Is there a lever long enough to move Joe Biden?
Archimedes is purported to have said: “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.”
I’m glad I’m not a Democrat right now. They’re engaged in looking for a lever long enough to dislodge Joe Biden’s stubborn grip on the 2024 nomination, and so far it eludes them. Will they find it in time?
Of course, they may not need it if they can commit enough fraud to win the election even with Biden at the helm. There is zero pretense that they care about the effect his continuing to occupy the office has had, and will have, on the fate of the country and the world. It’s about one thing only: winning. That’s why Joe was chosen in the first place in 2020 – not because he’d be a good president, but because he could be presented to the public in such a way that he would be the victor. And whether this occurred through rigging, fraud, or fair and square, it hardly matters to them, as long as it could be accomplished.
The same is true today. The problems with finding an alternative candidate remain. Is Kamala better – and by “better” they mean “more likely to beat Trump”? The pressure on Biden to withdraw is already relentless, but it will get irresistible if people such as Obama become convinced someone else will be a better candidate.
There are people who think that candidate will be Michelle Obama. There are some who believe it will be Obama himself as Kamala’s VP. I suppose either thing is possible, but my gut feeling is that neither will happen. I think the signals we’d be picking up right now would be different if this was the plan. I believe there is actual confusion and division at the moment concerning the way forward for the party.
And meanwhile, Joe’s a stubborn old cuss, isn’t he?
And meanwhile, Joe’s a stubborn old cuss, isn’t he?
Or Dr. Jill and Hunter are anyway. After all, they have a lot to lose. Post presidency, it’s not as if the old man can make a mint doing speeches or getting 60 million dollar book deals or 15 million dollar Netflix deals. Nobody is going to be interested in hearing from Joe Biden if he loses, especially not deep pocketed lefties. And Hunter is probably gonna need a pardon, or at least a communation.
So yeah, they need to win. Even if they have to prop up Joes corpse weekend at Bernies style, they’ll do it.
Even LBJ, one of the most power-hungry politicians ever, knew when it was time to hit the road.
It is not just loss of income, it is also loss of protection. They will be stripped of their ill gotten loot by all the other criminals. Feudalism 101.
Unfortunately, your take is 100% accurate, neo, but this should not be the question and it certainly is not the crux of the issue.
The head of the Executive branch serves at the pleasure of the American people and the 25th amendment (and impeachment) are in place to handle this scenario. It is dereliction of their duties for the Cabinet and Vice President not to publicly request Joe Biden undergo a very public, cognitive test and make it clear that if he fails the test, or if he refuses to accept the test, they will submit a written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.
The pressure on Biden to withdraw is already relentless, but it will get irresistible if people such as Obama become convinced someone else will be a better candidate.
–neo
I don’t know what the lever(s) to dislodge Biden might be, but I believe they exist and Obama is likely the one to make Biden an offer he can’t refuse.
Right now there’s a big staredown going on, that is no doubt escalating. However, I would argue that hanging tough is Biden’s best strategy for now. He keeps his options open and loses nothing. He can negotiate a better deal and look a stronger leader when he reluctantly steps down for the good of the country.
Also, a better candidate than Biden need not defeat Trump to be a better option, It avoids the devastation of the Party going all-in on a senile candidate then being wiped out down-ballot as well.
This would also avoid future vicious anti-Democrat ads reminding voters that the Democrat Party had so little respect for Americans that Democrats knowingly ran a senile old man for President of the United States.
Even LBJ, one of the most power-hungry politicians ever, knew when it was time to hit the road.
1) Johnson was sentient, though, and 2) Lady Bird and Lynda Bird weren’t in charge behind the curtain.
mikeski, I thought of those differences when I made the comment. It is still striking to me how much things have devolved in 50 years. Actually 56 years now, yikes!
The people who would make that decision, outside the convention, are long-term loyalists, who Biden put there.
Biden is an insider’s insider. He has the opposite problem from Trump, in a way. Trump couldn’t be removed, despite being an outsider not in control of the GOP, because the GOP organization is too weak to remove him over the will of people who vote Republican in primaries. The Democratic party is strong enough to fight off an outsider like Bernie Sanders and screw the people who vote Democrat in primaries, but Biden is an insider with his people in control of that machine, and no other faction strong enough to take control of it from him.
