Dear Joe: Going Forward, If You Really Want To

To Joe Biden:

Dear Joe: Congratulations, at least so far, on being the Democratic standard-bearer. It looks as though it's your election to lose. Of course, that's what happened last time, and nobody sat Hillary down and really talked to her. Might not have done any good, but we saw what happened.

In any event, here you are and leading our terrible president by some eleven points right now, if that poll means anything, which the last ones really didn't until it was too late. But let's assume it does mean something.

It means that there's a lot of unhappiness out there now, and if there wasn't, it would be amazing. 45 has 39% support. That's just one percent above the 38% that I keep insisting will be his base, like it or not. In other words, he's hit pretty near the bottom and won't go much farther down, incredible though it may seem. Remember, those 38% are the people who believe that the earth is less than 10,000 years old, which means they're fairly close if not completely adherent to the Book of Genesis--which, as geological research, is just plain baloney.

They've bought into 45 utterly because their clergy has, too. So they're unrecoverable. Write them off silently, not like Mitt Romney did in 2012, when he got caught saying that 47% of the electorate will vote Democratic, anyhow. Oh, you need to be reminded of that. You've already put your foot in your mouth. More below.

But that means you have a lot to work with, and a lot to blow. And you're doing a decent job of that right now, dude. Once again, you've said something dumb about black people, and if there's a solid phalanx of support in these crazy days, it's always been that. Yes, you've apologized, and yes, you appeared humble. Good for you. 

Now, stop it. Say only positive things about someone regardless of the question. Our president can't, unless he says it with his 100-word vocabulary of exaggerations and sales pitches that many of us are very tired of. You have a tremendous advantage there, or unless someone writes it out for him. Pivot and work with it.

Besides, there's so much negative news about the virus. There's no plan, even four months since this thing hit us. Come up with a plan. You'll get so far out in front of 45 that he'll wonder where everybody went. Some semblance of a plan, some semblance of hope to get us out of this ditch, will be incredibly welcome.

You made a nice show on Memorial Day, going to the memorial for Delaware vets. That alone was a great photo op. So were the masks that you and Jill wore. When you appear, don't fall for the macho crap that 45 puts out there, and wear the mask. Tell everyone that it isn't safe without it, because it isn't. If people don't believe you, they either soon will because they'll get sick, or they're in that 38% which denies science and are irreparable.

Have you noted that you've gained your lead while mostly staying at home? Yup. 45 just keeps digging deeper. He appears when people are tired of him. The only thing he has going is that he's big and appears presidential. Otherwise, he's completely useless. Yes, useless. He would be much better off staying home, but he can't help himself.

Until the convention, at least, copy that. Don't go out there unless there's a specific celebration or reason, something to specifically address. Some of the pundits think you're unnecessarily tied up by the pandemic; I think it's just the opposite. This is the opportunity for the public to see just how useless 45 is, just how pathetic he looks. 

July 4 will be the next chance for you to appear. Wait until then. You can't change much until then anyhow. If things get better, you can't help that. If things get worse--and wait for food shortages; they're coming due to sickness on the production line that hasn't been adequately addressed--you'll be able to discuss it once or twice. That's all you'll need. Otherwise, lay low in June. We will see what opening up brings. I don't think it'll be pretty.

Basically, in this campaign, less is more until the convention. No more fighting to be done. No more inside campaigning--except for oh, yeah, your vice-presidential pick:

You still have time to vet. Your professed need for a woman won't backfire on you: The Democrats have a great bench. That's the good part. Do you need a black woman? James Clyborn is right: You don't. You need the best woman. But a black woman might be best after all.

Has your foolish comment about blacks forced your hand? Good question. Don't know how to answer that one without internal polling, which, if you're smart, you're busy doing. All I can tell you are my impressions:

• If black--Harris, Rice, Demings: All good choices. Harris is articulate, attractive, and gained much chops in the Kavanaugh hearing. She has to be a top candidate and is already warmed up nationally. Rice has her national security background, but is an unknown on the trail. Demings is a great sleeper. She's smart, she's attractive, her background is in law enforcement, she's part of the impeachment team, she's from Florida, a swing state, she's low on baggage. I would not be unhappy with her. She's underrated, but wouldn't stay that way.
• If not black--Warren, I believe, though tough and qualified, is too old. Save her for the Senate, the Supreme Court (not the first time I've said that; she truly belongs there, as a former law professor), or the Cabinet. Klobuchar is a better campaigner than she's been given credit for and is from Minnesota, which the ticket needs. Baldwin is a superb campaigner, calm and sturdy, and won by a near-landslide in that most purple of states, Wisconsin. She has transcended her lesbianism, though there will be predictable smears. Whitmer really does sound like she doesn't want the job, though if she said or hinted so, I think you'd be crazy not to take her in a heartbeat.

There are others who might be good, too. I don't know where your head is on this, and you've been appropriately quiet about it. So good luck with that. 

You know 45 will try to tweet-smear anyone you take, so there's always that, but he's got enough problems right now. Your goal is to tamp down anything he's saying about you and China by making him the incompetent boob who's not acting in the country's best interests. You have his hesitancy to deal with the virus all during February, which if you don't take advantage of it, you deserve what you get. But do we?

You have this one chance to save our country from what's clearly its demise. It is sliding downhill faster by the day. You've got to get it right, Joe. Everything's banking on it. Here's hoping you do.

Be well. Be careful. With some luck, I'll see you down the road.

Mister Mark