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I'm Just Flabbergasted. [1]

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Date: 2024-07-20  

After Trump’s RNC speech, the NYT did the usual panel of uncommitted voter responses. The responses were entertaining to say the least, but the following pretty much summed up the mood of the nation:

60-year-old Kristen Morris, who had voted for Biden in 2020 but who is wary of him due to his apparent cognitive decline, expressed anger after the speech about the choice she was facing. "I'm still in disbelief that this is the best America can do," she said. "I'm just flabbergasted."

Me, too, Kristen. You, me, and 70 percent of the American people are flabbergasted that the choice has come down to an 81 year old with cognitive decline and a 78 year old sociopathic narcissist. The cream of the Boomer crop is what they are. (I’m a Boomer.) So, how did this come to pass? We know why the GOP picked Trump (even though 40% would have preferred someone else), but how did the Democrats end up with Biden?

People on this site like to invoke the election of 1968 as an example of why you shouldn’t challenge an incumbent president. But those who do are not asking the right questions about 1968. They should be asking, “Why was there a challenge in the first place and why was it successful?” LBJ was challenged because he was unpopular (Vietnam, urban riots, white backlash), and it was successful because primary voters in New Hampshire expressed their dissatisfaction. Reading the writing on the wall, LBJ wisely withdrew and allowed others to step forward. Except for the bullets fired by an angry Palestinian that didn’t miss RFK, his withdrawal would have likely saved the nation the agony of the Nixon presidency. (The ironies here are mind-blowing.)

Had there been a serious challenge to Biden in 2024 we would likely not be where we are today. (Sorry, but the New Age nutter and what’s-his-name from Illinois don’t count.) First, Biden might have had to debate the challenger, or at least campaigned, and we would have known then that about his health issues. If Biden had somehow survived the challenge, he would at least have a clear mandate. Instead, Biden advanced without the clear mandate and behind in the polls. He decided to gamble and challenge Trump to an early debate. The result of the debate was a confirmation of people’s worst fears; Trump is insane and Biden lacks the mental acuity to continue as president. I know the majority of people on this site do not share this view, just as the majority of Republicans don’t believe Trump is insane, but the vast majority of Americans, including 65% of Democrats, disagree with you. (For the sake of argument, let’s give that recent AP poll a 10 point margin of error; 55% is still a mind-boggling number.)

As a result, we went from a bad pre-debate situation to a horrible post-debate situation and now we have landed in FUBAR. TPTB in the Democratic Party decided too little and too late to challenge the incumbent. Sorry TPTB, the ship sailed. You might have pulled this off had you acted decisively after the debate, but now we are in the death by a thousand pricks (pun intended) and the GOPers are laughing their fool heads off. At this point, we are effed if Biden withdraws and effed if he doesn’t. The one redeeming feature of this situation is that AOC looks like the only adult in the room. If Biden stays in the race, he should continue to rail against the elites and he should give AOC a prominent role at the DNC.

Before I say anything else, I should say that I am by no means advocating the creation of a third party. That’s a Bozo no-no here. (Another Boomer reference.) But, if you like historical election references that might be relevant today, here’s one for you. 1852. In 1852 the Whigs imploded, and it ushered in the creation of a new party. In 1860, the candidate for that party was elected president and the nation went to war with itself. Lincoln was a late comer to the Republican Party; he stayed with the Whigs far longer than most. He also tried desperately to keep the nation intact. History rarely repeats itself, but it’s starting to look like 2024 could be the Democratic Party’s 1852.

Just to be clear and honest, I expressed my dissatisfaction with Biden long before the debate. Also, this is not about Biden’s age per se. (Of course, it’s age related.) Bernie Sanders is older than Biden, but Sanders is a vibrant oldster. If Biden talked and walked like Sanders, we wouldn’t be having this discussion. I also don’t how this will play out. Perhaps Trump will bite the head off a live rat during one of his deranged speeches. (Any Boomer National Lampoon fans recognize the reference?) I will simply repeat, “I’m just flabbergasted.”

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