Writes Maureen Dowd, in "The Ghastly vs. the Ghostly" (NYT)(boldface added).
I don't get to use my "Julius Caesar" tag too often. I can't believe Dowd planted that in the text and then ended with "That which can’t continue, won’t."
Stein was Herbert Stein (1916-1999), an economist who had taught at the University of Virginia, served as the chairman of President Nixon's Council of Economic Advisers and was a frequent economic essayist... ...“I found a lot of people saying that Herb Stein had said this, but I found no quotation in Stein’s own words. Do you know the original source?”...
I called the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank, where Stein spent many years. If Stein had authored Stein's Law, I suspected it first appeared in... "The AEI Economist".... Stein’s Law appeared on Page One of the June 1989 issue under the headline “Problems and Not-Problems of the American Economy.” The reference was inspired by America’s trade and budget deficits, which have probably lasted longer than Stein imagined likely.
CORRECTION: I had "I can believe Dowd planted that in the text," but it was supposed to be "I can't believe Dowd planted that in the text."
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170 comments:
They are all just negotiating right now.
They have to have a plan and they have to get Jill to play along.
The next day Jill told everyone how strong Joe was and he was behind her and looked like a hostage.
If they opt for the medical emergency plan everyone has to play along except Joe.
It's been clear for some time that very, very powerful forces have decided to play for keeps in reaction to rising populism of the Tea Party and Occupy coupled with the twin shocks of 2016: Trump and Brexit.
The reason the 2020 shenanigans and the lack of a Dem primary this year is that the neoconservative foreign policy establishment and the neoliberal economic stalwarts will tolerate no challenge to their rule. The reason for their increasing manipulation of government is that trillion$ and trillion$ are on the line. They insist upon a Washington based world economic order enforced by the United States military.
All the corrupt left need is that little creepy robot squid from the Matrix to take over Biden's brain.
A decent and honorable person would force her senile husband to quit the race. But we know that's not the Bidens; especially Dr. Jill.
Jill is just driving up the price to get Joe to withdraw. $10m? $25m? $50m? $100m?
What is it worth to the Dem elites - especially the military-industrial and climate-industrial complexes - to avoid a certain defeat to Trump in November? And then eight more years with President JD Vance? We know at least $12t in capex for net zero spending until 2050. So, yeah, getting Biden to withdraw is worth billions to the Dems and their buddies.
We know the Bidens accept bribes and right now they are negotiating on price.
It's all about the bribe amount. I give you my word as a Begley.
I really think my theory needs to be discussed more in public. Have at it Althouse community. Spread the word!
And when Trump gets elected, he can have his DOJ dig into Dr. Jill's bitcoin account so the entire world can finally learn the depth of the Dems' corruption. It would kill the Dem party for generations.
As a lawyer, I'm cynical and I've dealt with con men and crooks. I have a sense of how they operate and think. But the Bidens are a whole new level of criminality.
I don't see what Melania Trump has to do with any of this. I guess "detachment" is code for "callous disregard for her husband's well-being because she's a heartless greedy bitch" unlike the saintly Dr. Jill who only has her husband's best interests at heart however misguided she may currently be in shielding him from the realities of his job as President of the United States.
I laugh at the comments about how loved Joe Biden is in the Democrat party. I don't mix with that crowd but can that possibly be true?
Idea for a deal - no jail time for Hunter if he convinces his parents to drop out.
Who's running the country?
Caesar was 66 when he got the point. No source claims he wasn't vigorous and forceful right up to the end. Brutus and the others killed him because they feared his political acumen and popularity with the Plebians, whereas the Democrats who'll try to "kill" Biden will draw their daggers to protect their own careers in power. They fear and expect a Republican landslide in November -- not just the White House but seats in Congress, governorships, state legislatures, all the way down the ticket to dogcatcher. Every landslide has survivors, and every Democrat wants to be part of the lucky few. Therefore, there will be a scramble for I Told You So creds starting more or less today until election day. Nobody will own up to helping work this miserable deception four years ago, because such a reputation will kill their careers. I'm pretty sure Madcow is weighing up her retirement options this morning. Even the deadest of deadhead MSNBC viewers are going to resent her when the political bleeding becomes a deluge.
I just finished reading a book published before the Bidens took up residence in the White House. The “good guy” found out a government agency was secretly committing terrorist acts and framing members of a mosque. It turns out the First Lady was hiding her husband’s developing dementia and plotting to take over as president, then declaring martial law. Was the author truly writing fiction or is he just as prescient as the Babylon Bee?
Ugh. Dave Begley is probably right. They wouldn’t save Hunter from jail if they can get a huge payday from the powerbrokers.
Our government budget starts at one trillion dollars, because that's what’s needed just to service the national debt. I think Herb Stein would have crapped his pants.
“Who died and left Milton Friedman in charge?” (Remember who asked that?) Turns out that’s sort of like thinking you can ignore gravity because “Who died and left Isaac Newton in charge?”
Is Joe Biden really a "beloved figure" in the Democrat Party. Or is just a part of the furniture that happened to moved into place during the last round of musical chairs? I've always presumed he was tolerated and looked upon with the same level of respect the Corelones had for Fredo. Obama's disdain, if not out right contempt, for his VP was apparent in a lot of photographs taken of them together. Of course, that may not be determinative as Obama seemed to have disdain for anything that wasn't Obama.
Beloved? No. That's not a word anybody has ever truly associated with the petty, scheming, bullying, blow hard that is Joe Biden.
Amusing in an embarrassing way. You know, the way in which people laugh at you and not with you.
Ordinarily I'd feel sorry about what his happening to Biden but he's alway been such a nasty, self-serving attention whore who was incapable of realizing his ceiling ought to have been a state senator rather than the senator of a state I find that I regard this a deserving fate. It's now obvious what he always was.
That being said, I avoided watching the "debate" because I think despite my dislike of the man I would have given in and found myself saying "Just stop this, this is cruel."
And when Trump gets elected, he can have his DOJ dig into Dr. Jill's bitcoin account so the entire world can finally learn the depth of the Dems' corruption. It would kill the Dem party for generations.
Why this insistence that they would use Bitcoin?
You obviously don’t understand blockchain. They can trace every transaction on the blockchain. That makes no sense.
Sally - agreed.
The horrid Maddow-Wintour left spent all 4 years of Trump's presidency treating Melania as a pariah . Ignoring her completely. NO magazine covers. No gushing stories. Just pure jealous leftist Wintour fem-o-hate towards Melania.
Hey, Breezy, I have a better idea. Only 10 years in jail for Hunter if he convinces his parents to drop out. He's facing up to 25 now. And he also gets to perform full allocution, with testimony in upcoming trials, for all known malfeasance, corruption, bribery, etc., performed by the Biden crime family and their associates.
Isn't it amazing how the MSM all marches in lockstep and turns on a dime when told to? Some mysterious somebody flips a switch, and instantly all the Pundits and DNC-MSM media outlets go from "MAGA is lying. Biden is fine. He's doing great, never been better" to "He cant win, he's senile, we need a new candidate. Leave office Joe."
We even have over the hill, never funny, Cat lady Dowd attacking Jill Biden for Standing by her man. Incredible.
