Joe Biden Had a Super Tuesday

Plus, a new report shows democracy in decline around the globe.

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At least you’re not Mike Bloomberg on this Wednesday morning! Poor guy spent half a billion dollars for the right to be embarrassed in two nationally televised debates, relitigate a bunch of sexual harassment allegations against him, and come out of Super Tuesday hitting the delegate threshold in only a handful of states. He did win in American Samoa, though.

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Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories

  • U.S. coronavirus deaths now stand at nine, and the White House announced Tuesday that the CDC would lift all restrictions on testing for anyone who suspects they could have the virus.

  • The Trump administration, spooked by the possibility of a coronavirus-sparked economic downturn in an election year, is mulling a number of economic stimulus proposals in a bid to keep markets shipshape. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates half a percentage point on Tuesday—the largest emergency cut since the financial crisis—but the Dow still fell almost 3 percent on the day.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Frank Vergden

    It was interesting to see such a substantial section devoted to Freedom House's report, but I was a bit disappointed by the end result. I appreciated the content, but found it too expository and uncritical in its reporting of FH's analysis. The organization undoubtedly does credible research, but it is not an impartial observer and the ways it discusses complex, oft contested concepts like "freedom" and "democracy" should not be taken as universal or at face value.

    Hope it's clear I mean this as just a friendly suggestion. Big fan of all of you on the Morning Dispatch team.

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    Thomas Amidon

    Rank punditry Q: How much of JoeMentum was due to Rs voting in D primaries who either hate Trump (and want the least bad D to vote for in November) or don't want to risk having a commie elected Prez?

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    Bill Dyer (aka Beldar)

    Re this: "Jeff Sessions and Tommy Tuberville will head to a runoff for the Republican Senate nomination in Alabama to face Democratic incumbent Doug Jones in November—the most likely pickup seat for Republicans this fall. "

    That omits the very best news from Alabama: the state's most notorious scofflaw and enemy of the Rule of Law — former (and twice-removed, for ethics violations) state supreme court judge Roy Moore — finished a distant fourth with only 7% of the GOP primary vote. Let us hope that his name never again stains the ballot in Alabama or anywhere else, and that he sinks into the ignominy he so richly deserves. Huzzah!

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  4. Collin Saunders

    Hillary Clinton for sure would be the most damaging endorsement in the primary. Imagine the political ads and news coverage that the opposition would run against the opponent whom she endorses.

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      JohnF

      What if Hillary and Harvey Weinstein were to issue a joint endorsement?

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    PGC

    If you have ever had to live with someone who is developing dementia, Joe Biden's behavior should look familiar. If he is indeed developing dementia then it will become more apparent over the next 8 months. When he has to talk at length in debates against Bernie or Trump, I suspect it will be painful for anyone to witness no matter your party affiliation.

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    1. Ann G

      Can you imagine the Trump-Biden debates where for an hour or two no one will know what either of them are saying? It's a strange place our country has gotten itself to.

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        Jason

        The debates will crystallize the need for/catalyze and interest in an intergenerational changing of the guard...will stoke zeitgeist of the young to get more involved.

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          Bill Nelson

          I find no basis to assume that the next generation will be better. And I believe this because this next generation that I see does not seem to have any knowledge of how we got where we are. The Bernie Bros know nothing of the Soviet Union, and see China as another Japan, just cheaper. If they haven't read de Tocqueville, I'm not interested.

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            Jason

            This is one of the great ironies of the young and the "OK boomer" generational resentment. Gen Z wants to do exactly to the generations after them what the boomers did to them.

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            Richard Maxton

            I'd prefer to see a whole lot more of people in their 40s and 50s in a national role. Too many past their prime (Biden) and too many with FAR too little wisdom (Ocasio-Cortez and her group - I'm lookin' at you).

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            JohnF

            Depends on what you consider "the next generation" to be. At this point, I'd just be happy to see the Septuagenarians replaced by people in their 50's.

