If anyone recalls the film The Sting with Paul Newman and Robert Redford, you recall the elaborate set-up to falsify a horse race and rip off a big time New York mobster.  We don’t mean to spoil that (terrific) movie, but the set up is an elaborate ruse that keeps the mark in the dark — even after they take his money. 

We are not sure what is to become of Joe Biden, but it appears that his debate performance makes his chances of winning the presidency as thin as a bet on the NY Mets to win the World Series. 

Could it happen, yes.  Will it happen, no.    

As we have seen over the past decade, the Democrats don’t play to lose.  The Steele Dossier, rigged primaries, Crossfire Hurricane, mail-in ballots, Hunter laptop suppression, four criminal cases against Trump, and a few impeachments all point to a cabal that will do anything legal and extralegal to win.  All these acts are well-planned and coordinated among other party members to one degree or another, and they often seem to have most corporate media outlets in their pocket. 

Which makes us wonder about the recent events surrounding Joe Biden.  Is the Democratic Party setting Joe Biden up for a fall? 

At the risk of sounding like conspiracy theorists, let’s delve into some unusual activity past and present.

The Past

·         The DNC has shown no qualms about rigging their primaries, even at the expense of unsuspecting members of their own party.  Recall in 2016 Wikileaks obtained copies of DNC emails that showed the DNC was actively working to ensure Bernie Sanders did not win the primary.  They anointed Hillary Clinton (a terrible candidate) as the prospective next President of the United States. We all know how that worked out.

·         In the 2020 primary, Joe Biden was faltering early.  Sanders again was surging until the South Carolina primary, where Joe Biden dominated with the help of party stalwarts like Jim Clyburn.  Suddenly and seemingly in coordination, mainstream Democratic candidates Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Tom Steyer all dropped out of the race just before Super Tuesday and endorsed Joe Biden.  Michael Bloomberg and Elizabeth Warren dropped out immediately following Super Tuesday and also endorsed Biden.  At that point the fix was in and Bernie was done.

·         In 2024, the DNC again played with their primary process.  Keeping Biden mainly out of the public eye (to avoid a disaster like Thursday night), no party member challenged Biden for the nomination.  RFK Jr. was pushing hard for a chance at the nomination, but not only did they deny him, they even went so far as to refuse him Secret Service protection.  RFK Jr. likely had no chance (we’ll never know) but if anyone needs a Secret Service detail, it’s that guy. 

The Present

·         As many people know, this was the first presidential debate in history that occurred before either party’s convention and official nomination.  What was the rush? Yes, Trump was surging last month, but the race seemed to draw even again in recent weeks.  There was no reason to put Joe out there so early other than to expose him to the American voter.  One explanation is that they wanted Biden in front of the American people to set up his exit before the convention.

·         Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris were each conveniently on camera immediately after the debate.  Kamala we could see, but the Governor of California?  Is he auditioning for the job?  (Answer: Yes).

·         The media has been lying about Joe Biden’s condition for years.  Just last week they were talking about deep fakes and “cheap fakes.”  Then in an hour, everything changed.  Joe Biden was the same man, of course; the media just did a 180.

·         It seems apparent from Biden’s recent appearances that he is receiving medication to make him more alert.  Do we know that for a fact? No. But in light of recent appearances it must be the case.  Why did things go so wrong on the most important of nights?  Did they dose him too close to the debate’s start time? Could that have been intentional? It doesn’t seem to have happened before.

·         Just before the debate there was a well-timed article that portrayed the animosity between Michelle Obama and the Bidens. The feud stems from the Biden family’s ostracizing of Hunter Biden’s ex-wife, Kathleen Buhle.  Buhle and Michelle are friends and Michelle feels strongly enough about the issue that she refuses to support Joe in 2024.  All the more reason for her to push for Joe Biden’s ouster.

·         In a similar vein, Barack Obama spoke up immediately after the Trump-Biden tete-a-tete.  He put on a veneer of positivity, saying that bad debates happen, referencing his own poor first-debate performance against Romney.  Now, Barack Obama is not delusional.  He knows this was not a bad night, it is a mental acuity problem laid bare for the world to see.  It is not going to improve.  He knows that Joe must go.  When Obama gives you a pat on the back after a performance like that, watch out for the knife.

So, what is next?  There have certainly been discussions inside the DNC about removing Joe.  Several commentators have stated that Joe will not give up the nomination, but I’m not sure he has a say at this point.  Joe is clearly not in charge.  No doubt Obama and his handpicked proxies are running the show to a large degree.

Jill Biden is likely the largest impediment to Joe dropping out.  Her performance post-debate shows that she is not facing reality and will not give in.  Even though she controls the President, she does not appear to be a Washington heavyweight.  The voters are against her husband and now the Party and the media are largely against him as well.  She cannot survive on her own.

Finally, there is Joe Biden himself.  He likely doesn’t see his own faltering abilities.  With Jill in his ear, he might not acknowledge the writing on the wall.  Can they make him quit?  He is the President of the United States, after all.  That counts for something.

And then there’s Hunter.  Hunter is going on another trial in September, this time for tax evasion, and the laptop will be in-evidence.  Not only might Hunter be facing jail time, his trial has the potential to sink the Biden family.  His finances are tied to Joe’s, and in the laptop there is clearly evidence that he and Dad share at least one account.  Also on the laptop are Hunter’s complaints about paying bills for his father. 

Closer to Joe, there are recent reports of suspicious loans, refinances, and sales of his homes.  Yes, the President has released his income taxes, but the two companies that he and Jill own are largely mysteries.  Questions about his cancer charity have also arisen over the years.  There is room for investigation there.  If they want to find something, they will.  Just ask Donald Trump.

So fallout from Hunter’s trial could itself destroy the Biden candidacy.  Pardoning Hunter before the trial would do the same.  Joe is in a Catch-22. 

The Democratic Party will not lose to Donald Trump for the hubris of one old man.  Who they will replace him with is still a question; but a threatening whisper in Joe Biden’s ear will send him to the dustbin of history.

At this point, the nomination is Michelle Obama’s if she accepts it.  But for the Dems, anyone is better than Joe Biden at this point. 

Its over for the President.  The Sting has been set up and it’s time for the mark to go down. 

Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!