Erick-Woods Erickson
Donald Trump gave a very good speech last night. But we should focus on Delaware this morning. Also, Hulk Hogan was awesome.
The next major presidential speech we get might come from Joe Biden withdrawing from the presidential race.
Here’s what I have been told by senior Democrats I trust.
- Biden has not made a decision, but has begun to lean towards withdrawing.
- Biden does not want an open convention and wants a plan to avoid one.
- Contrary to what Mark Halperin is hearing, I have been told very clearly that while Biden would be open to any direction, Kamala Harris is his preference.
- Kamala Harris is the preference of the congressional black caucus and Jim Clyburn.
- Biden will not get out without a way to avoid chaos.
- While Democrats are growing confident he has been persuaded, including from his conversation with Nancy Pelosi and frank polling conversations conducted at Biden’s request this past week, he is still, at this moment, hanging on.
- If Biden withdraws, he is not expected to resign the presidency, but will stay in office.
Here’s my personal view.
I think this all sounds like Biden is out sick and they’re trying to manufacture a conversation that takes on a life of its own to push him out.
Remember, in 2005, Republican staffers on Capitol Hill made up stories about Harriet Miers that the media reported as fact. It took on a life of its own, shaped Miers’s confirmation process, and ultimately led to the withdrawal of her nomination.
This feels like the same thing to me.
Notwithstanding that, I do trust the people I am talking to. Likewise, there has been a noticeable shift on Morning Joe towards Biden departing, which sounds like Democrats persuading the show talent to talk that way knowing Biden will be watching.
But just consider:
- Senior Democrats would not leak to Mark Halperin of Newsmax anymore they they would give me the map of future plays. I certainly trust the Democrats I talked to, but even they were very definitive that it is not a done deal and Democrats have to give Biden a plan to avoid chaos. It certainly wouldn’t be Sunday.
- Even with a plan they said Biden has to pull the trigger and hasn’t.
- And Jon Meacham has gone on the record to vehemently deny Mark Halperin’s reporting about helping Joe Biden draft his withdrawal.
- And senior Biden team members are not only vigorously denying it, they are furious and feel disrespected, which means Biden is furious and disrespected.
This sounds way more like Democratic strategists being too clever by half and overplaying their hand while Joe Biden is out sick. This risks getting his Irish fired up.
Y’all, I got attacked for saying this after the debate, but I’m going to say it again.
The man is the father of two drug addicts who abandoned his young sons after their mother was killed so Joe could play Senator in Washington. His favorite son died. His surviving son turned the dead son’s widow into a crack addict. Joe’s wife plays doctor teacher. This is not a functional family capable of sitting down and saying, “Dad/Dear, retire.”
The Democrats’ Best Strategy
They should go to Delaware on Saturday, congratulate Joe Biden on two successful terms in office, and ask him if he will give the Monday night nominating speech for Kamala Harris at the DNC since she’s secured enough delegates to be their presidential nominee.
He’ll never know the difference.