I watched the Biden video from 2015. Holy crap! I voted for Biden because he wasn't Trump, and I think he is a genuinely decent man, but the difference between 2015 and now is shocking. Some of it may just be the degeneration that we will all experience as we age, but I wonder how much damage Beau's death did to him.
Honestly, seeing the difference makes me sad for him.
Guess I'm a bit late to the game on this one, but figured I'd chime in anyway with a small dose of reality. And that is, it ain't gonna happen. The Don won't get the nom and old sleepy head will likely bow out to someone who actually stands a chance of winning. So, my money is on newbies for both sides. And since I don't have a crystal ball to predict who the newbies will be, I'm looking into my glass of Port Charlotte Scotch whisky for guidance. There, I clearly see Ron DeSantis in the right corner, and in a much foggier image, Jay Inslee in the left corner. So, that's where my money is at the moment. But, whatever happens, it ain't gonna be Don and Joe.
Well Nick, I was using Trump math. Consider this: he lost by over seven million votes, and by 74 electoral votes. In 2016, he of course lost the popular vote to Hillary by nearly 3 million votes. And he won by 77 electoral votes. And Trump called that "a massive landslide victory." So by his definition.........
Oh well that explains it. I never have been able to master Trump math. Probably because my job requires I know actual math and the two appear to be mutually exclusive.
First of all. I’m from Pittsburgh & I’m sorta offended by the “small- time weatherman” comment.
However my second comment is about Justice Breyer. I watched his press conference when he retired & I commented to my wife how sharp his mind was. It seemed a waste of his talent to have him retire at this time. What a difference between him and the current and previous President.
“Don’t get old—you won’t like it” was an accurate prediction made to me about a quarter century ago.
After giving it some thought, I can report that the most “fun” in old age comes from reading the news, where, almost daily, there are reports of new policies pregnant with unintended consequences or unanticipated externalities that my joyful reaction to is: “Thank God I won’t live to see that.”
Primaries should be abolished. Give me smoke-filled rooms every time. Res ipsa loquitur: Donald Trump (and his spawn).
Thanks for this great article Matt. I'm a lifelong conservative/republican in the great state of Wisconsin, now in my 50's. In 2016 I was in the "anyone but HC" camp, and, well, I feel like I have been politically homeless ever since. I never thought I would see a time when I could not in a good and clear conscious vote for my party's nominee, but it happened in 2020, and we ended up with sleep Joe. Thank goodness Congress is evenly divided! If DT becomes the nominee for 2024, then the only choice left will be for those who find themselves in the same spot as I, to write in "the learnded" Ralph Wiggum for President.
Some presidents entered office at a time when they could just hit the cruise button. Think Bill Clinton or Barrack Obama with a healthy economy, a strong majority in congress, and a relatively calm international situation. Then there were others who faced enormous challenges like Harry Truman with a super aggressive China and USSR and George W. with 9/11.
Joe Biden is one of the unlucky ones. He has a former president who won't concede and has convinced a sizable part of the country who have bought into the lie that Biden is an illegitimate president, a country that is more divided than at any time in my memory (I'm 79, a number that still surprises me when I see it written down), a bare majority in congress with a party that is so divided he can't always count on their support, a time when the reputation of the U.S. is the worst since Vietnam, the first European war in more than 70 years, and a country that thinks it's just fine to fly "F*** Joe Biden" flags in public.
In a little more than a year he's had more wins than than losses and I'm willing to give the guy a few gaffes and stutters.
By the way, I'm a lifelong Republican who has only voted Democrat twice in more than 50 years.
That is extremely well said. He's in a position where half the country would hate him even if he were Jesus Christ. The fact that you have a former president claiming that he didn't lose and saying it early and often has made it difficult to govern met
I grant you that Biden suffered more headwinds coming in than just about any other president of the modern age. If they had a bad-hand hall of fame, they'd hang his number from the rafters in it. Though he gets some unearned goodwill built-in as well - just for not being Trump. I happen to think that's one of his better qualities, for instance.
Republicans have to convince a good candidate the process is worth going through against all media outlets and more than untruthful democratic political tactics. A Tim Scott maybe!
