Since most elections are run on the strategy of selling the biggest possible contrast between yourself and your opponent, I see even less reason to give Joe Biden another thought.
While Biden is a stark contrast to Donald Trump in terms of respect for truth, personal integrity and an interest in people other than himself, too much about him is attached to another time, a time rapidly disappearing in the rear view mirror. And we’re not just talking his old school, creepy uncle squeezing and sniffing and kissing of women he doesn’t know particularly well.
Biden has been around so long DC and the media are clogged with people who have been up close with the ex-Senator and Veep. None of them describe him as sexually predatory. To date no one has retold a tale of Joe pinching butts, trying to talk an intern into a one-on-one “counseling session” in his hotel room or ruining anyone’s career because they declined his offer for some free-range canoodling.
His style is more the sage and avuncular shtick. The wiseman/tribal elder forever ready to console and demonstrate empathy … personally.
But the thing is, that kind of paternalistic vibe gets more out of step with modern America with each passing day. Maybe it’s true that the Trump-voting blue-collar crowd in the Rust Belt still has a lingering affinity for old, straight white guys who can find Scranton on a map. But the energy driving Democrats today is — I’m pretty sure — fueled by desire for a radical, dramatic change on wide range of topics, from women’s rights to tax fairness to climate change, and as top-of-the-ticket names there are at least a half-dozen better options than Biden already on the menu.
More and more I’m betting that Democrats in general are going to migrate toward a candidate most unlike Trump. Young and vigorous instead of old and decadent. Smart and well-read instead of intellectually lazy. Honorable instead of morally repugnant. Optimistic instead of fear-mongering. Whether this also means female rather than an appalling sexist [bleep]hole, I can’t say yet. But it’s trending in all those directions.
The desire for “the candidate” best able to drive a wave that not only defeats Trump but takes out another chunk of the Republican wall of obstruction is seen in virtually every poll out there today. The underlying attribute to that yet-to-be-determined person is the power to inspire.
Inspiration of course is weird, ephemeral thing. It’s a highly aspirational emotion. Voters project all sorts of hopes and dreams on such a person. And, somewhat ironically, that projection is easier to do the less they know about the person. Hang around the game 20, 30, 40 years and everybody knows everything about you and no one can project anything “dreamy” on you anymore. What they like about you is that you’re familiar.
Despite their current (name recognition-driven) standing in the polls, my bet is that Biden’s “known knowns” (to paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld) also apply to Bernie Sanders. Both of the grand old men have the temporary benefit of affection largely based on the fact people know them. (There’s more aspiration attached to Bernie.)
But — prediction here — all that will begin to shift, and quickly, once revved-up, mad-as-hell voters realize that there are younger people, better attuned to the culture of the moment, (and in terms of the looming horrors of climate change, likely to still be alive in 2040 when the [bleep] really hits the fan), standing at the next podium over on the debate stage.
Do I have anyone particular in mind? Yes and no. There are so many Democrats out on the field at the moment it’s nearly impossible to get a full sense of each of their “inspirational” qualities, or lack thereof. But yeah, with every appearance he makes, Mayor Pete Buttegieg does more to elevate himself as someone who has thought well and thoroughly about the stuff that matters, even to a Boomer geezer like me.
One thing for certain is that Donald Trump continues to destroy the value of tradition in politics. So let’s not expect a traditional candidate running a traditional campaign is going to flush him out office.
Agree completely. Bernie and Biden, the early frontrunners, are unlikely to expand their constituencies and more likely to fade. The race should set up much better for a younger candidate who surges, and Buttegieg has early momentum that is impressive. He’s got that the-more-you-see-him-the-more-you-like-him thing going. We should also keep an eye on Stacy Abrams if she gets in, because she has the same effect. There’s Beto, but his problem is that he seems to be faking the authenticity that comes naturally to Mayor Pete and Ms. Abrams. Of course, there’s a long way to go and much will change…but probably not for the better for the elder statesmen.
Part of Hillary’s problem — which along with Biden was too many years in the public eye and too few expectations that she would transform the system — was that she was not adept at “the parlance of our times”, to quote “The Big Lebowski”. That vernacular isn’t strictly aimed at AOC-style progressive socialists, it’s about middle-aged white guys restless with politicians incapable of ever shifting out of wonk talk. Part of “authenticity” is speaking clearly and coherently in a language familiar to all — and believing it yourself.
Politicians that are unable to communicate like normal people drive me nuts no matter where they are on the liberal to conservative spectrum. Another piece that many politicians seem to lack, at least when speaking to larger groups is empathy. Democrats in particular are great at citing statistics that their policies are correct, or that serious crime is not a growing problem, but fail to acknowledge that a persons fear or perception, while flawed, is real to that person. You can point to all the studies you want, but if someone does not feel safe, or economically secure, failing to acknowledge that that persons fear is real before talking about it seems to shut the door on any sort of dialogue about it. Instead all we get is a person saying I am afraid and a politician saying well you are wrong and dumb to be afraid and the person is left feeling that they are not being heard. So, along comes a con man who not only acknowledges those fears, but affirms them, no matter how false, and he becomes president. My take is that the important part in the relationship between the con man and the voter is that the voter feels like she is being heard, and that is all that matters. And so we get where we are now, with a fraud as president.
By running again, Bernie is impeding the change that is needed and that is started when he ran in 2016. He should get behind the younger candidates and leaders and help them finish what he gave voice to when he challenged the status quo candidate, HRC.
Both Biden and Bernie should move into “mentor phase”. They don’t have to pick anyone right now, but Bernie’s “Bernie bro” list and Biden’s connections to the Democratic bureaucracy are valuable assets for candidates seeking, um, wisdom and guidance.
Agreed. What is wrong with becoming a senior statesman? (gender appropriate in this case). I find it somewhat pathetic when 70 somethings insist on being the center of attention. As a Baby boomer myself, it is time for us to take a back seat. We started out as a youth driven age group–it is time we get back to some of our original, foundational values! Change is good! And it is now our turn to get out of the way.
Good advice and organizational chops are valuable commodities. I suspect Joe and Bernie and probably Elizabeth Warren will find themselves there eventually.
Thanks Brian for that needed ‘time to get real’ column. In addition to Joe and Bernie, I feel that Amy K and Elizabeth W. need to be added to the list. Both are fine candidates for whom I would vote if they were the Dem candidate. However, also live within that era you talked about. Both of them could do wonders by supporting a younger female candidate.
Amy might sneak in under the “geezer line” but her other assets withstanding no one is going to confuse her for “inspiring”.