Smoke & Mirrors I

This wonderful pix by Vilhjálmur Ingi Vilhjálmsson shows, in indirect fashion, the smoke & mirrors nonsense both political parties are dumping on us rubes as America moves ever closer to its version of Armageddon vis a vis 11/3/2020. In this piece titled Smoke and Mirrors I, the focus in on the Dems as without a doubt, they are sweating bullets regarding the true mental state of Joe Bidon as their convention commences on 8/17/2020. (I'm a registered Democrat BTW).

With this in mind, here are two takes on the Dems & Biden.

Mail-in ballot problems ...

Traditionally, in New York State, one registers to vote. You sign a document and submit it to the local Board of Elections. This has long been regarded as a logical and necessary obligation of citizenship, like registering a car or a deed to property. On election day, you go into your polling place, and the volunteer officials open a big book of alphabetized names… and, voila, there you are, along with a record of your signature, going back all the elections you have lived in that voting district. You are who you claim to be, and you get to vote… once.

In New York’s June 23 primary this year of corona virus, 21 percent of mail-in ballots in New York City were invalidated by the Board of Elections for arriving late, lacking a postmark, or a voter’s signature, 84,000 in all. Reminder: this is a country that used to send officials like former president Jimmy Carter around the world to instruct “less developed” peoples in how to hold a fair election. Perhaps Cameroon and Tajikistan can send some counselors to North Carolina now.

Convention history 101 ...

Sometimes in US history, party conventions go their own way, despite the best-laid plans of party bosses. William Jennings Bryan, age 36, hijacked the 1896 Democratic nomination with his rousing “Cross of Gold” speech. In 1912, a fracas between the forces of incumbent President Taft and former President Teddy Roosevelt provoked TR to break away and run on a Progressive Party ticket. (Taft and Roosevelt split the vote and Woodrow Wilson was elected president.)

Given the questions on Biden's mental health ... could a switch happen here? 

Such a brawl hasn’t happened lately, as the convention formalities ossified, and became a largely ceremonial confirmation of the primary election process. But the dodgy primary victory of Mr. Biden — especially the Super Tuesday vote that mysteriously elevated him from the crypt of loserdom to a triumph of the undead — was itself probably an act of DNC-sponsored voter fraud. And since that business was all seemingly settled, Mr. Biden has gone on to demonstrate a gift for falling on his face whenever they dared to trundle him out of his fabled basement. 

Obama/Biden tensions continue unabated ..

‘The President Was Not Encouraging’: What Obama Really Thought About Biden.

From the start, Obama’s personal style meshed better with Clinton’s—in the sense that they were both very disciplined and cerebral—than with Biden’s much more free-wheeling approach. Even if Obama sensed that Biden provided a much-needed complement and contrast, he naturally gravitated toward Clinton.

Former administration officials treated Biden dismissively in their memoirs.

Ben Rhodes, Obama’s former deputy national security adviser, who was known for his mind-meld with the president, wrote in his memoir that “in the Situation Room, Biden could be something of an unguided missile.”

Former FBI Director James Comey recalled in his book that “Obama would have a series of exchanges heading a conversation very clearly and crisply in Direction A. Then, at some point, Biden would jump in with, ‘Can I ask something, Mr. President?’”

Comey continued: “Obama would politely agree, but something in his expression suggested he knew full well that for the next five or 10 minutes we would all be heading in Direction Z. After listening and patiently waiting, President Obama would then bring the conversation back on course.”

Lastly ...

Biden’s own academic career was unimpressive—he repeated the third grade, earned all Cs and Ds in his first three semesters at the University of Delaware except for As in P.E., a B in “Great English Writers” and an F in ROTC, and graduated 76th in his Syracuse Law School class of 85 students. He’s the first Democratic nominee since Walter Mondale in 1984 not to have an Ivy League degree. He was not a binder person, Clinton and Obama aides said.

How does one flunk ROTC?

Addendum: No switch, Biden came thru. The race is on.

Don't worry, Trump & the Repugs are FAR WORSE,