Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
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
Ewww. The thought that he has fans.
I got a good laugh yesterday reading an article where the author called Mayor Pete “a lab-created candidate”.
For school board in Madison, Wisconsin.
Maybe.
Mayor Pete has screwed up several times already in a cabinet post that unlike State, Defense or Treasury typically does not present big difficulties. But has he demonstrated enough incompetence, enough ideological blather and a complete inability to admit failure such that he would be a good fit in a
BidenHaris administration? Being married to an overt groomer and clear elitist contempt for normals is a plus, of course.A senile, corrupt buffoon to be succeeded by a former mistress of a powerful pol and then with an ideologically silly homosexual next in line sounds like end-stage court politics in some long forgotten (and unmissed) kingdom. Sodom and Gomorrah probably had better leadership at the end than does the USA currently.
And she’s been holding it all in just on the chance that she might rise to the presidency someday? Naw.
Whenever I think of Biden, I picture the drone some guy made out of his dead cat. Same energy.
Biden stole the election, mostly legally, gathering votes from nursing homes and other legal voters who wouldn’t have otherwise voted, then tossed Trump votes away in the same process. Still Trump got more votes than anyone in history but since we didn’t investigate we can’t know. So those who hated Trump joined Democrats to not explore further. That’s not the issue here. The issue is the next election where the same thing will happened but now they’ve practiced and don’t have a Republican president. The fundamental question we face is what do the Chinese do in the next almost three years, because they have problems as well and need to become dominant before the US might elect a real leader. I think we need to try to get rid of Biden as soon as possible because he puts the Chinese in charge. Kamala, a fool, the old lady, a senile crook, but they aren’t controlled by China. The folks who are running us may be, if not already the Chinese, but can we just sit and wait knowing who controls Biden? Uncertainty and more open chaos is better than Chinese control.
If we want a GOP president in 2025, do we not want Biden to hang in there and run again?
Yes, but I seriously doubt that “they” will allow him to run again. A lot of scheming will go into how to ease him out “nicely,” probably by coopting Jill with a few goodies.
I think that they think that Gavin Newsom will be perfect. Great smile. Glib presentation. Fine restaurant choices.
Doubt we will be that lucky.
I think Newsom thinks it should and will be Newsom. I also think most of the rest of the country will laugh its collective a$$ off at the thought.
You say that based on recently baseless impeachments. If there is Biden impeachment and they expose the money trail linking military technology sales to China with payments to the Biden family account, it will strong.
You could “convict” him before the public and that might be worth it, but never before the Senate. Demo-rats hang together.
But still, access to the First Lady while the First Gentleman is out of the country? With a photo op and news coverage? That had to be approved at the highest levels.
I’m going to make the bold prediction (heh) that Biden doesn’t last to the end of his term and that all the speculation about impeachment/no impeachment is due to a lack of imagination on the part of conservatives. The premise assumes Democrats/pro-regressives still play by the rules. There’s plenty of evidence to refute that and I think we project our own decency onto them and vastly underestimate their ruthlessness. Law and order is for suckers like us. Do we think they wouldn’t kill to retain power? Biden is going one way or another, just as soon as he wears out his usefulness. And Kamala will likely be made an offer she can’t refuse.
I believe Obama is the power behind the scenes. Watch Susan Rice.
He’ll easily take CA, NY, IL, and a few other lost states. No doubt. He’s the Demo-rats best bet. Even DrJill and HeelsUp know it.
Did the Dr. not travel with him? I saw Newsom visiting the White House while Joe was out of town. I hadn’t thought that Jill was in town.
As frail as Joe has obviously become, it’s difficult to believe that only his mind has gone soft.
There are lots of articles on this (Breitbart, Daily Wire) but the most MSM one was July 13 [Daily Mail] (Biden arrived in Israel on July 13):
California Gov. Gavin Newsom tours DC and meets Jill Biden after his ad buy attacking Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis – but says Joe Biden SHOULD run for reelection
Biden beat a successful incumbent. He got more votes – A LOT more votes – than any presidential candidate has ever won, including the messianic Obama.
So, obviously, the Democrats would be crazy to choose not to run Biden again in 2024, right? He’s the most inspirational leader of our time.
Obviously.
Right?
How about a blanket pardon for her and the rest of the Biden gang.
So do you think it will be a Newsom/Buttigieg ticket?
I don’t have polling data in hand but my impression is that fictitious or “aided” voters are far less likely to change their vote as a result of policy failures or defects of personality or of character. Depending on Zuckbucks investment levels, that demographic could become the base of the party by 2024.
Oh my goodness.
What’s crazy is that that’s actually not crazy.
Oh my goodness.
Exactly.
Thanks. I just saw a clip of Newsom walking into the White House.
And the votes were certified. That makes them totes legit.
Obviously.
I hadn’t thought about who the VP for Newsom would be, but since you brought it up, I can see that team as a possibility. I remember some commentator — maybe Mark Simone — pointing out that Mayor Pete had been given a couple billion dollars to spread around the country to build his popularity. With Newsom you’d have what the late, great Rush called “the arousal gap” between women and men, and with Buttigieg you’d have a chance to virtue signal. I can imagine that ticket getting a lot of votes. It also brings closure, because a country stupid enough to elect them is too stupid to survive. It’s an obvious point that if something isn’t eternal, all that remains is to assign the end date.