Biden's 2024 pivot

[Contrarian]

President Biden is quietly pivoting to the middle as he prepares for a 2024 run.

What's happening: His early '23 moves — Sunday's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border and his appearance with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to promote the infrastructure law — gave a crystal-clear contrast with the GOP's chaotic speaker fight.

Why it matters: Voters sent a clear message in the midterms that they value bipartisanship, rejecting extreme candidates. Republicans accommodated the far right, with often disastrous results.

Biden began his administration pandering to progressives. But he ended '22 with his party cutting deals with some Republicans on small-scale gun regulations — and a big infrastructure package.

Zoom in: Sunday's trip to El Paso, Texas, the first time Biden has visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president, will showcase law enforcement — taking a possible Democratic vulnerability head-on.

"This feels like the Joe Biden of 2020," said Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way. "This trip to the border is what the doctor ordered."

Reality check: Even as Biden shores up his center flank, he'll still need to balance the priorities between the party's ascendant progressive wing and majority-making moderates.

On immigration, party activists are already crying foul in anticipation of tougher enforcement measures at the border — even as such moves are a political necessity not just for Biden but the several red-state Senate Democrats up for re-election in 2024.

But unlike in the last two years when Democrats held unified power, Biden now has a useful foil in House Republicans, who have showcased their fractiousness in the speaker fight.

What to watch: This year's State of the Union address (no date yet) will help solidify Biden's positioning.

Don't expect an ideological 180 — like President Clinton's "the era of big government is over" SOTU in 1996. After all, Biden outperformed expectations in the midterms without explicitly rejecting left-wingers.

But look for some Clintonesque triangulation, proposing bipartisan deals for passage in the Senate while fully expecting to see them rejected in the Republican-held House.

One idea, referenced in a column by The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein: Placing an emphasis "on improving conditions for workers in jobs that don’t require advanced credentials," in a push to make inroads with blue-collar voters who have deserted the Democratic Party.

What we're hearing: The White House is asking agencies and departments to share their top priorities for the year, as officials craft a SOTU message that addresses progressive priorities without alienating independent voters, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

Chief of staff Ron Klain has developed a finely tuned antenna to detect any disappointment by progressives, and he keeps an open door to hear their concerns.

The bottom line: The emerging Biden bet is that he can reprise his winning 2020 campaign theme — winning re-election as a center-left incumbent who looks better than the radical alternatives.

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/08/biden-2024-centrist-pivot

Edited January 9 by Contrarian

[TreeBeard]

Americans sure love old geezers being president. 

[Rebound]

How is it that the options are “center-left” or “radical”?

In the GOP, we just saw that the House has 20 radicals. We didn’t see a single Republican who is “center-right,” because they were all drummed out when they voted to impeach Trump (Not that Liz Cheney is by any means “center-right”). 
 

If I look at most Democrat politicians, like Adam Schiff, Raskin, Katie Porter, and most of the others, they are not radical.  They are liberal, but they aren’t seeking to overturn the country or change it. They are, essentially, more conservative versions of Roosevelt New Deal Democrats. And since America weathered WW II spectacularly under such policies, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. In fact, after WW II, we retained most of those policies, even when Eisenhower, and the economy exploded.  

[Contrarian]

32 minutes ago, Rebound said:

How is it that the options are “center-left” or “radical”?

In the GOP, we just saw that the House has 20 radicals. We didn’t see a single Republican who is “center-right,” because they were all drummed out when they voted to impeach Trump (Not that Liz Cheney is by any means “center-right”). 
 

If I look at most Democrat politicians, like Adam Schiff, Raskin, Katie Porter, and most of the others, they are not radical.  They are liberal, but they aren’t seeking to overturn the country or change it. They are, essentially, more conservative versions of Roosevelt New Deal Democrats. And since America weathered WW II spectacularly under such policies, I don’t think it’s a bad thing. In fact, after WW II, we retained most of those policies, even when Eisenhower, and the economy exploded.  

Politically in this divided climate, if Biden comes out and says: "I like the progressives and AOC"  do you think he can win the presidency in the United States? 

There is a reason in my opinion why Democratic presidents always pivoted to the middle before elections, Bill Clinton did it, Obama did it.

The US independent centrist block is gold. 

Edited January 9 by Contrarian

[Rebound]

24 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

Politically in this divided climate, if Biden comes out and says: "I like the progressives and AOC"  do you think he can win the presidency in the United States? 

There is a reason in my opinion why Democratic presidents always pivoted to the middle before elections, Bill Clinton did it, Obama did it.

