?; 12/27/23, 7:19 AM
michaele said...: Mickey Kaus was one of the first opinion writers I read who raised alarms about illegal immigration. It was back during the Obama years and the Gang of 8 proposals. He didn't trust the deal. He would bring up what the Dems did to the Reagan deal so many years earlier in legalizing illegals and NOT securing the border. He sounds analytical but resigned in this substack piece.; 12/27/23, 7:28 AM
Mike of Snoqualmie said...: Joe Biden's job is to decivilize America so the Progressives, aka Neobarbarians, can take over. So far, he's doing a bang-up job. Not only is he flooding the USA with illegal aliens, he's siccing his FBI and DOJ on the enemies of the regime, including his likely opponent for 2024 race.; 12/27/23, 7:35 AM
Dave Begley said...: Kaus missed my point. Big mistake.; 12/27/23, 7:38 AM
PM said...: Sure, border security may stem the flow of illegals but it'll also disrupt our fentanyl delivery system.; 12/27/23, 7:42 AM
Gusty Winds said...: The goal is to turn these migrants into Democrat votes. Everyone knows that.

It's funny how this has stressed and pissed off the Democrat sanctuary cities. NYC and Chicago are screaming...too stupid to admit they voted for this. Madison, WI would do the same as Martha's Vineyard if migrants started showing up from Texas. They would just ship them north to Wausau.

Last week the Elmhurst, IL (west suburb of Chicago, once DuPage County red, now female blue) police reported on FB that two busloads of migrants were dropped off at the Elmhurst Metra Station. A "leader" bought them all train tickets, and they took the Metra to Chicago. Around eighty in total. Elmhurst, now an 'all are welcome here' rich white community was appalled.

Liberal hypocrisy and stupidity are going to be our ultimate downfall.; 12/27/23, 7:45 AM
Rich said...: There is nothing wrong with immigration. It’s the ‘uncontrolled’ part which is the issue. We don't need more "security" we need to reform the Asylum laws that are being abused. As it is, most people voluntarily turn themselves in and claim asylum; they are given a court date years away and then released into the US. Something like. making Title 42 permanent or requiring asylum applications be taken only at US embassies would be a good start.

In the meantime, keep shipping them to NY, Chicago, etc. where they can have sanctuary.; 12/27/23, 7:45 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Kaus is correct that nothing will be done that stops the flow of illegal immigrants, not least because there are (perhaps) 10 people in Washington who actually care about the issue. Republican posers will be joined, temporarily, by a few Democrat posers. A re-elected Biden will double down on the open border, and by the end of Biden's second term we will have imported around 30 million. Then what?; 12/27/23, 7:47 AM
Jersey Fled said...: And all Joe had to do was leave in place the policies that Tump had worked to implement. .

But of course, he couldn’t do that.

“Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F things up”; 12/27/23, 7:47 AM
Yancey Ward said...: This is what you do when you fully understand that voting doesn't matter any longer. Now, this isn't Biden deciding anything- the man doesn't even know when he has taken a shit- this is the policy of whoever is running things behind the curtains. The Democrats see these illegal immigrants as customers and solid votes to turn as many states as possible blue. With mail-in-voting, the Democrats have solved the Presidency problem, but it isn't as effective at winning the House or the Senate.

The 2022 election was a landmark election- it shows that mail-in-voting has put the upper limit for the Republicans in the House at around 225 (you need 218 for control), and the upper limit in the Senate is now 50. Both of those numbers will continue to fall- by the 2032 election, the Republicans literally won't be able win control of any of the 3 branches of government. The entire country will become California.; 12/27/23, 7:49 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: 10-15 million are the higher estimates....

Ignored by the hack D NBC PBS fraud press.

Laws a a joke with the collective corrupt left.; 12/27/23, 7:51 AM
rehajm said...: Okay I will follow Ann’s recommendation and peer through the gray in the paywall, suppressing the gag reflex of the framing of the self-inflicted humanitarian crisis within the context of Washington X’s and O’s…; 12/27/23, 8:00 AM
Dave Begley said...: One of our biggest issues is election cheating. Trump has said nothing on it; as far as I can tell.

Vivek has a plan:

1. Election Day is a federal holiday.
2. In-person voting.
3. Paper ballots.
4. Gov't ID to vote.

Simple, but effective.

This is one of the many reasons why I back Vivek.

