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Why Is Biden Running? A Theory
It’s tempting, and easy, to dismiss Biden running for reelection as hubris on his part, or else his “puppet masters” doing so in order to keep running the government behind the scenes. I had another thought for your consideration and discussion.
What if the plan is for Biden to run through the primary season, then shortly before the convention announce that he’s no longer physically up to the job and withdraw, pledging all his delegates to whichever candidate the establishment wants? This would allow them to avoid some of the crazies in their ranks that might otherwise win the nomination and loose the general.
Am I giving the Democrat establishment too much credit by even suggesting this level of foresight and planning?
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I subscribe to the puppet masters theory. He’s easily controlled — just give him ice cream and kids to sniff — and the real powers behind the throne can get away with anything.
It’s a slick theory! I like it. But…
I think he’s started to believe his own PR. I think he thinks (or maybe Jill thinks) that he’s actually President. I’m not sure he’d fall on his sword at this point. Is that why Rice left the WH? Let him see what it’s like trying this solo without outside help?
But who knows. It’s all about power. Whatever it takes. Dems play politics like ancient Greek pankration … no holds barred full contact combat.
It’s probably a reasonable suspicion as far as the Democrat party leadership goes. But Joe and Jill are so full of undeserved self-regard that they would never willingly go along with it. Expect a health emergency at the appropriate time as the Bidens are erased like Yezhov from the famed Stalin photo, never to be seen again.
They might could get him (and Jill) to go along by promising to make the Hunter stuff go away in return.
Or use all that money and Biden family involvement as a threat. I think it is a good theory along with no debates and few press conferences. But who in the world is their candidate?
I suspect that this has some merit. Then his offer of a timely withdrawal in exchange for help with the Hunter matter would have some worth. When he first announced before the last election, I suspected that the timing of it could have had something to do with Hunter stuff beginning to come out. If you remember, it was after things began to come out at a decent clip. And I thought it mmight be Joe’s way of keeping it from coming so fast because he was a candidate and would create cover. But then he is just dumb enough not to realize he has always been nothing but a second rate henchman for the party.
lol, and now I think Jill actually thinks she has some weight in these matters not believing that she will get steamrolled and left in the ditch by the real powers that be anytime they decide. When you are swimming with the sharks, it is only a matter of time before they eat you too.
If the Democratic establishment had a preferred candidate, we’d already know who it was. They don’t have many choices. They’re muddling through, handcuffed by a poor VP choice in 2020.
Kamala is the smartest move FJB ever made in his life! Assuming it was he who made it.
Not a bad theory. Only question if that happens is who will be the nominee. Obviously not Kamala. Assume it will be Gov. French Laundry. Punches all the leftist buttons: pro-criminal, pro-illegal alien and homeless, pro high taxes and regulation, Mr. Climate Change. If so best one liner to make ads for the R will be: Don’t Californicate America!
Michele? Or, heaven forbid, Cthulhu again? (You know she wants another crack at Trump)
I have no idea how this works in the Democratic Party. If someone is elected a delegate by pledging their support for a candidate and that candidate drops out, are they obligated to vote for whomever the drop-out tells them to vote for at the Democratic National Convention? I could see many delegates choosing to honor the request of their previous champion, but are they duty-bound to do so?
If so, that sucks for the delegates. Going to the national convention costs thousands of dollars as I recall, with travel expenses, convention fees, etc. If I’m a delegate and my guy dropped out, that’s a bummer, but it makes it especially bad if now I am obligated to vote for a candidate I never wanted.
I wouldn’t put anything past the party bosses.
You give them too little credit. As Drew says, Biden is their vessel and he is alive enough to stay in office, but so corrupt and brain-dead that he will never be a problem. His family is onboard. FJB!
Now, this comment definitely gives Democrats too much credit. Democrats (especially delegates party insiders and wannabes) will vote for whoever they are told to vote for.
Do you really think there are delegates who like Biden, but would reject Buttegieg or Gavin Newsome, or Michelle Obama because Biden is their guy? They love his press conferences and his rallies? As though the country is going to go off in some different direction without good ole Joe?
All Democrats are “Yellow Dog Democrats” today.
You spelled “Noisome” incorrectly. 😉
I don’t know if the polls that are showing RFK Jr. at 15-20% are of only Democrat voters. It’s interesting if those numbers are valid. Shows a hunger for something different.
I haven’t looked yet, but when was the last time a President changed VPs in a campaign? I think FDR had four different VPs. At least two as Truman wasn’t there from the beginning.
It shows that he’s weak if he did or didn’t.
Kamala: Joe, you’re a racist.
Joe: I want you as my running mate.
That’s quite a bit different from Bush calling Reagan’s economic policy Voodoo Economics in the primary and still getting the VP slot.
They could promise, but they might not be able to deliver if someone else wins. And then they could finally get the treatment they’ve deserved lo these many years.
That used to be the Oregon motto, long ago. But then they went ahead and did it to themselves anyway.
Three for FDR: John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, & Harry S. Truman
Before and after that, I’m not sure there were any such changes. Cactus Jack lived to 1967, by the way.
Oh, and Joe’s not running, at best he’s sauntering.
In my experience, being elected a delegate to a Republican county convention in Minnesota was no big deal. Being elected a delegate to the Congressional District and State conventions was not a big deal, but it was somewhat of a deal. Not everyone who wants to go will get elected, and the expense was substantially more than going to a county convention. Going to the National convention was a much bigger deal. Not one person that I personally knew from my time with the Clay Country Republicans was ever elected as a delegate to the National convention, although many would have liked to have gone. A small number of people get to go, and it costs money and time to attend. People willing to make that commitment do care who gets the nomination. I don’t think that Democrats are so different from Republicans that delegates go through the effort to become a delegate and are also apathetic about what the outcome is.
Even if they’re not obligated to vote for whoever Biden pledges his delegates to, I expect a significant majority would do so, either out of a sense of loyalty to Biden or the party, or simply because the establishment choice is their own second choice anyway.
So if only 70% of Biden’s delegates switch their vote to, say, Noisome (heh) as Biden asks, that’d highly likely be enough to ensure he wins the nomination.
No kidding. And one reason why it might work. Show the old Oregon billboards. And then the most recent pictures of Portland. SF not that bad yet. But working hard to get there.
IIRC, FDR dropped VP Wallace for his ’44 campaign because Wallace was too far left (that’s something coming from FDR!), in favor of the obscure back-bencher Harry S Truman. Can you imagine a modern Democrat dropping anyone because they are too far left?
Just curious, I tried doing a search on “gavin noisome” on different search engines, and it assumed I meant the California governor. That’s my chuckle of the day. Even Google knows he’s noisome.