Biden: Not dead yet?

Following Biden's debate debacle last night, many people (me included) determined his election chances were dead in the water.

Not so fast.

Today, in Raleigh, NC, Biden pulled a Mark Twain--he delivered an incredibly coherent and powerful speech.

Biden's NC speech today shows he's
still in this thing

Unbelievable, in fact. 

I mean, WHERE WAS THIS GUY LAST NIGHT?! 

Biden said the things he should have said in a way that would have made him the frontrunner. 

Hands down.

Unbelievable.

If he can be more like today and less like he was last night, 

Biden's campaign is not dead yet.

Here's a short clip

So sadly, Joe, you gotta go

As last night's Presidential Debate drew to a close, one thing became abundantly clear:

Joe Biden is no longer capable of defeating Donald Trump.

Biden's debate performance
is cause for concern

There are serious discussions this morning, I'm sure, as to whether Joe Biden is even capable at all.

As convicted felon/business fraudster/sexual abuser Trump confidently spewed lie after lie (after lie), Biden looked feeble and confused as he listened, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

He appeared not unlike the actors portraying dementia patients in many of those commercials for Alzheimer's medicines. That's not hyperbole.

And when it was Biden's turn to talk, his words were sometimes unintelligible, his comments frequently changed course mid-stream, most times his answers didn't end with a clear and defined point. And he even occasionally froze as his mind stumbled for a word or a thought.

Which is amazing for a couple reasons: 1) the debate was on Biden's terms--a friendly network with rules and terms proposed by Biden's campaign, and 2) for more than a week, Biden was in isolation with a team of experts as he prepped for the debate. 

And it wasn't enough. Not even close. Which is genuinely cause for concern--both for a presidential candidate and for a man in his 80's.

This wasn't the Biden of the 2020 Presidential Debate (in which he addressed Trump's constant interruptions with "Will you shut up, man?"), nor even that of his State of the Union address in March (with the insightful and forceful proclamation about Jan. 6: "You can't love your country only when you win"). 

No, this was the performance of a man who was exactly as he appeared, feeble and confused.

It was a performance of a man who provided little reason for crucial undecided voters and Trump-haters to give him their votes. It was the performance, too, of a man who certainly didn't even engender confidence from those in his own camp--in a post-debate interview, his Vice-President Kamala Harris tellingly didn't say Biden's debate performance was an aberration.

This was a performance that, if you're a Joe Biden fan (or possibly even if you're not), was painful (and so very sad) to watch.

So, despite Biden's relatively successful tenure--navigating around a highly expected recession, garnering bipartisan Infrastructure and Semi-conductor-production bills, continuing low unemployment, increases in both manufacturing and energy independence, gains in minority wealth, meaningful legislation for US veterans, and even post-Covid US inflation that is WAY below that of the rest of the world--Joe Biden just doesn't seem capable of a second presidential term at age 82.

And that's not only sad for Joe Biden, it's sad for the country, as well.

 

A thorough and cutting take on Biden's debate performance from James Poniewozik at the New York Times here.

For 187 minutes, Trump did nothing

Just a reminder: For 187 minutes on January 6, 2021, Trump supporters pummeled police officers, and

Trump did nothing.

As Trump's supporters hunted down his Vice-President amid chants of "Hang Mike Pence!"

Trump did nothing.

While our country's elected Congressional representatives frantically hastened to take shelter from a violent, advancing mob,

Trump did nothing.

And when Trump supporters marched through the US Capitol carrying flags supporting Trump and the Confederacy--on their way to ransack Congressional offices and occupy the Senate chambers--

Trump did nothing.

Even when Trump's own staff and family implored him to stop the carnage--because they obviously believed (correctly) these were Trump supporters who would stop with his order to do so--

Trump did nothing.

Well, that's not entirely accurate.

Trump sat in the White House.

He watched it all unfold on Fox News.

He told his staff he wished not to be bothered.

He called Congressional members hiding in the Senate chambers, attempting to solicit support to delay
certification of the election results.

He created a video that told this violent mob that he agreed with them and that they were very special.