And, of course, Ronna McDaniel must be fired. She did nothing about election security in 2020.; 12/27/23, 8:06 AM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: Obama’s clueless foreign policy left behind the chaos we face today; 12/27/23, 8:10 AM
stlcdr said...: It's all about getting elected.

'Do the right thing' is now just an old-timey phrase.

I'd like to see a bill which states that all bills must address the one thing it is stated to address: no riders, tit-for-tat, quid-pro-quo additions; no carve-outs for special groups.; 12/27/23, 8:34 AM
MadisonMan said...: As if the Border Problem is Biden's chief problem. LOL.
It's the Economy, Stupid. I mean, It's the Economy Mickey Kaus.
It's Biden's* Afghanistan.
It's Biden's* enthusiastic embrace of DEI initiatives in the Government.
It's Biden's decrepitude age-wise.
*I know, I know, likely not Biden, just someone who pulls Biden's strings.

Sure, getting Republicans to help with the Border is helpful. I rather doubt the wounds of this will heal in a year however. Many Democratic Cities are hemorrhaging money and that won't magically stop.; 12/27/23, 8:41 AM
Stick said...: Sacrifice Biden for Obama's goal, the destruction of the colonialist empire of Amerika.
It's the goal of all Marxists: Green, BLM, & Trans.; 12/27/23, 8:47 AM
Old and slow said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/27/23, 8:48 AM
Stick said...: p.s. the democrats want more voters & GOPe wants cheap labor for the Chamber of Commerce. No one up there want's a secure border.; 12/27/23, 8:49 AM
Dave Begley said...: Get this. Posted on X. Illegal aliens steal a car in Iowa and get arrested in small Nebraska county. Held in jail. Person is mad that the county has to pay for jailing these illegal aliens.

This must be happening all over America.; 12/27/23, 8:50 AM
Dogma and Pony Show said...: The asylum system is a farce. These masses of people aren't escaping political or social persecution. It's just an excuse to get them into the country. The whole system is an abuse of our humanitarian impulses. It's corrosive to our society to have essentially a fake border and a system of pretend laws on who gets to be here and who does not.

If we're going to continue offering asylum, applicants should be required to apply for it OUTSIDE the U.S., in their home countries, unless that country happens to be one where there's no internet access (NK?). Otherwise, if a potential asylee can get out of his home country, he can apply from wherever he has escaped to that has internet. If the people we're seeing at the southern border are sending selfies of themselves back to their home countries, clearly they have the means to have applied for asylum from there as well.; 12/27/23, 9:03 AM
hombre said...: Whichever rationale one uses to explain the invasion and its enormous cost, i.e., Democrat votes, cheap labor, humanitarian needs, etc., it is clear that there is no benefit to the overwhelming majority of Americans.

Like every other inexplicable government expenditure the best rule is "follow the money." Maybe it's about cheap labor. More likely it's about hundreds of millions paid to NGOs to "care" for the immigrants, billions to cartels for transit and drugs, the introduction of thousands of military age young men from America's enemies and the grifting, kickbacks and payoffs available to politicians and other facilitators from the activities.

Doe anybody actually believe, for example, that the Biden Crime Family would balk at payoffs from China to allow her agents border access to the US? Would the DNC, or the RNC for that matter, turn down dark money from cartel affiliates?; 12/27/23, 9:05 AM
Old and slow said...: Okay, I took Althouse's suggestion and went and read the actual article. I agree with much of his analysis of the Dem's thinking, with the proviso, of course, that none of this is "Biden" policy. He's just along for the ride. What he doesn't do is address the reason for goal B, import as many third world foreigners as quickly as possible. The question of why this is a desirable goal seems like the most interesting issue.

It's not just the United States, this is happening all over Europe as well, and the people are not happy about it. Still, the government doesn't care. They keep welcoming "asylum seekers" and so-called refugees. The people who rule us (these are not our representatives) want to eliminate borders and level out the rich and poor countries. They would far rather rule over a massive population of moderately poor people than have independent rich nations and poor backward countries. They will still be on top, the whole pile of wealth they get to suck on will be larger though. The people of the once prosperous west are being sold out on a monumental scale, and it is probably too late to do anything about it. Barry is a tool of the people in charge, but yes, this is what fundamental transformation looks like.