I've been amazed the Biden hung on so long. After he won in 2020, I assumed he'd drop out in the spring of 2024, and pass the baton to Harris. But maybe they cant do that because Kam Harris hasn't "grown in office".
Maureen's(D) neat trick where 4 years of ignoring Melania = "She's detached."
yeah - the bitch left detached Melania for us.
Biden is a beloved man in the Democratic Party.
does ANYONE believe this?
i have a hard time believing that Ol' Joe is "beloved" by ANYONE. I doubt even by Dr Jillie .
They might like 'the big guy's money.. But belovedness? i seriously doubt it.
After all; WHAT is there to love? His hair plugs? His pedophilia? His money? Well, there Is that
Before today I hadn’t read Time — not even in doctors’ waiting rooms — in decades. But I followed a link from a conservative web site to an article that included this trenchant piece of analysis:
When a candidate biffs, it’s expected that a loyal aide will take the fall. And few have more experience in throwing people under the bus than Joe Biden. When his first campaign imploded over the summer of 1987, a young aide and future Democratic National Committee Chairman named David Wilhelm took the blame for passing along a British Labor Leader’s speeches that Biden cribbed on a debate stage. When his third bid for the job finished in fourth place in lead-off Iowa, Biden removed his longtime aide and campaign manager Greg Schultz as the entourage slowly navigated icy New Hampshire roads on the way to a debate site. With the never-ending investigations about his son’s involvement with dodgy business partners, Biden blamed his staff for not flagging the potential conflicts of interest sooner. And when classified documents were recovered in his personal possession, it was again the help’s fault.
But this time, blame can only go so far beyond the president himself and his closest family members. No one can say that what happened in Atlanta was unexpected. Voters have been consistent in telling pollsters they’re worried about the ages of both candidates. Almost two-thirds of the nation thinks both Trump and Biden are too old for the job, according to Ipsos polling. Another one-quarter thinks Biden is too old.
Fact check: true
My favorite Stein is Ben.
Blogger Dave Begley said...
"Jill is just driving up the price to get Joe to withdraw. $10m? $25m? $50m? $100m?... t's all about the bribe amount. I give you my word as a Begley."
Dave, you were the first to notice the elephant in the living room. Kudos to you.
"Doctor" Jill is finally getting her reward for putting up with Joe the !last few years. She is not about to help end it now.
Dowd has been “detached” from meaningful discourse and sanity for a few decades now.
"played teacher to a prized student: 'You did a great job! You answered every question! You knew all the facts!'"
Yes, this was more embarrassing than the debate itself. You can just hear Vlad and Xi laughing.
"Biden is a beloved man in the Democratic Party"
No, no one is beloved in politics, at least among fellow politicians, and certainly not Mean Joe Biden. But saying it is part of the establishment's efforts to ease him out.
"That which can’t continue, won’t."
Among Dems, it can. Biden should have been finished after 1988, yet O picked him for VP. They have yet to let go of Charlottesville, the collusion hoax, the planted laptop. The very existence of the Dem party refutes Stein: after Civil War and segregation and KKK, you'd think it couldn't continue, but here it is.
Biden's VP corruption is not a stand alone. The entire left-wing Democratic cabal are all no different.
On-the-take Arabella money whores. Power whores.
"Can't debate a liar!" I would really like someone reasonably nonpartisan to do a comparison of who told the most lies.
Hive-minders love Biden only because their tiny loyal brains operate on the binary love-hate spectrum.
hating Trump = loving Biden.
Any invocation of Stein's law is a source of joy for this reader.
Especially this one, though.
If Biden resigns, I fully expect him to endorse Harris going out the door. If Biden just withdraws from the race, I still expect him to endorse Harris. What are the rules for Biden's delegates? Usually, delegates are bound on the first vote- can Biden simply direct that first vote to Harris? I don't know- I would have to check.
The Bidens were defiant yesterday- so I think the sudden avalanche of backstabbers has angered them.
A chaotic replacement runs the risk that a lot of the Democratic base stays home in November no matter who the nominee is or runs the risk of a significant fraction suddenly voting for Kennedy third party. By the convention, it should be clear how many state ballots Kennedy will be on. Kennedy might be the best choice for the Democrats have to not have it all fly apart in August.
"Jill Biden, lacking the detachment of a Melania and enjoying the role of first lady more, has been pushing — and shielding — her husband..."
"... beyond a reasonable point.
I HATE this phrasing! What is Biden? 4? That his "mommy" has to push and shield him? He literally occupies the highest office in the land. He has the friggen nuc codes! He is surrounded by a staff and advisers. THEY are shielding him with media assistance BECAUSE they want it that way. Sorry but Jill is "just" his wife. She holds no office and should have no control or say in ANYTHING office related other than the fabric for the drapes.
Jill is no more qualified to do anything related to the office of POTUS than Hillary or Michelle. What is it with these (D) First Ladies? They think they get POTUS experience via osmosis? If that were true, all the pro-football water boys would be getting drafted!
Hillary was at least smart enough to see that she would need actual government experience while she clawed her way to the WH. They gifted her a phony-baloney Congress job, then made her SofS in the hopes of making her look like she could. Instead she has the reverse mitis touch and everything she touches turns to sh*t. Thank the lord she didn't get the office.
Now the D powers that be are scoping around for another possible woman to slip in when Biden finally brakes and these three seem to be the best they can come up with? What a joke and the joke will really be on all the rest of us and the world if these shysters manage to fraud one of them in.
"Who died and left Isaac Newton in charge?”
I like it! Needs to be on a t-shirt.
If they loved Joe Biden as much as they say they do, they wouldn't let the guy embarrass the country and make himself the laughingstock of the world, and the worst American President ever. They are all elder abusers who are covering for Hussein so he can finish the fundamental transformation Hillary was supposed to, but didn't because she is a loser.
Blogger Dave Begley said..."Jill is just driving up the price to get Joe to withdraw. $10m? $25m? $50m? $100m?"
I do expect Joe to step down, and I do expect a large sum of money to be involved.
Does Stein’s Law doom the windmills industry? Nope, not until the political criminals quit laundering their loot through the illusion of saving the climate.
I'm reading that in some states it already too late for the Dems to get a new name on the ballot. (Wisconsin)...but I'm sure our election commission will break rules for Democrats.
The ONLY legitimate and "sympathetic" way to replace Biden as the nominee, is a serious health crisis in the near future.
"Food taster!!! Come lick my chocolate chip ice cream cone!!"
"I'm reading that in some states it already too late for the Dems to get a new name on the ballot. (Wisconsin)..."
How can this be true- neither candidate is the actual confirmed nominee until the convention which, for the Democrats is August.
"I'm reading that in some states it already too late for the Dems to get a new name on the ballot. (Wisconsin)...but I'm sure our election commission will break rules for Democrats."
Seems unlikely. They haven't had the convention yet. Joe actually isn't the nominee at this point.
But, yeah. No rule or law will prevent the democrats from doing what they want.
Lloyd W. Robertson said...
My favorite Stein is Ben.
6/29/24, 9:33 AM
Mine is Beer, but Ben is worth talking about.
