Biden’s Orwellian speech: all hail democracy!
I have to say that this relentless emphasis makes me nervous:
Biden accuses "extreme MAGA Republicans" of trying to "suppress the right of voters and subvert the electoral system itself…and deciding whether your vote even counts. Instead of waiting until an election is over…they're starting now." pic.twitter.com/HGT1TLFwa2
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) November 2, 2022
I don’t just mean all the January 6th hype, or the “save democracy” stuff. It’s the preemptive election denial on the part of Democrats, which makes me think that after all their shrieking about the horrors and threat of “election denial,” they are stirring up their own troops to riot and form another “resistance” if the GOP wins in the midterms. I think that’s likely to happen anyway if the Republicans take over Congress, even without the stirring up, but the extra effort is extremely chilling.
Or, alternatively, the Democrats feel they have this election in the bag despite the polls that say Republicans are way ahead, and that confidence may come from the Democrats’ belief that they can engineer enough fraud to make up the difference.
Either way, it’s a bad deal.
Here’s the transcript of Biden’s speech:
You know, American democracy is under attack because the defeated former President of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election. He refuses to accept the will of the people. He refuses to accept the fact that he lost.
Like the Democrats in 2016. And they did something about it: Russiagate, for starters. But they are the big defenders of democracy, according to Biden.
More:
The great irony about the 2020 election is it’s the most attacked election in our history. And yet — and yet, there is no election in our history that we can be more certain of its results.
Every legal challenge that could have been brought was brought. Every recount that could have been undertaken was undertaken. Every recount confirmed the results.
Wherever fact or evidence have been demanded, the Big Lie has been proven to be just that, a big lie, every single time.
Speaking of great ironies and Big Lies, that’s what Biden is dishing out there. No court ever evaluated the voting because it was impossible to do so once mail-in ballots were removed from envelopes. It could not possibly have been proven that fraud upended the election results; that was a consequence of the rules changes. The court cases Biden referenced almost all were decided on mootness or laches or lack of standing rather than the merits. Recounts had little to nothing to do with the actual allegations and could not have been the answer.
Biden went on:
That means denying your right to vote and deciding whether your vote even counts.
Is that not preemptive election denial on the part of Biden?
Instead of waiting until an election is over, they’re starting well before it. They are starting now.
Who is this “they”? Sounds like it’s you, Biden.
We can’t ignore the impact this is having on our country. It’s damaging, it’s corrosive, and it’s destructive.
Isn’t he talking about his own speech?
Autocracy is the opposite of democracy. It means the rule of one: one person, one interest, one ideology, one party.
Biden and the Democrats are de-legitimizing – or trying to de-legitimize – the right, half the country, and attempting to set up one interest, one ideology, one party: theirs. Otherwise, democracy will die if those nefarious Republicans are elected:
This is the struggle we’re now in: a struggle for democracy, a struggle for decency and dignity, a struggle for prosperity and progress, a struggle for the very soul of America itself.
Make no mistake — democracy is on the ballot for us all.
I don’t doubt it – but not in the way Biden says. For example, if the Democrats were to hold on to the House, and to gain a few more seats in the Senate, we would see them muscling through with tiny majorities enormously radical “reforms” that the narrowness of their margins didn’t allow them to pass during the last two years: an end to the filibuster, the entrance of new mega-blue states such as DC, and HR1 which would forbid states from legislating their own laws to prevent voting fraud. These are very very specific threats – and the latter one is a threat to the republic – in other words, the rights of states vis a vis the federal government.
Notice how Biden continually speaks of democracy, democracy, democracy. The word occurs 38 times in the speech. But the word “republic” only occurs once, in this part: “We, the people, must decide whether we’re going to sustain a republic where reality is accepted, the law is obeyed, and your vote is truly sacred.” And even that single use of the word “republic” seems rather arbitrary, because none of those things has to do with the characteristics of a republic as opposed to a democracy.
[NOTE: A great deal of Biden’s speech was also taken up in condemning political violence, but acting as though it only comes from the right.]
I think Saint Occam of Gillette would go with they know they are going to lose, and lose big, and they are priming the stories that the Republican victories are illegitimate for … reasons. Basically the Stacy Abrams playbook.
}}} And yet — and yet, there is no election in our history that we can be more certain of its results.
There are few elections in our history where the actual result was less improbably in line with the stated result. Plenty of statistically questionable final “results”.
“Proof”? No. But rarely have the reliable statistics been so out of sync with the purported final tallies.
}}} Every legal challenge that could have been brought was brought.
And more than 95% of them were denied on the basis of “standing”, not on the basis of the evidence.
DOH!!
“Why do you keep bringing up all these ‘irrelevant facts’, damn you!?!?!”
