One Shining Moment
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
I am writing this, holed up in my apartment. Hunkered down. Cabin Fever is steadily increasing. Schools shut down till March 27th at least. Small businesses are empty. Shelves are cleared at the grocery store. The streets are quiet. The hustle and bustle of Northern Virginia is replaced by a Stephen King-esque, eerie stillness. Everything has ground to a halt – even Election 2020 will look quite different in the next few months.
But, even though March Madness is cancelled, Joe Biden has found a reason to blare, “One Shining Moment.” Politics, no matter what is thrown at it, never slows down.
CNN held a crowd-free debate on Sunday, for the safety of those who would attend, and for the candidates, who are in the at-risk demographic for the coronavirus.
It was less a rumble or smackdown and more of an argument between two old friends at the diner. Biden looked prepared, alert, and was sharp in his delivery – taking the moment to strut his credentials and experience on how he would approach this crisis. Bernie did fine, showing off his years of governmental experience and pushing back when he had to. But he never went in for the kill.
Joe has the math on his side and the delegates. In order for Bernie to turn the tables, Bernie needed a big night. Instead, it was mediocre at best. He wasn’t weak, but he was throwing punches over votes taken 20 years ago when Americans have a viral threat at their doorsteps now. No one cares about if you voted for Iraq or not.
Hillary supported the war in Iraq, Trump never did, but Democrats still sided with her. See? Doesn’t matter. Joe found his biggest opening to put a fork in Bernie once and for all when he pledged to pick a woman as his VP. On this, Bernie fumbled the ball and gave a non-committal answer.
By committing to a woman as his VP, Biden out-progressived the Progressive Candidate, and put Trump, who is very busy right now with a world pandemic on his hands, back on his heels.
Trump is already weakened due to the nation in crisis mode. And he seems to be in over his head at this moment. To be fair, all world leaders are learning as they go. On top of this, the Coronavirus has taken away the President’s biggest super power – his crowds. Trump, in order to secure re-election, cannot deliver anymore mixed messages on this virus.
Trump can’t have Biden on TV acting more presidential than him. Biden will deliver on his pledge that he made. He will pick a woman – more specifically, he is almost certain to pick a woman of color to excite the electorate, the base of the Democratic Party, and return the favor to the African American community that brought his campaign back from the brink.
Vice Presidential nominee Kamala Harris or Stacey Abrams will breathe even more life into Biden’s campaign, bringing back the Obama Coalition that wasn’t feeling Hillary. Maybe some Bernie Bros will suck it up. Biden will have the establishment and most of the Democratic base behind him. If Trump wants to change the tide, he needs to take a page from Biden’s book.
Pence has demonstrated a calm, collected presentation in the face of this crisis on the world stage as he leads the Corona Task Force. Perfect for Secretary of State. Pompeo can run for Senate or whatever. If Trump wants to win, he must pledge to pick a woman as well. And the woman that can fully unite the party, secure the moderates and make a play for those crucial suburban mom votes is – Nikki Haley. There’s already been talk. If Trump wants to win “bigly,” or make his campaign great again, he will take the pledge with Biden.