Now the Deep State is primarily loyal to Obama, but they are not the party organization. They’ve been taking direction from Obama since 2017 and they can keep doing that no matter how November turns out. If they got a Democrat who was compos mentis they might start taking direction from that person eventually. I’m not sure Obama improves his position in that event.
Huxley: “This would also avoid future vicious anti-Democrat ads reminding voters that the Democrat Party had so little respect for Americans that Democrats knowingly ran a senile old man for President of the United States.”
Democrats already did this in 2020. They knew perfectly well he was slipping. they did it because they didn’t have a better candidate then, and they don’t have a better candidate now.
Yes, all they care about is winning, but who is “they”, and what is “winning”?
It would take many volumes to document the answer, but Hunter Biden is their representative in extreme. His life has been dedicated to grifting and graft, and his morals are that of a degenerate. He needs to win, or he goes to prison.
Most of the people who play a part in the Democrat’s vast political network haven’t descended to Hunter Biden’s level of wickedness, but they need a Democrat in the White House almost as much as Hunter does. In order to make a good living, they depend on a Democratic administration. Most of these people see themselves as progressive–virtuous not wicked. Their virtue just happens to coincide with their financial interests. Good luck shines on them.
Raise my hand as a original Sundowner won’t finish his term.
So hope the rug gets pulled out from under him. But I am positive he will not be the Democrats nomination. When high player Democrats are out publicly saying he is done he will not get past the Convention.
Now for Harris, she could get a VP and rewarded the joint account funds but can’t see a Harris/ Mooch working. So will they pick someone else as President nomination like Mooch and a safe pick for VP? That would mean dumping Harris with Ithink is possible. That maybe $200 million is the carrot on a stick
The Bidens won’t leave the WH unless Schumer, Jeffries, Obama and whoever else make a credible threat of criminal prosecution of the Bidens for corruption and whatever else can be proven from the laptop. They covered for him in 2020–can’t they turn on him now to save their own backsides? And apparently it has to happen between Tuesday and Friday.
Should point out that are current predicament is suggestive of two conclusions: (1) the pseudo-elective vice presidency should be eliminated and (2) the 25th Amendment is unworkable and should be replaced.
As long as the people looking for the lever have more to lose from using it against him than from not using it he stays, They may leak and grumble but they’re still cashing the checks that come from keeping the graft flowing. Anyone who threatens that status quo is an existential threat to their version of democracy.
Hello, Barack! You look just like the Lord Almighty, and that’s no joke,
Art Deco:
Like so many things in the Constitution, the 25th Amendment depends on having people of integrity in government. Not a good bet these days.
Democrats already did this in 2020. They knew perfectly well he was slipping.
Slipping isn’t the same thing as slipped, flat on his back with his legs in the air for all to see.
Biden 2020 wasn’t as bad as Biden 2024.
The lever needed to get Joe out is the same one that was used to get him in. If the Dem party leadership headed by Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer decide that Joe must go for the good of the party then he will go. If not, he will stay.
So today Biden sent a letter to Congressional Democrats saying he’s not dropping out, and if they want to, they can challenge him at the convention. Wow.
You are right neo. The 25th Amendment may be awkward but I doubt there is any silver bullet that will work perfectly in all situations. Especially when you have corrupt people in power and the media running interference for them.
Kate:
Indeed. Stubborn old cuss.
“Stubborn old cuss”
That’s why we love him! Says the Dem base that has been scarfing down shit sandwiches without complaint for decades.
The longer he holds on the more his “back pay”, or “under the table pay” adds up!
He is holding the money people’s toes to the till–or fire or whatever you want to call it. The longer he holds on the more loot he walks away with from “unknown sources”!
Oh geez–I just remembered–there is always the possibility he will be offered a “teaching” position at some university! 🙂
Steve McCann makes the case that Biden’s power to pardon is his power to control his own fate as well as the price for his departure.
“Based on their [the Bidens] fifty-year history of financial manipulation, influence-peddling, and fraud, they would not hesitate to effectively blackmail the Democrat Party elites.