The US independent centrist block is gold. 

So a Democrat is EITHER “center-left” or they are AOC/Bernie Sanders.  There’s no such thing as plain old “left”? 
 

Can you name the Congresspeople aligned with all of AOC’s political issues? See, to me, the Democrats represent restoration of tax rates for the 1%, which isn’t “extremist” or “radical” at all.  Better environmental policies. Roosevelt electrified the Southern US by creating the TVA, and we can build green energy solutions which will leave us truly energy independent. The price of electricity and fuel for our cars shouldn’t be tied to the decisions of Saudi Arabian dictators. That is not radical! It’s sanity.  
 

In the 80’s, Reagan defunded mental hospitals and the homeless epidemic began. I don’t want our nation’s streets littered with the carcasses of mentally ill people who cannot care for themselves.  That’s not radical.  
 

You see? The alternative is not “same damn thing” versus “end capitalism”. Not by a long shot.  

[Contrarian]

22 hours ago, Rebound said:

You see? The alternative is not “same damn thing” versus “end capitalism”. Not by a long shot.  

Does not matter what I see or what you see. It matters how elections are won. 

The far left wing of the Democratic Party has a lot of attention and that makes moderates, centrists, independents watch carefully the little populism which politicians like Bernie Sanders and his students are nesting quietly in the Democratic Party. 

There is a reason why Bill Clinton made a decision to sell himself as a moderate Democrat, and Obama same thing, he ran on a campaign to unite people in theory, his speeches were not about conservative, liberals, democrat, republican. 

Why did Bill Clinton and Obama did this close to voting time? and now we see Biden shaking the hand of Mitch McConnell at the border? Is how elections are won in my view. = )

Edited January 10 by Contrarian

[WestCanMan]

On 1/8/2023 at 5:51 PM, Contrarian said:

Zoom in: Sunday's trip to El Paso, Texas, the first time Biden has visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president, will showcase law enforcement — taking a possible Democratic vulnerability head-on.

"This feels like the Joe Biden of 2020," said Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way. "This trip to the border is what the doctor ordered."

He'd be better off staying away from the border at this point. 

The only thing noteworthy about that trip is that Kamala, the border czar du jour, wasn't trusted to handle it. It's just another cringeworthy chapter in Biden/Harris's sad saga. 

[Michael Hardner]

28 minutes ago, WestCanMan said:

 The only thing noteworthy about that trip is that Kamala, the border czar du jour, wasn't trusted to handle it.  

To handle.... a photo op ?

Sometimes I get a headache exactly at the point when I decide to read one of these threads.

It starts even before I start to read a single word.  I just think "Hmm... what's this one about" and BOOM BOOM THROB THROB BOOM THROB

[Contrarian]

44 minutes ago, WestCanMan said:

 Biden/Harris's sad saga. 

What if: 

1. Biden runs again with No VP help as we have seen Kamala Harris is not helping. Has nothing to do with being a woman, I seen her in action at European Press Conferences. No geo politics. She was much better as an opposition congresswoman in my opinion.

2. DeSantis wins the Republican nomination, lately he is talking a lot to fish from Trump's base, messages about the "elite", the usual populist messaging.

3. Trump gets pissed off, runs as an independent. 

4. Biden wins again.

That would be McConnell's worst nightmare. 

The moment in case you forgot it, is from Fox too, your people:

Edited January 10 by Contrarian

[WestCanMan]

23 minutes ago, Michael Hardner said:

To handle.... a photo op ?

Yes, to handle.... a "photo op".

There will be interviews as well, you know, and of course they would all start with: "Why haven't you done your job here? Why didn't you ever come here before now?". And of course, she would have to answer those questions without cackling or saying something stupid.

Biden will also say something stupid, but people will lose interest in his reply before he shambles his way through his first sentence.

Quote

Sometimes I get a headache exactly at the point when I decide to read one of these threads.

It starts even before I start to read a single word.  I just think "Hmm... what's this one about" and BOOM BOOM THROB THROB BOOM THROB

Sometimes I wonder why you don't ever reply to posts, then I see the lack of quality in your responses and it all makes sense. 

Dummmm, de dum dummmm.

[WestCanMan]

27 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

What if: 

1. Biden runs again with No VP help as we have seen Kamala Harris is not helping. Has nothing to do with being a woman, I seen her in action at European Press Conferences. No geo politics. She was much better as an opposition congresswoman in my opinion.

2. DeSantis wins the Republican nomination, lately he is talking a lot to fish from Trump's base, messages about the "elite", the usual populist messaging.