Anyways, it takes real effort to be a quality interior decorator and model. Melania Trump does it very well indeed, haters aside. Jill Biden... less so. I've seen less tacky displays at Target. But she does have the hooker sense needed to know that she can ask ANY price for a Biden withdrawal, and the oligarchs will pay it. Then again, living in the White House also has its perks.
By contrast, Melania Trump has likely been offered insane amounts of money to badmouth or divorce her husband. She's not doing it. Either the Donald is surprisingly modest about his bedroom athleticism, or his capacity to inspire loyalty is much higher than his detractors would like to admit.
One of the main problems, though, is that all the money the Biden/Harris campaign has raised for itself can neither be given to another candidate's presidential campaign nor spent on behalf of another candidate. I will have to check this, but it would make sense as allowing such a thing would be an obvious end-round of campaign finance law.
You're no Julius Caesar, old man. More like Honorius.
On second thought, you're Incitatus to Barack Obama's Caligula.
I laugh at the comments about how loved Joe Biden is in the Democrat party. I don't mix with that crowd but can that possibly be true?
Biden has long reminded me of my grandfather, another Irish lawyer.
When I was little, I loved my grandpa unreservedly. He would pick me up and swing me around, he had the most twinkling eyes and the widest smile, he would sneak me cookies.
And then, as I got older and began to pay more attention, I noticed how he treated his kids - he was authoritarian, harsh, mocking, cruel. My dad still mutters "Dummy!" about himself when he's made some trivial oversight - it breaks my heart.
I noticed how he talked with other adults when he thought I wasn't in earshot - he was a slur-slinging racist. Racism was not unusual in a Midwesterner of that era, but because my parents had tried very hard to leave all that behind, I didn't have any real context to judge whether he was more racist than others in that time and place; but I can say definitively that I never heard any other relative use that kind of language.
I noticed the details of his storytelling that I hadn't picked up on as a child - he was subtly self-aggrandizing, dismissive of all women in his life including his wife and daughter, and very impatient with anyone who wanted to have an actual conversation instead. He had to rule the room.
In short, he was not a nice guy. But he could really put up a good act, as long as his audience was a child or someone who wasn't able to pull back that curtain.
(Not that kind of doctor) Jill Biden:
We know what she is. We're just haggling about the price.
Fortunately the Biden family has conveniently installed a complex, multi-layered, money laundering infrastructure.
Biden is a creature of a money-cossetted Democratic establishment in Washington that is subordinate to a small powerful plutocracy of superrich made uber-powerful by the wealth concentrating policies of Washington over the past two generations. This establishment is far from the American people out in the states, who now see themselves as orphans to a distant and obviously self-perpetuating establishment.
The idea that one could run and reelect an 81-year old man, in particular one with such pronounced lack of retail political skills, defies anything resembling objective judgment.
The Democratic establishment is repeating similar mistakes made in 2016 when nominating and supporting Hillary Clinton, a person of marked deficiencies as outlined in the political history "Shattered."
The same basic problem occurred in 2016 — a candidate for president who simply could not articulate political speech into arguments persuasive to American voters.
There are excellent Democrats out there who could run and win this November if only this obtuse establishment could grasp that.
The unnamed consultant who said changing out Biden is "folly squared" is himself emblematic of the utterly failed thinking of this establishment.
If it takes a whirlwind to blow apart this establishment, so be it. It will come.
Dave.
She has to make the best deal she can now. After this, for her, there will be no multimillion dollar book deals. There will be no exorbidant speaking tours. No one is going to offer her and Joe a house in the Hamptons.
Mark my words. Within a year she is going to have Joe in hospice care some where and she is going to have a house in Santa Barbara.
The solution for the Democrats is obvious. Jimmy Carter. As a one term President he has experience and is eligible to run again. So what if he'll soon be 100. That's just a number and cognitively he's much more on the ball than Biden.
Joking aside, the sad thing is I'd vote for Carter over Biden.
Ritch said...
There are excellent Democrats out there who could run and win this November if only this obtuse establishment could grasp that.
6/29/24, 10:23 AM
Oh dang boyyyyys! Olympus has fallen! The last wide-stancer LLR has given up on Biden leading the Rats to victory! Lock up your daughters, lock up your DOGS! Victory is coming, and some people are gonna pay!
"Can't debate a liar!" I would really like someone reasonably nonpartisan to do a comparison of who told the most lies.
It's not the numbers, but the viciousness of the lies. Before the 2016 election my neighbor chimed in about the number of Trump's lies.
I asked him, how many "lies" like our crowds were the largest evah does it take to balance out, "If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor"? I submit it would be approaching infinity.
Here's one from the debate worth, IMO, more than all the Trump "lies" combined. No American military died during my administration.
Disgraceful. Disgusting.
Then there is Charlottesville (CNN still supports that lie and counts it against Trump).
Rusty said...
Dave.
She has to make the best deal she can now. After this, for her, there will be no multimillion dollar book deals. There will be no exorbidant speaking tours. No one is going to offer her and Joe a house in the Hamptons.
Mark my words. Within a year she is going to have Joe in hospice care some where and she is going to have a house in Santa Barbara.
The Biden's have millions of dollars and a variety of properties. They aren't negotiating for money.
They are negotiating about jail time and future positions of power and the image that will be presented by the state media.
They are also negotiating about the actual terms of how they replace Joe.
One option is Joe voluntarily "spends more time with the fam."
Another option is a stroke caused by massive overdose of blood thinners.
Another is a plane crash with a variety of Biden's in the plane.
Another option is a special prosecutor that starts indicting recalcitrant grifters.
Money is not the biggest thing here. These people all have lots of it.
Rich said...
There are excellent Democrats out there who could run and win this November if only this obtuse establishment could grasp that.
You obviously misunderstand the nature of government corruption.
If you think Joe Biden had 81 million registered voters actually fill out a ballot and vote for him you will never understand what is actually happening in the Democrat or the Republican parties.
Writes Maureen Dowd, in "The Ghastly vs. the Ghostly." I don't get to use my "Julius Caesar" tag too often.
Time to give credit to the first media mogul, Perry White, who said "Great Caesar's Ghost!"
I read her column. It's very readable. It's not just the deep state. She's part of the superficial state--the comics and columnists who make their living not by making the bed of weaving the fabric but by smoothing or wrinkling the sheet. She's quite good at it and this time the barbs are mostly directed at Biden and his wife. She gets in some incidental swipes at Melania and Judge Thomas and his wife, but the thrust is against Biden and his wife. A previous column got Biden to acknowledge his granddaughter. Maybe with this one she can get Biden to resign.
There are excellent Democrats out there who could run and win this November if only this obtuse establishment could grasp that.
No there aren’t, and that’s due to Obama basically destroying the Democrat Party’s “farm system” during his term in office. You could look it up.
I think the lesson that dem politicians will learn from all this is to steal as much money as you can as quickly as possible, once you get your nut, it’s easier to take the downfall.
If someone like Ross Perot were running as a third party candidate this time around, he would probably win. As it is, RFK Jr is going to get a ton of votes. Biden and Trump were very wise to keep him out of the debate.
Bich expects all of us to forget all the comments he has written here in the last year; every-single-one-of-them.
I half expected Rich to just slink away. Silly me.