Therefore, if the Democrat donors and the party hierarchy attempt to utilize the Twenty-Fifth Amendment or demand Joe resign before election day, the Bidens will threaten to issue pre-emptive pardons, including a self-pardon for Joe, before his resignation. Thus, precipitating a massive amount of backlash against the party and all its candidates. Almost certainly guaranteeing a Trump and Republican landslide.
If the Democrat cabal insists that he drop out of the race but remain as president, the Bidens will demand a substantial quid pro quo (be it money or other considerations directed not to Joe but the rest of the Biden family) in order to exit the campaign and defer issuing the pre-emptive pardons until after election day. However, he would maintain the upper hand by the mere implied threat of granting pardons anytime in the next four months before the election.
If Joe Biden stays in the race it will be because Biden, Inc. could not reach a satisfactory agreement with the Democrat Party elites. If Joe chooses to drop out of the race, it will be because the Biden crime family reached a very lucrative settlement with the Democrat Party elites.”
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/07/biden_s_blackmail.html
https://x.com/asymmetricinfo/status/1810345909110157529
The Bidens aren’t going to take a bribe because no amount of money will compensate them for having to give up DC’s biggest prize. They have what they need for retirement, but they’ll never have the jets and helicopters and attention again. They’ll never have a better house than the one they’re in now. They aren’t going to be intimidated by revelations or prosecutions either, because those would only hurt the Democrats’ down ballot candidates. So for now, they’re not going to be moved.
I do wonder whether Hunter will take this down to the wire and at the last minute reap a big pay-off for getting Joe and Jill to back out. He may be capable of doing that, but the situation would have to be very horrible indeed for Jill and Joe to call it quits — for example, Joe incapacitated by a stroke or heart attack and nobody informed until the transaction to Hunter’s bank account finally clears.
About that “lever”… You could be asking the same question re the left in France right now.
The 25th Amendment doesn’t do anything as long as Biden retains enough compos in his mentis to sign a letter.
Worth reviewing the process:
VP + majority of Cabinet declare to Congress that the President is unable to fulfill his duties.
President declares to Congress that he is not unable to resume his powers. (“Nuh-uh!” signed Jos. Biden.) 4 day clock starts ticking.
If the VP does nothing Biden resumes his powers as President when the 4 days are up*. But if the VP + majority of cabinet issue another declaration before the 4 days, (“Yuh-huh!” signed Kamala Harris), then Congress has to agree within 21 days with a 2/3 vote of both houses in order to make the declaration of inability stick. So he needs at minimum 37 people to agree with him in order to get his powers back. It’s a higher bar than impeachment and removal from office.
There’s just no practical way to do this against a President who’s not in a coma or held hostage in a basement or something. In the case of Biden he’d be in front of every camera complaining about how illegitimate it is.
*This is disputed, I’ve seen the section read that he resumes powers immediately, and I support that reading, but if anyone is going to do it then they’re probably going to do it the other way. If you can imagine a President held hostage in a basement and people are signing things for him you wouldn’t want it read that he assumes powers immediately.
The Democrat party has a power vacuum problem that has the potential to create a party civil war.
Or the entire “he must go” gambit is just a ruse. I stopped underestimating Democrats a long time ago.
@james+sisco:Or the entire “he must go” gambit is just a ruse
I vote for the media midwit hive intelligence. They’ll panic for a week and then go right back to saying he’s the sharpest and bestest evah.
Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are fortifying their elections right out in the open now while we’re all distracted by this, and Trump cannot win without them. I’m not saying it’s planned, but I’m saying it’s convenient. The D, whoever it is, Biden or not, is winning in 2024.
The levers are money, status and pardons. Jill and Hunter want to be showered with cash and adulation for life. They want Joe’s legacy enshrined as beloved. The want…the audacity…equal status to the Obamas.
I do think most of the ‘digging in’ we’ve seen from the Bidens these last two weeks is a negotiating tactic. They’re going to shake down the Democrat donor class for every cent they can. They’re going to get assurances of a blanket pardon from President Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, etc. on day one.
