Will Joe Kick It Away Again?

Townhall.com ^ | March 6, 2020 | Pat Buchanan

[Kaslin]

A week ago, the candidacy of Joe Biden was at death's door.

On a taping of "The McLaughlin Group," this writer suggested it might be time to "call the rectory" and have the monsignor come render last rites.

Today, Biden's candidacy is not only alive. He is first in votes, victories and delegates, and is favored to win the nomination and, by most polls, to defeat Donald Trump in November.

"The World Turned Upside Down" was a song the British army band is said to have played at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown. That title applies to what happened in the U.S. political world in the five days from Feb. 29 to March 4.

Going into South Carolina on Feb. 29, Joe Biden had run a miserable and losing campaign.

Starting as the odds-on favorite for the nomination, he finished fourth in the Iowa caucuses, fifth in New Hampshire and then was routed by Bernie Sanders in the Nevada caucuses. His fundraising was anemic. His debate performances ranged from tolerable to terrible.

On the eve of South Carolina, his proclaimed "firewall," the media conceded he might win but wrote him off as a probable fatality on Super Tuesday when 14 states went to the polls.

Then came South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn's endorsement of Biden, which solidified and energized the African American vote in the Palmetto State and led to a Biden blowout in Saturday's primary.

The nonstop free and favorable publicity Biden gained from the victory created a momentum that Mike Bloomberg's billions could not buy. Over that weekend came the withdrawal of Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar and endorsements by both of Biden as the party's best hope against Donald Trump.

Came then Biden's sweep of 10 of the 14 states holding primaries on Super Tuesday. Wednesday saw the withdrawal of Bloomberg, who endorsed Biden and pledged his vast fortune to help Joe and the party defeat Trump in November.

Moreover, for Trump, as Claudius observed in "Hamlet," "When sorrows come, they come not single spies but in battalions."

For 10 days, the Dow Jones average has gyrated wildly, wiping out trillions of dollars in wealth, while the coronavirus slowly claimed victims and dominated the world's media. Predictions of a pandemic, a global economic downturn and a national recession were everywhere.

All in all, a triumphal week for Biden, who racked up 11 state primary victories. Before last Saturday, he had not won a single primary in three presidential campaigns.

But if earlier reports of the demise of Joe Biden were premature, so, too, are today's confident predictions of a Biden sweep this November, marching over the political corpse of Trump and bringing in a Democratic Senate and Democratic House.

As Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over till it's over."

Bernie Sanders' "Revolution" remains unreconciled to a Beltway-Biden restoration, against which many of the Democratic candidates railed before dropping out, including Elizabeth Warren.

Sanders, for whom this is the last hurrah, must decide whether he wants to go down fighting for his cause or stack arms and march into Biden's camp.

If Sanders chooses to fight, he can, even in near-certain defeat, be victorious in history if his "movement" one day captures the national party as it has captured a plurality of the party's young.

If Sanders goes into the coming debates and forces Biden to defend his votes -- for George Bush's war in Iraq and for NAFTA and WTO trade concessions to Communist China -- he may still be crushed.

But Sanders is a true believer. And, for such as these, it is better to die on the hill you have lived and fought on than to march into camp to be patted on the head by an establishment that secretly detests you.

Then there is Biden's vulnerability.

He may be hailed by a fickle media as a conquering hero today. But after the cheering stops, Biden is going to be, for the next eight months, the same candidate he has been for the last eight months. Here is a description of that candidate by The New York Times the day after his Super Tuesday triumph:

"Any suggestion that Mr. Biden is now a risk-free option would appear to contradict the available evidence. He is no safer with a microphone, no likelier to complete a thought without exaggeration or bewildering detour.

"He has not, as a 77-year-old man proudly set in his ways, acquired new powers of persuasion or management in the 72 hours since the first primary state victory of his three presidential campaigns.

"Mr. Biden has blundered this chance before -- the establishment front-runner; the last, best hope for moderates -- fumbling his initial 2020 advantages in a hail of disappointing fund-raising, feeble campaign organization and staggering underperformance."

It ain't over till it's over.

[philippa]

Yes, he will.

[HighSierra5]

You can definitely say that his brain is over. The hate that these Rats and never Trumpers have to make them vote for an obviously senile and demented fool is beyond understanding. If the tables were switched and our side had to vote for an idiot that would definitely be replaced within weeks of becoming President,I would stay home. The American Left has lost all semblance of rationale and intelligence.

[Chickensoup]

it looks like the Russians really stepped in to revive Biden;s campaign./s

or someone else with money

and the complicit media

[preacher]

L8r

[usafa92]

This is a really stupid commentary by Buchanan. He writes from the point of view that Biden is in the driver’s seat to win the election, which he most assuredly is not. Pat has always been an alarmist.

