Sunday, August 23, 2015

The search for an alternative

I still maintain that the Hillary Clinton "scandals" are nonsense. See, for example, the latest from CNN: This breathless pseudo-investigation seems to exist for the sole purpose of getting the "Weiner" name into a piece on Clinton.

Nevertheless, it is clear that the Dems are now scrambling for an alternative. Joe Biden has met with Elizabeth Warren, apparently to ask for her blessing and/or advice. It's a bit strange to think of Warren -- who is still rather new to politics -- as a kingmaker, but such is apparently her role. She has yet to endorse anyone.

And this just in: Biden also met (in a separate private confab) with Jim Webb. I'm not sure how to interpret this situation. Here are the tea leaves; read them as you will:
Webb, who is currently running far behind Hillary Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the Democratic race, gave few details on his meeting with Biden.

“I think private meetings are best left that way,” he said, adding that he “wouldn’t get into another individual’s potential campaign.”

But Webb did say that “it doesn’t surprise me that he’s sitting there and talking to someone who has a strong record on economic fairness issues.”
I like Biden, but he must not run. Scandal lurks in that man's background -- and if I know about it, others must know as well. If he becomes the candidate, and if the bad news pops out at just the right time, President Trump will get the nuclear launch codes.

Jim Webb -- whom I consider the strongest choice -- waded into a minor scandal of his own concerning the Confederate flag. Considering his southern background, that controversy represents a no-win situation for him. At any rate, I strongly doubt that the 2016 election will be decided over a debate over that flag.

Can you imagine a contest between a decorated Marine from Virginia and a flashy New Yawk draft-dodger like Trump? How will that piece of political theater play in the south? It is interesting to note that Webb is a former Republican, while Trump was...well, what was he?

Bernie Sanders is terrific on domestic issues, but much less impressive on foreign policy. He's the preferred candidate of the "bell the cat" voters who refuse to accept reality or reason (a group that I myself am often tempted to join). The man is unelectable. This country simply will not choose as president an elderly man who identifies himself as a socialist.

At 69, Webb is no spring chicken himself. But he's the only Dem likely to "just say no" to the neocons. He's the only candidate who spoke out against the Iraq misadventure at a time when doing so was almost an act of political suicide. Our current president can't really make that claim.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

We always credit the right with all the hatred towards Hillary, but I think the left is more venomous. I think they looked hard and long enough and this is all they found. It never occurred to anyone all the agencies from home land security,FBI,CIA,SNA etc who are suppose to be in charge of looking for anything that is not kosher just over looked that for four years. Either some how she was given a green light or it became an issue later. At this point the effort from both side to do away with her is working in her favor. Where is Bill by the way?

Anonymous said...

I like Joey Biden, too. I'm not aware of the 'scandal' you mentioned but I agree that the GOP would love to knock off Hillary and have Biden or Sanders as the nominee. Particularly with Trump screwing the game plan. The email/server investigation is reminiscent of the Whitewater nonsense of the 90s, a huge fishing expedition. Hillary's chance to turn the tables is during the upcoming [October] Benghazi testimony, which will be public.

As for Bill Clinton? He said early on he would not participate during the early primary season. Whether he/she will change their minds about his participation remains an open question. You'll recall that Bill Clinton was blamed for messing things up during 2008, something I never believed.

Should get interesting after Labor Day.

Peggysue

Perry Logan said...

Joe Biden wrote the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act--the law that created all the mass incarceration of black Americans; the law that Bill Clinton just apologized for signing.

If Clinton had to apologize just for signing the bill, what should Joe do for writing the damned thing? ;)

Joseph Cannon said...

I would argue, Perry, that the main problem was not that act, but a very lazy (and vicious) approach to policing, which was the norm here in Baltimore. Basically, to keep black people off the streets, they were picked up on a bullshit charge, given a dangerous and bruising ride in a metal van, and put through the legal ringer. The charge would not stick, but that was hardly the point. The point was to drive home a message: "Stay off the street, or we will make your life miserable."

This tactic would have been in place regardless of whether that law was passed.

Of the Dem candidates now running, the one who is truly responsible for that implementing ghastly police tactics is Martin O'Malley. He formed his presidential ambitions while he was still carrying his Mickey Mouse lunchbox. When he was mayor of Balmer, he desperately wanted to be able to brag that he brought the crime rate down. Which he did. But at what cost?

Stephen Morgan said...

Biden probably feels like one of those cuckold types you were talking about. He's the vice president, after all, yet he's forced to sit idly by while all these Johnny-come-latelies hump his electorate.

Not to set myself up as voice of the perverts, but cuckoldry doesn't generally have any racial connotation in the world of kink, by the way. Only in the right-wing reactionary world.

And given Biden's reputation, he might just be into that stuff, the saucy minx.

Joseph Cannon said...

"Not to set myself up as voice of the perverts, but cuckoldry doesn't generally have any racial connotation in the world of kink, by the way."

It apparently does now. Things change fairly rapidly in that world. I'm old enough to recall when the phrase "pearl necklace" referred to a necklace made of pearls. Hell, I'm old enough to recall when "gay" meant "lighthearted."

