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Joe Biden’s First Blown Opportunity
Yesterday afternoon, Mr. Biden was presented with the opportunity to be and act Presidential, meaning that he had the chance to demonstrate that he has the capability to lead all of the United States of America, rather than just advancing the interests of his particular faction at the expense of his political enemies.
He failed, miserably so.
In Mr. Biden’s public statements regarding the rioting in Washington DC on January 6, (WSJ) he might have used the occasion to reach out to all of those Americans who both voted against him, (47% of the general population according to AP), as well as the 80 % of Republicans and 45% of independents who believe that the 2020 election was compromised (WSJ) and who are also rightly and justly appalled by the lawless behavior of the mob in D.C. He might have said something like this:
- “To all my fellow Americans, Conservatives and Liberals alike, let us all speak with one voice that political violence and rioting is abhorrent, and we as a people must not tolerate it, whether it is executed by those on the Left or those on the Right.”
- “To my fellow citizens who did not vote for me, let me say that I recognize many of you have doubts about the faithfulness of our electoral process, and now suspect that your votes don’t count. Without endorsing such a view, I acknowledge that your concerns may be expressed in good faith. I will work with the incoming Congress to address these concerns, and restore your faith in our electoral processes.”
- “To those of my own political party, and others supportive of my electoral success, I ask you now to set aside your heated passions, and the desires you have for score-settling, no matter how justified you may believe them to be. Our success as a nation has been the result of our willingness to find common ground and compromise.”
What would it have cost Mr. Biden to say these words, or some similar statements? Absolutely nothing. To denounce rioting and unlawful behavior is as easy as saying, “I’m in favor of domestic tranquillity.” To acknowledge the reality that a significant minority (perhaps a majority) of Americans have doubts about the validity of the recent election is nothing more that recognizing that an empirical fact exists (something that the “Party of Science” ought to find easy to support.) The offer to work with Congress? It’s unenforcible, other than as a potential broken promise that might be remembered in four years’ time. But it signals to the Country that Mr. Biden knows it’s an issue, and he’s brave enough to say so. Lastly, by cautioning his own side against attempts to exact vengeance upon those whom they hate, he suggests to the country that he intends to be “President to all America”. Likewise, such a signal costs him nothing; he has no power to prevent Congress from taking such step other than to refuse to sign whatever enabling legislation that reaches his desk.
What would Mr. Biden have gained by saying such things? It would have immediately affirmed the idea that he is capable of advancing the country beyond the partisan rancor of the last sixteen years. He might have reminded and reassured an increasingly anxious nation that it continues to have a shared common identity. He might have spoken truth to POWER (that of his own political base that includes the Administrative State, the media, the educational bureaucracy, and all cultural outlets) and shown he is not the caricature of “Sleepy Ol’ Joe” he appears to be.
Mr. Biden said none of these things. In his failure, the president-Elect missed a golden opportunity to do good, do what is right, and start healing the country. Is he capable of recognizing when he has such chances, or does he even care?
Published in General
You should run for president!!
There is one group within all those groups that would have hated his saying those words: the radical Left.
Biden’s speech yesterday was pathetic. Completely tone-def.
Me, run for office? Thank you, I appreciate the compliment! However, I am “unelectable”. There’s too many issues I won’t compromise on, and so have had to make peace with the fact that I shall never attain elected office.
As regards the Radical Left: of course, they’d hate his saying anything of what I suggest here. But they would also soon recognize that they have the best opportunity to achieve their desired ends by working within the spheres they already control. They would denounce Biden in the media for a day, and then return to implementing their agenda. Actually, it would help Biden to signal that there is some breathing space between him and the Radicals, because it would give “moderates” in Congress room to wiggle and squirm.
I think we can assume that Biden will be Obama II in terms of extending a hand. In other words it’s not happening, apart from some smooth banalities acquired from 40+ years as a pol. But since a lot of people prefer banalities to Trump’s aggressive speechifying, he’ll get away with it.
