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Friday, March 06, 2020

Is it 1972 all over again?

This week's post appears here.

6 comments:

Bozon said...

Professor
Great retrospective on politics in 72. Thank you.Great that it is in Time.
These are just some rather narrow thoughts......mainly re Sanders.
Sanders is a good, but not great, orator, Biden a poor one.
Sanders strikes themes, at times, struck by Jesus Christ, and somewhat in the way he had struck them. Socialism has that ideologtical color, doesn't it.
Trust me, these resound across a spectrum of both Democrats and Republicans.

If his writers had turned his rhetorical gifts more in that direction, perhaps he could have wiped the floor with Biden and the rest already.
He could crush him at a speech in a convention even now, taunting Biden pandering to Ukraine much as Trump pandered to Russia.

Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, to God what is God's. Etc, etc.

Trump needs to be pictured as the billionaire Roman aristocrat he is, the Caligula, the Tiberius, the Titus, of the Middle East.

Maybe I exaggerate a good bit for effect. But it seems to me that such a feint is open to Sanders not to Biden.

All the best

Energyflow said...

I was thinking how the dems are so scared of repeating history by putting a left leaning candidate up there. So they keep these moderate dems going. Goldwater lost but Reagan won. Now Ronny raygun was right wing and took out Bush Sr due to oratory(as bozon mentions above for comparison). Now if Sanders were more decisive and a dirty player he would have more chances but he seems a fair player. Trump gives everyone a moniker(slow biden, mini mike) and can caricature, belittle anyone in one second flat. Real locker room, acting talent there. Sanders, more preacher, pulpit talent than street scrappiness. Admirable but not what it takes to beat establishmentt or Trump. And how is it that all candidates hitting 80 in office and Biden clearly going senile dementia. There must be an upper as well as a lower age bound on office. 35 - 80 sounds reasonable. In this case all would be disqualified. How it got so far I don't know, ask Strom Thurmond I suppose, but it can't go on much longer like that, ignore at own peril. Mandatory alzheimer, cognitive testing are a must. Clearly Biden could only serve once by own admission and would be a puppet like Bush, Jr. but due to age loss of competence not general mental acuity. Removal from office possible so VP very important. With lengthening ages generally I guess this issue will be forced on us before we take it seriously just like with he epidemic. Obviously super delegates will go for Biden to avoid Mcgovern scenario. Biden is a loser while Sanders might just bring it off but upset the establishment (overton window in beltway). So rather live with Trump whom all have grown accustomed to, better the devil you know. Trump seems to understand politics better than the professionals. Divide et impera with fractions at home. So his instincts on China threat have become common wisdom among punditocracy for one thing and Russia downplayed slowly as it looks too conspiracy nutcase after so many years considering how boring, reasonable and rational Vlad the impaler of Kreml bloodsucking fame actually is. Only problem is going full corona on the economy. Total lockdown in major metros with martial law of a orts is unappetizing, along with rationing of care, goods production, total bank closures, stock market closures for months. Force majeure. So no blame on officeholder but still, Trump could lose office or become the hero depending on outcome. But in this case I think nobody will care who is president so long as they still have their lives. No Katrina mishandling tolerated on a national level like FEMA is accused of. True grit needed John Wayne in oval office. Buck stops here Harry.

Bozon said...

Professor
Events have placed me, polemically, right where I want to be...but having merely a sporting interest: A Sanders Biden head to head debate.

American voters have been lead astray, lost sheep of Israel, toward Biden, by the Democratic Party machine.

Global horrific market conditions, as the BBC noted, may now heavily tend to turn Americans toward Sanders and away from Biden.

In a right versus left populist race, I don't know who would win, but clearly Biden is not up to that kind of hard polar ideological fight.

All the best

Gloucon X said...


"Is it 1972 all over again?"

Amazing how fast an entire line of thinking is made irrelevant by rapidly unfolding events. Next post:

"Is it 1347 all over again?"

Bozon said...

Professor
I now suspect that possibly neither Biden, Trump, nor Sanders, or some combination dropping out, will be in the race by November.
That sounds strange to say.
You keep up with domestic political party manouvres much more in detail than I do.
I wondered what you might opine on something like that.
All the bewst

Unknown Soldier said...

I don't know what to tell you but I'll tell you what I know our past and present leadership are a bunch of so-and-so's
they've got a bunch of money and they spend it out of hand then stand around and tell you we've got another plan. I don't know what to tell you but I'll tell you what I know. the news puts on a show and it's really quite a show. we watch them dance this way and then spin about you think they'd get tired but on and on they go. I don't know what to tell you but I'll tell you what I know.