Did Bich ever write a comment about being wrong on Trump dodging the debate at the last moment?
Big Mike said...
There are excellent Democrats out there who could run and win this November if only this obtuse establishment could grasp that.
No there aren’t, and that’s due to Obama basically destroying the Democrat Party’s “farm system” during his term in office. You could look it up.
That also brings up one of the main parties to the negotiations.
Obama/Jarrett installed Joe and used him as a puppet. Joe was the perfect puppet. Just took a bit of money to buy him. Joe was even willing to take the blame.
Pretty clear Gavin wants more power than Joe has and isn't going to be the fall guy.
The problem with Michelle is that they don't want to lose to Trump and she doesn't have the political talent. Hillary was a better politician.
There is a lot more going on than just getting a dumb Ed Major to play ball. I don't think Jill is actually even at the table. She will be a good girl and do what any good gold digger does when she is told.
William said...
If someone like Ross Perot were running as a third party candidate this time around, he would probably win. As it is, RFK Jr is going to get a ton of votes. Biden and Trump were very wise to keep him out of the debate.
Biden was.
Trump is still the most popular presidential candidate in History. He got 10 million more votes than second place Obama. Pretending that Trump is somehow unpopular with voters is stupid.
Juvenal was confidently predicting the decline and fall of Rome several centuries before it happened. After George III lost the American colonies, many pundits of that era thought the British Empire was wobbly and would soon collapse. There was that Paul Kennedy book that explained how America was spending too much on defense and, as happened with the British Empire before it, it would soon collapse. This was just before the Soviet Union went poof.....Biden will stay in the race, and there's a good chance that he will win and go on to further screw things up. My guess is that America will survive.....Buchanan still holds the record as the worst American President. I'll give that nod to Biden only if he gets us into an all out nuclear war with Russia. I figure the odds of that happening are only about 30-40% so I'm not going to worry about it.
William: "If someone like Ross Perot were running as a third party candidate this time around, he would probably win."
Someone like Ross Perot, who you will recall was in the catbird seat in that Bush/Clinton/Perot election and then purposely threw it to Clinton out of his hatred for the Bush clan, would be destroyed by the deep state today with the tools at their disposal. The deep staters in going after a current day Ross Perot would make the russia collusion/Crossfire Hurricane effort look like a day at the park blowing bubbles.
"The Biden's have millions of dollars and a variety of properties. They aren't negotiating for money."
Not enough money. Biden has always struck me as one of those low-lifes who sell military secrets for a pittance. $20M of foreign money to spread around amongst all the Biden's? Of course they need more. A lot more.
And, throw in pardons for Hunter and Joe.
Bad hair plugs and a piña colada, my friend
Pennsylvania Avenue by Travel Buddy Scooter with a
Blonde Harpy and a large sum of money to spend
h/t Donald Fagen
Original Mike said...
"The Biden's have millions of dollars and a variety of properties. They aren't negotiating for money."
Not enough money. Biden has always struck me as one of those low-lifes who sell military secrets for a pittance. $20M of foreign money to spread around amongst all the Biden's? Of course they need more. A lot more.
And, throw in pardons for Hunter and Joe.
I just don't think the Biden's are major participants in this negotiation.
This negotiation is between the FBI/CIA/NSA/DOJ, the Obama's, and notable money sources like Soros and Pritzker. Maybe Tide Foundation. Google and Facebook will have reps.
Rich said:
“If it takes a whirlwind to blow apart this establishment, so be it. It will come.”
Trump is that whirlwind.
Trump 2024
What the Dems need is a strong preferably female candidate who already has high name recognition, who is popular with critically needed younger voters and especially younger women, who has little previous political baggage to provide fodder for Trumpian attacks, and who by uncanny coincidence will turn 35 and end her Eras tour a few weeks before January 20.
"I just don't think the Biden's are major participants in this negotiation.
This negotiation is between the FBI/CIA/NSA/DOJ, the Obama's, and notable money sources like Soros and Pritzker. Maybe Tide Foundation. Google and Facebook will have reps."
Sure, but they'll want him to go quietly.
Jill is a firm believer in what Bab Paley said, "One can never be too rich or too thin."
She told that to Herb Stein at a party in the Hamptons.
PJ said...
What the Dems need is a strong preferably female candidate who already has high name recognition, who is popular with critically needed younger voters and especially younger women, who has little previous political baggage to provide fodder for Trumpian attacks, and who by uncanny coincidence will turn 35 and end her Eras tour a few weeks before January 20.
Taylor would make a good meme for the democrat party. Trump would absolutely flatten her if she tried to be a serious person. She can be a bad girlfriend of a football star and can stay thin. That is the extent of her talent. Trump wouldn't even have to be mean about it.
If Abrams lost some weight she could put up a fight.
I think Oprah had some health issues with ozempic and is not really interested in being exposed.
People in this sphere obviously underestimate Trump and his politicking. Just look at the scoreboard.
Original Mike said...
"I just don't think the Biden's are major participants in this negotiation.
This negotiation is between the FBI/CIA/NSA/DOJ, the Obama's, and notable money sources like Soros and Pritzker. Maybe Tide Foundation. Google and Facebook will have reps."
Sure, but they'll want him to go quietly.
A good dose of Heparin would probably make that happen pretty fast.
the entire world can finally learn the depth of the Dems' corruption. It would kill the Dem party for generations.
No, it won't make a blip. We all know every Prez gets $100M on retirement. It makes no difference if it's to retire.
all the money the Biden/Harris campaign has raised for itself can neither be given to another candidate's presidential campaign nor spent on behalf of another candidate.
PAC money can be spread around to other candidates. If they really want him gone, the other Dems will have to step up. I imagine big money donors like Zuckerbucks have been holding back--that must be why Biden's people demanded the early debate as proof of life.
I called it (somewhere) Thursday night: the Bidens will do a Bill Clinton and ride out the furor.
The value of the Presidency = the present value discounted of the future cash flow of a second term. Jill's comparables probably are the Obamas and Clintons. The DemDonor Blob probably has a much lower figure in mind. If only someone who understands the Art of the Deal could mediate.
"Can't debate a liar!", How many grandchildren do you have joey ? That lie alone should consign you to history's latrine. Beloved, joey bidet ? He's been a turd person his entire life, and has only become worse. The left are trying to figure out how to scrub the stench and the stains off of their greedy paws. In times past, these curs would be swinging in the breeze, by the neck, until dead. It is well deserved for each and every one of them. There is still time.
“And this morning,” Jill speaking to the crowd, “Joe got everything into the potty. Isn’t that right, Joe?”
Joe grins.
Crowd, “Yeah, Joe. Way to go!”
Beyond a reasonable point was in 2019.
Good of the crack NYT'ers to have their come to Jesus moment this week. All of them are singing the 'drop out' song together.
Interestingly, they're the ones who put him in there and kept him hidden, with a nod and a wink, until last Thursday night.
Yancey Ward said...
One of the main problems, though, is that all the money the Biden/Harris campaign has raised for itself can neither be given to another candidate's presidential campaign nor spent on behalf of another candidate. I will have to check this, but it would make sense as allowing such a thing would be an obvious end-round of campaign finance law.