At any rate, "cuckservative" is now firmly established as a term of opprobrium, used by far-rightists who denigrate other rightists considered insifficiently zealous.

I may talk about Biden further when the time comes. Better out than in, as you Brits say.

Anonymous said...

Interesting thoughts about Webb vs Trump. My questions are more about how Jim Webb can win the Democratic primaries. What does the path to the nomination look like for Jim Webb? I'm having a lot of trouble picturing it. Glad you are discussing this guy.

OTE admin said...

Trump isn't going to be the GOP nominee. The organization will not allow that. He will run as a third party candidate to prevent Jeb Bush and John Kasich from getting in.

Michael said...

It may not have been illegal, but running her official email through that personal mailserver was a very unwise move (some might say reckless), for which she has yet to give a satisfactory explanation, other than "Colin Powell did it." I suspect her motive was to have ready access to them, without government interference, when she writes her memoirs some day. It speaks volumes about her personality and poor judgment, that she puts her needs ahead of national security. I don't buy the crap about "not marked classified." You can't tell me with a straight face that her mailserver wasn't chock full of stuff our enemies and semi friends would love to read.

I'm sorry, but I do not like her. And as each day goes by I am despising the sight and sound of Hillary Clinton more and more. I don't know if I can stand another year of her calculating, sanctimonious politicking (assuming someone else wins the nomination).

jo6pac said...

The demodogs and corp. puppet masters are scared hillabillie is losing it to that guy from Vermont. So in another desperate move JB shows up to try and save their business as usual potus stake.

Twilight said...

The man [Bernie Sanders] is unelectable you say, Joseph. Well... he will be if people believe the writings of otherwise erudite bloggers like yourself. Tell enough of 'em that he's "unelectable" and he will become so, but give them hope that, with great effort on all our parts, he could be electable - then watch what happens! Jim Webb would make a good VP for Sanders, I reckon.

ThomA said...

If Biden were to get in the race, don't you think the Clintons would use the scandal you're talking about to knock him out in the primary?

Anonymous said...

I recall many saying they wanted Barack Obama to be the candidate instead of Clinton, because she had so much baggage and would get hysterical right wing attacks 24/7 if she won. What has happened after BO became the nominee and came into office should disabuse anyone of that theory now, since it is now abundantly clear that is what they will do to any D elected (or nominated).

Whether novel charges against a different person might have less initial force does not matter, since, like a pitbull, once they've latched their teeth into something they are both relentless, and effective at drawing blood.

There is no doubt in my mind that had HRC handled her e-mails with an official and a personal account, these exact claims and charges would have been raised as to the personal e-mail account, and she had the experience to know it. No one has had her baptism in fire, or come out of that crucible tempered and stronger, as she has.

This is a considerable credential for office in this toxic environment, and not one that should be discounted. I am mainly worried about her hawkish foreign policy tendencies, but I do not find Bernie Sanders' record any better. THE critical policy for the next president will be to avoid war in the ME, and I expect her to follow the PBO policies in that regard, one of the few actions of this administration I can commend.

XI

Caro said...

Joe Biden helped trash Anita Hill. And don't think the right won't find other things to beat him over the head with, like plagiarism-gate.

If we change our ideas about a candidate based on how much hate the right wing can gin up against him or her, then we are putting the crazies in charge of the asylum.

Anonymous said...

On the racial connotations of cuckoldry, I agree with Stephen Morgan. I'm not an expert, much less a participant, but I get the impression that what's important is that the guy doing the cuckold's wife has a more generous masculine endowment than the cuckold. And some types of people have racial connotations about this type of size.

PhilK

Anonymous said...

DCblogger here

what is with all the Webb talk? Have you taken even a cursory look at his senate record? WELL to the right of Hillary. Webb is a racist women hater, which is why his campaign has gone nowhere fast. He was a horrible candidate, have you met him? I have, he has the charisma of a dead skunk. At the time of macaca he was 17 points behind in the polls, for the worst reason a candidate can be behind, he refused to campaign. He did like 5-7 events a month. Less than most candidates do in a day. Webb is interested in selling books and getting a TV gig. He is not interested in anything else.

Anonymous said...

While I strongly disagree with DCblogger that Webb is a "racist women hater," Webb has, as the comment suggests, a perception problem among influential groups in the Democratic party that goes beyond his position on the flag issue.

Stephen Morgan said...

Not to obsess over cuckoldry, but I disagree with PhilK. It's not about a more generous endowment, it's about the cuckolded being humiliated. Generally it's a femdom thing. So the cuckolder could have a larger penis, or could have larger muscles, or could even be a woman. As long as it's a difference that the cuckolded can be taunted about while being made to watch.

Only the right wing mind could take something so innocent and turn it into a racist thing.

Caro said...

>>I suspect her motive was to have ready access to them, without government interference, when she writes her memoirs some day.

Stop with the mind reading, please. We don't need so-called progressives doing the work of the right wing, helping them trash her.

Joseph Cannon said...

Caro, I've criticized Hillary myself, over her Syria policy. But that's IMPORTANT. The nonsense that everyone is talking about is...nonsense.

Hey, there's something I'd like to talk over with you privately...