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President Biden Will Finish His Term, for Better or Worse
I think that President Biden’s recent visit to Saudi Arabia was a success. In fact, I suspect that it was scripted in advance and agreed on by both parties. Mr. Biden needed to be seen trying to increase the oil supply and reduce gas prices. And he needed Saudi Arabia to say no, publicly. Thus, Mr. Biden can blame Saudi Arabia for the high gas prices, just like he’s blaming Putin for inflation.
Mr. Biden has been in politics for 50 years. He understands that his job is not to fix a problem but to shift blame and capitalize politically on a problem.
But some thought that his visit to Saudi Arabia was simply another opportunity for Mr. Biden to demonstrate his weakness as a leader. In fact, there is more and more chatter about replacing him as President. So let’s break this down, from the standpoint of both Democrats and Republicans, in the two realms of domestic and foreign policy.
In terms of domestic policy, I get the impression that Democrats are frustrated with Mr. Biden. I don’t understand why. From my perspective, he has been successful at promoting Democrat policies. The abortion ruling was not his fault. But Democrats have gotten nearly everything else they could have hoped for in economic policies and social policies. A 50/50 Senate with two moderates means that they won’t win everything, no matter who’s in charge. But I think he’s been reasonably productive for them, all things considered. Still, many Democrats are starting to grumble about his uninspiring leadership.
In terms of foreign policy, surely even Democrats recognize the clear and present danger that Mr. Biden presents to world peace. Putin understands exactly what Biden is, as does Xi, Kim Jong-Un, and every other American enemy. Our allies also understand exactly what Biden is. A corrupt fool is in charge of the defense of Western countries, and that creates instability. I would presume that many who voted for Mr. Biden are starting to recognize that things could go horribly wrong, very quickly, with Mr. Biden at the helm.
So I think that when Democrats look at domestic policy, and at foreign policy, I suspect that they are looking for ways to ease Mr. Biden out. If they can find a way to do so gracefully without making the entire Democrat party look incompetent in the process. That may be tricky. But I’ll bet they’re talking about options.
What about Republicans?
In terms of domestic policy, I think that Republicans would be foolish to attempt to replace Mr. Biden. He is as good as it gets right now. His laziness and incompetence are what one hopes for in an adversary. Nearly any other Democrat would likely be more even more effective at enacting Democrat policies. So I say we do what we can to keep him in office.
Which makes a lot of sense, until we consider foreign policy. My God.
The catastrophe in Afghanistan did not have to happen. Neither did the daily catastrophes at our southern border. Neither did Ukraine. What’s next? I’m not sure that America has looked this weak and helpless in the past 100 years, which creates opportunities for common thugs like Afghan warlords and Vladimir Putin. It also creates opportunities for more sophisticated adversaries like Xi and others. And every time someone takes advantage of this unique historical opportunity, it can either go badly or very badly.
It cannot go well.
Ukraine could fall into Russian hands. Or, Russia could keep moving past Ukraine and attempt to take other parts of Europe. Who will stop him? If anyone tries, he could launch a World War. Next week.
Again, any one of these fiascoes could blow up in our face. Wars are unpredictable, particularly in this age of nuclear weapons, bioweapons, EMPs, hackers attacking computer-controlled infrastructure systems, etc. Very bad things could happen very quickly. Who will stop them?
So from a domestic policy standpoint, I think Republicans should try to keep Joe Biden in the Oval Office. But the risk he presents to foreign policy makes this approach too dangerous.
This means, I think, that Democrats and Republicans would both try to remove President Biden if possible.
But I just can’t imagine how that could possibly happen.
Regardless of how many Congressional seats the Republicans win in the fall, I just can’t imagine Joe Biden being removed from office via impeachment. Maybe, I guess.
But I just can’t imagine that.
I also can’t imagine anyone invoking the 25th amendment. It’s not like we elected a healthy man who had a stroke a year later and ended up in a coma. Mr. Biden is in very similar condition today as the day he was “elected.” Maybe somewhat worse. But he was like this during the election, which is why he didn’t campaign.
So the American people determined that he was sufficiently healthy to win the presidency, but then we decide that he’s not? That will be tricky.