I wonder if Biden’s “they’re starting now [to deny votes]” refers to the very aggressive RNC voter integrity efforts underway in at least 22 states. Even here in NC, which has a fairly secure election system, the Republican Party has been to court several times to get injunctions against illegal changes to election laws attempted by the D-controlled State Board of Elections.
Republicans, and Trump, got caught unprepared for the shenanigans going on to push illegal votes into vote counts in 2020. As Neo points out, once an illegally-issued or illegally-accepted ballot gets separated from its source envelope, it can no longer be identified.
Oh, and tangentially related, I subscribed to Andrew Sullivan’s SubStack and FWIW he just announced publicly that he’s voting Republican in the local races in DC, in the hopes of shaking up the Democrats enough to get them to moderate policies nationally.
And yes, I am worried about riots. These people are not committed to our constitutional system; for them, anything goes.
I think they are prepping the battlefield. As I said in an earlier thread, the end of next week could get real ugly.
In a somewhat related sense: the question as to who is really running things and why all this inflammatory rhetoric? A small post earlier today on American Thinker brought forth the hypothesis that the entire Democratic party is now in the hold of Soros. No proof, but certainly could explain a lot of the behavior we see.
What truly constitutes the “big lie” is the fiction that 2020’s election was completely “free and fair”, as well as utterly secure, when, in fact, it was “problematic” in myriad ways, obviously rigged, and probably “stolen”, although proving that beyond any reasonable doubt may not be possible. Meanwhile, more evidence is emerging of collusion between Big Tech and DHS, and the narrative around ‘l’affaire Pelosi” continues to unravel, but, of course, it is leftists who are on the side of democracy (of the variety favored, as noted by Tucker, once upon a time by the DDR and today by the DPRK), while the right has never been able to correct even a single one of the endless fabrications of the left.
Did Jon Meacham write this one too?
We are living in a time where things previously thought impossible are occuring. With that in mind, I’m concerned that Biden’s speech was connected to this item in The Federalist. Was he preparing the battle space?
The left believed their march towards utopia was unstoppable, until a crude, realist billionaire pointed out there was another path for the country to take– to make America great again.
In their anger, the left has focused all of its resources in creating Donald Trump as the devil– to drive a stake through the interloper and enemy.
…”Mass movements can rise and spread without belief in a God, but never without belief in a devil, according to Hoffer. And that devil has to be all-powerful and present everywhere. Identity politics is a means of creating the devil: the racist, the white supremacist, the transphobe, the oppressor. It ceaselessly stokes the us-versus-them dynamic. It also puts a face on the enemy so that the enemy can be defaced and dehumanized. As Saul Alinsky’s 13th rule states: “Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it.” The “personalization” here is really about depersonalization through the demonization of “those people.”
White racism and police brutality are good bogeymen, but they are a bit too abstract. Only individuals can be “canceled.” That’s probably why the Southern Poverty Law Center posts on its website humongous headshots of the people it selects as its targets. Fear is a central reason why there is no way out of this process.”
https://amgreatness.com/2022/10/22/mobs-and-the-weaponization-of-loneliness/
This is not going to end well.
We need to point out to anyone that hasn’t recognized it yet, that the left and conservatives aren’t speaking the same language– that the meaning of words has been coopted and corrupted by the left.
When it comes to voting, democracy to the left means every person– citizen, non-citizen, legal or not deserves to be heard at the ballot box. Any effort by conservatives to establish criteria and create rules for who is eligible to vote is just suppression.
When Presidential historian Michael Beschloss actually suggested on MSNBC that we could be just days away from an authoritarian hellscape if the GOP prevails in midterm elections — raising the specter of our children being taken away and killed, he was referring to abandoning the left’s newest transformation– bail reform, where only conservative “terrorists” are now held without bail, and every oppressed minority is allowed to avoid incarceration. This, of course, will lead to “our children”, an oblique reference to those oppressed minorities being suffocated once again under the heavy weight of police brutality if the semi-fascists regain power.
The left is frantically using narratives to reframe reality. Those that don’t pay attention will get fooled again.
I’m even more paranoid than others here. I fear we may be in the final act, in which Biden (or whoever is pulling the strings) will simply suppress results he doesn’t like. I mean outright declaration that any such votes are invalid. That likely will be preceded by riots in red precincts, particularly ones with many elderly voters (reported in breathless detail by the press, so they’ll be afraid to go to the polls.)
Crazy? Sure, I’d have said that, not many years ago. But we now live in Pottsylvania.
Art Deco, Meacham may have been involved.
From here: https://www.wxow.com/townnews/politics/biden-to-give-speech-on-protecting-democracy-wednesday-night-in-dc/article_f95b1c8c-761d-59c6-b118-700a8aaf8fad.html
“Notice how Biden continually speaks of democracy, democracy, democracy. The word occurs 38 times in the speech.”
