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  • 🇺🇸 Biden’s Bold Bid

🇺🇸 Biden’s Bold Bid

Plus, which President oversaw the best stock market performance?

February 20, 2023

The Flag

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Good morning, and happy Monday! After 11 years with almost no sales, a father from Vermont is now a bestselling author — all thanks to a viral TikTok video posted by his daughter.

Plus, in honor of today's holiday, which President oversaw the best and worst stock market performances? Hint: they were both Republicans... 

FLAG POLLS

🐘 Friday, February 17: 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination: Trump 46, DeSantis 23, Pence 7, Haley 6, Pompeo 3, Rubio 2, Cruz 1, T. Scott 1, Noem, Ryan (Harvard-Harris)

🐎 Friday, February 17: 2024 Democratic Presidential Nomination: Biden 36, Harris 15, Sanders 8, Buttigieg 6, Clinton 8, Newsom 4, Warren 3, Ocasio-Cortez 4, Whitmer, Klobuchar 2, Polis (Harvard-Harris)

🐘 Friday, February 17th: General Election: Trump vs. Biden: Trump 46, Biden 41 (Harvard-Harris)

🐘 Friday, February 17th: General Election: DeSantis vs. Biden: DeSantis 42, Biden 41 (Harvard-Harris)

TRENDING

Left: We Went Nuts Over a Balloon! Brian Karem, Salon

Right: Nikki Haley's Neocon Pantomime Michael Cuenco, UnHerd

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QUICK CLICKS

Confrontational with China, Carter in Hospice Care, Ant Man's Opening Weekend

US: Blinken issues warning to China about spy craft in 'confrontational' meeting with counterpart (Fox News)

US: Meta is rolling out a new paid verification subscription service for Instagram and Facebook users (CNBC)

World: Turkey earthquake: Rescue effort ends in all but two areas (BBC) + Blinken to Turkey: 'the United States is here' with aid (Reuters)

Hollywood: Richard Belzer, comedian and star of 'Law & Order,' dies at 78 with profane last words (NY Post)

US: Jimmy Carter enters hospice care at home (NBC News)

US: South Carolina Murdaugh murder saga winds towards its end (The Guardian)

US: East Palestine residents 'right to be skeptical,' Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown says, but officials believe water and air are safe (CNN)

World: The US and South Korea staged a joint air exercise after the North's missile launch (NPR)

US: Disney’s New ‘Ant-Man’ Movie Brings in Over $100 Million on Opening Weekend (Variety)

POTUS

Biden's Bold Bid for 2024

On this Presidents Day, we’re taking a look at Joe Biden’s presidency, and whether or not he will run for reelection in 2024. Last week, Biden went for his annual check up at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was given a clean bill of health as Biden’s doctors describe him as a “healthy and vigorous 80-year-old.”

From the Flag: Biden is the oldest serving US president. In a recent NBC News poll, over half of the respondents said Biden does not possess the “necessary mental and physical health to be president.” Just over a quarter said he did. Here’s more from both sides.

LEFT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Joe’s Done a Great Job, and Who’s the Alternative Anyway?

  • President Biden’s only shortcoming is his age, which is a significant burden, evidenced by some struggles during public speeches.

  • Unlike former President Trump among Republicans, Biden faces no credible Democratic rival in the run-up to the nomination.

  • While some prefer a different candidate, Biden’s presidency is a success, so he’ll be the nominee unless he decides to retire.

“Biden’s a Great President. He Should Not Run Again.” Michelle Goldberg, New York Times Opinion: “He’s presided over record job creation and the lowest unemployment rate in over 50 years. … His Inflation Reduction Act made a historic investment in clean energy… Biden rallied Western nations to support Ukraine against Russia’s imperialist invasion and ended America’s long, fruitless war in Afghanistan… Biden can also take a victory lap for Trump’s declining influence. … Even more than Trump’s defeat in 2020, the loss of Trumpist candidates like Arizona’s Kari Lake and Georgia’s Herschel Walker in 2022 convinced many Republicans they need to move on from their onetime hero. In other words, Biden has been a great president. He’s made good on an uncommon number of campaign promises. … But he should not run again. … If only Biden were just a few years younger… But it’s hard to ignore the toll of Biden’s years, no matter how hard elected Democrats try.”