I assume you are referring to the Obama staffers who write what Biden says. I suspect we will much more of the Obama-era pugnacious statements like “Punch back twice as hard.” Now that they have solved that election problem that held them back in 2010, I expect full CCP.
If Biden had not been interrupted by the rioting and was able to complete his regular 3 hour afternoon nap, I’m certain his public statement would have been much more to everyone’s liking.
Is it really fair to expect quality Presidential public statements when one is interrupted from a nap, especially when the napper is nearly 80 years old.
Let’s be fair people.
It’s called Unity over Division, as we used to see on his campaign’s yard signs.
And that’s probably why he’d never say those words.
Not a lot of Unity. Joe promised us a dark winter. You conservatives better start cleaning up your social media history ASAP.
I expect you are correct. But as I’m not really that tech-savvy, I’ll have to just live with, and be accountable, for what I’ve said.
Agree completely. This is a perfect example of why I have said the DC/Media Establishment have learned nothing. They have turned up the suppression/gas-lighting ratchet. We have much worse ahead of us.
On the other hand, I’m not surprised. All his Unity talk was BS. He’s a corrupt, decrepit, moronic pervert.
Just waiting for Automattic to remove my personal blog, for which I buy my domain. I also just upgraded to the “Business” plan so I have more storage. I have already planned to be incendiary (or more than I already am) for the foreseeable future. I am thanking my lucky stars that I refused to be on Twitter or Facebook, so they can’t do anything to me. And I’m retired, so they can’t cost me my job.
This is actually really well said……sure wish he would take you as a speech writer.
This is EXACTLY what a responsible president would have said. BRAVO!
You’re right, Susan. And so much the better.
Talk of a Hobson’s choice! “What a disgusting development this is.”
It’s kinda weird, but I hadn’t realized until reading your post that I actually have no idea what Biden said.
And Obama doubled down, essentially calling for suppression of “right wing” media, eg, all of you and me. Great way to promote national unity, but of course, that is not the goal at all. The goal is raw power to suppress any opinions not approved by the Left. Sort of like in China. Keep commenting, Ricochetti, now more than ever!!
But, he does not want peace any more than Trump.
Thank you! (A degree in Rhetoric ought to be good for something…)
I admit, I didn’t listen to the recording, but based my OP on what was reported in the Wall Street Journal. I took for granted that if Mr. Biden had said anything like what I suggest, it would have been cited. It wasn’t, and he didn’t.
Excuse me, but this is who they really are. Joe is incapable of making your preferred statements above.
https://ricochet.com/860546/beware-they-are-coming-for-us/
I can’t stand what happened yesterday with Trump. I condemn that. But it made me just as sad to hear Biden’s actual comments today. I would say he was race baiting. This will never bring the country together, and it makes me worry more for the future.
Oh no doubt. Makes me wonder who wrote it for him, because he doesn’t know what he’s saying.
Then there’s the napping thing …. I say give the old codger a break.
“I assume you are referring to the Obama staffers who write what Biden says.”
Maybe. But who are Biden’s masters? Who is telling him what to do? He is clearly a puppet and an incoherent one at that.
My guess is that Biden’s masters are the Globalist Oligarchs who funded his campaign to the tune of billions, and in the background the Chinese, his personal partners in crime. Obama’s preferences and his connections I think would be more radical than what the Oligarchs want, so I don’t think it is Obama who is Biden’s master. If you notice the AOC/Warren/Sanders crowd – Obama’s buddies -were shut out of the cabinet picks.
It also doesn’t really matter what Biden says because the Media will cover for him in any case, and will make out what he says in the end to be gloriously and appropriately Presidential no matter how incoherent it actually was.
Neither does Biden.
You should add “#1” to your post. Numbers two through infinity are soon to follow . . .
Might be time to brush up on your unit prefixes so you know what comes after “mega” and “giga.”
Have you ever noticed how Biden always says something is a first in the history of our nation? First female press core? The worst riots in the history of our nation? The first time a President has done this or that, etc, etc. Well, when you can’t remember the day before, everything is a first.