Cont: The Biden Presidency Part II

[Aridas]

To poke at a couple things...

Wisconsin Republicans Push to Take Over the State's Elections

The onslaught picked up late last month after a long-awaited report on the 2020 results that was ordered by Republican state legislators found no evidence of fraud but made dozens of suggestions for the election commission and the GOP-led Legislature, fueling Republican demands for more control of elections.

Then the Trump-aligned sheriff of Racine County, the state’s fifth most populous county, recommended felony charges against five of the six members of the election commission for guidance they had given to municipal clerks early in the pandemic. The Republican majority leader of the state Senate later seemed to give a green light to that proposal, saying that “prosecutors around the state” should determine whether to bring charges.

And last week, Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican, said that GOP state lawmakers should unilaterally assert control of federal elections, claiming that they had the authority to do so even if Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, stood in their way — an extraordinary legal argument debunked by a 1932 Supreme Court decision and a 1964 ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. His suggestion was nonetheless echoed by Michael Gableman, a conservative former state Supreme Court justice who is conducting the Legislature’s election inquiry.

Republican control of Wisconsin elections is necessary, Johnson said in an interview Wednesday, because he believes Democrats cheat.

“Do I expect Democrats to follow the rules?” said the senator, who over the past year has promoted fringe theories on topics like the Capitol riot and COVID vaccines. “Unfortunately, I probably don’t expect them to follow the rules. And other people don’t either, and that’s the problem.”

**** Johnson and far too many of the Wisconsin Republicans as they try to cheat their way into creating one party rule.

Elsewhere,

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Why Democrats' 'Talking Points Are Not Enough'

I'm not going to highlight anything in particular from that interview, but I have a hard time finding anything to even quibble with what AOC actually said on first glance there.

As a heads up on another matter -

Divide & conquer: A sample of 32,315 pro-Rittenhouse hashtag tweets, Nov 19-20, showed 29,609 with disabled geolocation. Of those, 17,701 were listed as “foreign”, but a deep scrub revealed most of those were in Russia, China, and the EU. @Tara_Writer
@TAPSTRIMEDIA
#Rittenhouse

Telling.

 

[bruto]

It's not that the transfer of power is suspect, in itself. It's just a matter of the timing for the procedure. Like, right in the middle of the poop storm that is her approval rating, and with that dominating headlines...we get this, which takes the spotlight.

I have no doubt that Biden would get this colonoscopy at some point. But I think that dismissing the idea that this was a good opportunity to take the spotlight off of her scary-poor approval rating is pretty naive.

That isn't a "conspiracy theory"; it's common sense.

Are you assuming, then, that Harris's approval rating would go up suitably soon for the colonoscopy to be re-scheduled? Would it be reasonable for us to assume that, if Biden waited until it did, you would find no fault in his timing then? You'd suddenly burst into praise for his doing the right thing at the right time? If you're looking for naiveté, that might be a good place to start.

But more than this, why in the first place make this an issue for words like "suspect," and such negative spin. While I suspect that the timing had little do do with anything but medical convenience and scheduling, one can imagine that Biden did have some choice in when he would schedule the procedure, and let us imagine that, among the various choices that must be made in doing so, he realized that since whenever it occurred, Harris would be acting executive for a short while, and whenever it occurred, she'd be making history, he might as well do it when she could use the boost. What's negative about that? It's good politics, isn't it? They're a team, supposed to help each other out, aren't they? Just because our former president turned on his vice and treated him like **** doesn't mean it should become normal.

 

[Warp12]

Harris would be acting executive for a short while, and whenever it occurred, she'd be making history, he might as well do it when she could use the boost. What's negative about that? It's good politics, isn't it? They're a team, supposed to help each other out, aren't they? Just because our former president turned on his vice and treated him like **** doesn't mean it should become normal.

Sounds like we are pretty much in agreement about the orchestrated timing of this event.

 

[bruto]

Sounds like we are pretty much in agreement about the orchestrated timing of this event.

Not quite. I am saying that although I doubt your simplistic theory of what determined the timing, and your implication that the whole thing was some kind of underhanded political ploy, I would presume that if Biden was thinking thoroughly he might have considered Harris's popularity issue a factor, and that I would not put a negative spin on it either way.

 

[Delvo]

All of this paranoid-delusional thinking requires this technicality to have had the potential to have done anything for Harris's approval number.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

That isn't a "conspiracy theory"...

No, it pretty much is.

 

[CapelDodger]

Not quite. I am saying that although I doubt your simplistic theory of what determined the timing, and your implication that the whole thing was some kind of underhanded political ploy, I would presume that if Biden was thinking thoroughly he might have considered Harris's popularity issue a factor, and that I would not put a negative spin on it either way.

Is Harris's popularity actually an issue at this point? It seems unlikely she'll do a Manchin in the Senate if she doen't get some favours done for her right now. Warp12 is just reaching desperately for something to distract himself from the infrastructure bill Biden's just signed - something Trump couldn't manage in four years (or forty, let's fact it).

 

[bruto]

Is Harris's popularity actually an issue at this point? It seems unlikely she'll do a Manchin in the Senate if she doen't get some favours done for her right now. Warp12 is just reaching desperately for something to distract himself from the infrastructure bill Biden's just signed - something Trump couldn't manage in four years (or forty, let's fact it).

