Thoughts after Super Tuesday
Well, it’s down to Uncle Joe vs. Tio Bernie. I would have far preferred Amy vs. Elizabeth. There is something indescribable and unanalyzable about the gut choices voters make in choosing a candidate. It’s not whether they have the best ideas, best one-liners, best debating techniques, the best fund raising, or even the best organization.
People just trust Joe Biden; it's a deep visceral trust, built up through many years of public exposure on the right side of many important issues and lots of gaffes, lots of falling down and getting back up, some stand out moments, some bad votes, some mistaken judgments, always in the middle of trying to resolve the important policy and political challenges of our time, and a sense that he’s someone genuine just like the rest of us. He acknowledges his mistakes and doesn't take himself too seriously. He struggles to articulate at times, but he comes from a place of decency. I never knew how he overcame a terrible childhood stutter, which makes him even more sympathetic.
People know Bernie Sanders is a fighter; he will fight like hell for his ideas to make their lives better; he will not back down or sell them out. And they like his vision for better health care, better child care, better college tuitions, higher taxes on the wealthy. They know deep down he will not achieve all that he articulates, but they like the goals and the passion, the unquenchable fire and the sense of great personal integrity.
They each have notable flaws. I wish they were each 20 years younger; we have seen the toll the Presidency takes on far younger men.
Their opponent is a liar and a con man, a dishonest and despicable human being, and people know that. Yet they voted him into office anyway. In office he has become a caricature of his worst instincts; the Presidency has in no way roused him to the better angles of his nature, but given leeway and limitless power to his worst traits. Yet a lot of people will likely vote for him again in part because he makes an art form of tearing down his opponents.
Hilary Clinton made terrible mistakes in failing to identify what she was for, as opposed to whom she was against. Biden now has to better and consistently and succinctly articulate his visions for our nation and stick relentlessly to them.
Bernie has been outspoken and forthright on his program to revitalize the nation. The magnitude and costs of the changes he proposes and the tax increases necessary to achieve them make him a large and attractive target for the President and his campaign team.
In 2016 Donald Trump made hay by belittling his opponents and repeating dishonest charges ad nauseam, but they stuck to his Republican and Democratic rivals in indelible fashion. His attack machine is ready to go after Bernie for his forthright socialism and the size of his tax increases, and to attack Joe for his somnolence, his age and his son’s behavior in the Ukraine. However, I’m not sure that Trump has any credibility or any reservoir of good will left outside his band of true believers; he has utterly shredded all of that. As Joseph Welch memorably said to another American demagogue “Until this moment Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness. Let us not assassinate this lad further, senator. You have done enough. Have you no sense of decency sir?”
This time, however, Donald Trump must also face the ads, the acumen and bank account of Michael Bloomberg in support of the Democratic candidate in the expected swing states. During his Presidency, he has alienated middle class suburban women voters, nearly every immigrant to America turned US citizen, and most people of Hispanic descent. There is no longer any doubt at all that he means to take away health coverage from 25 million American citizens if returned to a second term. During the recent corona virus, he has been far more concerned by its impact on his re-election prospects than the health and well-being of those infected, far more concerned with the value of his stock portfolio than the value of human lives.
He has become prone to panic of late such that he abruptly fires his chief of staff and exiles him to Northern Ireland, bringing in yet another hard right Congressional operative. He sidelines and fires his Intelligence Chief for telling the truth to Congress and brings in a loyal partisan hack with no experience in intelligence matters. President Trump has always been his own worst enemy; he cascades from crisis to crisis in his Presidency through his own unforced errors, not due to some grand conspiracy against him. He has surrounded himself with yes men and yes women to the point that he cannot get anything but sycophantic advice from those cowed by his rages and general vindictiveness. He has alienated our allies all over the world to the point where the US’ credibility internationally is shredded.
I’ll enthusiastically support either of his Democratic opponents, but think Biden is the safer bet to actually win in November.
Prepared by: Lucien Wulsin
Dated: 3/7/20