As others have pointed out, these millions of migrants also dilute the pool of voters and make cheating easier. This applies especially in the USA, because most of Europe have more rigorous voting security. Imagine that.; 12/27/23, 9:12 AM
n.n said...: Send them to Martha's Vineyard, where they will be promptly deported.

That said, civil rights matter, build a wall, and pursue emigration reform where it matters. Oh, and #HateLovesAbortion for our Posterity and a viable future.; 12/27/23, 9:37 AM
Ice Nine said...: For the love of god, stop calling them "migrants". They are emigrants/immigrants...illegal ones, to be specific. And there is a big difference.; 12/27/23, 9:57 AM
Big Mike said...: Mickey has lost his touch. Enough water has passed under the bridge that Biden will get little credit (so little that he’d be getting into the realm of mathematicians’ epsilon-delta proofs) among moderate Democrats, independents, or Republicans for any resolution of the immigration issue.; 12/27/23, 9:57 AM
tim in vermont said...: It's funny that Biden would rather lose the war in Ukraine than stop the flow of migrants. That's a pretty interesting tell on his thinking. He could have had his $60 billion, now Ukraine is getting crushed. Maybe he figured that Ukraine was a lost cause, and changing the demographics of the US is still highly possible.; 12/27/23, 10:02 AM
Birches said...: Kaus is right. Biden's people are terrible at execution so I think they've waited too long, but who knows.; 12/27/23, 10:06 AM
tim in vermont said...: It's kind of interesting to that the rights of asylum seekers are so sacrosanct here, apparently, that we are willing to overlook the fact that these migrants are overwhelmingly economic "refugees" and presumably, out of millions, there are a small number of actual asylum seekers with a legitimate case, but in Europe, we are supporting sending those who fled Ukraine out of a genuine fear of being sent to die in a war they don't believe in, back home to be trundled off to the front, even though decades of international law has said that this is verboten.

It's almost as if the "rules based order" is nothing but Calvinball.; 12/27/23, 10:06 AM
rcocean said...: Kaus is an American giant. A great column.; 12/27/23, 10:16 AM
Che Dolf said...: Dave Begley said... Kaus missed my point [that Democrats cheat at the polls]. Big mistake.

Kaus doesn't miss the point, he rejects it. He wrote a few shallow, handwaving posts about this after the 2020 election, and has barely mentioned the issue since then.

I understand leftist ideologues who insist Biden won fair and square. They will say anything to defend their team.

Kaus is a more interesting case. Like a lot of centrist and "conservative" Boomers, he just finds Trump repulsive, and he doesn't want to think about him. This kills any curiousity he might otherwise feel about what appears to be suggestive evidence of 2020 election fraud.; 12/27/23, 10:28 AM
robother said...: I suspect that Kaus is right about the thinking inside Biden White House, and that a bipartisan deal on Ukraine and Israel aid with significant border measures that may have some effect on deterring mass immigration over the next 9 months will happen in January. To great media fanfare, of course.

Whether the eponymous Kaus Effect (i.e., the speeding up of the news cycle due to internet memes) will erase the issue from swing voters minds in November is the key question. He could be right, but the continued flow of illegals into Democrat sanctuary cities may override all that with the Black Democrat base, who are coming to see themselves being victims of the Great Replacement. As with the economy, the media/DNC spin doesn't work against lived experience.; 12/27/23, 10:29 AM
Che Dolf said...: michaele said... Mickey Kaus was one of the first opinion writers I read who raised alarms about illegal immigration.

Lots of people addressed the problem of illegal immigration long before Kaus.

What sets him apart is that he's one of the first writers to focus on problems caused by post-1965 legal immigration.; 12/27/23, 10:38 AM
Michael said...: Indeed they are illegals not migrants. Normal are not keen on law breakers especially when the lawbreakers are encouraged.; 12/27/23, 10:41 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Blogger Yancey Ward said...
This is what you do when you fully understand that voting doesn't matter any longer.

You're right. The Biden administration has operated without any accountability to anyone. Especially when it comes to the open southern border and importing future Democrat/Communist votes. Even Democrat cities like Chicago and NYC are getting screwed.

They are obviously not worried about the votes. Didn't we learn that in 2020?; 12/27/23, 10:44 AM
Gusty Winds said...: Rich said...
There is nothing wrong with immigration. It’s the ‘uncontrolled’ part which is the issue. We don't need more "security" we need to reform the Asylum laws that are being abused.