We’re talking seven figure book deals, six figure speaking engagements (for all three), corporate sincecures, millions in endowments for the Penn Biden Center, a billion dollar Biden Library and Museum… Perhaps a daytime talk show for Dr. Jill? A monument to Joe in DC? Nothing is too far fetched to imagine. Supposedly Hunter has political ambitions of his own; perhaps assurances Chris Coons will retire in favor of Hunter in 2026? Perhaps some vague commitments to a Hunter for President movement for 2028 or 2032?
I’m sure you all can think of endless other possible inducements. The Bidens are insatiably greedy, immeasurably narcissistic and utterly shameless. Nothing is too absurd to imagine.
Do we want him to go? I’m sure this has been brought up, but i admit, I’ve been in and out. I think it’s important that he go. A president, in his condition, is genuinely dangerous, and he absolutely could win. But do we not want him to run?
Obama’s two terms as President are an immovable constitutional obstacle to him being Harris’s VP. Harris has been a loyal VP and that is an obstacle to Michelle being the nominee. As kicking both Biden and Harris to the curb would not be a good look with independents.
Biden ‘winning’ the 2024 election and then being replaced by Harris with the party leadership choosing her VP is arguably, the path forward that rocks the boat least. None of their choices are good.
I’m with Ackler. It will be tricky for them. Plus no matter what the Dems must win.
He has one foot in the grave already. He dies, problem one solved, it does not matter about Jill and Hunter. It is like the season of Fargo with Kirsten Dunst. The patriarch goes down and the whole crime family dies in the end.
Also there has been no mention of who the VP candidate would be for the Dems. Their best possibility is Biden winning then resigning, with Kamala then naming the VP.
France and Great Britain have taken away any hope I might have had that Biden might lose. He’ll “win.”
Sennacherib – the most likely outcome of Biden resigning would be Harris as president and no vice president until Jan 20, 2025. A replacement VP is nominated by the president but requires majority confirmation in both houses of Congress. I doubt Congress could act before then.
John,
I agree. They can float names for VP, unless this all has to be hush hush.
“Look. I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get outta the race,’ I’d get outta the race. The Lord Almighty’s not comin’ down.”
I know I shouldn’t be staggered by anything this man says, but this just staggered me. The utter, unbelievable, stinking arrogance! He genuinely believes that nobody but God is greater than he is. Nobody but God can tell him what to do. Not even a pretense of caring about what’s good for the country, or for his party, or what voters want. He has the power and might makes right, and he’s not even pretending that this is about anything but keeping his own power. It’s Shakespearean, really.
Nebuchanezzar knew he was going mad, and made amends, therein lies the difference,
Obama wasn’t really a creature of Washington DC. He was only in the Senate for four years before becoming president. He was happy to take the money and leave town (well almost, since he still has a house there). He was popular with the donor class and they sensed he still had something to offer, so the money the Obamas got was an incredible sum.
Biden’s a DC creature. The DC hierarchy matters to him. Yes, the family wants money, but what are they without someone high up in government? Nobodies. And they aren’t especially liked by the donor class, let alone adulated. Hunter’s not going to get elected to anything. Joe’s not going to get a monument. Jill’s not going to get a talk show of her own, though she’ll turn up on TV from time to time. One of the grand-daughters may get a network or studio job. That’s becoming standard corporate policy nowadays, but you don’t step down for that. Real status in the capital comes from having power. Having had power is a distant second.
He was happy to take the money and leave town (well almost, since he still has a house there).
Abraxas:
Obama’s primary residence is in Washington, DC — an $8 mil mansion in the exclusive Kalorama neighborhood. Unlike most retired presidents, Obama stayed in Washington and does so to be close to the political scene.
The estate in Martha’s Vineyard is mostly for summers and vacations.
Huxley: “Biden 2020 wasn’t as bad as Biden 2024.”
He was sucking his wife’s fingers onstage at campaign events. Yeah, he was as bad if you spent any time outside of the corporate, legacy media bubble.
https://nypost.com/2019/11/30/joe-biden-munches-wife-jills-finger-at-iowa-campaign-stop/
Yeah, he was as bad if you spent any time outside of the corporate, legacy media bubble.
