By Greg Maresca
On Thursday, June 27, the political season kicks off in earnest. The presidential debate that will occupy that evening certainly is unique in its longtime storied annals. Both candidates are presidents, one a former, the other holding the office. Moreover, both candidates have yet to be officially nominated by their respective parties.
Team Biden got exactly what they wanted in agreeing to debate Donald Trump. One, there will be only one debate, not two or three like previously. Two, there will be no live audience, which should make Joe Biden feel quite comfortable as it will resemble one of his campaign stops. Three CNN, who famously supplied Hillary Clinton with debate questions back in 2016, will be allowed to mute the candidate(s) (read: Trump). Four: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is out. When Biden refused Secret Service protection to RFK, Jr., why would he agree to debate him? Despite Kennedy polling at 15%, there will be no seat for him on the dais. As Bob Adams aptly put it, “George Floyd got more oxygen in Minneapolis than the Biden campaign is giving RFK Jr. in The Big Peach or anywhere else.”
All this works in favor of Biden.
For the electorate that is still undecided, there is little hope.
It was in 1980 that Ronald Reagan welcomed third-party candidate John Anderson to debate. Anderson, who was left of center for a Republican, ran as an independent and won nearly 7% of the popular vote in the general election between Reagan, Carter, and Anderson. Reagan had a soft spot for Anderson as both men were natives of Northern Illinois. One time-honored Reagan legend tells of Reagan and Anderson walking by Reagan’s birthplace in Tampico, Illinois. There was a sign out front that said: “Birthplace of Ronald Reagan.” Anderson noted, “I hope that when I die, there will be a sign in front of my house.” Reagan quipped, “Of course there will be a sign. It will say ’House for Sale.’” Everybody loved Reagan’s good-natured humor, especially with Republicans like Anderson who ran against him.
Trump needs to take this time-honored lesson from the Gipper to heart but most likely won’t.
Trump wants Biden on stage to expose what everyone who is honest already knows. Our enfeebled president is leading America to the gallows. Biden’s 54-year political run has yet to register any substantial national accomplishment, other than running for office, blowing up inflation to complement a disastrous foreign policy. The list is formidable but space is at a premium.
Provided Biden doesn’t mumble along or freeze up like he did at his recent Hollywood fundraiser, which brought in more than $30-million, team Trump, the news’ media and the ghosts of Lincoln and Douglas must demand to know what medications Biden took prior to his performance. I say this because Biden was peculiarly coherent during his State of the Union address in March.
Biden would lose a “fair” debate against a wet dishtowel. Fair means no audio devices, no prescribed stimulants and having the questions ahead of time.
The issues are well defined and favor Trump: illegal immigration, crime, inflation and foreign policy. Not having an answer, Biden will run on abortion, global warming, transgenderism, and how Trump is a threat to democracy.
In retrospect, Team Trump should have waited until after the official nomination for both candidates. Provided Biden freezes up again, Democrats will have time to replace him during their August convention in Chicago with a fresh candidate like Gavin Newsome, Michelle Obama or, yes, Hillary Clinton. Such a move would greatly improve the Democrats chances in November.
Trump has more than enough political fodder to run against Biden rather than against one of these three Democrats.
Then there is the issue of the crackling Vice President Kamala Harris who truly believes she is up to the job. After observing Biden over the last three years, why wouldn’t she believe that?
According to some political confederates along the D.C. Beltway, many party insiders favor replacing Biden on the ballot with Hillary Clinton at the Democrat Convention, but Harris countered, “Over my dead body.”
Not missing a beat Clinton is rumored to have said, “Be careful what you wish for.”
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