Elisberg Industries
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like
Decent Quality Since 1847

Biden His Time

3/11/2020

0 Comments

 
When you not only lose your firewall state which you won four years ago, but lose it by a landslide, that’s not generally considered helpful to your campaign.
 
Especially when you also lose Missouri – in an even bigger landslide.
 
And get so overwhelmed in Mississippi that the only question is if you are going to pass the 15% threshold to get any statewide delegates.
 
At the time I write this, it looks like the races in North Dakota, Idaho and Washington are going to end reasonably close -- Biden is ahead in Idaho, with Sanders ahead in Washington and razor-thin ahead in Washington -- but all that's almost a moot point since the difference in delegates won (which is pretty much the only important point when the nomination is decided purely by who gets the most delegates) is going to be a wash between the two candidates.

And none of this even takes into consideration Florida next week with its 248 delegates that Biden is apparently ahead right now by landslide proportions…
 
A friend asked me if I thought Bernie Sanders would get out out of the race this week.  The question is certainly premature, though understand given a) the results the past two weeks, b) that Sanders flew back home last night, not to the next state to campaign in, and c) Sanders didn't even give a speech and ceded the entire evening to Biden.  That said, on the one hand, I look at Sanders like Michael Jordan who was so profoundly competitive on basketball court that he famously always had to have an “enemy” to battle against, and if there wasn’t an enemy, he’d create one, take any comment from an opponent and figure out a way of making it a personal slight.  And I think Bernie Sanders is somewhat the same way.  Everyone is always against him – the Republicans, the billionaires, the Democratic establishment.  And a person like that doesn’t give up and quit.  They battle all the way to the convention.
 
On the other hand, I think he knows that Trump is the real enemy here and must be defeated.  And if there’s just no path to win, and he risks humiliating his movement, then at that point he might drop out in part for the good of the party to beat Trump, but also to keep his revolution from being discredited for the future.
 
I would not remotely be surprised by the former, but I expect the latter.  The question is when does he cross the line of no-return to avoid humiliation. My guess is that he’ll keep running through the primaries next week, if only to get one more chance to debate. 
 
Being on a debate stage with Joe Biden one-on-one will likely be what he sees as his only opportunity to turn the race around.  And if you're debating on Sunday, you'll of course stay in the race through Tuesday.  And we'll see what happens then.

Perhaps the best comment of the night related to this and was made by former senator Clair McCaskill.  She said that it's totally up to Bernie Sanders what he wants to do and if he wants to stay in the race.  "But if he does, I hope he drops the negative ads."

And the stupidest comment of the night also was in regards to this upcoming debate.  It came from Richard Kim of the Huffington Post.  Almost bouncing in his seat, he said there are two issues he wants to hear Bernie Sanders address.  I leaned forward to listen closely, wondering what these two issues were that the thought could help turn the race around for Sanders.  The first was -- the coronavirus. I thought, well, that's bizarre.  What, does he think Joe Biden is going to come out for the disease, and Bernie Sanders is going to run circles around him by explaining how bad it is??  If his point is to make it a matter of healthcare plans, Biden handled the question well in his long interview on Monday with Lawrence O'Donnell -- he said it isn't a matter of plans, since plans don't take away people's concerns, it's to let the doctors and scientists take the lead in how to best address the crisis.

And Kim's second issue he wanted to hear Sanders raise to turnaround the race was -- fracking.  Yes, fracking.  That's supposedly what will help Democrats see that they've been wrong all along, and Sanders should lead the party.  I'm going to guess that at least half of all Democrats have no idea how to exactly describe fracking.

In the end, yes, it's Bernie Sanders' decision whether or not to stay in the race, and it's understandable if he does. But he should nonetheless be asked what he sees his path to getting the nomination is.  And it appears that the only real, viable path is if Joe Biden has a meltdown on the debate stage.  And while that's always a possibility, and Biden isn't a great debater, the reality is that he's done fine in the debates thus far, having one poor debate, and the rest solid while even considered to have won a couple.  And if Sanders' only path to the nomination is Biden floundering in the debate, then that means his path is not a whole lot different from Tulsi Gabbard's.  Or even Elizabeth Warren, Mike Bloomberg or Pete Buttigieg, who only suspended their campaigns and could get back in the race.  The point is, yes, he has a path.  It just appears to be a narrow one.

