Will Joe Biden Get Tired of All This Winning?... No, Seriously...

Time to talk 2024

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By nearly any measure, Joe Biden has had the most sweeping, successful, and consequential single term in two to three generations. Despite having to fight off global inflation that has made life difficult for the average American… He’s been winning and winning and winning…

Maybe we all underestimated him.

Joe Biden’s original campaign felt like a call to service, the Democratic version of the Bat Signal, a country once again asking a man who’s always been there to pack his bags and serve one more time. He was seen as the only one with enough blue-collar “white guy” appeal to beat Trump. As the election results came in, we witnessed a far closer election than we now remember, with sliver margins in three states. It turned out that Joe Biden was the one man in America who could beat Trump. At 78, we had a president with enough appeal to oust a destabilizing global movement along with a sociopathic man. But then Biden did something that shocked us.

We expected the sudden success in organizing a vaccine “surge.” After all, Biden was competent and knew the federal government better than anyone. We had no indication or right to expect Biden to embrace the label of an “FDR Democrat” who wanted a “New Deal for the 21st Century.” Radically liberal. Biden unapologetically proposed an infrastructure bill so massive that it literally would drag the United States kicking and screaming into a new, net-wired century, aka “Build Back Better.” Biden, insightfully, even proposed paying adults who are caregivers to elderly parents as “infrastructure” in need of pay. It seems obvious in retrospect. It wasn’t just bridges and airports. It was creating government programs that matched the society it enveloped.

With only his Vice-President available to break ties in the Senate and through some tricks learned through invaluable experience, Biden managed to get a major fraction of his infrastructure program signed into law in reconciliation bills. The changes will ripple for decades. It is best put this way; ‘Build Back Better” was so massive in scope that the major fraction he did get was shockingly impressive and important. We have just now seen the top sliver of the impact it will have.

His accomplishments elsewhere? (Linked HERE)

Biden ended the longest war in U.S. history (The deaths came about due to a terrorist strike by ISIS, not the Taliban. Trump pulled our forces out of Syria, the ones at war with ISIS. That the casualties were due to terrorism is usually left out of Right-Wing criticism.)

Appointed the first black woman to the SCOTUS

Appointed more judges to the federal bench in any two-year period than any president in a full first term.

Forgave hundred of millions in student loans.

Pardoned thousands of people with marijuana possession violations.

The inflation reduction bill is the largest investment in green energy and climate change in history.

He (Finally) managed to get Medicare eligible to bargain for Rx drug prices.

Brought bipartisan legislation to get the CHIPS Act passed, protecting U.S. silicon chip production.

He reauthorized the Violence Against Women, a law he spearheaded in the 80s, when some still thought that slapping the little woman was still needed from time to time.

He lowered insulin prices to no more than $35.00 per month, a change that was “literally life-saving from a financial perspective” for diabetics.

He reduced the deficit amongst all this spending by raising taxes on the rich and corporations.

As said, many have called it the “Most consequential presidential term in generations.”

All of the above are domestic victories. It is crucial to mention that it was a virtual certainty that Trump would have pulled us out of NATO. Biden brought it back stronger than before, which then helped the brave Ukrainian military push the Russian army back toward the border, forcing Putin to call up conscripts in a war he looks sure to lose.

With a 50-50 Senate, the above represents, well, more than we could have reasonably hoped for when we voted.

As the term progressed and victory after victory came about, Fox News personalities and Republicans stopped calling him senile or an invalid. Instead of being a four-year placeholder defending democracy, Biden attacked problem after problem, like a man who knows it’ll take eight years to finish the job. He appears vibrant and excited about the future. A woman on Twitter once asked, “Why does Joe look better in his leather jacket than my boyfriend?”

He is 80 years old and looks like he has at least six more great years in him… But…

Winning andTrouble brewing

Before the midterms, there had been very troubled talk about Biden’s age and a second term. The relatively huge victory against midterm expectations has hit a reset on some of the talk.

I set out all the accomplishments above because many Americans don’t know how much success Biden has had. He hasn’t been able to sell it with the energy he might have once done with joy. That is a problem.

Whenever I write on this topic, my email fills up with angry messages from fellow writers and staff from Democrats all over. I’m sure some of you are unhappy. But someone has to discuss these things because it is certainly being discussed in the White House. Moreover, though Biden says that he plans to run again, he hasn’t announced he is running and hasn’t put together a campaign staff.

The fact is, Joe Biden will be almost 82 on election day in 2024 and closer to 90 than 80 at the end of a potential second term. The presidency is notorious for grinding people down and spitting them out at any age. Obama aged 20 years from 2009 to 2017. I challenge anyone to listen to interviews of Trump in 2015 and those after the 2020 election. His vocabulary and ability to put together coherent thoughts have diminished tremendously. (Admittedly, Trump started way behind anyway) And Joe has had some senior moments, none of which were anywhere near as important as the experience he brought to the office, experience is vitally important, but the gaffes and moments of confusion were noticeable.

What do voters think? That is another problem. According to the New York Times:

In CNN exit polls, 67 percent of voters last week said they did not want Mr. Biden to run for re-election, including a significant share of Democrats. A New York Times/Siena College poll in July found that nearly two-thirds of Democrats preferred another candidate for 2024, with age listed as the top concern by most party members.