Asking for controlled immigration is racist Rich. You should know that. Welcome to the club my dude.

Rich also said...
In the meantime, keep shipping them to NY, Chicago, etc. where they can have sanctuary

Yeah sure. Great idea. But something tells me you don't live in Chicago or NYC. You should speak to your local city council wherever you are and make your town a sanctuary city. Take in 10K or 20K. It'll make you feel morally superior while still being pissed off.; 12/27/23, 10:48 AM
David53 said...: I still can’t get over the fact Biden has air marshals on the border handing out water bottles. Maybe we don’t need air marshals anymore.; 12/27/23, 10:52 AM
Christopher B said...: Kaus's answers were clever only in style. The substance of the answers could have been written anytime since Reagan got snookered into authorizing an amnesty for illegal immigrants.; 12/27/23, 10:55 AM
Hubert the Infant said...: I am sick of hearing that "America is a land of immigrants." In reality, America has been a land of assimilated immigrants. That has been what has made our country unique. Of course, to appreciate this, you have to believe that there is something special about being American other than mere physical presence. It seems clear that many Democrats -- especially Progressives and, most especially, young ones -- believe that the United States is innately evil. That makes assimilation bad. So, America has been turned into a land of unassimilated immigrants, just like France, Germany, Sweden, etc. Unlike them, however, there still is a chance to save our country.; 12/27/23, 11:14 AM
Breezy said...: Is Joe getting kickbacks from the NGOs who are driving this invasion? Maybe not directly, but it’s certainly plausible, given his influence peddling background. The fact that he never talks about it is, well, interesting, to say the least.; 12/27/23, 11:15 AM
Darkisland said...: Blogger Dave Begley said...

1. Election Day is a federal holiday.
2. In-person voting.
3. Paper ballots.
4. Gov't ID to vote.

Amen, David, Amen.

Kind of the way us Puerto Ricans have been doing it for 70 years now. When I told my brother in law a joke about my father being a republican until he died but a democrat ever since, I had to explain it to him. It makes no sense to anyone who has taken part only in PR elections. It is so impossible to cheat here that we don't even have jokes about it.

I would add a couple of things. Govt ID card but it has to be for voting only to reduce the incentive for counterfeiting. Needs to be as secure technology as a drivers license, at least. Can't be used for any non-electoral purposes.

Check fingers for ink going into the polling place, dip the finger in ink, check it again coming out. Ink should be a proprietary, secret, wavelength that flouresces only under special US light.; 12/27/23, 11:30 AM
Darkisland said...: We have Very, Very, limited access to absentee ballots in PR and no early voting before election day. (Some early voting on election day for police, poll workers and others that can't vote in the 4 hours that the polls are open.

But in their infinite wisdom, our legislature decided that absentee ballots and early voting would be a good idea. In 24 we will have a lot of both.

I also predict that we will have a lot of:

1) Actual cheating
2) Allegations, founded or not, of cheating
3) Delayed results (normally we know uncertified results by 7PM or so. Certification takes a week or two but pretty much never changes the election night results)
4) Shenanigans. I don't know what but I do know our pols and I guarantee they will get up to some.

When the law was passed, I was going to cut my electoral card in half and renounce my registration. I will not participate in this kind of untrustworthy election. My wife convinced me not to "It might not be as bad as you think". OTOH, I think it might be worse. If it is as I expect, this will be my last vote.

BTW: Here is a link to a picture of a PR Electoral card. I know a bit about counterfeiting and it is very secure. It is valid as long as you live at the same address. Mine is 10-15 years old. Replaced when they upgraded the cards.

https://noticiasmicrojuris.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/elecc.jpg

The back has voter info encrypted in 2D barcodes

It is illegal to use it for cashing a check, boarding a plane or any other non-electoral purpose.

John Henry; 12/27/23, 11:45 AM
Dude1394 said...: We really should sharply curtail immigration, probably for at least 30 years or so. Some serious assimilation is needed, because right now the democrats haves effectively balkanized this country.; 12/27/23, 11:45 AM
Darkisland said...: Ice Nine,

Yes, they are emigrants (from home country)/immigrants (to US).