3. Trump gets pissed off, runs as an independent. 

4. Biden wins again.

That would be McConnell's worst nightmare. 

What if:

Biden survives to the end of this term without another aneurism, and the DNC field is so weak that mumblin' Joe powers past them all again?

What if Fetterman joins the fray and he wins? 

What if Kamala runs for prez?

What if AOC runs? 

What if Pelosi runs?

Schiff?

Schumer?

Beta the dork?

Cryin Corey Booker? 

What if.... OMG, do the Dems completely lack candidates? I guess that goes hand in hand with a complete lack of integrity. 

DeSantis Wins the GOP nomination

The Dems win again despite the fact that only 11 people (including Biden's wife/sister) show up to all of their campaign rallies? 

[Contrarian]

On 1/8/2023 at 8:51 PM, Contrarian said:

President Biden is quietly pivoting to the middle as he prepares for a 2024 run.

What's happening: His early '23 moves — Sunday's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border and his appearance with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to promote the infrastructure law — gave a crystal-clear contrast with the GOP's chaotic speaker fight.

Why it matters: Voters sent a clear message in the midterms that they value bipartisanship, rejecting extreme candidates. Republicans accommodated the far right, with often disastrous results.

Biden began his administration pandering to progressives. But he ended '22 with his party cutting deals with some Republicans on small-scale gun regulations — and a big infrastructure package.

Zoom in: Sunday's trip to El Paso, Texas, the first time Biden has visited the U.S.-Mexico border as president, will showcase law enforcement — taking a possible Democratic vulnerability head-on.

"This feels like the Joe Biden of 2020," said Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way. "This trip to the border is what the doctor ordered."

Reality check: Even as Biden shores up his center flank, he'll still need to balance the priorities between the party's ascendant progressive wing and majority-making moderates.

On immigration, party activists are already crying foul in anticipation of tougher enforcement measures at the border — even as such moves are a political necessity not just for Biden but the several red-state Senate Democrats up for re-election in 2024.

But unlike in the last two years when Democrats held unified power, Biden now has a useful foil in House Republicans, who have showcased their fractiousness in the speaker fight.

What to watch: This year's State of the Union address (no date yet) will help solidify Biden's positioning.

Don't expect an ideological 180 — like President Clinton's "the era of big government is over" SOTU in 1996. After all, Biden outperformed expectations in the midterms without explicitly rejecting left-wingers.

But look for some Clintonesque triangulation, proposing bipartisan deals for passage in the Senate while fully expecting to see them rejected in the Republican-held House.

One idea, referenced in a column by The Atlantic's Ron Brownstein: Placing an emphasis "on improving conditions for workers in jobs that don’t require advanced credentials," in a push to make inroads with blue-collar voters who have deserted the Democratic Party.

What we're hearing: The White House is asking agencies and departments to share their top priorities for the year, as officials craft a SOTU message that addresses progressive priorities without alienating independent voters, Axios' Hans Nichols reports.

Chief of staff Ron Klain has developed a finely tuned antenna to detect any disappointment by progressives, and he keeps an open door to hear their concerns.

The bottom line: The emerging Biden bet is that he can reprise his winning 2020 campaign theme — winning re-election as a center-left incumbent who looks better than the radical alternatives.

https://www.axios.com/2023/01/08/biden-2024-centrist-pivot

This new article is from Axios too. It speaks of There's a gaping divide in the Democratic Party between institutional public opinion — party leaders, lawmakers, donors, consultants — and the actual voters who ultimately decide elections, recent polling shows.

• Why it matters: President Biden has all but erased internal Democratic Party criticism. But only three postwar presidents had lower approval ratings than Biden at this point in their presidency.
• Zoom in: Doubts about Biden's age (80) have all but vanished from institutional Democrats' public conversation. The DNC has neutralized the influence of Iowa and New Hampshire, where an intraparty rebellion could have started.
• Zoom out: Public perception of the economy's health will be a major factor in Biden's political standing. Biden used his SOTU address to tout the economy's resilience — pointing to record-low unemployment and claiming the fastest economic growth in 40 years.
• Reality check: Biden's biggest ally is the unpopularity of the GOP opposition — particularly former President Trump.
• The bottom line: The vibes in Washington are growing bullish on Biden's re-election prospects. But polling shows voters aren't optimistic about their own economic futures. And a majority of Democrats want a new standard-bearer for 2024.

https://www.axios.com/2023/02/12/biden-2024-presidential-democratic-voters-polls

Edited February 13 by Contrarian