On the other side, Democrats have to actually build a bridge, repair highways, improve city storm water systems, and change drinking water pipes in cities that desperately need them for clean running drinking water, all which Has been funded , but nothing actually shovel ready done.
Abrams from Georgia is coming, and a couple other encouraged liberals for the Dems to consider. But they may not like the youth.
With the way the world morality is being legislated, maybe if we can pass term limits and they will all go home and we can go back to running things ourselves, our households, our families, our children.
If 2024 is the Great Redo, it brings to mind that great Stealer's Wheel line: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right..." (Of course, this is increasingly how I'm feeling about both parties overall.)
Clowns and jokers. So if those are the two main choices, why not actually vote for a comedian, and go libertarian with Dave Smith? Throwing my vote away? Yeah, sure. But at least I won't have to feel like I need to delouse after leaving the polling station.
So who's with me? Let's throw our votes away together!
Steve, I am with you. I generally throw away my vote by utilizing that handy dandy "write-in" option. My go-tos include "Ronald Reagan" and "James Madison" and "Alexander Hamilton."
I don't want any presidential candidates over 70. Period. Also... Biden is not disappointing me. His main job was to not be Trump which he is doing. I had no illusions he would be a Churchillian figure etc. Just to guide us through the pandemic in a reasonable manner-- and hopefully help to staunch the death rate, repair the damage done to our institutions done by the Trump goons and restore our footing internationally, shore up our alliances and the confidence in our nation-- and at least stop the USA from being a laughingstock face-palm punchline everywhere off our shores.
I wish I could agree with you on the whole "reasonable manner" re: Biden's pandemic response. But far, far more deaths under his watch than Trump's, after claiming he'd stop it in its tracks (what a stupid thing to promise during the campaign) is nothing to be happy about. Our alliances (at least NATO) seem to be healing...largely because of a Russian thug.
Trump is a tool and should never be trusted, and despite hating Biden, I'm glad Trump lost. But going from the Reality TV Presidency to the "Weekend at Bernie's" Presidency is still a disappointment, at least to me. It was just a "Heads I win, Tails you lose" type of election back in 2020.
Matt, your Groundhog Day comparison is completely wrong. Murray never gets to bed Andie McDowell. He tries for days, possibly weeks or months. But, he discovers that it is completely impossible to swindle her into bed. This drives him to despair and suicide. Even on the last day, when he finally breaks out of eons in Purgatory, she merely sleeps in the bed next to him the night before he wakes up and the cycle is broken. As he’s rejoicing, and smothering her with kisses, she says with a little smile, “Phil, why weren’t you like this last night?” Otherwise, I really liked your most recent post.
Except Michael, you're forgetting the part right after where he asks "Is there anything I can do for you today?" And she says, "I'm sure I can think of something." And then they start making out in bed as the camera cuts away. Where I come from, that's a pretty fair indication that bedding is about to transpire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fdb16Om40E
See, Matt, that’s exactly what I get for thinking I’m so smart and leaving a comment. Serves me right. Admittedly, when a couple embraces, and the camera then shifts away to the window (or, better yet, the moon), that usually means they’re in bed. Like in Casablanca when the image of Rick and Isla fades to the searchlight. Still, I’m not 100% convinced that Rita would go to bed with a guy that she’s only known for about 36 hours. Of course, in many of those few hours, Phil is a terrific guy. Nonetheless, seems a bit quick.
I'm a moderately liberal democrat. In the run up to the last election, we were forced to pick the candidate most likely to defeat Trump, not the one we liked best. There were certainly younger choices, highly qualified and with great ideas, but it was very unlikely any of those would garner enough votes to defeat Trump, and that was considered the most important thing we had to do. I hope that one of those others that were in the race will make another run at it in 2024, and Joe Biden has the decency to bow out. But he's done his job through some of the most trying circumstances any president in history has had to face; he hasn't shirked his duties, he hasn't run off to play golf, he's stuck it out. And he's not to blame for being old and sometimes exhausted, so give him a break.
So, if I want to detest some whippersnappers grudge-free, I've got to wait 'till my eighties? Well, life (and life expectancy) being the crap shoot it is..sorry, I'm not waitn'. Just might miss out, and that wouldn't be fair, since I've done my time in the whippersnapper barrel and am lookin' forward to having some of that age-related fun you spoke of and shootin' a few fish in that same barrel myself. So, go on and grudge, if you must.