As I understand it, the money could be used for a Harris candidacy but nobody else.
But is it really $200MM in the official campaign coffers? Or does the amount include other side "party-building" funds that everyone knows will be benefiting the presidential campaign but through smoke/mirrors can be spent in grass-roots endeavors that could benefit any candidate.
William writes, "Biden and Trump were very wise to keep him [RFK] out of the debate."
Trump had nothing to do with it, and probably not Biden, either. That debate was entirely the property of CNN. CNN laid down the rules. CNN issued the invitations. The purpose was to support Biden and hinder Trump, that's abundantly clear, and CNN's talking heads were involved in Biden's preparation sessions. Trump agreed to CNN's terms and rules knowing the deck was stacked against him, but he has abundant courage and faith in the obvious truths organizations like CNN exist to obfuscate.
Kennedy wasn't invited because he was a far more worrisome threat to Biden and the DNC than to Trump and the Republicans. RFK hates and despises Biden and his policies, nevertheless, he's a left-of-center politician and his support comes far more from disaffected 2020 Biden voters than conservative voters of any stripe. Since the debate, more Democratic voters will switch to Kennedy or stay home than will switch to Trump.
Original Mike, the grave is canonically quiet
Iman @ 11:04:
Nice!
I wouldn't dismiss Mr. President's re-election chances so hastily folks. A few thousand immigrant votes here and some strategic "counting process errors" there and then throw in some late arriving mail-in ballots, and a sprinkling of found "lost" ballot boxes too, and it's four more years mofos.
(Oh. And fuck Maureen Dowd and the rest of those hacks but especially her.)
Bob Woodward: “I sat there and watched it and I could not believe it. I said, not only is this a political hydrogen bomb for him and the Democratic Party, it, you know — what happened? What happened?” he said."
Oh, come on Bob. You know what happened.
so then can we tell anything by how much more is added to Biden-Harris funds?
could Obama solicitation + matching be sop to Harris?
Michael at 914 - As more time goes by, I think your point is more and more correct.
Robrother @ 11:47 AM.
You nailed it. Some Wharton or McKinsey alum has run the numbers. No Biden could do the calculation. Maybe a Ron Klain hire.
Do you have an #ToxicEdithWilson tag?
If not, why not?
Stein’s Law is a tautology so of course it’s real by definition.
"And fuck Maureen Dowd and the rest of those hacks but especially her."
Part of Dowd's problem is that no one fucks her any longer.
So now that the debate has made it impossible to hide the fact that Biden is obviously senile the MSM and Democrat operatives (I know, I repeat myself) profess to be shocked, shocked to discover that they have been the victims of a plot to hide Biden’s senility from them. What a pathetic joke.
"But is it really $200MM in the official campaign coffers? Or does the amount include other side "party-building" funds that everyone knows will be benefiting the presidential campaign but through smoke/mirrors can be spent in grass-roots endeavors that could benefit any candidate."
I am just talking about the money that lies under the named accounts "Biden/Harris Campaign Organization". I don't know how much in those accounts, but you are right- Harris and Harris alone can use those funds if Biden withdraws from the race. Of course, funds given to various other Democrat Party (take that, Chuck) organizations are unaffected by a Biden withdrawal.
"Biden is a beloved man in the Democratic Party."
Personally, I file that one under "things not believed." That feels more like a professional branding message that started around 2019-2020.
Achillies said,
"The Biden's have millions of dollars and a variety of properties. They aren't negotiating for money."
My take is that Jill is a junior member of the Biden crime family. The others have a much longer investment. She has to raise her stake by as much as she can.
2 interesting points:
1. Joe is wearing his wedding band (during the debate appearance). Jill is not.
2. (I don’t remember the source for this) Clinton was President 30 years ago and is younger than both Trump and Biden. He looks much older than Trump but not as old as Biden looks.
Big Mike, every time I see your name today I'm reminded of something Glenn Reynolds re-posted over on Instapundit yesterday:
(it's a fake)
https://x.com/i/status/1806723772218487226
You're not that Big Mike, are you?
"I give you my word as a Begley."
I actually laughed out loud at that line. I may have to use it myself, and I'm not even a Begley!
"I give you my word as a Biden" always makes me think of "The Princess Bride" when Inigo gives his word as a Spaniard to Wesley and Wesley replies, "I have known too many Spaniards."
"I came,
I sniffed,
I defeated Medicare! "
North of the one oh one… 👍
Dr. Jill. A doctorate in Education, yet insists on being called Doctor. Well okay, people do it. But it's obvious she isn't a medical doctor because doesn't give two shits about the health of her failing husband. He doesn't need any more stress. Means nothing to her. Why? Because SHE is the one in charge at the White House - the conduit, protector and advisor to Joe. She refuses to give that up so he can relax and enjoy the rest of his life. She's a harridan.
"Biden is a beloved man in the Democratic Party."
Haha, Bien is a corrupt, racist, sexual assaulting, bullying piece of shit. No one loves him. I doubt if even Jill does. Everyone just loves basking in the power and they are willing to tolerate the stench, figurative and now I fear literal.
Once upon atime she revealed he was a plagiarist
Biden is "beloved" solely because he was the front man for the Deep State that managed to take out Trump in 2020. If they see he can't do that now, he's going to go from "loved" to "hated" in no time.
And no, Rich, the Dems have no good candidates to step in. That, along with Joe and Jill's venality, is the reason Biden ran for reelection.
No ring = Sundance @ Conservative Tree House.
No wedding band is obvious from the photos.
All this "loved" chatter...
"Yes, dad, we love you, of course. We're FAMILY. But we can't let you drive the car anymore. "
"Yeah, mom, you too. So hand over the keys, right?"
It’s quite rich for Jill to repeatedly call Trump a liar when she’s been lying to us all for years regarding Joe’s cognitive health. She should be stewed for that.
I knew that Dr. Biden was younger than President Biden - but I just checked. Jill is only 73. We'll be putting up with pious stories about her post-Whitehouse life for decades. I myself didn't like Rosalyn Carter much (really, Jimmy is kinda saintly), but she had the decency to spend her 80s and 90s in Plains, GA.
https://jonathanturley.org/2024/06/29/the-art-of-being-eternally-surprised-how-the-press-and-pundits-are-again-mystified-by-the-obvious/
And why did they cover up Biden’s troubles? For power. In order that they might still rule. Out of naked, brutal self-interest.
"Behold the ruthlessness of the technocratic class. We now know there’s nothing they won’t do to fortify their authority. We can feel sorry for Biden, but for the rest of them we should feel only contempt."
Here’s the double twist. Jill knew that Joe couldn’t win. But he just couldn’t quit without the Biden Crime Family maximizing shareholder value. So she puts him on stage and he melts down. Beat Medicaid!
Then Bidens act all indignant and say they won’t leave. Dems panic and the price goes up. Barack backs Joe. Maybe he’s in on the shakedown of the climate-industrial and military-industrial complexes too. A little gratuity for Barry.
The NYT op-ed is the tell on the extent of the panic.
