Look at our president, you guys! Double-masking it, like a boss. President-elect Biden and Dr. Jill Biden stepped out in Philadelphia yesterday to mark Veterans Day. Their son Beau was a major in the JAG Corps who served in Iraq. Joe and Jill’s visit was to the Philadelphia Korean War Memorial, where they basically just did a counter-programming event to Donald Trump’s rainy Arlington service at the same time. The Philadelphia event had the benefit of not being drenched in rain. Which added to the presidential aura!
As for the dumbf–kery happening around the transition and Donald Trump’s refusal to concede… the president-elect is staying laser-focused on what he can do, and he knows his biggest priority coming in will be the pandemic. I was thinking about this too: on January 20th, probably around 3 pm, the conservative media will dump all of the awful coronavirus news at Biden’s feet and they’ll start screaming about “why hasn’t he solved this yet??” Those people will completely blank out the fact that Trump did nothing for ten months, and that the Trump administration is actively thwarting Biden’s transition plans. Speaking of, Politico had a story about “jittery Washington” and what President Biden is doing to calm nerves:
Joe Biden’s campaign strategy just crashed into Washington’s alternate reality. In his public appearances and statements since media outlets confirmed his victory on Saturday, the president-elect has kept the temperature low and offered reassurances that the transfer of power will proceed as dictated by law, even as President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans attempt to use the federal bureaucracy to stall his ascension to the White House. It’s a familiar strategy Biden’s team has employed throughout the general election: follow the rules, model the behavior of a typical president and reject Trump’s attempts to draw the narrative into fantasyland.
Still, Bob Bauer, one of the campaign’s top lawyers, acknowledged in a call with POLITICO Tuesday that most of the day’s actions — from Biden’s news conference, to a media briefing with the legal team — revolved around reassuring Americans that Trump’s efforts to impede Biden’s transition would fail. Trump, said Bauer, has turned into the “Boy who Cried Wolf,” and reiterated that there was no ambiguity about the election results. In an earlier call with reporters, Bauer said recent remarks from Republicans casting doubts on the results of the election amount to “noise, not really law; theatrics, not really lawsuits.”
Biden advisers view Trump’s legal and PR efforts as a comedy of errors. They watched in bemusement as Rudy Giuliani held a news event in Philadelphia near a porn shop, in the parking lot of Four Seasons Total Landscaping (after Trump had to tweet a correction that the event would not take place at the high-end hotel). The first person Giuliani called to the podium to lodge baseless vote fraud allegations was a convicted sex offender, POLITICO reported Monday. And David Bossie, the adviser Trump tapped to oversee the campaign’s legal challenges, just tested positive for the coronavirus.
But even as Biden plows ahead, some of his allies are encouraging him and his team to do more to draw attention to the holdup. Biden has downplayed the damage that a delay to the start of a transition can do, but others have been emphasizing a need to get his transition team officials into federal agencies in order to get a handle on the pandemic and minimize any lapses in national security.
“We want this to be a very public issue,” said David Shulkin, who was undersecretary of Veterans Affairs in the final years of the Obama administration before serving just over a year as Trump’s Veterans Affairs secretary. Speaking at an event on Tuesday, Shulkin said, “We want, obviously, President-elect Biden to talk about why this transition process is so important and to make sure that this does not go off track with the pandemic facing all of us.”
I mean, we’ll know in a few months if this is the best strategy from the Biden camp. They’re always getting pressure from within the party to react to Trumpland dramas differently. I feel like Biden’s best asset is that he’s “the adult in the room,” and he’s not going to get sucked into a fascist loser’s crybaby melodrama. That being said, all of those Biden allies and party elders who are trying to exert pressure on Biden to behave differently right now… they should all be blanketing the airwaves of CNN, Fox News, etc to call Trump out for what he’s doing. Say it out loud, on air. Call him what he is: a coward and a loser who is living in an unhinged delusion.