Erasmus:
Given that his condition progresses with age, he must have been better four years earlier.
QED.
I’m also making a point about the perception of Biden’s condition. In 2020 it was arguable. In 2024 it became inarguable even with Democrats and “the corporate, legacy media bubble.”
That makes an important difference too.
I think it is preposterous that people cannot force-challenge the capacity of the PotUS under the 25th. The idea that any group can deliberately leave him in power, knowing that he is not competent to perform the duties of the office is just ridiculous.
Also:
}}} There are some who believe it will be Obama himself as Kamala’s VP.
Once more — Obama is not, I am pretty sure, eligible to fulfill the office. You cannot be the veep unless you are able to BE the PotUS, and, by having already served two terms, Obama is not eligible. For much the same reason, you could not nominate a celebrity such as Arnold Schwarzenegger — he is not a natural born US Citizen, and thus cannot be either PotUS orVeep.
}}} Harris has been a loyal VP and that is an obstacle to Michelle being the nominee. As kicking both Biden and Harris to the curb would not be a good look with independents.
Nope. Not going to agree with this one, though. There have been a number of instances where a PotUS, on being re-elected, has changed his running mate for the second term. Hell, FDR did it twice — once, in 1940, after his first two terms, and then again in 1944, to make Truman his veep. I see little reason to presume that Harris gets a pass on being bad as a veep, much less giving her a chance to be PotUS. The merdia will just make changing a talking point, and everyone will Get The Message.
“…don’t have a better candidate…”
But who needs “a better candidate” if you can tweak—sorry, “fortify”—elections much as is REQUIRED?
“…a lever long enough…”
Some call it “the way of all flesh”…
Pingback:Instapundit » Blog Archive » WELL, Y’ALL KNOW HOW I FEEL: Is there a lever long enough to move Joe Biden?
I am sure Sundowner’s head thinks he absolutely hasn’t done a thing wrong and it the greatest. He is sure 80 million people voted for him and his is more popular than any before him.
It’s often said mentality sick people are the last to get they are not well. Joe’s brain has made up its own reality.
Note every time he brings up a lie now it gets expanded on to add more lies.
…In which the author, no matter how brilliant, does not—CANNOT—comprehend in this grim, if sober, prognostication that “Biden” is NOT an ally of the Jewish State…
(…which is just another reason—along with the DIRE NEED to continue disassembling the US—why Decent Joe MUST continue as “POTUS”…)
“War With Hezbollah Is Inevitable”—
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2024/07/08/war_with_hezbollah_is_inevitable_151221.html
H/T Powerline blog.
File under: Disastrous Dissembling Disassembler in Chief.
Neo,
I don’t know how long you intend to write this blog but it’s an enjoyable read.
I am put in mind of the final king of the Southern Kingdom of Judah, poor old Zedekiah. He was put in power by Nebuchadnezzer of Babylon, who intended to install a vassal in order to obtain payment of tribute. At first, everything was fine, until Zedekiah got it in his head that he was actually something like a real king, and started getting uppity. Having taken care of business with the pesky Egyptians at Carchemish, Nebuchadnezzer eventually turned his undivided attention to the disloyal pretender sitting on the throne in Jerusalem. Despite the advice of Jeremiah to capitulate in order to save himself and the people of Judah, Zedekiah decided to fight and the result was the utter destruction of Zedekiah and his entire family. I hope the result of Biden’s obstreperousness is similar to that of Zedekiah at the hands of Nebuchadnezzer, but without the additional effect of the utter destruction of America.
And straight from the “Look What TRUMP Made Us DO!!!” File….
‘We Were “Deceived & Gaslit For Years”, All In The Name Of “Democracy”; Then “Poof”, It Collapsed Overnight’—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/we-were-deceived-gaslit-years-all-name-democracy-then-poof-it-collapsed-overnight
– – – – – – – – – –
Steve, nice try! But that History’s already been written, well sort of (if in the form of a novel)…by John Hersey:
https://www.amazon.com/White-Lotus-John-Hersey/dp/0679725709
“Obama’s two terms as President are an immovable constitutional obstacle to him being Harris’s VP. “ (Geoffrey Britain, @1930, above).
