The column below reflects the views of the author, and these opinions are neither endorsed nor supported by WisOpinion.com.
Future analysts will probably conclude Biden and the Democrats hit their zenith in Wisconsin in late 2020/early 2021. Debate will rage over how they bungled some of the following issues, which are presented numerically solely for organizational purposes. While some missteps have already been made, Joe could still avoid many errors.
Furthermore, even as Joe makes mistakes it is unclear which ones will eventually wound him, the Democrats, and the USA most grievously – or the extent to which Republicans will be able to devise policies, and promote personages, capable of correcting the damage Joe is inflicting. The path forward is appearing, but still remains shrouded in fog.
Issue #1 – Willful Errors in Afghanistan and the Broader Middle East
Afghanistan is beautiful, but deadly. Since the dawn of recorded history failing imperial powers have thought it necessary or advantageous to pacify it. The truth is it can’t be pacified and doing so isn’t necessary. Twenty years ago we should have gone into Afghanistan, punished Al-Qaeda, and left. Now Trump has gifted Biden with our last opportunity to leave with a semblance of decorum and order. If Biden and the Democrats (and any foolish Republicans who join them) decide to stay in Afghanistan we will all be sorry. Get out, Joe, and be a hero. Stay, and suffer. The same goes for other areas of the Middle East. A decision by Biden to tinker in the ME is a decision by Biden to ruin his Presidency, damage us all, and hemorrhage votes in Wisconsin.
Issue #2 – The China/Jobs Syndrome
In dealing with China the interests of all Americans are, in the long run, identical. To avoid becoming a subordinate entity in a global Chinese Imperium, and thereby losing the free, open, prosperous civilization we have traditionally enjoyed and aim to retain, we must prevent our economy from becoming further integrated into China’s – even if an influential swathe of our corporate, governmental, and academic elites sees it as in their short term interests to manage a continuing integration. Right now we lack the comparative economic, political, and military power to lead a process of global economic integration and should be content to integrate a smaller sized bloc we are capable of organizing (which may include Britain, but will not include China and Europe). As we tend our own, smaller garden the largest beneficiaries of this process in the USA will be the broad lower and middle classes of the socio-economic spectrum. That is good for Joe if he plays his political cards right – and if he has to throw some of his rich donors over the side to remain atop the greasy pole…so what? As last fall’s rise in the price of agricultural commodities attests, in the long run the Chinese must buy Wisconsin’s agricultural goods whether our economies are integrated or not — and by keeping some tariff generated space between us and China we give a continued boost to Wisconsin’s Manufacturers. Silicon Valley always votes with China and the Democrats, Joe, but Wisconsin swings.
Issue #3 – Health Care Malpractice
Some people voted for Biden instead of Trump, perhaps, because they thought Joe was nicer than Trump and was more worried about their individual health needs than was the Donald. Any such persons are undoubtedly feeling a bit bamboozled now that once in office Biden has promptly rewarded his Big Pharma donors by rolling back the executive orders and administrative actions Trump took to drive down for patients the prices of necessary medicines, like insulin and epiphen (if I characterized this issue inappropriately the affected voters won’t punish Biden and if I characterized it appropriately the affected voters will punish Biden whether every news outlet on the planet disputes my facts or not). Biden has already created real financial pain for some of Wisconsin’s most vulnerable patients — who may have failed to realize the extent to which Trump was looking out for their health. Such patients are increasingly less terrified by the mask issue, no matter how inept Biden’s and Evers’s distribution of the Trump generated vaccines is proving to be. So if Biden and the Democrats keep on their current tack of making things worse, and not better, on the medical front they will pay a heavy price, assuming as always Republicans have the wit to capitalize upon it. Votes will be won in this space but not by stupid ideologues.
Concluding Issues
Joe should cease stirring up social strife and border tumult and be more intentional about hedging his bets with the Green New Deal. He owns that frothy mélange now and if he has any sense he will try to calm rather than inflame passions. Most are weary of the strife and would prefer to be nice to one another and enjoy a peaceable interlude together. Maybe Joe should focus on traditional Democratic constituencies—like unions. For example, the construction Unions that lost out when Joe killed the Keystone pipeline must be thrown a bone or Joe will lose their vote — if he hasn’t lost it already. On the other hand, Joe can afford to irritate some teachers because most are going to vote for Democrats anyway and if Joe and the Democrats don’t irritate the Unions by sending teachers back to work Joe and the Democrats are going to set our civilization on a road toward apocalyptic collapse, and thereby irritate everyone else. Joe’s Wisconsin voters thought by voting for Joe they were going back to normal and if they don’t go back to normal pronto Joe is in a bad place. Kamala too. Tammy Baldwin, Ron Kind, Tony Evers, and Mandela Barnes as well. Democratic chicanery can fool the people once, perhaps, but not twice — particularly since President Obama might actually be a prophet. Remember that Obama, not Trump, warned, “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to F—k things up.”
– Mobley is the President of Thiensville.