Good thing we weren’t playing the democracy version of the “Hi Bob” drinking game Wednesday might.
Yes, his speech was a warning. I have to say that I took his warning seriously about voting Rep and the coming disaster for Democracy. R all down the line.
And yes, the demonizing is worse now more than ever. Bad times are acoming. And yes, I am afraid for what is coming.
“Andrew Sullivan…just announced publicly that he’s voting Republican in the local races in DC, in the hopes of shaking up the Democrats enough to get them to moderate policies nationally.”
And I am announcing publicly I won’t be dating Elizabeth Hurley until she acknowledges my existence. I am more likely to get results than Sullivan.
While there’s general recognition of the populist shift going on in the GOP, the transformation of the Democratic Party into the representative of the professional/managerial class seems taboo. No one is allowed to talk about it. But that transformation is at the heart of the democracy fear-mongering.
Mike
When it comes to voting, democracy to the left means every person– citizen, non-citizen, legal or not deserves to be heard at the ballot box.
No, ‘democracy’ means the Democratic Party wins every election, BAMN. The Democratic Party in our time has attitudes reminiscent of the PRI in Mexico, ca. 1962.
The eugenicist twerps who congregate around Steve Sailer yap about Latin American immigration turning North American into Latin America. They don’t remember that Brazil’s elections are now cleaner than ours.
Does any word repeated robotically by the left have any real meaning: democracy, racism, hate, sexism, fair, white supremacy, fascism, semi-fascism, MAGA Republicans? They’re just blunt instruments.
Language was invented/evolved to communicate and understand. One of Ayn Rand’s subtle points (she didn’t have many) was that totalitarian movements use them for the opposite reason; to prevent communication and understanding.
The left’s ideological fanaticism prevents them from grasping that their goal of an ideological tyranny… only leads to a terrible reckoning.
“They don’t remember that Brazil’s elections are now cleaner than ours.” Art Deco
Hah! Good one. The powers behind Lula pulled ‘a Trump’ on Balisonaro. Brazil’s Courts preventing efforts at transparency tell the tale.
It beggars my imagination, this campaign season. Not a single substantive political issue discussed in this speech, just pure demagoguery, stoking up the fears for the election itself. They really believe people are this stupid, and this is why they stand to lose badly. Can any sensible voter from any political party cast a vote to elect someone to a term of, variously, 2, 4, 6 years – without considering a single issue, past the terror of voting the wrong way? Look no further!
It has to be one of the most unserious stump speeches ever. And Joe is so far gone, that even after about 50 years in office, he hasn’t got a single policy idea to speak about on the eve of a recognized mid-term rout.
I’m not very worried about the outcome of the election. I don’t think the chicanery is going to rise to the level of 2020 this time.
oh it’s quite serious,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3&v=aXUpT_Zjjig&feature=emb_logo
as Rush used to say, when he said something, nothing need be said, much follows with Tucker,
and bolsonaro’s forces have checkmated the Court, certainly ovewhelming immigration has affected california, but their prog sympathies probably have more to with it, it’s a chicken and egg question, teixeira’s replacement theory, was largely involved in the takedown of prop 187,
This is why down ballot races are as important if not more so than the federal and state races. Putting conservative judges and prosecutors in office will take care of Democrat protestor’s that decide to riot.
I watched the 20 minutes of hate and fables. Starting with David Depape who Sundowner thinks is a MAGA hit manhandled if not bad enough gets worse from there.
I still think he lives in his own made up in his head world though someone has to write this for him. Be he sure plays like he believes every word.
Every totalitarian regime demonizing a portion of their own population never ends well.
I’m starting to wonder if “battlespace prep” should be taken literally… For instance if the margin of fraud can’t hide the losses, is Gropey Joe giving tacit permission to the rioters… since they’ve been disenfranchised you know.
I’m not seeing happy endings here.
I have to agree with Art Deco and Geoffrey Britain re: the Left (or at least the Hard, Totalitarian Left) and its definition of “Democracy.” Does anybody on Earth here think that if Illegal Immigrants actually voted overwhelmingly conservative and right-wing that the Left would be so blase about illegal immigration? Does anybody here actually believe that the Left cares about getting out the vote in rural Texas?
No. Obviously not. Results matter far more than methods for them.
This also reminds me about Stanley Paine’s superb “The Collapse of the Spanish Republic, 1933-1936”. Which unlike most subjects focuses on the leadup to the Spanish Civil War and particularly the radicalism on both sides, especially the Left. Including most of the so-called “Republican Left”, who conflated a Republic with Leftism, and who responded to rejection badly. Especially useful since they tend to be lionized in much coverage of the war.