BTW...think you're being a bit lavish in your praise by referring to some candidates for office as "mediocrities". If only they were! I know we ultimately "get the government we deserve", but come on now. I'm good with the idea that our elections are kosher on the output end. But looking around these days I'm seriously wondering if someone doesn't have their thumb on the quality scale on the input side.
Wait. Forget I said that. Wouldn't want to be responsible for starting any new conspiracy theories or anything like that. Right?
We don’t “choose better candidates” because better people tend not to run for political office. They do productive things with their lives, worry over their families, and mow their lawns. Future candidates, on the other hand, have easily recognizable personality flaws and our societal duty should be to root them out at a young age (you attempt to run for junior high class President and you are gone!) and reprogram them before they do any harm to themselves and others. Remember that drive in theater where Jed and Matt’s dad went in Red Dawn to learn about the glories of communism? That should do the trick, but rather than “avenge me!!!” , the battle cry should come from the other side of the fence, “amend them!!!”. While you are correct that there are many capable individuals in this country who could represent their fellow citizens in Washington, the sad truth is that the talent pool we ultimately pick from is shallow and fetid. Good people don’t want those jobs and the scurvy lot that does do not deserve them. Public service should look far more like conscription than the current system we employ. We should all be sweating the biennial “Congressional Draft” when we find out whether we get to go about our happy lives or get stuck doing our duty to repay the country that has blessed us all so immensely.
I watched the Biden video from 2015. Holy crap! I voted for Biden because he wasn't Trump, and I think he is a genuinely decent man, but the difference between 2015 and now is shocking. Some of it may just be the degeneration that we will all experience as we age, but I wonder how much damage Beau's death did to him.
Honestly, seeing the difference makes me sad for him.
Guess I'm a bit late to the game on this one, but figured I'd chime in anyway with a small dose of reality. And that is, it ain't gonna happen. The Don won't get the nom and old sleepy head will likely bow out to someone who actually stands a chance of winning. So, my money is on newbies for both sides. And since I don't have a crystal ball to predict who the newbies will be, I'm looking into my glass of Port Charlotte Scotch whisky for guidance. There, I clearly see Ron DeSantis in the right corner, and in a much foggier image, Jay Inslee in the left corner. So, that's where my money is at the moment. But, whatever happens, it ain't gonna be Don and Joe.
I hate you* for making me even somewhat defend Trump, but he did not lose in an electoral landslide. Mondale lost in a landslide. Trump just lost.
*This is a base lie; at most I'm moderately annoyed and it's purely situational.
Well Nick, I was using Trump math. Consider this: he lost by over seven million votes, and by 74 electoral votes. In 2016, he of course lost the popular vote to Hillary by nearly 3 million votes. And he won by 77 electoral votes. And Trump called that "a massive landslide victory." So by his definition.........
Oh well that explains it. I never have been able to master Trump math. Probably because my job requires I know actual math and the two appear to be mutually exclusive.
First of all. I’m from Pittsburgh & I’m sorta offended by the “small- time weatherman” comment.
However my second comment is about Justice Breyer. I watched his press conference when he retired & I commented to my wife how sharp his mind was. It seemed a waste of his talent to have him retire at this time. What a difference between him and the current and previous President.
Forgot he was from Pittsburgh. Both my folks are from Pittsburgh. So I'll retract "small-time."
Belated comments on your mailbag:
“Don’t get old—you won’t like it” was an accurate prediction made to me about a quarter century ago.
After giving it some thought, I can report that the most “fun” in old age comes from reading the news, where, almost daily, there are reports of new policies pregnant with unintended consequences or unanticipated externalities that my joyful reaction to is: “Thank God I won’t live to see that.”
Primaries should be abolished. Give me smoke-filled rooms every time. Res ipsa loquitur: Donald Trump (and his spawn).
Damn, Dennis. When you put it that way, you make aging sound like a pleasant alternative. You should be a life coach or something.
