July 10, 2024
DUMPING BIDEN IS ALL ABOUT ELECTABILITY, NOT CAPABILITY OR COMPETENCE
“Resignation” has a dual meaning.
It is a noun which defines an act of quitting, a formal notice in writing of relinquishment of some position or job and a patient submission, passive acceptance of reality.
This precisely describes the Democrats’ frenzy about whether or not to dump President Joe Biden.
They want Biden to resign but they are definitely not resigned to a second Trump presidency. Before the June 27 debate Democrats were united and energized by their fear and hate of Trump. He was the focus. Now Biden is the issue.
It’s all about feelings versus reality – and remember, the Democrats are the party of “feelings.” There is a contingent of Democrats who are in denial, who refuse to accept that Biden is suffering from diminished mental capability, deem the debate just an off day, sympathize with the president’s plight, appreciate his persistent support of a Left agenda and are insistent that Biden can beat Trump.
But that is unfair to the American voter. They should consider whether he is what’s best for the American people and not whether they will have jobs after November.
They are loyal, the same way Trumpsters are. But a lot of them crave a Kamala Harris presidency.
“What can be, unburden by what has been,” is a phrase she uses a lot. I still don’t know what that exactly means, but I guess it’s about hope and a positive future.
The other faction is the realists, who watch the polls and comprehend that Biden’s cognitive issues translate into a diminished electability.
In other words, they think he can and will LOSE to Trump.
“This is a really bad situation” for the party, said one Democratic Party source, indicating over 70 percent of Democrats want somebody else as their 2024 nominee.
A huge chunk of Democratic voters, whether Biden stays or is forced to go, are going to be disgruntled and de-energized, the source explained, as well as anti-Trump independents.
The early debate was supposed to lay to rest assertions about Biden’s fitness and mental acuity; instead, it proved him unfit. And his post-debate damage control proved that his mumbling, stumbling and bumbling is permanent and will get progressively worse.
A lot of Democrats have a lot of misgivings about a second Biden term. They’re not going to vote for Trump, the source said, but they will either vote for RFK Jr. or not vote at all. A Democratic stay-at-home of just 5 percent or more would tip battleground states of PA, MI, WI, NV, GA and AZ to Trump.
“He (Biden) has to go,” said 45th Ward committeeperson (D) Michael Rabbitt. “Biden was the right candidate in 2020, but we need somebody else in 2024. Job Number One is to defeat Trump.” And why is that? “Trump is a threat to democracy,” Rabbitt replied. And how is that? “He is an Insurrectionist.” “And now he (Trump) can do anything,” Rabbitt said, citing the Supreme Courts presidential immunity decision. This is the Woke/Left mantra: Biden may be a vegetable, but he’s our vegetable and we control his policies.
“The party is behind Biden,” at least in Illinois, said Jacob Kaplan, executive director of the Cook County Democrats, noting that Biden won all 190 of Illinois’ delegates. Of the 3,939 delegates to the Aug. 19 DNC in Chicago, 3,896 are pledged to vote for Biden on the first ballot. “If Biden stays in the race, he gets re-nominated,” predicted Kaplan.
The most cogent comment came from Ald. Nick Sposato (38th), who said “as a citizen I hope he (Biden) does well” as president, but “he has become an embarrassment for America. He needs to step aside. I blame his family for not doing the right thing.” New 41st Ward committeeperson (D) John Hanley chimed-in and said “I trust what’s left of the Democratic party will do the right thing.”
Gentlemen, don’t hold your breath.
Ironically, Biden’s mental diminishment, much like Trump’s 34-count NYC conviction, hasn’t moved the proverbial needle, although Biden’s job approval is down a few points, into the upper 30s.
A July 4 Forbes/HarrisX poll put Biden’s approve/disapprove at 38/57; a July 2 New York Times/Siena poll had it at 36/61, an all-time low; other early July polling had it at 39/50 (Wall Street Journal), 41/58 (Yahoo News) and 37/52 (TIPP). Those are abysmal, usually fatal numbers
Biden vs. Trump polling hasn’t much changed since June 27. Indicating that whatever misfortune befalls either will not faze their core base. Trump was up slightly pre-debate and picked-up a few points since. Nationally, Trump leads Biden, and leads bigger if RFK Jr. and others are included. RFK hurts Biden more than Trump.
A July 4 Forbes/HarrisX had it at 52/48 Trump, and 42/37/16/5. NYT/Siena had it 49/43 and 42/37/8/2/1; WSJ had it 48/42 Trump, CBS News had it 50-48 Biden, Yahoo News had it 46/43 Trump.
But that matters not. The key is these battleground states: NV (6 EVs), AZ (10), PA (19), WI (10), MI (15) and GA (16). They total 76 electoral votes. 270 EVs are needed to win. Biden won 306-232 in 2020.
Trump won 304-227 in 2016. Biden MUST win PA/WI (29) or MI/WI (25); if not, he loses.
At present, and pre-debate, all are Toss-Ups, with Trump now slightly ahead in all but MI and WI, which fluctuates daily. A July 4 Remington poll had Trump winning 5 (GA was omitted): He was up in NV (+7), AZ (+7), MI (+3), WI (+6) and PA (+5). He was also on a tear in TX (+10), OH (+10) and MT (+20), and that Trump blowout will sink Democratic Senate candidates.
But a July 5 Bloomberg/Morning Consult poll had Biden winning MI and WI. The numbers were for Biden in WI (+3) and MI (+5 but for Trump in GA (+1), NV (+5), PA (+7), NC (+3). This poll is the likely outlier.
Can Biden reverse his diminished electability by Nov. 5? I doubt it. Trump looks Increasingly like a winner.
But if Biden withdraws now, the whole picture changes.
Chicago School Board: Lots of CTU puppets.
Chicagoans electing school board members sounds like a great idea, but it just results in another layer of tax-gobbling bureaucracy.
The new board will have 20 members, 10 elected on Nov. 5 in a non-partisan, with 10 more appointed by the mayor, including the president. Brandon Johnson was a paid CTU operative, so every appointee will be a union stooge.
The map creates 10 districts, 3 each with a black and Latino majority, and 2With a white majority; the other two have a 40 percent Latino minority. 47 candidates filed and will be on the Nov. 5 ballot, with the highest vote-getter winning a 2-year term.
After the election each district will be split north/south, and Johnson will appoint a member in the half where the winner does not live.
The board is mostly advisory and does not set CPS policy, but the teachers union never misses an opportunity for power aggrandizement. CTU has endorsed a candidate in each of the 10 2024 contests, meaning their puppets will have money and street workers, making each a favorite to win. The charter schools might support their own candidates, but we shall see.
In 2026 each district will be split and there will be 20 contests for a 4-year term,
Plus a president elected citywide.
In the Far Northwest Side 1st District, CTU has endorsed Jennifer Custer. In the North Side (Rogers Park) 2nd District, CTU has endorsed Ebony DeBerry. In the mixed Latino 3rd District (Albany Park/Logan square) CTU endorsed Jason Dones. In the 4th District (mid-Lakefront from Lincoln park to north loop), CTU endorsed Karen Zaccor.
Some of these candidates already have campaign Web sites, with empty template space for “press coverage.” Classic playbook politics. After all, the CTU has been doing this for a long time. They just got a mayor “in.”
Read more Analysis & Opinion from Russ Stewart at Russstewart.com
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