The Democrats have promoted a long list of pretenders to the throne, like Beto, Buttigieg and Bloomberg, only to watch each one flame out spectacularly. Has all the empty hype been mere dress rehearsal for the main attraction?
In every Democratic debate, the elephant in the room came in the form of a question, ‘Do the Democrats really think they can beat Trump with this rogues’ gallery of political hacks?’ If they aren’t too young and inexperienced, like the ex mayor of South Bend, then they are too old and feeble-minded, like the lead candidate who just declared he was running for the US Senate. If they aren’t a bald-faced liar, like a certain fake native American, they are a brutally honest socialist who freely admits he will confiscate your hard-earned earnings once elected.
From the beginning, the Democrats have been desperate to make up for what they lacked in raw talent with sheer numbers. They flooded the debate stage with a record-breaking 29 candidates, many of them virtual unknowns (Moulton, Inslee or Hickenlooper, anyone?). Just three of the pageant’s contestants are still standing today: Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Tulsi Gabbard, who, with her single delegate may actually get to participate in the debates again. Elizabeth Warren has reportedly dropped out of the Democratic presidential primary.
What is most startling about this cycle’s nomination process, aside from the Iowa caucus fiasco, is how lightning fast the political fortunes have turned. Just last week, it looked as though the horse race would come down to a photo finish between Buttigieg and Sanders.
That did not materialize, of course, and here is where the US political system is beginning to resemble an elaborate Ponzi scheme whereas Americans 'invest' in a particular candidate only to have that person jump ship, forcing their supporters to go with the next ‘investment’ higher up the food chain. Ponzi schemes are a godsend for people who get in and out early while the potential for profit is high. For those left holding the bag when the bottom falls out, however, it’s a gut-wrenching experience.
The obvious example is Pete Buttigieg, a guest of honor at many a billionaire wine-cellar events who racked up over $100 million from wealthy donors while enjoying non-stop media exposure, the majority of it super positive. Yet Buttigieg abandoned all hope on the eve of Super Tuesday just because Joe Biden managed to win South Carolina. Really? Shortly later, media mogul Michael Bloomberg, who blew more than half a billion dollars on a massive ad blitz that only bought him American Samoa, followed in lock step behind Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar into early retirement.
Unfortunately for those who invested in Buttigieg, Bloomberg and Klobuchar, they must now hedge their bets on none other than Joe Biden, 77, a man who appears to be exhibiting all the trademark signs of senility. As just a quick sampler, the former vice president recently proclaimed he was gearing up for “Super Thursday,” while confusing his wife Jill for his sister Valerie during a rally.
While the establishment and media shrugs off Biden’s rapid detachment from a safe space known as reality, they must be aware that he stands little chance of defeating Trump in November. And here is where it seems the Democrats may be cooking up a plan to keep their grand Ponzi scheme alive and, just maybe, win the White House back.
Michelle Obama, the Democrats’ secret weapon?
At first glance, the idea that the former First Lady to President Barack Obama could have any chance as a presidential contender may seem a bit wild. Yet is it any less wild that a former bartender named Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, at the age of 29, was elected to Congress where she is now shaking up Washington with radical leftist ideology? Or that the Swedish child activist, Greta Thunberg, without the benefit of a biology degree, has won international fame by lecturing the global movers and shakers on climate change? Could the same sort of good fortune, combined with mega amounts of media hype, be bestowed upon Michelle Obama? Steve Bannon, chief executive of Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and former White House strategist, is one person who thinks it is possible.
“Michelle Obama could come in at the last second at the convention for a salvation of the Democratic Party,” Bannon said in an interview on the David Brody podcast. “I think the Democrats will turn to anybody that thinks they can save their party.”
To lend some credence to Bannon’s prediction, a February poll by Stanford’s Hoover Institution asked over 1,500 California residents who they would like to see as Vice President on the Democratic ticket. Michelle Obama attracted 31 percent support, far ahead of Kamala Harris (19 percent) and Amy Klobuchar (18 percent).
It should be mentioned that Michele Obama has commented in the past that there is "zero chance" she would ever run for president but, then again, Donald Trump also denied presidential ambitions before deciding to run.
It should not be forgotten that the Obamas, much like the Clintons, are the closest thing to gilded royalty inside of the heavily fortified Democratic palace. In July, Michelle Obama, coming on the heels of a nationwide book tour, was ranked “the most admired woman in the world” in a poll conducted by the market research firm YouGov.
The former first lady edged out Oprah Winfrey (2), Hillary Clinton (8), and even Queen Elizabeth II (4). And although there were numerous things to dislike about the two-term Obama presidency – a disastrous war in Libya, for example– the media never stopped fawning over America’s first Black president. The glowing coverage continues today as the media reinforces the idea that Barack and Michelle somehow enjoy the moral high ground over Trump and his ‘deplorables.’
“Obama’s aspirational tone gives the former first lady a high moral position within the party and American life,” The Hill wrote in late 2018, predicting that Michelle will eventually become “one of the most sought-after surrogates for Democrats trying to defeat Trump in 2020.”
Are those credentials enough to magically turn Michelle Obama loose against Trump in November, at the very least as a running mate with Joe Biden, assuming he doesn’t utter a gaffe too far before then, which remains a high probability? Personally, I think it is. With the full backing of the media industrial complex, together with the deep pockets of the wealthiest Americans, Democratic voters could easily be drummed into an absolute state of frenzy over Michelle that would make Trump Derangement Syndrome resemble the common cold.
In that case, the world’s greatest Ponzi scheme, which would bring together the supporters of the Democratic Party’s 29 former presidential hopefuls, could actually succeed in delivering the United States its first woman president in 2020, and the downfall of Donald Trump. Stranger things have happened in the world of politics.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.