[nathanbedford]

Will Bernie submit and go quietly into the night?

I don't think so. This is his last fling, he must prevail in the next debate and on the trail thereafter or his whole political lifespan is set to naught. He will help to bring down Joe.

Will Bloomberg spend $1 billion to deny trump the White House?

Maybe, but will it work? Spending billions did not work for Hillary and it probably will not work for Biden. Both are remarkably poor candidates, albeit for different reasons. Hillary was probably the most disliked woman of her age and Joe Biden is trespassing on senility and has become a national embarrassment. Worse, he is thoroughly corrupt and therein lies the similarity between Hillary and Biden, both are thoroughly corrupt.

Will the media distort heaven and earth to keep Joe alive?

Yes indeed. Will it work? It will require a continuous job of rehabilitation as Joe makes gaffe after gaffe. It is too late, four decades too late, to create a new biography for Joe. He is on video with his gaffes and his admissions of plagiarism. Normally the media bolsters a Democrat candidate by turning them into John F. Kennedy reincarnated, a task which is impossible with Joe Biden. The media also bolsters a Democrat candidate by smearing his Republican opponent. Trump is now as damaged as he is ever going to be.

Will the coronavirus bring down trump? That is an open question where the data as well as the jury still out.

[GaryCrow]

Someone definitely brought in the fixers to revive Biden’s campaign. That someone really doesn’t want Bernie to be the nominee. Was it the DNC? Soros? Putin? Who knows, but some power broker pulled the strings and all of a sudden Biden’s on the way up and Bernie’s being tossed out the back door into the trash bin.

[wastoute]

We’ve all been wondering for days. All evidence points to, “It’s a trap, Luke!” They can’t be serious about Biden. There has to be something else going on.

[nathanbedford]

my speculations from a few days ago concerning the questions you quite rightly raise

[Alberta's Child]

Yes, Bernie will go quietly into the night. Some folks might even be surprised at how cheaply he sells out, too.

His SUPPORTERS are a whole different story. I get a sense that as many as 20% of them will end up voting for Trump — and many of them not reluctantly, either.

[Vermont Lt]

He is a demented fool. Biden not Pat.

[stanne]

“This is a really stupid commentary by Buchanan.”

?
It’s brilliant.

“He writes from the point of view that

[philled]

His campaign somehow still allows Gaffe-Tastic Joe Biden to appear in public: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=579-d9yYsi0&feature=youtu.be

[stanne]

“He writes from the point of view that Biden is in driver’s seat to win the election, which he most assuredly is not.”

Oh the democrats think he is. Pat tells them he’s not.

“Pat has always been an alarmist.”

Not at all, from my observation.

[stanne]

“This is a really stupid commentary by Buchanan.“

Here’s his point:
“...if earlier reports of the demise of Joe Biden were premature, so, too, are today’s confident predictions of a Biden sweep this November...”

Might want to read it.

[nd76]

The GOP finally will run investigations into Biden; the problem is whether they will shoot their wad too early.

I have to guess that the Mooch, Michelle Hussein Obama, America’s Wookie, is waiting in the wings, after Biden has to withdraw (either because his dementia can no longer be ignored or the Ukraine scandal has become as radioactive as Chernobyl).

They won’t trot her out until after the first ballot at the DNC. Once nominated, the Mooch will not debate Trump; her handlers will not negotiate the details of the debates in good faith, and they’ll blame Trump. The Mooch will run a “front porch campaign like those of the late 19th century.

Even if the Mooch doesn’t get 270 electoral votes, women and Blacks will turn out to re-elect at least 218 ‘Rats to the House and 51 ‘Rats to the Senate. At least that is what the ‘Rats hope.

[stanne]

Maybe. I don’t see her wanting it. She’s as hateful of this country and as lazy as her no good husband.

They might not have anyone but joe and I think he’s Clinton’s puppet like gore would have been. She was sec state with Obama in. Maybe they think they can drag joe across. Then move in. He’ll go along just with the suggestion that he and most of his family won’t go down for sedition or worse.

[Jimmy The Snake]

So my prediction is that it is a contested convention and Biden wins on 2nd vote w/ Super Delegates, as they will OK Biden because he will pick Hillary as his running mate. Then the 2 go on the campaign trail bashing Trump 24x7 in a 2 on 1 fight. Then if Biden wins, the 25th Amendment is used to dump Biden and restore Hillary the throne she was entitled to. After all she won the popular vote. Better than having him commit suicide.

[Jimmy The Snake]

Virus should taper off and end by hot weather summer. Typical when flu season ends. Then things can return to normal, get stock mkt back on track for Nov election.