WHY BIDEN 2024?

It is trite to argue that the outcome of the 2024 Presidential elections will have a pivotal effect on the future both in the world and the USA. However explaining why the next President of the United States should be Joseph H. Biden, when his approval rating is in the low forty percentage range, appears to be an uphill task. This especially as Trump one way or another sucks up all the oxygen in the room, to the extent that even his “GOP” rivals for nomination cannot get in a word in edgeways.

 To the frustration of even Biden’s own supporters he has not started campaigning in earnest for 2024. He raked in a record 72 million dollars, mainly small contributions, in the first quarter since announcing, only spending one million of it. That is the way Biden works. He beat Trump from his basement in 2020 and allowed him to run against himself. The desperate fourty- fifth President, leading the pack of the transformed Republican Party, is obliging in spades. 

However if Biden is judged by his actions, he fits the bill in this period of history. A situation that he describes as an “inflexion” point. Just looking at his achievements he should be a “shoo In” but the outcome is still in the balance with Biden ahead by a few points against the likely “GOP” contender, Donald J. Trump.

Biden is contending with a populist direction that so many countries are experiencing and the perception of the body politic is that he represents the “same old same old” stale politics that they want to get rid of. 

Jay H. Ell will outline Biden's modus operandi both within America and the world stage where he believes you don’t shout from the roof tops that you are a star and remain low key so as to keep all avenues open for negotiation and compromise for whatever follows. 

WHAT IF BIDEN DIDN’T STAND?

Just consider for one moment if Biden signified that he was standing down. The latter fear was verbalized at an international press conference following the historic unified NATO conference that had, orchestrated by him, just admitted Finland, accepted Sweden as a member and made it quite clear that Ukraine would join after the war. Biden reassured the anxious Finnish press member that he would be around and the USA’s support of the organization that he had reshaped  was not in question, On the home front, had he announced his retirement,  he would have been a “lame duck” unable to fully administer his landmark legislation on, for example, infrastructure, welfare and chip making industry, the results of which will begin to hit in in 2024 with a vengeance.. 

WHY HE SHOULDN’T RUN

For starters let us examine why Biden, besides his age, does not project the image, of being an alpha male President or at least a towering presidential figure. His rapid soft spoken speech and his tendency to give long circuitous replies to questions, and not the well rehearsed “one liners,” is not what is customarily witnessed.. None of this is helped by his speech sometimes appearing slurred, which has been professionally put down to an earlier stutter speech defect. He also makes bloopers which he has done since time immemorial. The latter has resulted in the extreme right smearing him as being demented. 

Some have claimed that having Kamilla Harris on his ticket is “unhelpful” and that the campaign will be largely directed against her. Those who maintain this narrative are ignoring the large African American support Biden enjoys.  

However the broad electorate do not want a rematch between him and Trump. They needn’t have it especially from the Democratic side where the bench runs deep with younger and more “Presidential” like candidates. Just think of Governors Newsom and Whitmer to name two. So why Biden and why is he, despite the negatives, still the part? 

WHY BIDEN SHOULD RUN?

Remember last time around he beat Trump relatively narrowly in the swing states because enough anti Trump Republicans and former Democrats switched to him. It was a choice between him and Trump. This time round Trump or a clone will be in a weaker position in those seven swing states as the interim elections have indicated. In addition if Trump is not the nominee he will be the “spoiler” and run as a third candidate. Or if not his faithful would not vote for anyone else and just “stand down”.

While Trump’s legal woes have to date consolidated his base support and financial contributions they cannot be having a positive effect on the independent voter.

BIDEN’S PREVIOUS POLITICAL EXPERIENCE GIVES A CLUE AS TO HOW AND WHY HE PROJECTS HIS “UNPRESIDENTIAL” IMAGE.

There should be an "academy" for would be CEOS of company USA. Learning on the job which is a humongous undertaking is not for amateurs who still include Donald J. Trump. If one could find fault with Obama’s terms was that he was inexperienced. Biden has spent a life time in the "academy". First he served in the Senate for 36 years on multiple committees chairing a number including Justice and Foreign Relations. Then he was Vice President for eight years.

2020 was Biden’s third try as a Presidential candidate, really failing dismally in 1968 and 2008. It was in the latter election that Obama chose him as his running mate, recognizing, from close up what many hadn’t - the wide range of experience knowledge and skills that Biden had exhibited in the Senate. The Forty Forth Commander in Chief used Biden extensively especially in foreign policy adding further international know how and contacts to his resume. He has a relationship with virtually every nations' leaders. 

There is no way that Biden could have achieved as much across the aisle and risen to the heights of leadership within his own party if he had shouted his mouth off like a Ted Cruz. He is and was universally liked and respected amongst his former colleagues. Lindsey Graham as recently as 2021 privately confessed that Joe Biden was the best person to lead the USA. Graham had seen previously on tape, that went viral years ago, maintaining that no - one could say a bad word about his former Senate colleague. 

So Biden does his maneuvering and politicking behind the scenes. Take two examples in his Presidency. The debt raising crisis and budget negotiations with Speaker Kevin McCarthy. He publicly acknowledged that McCarthy was in a difficult position and was meeting in good faith. The end result was an incredibly favorable outcome which the right wing of the “GOP” voted against. There was no crowing and shouting from the rooftops that he pulled one over that “son of a bitch”. (Incidentally for those wondering why culture wars have been front and center of the “GOP” thrust and not illegal immigration the answer is that the Biden Administration have it at the lowest number for a long while).

Then there was his continued assurance that Turkey would drop its objection to Sweden joining NATO. Lo and behold it transpired  in what has to have been the most skillful diplomacy and horse trading. Turkey is going to be allowed to buy US made F16s while Sweden will support Turkey’s application to the European Union. Biden has not shared any of his background “diplomacy”. 

Added to all this is his incredible legislative record with the slenderest of majorities. Indeed some of it being bipartisan. This led Majorie Taylor Greene to attack him by claiming that he follows FDR’s “New Deal” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” which introduced Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and now Biden continues the destruction with “Bidenomics”. Biden has used this speech in a rare election advert!

Finally the incumbent’s party has a massive advantage in that they don’t have to spend or run a divisive Primary as being witnessed in the “GOP”. Biden is synchronizing his re election with the Democratic Party effort so as to make his campaign universal in every competed seat. At the moment Trump may have the base of his party but that isn’t nearly enough to win an election. Trump is out on his own not even contemplating attending the Primary debates.

AT THE END OF THE DAY

Biden’s experience and skill set may make him the most qualified President since FDR and LBJ but he is not the alpha male type nor has he the oratorial skills of an Obama, Clinton or a Reagan. 

 Whoever the candidates are in 2024 how on earth can the GOP candidate win defending unbridled gun procession and abortion abolition?

In 2024 “Bidenomics” will be hitting the country in all states, blue and red. Biden has already called out “GOP” Congress members, who voted against his legislation, who are now touting the benefits to their electorate as if it was as a result of their efforts. 

In an ideal world Biden could go back to Delaware and enjoy his grandchildren but this is far from an ideal world.