But the correct legal term for them is "aliens". Any non-citizen present in the US, legally or not, is classified under the law as an "alien"

We need to be calling these people that. They are, when then cross the border, "illegal aliens"

John Henry; 12/27/23, 11:49 AM
BUMBLE BEE said...: The price will be paid...

https://www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/2023/12/27/leprosy_polio_malaria_tb_measles__and_massive_unscreened_illegal_immigration_1000817.html

By You; 12/27/23, 11:59 AM
Original Mike said...: With respect to Kaus, what he lays out is obvious.; 12/27/23, 12:03 PM
walter said...: Promises made. Promises kept.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYwLYMPLYbo; 12/27/23, 12:33 PM
Joe Smith said...: "Many supporters think it's a good thing."

Why?

Please tell us why this they believe this.

It's like people (the Air Force today) telling us that diversity is vital to our national security.

Does Japan have a diverse Air Force? China? Iceland? India?; 12/27/23, 12:35 PM
Iman said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 12/27/23, 12:38 PM
Iman said...: “Kaus is right. Biden's people are terrible at execution…”

I’d like to see that contention tested: would they scream and beg for mercy OR meekly accept their well-deserved fate?; 12/27/23, 12:45 PM
Skeptical Voter said...: Yup--there is a price to be paid for this great sucking wound on the border. And Middle Class America will get to pay it.; 12/27/23, 12:49 PM
walter said...: https://cis.org/Report; 12/27/23, 1:16 PM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: In California I have to give a thumb print just to get a drivers license, but poll workers are prohibited by law for asking to see it. Just having to show ID would improve the system immensely (especially as extended to mail-in ballots, one allowed per ID#.); 12/27/23, 2:45 PM
Ampersand said...: Mickey Kaus's explanation has only one flaw: it imputes to Biden a degree of subtle foresight that I find unbelievable.; 12/27/23, 3:01 PM
Ralph L said...: Republicans shouldn't compromise with "Biden." The mass of voters need it gooder and harder to wise up.

Every Republican candidate for national office should start promising mass deportations, the only thing that will stop the flow, but I can't think of any that can credibly do so.; 12/27/23, 3:26 PM
retail lawyer said...: Where do you think Biden will put the Palestinians?; 12/27/23, 5:16 PM
Howard said...: Biden is toast already. It's Trump or Nikki, depending on if Don is in Leavenworth; 12/27/23, 8:04 PM
Old and slow said...: If it is Nikki, I'll just stay home in disgust.; 12/27/23, 9:28 PM
Bunkypotatohead said...: While the politicians shadowbox the power ring
In an endless split decision never solve anything; 12/27/23, 10:38 PM
WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...: NBC going all in for Crook Biden.

NBC thrilled with millions of illegal entrants abusing our asylum system.; 12/28/23, 8:37 AM
dreams said...: When it comes to politics, the Dems are the professionals, the Republicans are the amateurs. Politics is a life long profession for the Dems whereas most Republicans get into politics after having accomplished something in their lives.; 12/28/23, 9:11 AM
mikee said...: An amusing take, except that Joe Biden has dementia and is not running his administration, it is running him, until he can no longer walk or talk well enough to suffice as a placeholder.; 12/28/23, 9:47 AM
gilbar said...: i'd rather have another 4 years of slow joe, than nikki.
joe is corrupt to the bone.. nikki is Evil, incarnate; 12/28/23, 10:03 AM
gilbar said...: of course, nikki has No intention of EVER being President..
If you watch her commercials (here in iowa, you have NO CHOICE), they are about ONE THING:
republicans (ALL republicans) are TERRIBLE!
she's got a commercial running down Trump, one running down De Santis, NONE running down Biden.
She is a shill for fascist america.. That is ALL she is (which down't change the fact she is Evil).; 12/28/23, 10:08 AM
Rusty said...: Howard said...
"Biden is toast already. It's Trump or Nikki, depending on if Don is in Leavenworth"
Biden will beat him there. And you'll vote for him again.; 12/28/23, 10:16 AM
Old and slow said...: Blogger dreams said...
"When it comes to politics, the Dems are the professionals, the Republicans are the amateurs"

Oh for fuck's sake, take a closer look! We do not have an adversarial political system, we have a fucking oligarchy. Trump is a fucking asshole who is good at some things. Navigating the politics of DC is not one of his skills. Vote any way you like, nothing will change because they are ALL on the same fucking side. We are like late stage Soviet decline, we just don't know it yet.; 12/28/23, 8:34 PM