Not sure where Harris fits in. Thoughts? Maybe Michelle will ride in on a White horse to save the Republic. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Joe will announce his withdrawal on July 5. One last Independence Day in the White House. You know the place. The place with the John Adams’ quote on the State Dining Room mantel, “May none but Honest and Wise Men ever rule under This Roof.” (in original)
Adams said nothing about women!
Caligula and Nero had nothing on the Bidens.
"Biden is beloved in the Democratic Party?" Since when? This is hogwash.
I don’t think Michelle will run. 1, She has said she won’t run. 2, She has never been elected to any role, so no campaign experience with positive results. Her school lunch program was a bust. And 3, she has no expertise or experience in the major issues facing us - immigration, inflation, crime, energy, foreign policy etc. are all smoke and mirrors to her. She would be cut to smithereens by the election process, and she knows better for herself and her family. She’s not dumb.
How is being a fraudulently “cognitive” candidate any better for democracy than supposed “interfering with the transfer of power”?
Michael at 9:14 has it about right.
Dear Democrat Party Leadership - whoever you are:
Just cancel the convention and surprise us with your candidates' names when we pick up our ballots in November.
"And 3, she has no expertise or experience in the major issues facing us - immigration, inflation, crime, energy, foreign policy etc. are all smoke and mirrors to her."
You don't think she'd be the real president, do you? The people who vote for her sure won't be thinking that.
@Breezy: you don’t get it, do you? Michelle could pillow talk her way thru Barack’s fourth turn at fundamentally transforming America.
".... And what if Joe and Jill cling on? In reply, Carville quoted... That which can’t continue, won’t."
Is it just me or does that sound like a threat?
..."Jill Biden, lacking the detachment of a Melania and enjoying the role of first lady more, has been pushing — and shielding — her husband..."
Jill Biden has all the detachment of a hungry and well-embedded tick, and she's about half-full on capacity-to-go. She's not so much 'pushing and shielding' and 'enjoying the first lady role', as she is propping and human-shielding Joe so she can fully enjoy the Fruits of Office. My guess is, she is the Family Decider when it comes to interfacing with the group that is really making the decisions, or articulating the strategies. She's Joe's gatekeeper - and not necessarily, benefactor. Who is the acting President? Because we all know it ain't Joe.
Now, this talk about 'bribes to step down'. I think a few might be missing a lot of key points, here. $10 or $50 million is not going to cut it, unless you're a low-mid-level Senator, or a tenured Representative. The Prez commands a much higher price point. Secondly: Let us not forget the Family Business, the well-cloaked enterprising side of Team Biden, the one working in the shade and grace of the FedGov for so many years. Let us not forget: The contributors on that side of the business do some bidding too, from time to time. And what might their preferences be? I can guarantee they can put more money onto a bigger table than the Democratic party can, and their desire to keep the Status Quo humming along for Four More Years! will not be ignored by Team Biden.
It's really charming to see all the patriotic jostling going on now. Aren't we all impressed? Just count the number of people suddenly appearing on camera and proclaiming their readiness - they're just too modest and self-effacing to admit it's all For Love Of Country.
In the 2020 General Election, many States extemporized their election laws. Ballots, Ballots, Everywhere. Grab a stack and fill 'em out. Need more votes? Just cycle 'em through the scanner again.
We allowed this, We accepted the result.
Carville now proposes Democrat Party leadership ignore 2024 Primary process and select Presidential Ticket in a smoke filled room.
Citizens Beware! If you accept that, next step will be Candidate Reveal when ballots are distributed.
". $10 or $50 million is not going to cut it,"
Of course not. How much did Zuckerberg kick in last time? 400M? He can easily pony up that amount again. He was probably planning to anyways.
"Carville now proposes Democrat Party leadership ignore 2024 Primary process and select Presidential Ticket in a smoke filled room."
I've always thought the decision should have stayed in those smoke filled rooms.
"Is it just me or does that sound like a threat?"
Not just you; it is a threat. Unfortunately for Carville, his wing of the Party is effectively dead. No one gives a rat's about Bill or the Beast anymore. Hillary made a video a week or so back, thinking it might refresh the interest of the blue-haired brownshirts in a Krankles Redux front. No dice. Lord Zero is the power nexus now, and the Clintons exist only with his permission. One false move and the Epstein Tapes will mysteriously appear. Consequently, without Clinton's protection, if Carville makes a nuisance of himself, he can be expected to end up on the losing end of a Kenyan-style Arkancide.
The plot thickens: According to google, Joe Biden never wears his wedding band (so I must have seen a shadow) and Jill Biden sometimes wears a wedding ring and sometimes doesn’t.
@breezy: Michelle and Barack could fundamentally and more importantly, irreversibly transform America.
I almost never wear my wedding band. Neither does my wife. Special occasions only.
to be fitting Joe withdraw on anniversary of :
The United States Armed Forces completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30th, 2021,
and leave D in circumstance similar to Taliban
“ @Breezy: you don’t get it, do you? Michelle could pillow talk her way thru Barack’s fourth turn at fundamentally transforming America.”
Wow. Would you vote for someone because of who their spouse is? Jesus. We’re now going through a (possibly Obama) puppet president and not having great results. Maybe that’s not the best idea.
we're not talking about any one, but the sock puppets, but those LIV voters,
https://x.com/mirandadevine/status/1807143011975049717
Good idea - don’t vote for Kamala because she’s a DEI hire but vote for Michelle because she’s married to Barack. Women have no agency and don’t take their own responsibilities seriously don’t you know /sarc. Plus, Michelle would get all the slings and arrows as the pres. She’s not dumb.
To keep Trump out of the White House? Of course democrats would vote for Michelle.
IIRC the money raised by Biden-Harris can only be used without limitation for Harris if Biden withdraws. Although it can be contributed to other campaigns or the DNC, there are limits on amounts (other campaigns) (the usual 2500/5000 etc limits) or, if the DNC. it would mean that a political party is handling the fundraising/spending for the campaign which has not been done in a while. Not familiar with the limits on the latter but there are some.
FJB has always been a nasty piece of work and dumb to boot. That the media have said otherwise just show how biased and ignorant they are.
Even if she confined herself to ceremonial duties and left the governing to others, nobody knows better than Michelle what a pain in the ass that could be. What's in it for her?
Somebody needs to ask "Dr." (EdD) Jil what she took away from Woodrow Wilson's wife, Edith's biography.
Achillies said,
"The Biden's have millions of dollars and a variety of properties. They aren't negotiating for money."
Beiden's net wealth probably flirts around 10 to 15 MM (home equity loans). To live large he needs the true rich to invite him to tahiti for free. He is going to have to win 24 and sell out big to get what he (Jill) wants.
Hey Michelle
You'd have to debate Trump.
But don't worry. You'd have the same team that prepped Biden prepping you. They'd have an idea of the questions and they'd rehearse you constantly. This would project right into you their conviction that you are an idiot and could't win in a fair fight. And you couldn't. Donald Trump dominated Biden from the first minute of the debate. Biden feared him. And you? Will you be sure based on your experiences going to parties at Palm Beach that you are ready to be the US President in time of war time challenges? Will you really think you are more ready than Trump to fight your way through difficulty and danger? Will you even be ready to debate Trump. Why would you be?