Thanks for this great article Matt. I'm a lifelong conservative/republican in the great state of Wisconsin, now in my 50's. In 2016 I was in the "anyone but HC" camp, and, well, I feel like I have been politically homeless ever since. I never thought I would see a time when I could not in a good and clear conscious vote for my party's nominee, but it happened in 2020, and we ended up with sleep Joe. Thank goodness Congress is evenly divided! If DT becomes the nominee for 2024, then the only choice left will be for those who find themselves in the same spot as I, to write in "the learnded" Ralph Wiggum for President.
Trump V. Biden? Not while Fetterman and Hogan draw breath. I hope. Then again, I was with O'Rourke in '16. "Within normal parameters. . . ."
Beto, or P.J.? I'd have gone with P.J., but that's just me.
Some presidents entered office at a time when they could just hit the cruise button. Think Bill Clinton or Barrack Obama with a healthy economy, a strong majority in congress, and a relatively calm international situation. Then there were others who faced enormous challenges like Harry Truman with a super aggressive China and USSR and George W. with 9/11.
Joe Biden is one of the unlucky ones. He has a former president who won't concede and has convinced a sizable part of the country who have bought into the lie that Biden is an illegitimate president, a country that is more divided than at any time in my memory (I'm 79, a number that still surprises me when I see it written down), a bare majority in congress with a party that is so divided he can't always count on their support, a time when the reputation of the U.S. is the worst since Vietnam, the first European war in more than 70 years, and a country that thinks it's just fine to fly "F*** Joe Biden" flags in public.
In a little more than a year he's had more wins than than losses and I'm willing to give the guy a few gaffes and stutters.
By the way, I'm a lifelong Republican who has only voted Democrat twice in more than 50 years.
That is extremely well said. He's in a position where half the country would hate him even if he were Jesus Christ. The fact that you have a former president claiming that he didn't lose and saying it early and often has made it difficult to govern met
I grant you that Biden suffered more headwinds coming in than just about any other president of the modern age. If they had a bad-hand hall of fame, they'd hang his number from the rafters in it. Though he gets some unearned goodwill built-in as well - just for not being Trump. I happen to think that's one of his better qualities, for instance.
Amen on the better than Trump.
Republicans have to convince a good candidate the process is worth going through against all media outlets and more than untruthful democratic political tactics. A Tim Scott maybe!
On the other side, Democrats have to actually build a bridge, repair highways, improve city storm water systems, and change drinking water pipes in cities that desperately need them for clean running drinking water, all which Has been funded , but nothing actually shovel ready done.
Abrams from Georgia is coming, and a couple other encouraged liberals for the Dems to consider. But they may not like the youth.
With the way the world morality is being legislated, maybe if we can pass term limits and they will all go home and we can go back to running things ourselves, our households, our families, our children.
If 2024 is the Great Redo, it brings to mind that great Stealer's Wheel line: "Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right..." (Of course, this is increasingly how I'm feeling about both parties overall.)
Clowns and jokers. So if those are the two main choices, why not actually vote for a comedian, and go libertarian with Dave Smith? Throwing my vote away? Yeah, sure. But at least I won't have to feel like I need to delouse after leaving the polling station.
So who's with me? Let's throw our votes away together!
Steve, I am with you. I generally throw away my vote by utilizing that handy dandy "write-in" option. My go-tos include "Ronald Reagan" and "James Madison" and "Alexander Hamilton."
I hear ya Craig. So option #2 for me, then, is writing in "the ghost of Calvin Coolidge." That'll work!
Speaking of Stealer's Wheel: https://mattlabash.substack.com/p/stuck-in-the-middle?s=w
I don't want any presidential candidates over 70. Period. Also... Biden is not disappointing me. His main job was to not be Trump which he is doing. I had no illusions he would be a Churchillian figure etc. Just to guide us through the pandemic in a reasonable manner-- and hopefully help to staunch the death rate, repair the damage done to our institutions done by the Trump goons and restore our footing internationally, shore up our alliances and the confidence in our nation-- and at least stop the USA from being a laughingstock face-palm punchline everywhere off our shores.
I wish I could agree with you on the whole "reasonable manner" re: Biden's pandemic response. But far, far more deaths under his watch than Trump's, after claiming he'd stop it in its tracks (what a stupid thing to promise during the campaign) is nothing to be happy about. Our alliances (at least NATO) seem to be healing...largely because of a Russian thug.
