Why is Joe Biden seeking a second term?

RUSHVILLE – I recently read a piece by Holman W. Jenkins Jr. on the Opinion page of The Wall Street Journal that I thought was extremely provocative. The title was “Why Is Biden Running?” Upon a moment’s reflection, I found myself wondering why IS Joe Biden running for a second term? After all, he’s 81 years old now and seems to be showing his age just the least bit. You’d think he would want to take it easy after having spent all of his work life in public service.

Part of the answer, according to Jenkins, is as follows, “Mr. Trump at least can say there’s a clamor from part of the electorate for his candidacy, whereas the clamor for Mr. Biden comes from himself and his hangers-on.” No one can deny that being President of the United States is one of the most powerful positions in the world, the operative word in that sentence being “power.” Not so much for President Biden as the hangers-on to which Jenkins refers.

Furthermore, “Mr. Trump can be expected … to intrude at least some discussion of the country’s problems and Mr. Biden’s handling of them, whereas Mr. Biden plans a campaign of Trump, Trump, Trump, implying any price (even a second Biden term and more Biden policies) is worth paying to keep Mr. Trump out of the White House.” For at least a portion of the voting public, that reason is good enough, despite Hunter Biden’s “flagrant influence peddling, tax dodging, drug abuse, gun mishandling and prostitute patronization, all recorded on his carelessly discarded laptop…”

Hunter Biden, after all, isn’t running for president. But to argue that Joe Biden hasn’t known about his son’s activities and even profited from them himself seems silly. That allegation of profiting from his son’s influence peddling might be a reason for seeking a second term.

Jenkins continues, “It comes too late, but starting to crystallize in the press is the off-the-record question heard from senior Democrats over the past year: If Mr. Trump is such a danger to America, democracy and apple pie, shouldn’t Mr. Biden be heeding voters, stepping aside and opening the door to a new generation of Democrats — albeit not represented by Adam Schiff, of course — with some class and decency, who can put up a better show against Mr. Trump?” President Biden has, I believe, addressed that question by saying he wouldn’t be seeking a second term if Donald Trump weren’t also seeking a second term. So, one possible reason for Joe Biden to run for the highest elective office in the land is to keep Donald Trump from getting it!

This analysis of why President Biden is running for a second term is beginning to sound like two sides of the same coin; neither candidate, flawed thou they may be, thinks the other should be given another term. Of course, that’s not all of the reasons for either candidate seeking the presidency – power is the other part of it – both want the power of the presidency, regardless of age or at their stage in it.

In an earlier story on the same subject in The Wall Street Journal by Ken Thomas and Catherine Lucey, they write, “Having reached the pinnacle of his career, Mr. Biden is loath to give it up. People close to him say he has a number of reasons for seeking another term: He wants to continue the work he has started, investing in infrastructure, jobs, climate and healthcare for working families and pursue some unfinished goals such as support for child care. He remains focused on keeping together the North Atlantic Treaty Organization alliance that has supported Ukraine in its war with Russia. And he thinks he has a proven record of defeating the man he has repeatedly characterized as a threat to democracy.” Again, President Biden is referring to Donald Trump. That would seem to suggest that the American people will have the opportunity to vote for whomever they see as the lesser of two evils.

One other reason that President Biden might be running for a second term is because the Democrats don’t have anybody else in the wings waiting to take his place! Here’s what The Economist magazine has to say on the subject: “With less than a year to go until America’s presidential election, the country looks poised for a rematch between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. Mr. Biden says he wants a second term to ‘finish the job.’ But, according to a recent poll, almost 40% of Democrats wish he would take not-so-early retirement. Mr. Biden has been America’s oldest president since the day he took office. More than 55% of Americans disapprove of him. Most recent polls put him neck and neck with Mr. Trump or slightly behind.” And we’re apparently too close to the next presidential election for the Democrats to put someone else up for the job to become well enough known to win.

So, why is Joe Biden seeking another term as the oldest president in the nation’s history? Apparently, because the Democrats don’t have anybody else.

That’s —30— for this week.