To quote the Beatles: “I read the news today, oh, boy!”
And the news, dominated as it is by the virus pandemic, ain’t all that good these days. But if you go beyond that crisis and examine other items, there is a story making the rounds on the Internet that points to something that could be even more devastating.
It appears that Hillary Clinton is preparing to jump into the presidential race if Joe Biden face plants between now and November.
Arrrgh.
Here’s from an article from The Hill, a fairly reputable publication for Inside-the-Beltway folks. Liz Peek opines that “As Biden struggles, Hillary waits for the call“:
Hillary Clinton continues to hover in the wings, ready to step forward should Joe Biden fail.
Don’t look now, but Joe is failing. Not only has his campaign been rocked by sexual assault allegations from onetime staffer Tara Reade, but the public is beginning to give up on the former vice president. A new Emerson College poll showed 57 percent of likely voters think President Trump will win reelection in November.
Remember, establishment Democrats put forward Uncle Joe because he was the “safe” candidate, bound to defeat Trump. Oops.
Oops, indeed.
I’m okay with Uncle Joe. He wasn’t my first choice. But he certainly is a step up from the doofus currently sucking the air out of the Oval Office.
But Hillary? C’mon!
Back to Liz Peek:
Democrats’ obstacle to pushing Biden aside is Sanders. The Independent Vermont senator was the runner-up in the primaries and continues to hold on to his delegates. Democratic leaders do not want to see Sanders resurgent; they are convinced he is unelectable. But they also know that if they move to replace Biden at the top of the ticket and don’t elevate Sanders, the Bernie Bros would revolt.
Indeed, it seems clear that party officials are so worried Sanders might stage another run that they canceled the 224-delegate rich New York state primary. They claimed the vote would have been dangerous in the epicenter of COVID-19, but since they still plan to host a primary for state and local officials, that excuse seems weak.
As the primaries roll forward, especially with officials’ thumbs on the scales, Biden will almost certainly win the candidacy. In the absence of a brokered convention, how could Democrats replace their standard-bearer?
One idea has been to convince Biden to step aside in favor of the very popular Michelle Obama, seen as a sure bet to beat Trump. So far, though, the former first lady has reportedly rebuffed all invitations to enter the fray.
That leaves Clinton. Biden could choose Clinton as his running mate and then step down before the election and allow Hillary to run in his place.
Clinton is the only VP candidate who would be able to pull off such a last-minute switch. She has the team, the resources and the experience to be the nominee; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), former Georgia state Rep. Stacey Abrams and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) do not.
Clinton is ready and eager. She is desperate to avenge her 2016 loss (which she still blames on Putin) and has pumped up her public profile to keep herself in consideration. In past months, she has conducted endless interviews, promoted the uber-flattering four-part Hulu film about herself, made headlines by attacking Sanders and Mark Zuckerberg, and fired unending broadsides against Trump.
Unfortunately, Hillary still carries more baggage than a porter on a transcontinental railroad.
Oh, well.
What’s the saying?
Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.
Writing Above The Clouds 