Mr. Biden could step down, of course. Except that he won’t. For 50 years, he’s never expressed an interest in anything other than furthering the career of Joe Biden. Sacrificing for love of country is not his style. Just typing that made me chuckle.
The other problem, of course, is Kamala Harris. She may be less intelligent than Joe Biden (sit down and think about that for a minute…), but just as vicious, and just as incompetent. I don’t see how replacing Biden with Harris helps either the Democrats or Republicans, with either domestic or foreign policy.
So, yes, I suspect that the leaders of both parties would be happy if Mr. Biden were not president right now. But in the real world, I just don’t see how that can happen.
We’ll see. But I suspect that Mr. Biden will complete his term. He may even run for re-election. In fact, I presume that he will.
Even if he is replaced, I’m not sure how much it will matter. The Democrat who replaces him will enact Democrat policies, just like Mr. Biden. With similar results.
This is the problem with doing something profoundly stupid, like “electing” Joe Biden to be the leader of the free world. I think we’ve set a course that cannot easily be changed. I just don’t see a way out of this.
Well, except for the obvious, of course. The way out of this was to not elect Mr. Biden to begin with. None of this was difficult to foresee.
But it’s too late for that.
When someone really wants to commit suicide, it can be very difficult to stop them. This is true of individuals, but also of countries and even cultures.
The Democratic Party has sought to fundamentally transform The United States of America at least since President Wilson. It appears that, at long last, they’ve succeeded.
As usual, I really, really hope I’m wrong about all this…
Published in General
The enemy of your enemy is your friend.
That and two peoples with the sense their country was invaded and taken over by alien and hostile religious forces. The Catholics have a better case, since the Palestinians were desert wanderers and didn’t have a country to begin with, and the Jews go pretty far back in Israel. /ducks for cover having offended both Protestants and Muslims. . .
We need the states to push back against the federal government and executive 3-letters. That requires a strong governor in each state and a governor who will lead them and give them backbone. Democrats will neuter the President using their “deep state.” 35-40 states rising up in opposition can do more to demand change. Dems only see a temporary republican president as a speed bump.
One thing is certain. From a few interesting tidbits in reviews of Birx’s book, she rolled Pence like a burrito while Trump’s instincts were closer to what would have been right. The media and Democrats attacked Trump at every turn, if I remember correctly, for not “trusting the science.” Their attacks over the years helped convince Republicans to not support him. Had he not approved the lockdowns, all of the usual suspects would have blamed Trump for all the deaths they would have claimed could have been prevented had he only approved lockdowns and promoted mandatory masking. TDS put us in a bad place and led us to Biden’s election.
For better or worse, that is where a silly people have ended up. The whole world has suffered because of arrogant folks in the CDC and NIH. Health care must never be allowed to be top down again. States must follow the DeSantis model. I am afraid we will lose that model should he run for President.
As if the Republicans would ever do that. I mean, a handful might try, but the Establishment GOP would shoot them down.
Yep. I have given up on Congress. That is why I push for strong, brave governors..
Well, that seems to make at least some sense.. But “the enemy of my enemy” really doesn’t. The PLO is against Israel, but why would the IRA be? So then how does the PLO become “the enemy of my enemy?”
Oh, Gary.
No one forced you to vote how you did Gary. To say so is a lie.
One of the things I work on with clients is taking responsibility for their actions. To do so is a sign of emotionally intelligent individuals with real authenticity and integrity.
Barring a medical event, I think he will finish his term and it will be bad for us
The PLO and the Provisional IRA shared weapons, bomb making techniques, and training camps. Kadaffi (sp?) supplied finances to the IRA and the PLO in the 70s.
Both groups see similarities in how they view themselves as divided states.
Ireland has been one of the strongest international supporters of the “Palestinian cause.”
Yeah, perhaps they shared the same arms dealers.
Three’s a crowd, right?
Exactly!
That makes more sense than “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” in this situation.
No, you chose to support this senile corrupt incompetent man who is destroying our robust energy sector. My pension is worth far less than it was eighteen months ago. Given the catastrophic economic situation he created, I will have to work far past normal retirement age in spite of having saved a lot of money over the past 45 years.
Gary does not care.
In fact, I wager he celebrates it, you dirty Trump supporter.
But No Mean Tweets!
Thought she got through the cancer treatment ok. sure looks good.