Some anonymous Democrats on the Hill said that the mid-term win was “despite” Biden, not because of Biden. That is way too far, way too far. Without Biden’s “wins,” the midterms would have been much tougher on Democrats. The Left’s anger about Roe transforming into Dobbs was critical but wasn’t enough to give the midterms to Democrats. Biden’s steadiness and “normalcy” helped tremendously.

So. Is Joe “tired” from all this winning? Will he say, “Bless you, America; I love you. I did what I thought was my duty and did it the best I could. Now it’s time to turn things over to the younger generation.”

Or will he say, “Hey, I’m having the time of my life. I feel great. We’ve done great things. Continue ahead, full throttle.”

One thing is fairly certain. IF it looks like Trump is going to be nominated by the GOP, Joe will almost certainly run again. He will say, “I have beaten him once and will beat him worse if given another chance. Joe would be right. But it increasingly looks like Trump tripped on being the nominee, stepping on rakes for a year but really accelerating of late, Nazi dinners, terminating the Constitution, and a major announcement about Trump superhero cards. Most people believe that Ron DeSantis is almost a shoo-in. A DeSantis versus Biden election would look much different, and few people know that DeSantis is more extreme than Trump. Even fewer fully appreciate Biden’s successes.

There is one other complication that makes Biden’s decision that much more difficult. There is no Democratic bench, at least not at the federal level.

For reasons passing understanding, Kamala Harris went from one of the strongest U.S. Senators, a natural leader, and a rising star to… well, she’s missing something. When pictured, she’s usually smiling and goofing around. It is relatable and nice, but not what made her a star. She might be terribly staffed. She might be personally failing. Why is she not at the border once a month, talking, demanding, changes? Angry Harris, the one that was so wildly popular as a senator when she grilled Republicans, is gone, and it’s hard to know who she is now. Harris is almost DOA as a Democratic candidate.

Pete Buttigieg is the only Democrat at the federal level who could take on DeSantis and punch back, though Buttigieg will not have a record to lean on. He would be totally unproven. Buttigieg will be president someday. It likely won’t be in 2025, though he’s the best hope on the federal level.

That leaves the governors. Only three jump to mind. Newsom - obviously, setting up a race between someone significantly to the left versus DeSantis and the far right. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is so impressive in media appearances but will have to answer questions regarding the war zone that is South Chicago. And there is Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, perhaps the most talented of all but saddled with right-wing fury over perceived “overreaction” to COVID.” Some of which might have some validity, but only in hindsight. It would be highly compelling to see a brilliant, likeable, Gen-X woman run against Ron DeSantis.

There are a few senators occasionally mentioned. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut is the one most often mentioned. No senator really sticks out, other than perhaps Mark Kelly, astronaut, just re-elected in Arizona, a truly good man in the same mold as Biden and an incredible story…

But you see the point. Unlike the Republicans, there is no obvious Democratic answer, nor are there two to three (Newsom is extremely risky as a “California Democrat.” He would be running uphill).

The lack of an heir apparent simply compounds the problem and makes Joe’s decision more difficult. Though, to be fair, he hasn’t exactly groomed a successor.

What to do?

I don’t know. I do know that DeSantis will likely win the GOP nomination, and I don’t like the look of a DeSantis versus the “increasingly old” Biden. Additionally, Democrats are taking a bit of a risk in that, as fit and vigorous as Biden is, there are few guarantees at age 82 (There is nothing guaranteed to any of us).

In the end, Joe is going to have to settle this in his mind. “Am I tired… even though I’m winning? Is my body saying it is time to move on? Yes, it’s harder every day, and it’s time to hand this off.” Or is it, “I am not done. I finished the first mission, but I feel great, and now I want to keep pushing, and keep winning. I want another term, and I’ll do the work to get it.”

For whatever it’s worth, I hope Joe takes some time, another four to six months, keeping him extremely relevant. And then I hope he says that he wants to step aside and help from the outside. I hope he referees the Democratic primary, which likely would only have five to eight candidates, and keeps them from tearing each other apart.

But my instincts on this aren’t worth any more than yours. I hope I just gave you some things to consider. From the Democratic point of view, it’s the most critical decision in twenty years… fitting.

I want to wish my growing family here a Merry Christmas, New Year, Holidays.

Anyone that can make a year-end donation would mean everything. Those that can’t, I certainly can relate. Please just share articles. Donations can be made to Venmo (6433) Jason-Miciak (Having trouble, email me, jmiciak@yahoo.com), and Cash App $Scrubdog12. I

I will continue to write through the Christmas holiday and work on my 2023 Predictions (Most widely read last year). I’ll also name MY person of the year. Suggestions? (jmiciak@yahoo.com)

It is supposed to be a cold Christmas, even in the 40s along the south coast. Bring emergency coats, blankets, and water/food if driving. Stay safe. I hope you’re with loved ones. The best gift anyone can give is love to others. According to the first radical liberal, Jesus, it’s why we’re here in the first place.

And our beach: