The Witness Chronicles, July 8, 2024
Arrogance?
This is a reader supported newsletter. Please consider helping out by upgrading to a paid subscription or donating a small amount through Buy Me A Coffee, a site for small financial contributions. Thanks, ME
The State of the Union is Pretty Good. That Could Change, Fast
Trying to pierce the gloom
The optimist in me really doesn’t like writing about the end of the world as we know it. Or being anti-Biden when Joe has done a great job. But I have a hardcore streak of reality along with my optimistic self.
But, and it’s a big but, the future if Joe doesn’t bow out or hangs in there and loses, is pretty scary. If you look at any aspect of the Republican agenda if Trump wins, it’s bad. Really bad. For example, his ideas about economics and taxes would destroy the economy overnight. And it is not just me saying that. It’s virtually every economist who can run the numbers.
Not to mention big corporate CEOs who heard his demented rambling and walked out in shock at how uninformed he was about everything. Not a few of them, nearly eighty, representing a huge chunk of our economy.
That’s just one consequence of electing a man who is clearly out of his mind. But it is one that all those complaining about inflation will find out means that these might be the good old days. And that does not even begin to deal with the civil liberties threatened by a man the courts have declared can do anything without any consequences.
Which is why I keep ranting about the stakes in this election. These issues are what we should be talking about, not Joe Biden’s age. But Joe’s age is the central issue with voters, like it or not.
75% of Democrats are seriously concerned about it. That’s a number the party is focused on, with good reason. But those concerns are derailing their focus on what needs to be the prime directive: beating Trump decisively and derailing those around him who are planning, in detail, the downfall of democracy.
That is not an exaggeration.
Frankly, a lot of us want to feel better about our chances of stopping this chaos. And the answer to that seems to be a different Democratic candidate, almost any other candidate.
This is even more apparent as we see Joe approaching arrogance in his belief he is the only one who can win, which is nonsense. It’s very disappointing to watch a man who has loyally served his country his whole life, putting his own interest ahead of the future of democracy.
The fact that he does not seem capable of understanding that is what scares me the most. I know the man is juggling some serious stuff with global conflicts, the economy, immigration, and a million other things. He likely cannot imagine walking away from that. But he will have no choice if Trump wins.
He has a choice now, but not for long. The entire Republican strategy for winning is based on the fears about Biden’s age. It is all they talk about, and, unfortunately, Biden’s actions are playing into it.
If Joe steps away, that strategy falls to pieces. And what are they left with? A man who is obviously mentally ill in a seriously dangerous way. A man who cannot string together a sentence that is coherent or makes any sense. A man who has simply decided to lie over and over again, without apology.
And a party that wholeheartedly lets him get away with it. A party of hypocrites and would be fascists. This is what we are up against and it’s shameful we let this happen.
That is why I think Joe Biden should end his campaign and pass on the role to another younger but competent politician who can beat that idiot the Republican Party has embraced.
~ I write The Grasshopper, an occasional letter on the creative life and it’s sister, mostly daily publication The Witness Chronicles, a place for my articles on politics and climate. They share a free and paid subscription. I also write The Remarkable, a recovery letter, about my addiction and reentry experience. I don’t paywall any content in these, however this is how I live and I strongly believe all writers and creatives should get paid, if we provide value. Your support with a paid subscription helps make that happen.
If you want to show support but don’t want to commit to a subscription, you can always buy me a coffee!
Believe me, it makes my day. M
I couldn't disagree more. Joe has done a tremendous job and has been the most transformational president since FDR. The media (and writers like you) are creating a potential self-fulfilling prophecy by focusing on Biden's age and his stumbles.
Have you seen his travel schedule and how much he's done since the debate?
He's not stepping down. So you should probably accept it and back him as much as you can.
" ...If Joe steps away, that strategy falls to pieces. And what are they left with? A man who is obviously mentally ill in a seriously dangerous way. A man who cannot string together a sentence that is coherent or makes any sense. A man who has simply decided to lie over and over again, without apology."
This quotation and what preceded it in your article is. just so spot on, in my opinion.
Biden has done a good job during his term, particularly when considering with what he was left. To witness his outward physical deterioration and apparently increasing frailty is difficult to accept but not unusual for individuals around his age. Neither is it of any particular signficance in comparison with ageing symptoms displayed by Trump. In neither case should age be the significant factor in any decision as to their electoral worth or capacity for sound decision-making in the office of POTUS.
What *is* different is the nature of what they have to say and the evidence of how each has behaved in office and what they achieved.
When we consider those factors it is clear that the election of Trump is what ought to be feared, both for his demented and insane rantings, his arrogant self-aggrandisement and threats of retribution to any who don't suit his distorted views on what constitutes a "Great America" and his past record of abuse of workers, women and anyone who stands in his way.
It is those factors on which the mainstream media ought to be focusing. It is those factors that ought to be highlighted by the Democrats and, in neither case simply as attacks or abuse of his character, (for it is what it is and anyone with open eyes and an intelligent appraisal can see that), but as clearly explained, disastrous and harmful results of his being elected. American voters need to be shown just what to expect and why it would be both harmful and wrong.
It is for that reason that I think it would be preferable for Joe Biden to stand down, now, and allow his VP to take up the fight to Trump and his sycophantic, self-serving GOP supporters.
With Biden off the stage, as you so rightly suggest, Trump and the GOP will be robbed of an easy target and the focus can go where it should - on the rights and wrongs of what government ought to be and equitable and equal rights and choices for all Americans.