“If not Biden, then Who?” Aaron Blake, Washington Post: “Shortly before Halloween, ‘Saturday Night Live’ aired a mildly amusing political sketch: a mock horror movie trailer featuring Democrats deciding it was time to move beyond President Biden in 2024. But as they cycle through the alternatives for their party’s presidential nominee, they become increasingly terrified — the biggest screams come when someone slides some ‘Beto 2024’ literature under the front door — and they ultimately land right back on Biden. The scenario was played for laughs. But there’s definitely some truth in it — if not necessarily in the actual quality of the Biden alternatives, then in the hand-wringing involved and in the possible outcome. Indeed, one of Biden’s saving graces ahead of a planned 2024 bid… might be the absence of a Ron DeSantis-esque rival — or really anyone close — waiting in the wings, and posing a clear, formidable alternative.”

One more opinion piece from the Left: The Catch-24 of Replacing Joe Biden David A. Graham, The Atlantic

RIGHT-LEANING SENTIMENT

Biden’s Resume Is Weak, but He Did Beat Trump Before

  • Reckless spending from the Biden White House has harmed American consumers and the economy, weakening him politically.

  • Biden actually has a very good chance of winning because he has already shown he can defeat former President Trump.

  • The Democrats are backed into a corner with President Biden – they don’t have a viable group of other potential candidates.

“Why Biden Will Be Waving Goodbye in 2024” Ronna McDaniel, Fox News Opinion: “Under Biden’s failed leadership, Americans are poorer and less safe. Our southern border is wide open, and deadly drugs are pouring into our communities. Our children are still suffering the devastating effects of Democrat-led school lockdowns. All of these crises have erupted on Biden’s watch, but he has no interest in fixing them. … It’s important to remember that liberal economists, some of whom worked in the Obama White House, point to Biden’s $1.9 trillion in reckless spending as a key cause of the inflation we’ve experienced over the past two years. The numbers don’t lie: Since Biden took office, real wages, incomes and savings are all down across the board. Americans have lost $9,300 on average paying for the increased cost of living since Biden took office. Biden’s economy is leaving folks behind.”

“Joe Biden May Yet Win Again” Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review: “Looked at objectively, Joe Biden’s presidency has been a disaster. The guy’s a fraud, a liar, and a crank. He disrespects his oath of office… and refuses to engage with the public at anything approaching a normal rate. His mind is slow, his speech is meandering, his grasp of the topic at hand ranges from tenuous to nonexistent, and most of the time, he looks half-dead. If voters were free to choose a president from an unrestricted pool of candidates, there is nobody in America who would choose Joe Biden. … But, alas, we do not live in a normal political environment. … Donald Trump is considered a viable contender for the Republican nomination… and the GOP’s primary electorate has begun to a show a preference for candidates who once would have been deemed too outré to warrant a guest appearance on The Munsters.”

One more opinion piece from the Right: Democrats Have No Good Option for 2024 Josh Hammer, Creators Syndicate

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Polling Points to Someone Else, but Who?

To date, President Biden has insisted he plans to run in 2024, but it seems a majority of Democrats would prefer he didn’t. A recent survey indicates just 37% of Democrats want Biden to seek a second term, which is down from 52% in the weeks immediately following the midterm elections.

Overall, just 4 in 10 of the poll’s respondents think Biden is doing a good job, which is similar to last year's numbers (AP-NORC).

Meanwhile, a focus group in the key swing state of Michigan said they would prefer someone other than Biden in 2024. 8 of the 13 said a different candidate would be better, citing Biden’s age, “mental acuity,” and fitness (Engagious/Schlesinger).

Will President Biden be the Democratic nominee in 2024?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

FLAG FINDS

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WATERCOOLER

First American to Orbit Earth, 30-90 Rule, No Speeds Above 85mph

On This Day in 1962: From Cape Canaveral, Florida, John Herschel Glenn Jr. is successfully launched into space aboard the Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first orbital flight by an American astronaut.

Today I Learned American cars in the 1980s were legally prohibited from showing speeds above 85 mph on the speedometer.

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