Sleepy Joe

Thursday March 7, 2024

In the aftermath of Super Tuesday, with Trump's resurgence and Biden facing concerns about his age, the upcoming U.S. election requires the campaign teams to dispel perceptions – one addressing Trump's potential authoritarianism and strategic choices, and the other countering worries about Biden's fitness for the presidency.

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday March 7, 2024

Navigating the Perceptions: Trump’s Strength and Biden’s Age

Last time – March 3, 2020

As the dust settles after Super Tuesday, it is becoming increasingly evident that the 2024 U.S. presidential election is shaping up to be a rematch between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Two recent New York Times articles provide valuable insights into the current dynamics, with Ross Douthat discussing Trump’s resurgence and Lisa Lerer and Ruth Igielnik addressing concerns about Biden’s age.

Douthat’s analysis paints a picture of Trump’s political revival, highlighting how the former president has managed to rebound from setbacks and position himself as a formidable force within the Republican Party. The key factors, according to Douthat, include the Democrats’ decision to stick with Biden, the return of liberal lawfare, and Trump’s own strategic choices to limit his public appearances and tone down his rhetoric. While some may downplay Trumpism as an unbeatable force, Douthat urges attention to the fact that defeating Trump requires success at the ballot box, rather than through investigations and legal actions.

Opinion: After Super Tuesday, Trump Is Stronger Than He’s Ever Been

In 2024, American voters face a tough decision between President Biden's reported memory issues and Donald Trump's past authoritarian tendencies, raising concerns about the future of democracy.

February 10, 2024

On the other hand, Lerer and Igielnik’s piece delves into the growing concerns about President Biden’s age. The New York Times/Siena College poll reveals a significant shift among voters who supported Biden in 2020, with 61% now expressing worries about his age affecting his effectiveness as president. The concern is widespread across demographics, indicating that Biden has yet to dispel doubts within his own party and address Republican attacks portraying him as senile.

To navigate this electoral landscape, it is crucial for the teams surrounding each candidate to address these concerns head-on. For Trump, the challenge lies in convincing the electorate that he is not an antidemocratic authoritarian, as Douthat hints at the potential dangers of liberal lawfare. Trump’s strategic restraint and the containment of his more divisive tendencies may contribute to presenting a more palatable image to voters.

On the Biden front, the emphasis should be on countering the narrative that he is too old and unfit for the presidency. While the concerns about age are legitimate, Biden’s campaign needs to underscore his ability to make sound decisions and surround himself with a capable team. The argument that Biden’s age is a potential threat to democracy should be met with a counter-narrative that highlights the dangers of a mentally declining Trump being manipulated by hard-right allies.

Poll: Majority of Biden’s 2020 Voters Now Say He’s Too Old to Be Effective

Donald Trump's persistent lead in the polls and the reduction of the GOP field to a lone rival, Nikki Haley, underscores his unassailable influence, depicting a party transformed under his strongman-like sway.

January 25, 2024

In this potential rematch, both campaigns must confront and dispel the negative perceptions surrounding their candidates. It is not just about proving Trump is not a wannabe dictator or Biden is not a geriatric leader; it’s about constructing narratives that resonate with voters, addressing concerns head-on, and showcasing the strength and stability each candidate brings to the table.

As the election season unfolds, the success of each candidate will depend not only on their individual performances but also on the effectiveness of their campaign teams in shaping a narrative that reassures the American people about the fitness and competence of their chosen leader. (AI)

 

Friday May 28, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday May 28, 2021

As world grows desperate for COVID vaccine, US sits on tens of millions of unused doses

Despite offers of lottery winnings, amusement park tickets and even cold hard cash, unvaccinated Americans are leaving tens of millions of unused doses for COVID-19 sitting on the shelves.

May 11, 2021

Federal officials told state governors that as of earlier this week up to 53 million doses were still waiting to be ordered by the states – a staggering amount that, depending upon the type of vaccine, would offer protection against the virus to some 25 million people.

That federal surplus is in addition to an unknown number of vaccine doses waiting for arms at vaccination sites and pharmacies in states like Wyoming, Idaho, Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama that have the lowest vaccination rates.

The potential glut comes as the world’s poorest countries are still waiting on vaccines to protect their health care workers and elderly. Only 0.3% of vaccine supply is going to low-income countries.

“We are right now in possession of a supply that could be shared, that we’re worried about expiring,” Arkansas GOP Gov. Asa Hutchinson told the White House in phone call on Tuesday with other governors. Audio of the private call was obtained by ABC News.

The Biden administration insists that the number of wasted doses in the U.S. is extremely low and that the vast majority of supply is not at risk of expiring. But the idea of a growing vaccine surplus is a new dilemma for the White House, which took control when supply was scarce and the federal government still hadn’t purchased enough vaccine for every American. Now, with nearly 60 percent of eligible Americans having one shot, the pace of those shots has been cut in half in the past six weeks to 1.7 million a day.

April 28, 2021

Meanwhile, global outbreaks have prompted concerns of new mutations of the virus that could chip away at the effectiveness of vaccines and leave vaccinated Americans at risk.

“We are going to have this embarrassing accumulation of surplus,” said Stephen Morrison, director of the Global Health Policy Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Morrison, who predicted as many as 30 percent of Americans will refuse the vaccine entirely, said the primary concern for the Biden team will be ensuring any U.S. recovery is “durable” before diverting supply.

“At the same time, we have this wildfire raging beyond our borders that they will have to address or else it will come back and bite us,” he said.

The Biden administration has pledged $4 billion to Covax, the global vaccine effort, and promised to donate 20 million doses of the vaccines currently available in the U.S. by the end of June – a fraction of the 800 million the U.S. says it is buying from Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The administration also plans to export 60 million doses of AstraZeneca, a vaccine used overseas but not cleared yet by U.S. regulators. (ABC News)