Day: February 13, 2024

Closing Thought–13Feb24

Happy Mardi Gras y’all.

What is the mood of the country?

Is it that we are totally satisfied with everything or is it that we are fed up with the crap going on?

The answer is….

Last year, an even half of all Americans considered themselves “very satisfied” with their lives. This year, that figure has dropped, with just 47% falling into that category, per the latest Gallup survey—close to a record low, reports the Hill. It’s only the third time since 2002 that that number has fallen below 50%, and it’s only 1% above the lowest percentage recorded: 46% in 2011, when we were all still getting our legs after the aughts recession.

About 31% of Americans consider themselves “somewhat satisfied” with how things are going, per the “Mood of the Nation” poll, with 11% “somewhat dissatisfied” and 9% “very dissatisfied.” That means that 78% of us in total express a level of satisfaction with our lives—quite a bit lower than the peak of 90%, found in January 2020, which is right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in full force.

The Gallup poll, which surveyed just over 1,000 US adults in January, found married respondents, those who made more than $100,000, the 55-and-older set, college graduates, those who attended religious services, and Democrats tended to more often check off “very satisfied.” The survey also noted that Americans’ views on the US economy were “overall negative … amid poor consumer confidence,” per UPI.

Me?

I am old and retired and have enough income to live comfortable so I am satisfied….could it be better?  Of course it could but why bitch?

How about you?

Are you satisfied?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out

Recently a presidential candidate for 2024, Cornell West, said the Biden might have a LBJ moment…..in case you missed that little piece of brilliance….

Will Biden Have An “LBJ Moment”?

Should he drop out because of his age?

Is Biden too old to be running for president?

For that matter how about Trump?

The age-old question of “how old is too old for a presidential candidate?” has taken on increasing urgency as we barrel toward November with two frontrunners who are getting up there in years. Now, according to a new poll, an “overwhelming majority” of Americans say that the incumbent, President Biden, is too advanced in age to serve a second term, although they don’t consider former President Trump to be a spring chicken, either. Per the latest survey ABC News conducted with Ipsos’ KnowledgePanel, 86% of respondents think the 81-year-old Biden is too old to run the White House again. Compare that with 62% who say Trump, 77, is similarly too old to do the same.

Meanwhile, 59% feel both candidates are too old. ABC notes that its September poll with the Washington Post showed 74% of respondents thought Biden was too old to serve again, while 49% said that about Trump. The current poll was conducted Feb. 9-10 among a random sampling of just over 500 US adults—after a report was issued by special counsel Robert Hur on Biden’s handling of classified documents, which noted that Biden presented himself during questioning as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

Politico notes that that poll “could be the first sign of the report’s impact on voters’ perception of the president.” Biden’s camp has been pushing back hard on the age question since Hur’s report was released. On Sunday, Mitch Landrieu, the co-chair of Biden’s reelection campaign, called the assertion that Biden is too old to run again “a bucket of BS that’s so deep, your boots will get stuck in it.” So how old is too old? Peter Baker tries to analyze that question for the New York Times, including with a look back at past presidential candidates who faced similar challenges.

But let’s look at Biden more closely…..a couple of beliefs that is….

The release of a special counsel’s report referring to President Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory” has caused hand-wringing among Democrats about the general election. Should the 81-year-old Biden stay in the race? Two opposing views on the subject:

  • He should stay: At Vox, Christian Paz writes that it’s “Biden or bust” for Democrats. “Replacing Biden as the Democratic nominee at this point would be a herculean, if not impossible, task.” The most plausible route would be for Biden to take himself out of the running at the convention in August, but Paz argues the resulting chaos would do more harm than good. VP Kamala Harris polls dreadfully, but bypassing her for somebody else (Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer maybe) “opens up potential ire from Black voters, without whom Democrats can’t win.” Is the “chaos and disunity” worth it? “The simple answer is no. It’s too late.” Read it here.
  • He should go: In an op-ed at the New York Times, Ross Douthat argues that the best hope for Democrats is if Biden does indeed drop out at the convention and decline to endorse anyone. Yes, “pain would follow”—along with Republican derision—but so would “excitement and spectacle.” And the “proximity of the general election would create stronger incentives for Harris or any other disappointed losers to accept a behind-the-scenes proffer and fall in line if the convention battle doesn’t go their way.” Douthat suggests Biden plan on this strategy, with the bonus that he can abandon it should his political fortunes rise dramatically before the summer. Read it here.
  • On a different point: At Popular Information, Judd Legum accuses the media of creating a “Biden fitness crisis” with a “deluge of negative” coverage, while largely letting Donald Trump off the hook for similar lapses. He compares stories in major outlets, finding that “the perceptions of the two men by the public are shaped by media coverage.” Read it here.

I think both these candidates offer nothing top the American people….I cannot vote for some old fart that only claim to fame in four years was starting more wars than he ended….and then on the other side I cannot vote for a poisonous personality that thrives on hatred and fear.

That leaves me with very limited choices…..but I will do what I must.

Any thoughts on any of these things?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”