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution says “no one shall be elected to the office of President more than twice….”
Technically, that does not prevent someone from being appointed Vice President and assuming that office after confirmation by Congress (specifically, the Senate, per Article II, Section 1); should the President, for whatever reason, leave office “the Powers and Duties of the said Office, the Same shall devolve on the Vice President…..” (Article II, Section 1 again), so:
Biden leaves office; Harris automatically moves up to President per Article II Section 1; Harris selects a Vice President, aka “Barack Obama,” Obama gets confirmed by the Senate and becomes Vice President. Harris leaves office and per Article II Section 1 Obama advances to the presidency.
Game, set, match.
Obama could only serve out the remainder of Harris’ term, but that would amount to a fourth presidential term for him, but I suspect another 3+ years of Obama after 4 years of Slow Joe would be more than enough to finish off the United States.
We don’t need no steenkin’ credibility, NOSSIR…
(AKA, when yer back is against the wall, scratch, bite, shriek, threaten…play victim…and kick ’em right in the fambly jewels…)
From the Paper of Record—i.e., one of the the two:
“White House refuses to explain Parkinson’s expert’s 8 visits, press secretary accuses reporters of ‘personal attacks’ during tense briefing”—
https://nypost.com/2024/07/08/us-news/parkinsons-doctor-visited-white-house-eight-times-in-eight-month-period-records-show/
Kamala Harris, in one of her more coherent moments…
“Kamala Harris: Anti-Israel protesters ‘show exactly what human emotion should be'”—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/392748
…as she demonstrates why her trademark word salad may well be preferable…
File under: Yes we CAN’T!
Speaking of coherence…
“New Republic Savaged For Its ‘Trump Is Literally Hitler’ Cover”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/new-republic-savaged-its-trump-literally-hitler-cover
Once upon a time…in a land far away, TNR used to be a reputable, even preferred-reading journal…
https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1810660372820459760
A French official said of Petain: “Barely alive, and what is left is pure vanity.” In the case of Biden, it is vanity plus greed. He is also a social climber, who cares desperately about standing well with those he sees as the true aristocracy. I just put up an updated post.
Who Are The Commissioners?
https://chicagoboyz.net/archives/71280.html
Technically, that does not prevent someone from being appointed Vice President and assuming that office after confirmation by Congress”
According to Wiki, this may be so, but “has never been tested.” There’s the issue of interpretation of the 12th Amendment:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution
I don’t seriously think Obama would get nominated, but if that happened, my guess is that this would end up in the Supreme Court very quickly.
“…to come up with an entrance theme…”
Oh, that’s a no-brainer (which I suppose is fortunate…not to mention apropos): “Jack and Jill went up the hill…” (disclaimer: used to have a record of Mother Goose… also Tubby the Tuba, which I guess would be Jerry Nadler in today’s currency, and Peter and the Wolf (of course))…
Or, just fess up!: https://youtu.be/-bzWSJG93P8?si=TO_ZMwYCYfeVmZHq
}}} Is there a lever long enough to move Joe Biden?
I don’t think we really need a fulcrum, we just need to insert it into the right place.
😀
Perhaps they want to get rid of Biden all of a sudden now because they really want to get rid of Blinken.
(Blinken has been joined at the hip with the Bidens for many years)
If they get rid of Blinken, then they can appoint Yahyah Sinwar as US Secretary of State. Or similar. And that would save Hamas and it would also be the end of Israel’s ability to defend itself.
Game. Set. Match.
Anybody have thoughts?
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I think it’s going to be Kamala;
but, only in the functional sense.
On the ballot, it’ll be Biden.
They’re going to say, “Elect Joe, with the knowledge that he’ll resign within a year or so and turn it over to Kamala, who will then select Michelle Obama as her Veep.”
(Or something along those lines. They will propose various names at various times for the Veep position, but none of these will be set-in-stone. This allows different people to attach their varying hopes to the pick.)
I don’t think they dare enter an open convention, for fear of getting a hardcore leftist who’ll produce a Trump landslide, McGovern-style.