The Dems won’t but will be surprised if R’s take over the House and Senate and there is not a move for impeachment. Don’t need 25th Amendment. From everything we are seeing on the 4chan publishing stuff off Hunter’s Iphone, Slow Joe must be the most corrupt President ever elected to the office. What was his net worth in 2008? Recall low six figures. About right for a lazy politician who has had to do nothing constructive in his life. What is it now? 9 million? What happened between 2009 and 2019 to make this idiot rich? Can’t wait for the hearings. A lot more interesting than the J6 crap.
Give me a break – you didn’t have to vote for this man – he is as big a demagogue as Trump and has horrible economic and foreign policies to boot
There’s the classic movie trope of the Critical Seam, or Joint, or Barrier beginning to weaken and sag and spread under the pressure of steam, or the ocean, or the mob. Will it fail!?!? Are we doomed!?!?
The unpredictable element for me right now is our readiness to resist foreign aggression, anywhere.
You watch a military film from China or the Norks, and there is an unending sea of precisely organized, determined. aggressive, stone-faced soldiers. I saw an Islamist film where an obstacle course was being attacked with jaw-dropping ferocity. Then I watch an American military film where I learn … that pronouns are really, REALLY important. (And I suspect especially important on the USS Harvey Milk.)
I haven’t found the story, but I remember that someone in the Special Forces command structure had quit. He felt he was no longer training war fighters, but indicated he felt his principal job was to simply make sure all the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion workshops had been ticked off the list.
China, NK, Russia and Iran all want to see us lose our foreign policy influence as completely as possible. Wouldn’t this be the absolutely perfect time to test and challenge our mettle? And think what they could do in concert, openly or behind the scenes.
So, Dr. B, I don’t think I’ve said anything new that you didn’t say more eloquently in the OP, but it seems that talking removal strategies, et. al., is highly likely to be interrupted – way sooner than later – by Hemingway’s “Gradually and then suddenly.” And Joe ain’t ready, and will never be.
Well, given that Harris is a heartbeat away, I do hope he finishes his term.
Unfortunately, impeachment without conviction and removal makes the side doing the impeachment look weak. Assuming there is a 55 R senate after the midterms (made up number), you would need 12 Democrats to vote to convict, and I just can’t see that happening.
As long as we are swirling around the bowl we might as well have a few good laughs at her expense. She’s earned that.
Exactly.
Harris as President will be as useless as Biden as President, so it doesn’t really matter. Neither of them would/will be in charge. It’s the venal, evil, stupid people holding the puppet strings who need to be . . . strung up.
True, but I’d get a laugh out of watching her make equally stupid public appearances without the excuses of age and senility.
I would agree, but…what if she isn’t just Satanic but the worlds best actress?
I have become fascinated over the last few years with the practical role of royalty in Western Europe.
There’s a big group of people (a country) who need to get a lot of work done every day. Who does what? In that context, the royal families assumed some responsibilities and the elected parliamentary governments assumed others. The British parliament was established in 1215. The Brits have been working on this division of responsibility for a long time. So a working relationship evolved between the elected officials and the royal families that covered the problem of the incompetent or incapacitated king or queen who was the face of the country in foreign affairs. Everyone knew what to do. Of course, their system does not work for us in our republican democracy because we’ve cut out the royalty piece and replaced it with an elected representative: the president.
Nevertheless, given the human beehive we are, and given the limits on the number of ways we humans can organize ourselves into small groups that get the daily work done, we have built a succession system–albeit a different one–that actually achieves the same result as the British royal family succession system. However, in our case, that succession power lies in our civil service.
What I found so disturbing about the NT movement was that it completely obscured the fact that at the national level, we voters are electing parties, not individuals.
As a kid, I always heard the grownups around me say, “Some good comes out of everything.” I think–I hope–the Biden-Trump election brought this important point up to the surface where Americans can think about it. It’s an issue that always needs to be front and center in our country–that after the primaries are over, we are looking at political parties, not individuals. It’s not evil. It’s just how human beings get complicated work done. We are Yes, Minister. Our civil service holds the keys to the kingdom that the royal families used to keep.
Pete fans in our area hope that Biden steps down, Harris steps up, and Pete is appointed VP.