Trump is a tool and should never be trusted, and despite hating Biden, I'm glad Trump lost. But going from the Reality TV Presidency to the "Weekend at Bernie's" Presidency is still a disappointment, at least to me. It was just a "Heads I win, Tails you lose" type of election back in 2020.
Matt, your Groundhog Day comparison is completely wrong. Murray never gets to bed Andie McDowell. He tries for days, possibly weeks or months. But, he discovers that it is completely impossible to swindle her into bed. This drives him to despair and suicide. Even on the last day, when he finally breaks out of eons in Purgatory, she merely sleeps in the bed next to him the night before he wakes up and the cycle is broken. As he’s rejoicing, and smothering her with kisses, she says with a little smile, “Phil, why weren’t you like this last night?” Otherwise, I really liked your most recent post.
Except Michael, you're forgetting the part right after where he asks "Is there anything I can do for you today?" And she says, "I'm sure I can think of something." And then they start making out in bed as the camera cuts away. Where I come from, that's a pretty fair indication that bedding is about to transpire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Fdb16Om40E
And how could she resist a man whose cocktail of choice is sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist 🤮 and who drinks to World Peace.
See, Matt, that’s exactly what I get for thinking I’m so smart and leaving a comment. Serves me right. Admittedly, when a couple embraces, and the camera then shifts away to the window (or, better yet, the moon), that usually means they’re in bed. Like in Casablanca when the image of Rick and Isla fades to the searchlight. Still, I’m not 100% convinced that Rita would go to bed with a guy that she’s only known for about 36 hours. Of course, in many of those few hours, Phil is a terrific guy. Nonetheless, seems a bit quick.
I'm a moderately liberal democrat. In the run up to the last election, we were forced to pick the candidate most likely to defeat Trump, not the one we liked best. There were certainly younger choices, highly qualified and with great ideas, but it was very unlikely any of those would garner enough votes to defeat Trump, and that was considered the most important thing we had to do. I hope that one of those others that were in the race will make another run at it in 2024, and Joe Biden has the decency to bow out. But he's done his job through some of the most trying circumstances any president in history has had to face; he hasn't shirked his duties, he hasn't run off to play golf, he's stuck it out. And he's not to blame for being old and sometimes exhausted, so give him a break.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane Matt. 4 more years of potentially Trump....I am enlisting in the Ukrainian Army.
Get some for me, Billy. I can't join you - it's shad season, so it's out of my hands.
Excuses excuses Labash....
So, if I want to detest some whippersnappers grudge-free, I've got to wait 'till my eighties? Well, life (and life expectancy) being the crap shoot it is..sorry, I'm not waitn'. Just might miss out, and that wouldn't be fair, since I've done my time in the whippersnapper barrel and am lookin' forward to having some of that age-related fun you spoke of and shootin' a few fish in that same barrel myself. So, go on and grudge, if you must.
BTW...think you're being a bit lavish in your praise by referring to some candidates for office as "mediocrities". If only they were! I know we ultimately "get the government we deserve", but come on now. I'm good with the idea that our elections are kosher on the output end. But looking around these days I'm seriously wondering if someone doesn't have their thumb on the quality scale on the input side.
Wait. Forget I said that. Wouldn't want to be responsible for starting any new conspiracy theories or anything like that. Right?
We don’t “choose better candidates” because better people tend not to run for political office. They do productive things with their lives, worry over their families, and mow their lawns. Future candidates, on the other hand, have easily recognizable personality flaws and our societal duty should be to root them out at a young age (you attempt to run for junior high class President and you are gone!) and reprogram them before they do any harm to themselves and others. Remember that drive in theater where Jed and Matt’s dad went in Red Dawn to learn about the glories of communism? That should do the trick, but rather than “avenge me!!!” , the battle cry should come from the other side of the fence, “amend them!!!”. While you are correct that there are many capable individuals in this country who could represent their fellow citizens in Washington, the sad truth is that the talent pool we ultimately pick from is shallow and fetid. Good people don’t want those jobs and the scurvy lot that does do not deserve them. Public service should look far more like conscription than the current system we employ. We should all be sweating the biennial “Congressional Draft” when we find out whether we get to go about our happy lives or get stuck doing our duty to repay the country that has blessed us all so immensely.
Sadly, I mostly agree with this. (Except for the conscription part.)