Moreover, if they have an open convention and they don’t nominate Kamala, they’ll have passed over the Woman Of Color in favor of someone else. In the Left-Wing Victim Olympics, that’s only permissible if someone with a higher victim score is the “someone else.” (Which is why they won’t allow it to be Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer, unless the latter comes out as lesbian, or the former publicly joins NAMBLA.)
But, what combination of traits produces a higher victim-score than “Woman of Color?” It would require:
(a.) a female or a homosexual, or both (preferably lesbian)
(b.) who is either black, or a quite-dark Latina
(c.) who has some additional victimhood trait
But nobody matching those requirements, who is also electable, exists in the American political landscape. Take; for example, Ilhan Omar. Arguably, she scores higher in the Victim Olympics than Kamala; but, they’re sure-as-hell not going to run her because that would produce a Trump landslide!
So, if Joe drops out, the nomination has to go to Kamala.
But, she’s no more electable than Joe was before the debate; she’s barely more electable than he is after the debate. If she has a debate against Trump and slips into babbling and giggling, it’s over. She might out-debate Trump, but it’s high-risk.
Therefore, I think Democrats will keep Biden with the understanding that his senility allows Kamala as a parachute if/when it gets too bad.
For those Dems who lack confidence in Kamala, they’ll say, “Well, I’m voting for Joe; Kamala’s still just Veep.” And for those Dems who lack confidence in Joe, they’ll say, “I’m really voting for the whole Democratic executive team, and against Trump, and if it looks like Joe can no longer handle things, I have Kamala as a fallback.”
They can have their cake and eat it too, by keeping Biden on the ballot, while strongly emphasizing Kamala’s youth and availability.
There is a story in the bible (Joshua I think), where the israelites face a battle with their enemy. God instructs the priests and musicians to go out in front of the israel army, and they praise God. God then causes confusion in the enemy army and the enemy army turns on itself and kills each other while the israelites stand and watch.
Here is a prayer that the same thing is happening today.
Take; for example, Ilhan Omar. Arguably, she scores higher in the Victim Olympics than Kamala; but, they’re sure-as-hell not going to run her because that would produce a Trump landslide!
Of course she’s not eligible, having been born in Somalia.
Here is a problem with the “semantic dodge” suggested by Cavendish and myself, “no one shall be *elected* more than twice”, to put Barry O back in the White House through the vice-presidency:
If you accept the premise, there is no reason it could not be reapplied forever thereby circumventing the clear intent of the 22nd Amendment. Ie Obama keeps running for VP with a string of ciphers who resign soon after taking office.
Would American voters stand for that? Some would to avoid the agony and nightmare of mean tweets.
Responding to what FOAF on July 9, 2024 at 7:12 pm said:
Jimmy on July 9, 2024 at 9:47 am noted the 12th amendment.
Per the 12th Amendment to the Constitution ends with this sentence:
“But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
That sentence follows rules for Electors when they vote, starting with “The Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President . . . .” So, an Elector cannot vote for someone to be VPOTUS who could not be elected POTUS.
In any event, an interesting thought experiment.
And, I wouldn’t put it past Obama and the rest of the Democrats to give it a try. There would be lawsuits and expedited review by SCOTUS. We can be sure with 99.44% certainty how Justices Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh, Barrett, and even Chief Justice (it’s a punishment/it’s a tax) Roberts would vote. The fun would be watching Justices Sotomayor, Kagan and Jackson squirm.
It’s not a lever, they have what they need. Iff the powers behind the cabal decide Joe needs to go, they WILL take him out by whatever means necessary. They are expert in the arts of “medical emergency.”
Same deal if it appears Trump will win. The left WILL NOT ABIDE that happening, no matter what. Nothing is off the table. They WILL NOT allow him to take office. Get ready. The storm is coming, and it will be destructive.
Indeed, Decent Joe will have to stay away from windows, refuse to take rides in helicopters…and look in all six directions before he crosses the street.
That’s a lot to remember for a guy of Joe’s caliber, come to think of it.
(To be sure, I’ve been wondering about the grim possibility of DJ being taken out by someone dressed up as pure, unadulterated MAGA—how do you say win-win-win-win??)