That's what Trump did during the 187 minutes that the US Capitol--our Capitol--was under siege.

That's not a leader. 

That's a selfish, cowardly, disgusting excuse for a human being.

And the GOP thinks such a piece of garbage should be President again?

Unlike Trump, you can do something.

Vote Biden.

GUILTY!

 A jury of Donald Trump's peers has found the former President of the United States GUILTY OF 34 FELONY COUNTS.

This is a jury that had been selected with Trump's attorneys through jury selection. This is a jury that faced down the fear of possible retaliation by a vengeful criminal and his rabid and misguided minions. This is a jury that listened to all the evidence and decided that Trump did, indeed, have a hand in falsifying business records in an effort to influence the 2016 election.

Not a witch hunt.

Not a political persecution.

Only accountability for criminal actions committed by Donald Trump.

It's justice.

Finally.

Hallelujah.

Unbelievable stats about Trump

Some stunning numbers from the GOP presidential frontrunner:

The GOP's not the only one pulling for a Trump victory

0 popular vote wins

1 liability for sexual assault

2 impeachments

4 indictments

91 criminal charges

187 minutes of silence while Capitol stormed

11,780 votes demanded of Georgia

130K $ in hush money to porn star

430M+ $ owed in court judgments

Wow.

I mean, just, wow.

Today's observation: Which genes are which?

Trump continues to defend his mental acuity by invoking his genetic connection to his MIT professor uncle:

"You know, I had an uncle. He's the longest serving professor, Doctor John Trump, in the history of MIT, with same genes, we have genes, we're smart people, we're smart people."

And, yet, he never mentions his genetic connection to his father that died from Alzheimer's.

An example of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment about which Trump references to brag about his mental competency. And what it really means.

Scared Trump defaults to "bully-mode"

When Trump is scared, he enters "bully-mode."

The bully Donald Trump, as usual, is desperately plotting
to save his own skin

There are three facets of Trump's bully-mode (all intended to build himself up in times of insecurity, while tearing others down):

1) He personally disparages his opponent.

2) He intimates conspiracy theories against them.

3) He threatens others, attempting to challenge events that would serve to label him a loser--such as in his seemingly innumerable court cases or the January 6 certification of electoral votes. 

Usually, Trump employs just one of these strategies. At rare times, when he feels especially threatened, he uses all three.

And, right now, he is absolutely terrified of Nikki Haley--or, perhaps more precisely, the challenge she represents to his self-perceived mantle of invincibility.

But, wait...Nikki Haley? Trump destroyed her in the Iowa Caucuses and then kept her from taking New Hampshire. So, why in the world would anyone think that Trump is scared?

Simple: bully-mode.

When Trump soundly trounced his Iowa competition (by about 30%), he responded with a firmly-secure-in-his-position (albeit uncharacteristically gracious) victory speech:

"I really think this is the time for everybody, our country, to come together. We want to come together whether it's Republican or Democrat or liberal or conservative."

Eight days later in NH, Trump bested Haley by not even eleven points--despite a boost from recently-jilted DeSantis voters joining Team Trump.

Trump's NH speech wasn't nearly as gracious.

It was all-out bully-mode.

Trump spent his entire speech, as Haley's campaign later noted, "ranting and raving" about the opponent he had just vanquished. And that's extremely telling.

1) He disparaged her by making fun of what she was wearing, "I watch her in that fancy dress--that probably wasn't so fancy."

2) He planted a conspiracy about Haley being shady: "She's not going to win, but if she did, she's going to be under investigation...in 15 minutes. I could tell you five reasons why already."

3) His threat here is two-fold: 1) to Haley, upset with her positivity in finishing a relatively close second: "I don't get too angry, I get even."; 2) to ALL GOP donors--the loss of which would severely harm his chances to win the general election: "Anybody that makes a 'contribution' to Birdbrain (Note: Trump's current derogatory nickname for Haley), from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp."

Because he's terrified.

He's terrified that there may be a perception that he is vulnerable. He is terrified that his iron grip on the GOP may slip--and thus, too, the fealty of his minions in Congress.  He's terrified that his rabid MAGA base may not be enough to win him the general election if he can barely muster 50% in a two-person GOP primary.

