Democrats may have to pick someone who possesses something called ‘electability.’

Today, (that once-in-a-lifetime palindrome: 02-02-2020) is one day
before the Iowa caucuses and two days after the
Great Partisan Impeachment Gamble crashed and burned.

Seen in the Monroe-Dudgeon neighborhood on Madison’s west side

Now that Bernie Sanders is pulling neck and neck with Joe Biden to the head of the pack of an indeterminate gaggle of Democrat(ic) presidential wanna bees, “electability” is the vital issue, not full-on socialism. So says my old comrade, John Nichols. (Unlike most Marxists, John preaches confiscatory economic redistribution with a smile.) 

It was somewhat surprising that John’s column in the WI State Journal did not dwell on the previous week’s humiliation, the crash and burn of impeachment. Now the Left is moving on to electability. It’s all about electability because (although they won’t admit it) Republicans in the Congress were right all along. Donald Trump will stand before a greater jury — American voters — eight months from now. 

Ross Douthat got the same memo in today’s New York Times. A small-d democratic election is, his headline reads, “The only way to remove Trump.” (Martha Stewart suggests a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar and baking soda.)

An election? Worth a try

Trump can be beat — not with a Russian collusion hoax, not a politicized FBI running to the FISA court with Russian disinformation purchased by Hillary Clinton, not quid meet quo — but “at the polls,” Douthat suggests. Imagine that! 

For all the epithets Douthat throws at Trump (“obviously unfit, chaotic, cruel), the columnist frets that the U.S. is enjoying “the best economy in 20 years.” And that:

Liberalism is not just struggling in America, with our Electoral College and right-tilting Senate; it is struggling all around the world … If [Trump] were merely as disciplined and competent as Boris Johnson or Viktor Orban … he would be coasting to re-election. Instead it is very likely that he will lose. But it was likely that he would lose in 2016 as well. 

Instead, Democrats that year nominated an ethical EPA Superfund clean-up site named Hillary Clinton. A candidate who was only “likeable enough” even to Barack Obama, forget the fly-over Deplorables (whom Hillary did fly over). 

Joe must go; a weekend at Bernie’s

Few Democrats are as likable as Joe Biden. Folksy, great teeth, tragic family history. Sorry, Joe Biden is un-electable. Joni Ernst is correct. Does anyone think Joe comes out of the Burisma scandal clean? (Hunter did nothing wrong and promises not to do it again!) Does Uncle Joe have anything new to offer? The man can never stop apologizing for his 40 years in Washington (Anita Hill, opposition to school busing, Iraq, etc.)? Haven’t voters said they want a new broom?

Bad news for Bernie and his people. Trump is correct: America is NOT going socialist. That’s a coastal/university town fantasy. In a crowded clown bus, Bernie may well find the driver’s seat — but how many moderates get on the bus? (Some of them, Democrats.) The DNC has already changed the rules to let Mike Bloomfield climb aboard. If Bernie gets dissed like he did four years ago when the party stacked the delegates in favor of Hillary his cadres will sit it out again this election. 

⇒ “The ‘Never Bernie’ apocalypse is coming, Dem insiders warn.”

⇒ “John Kerry overheard discussing possible 2020 bid amid concern of ‘Sanders taking down the Democratic Party‘”

⇒ “DNC members discuss rules change to stop Sanders at convention.”

Which is why Hillary (of all people) last week said none of her people likes Bernie.

That smoke-filled room!

Amy Klobuchar is the only Democrat who has a chance to can beat Trump but she will not be nominated. (Maybe for veep?) This George Washington U. analyst agrees on the electability issue:

It is clear that if the Iowa caucuses were the proverbial smoke-filled back room of the party bosses, rather than a wintry endurance test for activists, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) would win. … Biden is the weakest “safe pick” since Bob Dole in 1996.

Blaska’s Bottom Line — Democrats could have moved to censure Trump; requires only 51 votes in the Senate, not two-thirds. Some Republicans would have voted for it. Instead, they put Burisma on the map. That may work out for them in the long run if it derails Joe.

What do YOU think?