This Veterans Day, I feel the full weight of the honor and the responsibility that has been entrusted to me by the American people as the next president, and I vow to honor our country’s sacred obligation. pic.twitter.com/BuynOGvSO0
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 11, 2020
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I definitely do not want Biden out there getting into the bizarro-world that Trump inhabits. Honestly, it was so refreshing to have him laugh when the press brought up Pompeo’s stupid comment about Trump’s second term-it was like “Yeah, that guy is a putz.” I think Democratic operatives are trying to follow Biden’s tone of not playing into the divisiveness. Now-if this bullshit of not signing off on the transition papers or not giving him briefings drags into next week-I fully expect the gloves to come off.
I know!! But seriously, why is Trump and company are getting away with this behavior?? 😳 Even Jared is running for the hills, but Trump behavior is embarrasing!!
Somehow I missed coverage of this yesterday. What a sight for sore eyes. I hate the black cloud of Trump’s refusal to concede that hangs over everything right now, though.
I really hope that “a comedy of errors” is all the Trump team manages to accomplish before they are swept out of DC and civilized society for good.
On a superficial note, Dr Biden is smoking.
She’s so beautiful! Definitely someone to look up to in all ways.
most refreshing to see our next first lady FULLY dressed.
Classy
This a drag for Melania modeling days? Let’s not slutshame please. Like damn, we’re still using the word “classy” to be divisive these days.
Melania (and Vanky) are both tacky AF. That’s fact. They are the ones being divisive.
The memorial service Biden attended was moving and I like that he seems to appreciate the weight of being commander in chief. He knows he’s going to be in charge of deciding whether we invade, when to use troops, and whether someone’s family member lives or dies. He knows what that means and takes it seriously. He’s never going to call them names like trump.
As for the other stuff – I get what Biden is doing and why, but I agree that I would like to see more yelling on CNN and MSNBC. I would also like the press to start approaching this differently – like everything else with Trump, they tend to dance around the issues. Just say his actions are putting the action at risk. Say he lost the election. Over and over and over again. Yes Democrats should be saying it – and are – but damn some of these headlines are so wishy-washy.
Love! Love! that 2nd paragraph Becks1… especially the part about the press. They are as complicit as anyone, including all the ones that aren’t as extreme as Fox News
Hopefully 4 years of Trump & his minions has made them appreciate people who are actually trying todo their job.
That’s what I don’t understand @Becks1 Why won’t the press and Democrats ever just come out and mount a clear offense or defense? You can’t play nice with these people. I definitely agree with how Biden is handling things so far, but I just can’t understand why Dems and press never call this b.s. out. And media even SNL and talk shows like Fallon: I hold them complicit for the mainstreaming of 45 as if he was harmless.
I hate he’s being dragged for not responding to Nachoman, and I wonder who specifically is doing it. It’s the ONLY way to deal with canned cheese. Biden reigns supreme with his handling methods because ignoring him and turning your back to him is maturity and control.
Well, Trump is a tool, no question.
But, IMO, Biden better go HARD against this Orange Turd and his crooked, lying supporters.
Put.Them.Down. Lawyer up, Joe. Fight back bigly!!
Nothing is beneath these crooks, and they must be outed, stamped out.
I am starting to really be concerned that the GOP/Trump supporters are planning to salt the earth and burn down everything they can, right up to lunchtime 1/20/2021.
Worse, the idea that they are re-grouping to retake the Govt. in 2024 is horrifying to me.
Trump supporters are not coming around to any sane thoughts, they are unhinged.
Bannon, Rudy, Trump, Ivanka, Jared these SOBs make Nixon look like a kindergarten teacher.
@sjknows, and when you look at what he is doing, firing the Secretary of Defense, and the major walkouts there, it’s terrifying. Dude might start a war with Iran just to watch us burn. Or, he’s getting his cronies in place to have the military on his side if he plans a coup. There was a “clap out” for someone (well respected and just not putting up with the BS) quitting his job yesterday, and apparently they were asked to write down names of people who clapped, so they could go on an “Enemy of Orange” list. I’m getting nervous.
As a federal employee, I’m concerned that we only have a continuing resolution through December 11. If we don’t get a real budget, or another CR, we’ll be shut down again. I wouldn’t put it past this clown & his posse.
Shakespeare would have had field day with the Trumpian idiocy and sycophancy of his administration. Come to think of it, so would have Hans Christian Andersen.
