Biden ‘Finding Himself’ in Trouble Is a Losing Narrative

And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did we get here?’

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Hey,

One of my great peeves, as longtime readers and listeners know, is when the dentist puts his knee on my chest to get leverage to pull a tooth. But that’s not relevant right now.

Another peeve: When bad things happen under Republican presidents, it’s their fault. When bad things happen under Democratic ones, they just happen. 

“Republicans pounce” is a subgenre of this phenomenon. As Kevin Williamson puts it: “When a Republican does something stupid or wrong and gets criticized for it the story is that a Republican has done something stupid or wrong. When a Democrat does something stupid or wrong, the story is ‘Republicans pounce!’ on the episode, cynically looking to wring some petty advantage out of the mess.”

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  1. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    The answer to your question is:

    “Letting the days go by, let the moderates hold me

    Letting the days go by, poll numbers going under

    Into the debt again, after the money’s gone

    Once in a presidency, poll numbers going under.”

    Ok it’s not great but I didn’t spend much time on it.

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  2. Randall Briggs

    This story would be stronger if Republicans hadn't spent the last 5 years "pouncing" on all sorts of normal, decent things.

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  3. Richard Palzer

    Yes, Biden is in trouble of his own making--allowing undue influence from his Party's left wing and deciding how and when to withdraw from Afghanistan. As a result, we have an egregiously expensive domestic spending proposal and the foreign policy debacle of defeat--victory for the Taliban and our abandoning of allies. Yes, again, you're also right that he's been aided and abetted by press coverage, as you point out in the "passive voice" examples cited. Biden has for all practical purposes laid out a red carpet for Republicans. Okay, but just who are Republicans these days? Sadly, the leadership caters to Trump, enabling his continuing influence, even to the point of endorsing his big lie of a rigged election. Countering the Biden agenda with conservative principles is one thing; deferring to the likes of Trump is quite another. Give me back a Party of principle, not one of enabling sycophants.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Pat Riot

      So by your definition Donald Trump is "Biden's left wing"? In case you don't remember Trump is the one who turned the Republican-side of the country against staying in Afghanistan (and in case you don't remember Obama was the last president who kept us there).

      Biden was listening the the overwhelming bi-partisan majority of Americans when he made the (wrong) decision to continue Trump's pullout of Afghanistan, not some "left wing".




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      1. Richard Palzer

        Sorry, guess I wasn't clear enough--"allowing undue influence from his Party's left wing" applies to "egregiously expensive domestic spending," not Trump or Afghanistan; "foreign policy debacle of defeat" applies to "victory for the Taliban and our abandoning of allies," the result of our chaotic withdrawal, which has been roundly (and deservedly) criticized by both Democrats and Republicans. My apologies if I caused misinterpretation of my intent.
        In any case, I think Biden's decisions on both the domestic and foreign policy fronts work to Republican advantage, and I still decry Republican leadership's continued enabling of Trump's influence. Hope you don't disagree in those regards.

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        1. Avatar photo
          Pat Riot

          This spending is polling very, very well with the bulk of Americans supporting the infrastructure bill including a lot of Republican voters. If Obamacare is any indication, these policies will get even more popular after they are passed.

          You have to remember that the Republican voting base now contains very few *actual* conservatives, which is why Trump took the party in a purely populist direction.

          Pulling out of Afghanistan meant victory for the Taliban and abandoning our allies. There's no magically way we could have had both. That's why the decision itself was the wrong move, and why Obama wouldn't do it despite pressure from some in his party. But politically, Biden had no choice after Trump made the move bipartisan.

          I think Biden is going to come out with a net *positive* for pulling out of Afghanistan because all Americans *actually* care about is that we're out. In fact, Republicans screaming about doing it like they did can make him like even more of a hero for doing it in the face of opposition.

          In any case, I don't expect either of these things to make *that* much difference to forthcoming elections. As we've seen with Trump, his absolutely catastrophic performance turned his minor victory in a minor loss. What matters is what TV channel people watch, which won't change anytime soon.


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          1. Richard Palzer

            I appreciate your optimism about Biden coming out with a positive--yes to getting out, but terribly negative regarding how (too hard to ignore the chaotic withdrawal and leaving people behind and the resulting lost credibility)--so Republicans will capitalize. And it's the continued catering to Trump that still infuriates me about the current leadership and his base that that they're so fearful of alienating. Thanks for taking the time to respond so thoughtfully to my comments.

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  4. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    Sipping some Laphroaig Four Oak, smoking a nice Honduran cigar, and reading the comments. Hope your Saturday evening is as pleasant.

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  5. Jay Rogers

    Another mic drop ....

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  6. Pat Stacom

    Biden the hair sniffer on National tv? when are we going to stop electing creepy old men to the White House? happily I live in a bubble. love the piece as I do virtually all of them. wish these came out in the morning so i could start the day with a good laugh

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  7. David Smith

    The larger point here is that at the heart of liberalism is the belief that actions or choices should not have the burden of adverse consequences - e.g. the government should shield you from negative outcomes resulting from poor choices. The individual is not accountable for their circumstances. They’ll just explain it away as different lifestyle choices or historical oppression or some other coddling form of indemnification. Note the heavy use of passive voice - things happen to them not because of anything they did. Privilege has been reduced to meaning either having the common sense or the (once common) upbringing to do the right thing.

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    1. Avatar photo
      The Stray Goose

      I bristle at your use of the word, “Liberalism”.

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      1. David Smith

        Great catch, very impressed. Fine, whatever, liberals or progressivism or leftism.

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        1. Avatar photo
          The Stray Goose

          There's a difference. I appreciate your sarcasm.

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  8. Lorange

    Great "brief" dispatch Jonah. Sometimes i think you feel you are paid by the word.

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  9. Avatar photo
    The Stray Goose

    “And it doesn’t help that a lot of people are mocking his age and making sweeping, rude statements about him being senile.” - He’s President of the United States! He demonstrates senility DAILY! We’re not supposed to mention that?

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  10. Juliana Van Horn

    I am so grateful for this gfile, I could weep.

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