And he's terrified that if he can't win the general election, all of his criminal charges will rightfully catch up with him, and he won't be able to shut down investigations or try to grant himself a pardon.

And that terrifies him most of all.

So, get used to Trump's bully-mode.

There's a lot more of it to come.

The Inevitability of Trump

Well, here we are.

With DeSantis's departure, the GOP nomination field for President has whittled from fourteen to two.

And, hey, Nikki Haley, who are we kidding? 

It's coming into focus--the GOP nominee will be Trump

The GOP nominee will be Trump.

Polls show Trump with an average margin over Haley of fourteen points in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. And, for the following week, Trump's up an astounding 36% in SC over South Carolina's favorite daughter. So, even if somehow, some way, Nikki Haley were to garner more New Hampshire votes than Trump, it would just delay the inevitable: Donald Trump, the twice-impeached, four-time indicted, 91-felony-count-facing, sexual-assault-liable, business-fraud, former US President--despite facing charges of hoarding classified US documents and promoting conspiracy theories to overturn an election--will be anointed the GOP's nominee to run for president.

Unbelievably, you read that right. 

As it stands right now, even more than half the US GOP Senators--some of whom have called Trump a "con artist," a "pathological liar," or a "race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot"--have now endorsed his candidacy. The same party with lawmakers who claimed Trump's rhetoric was responsible for January 6 are now embracing the candidate who, as President, disregarded the US Constitution and attempted to thwart democracy. And, in the very near future, it will be official.

The Republicans want this despicable, bullying, narcissist as their president--this man who lost the 2020 White House, House, and Senate, and brought embarrassing numbers to the GOP in 2022, as well. 

Fortunately, it isn't exclusively up to the spineless/gullible morons who have cast their lot with Trump.

Despite most polls calling a Biden/Trump rematch in a dead heat (i.e., most are within the margin of error), polls also show that Trump's support would drop double digits if he were convicted.

Well, that's assuming that the voters they polled follow through on their morals and convictions more than most in the GOP have done.

If so, then, despite Trump's inevitable nomination, his ascendency to the presidency will be anything but.

Just like Ron DeSantis, Trump will not spend the next four years in the White House.

It's inevitable.

ADDENDUM: Politico just published (1/22) a thorough analysis of Trump's court cases and electability: Will Trump’s Jan. 6 Trial Take Place Before the Election? - POLITICO

Racism: Today's "Trump Daily Despicability" Entry

Today's entry into the Trump Despicability Index is no secret: Trump is racist.

And he knows how to play his racist audience for support.

Trump's racist assertions about Haley are lies

He's previously done so quite obviously: promoting Confederate "values" with his "Fine people, on both sides" comment about Charlottesville, or his inspiring of the ultra-racist and Trump-supporting Proud Boys to "stand back and stand by" during a Presidential debate when asked to condemn their repulsive tenets of white supremacy.

Now, just as he did for Barack Obama, Ted Cruz, and Kamala Harris, Trump has added Nikki Haley to his resume of racism by promoting the baseless and disgusting conspiracy lie that she, too, is ineligible for the presidency because she is--wait for it--not a US-born citizen.

Um, except she is (as are Obama, Cruz, and Harris).

Haley was born, indisputably, in the US--in Bamberg, South Carolina.

And, according to the US Constitution's Fourteenth Amendment (which also talks about disqualification for insurrection, btw), "All persons born...in the United States...are citizens of the United States..."

So, why does Trump do this?

Because he wants the racism daily double--he thinks his doing so will "delegitimize" a political opponent (who is not "white" like him and his followers) AND he gets to rally and infuriate his gullible and angry base of deplorable voters that are still burning from the "indignity" of a Black man being elected US President in 2008.

And, in this heavily MAGA anti-immigrant climate (well, non-European immigrant, anyway), it's just a bonus for Trump's rabid base that Haley's parents were both immigrants (who, btw, Trump says are "poisoning the blood of our country").

