Suicidal, Realistic, or Romantic?

In her regular Wall Street Journal column Peggy Noonan characterizes the Democrats’ options in their reactions to President Biden’s determination to remain in the presidential race as either suicidal, realistic, or romantic. According to Ms. Noonan the suicidal route is Ridin’ with Biden: he will be defeated by Donald Trump, taking some number of Democratic House and Senate members with him gaining a likely prospect o naming two additional Supreme Court justices.

“Realistic” is inducing Mr. Biden to end his candidacy and:

The realist route, if Mr. Biden ultimately steps aside, is to limit debate, forestall trouble and anoint Kamala Harris as the new nominee.

Here’s the “romantic” strategy:

The romantic route is to take personal responsibility and push the president to step aside. What follows is the Hail Mary pass: Say a prayer, throw the long ball and see who catches it. Devise a process—mini-primaries, open convention, figure it out—that lets the people of the party decide. Devise a formula whereby delegates can choose from five or six candidates. But open this thing up, anoint no one.

I think the Democrats are likely to stay the course. The president certainly will—the prospects for him, his family, and his staff are pretty bleak if he doesn’t. Note, too, that it is in the nature of a politician to believe that a) he/she is the best candidate for the job and b) he/she can win. If it weren’t they wouldn’t be politicians.

6 comments… add one
  • bob sykes Link

    I well remember the 1968 Democrat convention in Chicago. I was 25, and in grad school at Purdue. A couple days of street riots, police clubbing down protesters, the screaming and demonstrations on the floor. Richard Daley yelling at a speaker at the podium, and a long protracted delay counting the national vote. Nixon won; Humphrey disappeared; and a decade nightmare continued.

    I expect a rerun this fall, and another decade long nightmare. Maybe a nuclear Armageddon. Glad I’m old.

  • Grey Shambler Link

    Remember reading, ( or maybe it was a movie review?) about reactions in Moscow after Stalin passed.
    People were confused, afraid, afraid he was dead, afraid he was not dead.
    Seems similar to me, when hundreds of connected, well heeled, positioned government professionals have interests in common, social, financial, political, educational, well , you don’t need a conspiracy theory to see what’s going on.
    These people have a large stake in Joe Biden. Any other way they turn is uncertain, and they have large mortgages and tuition to pay.
    I’ve said before that I feared Barrack Obama was running the show, but I really don’t think he is that ambitious or clever.
    It runs itself.
    If Donald Trump had the character to build a strong team he could be dangerous, as it is he could still be useful by terrifying American legislators into action as he has terrified European’s into action on defense spending.

  • CuriousOnlooker Link

    Instead of wondering what’s the plan if Biden can’t be the candidate for Democrats; maybe we should be wondering what’s the Republican plan if Trump (God forbid) can’t be their candidate for President.

  • Grey Shambler Link

    Curious:
    Prophetic.

  • CuriousOnlooker Link

    Gray, that was no prophecy; I posted after I saw the news, but before it was clear Trump isn’t “seriously injured”. But you have to be concerned if there are others or copycats somewhere out there.

    Trump is supposed to name his running next week; but man next week seems like a long ways away at the moment. And even with a named running mate; is it clear it would be the running mate that is the Republican candidate if the un-sayable occurs??

  • Grey Shambler Link

    Sure, ain’t real “democracy “ fun?

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