All About Politics, and the Power that Comes with It
What all this brings to the fore is: America is not a democracy, and this is all about politics and the power that comes with it.
After his performance in the debate, and after the assassination attempt, Biden was placed in an extremely difficult position. Poll numbers showed he was still competitive with Trump prior to the convention, but soon the margin of error was erased and Biden was down six points. Blood was in the water and the sharks were circling. The writing started appearing on the wall: Biden needed to step down. The problem was Biden remained not only the president of the United States, but the leader of the Democratic Party.
If anyone understands power, it is Biden: he held limited power as a Senator, was denied more extensive power after failed bids at the presidency, regained some power as vice
president, and then finally realized true power
when winning the presidency in 2020. Working a lifetime to achieve the power that comes with a such a position, it is not something Biden would have given up lightly, nor should he have, particularly when calls come from people who don’t hold the position or have the power – be they first term congressmen, celebrities, one of many donors, or even past presidents.
And Biden also understood the game: he needed the support of his base, the people who provided him with campaign funds to secure reelection and elected officials who supported his agenda and initiatives.
Biden understood history would regard him as one of the finest presidents in the United States if he won, and Biden understood he needed to win to continue to influence policy and practice
through the power he held. But what if he lost?
History would see him differently.
For Trump, whether he won or lost was not a consideration. But that was because, as has been demonstrated, Trump had neither the character, temperament, or practice to be regarded as a great president or leader. Up to this point, Biden had it in spades. How he acted in this instance would confirm his leadership and affirm his place in history. As president of the United States and leader of the Democratic Party, the decision of whether to move forward was his alone. And what Biden needed more than anything was time.
Time allowed Biden the opportunity to think things through. Time provided a means to leverage the massive power he still had over his party and the campaign. A day, a week, a month is an eternity in politics. Circumstances change, today is different than tomorrow. Time brings
hope, because it removes you from reacting to circumstance. And by allowing for a space for reflection, it provides the context through which decisions can move you forward in ways unanticipated. The way Biden used his time revealed, once again, he had the character, temperament, and practice desired of great leaders.
First, Biden didn’t simply react to the situation put before him. He understood that a person need not react to everything that comes before him: a great many problems will go away if
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A tiger does not change his stripes, and neither will Trump nor Vance. The Republicans will remain on message: the world is against them; Trump is for and will protect them.