And another point. They are putting you in as a candidate to seal the deal with the black community. So cynical, because you aren't going to help the black community though it is expected to help you. Obama left the black community poorer than it was before and Biden has been worse for it. Oly Trump helped it and you are coming in to stop Trump. How will you feel about abusing your communities enduring loyalty?
Maybe you have no choice. There's been a cash flow and, like the Bidens, you've done nothing (anyone can point to) to deserve it. Now the bill comes due. You and Hunter. Each one, as Bob Dylan sang: "Only a pawn/In their game."
And it won't work. Think about that.
"Hey Michelle
You'd have to debate Trump."
No she wouldn't.
That is, 15MM gives you a reliable $600K per year. Not enough to live on Jill scale.
One of my favorite photos is Jill Beiden sitting at the AF1 Prezdesk with a pile of paper in her blue military jacket with her name embroidered in silver. "Ta Ta Ta taaa! world news can now confirm, First lady DOCTOR Beiden reviews critical documents aboard Air Force One! we all now feell safer! Ta ta ta taaah ta ta tooo.
"IIRC the money raised by Biden-Harris can only be used without limitation for Harris if Biden withdraws."
Laws? That'd stop them? I wouldn't bet on it.
People keep asking "Who has been running the country?" and the answer is: Nobody. A "pandemonium" system is in place in which all the various constituencies scream as loud as they can and the loudest on any given issue gets their way. That's why we currently have the Jimmy Carter policy mix in place, which no rational individual would ever pick--and none ever did. This is what you get when the permanent bureaucracy gets to call the shots.
That's the big problem for the "replace Joe" scenario. Because the primaries are over, it's not just "Replace Joe" but "Replace Joe with _______." But would require a whole bunch of constituencies unite around a candidate and a strategy. This COULD happen, as it did in 2020 at the South Carolina primary, then they could all unite around Biden: empty suit, Obama's VP, easy to control, covid a good excuse to keep him in the basement where he wouldn't constantly be reminding voters of how stupid and arrogant he is.
I don't think you have a comparable empty suit this time. Kamala would be the obvious one, but the polling and focus groups say that no one will vote for her. Nevertheless she has a constituency, and it is not going to agree to shove her aside in favor of Gov. Hair Gel, who likewise has a constituency that is not going to agree on Meghan Heil Whitmer, who also has a constituency, and don't forget our Secretary of Transportation, who sees himself as the white, out-of-the-closet Obama: just a dreamy intellectual in the eyes of America's middle-aged cat-ladies, especially when they've had a few too many glasses of boxed-wine chardonnay: did you know he reads Norwegian?!
The incentive is for each of these factions--as well as the Biden faction--to be the hold-out that everyone finally coalesces around, and to do that it's essential to grab anyone who seems to be getting ahead and drag them back into the crab bucket.
I think Trumps margin of victory in 2016 was made up of people voting FOR Trump, but people voting against the candidate and policies being forced on them. In 2020, the margin of "victory" for Biden (i.e., what kept is close enough to cheat) was a different another group of people who were similarly voting "NO MORE!" over the destruction caused by covid measures and the endless Trump-drama (if Trump had been able to admit that he made mistakes in the covid response he probably could have won much bigger, but Trump can never admit mistakes). This time a big chunk of voters will be voting for Trump as a way of voting "STOP DOING THIS!" to the destructive policies pushed by Democrats since 2020: mostly the obvious economic disaster and the border, but also the genius plan of letting child-rapists out of jail on $500 bail (as just happened here in Massachusetts), the refusing to enforce laws against theft and other obvious crimes, the creepy trans obsession, and the over-the-top racial nonsense. The problem for the Democrats, then, is that screaming "Trump sucks!" even louder will not make a dent in that margin because they're not voting FOR Trump and therefore don't care (and also, it's hard to scare people about someone who already was President and didn't actually cause any harm that anyone can point to).
By the way, if you are skeptical of my claim that no one is "running" the country and we have a pandemonium system, ask yourself this: Is there any possible rationale that explains how the current policy mix hangs together in some unified way? I can't think of one. But it does look an awful lot like each of the loudest constituencies in the Democratic coalition getting what they most want even if that produces ridiculous contradictions.
Why do you think the Democrats want to beat Trump in 24? I don't mean the acolyte TDS democrats that the Demoelites farm like cattle, I mean the real power players.
The eloi have created a green/Ukraine/Hamas/China economic disaster, they will buy gold and let the world burn for a while. They would like Trump to win so that they can create a focus of blame.
Galant says, "I stand on my record."
Goofus says, "We have been in office for years, but this idiot has not fixed the world after being in office for 2 months!"
Jill Biden is the brains, such as they are, of the Biden Crime Family now that Joe is non compos mentos. And she will cling to the Presidency and its benefits like a barnacle on a pier piling. She's not going to let go.
Original Mike said...
I almost never wear my wedding band. Neither does my wife. Special occasions only.
———————-
I always have to be wearing my wedding band, just to keep away the hot young gold diggers and randy widow ladies. Sometimes I wear two. Belts and suspenders.
Skeptical Voter said...
“Jill Biden is the brains, such as they are, of the Biden Crime Family now “
Scott Adams asks why do people keep talking about a Michelle Obama candidacy when Jill Biden is the one with the experience of running the US.
2 days after considering Biden's debate performance, I've got to pose this painful question:
What is the betting line on when the 25th Amendment will be implemented this year?
Glad I don't have that problem, Meade.
"What is the betting line on when the 25th Amendment will be implemented this year?"
I read an argument somewhere (Instapundit?) that invoking the 25th would likely initiate Congressional hearings as to who hid this from the public; something the democrats obviously would not want. So, unlikely for them to start down that road.
"and the endless Trump-drama"
Which was created entirely by the Democrats. Is the solution to that allowing the Democrats to pick the opposing candidate by endless pissing and moaning? Doesn't seem like a good idea to me.
Breezy said... Plus, Michelle would get all the slings and arrows as the pres. She’s not dumb.
Says who? The press fawned over and fellated Barack and they're cunning enough to do the same for Michelle.
Maybe it's a good thing Biden isn't running the country. I mean, did you see him Thursday night? {gallows humor}
White House staff are now saying that at the debate Joe was out of his 10am to 4pm window where he's got it together. So there's your answer; Joe does his country-running stuff between 10 and 4.
Feel better?
chickelit said...
Breezy said... Plus, Michelle would get all the slings and arrows as the pres. She’s not dumb.
Says who? The press fawned over and fellated Barack and they're cunning enough to do the same for Michelle.
The press is no longer relevant. There is an ecosphere out there of independent voices that get orders of magnitude more attention than the legacy media.
Rogan, Tucker, Valutainment, Greenwald, Taibbi, All In and many more get more views now and are more influential.
Trump has been doing interviews on these new platforms. He has no need to do anything with the media. More people are now paying attention to that.
If Michelle runs she knows that everyone is going to make fun of her and there will be no more "just a wife" shield.
These people can no longer hide their mediocrity behind a compliant media. This is one of the reasons things are going so well right now.
Moondawggie said...
2 days after considering Biden's debate performance, I've got to pose this painful question:
What is the betting line on when the 25th Amendment will be implemented this year?
Very low.