For now, though, Joe Biden has had a couple of very good weeks in a row and started to form a little distance with Bernie Sanders.  And in addressing the situation, I liked the speech Biden gave.  To be clear, it wasn't a great speech, but it was the right speech.  Very low-key, but pointed.  And that’s what’s needed for bringing in Independents and moderate Republicans.  In fact, that's why I think Trump is hurting himself each time he uses his current nickname for Biden, “Sleepy Joe.”  Polls show there is a Fatigue Factor with a large group of people over Trump (especially women, those polls show), and “Sleepy Joe” is probably what a lot of them actually want.
 
But for all the attention given to Biden's second big week in a row, to me the biggest story of the night may not have even been the results, but rather the turnout.  It was exceedingly high, all over – which shows how deeply motivated Democrats are.  And that's an issue that carries over to the general election.  That said, it also importantly raises the question of how the coronavirus might depress voting in November, something Democrats have to prepare for.  After all, lower turnout helps Republicans more.  However, I'm sure Democrat are very focused on turnout, and think it will be huge for Democrats who have been waiting for three years to vote against Trump.  I also think Democrats will make a push to use vote-by-mail more, as well.  In fact, for all I know, voting by mail might even bring about more Democratic votes since it’s easier to do.

One final issue is something that I haven’t heard mentioned in any political analysis – mostly because it’s not only premature, but much too premature – but we may be getting to the point where that's no longer the case.  And it's that as much attention has been given to the many major endorsements Biden has gotten, there’s one endorsement he’s yet to get -- but if he gets the nomination, will.  And just imagine how aggressive I am sure Barack Obama will be campaigning for Biden, who he loves.  Against Trump who’s trying to undo everything Obama did and is undermining the country.  Imagine the speech he gives at the Democratic National Convention.  And imagine him on the campaign trail.  He'll do it for whoever the nominee is -- but his love of Biden and deep knowledge of him will glow through.

In the end, Nicolle Wallace probably had the best line of the night as Biden's lead in the delegate count towards being the Democratic Party's nominee grew.  She said – “Donald Trump got himself impeached just so this wouldn’t happen.”

0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Picture
    Elisberg Industries gets a commission if you click here before shopping on Amazon.
    Picture
    Follow @relisberg

    Author

    Robert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. 

    Elisberg is a two-time recipient of the Lucille Ball Award for comedy screenwriting. He's written for film, TV, the stage, and two best-selling novels, is a regular columnist for the Writers Guild of America and was for
    the Huffington Post.  Among his other writing, he has a long-time column on technology (which he sometimes understands), and co-wrote a book on world travel.  As a lyricist, he is a member of ASCAP, and has contributed to numerous publications.



    Picture
           Feedspot Badge of Honor

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Animals
    Audio
    Audio Land
    Books
    Busienss
    Business
    Chicago
    Consumer Product
    Education
    Email Interview
    Entertainment
    Environment
    Fine Art
    Food
    From The Management
    Health
    History
    Huffery
    Humor
    International
    Internet
    Journalism
    Law
    Los Angeles
    Media
    Morning News Round Up
    Movies
    Music
    Musical
    Personal
    Photograph
    Piano Puzzler
    Politics
    Popular Culture
    Profiles
    Quote Of The Day
    Radio
    Religion
    Restaurants
    Science
    Sports
    Technology
    Tech Tip
    Theater
    The Writers Workbench
    Tidbits
    Travel
    Tv
    Twitter
    Video
    Videology
    Well Worth Reading
    Words-o-wisdom
    Writing

    RSS Feed

© Copyright Robert J. Elisberg 2023
Contact Us    About EI    Chicago Cubs
  • Home
  • Blog
  • Products
    • Books
    • Movies
  • About Elisberg Industries
    • Our Corporate Board
    • Information Overstock
    • Elisberg Industries Entertainment Information
    • Elisberg Statistical Center of American Research
    • Consultancy Service
  • Contact
    • How to Find Us
  • Kudos
  • Good Things to Know
    • The BOB Page
    • Sites You Might Actually Like