Trump and Giuliani are close to succeeding in permanently damaging Joe Biden through their illegal extortion scheme to smear him. Add that to attacks from the left who support zero chance presidential candidates, and that makes for an almost insurmountable task for Biden to take the nomination. It’s a shame, and it’s unfair, but Biden has a real problem. Similar to Hillary’s baggage in 2016, Biden has been saddled with a “scandal” that’s not a scandal at all. The problem? It doesn’t matter if it’s true; the damage is done. If Biden doesn’t bounce back by double digits in Nevada and South Carolina, it’s going to be over.
So, who can beat Trump in November? It’s clearly none of the top four Dem candidates, and that has been apparent for months. Trump is a vicious campaigner and slanderer, and I can’t see ANY of the primary leaders with enough fortitude or toughness to top him. There’s only one out there, and that’s Bloomberg. An ACTUAL billionaire, Bloomberg has the resources on top of NY toughness. He’s already hitting Trump where it hurts insulting him about his silly hairdo, heavy makeup, and obesity. He’s a street fighter, and an objective numbers guy. He’s already risen to third in the latest Quinnipiac poll and he’s not even on the early states’ ballots. Bloomberg won’t take any shit off of Trump, AND will attract those he needs to win – independents, moderate Republicans, and suburban women, the same coalition Barack Obama so successfully assembled in 2008 and 2012, and the one the Dems rode to victory in 2018. It’s a winning combination. Tom Friedman made the perfect case for Bloomberg in today’s NY Times. You can read that here.
And before you say it, I know some of you hate me for my opinions on this election and the last. I’ve been excoriated for those opinions and some of you have even accused me of misogyny and worse because I didn’t support Hillary, Harris, Klobuchar, or Warren. I’m about winning. Period. As I’ve said before, all policies are secondary in this election. There is one issue and one issue only in 2020 – beating Trump. I’m not going to waste even one second arguing over healthcare plans, student loans, war fighting, or even climate change. Those policy questions are important, critical even. But THIS is not the year for those discussions. As Friedman noted, another four Trump years will destroy our country. His corruption is total, and his control over the Senate, the Judiciary, and the DOJ is nothing short of shocking. Trump must be beaten and beaten badly to run him out of office. Bloomberg is our last, best chance if (when) Biden stumbles; the remaining candidates simply are not. I know you hate that, but it is what it is.