HIS RIDE'S HERE

 

You know that I've criticised the choice of Joe Biden as Democratic contender for the US presidency before. See: HE'S HAD IT

I criticised his choice at the 2020 election as well as even then he was too old and getting doddery and it was a miracle that he won. Well, given that he was up against the orange fool who'd just about bankrupted the country and caused international chaos a trained monkey could have done the job.

Thinking back I'd have preferred that Joe Biden had also been the contender against Trump in the 2016 elections instead of Hillary Clinton who I thought was a flawed choice. He was younger and a better communicator then and fresh off being vice president under Obama for two terms. He'd likely have been voted in as president and would have done a good job ...

... not that he hasn't done a good job in his current role of president elected in 2020. Under Biden's presidency the US economy has bounced back, relationships have largely been restored with friendly foreign countries, unfriendly foreign countries have been given the cold shoulder (again) and important domestic social support mechanisms replaced. This has been done even though the Trump-led Republican party has had significant power or control in Congress, the Senate and the Supreme Court.

Friday's presidential debate however showed Biden as being shaky and seemingly unsure of himself. I know, I know, I've watched the debate and have read much of the transcripts and almost everything that Biden said was 'on point' and mostly true whereas everything that Trump said was bluster, braggadocio and lies but Trump had the advantage of seeming stronger and in control and this is the point. In politics, particularly US politics smoke and mirrors carries as much importance as competence and knowledge. The punters want a show and pizzazz. Most of them don't listen properly to what's said like in Kennedy's famous speech where he said "Ich bin ein Berliner" or Reagan later in Berlin saying "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall". In these cases simplicity not political truth is the rally cry and stuff that simple Americans love.

Biden's supporters have pointed out that he admitted he didn't have a strong performance but that his message was right. The problem is with a message that is right is that if viewers and listeners don't hear the message properly it could just as well have been wrong. The big danger is that the uncommitted and wavering Republican voters might have liked Trump's message better even though it was as full of bullshit as Robert's Sunday sermon regurgitating posts. The supporters are trying to prop up old Joe again like they did last time. Sadly it's time to let him go.

This doesn't mean that he can't be influential. If Biden's plans and intentions are good - and I believe that they are - he can take an advisory role to the new contender kind of like what Obama has done. America has to get over this idea of the supremacy of a president. He's just a figurehead really and his, or her ability to get things done properly are due to a strong 'cabinet' just like Westminster-based democracies. Anything else is too much like China, Russia, North Korea and the worst authoritarian states in the world.

No, it's time for Joe to go and it'll have to happen quickly. Whether the new contender is Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer or other frontrunners I don't care as long as they keep with the current agenda. That's when the old orange fool will be taken to task.