Hope is Not a Strategy

This is my “Things Can Be Worse” photo. For decades, I kept it thumbtacked to my bulletin board (remember those), just above my desk, as a reminder that no matter how bad things were that prompted this photo, they can always be worse.

For context: my partner and I were teetering on the edge of extinction. Neither one of us wanted to be the one to initiate the inevitable break-up. We kept hoping things would get better, because facing the reality was far too painful to give even the first thought.

To that end, we decided on a “Can This Relationship Be Saved” camping trip. In a pup tent. Ocracoke Island, North Carolina.

We were so anxious for this trip that it never occurred to either of us we were embarking on a week-long outdoor trip, on an island accessible only be plane or boat, during the height of hurricane season. Off we went.

Within minutes of driving off the ferry onto the remote island, the winds kicked up and the sky turned black. Yep. A hurricane of epic proportions was on its way. We got ourselves situated at the campsite. On the beach.

The photo was taken the morning after the first stage of the hurricane. The campsite was flooded. The pup tent floating. For my part, I spent the night in the dry, toasty, comfy car, while my partner weathered it all in the floating tent. He had no fear.

This went on for an entire week. It should surprise no one (including us), no matter how much we avoided the truth staring us in the face, nor how much hope we had, the relationship could not be saved.

I’m thinking of that trip today, almost 38 years later, as it pertains to this country, President Joe Biden and the Democratic Party.

Let me just say at the outset —- the overarching goal for all of us, including me, is to defeat Donald Trump.

Also worth noting, I am adamant about the overarching goal —- for me it’s the only goal together with winning back the House and keeping the Senate, given the unprecedented crisis this country finds itself. If the goal can be reached with Joe Biden/Kamala Harris on the ticket, so be it. Barring that, if it means a different Democratic candidate, let’s get a move on.

We are wasting valuable and precious time.

I am not advocating Biden step aside nor am I advocating for a new Democratic candidate. My mind on that changes every minute of every day —- defeating Donald Trump never changes.

Here’s the reality of where we are:

Prior to Biden’s cataclysmic disaster of a debate performance, he was polling behind Trump in battleground states, leading up to and including debate night (with the exception of Wisconsin), since at least November, 2023. Biden’s age and his ability to serve another four years has been a concern for quite some time.

Despite a chorus of Democratic leaders, activists and the media sounding the alarm bells as far back as June, 2023, Biden and his campaign carried on as if everything was a-okay. That same month Obama, who had been observing troubling signs from the highly organized, well-funded Trump/MAGA movement, met with Biden at the White House and again in January of this year, highlighting the danger signals in the steep, uphill-climb Biden’s re-election campaign was facing. The Biden campaign did not appear to respond with the gusto that reflected a troubled campaign.

The Trump campaign and MAGA information ecosystems have been steamrolling along, flooding daily the airwaves, social media platforms and the countless extremist media outlets with videos (many edited for fit their narrative) of a feeble Biden, a gaffe-prone Biden and an avalanche of miss/diss-information. Even with all of this in hand, there was almost no movement from Biden and his campaign to address the sirens and bright red flashing threat indicators. They were hoping Biden’s exceptional record, his foreign affairs abilities and his character would drown out the noise. It didn’t and hasn’t.

The 2020 campaign was a Zoom/Social Media campaign for Democrats. Our country was in lockdown. There were no rallies. Get-the-Vote efforts were massively scaled down, while we worked around the clock to defeat Donald Trump. Despite it all, Democrats won a close race with historic turn-out.

Prior to the 2020 General Election, in a crowded Democratic Presidential Primary, Rep Jim Clyburn of South Carolina was 100% responsible for single-handily catapulting Joe Biden to the front-of-the-line, sealing his nomination as our candidate.

The stakes are higher this time around.

Lest we forget: Ronald Reagan was elected twice. The first time AFTER being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, a diagnosis which was hidden from the public until long after he left office.

To rid ourselves of the Trump/MAGA stench, we hoped to be rescued by the Mueller Report, hoped to be rescued with 2 impeachments, hoped to be rescued with the J6 Report, hoped to be rescued by multiple criminal indictments, not the least of which includes trying to overthrow the very government he took an oath to protect and we hoped to be rescued by the Supreme Court of the United States. None. of. It. Happened.

Democrats and the Biden campaign are hoping the atrocities of the debate will fade from people’s memories, hoping the polls will change in our favor, hoping the base will rally and hoping Biden will exceed expectations with accelerated and ambitious campaign swings, media interviews and increased visibility.

Since the debate it has been all Biden, all the time, non-stop media coverage. A total saturation of the airwaves detailing Biden’s frailties, physical limitations and speech issues. The coverage parses every word, analyzes every movement, every gaze, his posture, his stance.

For ten days now, there has been almost zero coverage of the man, who would be King, thanks to SCOTUS, and who is hellbent on deconstructing our government, consolidating all power to the Executive Branch (the President), thereby destroying life as we know it.

And here we are. Does Biden, who may or may not have the ability to stop Trump from returning to the White House, step down (he says no) or do we choose a new candidate who may or may not have the ability to stop Trump. A huge risk either way. The question is, at this late date, which poses the greatest risk?

There has never been an incumbent President who has stepped down this late in the game. When LBJ bowed out in 1968, he did so in March. What followed at the Democratic Convention was a disaster, with Hubert Humphrey emerging as the nominee. Richard Nixon won the election.

The absolute chaos that could ensue changing horses in the middle of race is incomprehensible to me. Horrifying frankly. We have weeks, not months, to secure enough delegates and raise one billion dollars. That is, unless the alternative choice is VP Kamala Harris, who is the only candidate who would benefit from the Biden/Harris campaign money chest. And then rallying everyone for a strong, effective ground game.

I do not want to dismiss the legitimate concerns shared by those who believe Biden should step aside. As I said, I vacillate every second of every day.

It’s in our DNA —- once we lose faith in something or someone, it’s almost impossible to get it back. But we owe it to ourselves, our democracy and freedom to at least give it a try.

At this late juncture, I don’t care about Joe Biden’s age, or his stutter, or his halting gate or even his gaffes. I care more, with the deepest of passions, about defeating Trump, the most dangerous human being to want to occupy the most powerful position in the free world.

I have been reading and hearing “the base needs to be energized.” Really? So, you will be more likely to be motivated by a Central Casting-looking younger candidate, but not by the real-life prospects of an autocratic, authoritarian, Christian Nationalist and dystopian country?

No one knows how this will all shake out over the next few weeks. But this I do know: we cannot hope our way out. Time is short and we are wasting it away.

We need to do everything we can to prevent an Ocracoke-like hurricane because if we don’t, things could and will be worse.