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          JohnF

          This is actually where a Biden victory would be the best thing for the country. He not likely to seek a second turn, so that opens the 2024 field up for the Democrats. Meanwhile, Trump would be gone and Republicans would have four years to figure out what they actually stand for. They would also have a clear field, which would allow the next generation to step up.

          Ideally, both parties would put an age-limit in place for potential candidates.

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            Richard Maxton

            I don't think the parties have enough power anymore to limit who is a candidate. I do think it would be better for both sides if they did have more of a say in the candidates put forth. . .but I don't know about age limits. Not everyone in their age bracket is mentally failing. . .

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    Alex

    Great juxtaposition of the Trump/Taliban phone call tweet and the USFOR-A tweet. The last few days haven't been looking good over there.

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  7. Glynis

    Really interested to see what happens next week -- perhaps luckily for Biden, he doesn't have to debate before the March 10th races, so he can ride some of this momentum into those contests.

    I also am interested to see what happens with Warren's candidacy. I think a lot of Bernie voters believe she's pulling her supporters away from him, but based on the MA results and a lot of anecdotal evidence, my guess is that more of her supporters will go to Biden than anticipated. I think a lot of people underestimate the antipathy of young, liberal women (a group that I am a member of -- probably not the target for this website!) toward Bernie after his treatment of Hillary / Warren, the Bernie Bros, etc. (and this is borne out in the pretty striking gender gap between him and Biden).

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    Aylene Wright

    Not big into the horse race analysis but some thoughts:

    Am I the only one who thinks Biden looks much more energized in his role as the underdog "comeback kid" who the MSM left for dead, than when he was the presumed frontrunner who "deserves" the nomination by default as (1) Obama II and (2) the guy most likely to beat Trump?

    A Bernie surrogate on CNN last night said one reason young people support Bernie is "because he fights". Hmm, isn't that also a big reason for Trump fans to support Trump?

    Btw I have mentioned before that while Trump critics agree he is a narcissist with no ability to emphasize. Well, he certainly doesn't have the ability Biden has to show his own private pain in a way to show empathy with others, and not have it come across as TMI or contrived.

    But I also acknowledge that the many Trump fans who love him for "how he fights" do so not just because he is putting on the political equivalent an entertaining wrestling match. They love him, because they think "he is fighting for US".

    I think M.Hemingway is an opportunist hack, but when she claims that any attack on Trump is also an attack on his supporters, she is reflecting a common sentiment among Trump fans.

    Now it is also true that Trump has given the GOP (even more of) a toxic reputation among minorities who "don't care what you know, until they know how much you care". And I suspect that if Trump has true empathy for anyone, it is with the Blagos of the world.

    I can even speculate that there is a kernel of actual sincere empathy for Bernie in his concern trolling about the DNC plotting a "coup" against him. Or not.

    Point is that while I doubt Trump can actually emphasize with the folks who attend his rallies and such. He has convinced them he does. That is a talent that you don't even have to appreciate, but you have to acknowledge.


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    Jenny

    Those of us who want to avoid Sanders as the Democrat's candidate should give Klobuchar and Buttigieg our deepest gratitude for taking one for the team. I would have preferred Amy, but Joe will do.

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      Deb4711

      Agree on both points!

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      Kevin Durant?

      Now we just need Amy to get a cabinet post where she is Pete’s boss and livestream it
      🤣🤣
      Meanwhile we all continue to marvel at the unremitting maniacal narcissism of Elizabeth Warren
      😑😑

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      Relic

      I voted for Bill Weld in the Texas primary yesterday and will consider voting for Biden in November should he win the nomination. A number of things will have to fall in place for that to happen, but it is a consideration for now.

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        JohnF

        I see that 3,295 Texas Democrats voted for Marianne Williamson last night (who dropped out months ago). What's up with that?

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    Sonofasailor35

    Let’s see... vox.com says Bloomberg now has 46 delegates. Divided into 500 million, that’s around $10.9 million per delegate. Kind of pricy, even by NYC standards.

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      Phil253

      It only .8% of his wealth. Chump change to him. Now he starts a PAC and backs Biden and maybe throws in some cash in for a doctors visit on this dementia thing!

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