This sort of mentality really strikes me as similar to the left now.
well, it’s the DEMOCRATIC party, so obviously them losing is a loss for Democracy…
It only makes sense, linguistically 🙂
Bloody republicans want to overthrow democrats, so clearly they want to destroy the democracy.
Just have to remember where the rethoric comes from and it all makes sense 🙂
The Democrats have always played the game of “next time” when the bribery and grift will get cooperation. The Leftists are playing this as a matter of survival where the opponents are portrayed as Nazi totalitarians. I worry that this faction will force an existential war on their opponents, since they have have recruited short tempered defectives who have no concept of a “long game”.These defectives rioted and burned cities under Democratic protection, now they sound like they only see more violence as a way to total domination. I don’t think that we are facing a pleasant future.
For anyone who needs a clear translation of Biden’s speech, Ron Klain makes it perfectly clear here. https://dailycaller.com/2022/11/03/biden-speech-ron-klain-democracy/
Assuming the Democrats can’t salvage their electoral position with enough fraud, get ready for things to get really ugly.
Let us not forget Tim Ryan of Ohio suggesting that myself and my family be killed for political thought.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2022/09/14/democrat-tim-ryan-goes-silent-after-saying-voters-must-kill-maga-movement/
Do I take them at the word?
Do I take them at the word?
In terms of substantive policy, Trump had a more Kissingerian approach to the political-military aspect of foreign affairs, favored a more confrontational disposition in trade negotiations, favored a more skeptical stance in evaluating claims for asylum, and favored a wall on the southern border and vigorous enforcement of the immigration laws. He also nominated Federalist Society candidates for the federal courts. He also lobbed sharp rejoinders to his political enemies. This is what partisan Democrats consider beyond the pale.
Leland, 7:25 p.m.: “This is why down ballot races are as important if not more so than the federal and state races. Putting conservative judges and prosecutors in office will take care of Democrat protestor’s that decide to riot.”
Exactly right. I voted early yesterday (because I’m working inside the polls on election day) and I voted Republican all the way down to the Soil and Water Conservation district. School boards, sheriffs, prosecutors, and judges are extremely important.
Kate, kudos to you for working inside the polling places!
We can be sure of the results of the last election because to confess uncertainty is to commit a thought crime. Isn’t it clear, though, that FDR’s victory in 1936 or LBJ’s in 1964 or RMN’s in 1972 were more certain and unchallengeable than Biden’s 2020 electoral college tally?
I do like how TV newspeople ask candidates if all the talk about inflation isn’t a distraction and a deflection from serious concerns about “the survival of our democracy” and the candidates give it right back to them, good and hard.
James Lindsay talks all the time about how to Marxists, “democracy” is when they’re in power and anytime they’re not in power, it’s “fascism.” Because of course, only they represent the true will of the people!
Biden might never have considered himself a Marxist, but the ideology infiltrated his party so effectively that it couldn’t help but rub off on him over the decades.
Screen writer out of work in TV/cable Hollywood because Wokism— SEE COMMENT by “Fred Mertz” (his nom de plume is the neighbour character in “The Honeymooners”) — and he’s married and White and straight non-victim.
Sasha Stone’s substack post and podcast tries to laugh with none far Left comics. But I kept thinking that the whole Blue State / Red State deal footed upon the public REALLY was a Commie disinformation plot circa 1993-4 (and I’m not making this up, it REALLY was), to subvert US international solidarity because BLUE is Capitslidt and RED isbOscislist Color AROUND THE WORLD.
AND when your comic mockery depends on this unconfronted Big Lie….I just stop laughing and get depressed ar you how ignorant these lefties are. (SEE video number two “How to Vote Blue No Matter What”…SMEAR!) This would have been funny four years ago. No mas!
Sasha Stone: “The Collapse of Biden’s Woketopia, And the Realignment of a New America”
EXCERPT (which is a cogent summary of the last three years):
“Joe Biden and the Democrats have a big problem. It isn’t just that they stand to lose in the midterm elections and maybe the Presidency in 2024. They stand to lose much more than that. They stand to lose everything.
“The American people, by now, have had enough. They’re sick of cowards who cannot stand up to the activists who control them. They’re not just sick of them in Washington. They’re sick of them everywhere. They’re sick of being told what they can and can’t say, what they can and can’t think.
“In 2020, a New Woke Order exploded on the streets. It looked a lot like the rehearsal at Evergreen and across many college campuses all over the country. It wasn’t all of the Zoomers leading the charge, but the activists have been loud and powerful. They have captured corporate America and nearly every cultural institution in the country. And they’ve captured Joe Biden and the Democrats.”
https://sashastone.substack.com/p/the-collapse-of-bidens-woketopia#details