Sometimes I think about how Shakespeare’s theater company was often hired by a Queen (Elizabeth I) and a King (James I and VI) to make shows that would please and amuse them, but they were so astute about the politics of their day (maybe *because* they had a front-row view to power pretty frequently) that they were able to produce many plays that completely skewer the powerful. That kind of artistry — the ability to tell the truth while flattering their asses off — is really what is called for by the Trump administration. (Because he fancies himself a King, an Emperor, so we need to resort to the tactics pioneered and practiced by artists who labored under those types of regimes.)
Armando Iannucci would also have a field day with the absolute idiocy of the Trump admin. His movie about the aftermath of Stalin’s Death is hilarious!
I agree ArtHistorian.. the Death of Stalin is one of my absolute favorites.
We really needed George Carlin the last four years, and especially now
Look at our President and First Lady indeed!!!! Finally, I can say that with admiration. And while I would love for Biden to throw more attention to Toddler Trump, I think he knows best on how to react. Showing him unrattled and focused while moving ahead despite the Toddler’s “shenanigans” must be because he raised children and knows how to react to them. Plus, I am sure the First Lady advises not to reward poor behavior with positive reinforcement. I once read the best way to react to a screaming child is to walk out the room and not acknowledge the behavior.
I think Biden may have had experts on narcissistic personality disorder advising him, because how he is reacting is EXACTLY how you react to these people. They want you to get emotional and lose your cool, because then they can flip the script back on you and point out how unhinged you are. Biden’s calm is sucking the oxygen out of Trump’s world. It is perfect, as a way to bait Trump, but also a way to keep the American population calm and to seem presidential. It’s a win-win-win for Biden.
I think Biden projecting calm publicly is the right move. The LAST thing he needs to be doing is lowering himself the Baby Fist’s level.
But I do agree that BEHIND the scenes his people should be cracking skulls to get things on track.
+1
It’s a matter of national security. They should definitely be cracking skulls behind the scenes… the post-mortem on 9/11 pointed to the delay of transition to Bush (which was correct as Florida was so close… much closer than this election) as part of the breakdown. It’s problematic and it’s being purposefully done to harm/blame Biden when he does take the presidency and Russia/China/N Korea are all licking their chops.
My goodness. I didn’t know this about 9/11… of course the people in charge of the GOP don’t care
Andy Card, Bush 43’s Chief of Staff, cited the 9/11 Commission and said this delay is “concerning”. There’s a great article on CNBC that outlines his concerns and NPR’s Closer Look discussed it yesterday.
+100
They must prepare for the *worstestest* possible outcome because we can now see clearly they are dealing with an out and out psychopath with his back to the wall. That man would rather drive America to civil war than leave gracefully. Either way, things are likely to get ugly.
The rest of the world is watching with bated breath, rooting for America to overcome this scourge. The fate of Democracy around the world depends on it.
I agree with his approach. Stop giving attention publicly so he doesn’t continue to dominate the news cycle. Trump needs the media to secure himself book/ tv deals when he leaves the WH. He’s 400 million in debt that will soon be called due.
I do however hope the Dem’s are engaging the best legal minds behind the scenes in case this gets ugly. Nothing worse than having your inauguration and first few years in office being dominated by that lunatic. And we all know that Trump will continue to operate that crazy account as a call to arms to world populism hence why he has always chosen to tweet from it and build followers there instead of his presidential account……
@ Mignionette
He doesn’t intend on leaving. Just watch.
Oh, we’ll be watching alright. Watching as U.S. Marshalls frog march him out the door shortly after noon on Jan. 20, 2021.
He also needs to media to feed his narcism and ego, which for the past 4 years has been getting the most attention it’s ever had and he is NOT going to give that up for anything. That is what is most important to him, media attention and polls numbers.
Oh, Twitter is gonna ban his ass the second he’s out of office.
@Snuffles, agreed. They only reason he has the Twitter ability is due to his status as POTUS, once that is gone so is his Twitter due to him not having protected status as a world leader. They won’t let him spew is vile ugly lies once he is again back to the TV Guy.
Hmmm…maybe not. $$$ and attention go a long way. Twitter execs are not necessarily known for doing the right thing.
Totally agree that Biden has to stay above the fray. He’s projecting confidence and intelligence and sanity. Stay the course.
