There’s an Elephant in the Room
I see or hear no one acknowledging the elephant in the room.
So, I guess I’ll say it: “There’s an elephant in the room.”
For those few not familiar with the phrase, it refers to a situation where everyone knows something obvious about a circumstance or person, but no one says anything – whether it be out of respect or fear or indifference. Another way of defining it is a major problem or controversial issue that is obviously present but avoided as a subject for discussion because it is more comfortable not to do so.
The elephant in the room I’m referring to is Joe Biden, President of the United States.
Everyone knows he has had a long career in Congress, a stint as VP and now in the Oval Office. Everyone also knows he should not be the leader of this country at this time given his mental and physical capacity. Everyone knows he struggles with words and memories. That’s not unusual for anyone his age.
Frankly, it’s OK. He has friends, family, and a caring wife to help him at this time in his life. We just don’t put or keep him in the White House
Understand, I’m not coming from any political party affiliation or position. President Biden should not be our president at this time in his life.
The “elephant” is apparent to the overwhelming majority of voters from all partisan perspectives. Nearly 75% of voters, including 50% of registered Democrats, don’t want him to run again in 2024. Those that don’t want him to run again see little leeway in talking about the ‘elephant’ because the Party establishment thinks it can win again when the apparent Republican opposition is considered. But that’s not a good reason. It’s about political party power, not the people, much less the country.
I don’t pretend to know how well Joe Biden represented Delaware. I assume well based on his long Congressional career. But the reality is President Biden is operating with diminished mental and physical stamina capacity.
He has not been a leader as president. I’m not sure if he understands or cares.
He apparently has a staff that limits his public appearances, gives him teleprompters whenever possible, and writes his reactions to US and world events. Even with that, he can still manage guffaws in his public comments and with world leaders in various settings.
After 36 years in the Senate, one would think he would be most adept at getting bipartisan support for his agenda. However, he has exhibited no interest in listening or compromise, just a ‘take it or leave it’ attitude to Congress. When it comes to Republicans, he has said everything but a kind word since taking office.
Instead, as of October 12, 2023, President Joe Biden (D) had signed 123 executive orders, 158 presidential memoranda, 508 proclamations, and 100 notices. He sometimes ‘whispers’ to us he doesn’t need Congress, just his pen.
He picked his VP and many in his Cabinet, not on their expertise or experience, but on ‘equity’ – skin color, gender, and gender identity. One of the reasons his Party has not attempted to not run him again is because it knows a logical choice would be his VP – and it is not willing to lose that badly.
Because of the obvious choreography by his staff, it’s impossible to know whether his exhibited obsessions with white supremacy, climate change, equity, open borders, student loan forgiveness, Ukraine/Vladimer Putin, and ‘nixing’ Donald Trump are personal or those who control him.
He admits periodically that he’s not supposed to say anything or anything more about a subject. Who tells any President that? What President would admit it?
Again, this piece is not about the man or his policies and actions, like those of the withdrawal from Afghanistan and a whole list of other foreign and domestic blunders. I don’t know who’s in charge, writing the scripts, or issuing orders and EOs.
It does scream about how our Political Party establishments can use people to accomplish their objectives regardless of the person supposedly executing them.
The fact is the citizens of this country deserve to have the best available and willing choices when electing the person to sit in the most powerful seat in the world.
In societies or organizations or countries, the job title a person may carry does not make that person a leader.
Like most members of Congress, Joe Biden has no experience in running a company, making payroll, or having any personal skin in the game.
Frankly, I believe presidential candidates should have successful experience managing people, organizations, issues, and budgets/profit, whether it be in the private sector or as a governor of a state.
Pardon my brief digression, but the least we should expect from our President is competence – whether we agree with him/her or not.
I’m saying it out loud again, “There’s an elephant in the room.”
Anybody listening? – as I prepare myself to be “canceled.”
*************
Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://www.axios.com/2023/04/25/2024-trump-biden-presidential-rematch
SPIDER Bites
This week’s trivia question: Who wrote “The Star-Spangled Banner”? The answer to last week’s question: Of which ship was Miles Standish captain: The Mayflower. As it turns out, one history book has Stanish as the captain, another has Christopher Jones as that captain. On reflection, Standish was aboard and was the leader of the colony founded by the Pilgrims, but Jones was a naval officer while Standish was a military one, making it likely Jones had the helm of the Mayflower. Sorry, bad question.
The FBI reports 1.2 million motor vehicle thefts in 2022. That’s an 11% increase from 2021. Carjackings were up 8%. The Highway Loss Data Institute identified the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat as the car in the model years 2020-2022 having the highest claim frequency for theft.
Still like BLM? Many chapters support Hamas. Jews are not ‘victims,’ they’re oppressors, according to them. Some college students joined in and the terrorists by protesting Israel, adopting the hoax re: the Gaza hospital bombing, and spewing antisemitism. Several corporate CEOs told their HR departments to get the names and never hire the antisemites. Finally, a consequence for deliberate ignorance via blind ideology.
Two Americans held hostage by Hamas were released last week. Apparently good PR for the terrorists in some circles. Now, just a total 10 Americans and 200 Israelis to go.
President Biden addressed the nation Thursday evening to make a case for another $60B for Ukraine. Oh, and $14B for Israel. It was a lousy time to make a case for Ukraine. His Middle East policy apparently is “don’t.” His Ukraine policy is apparently another “endless war” we can’t afford.
While the Feds were getting their act together to help evacuate Americans from Israel, Gov. ‘DeSantis Airlines’ greeted a 270 Florida passenger charter flight in Tampa on Monday. 91 children were aboard as commercial airlines canceled flights in and out of Israel. It was one of five Florida-paid charter flights over last weekend.
The US Treasury EE Bond’s interest rate when offered for sale is currently 2.5%. Last week the yield on those bonds exceeded 5%. That means the buyer of a $1,000 bond paid $975 for the buy, because it is obviously getting to be a riskier investment. Same for after-market trades. The debt keeps rising and getting more expensive to service. In fiscal 2023, the government spent a record $659B in interest on the debt. It spent $817B on defense.
You knew this was coming. Texas implemented a new law requiring a first-time registration fee of $400 for EV owners and an annual fee of $200 after that. All states will be looking to cover lost gas taxes.
The Biden administration has received major opposition, including 26 states and the energy, agriculture, and automotive industries, regarding the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards proposed in July. Those rules would amount to a de facto ban on cars and trucks using liquid fuels in a very short time. Under the rules, passenger cars and light trucks are required to annually improve fuel efficiency by 2% and 4%, respectively, beginning in 2027. Pickup trucks and work vans must boost fuel efficiency 10% every year starting in 2030.
Space X matched its record total of last year by launching its 57th mission last week – this one for the “new” US Space Force. If its planned schedule happens, it will send 70 packages into space this year.