Hmm, also immigrants were Harris's parents and Cruz's father (Obama's Kenyan dad had been studying in the US with his Kansas-born wife when Barack was born). (Parenthetically, Melania's an immigrant, too, albeit of white, European heritage).

This isn't a coincidence.

And this isn't a mistake.

This is a former president and current candidate for that office purposely playing the racist card to pull the cockroaches from the dark recesses of our society out into the light so they will cast their votes for him.

THAT'S Trump's strategy.

If that's not despicable, nothing is. 

Trump: Daily Despicability

Inmate #PO1135809

Donald Trump is despicable.

He doesn't care about the people.

He doesn't care about the law.

And he continues to prove it day after day.

Men wait outside a soup kitchen
 during the Great Depression

Yesterday, he said he hoped the US economy collapses in the next year (essentially so it wouldn't hurt him politically if he was elected President)--not taking into account the loss of businesses, the loss of jobs, the short- and long-term suffering and effects on our fellow citizens that MAGA insists Trump cares about so much. 

Nope. He hopes the economy crashes now so it won't affect his image.

And, just this morning, in his presidential immunity trial, Trump's team--defending the self-proclaimed "Law and Order" President--argued that a President couldn't be criminally charged with having his political rivals assassinated unless he had been first impeached and convicted of that in Congress.

Actual text from today's federal appeals court hearing:

Judge: Could a president who ordered SEAL team 6 to assassinate a political rival and is not impeached, would he be subject to criminal prosecution?

Trump lawyer: If he were impeached and convicted first.

Think about that. 

Trump's team is arguing that a US President could have his political rivals murdered, and if the Senate was spineless/immoral enough not to vote to convict the President in an impeachment trial (as happened in Trump's insurrection impeachment trial because Senators feared violence directed towards their families, or because some Senators clung to the weak argument that it wasn't proper to convict a, by then, former President), that the once-President would be able to walk away scot-free.

No one would be safe in Trump's America

That means if Biden ordered such assassinations now, he couldn't be charged unless he was convicted in the Democrat-controlled Senate. And if the Democratic Senator votes were affected by fear of violence or personal political repercussions or because of peer-pressure or lack of moral/ethical turpitude, Biden would happily railroad off into the sunset.

And that's what Trump thinks is acceptable?

My, God.

On second thought, despicable doesn't even begin to describe him.

Our Country's on Fire

A fire alarm sounds. Rational people get the hell out of the building. They don't stay, even if Frank from accounting tells them there's no fire, even while the office burns around them. 

To those that don't heed the alarm, bad things happen, especially to Frank. And to those that believed him.

Incredibly, that's where we find our country. Too many people believe Frank.

On the ignominious anniversary of Trump siccing his violent mob on the U.S. Capitol in 2021, numerous politicians and organizations are sounding the alarm about Donald Trump and what his power grab then--and ostensibly, in the future--will mean for democracy and the United States.

Rational people think, "Danger!" 

Trump supporters think, "Frank from accounting said this isn't a problem."

Video from that day shows Trump supporters attacking police, ransacking the US Capitol, and chanting to hang Trump's own vice-president--these people Trump and his followers now cheer as "Patriots." Those arrested and awaiting trial for their alleged crimes, Trump calls "hostages." Trump's political rallies play videos of his minions overrunning the Capitol, with the background music of the insurrectionists singing the national anthem and Trump reciting the pledge.

As rational people know, Trump engineered the event ("Be there, will be wild!") after cultivating doubt about a fair election among his many gullible and angry followers for months--spewing disproven conspiracies ranging from ballot-switching Dominion election machines to voting from scores of dead voters (for which Trump's claim has helped bring a Georgia arrest).

And the flames, people, are raging. 

Trump vows retribution. He threatens witnesses. He has laid out a road map for what his chaotic and vengeful presidency would be. He and his campaign have again refused to say they would accept results if he doesn't win.

But the GOP doesn't seem to care. Trump can do no wrong. 

And the gullible GOP followers think the same thing--even an astounding 34% of them believe that US law enforcement actually organized and encouraged the Trump-incited, disgraceful and horrific January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.

The building is on fire.

For God's sake, don't listen to Frank.