If Biden doesn't go quietly he will have a medical emergency.
@Prof. M. Drout said at 19:15: "By the way, if you are skeptical of my claim that no one is "running" the country and we have a pandemonium system, ask yourself this: Is there any possible rationale that explains how the current policy mix hangs together in some unified way? "
Are you referring to only constructive policy mixes? Have you considered 'Destructive' policy mixes? I'd say there are themes to be found, there.
"What is the betting line on when the 25th Amendment will be implemented this year?"
So here is the scenario:
1. Dem poobahs decide Joe is going to lose, and will cause the loss of a huge number of downstream races with his defeat. So he’s got to go, but not as a result of an unsightly, nasty internal Dem Party Civil War. So,
2. Kamala is informed her only chance to ever be president is to be elevated into the role by the 25th Amendment. She’s more ambitious than loyal to the Bidens, so
3. Kamala garners (do you like that word, AA?) the support of a majority of Cabinet Members to declare Joe incompetent by promising they will keep their jobs permanently in her future administration(s), along with certain "considerations" from the poobahs.
4. Kamala and the Cabinet members petition congress to remove Joe per the 25th.
5. Congress meets; Johnson and Cocaine Mitch enthusiastically support dumping Joe. Enough Dems in Congress, worried about saving their own skins, courageously and from reasons of pure patriotism/self-interest, join with the Repubs to dump Joe.
6. Joe is out, Kamala gets to make a run as the incumbent Prez, and Dem civil war is avoided.
7. Except Kamala doesn’t own Joe's primary-committed electors, so the Dem convention goes wide open…
What’s not to like?
Julius was assassinated because he was too competent - this one is more Henry VI Part III though Biden makes Hank look good.
More Shakespearean analogies: Jill Biden is like Lady Macbeth, but Joe Biden is more like King Lear. “Out, outdamn spot.”
Aggie said: "Are you referring to only constructive policy mixes? Have you considered 'Destructive' policy mixes? I'd say there are themes to be found, there."
Fair point.
One of my friends asked: "If the Biden administration was deliberately weakening American on behalf of the Chinese government what exactly would be different?" I can't think of an answer to that, and there's also the possibility of the malign hand of Obama with his desire to "fundamentally transform" America.
The problem with that theory of deliberately destructive policy is that it is unfalsifiable, because anything I dislike, I can interpret as being "deliberately divisive" or "intentionally harmful" and therefore hurting American morale or health. So for example the psychotic Trans fixation COULD be deliberately designed pathway to harm a fair number of American children so that in 5-8 years they are not fit for military service and are a permanent drain on the resources of the country and their parents are heartbroken or converted to believing in madness. But it seems to me that the simpler explanation for the insane fixation of the Biden admin on this bizarre niche issue is that big money from the disgusting Pritzkers and loathsome Big Pharma, plus social-media-created groupthink, plus the insatiable desire for attention of some subset of the alphabet people produced first social contagion and then a hyperbole spiral that has led the Democratic party to adopt lunatic ideological dogmas that are hurting their electoral chances at all levels of government. This is a winning issue only among boxed-wine ladies and people work are in academia in one way or the other. Probably 75% of the electorate finds it highly distasteful and wants it to go away, and yet if you listen to Biden and his surrogates, enabling 12-year-olds to be able to be mutilated is a problem right up there with women needing abortions because they've been raped by their sisters.
To me it really looks like a "pandemonium" scenario in which we've reached a temporarily stable point in that all the "winning" factions are willing to support each other as long as the money keeps flowing. The fundamental problem is that the policy mix is massively reducing the amount of money available, and eventually the now-victorious factions will have to fight a war of all against all for the last crumbs in the Treasury.
if Trump had been able to admit that he made mistakes in the covid response he probably could have won much bigger, but Trump can never admit mistakes
As far as I can tell, Trump didn't make any COVID response mistakes that weren't being made either simultaneously or first by other leaders and countries. And he did start trying to roll back a lot of what was at that time still largely viewed as necessary evils quite quickly. He did so in a federalist way - turning the open-up decision to the states, for instance, which enabled my state, Texas, to recover much faster than California, where my family lives.
But it's true that he doesn't admit mistakes, whether he's alone in making them or not. I'd ask, what would happen if he did? Would his out-and-out enemies in the media applaud his honesty and urge all Americans to put those mistakes behind them, moving forward into a bright future? Trump?
I remember only one time that Obama did something close to admitting a mistake - when he acknowledged that Democrats had gotten shellacked after whichever midterm it was. That one time, he didn't blame the voters for voting wrong.
He also didn't encourage the remaining Democrats to listen, learn, and change their ways, though, did he? If he did, I don't recall it - and it certainly didn't happen, in any case.
chickelit said...
@breezy: Michelle and Barack could fundamentally and more importantly, irreversibly transform America.
6/29/24, 5:44 PM
You keep repeating this, and that's fine. But if a talentless affirmative action uggo (as opposed to her very able brother) can be installed by foreign oligarchs, then America isn't the pure land you thought it was in the distant past.
That is also fine. MAGA is looking to the future. Civic nationalism has its contradictions, but it's a fairly popular ideology.
On a podcast last night I heard that RFK is negotiating with the Democrats to run as their man because he is eligible to be on every state ballot right now. Time is of the essence to change candidates and it is getting shorter.
Prof. M. Drout: Your theory of no central decision making force in the administration hence every power group riding their favorite hobby horses as far as they can has been mine for awhile now. Keeping the factions in line is the job of the chief of staff, and who is that person, why don't we hear of him like we normally do for any administration?
Jamie said: "But it's true that he doesn't admit mistakes, whether he's alone in making them or not. I'd ask, what would happen if he did? Would his out-and-out enemies in the media applaud his honesty and urge all Americans to put those mistakes behind them, moving forward into a bright future? Trump?"
But the media are like piranhas in a perpetual feeding frenzy no matter what Trump says (or even if he says nothing, as they just make things up), so I don't think their reaction matters that much. It was the more marginal supporters that were pushed away by the way he talked about the covid response after the fact.
I think he should have said: "I trusted the people who were the designated experts, and that turned out to be a mistake becausey they lied to me. Fauci lied, Birx lied and was dishonestly re-wrote regulations, Wolenski at the CDC was completely dishonest. I just never expected that DOCTORS, whose job it is to protect public health, would lie about something so serious. Now I know."
Instead, whenever asked about it, he said that everything was great, the best, etc., etc. (his usual hyperbole), and people whose lives and businesses has been destroyed, who expected Trump to have stood up for them, felt betrayed.
Bab Paley said, "One can never be too rich or too thin."
I heard that Wallis Simpson said that. Who said it first?
Moondawgie, I enjoyed your scenario and it won't happen. It didn't happen when Clinton could have resigned, SHOULD have resigned, in favor of AlGore, who would then likely have been elected president. It won't happen now for the same reasons it didn't happen then. The grasp for power is too strong to break.
Dowd's phrasing "detachment of A Melania" is telling.
Melania, not a real person, but a TYPE. A type which, it is implied, both we and Dowd are well-acquainted with. Not P.L.U.
My time of believing Dowd to be an evil mercenary is certainly coming to a middle.
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