True enough, which is why I really doubt that Warp12's surmise has any merit at all. I still maintain, though, that even if it did, it would hardly be worth mentioning, and would certainly not merit the kind of snarky attitude we see here. If, by chance, Biden did have the opportunity to time the event, and if, by chance, he considered the timing in regard to what would look best for Harris, it would have been entirely appropriate to do so. There's no down side to it. After four years of a president who could be expected to ignore any interest but his own, it seems the possibility of a president thinking further than his own ass is too alien for some to consider as anything but wrongheaded.

 

[Delvo]

a president thinking further than his own ass

That part was the doctors' job.

 

[mgidm86]

Is Harris's popularity actually an issue at this point? It seems unlikely she'll do a Manchin in the Senate if she doen't get some favours done for her right now. Warp12 is just reaching desperately for something to distract himself from the infrastructure bill Biden's just signed - something Trump couldn't manage in four years (or forty, let's fact it).

It is mainly with Republicans. It's the ol' Republican conspiracy theory that Biden was elected solely to get Kamala the Presidency when his dementia eventually kicks in.

They're chomping at the bit waiting for it to happen. And this is mainstream thinking for them.

 

[Warp12]

Is Harris's popularity actually an issue at this point? It seems unlikely she'll do a Manchin in the Senate if she doen't get some favours done for her right now. Warp12 is just reaching desperately for something to distract himself from the infrastructure bill Biden's just signed - something Trump couldn't manage in four years (or forty, let's fact it).

Yeah, it's probably no cause for concern.

As Joe Biden Turns 79, a Panic Over Kamala Harris
https://www.wsj.com/articles/as-biden-turns-79-a-panic-over-kamala-harris-11637362818

The Collapse of Kamala Harris
https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/11/the-collapse-of-kamala-harris/

Kamala Harris's approval rating falls to 28%, a historic low for any modern vice president
https://www.businessinsider.com/kam...ing-historic-low-compared-to-other-vp-2021-11

Kamala Harris has a comically bad approval rating, poll finds
https://www.sfgate.com/national-pol...proval-rating-poll-history-Biden-16602512.php

Kamala Harris’ impressively low approval
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2021/11/10/kamala-harris-impressively-low-approval/

What’s going on with Kamala’s poll numbers?
https://www.politico.com/newsletter...ats-going-on-with-kamalas-poll-numbers-495086

Donald Trump Wallops Joe Biden, Kamala Harris in New 2024 Poll
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-wallops-joe-biden-kamala-harris-new-2024-polls-1651350


The goods news is (great for conservatives), the White House just announced that Biden plans to seek reelection in 2024.

The White House on Monday said that President Joe Biden intends to run for reelection in 2024, following a recent report indicating that the commander in chief and his staff are attempting to assuage concerns about his future political prospects.

When asked whether Harris could expect the President's automatic endorsement if she decides to run for political office in either 2024 or 2028, Psaki said earlier this month, "I don't have any predictions of whether she will run, when she will run. I will leave that to her."

https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/22/politics/joe-biden-reelection-2024/index.html

I wonder, if his health holds up, what his odds of getting elected at age 82 are? Especially considering his reputation as being less-than-sprightly. This is great stuff.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Sounds like you are hoping for Biden to die.

 

[Warp12]

Sounds like you are hoping for Biden to die.

Not at all. I hope he runs. It will be great for conservatives.

 

[The Great Zaganza]

Not at all. I hope he runs. It will be great for conservatives.

That would depend on who' is opponent is, wouldn't you say?

 

[Warp12]

That would depend on who' is opponent is, wouldn't you say?

Sure. Run him, I say.

 

[Fast Eddie B]

Especially considering his reputation as being less-than-sprightly.

I’d pay to see either a ramp running contest or bicycle race between Biden and Trump.

 

[TurkeysGhost]

I wonder, if his health holds up, what his odds of getting elected at age 82 are? Especially considering his reputation as being less-than-sprightly. This is great stuff.

Shaping up to be a battle of the geezers, Trump vs Biden in 2024. 78 vs 82.

I would predict a resounding Trump victory if that were the case. The big wild card is that either of these geriatrics could drop dead or have some other serious health complication that takes them out of the running at any time.

Just by eyeballing the two men Trump seems the obvious candidate for a serious health complication. Being that obese at such an advanced age is very difficult.

 

[Tero]

Shaping up to be a battle of the geezers, Trump vs Biden in 2024. 78 vs 82.

I would predict a resounding Trump victory if that were the case. The big wild card is that either of these geriatrics could drop dead or have some other serious health complication that takes them out of the running at any time.

Just by eyeballing the two men Trump seems the obvious candidate for a serious health complication. Being that obese at such an advanced age is very difficult.

Not any more difficult to vote for Biden if Trump is running. Over 70% of independents dumped him. Trump base is only some 25% of voters.

 

[Aridas]

To poke at a couple articles -

Shelves aren't empty, oil prices are heading down, but Republicans are locked into a disaster story

and not just Republicans, of course,

The New York Times and CNN are spreading misinformation designed to scare people about the economy

For the latter, in particular, there's emphasis on two things happening in said reporting -

It treats the exceptional as if it’s average.
It passes along gross exaggerations without correction.

*sigh*

 

[TurkeysGhost]

Not any more difficult to vote for Biden if Trump is running. Over 70% of independents dumped him. Trump base is only some 25% of voters.

Yeah, but that was before 4 years of failed Democratic leadership reminding everyone why they hate that party. People still hate Trump, but the Democrats will have spent 4 years reminding everyone that things can't get better, even when we "win". Don't underestimate how dispirited the liberal voting population will become.