Biden 2020 with Corrective Lenses

Showing again his narcissistic colours, Joe Biden has just announced his candidacy for US president, by basing it on a lie. He says he feels called to action to stop Trump, because he has openly endorsed white supremacy, the Ku Klux Klan, and Neo-Nazism. His evidence is what Trump said about Charlottesville: that “there were some very fine people on both sides.”

Trump’s words were surely meant in good heart, to encourage reconciliation. But when he said them, he also explicitly excluded and condemned Neo-Nazis and white nationalists. As well as the Antifa activists who had come to crack heads. As he should have. The same violent people Biden now unreservedly extolls.

Biden is demonstrating classic narcissistic behavior: truth has no value to him. All that matters is what furthers his interests. And he will say it with all apparent sincerity. He is gaslighting the electorate.

I doubt Biden is going to be the Democratic nominee. His current high ride in the polls is surely based mainly on name recognition. Having been VP for eight years, it has also not been his role to speak out independently on any issues. He has served only as a reassuring grey presence at Obama’s side. He has not run for office since. Accordingly, few in the public have a strong sense of his views; he is just a smiling, friendly face at this point.

As soon as he engages with other candidates, and marks out his own positions, he is sure to alienate some of his current support.

And, of course, he has a closet jammed full of high-proof ammunition for opposition researchers. It is a surprise to me that his history of pawing and groping has not already torpedoed his candidacy. It seems the left has turned away from their previous zeal on this brief now that they have belatedly realized that it can make Democrats look bad more easily than Republicans. But even aside from this, Biden has an easily documented history of public lying, and some of his past positions on issues are now considered disqualifying to those on the left. Surely his Democratic opponents will use these against him.

More broadly, Biden is the classic wheeling and dealing, gladhanding politician. The rise of Trump on the right, and Sanders on the left, of Obama before them, of Corbyn in England and Macron in France, of Zelensky in Poland, and on and on, are obvious signs that the public is fed up with such politicians and such politics. The cynical game becomes too clear in an era of social media and constant coverage.

Even Kamala Harris, whom I had picked as an early favourite for the Dem nom, seems to have already run afoul of this new mood. Bernie Sanders came out in favour of giving the vote to convicted felons. Harris tagged along by saying the “conversation should be held.” Now Harris is facing big backlash; Sanders isn’t. What’s the difference?

The issue is not the issue. People sense that Sanders is saying what he believes. People sense that Harris is saying whatever she thinks will get her to the nomination.

The same dynamic seems to have already killed Elizabeth Warren, and vaulted Pete Buttigieg to the first tier. For his fifteen minutes; it will not last. Any more than did Betomania before it.