The Unpredictability of Elections
Iowa picks corn, New Hampshire picks presidents. The wheels have come off the Joe Biden Express following another flaccid display, this time in the New Hampshire caucuses. His future contains either a damp prison cell, or a comfortable condo in Florida with a nice balcony on which he can sun himself and an extra-large freezer to contain his favourite ice cream flavours. He can kiss his grandkids inappropriately, and remember the Obama glory days when his best pal strode the political stage like a colossus and delivered speeches that turned back rising sea levels with the power of their exquisite oratory. He will never set foot in the White House ever again. Such is life.
Andrew Yang is gone, voters not warming to his main policy – free money. Yang proposed a universal basic income for all Americans, an idea that has some intelligent supporters, but the electorate was not quite ready for this new version of voodoo economics. Just where does that free money come from, printed out of thin air by the Federal Reserve?
Tom Styer is also gone, killed off. The ‘billionaire activist’ spent a hefty wad without ever gaining any traction whatsoever. Elizabeth Warren is teetering, overtaken by Amy Klobuchar as the woman most likely. Klobuchar is cutting through the noise somehow, overtaking her more fancied opponents with good old folksy charm. Deval Patrick is also gone. The wheat is being separated from the chaff.
The Emergence of a Democratic Darkhorse
So it appears we have a two-horse race. Bernie defibrillator Sanders, and Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Both have serious weaknesses that will be exposed by President Trump, and this may leave the door open for billionaire Michael Bloomberg to upset the applecart. He has avoided the early scraps and will come bursting into the field filled with deliberate momentum and sage wisdom gleaned from decades of successful business management.
Money obviously won’t be a problem, and normal election rancour will beneath him. He’ll nod and smile a lot, listen intently as though Joe Average can give him advice on how to run complex organisations, and may just win the nomination. He should provide a much sterner test to the Trump second term.
Off to Nevada, last roll of the dice territory for Joe Biden and others who desperately need a victory.
Jackson Byrne and G G Novack