Peloci and Schumer giving another press conference about how terribly the president and congress are handling things sounded like Charlie Brown’s teacher to me. What good does more finger wagging do?
I think this is the right way to behave. Deprive Trump of attention and he can’t suck the oxygen out of the room. Much like dealing with a tantruming toddler, you just have to ignore them.
I see it already happening in Fox News which has moved from all headlines about “fraud” to headlines about Biden’s cabinet picks. If we all just agree to move on and let Trump yell and scream without giving him attention, that’s the best thing we can do.
Biden should keep doing what he’s doing. The worst thing he could do as Trump’s primary adversary is feed into a narcissist’s drama right now. I have a narcissist parent and when narcissists go into a collapse (which is what happens when their fragile egos are deflated), the only way to handle them is calm indifference. You can never win a fight with a narcissist because they will play dirty, changing the rules or even the subject of the argument as you go, always trying to make you look foolish. All you can do is take the blandly-smile-and-nod approach and wait for them to move on.
But IMO, other prominent democrats — not all, but a few designated ones — should be acting as Biden’s guard dogs. There need to be a few leadership Dems out there calmly but firmly and loudly talking about how dangerous this is, how disrespectful it is to our democracy and to the will of the majority of the country, and how embarrassing it is on the world stage and to Trump personally. They should talk about how weak it makes Trump look, as well. They shouldn’t talk to Trump, but to the rest of the country because we need to continue to show that his fantasy world is not and never has been real.
Narcissists are a real pain, and malignant ones like Trump are awful.
This, exactly. Biden is handling it perfectly. Unruffled, matter-of-fact, slightly bemused, then on to *actual* information about what he is doing to proceed with his transition. What’s that saying about not wrestling a pig, because you’ll get all dirty and the stupid orange pig will like it?
I do like the idea of Dem leadership shaming these idiots publicly and applying pressure to get them to cut the $hit. This is an outrage, but to act outraged is to play into the hands of the demented toddler.
Wholeheartedly agree with this @salmonpuff
“…other prominent democrats — not all, but a few designated ones — should be acting as Biden’s guard dogs. There need to be a few leadership Dems out there calmly but firmly and loudly talking about how dangerous this is, how disrespectful it is to our democracy and to the will of the majority of the country, and how embarrassing it is on the world stage and to Trump personally. They should talk about how weak it makes Trump look, as well.”
The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference. Trump loves to be hated. Trump loves to hate. Biden is handling this well, refusing to engage. He’s being indifferent and it’s not what Trump wants. Trump wants first debate behavior until Jan 20, and Biden will not indulge him.
BTW, I just spent a few minutes watching Melissa McCarthy’s skit on SNL of the first Spicer press conference. Had you told me then that this is what the Trump administration would be for FOUR interminable years, I don’t think I could have handled it!
Being ignored is what narc’s hate the most, not engaging with them on any level will make them go crazy and this is what we are seeing with Dump – he’s going crazy as Biden is not engaging with him or rising to his and his cronies bait. In fact, Joe is laughing at it all and thats also guaranteed to trigger Dump.
In retrospect, I completely understand all of those people that were saying that only Biden could beat Trump and get the country back on the right path. I am calm when I see that Joe is calm, and I am comforted to know that he has already been in the White House. He is choosing people that will already have experience working there in order to avoid a crisis caused by the current toddler in chief. I think many others would be more reactive, which would be like pouring gasoline onto a fire. Trump is only effective when he has an opponent. At this point, Joe is basically telling him that the competition is over.
As an aside, we have now donated to the campaigns of both Warnock and Ossoff. If they don’t win their rurnoffs in Georgia, we’re in for a mess over the next four years, one that Biden won’t be able to ignore.
Biden’s strength is the long game. He’s impervious to Trump’s toddler tantrums and rants, and just quietly gets stuff done despite the roadblocks. He knows that nothing makes a narcissist like Trump crazier than someone who won’t respond to his lies and insults so as Trump foams at the mouth and tilts at windmills, Biden just smiles and won’t take the bait. Trump seems to have forgotten that Biden has 8 years of WH experience and 40 years of navigating the pool of sharks that is Washington DC whereas Don the Con is a shyster land developer and reality show host who only knows how to hurl invective, cheat and sue.
So true @Jaded