The rejection of meritocracy in favor of skin color diversity has long been a core principle of leftist ideology. This started in the 1960s with the advent of “affirmative action” in our colleges and universities, and ultimately metastasized into the realm of government contracting and university hiring, liberal judges mistaking disparate impact for illegal discrimination, and into the selection of political appointees and nominees. Although few ordinary people would select a person to design their dream home or a brain surgeon based on their skin color, this commonsense did not deter our progressive politicians.
From this perspective, President Biden’s rise and fall is so thick with irony, that you can cut it with a knife. Biden’s long public life prior to his election to the presidency is nothing if not mediocre. It was preceded by academic career that was spectacularly undistinguished, and in his 36 years in the US Senate he articulated no new or innovative ideas, nor is he associated with any notable legislation. His hostile questioning of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas was embarrassing both for its ugly tone and its ineptness.
His unsuccessful 1998 campaign for the Democratic nomination was marred by the revelation that he had been disciplined in law school for plagiarism, and numerous other credible allegations of the same offense. His run ended far before a single primary vote was cast. In the 2008 Democratic primary, he was decisively bested both by Hilary Clinton, and Barak Obama, the ultimate nominee. Biden was apparently selected as Obama’s VP because he was seen as a “safe” choice, i.e. a person seen to have no realistic presidential ambitions that would complicate Obama’s objectives, and who would be content with largely ceremonial duties. At the end of his second term Obama discouraged a Biden run, favoring Clinton’s candidacy over that of his dutiful and loyal VP.
Despite the fact that he would turn 82 in his first term, Biden won the 2020 Democratic nomination with the backing of party leaders and donors as the pragmatic choice, who stood the best chance of unseating President Trump. He deflected questions about his advanced age with his pledge to be “a bridge to the next generation of Democratic leaders.” To cement his appeal to black and women voters he promised to pick a black woman as his VP, selecting Kamala Harris for this honor. She was apparently the most qualified black women he could identify. Her own well-funded and promising campaign had imploded before the first primary. Her academic credentials were no better than his, as were her meager political accomplishments.
Of course, Biden was elected President in 2020, but the gravitational pull of mediocrity could not be overcome. His presidency will be remembered as one with few achievements and a number of disastrous policy decisions. The ironically named “Inflation Reduction Act,” passed on purely party line votes in the House and Senate, actually exacerbated inflation, hitting working class voters the hardest, and producing fatal political blowback.
The precipitous, poorly planned and coordinated Afghanistan withdrawal proved humiliating and calamitous, displaying weakness and leaving billions of dollars of US munitions in the hands of our enemies. Russia’s ongoing war of conquest against Ukraine occurred on his watch, costing hundreds of thousands of innocent lives, and hundreds of billions in US tax dollars. He has dumped this bleeding wound on his successor. The most widespread and intense conflict between Israel and her enemies, costing tens of thousands of lives, also happened under his nose and the Jewish state appears to have survived only by rejecting his administration’s political and military advice every step of the way.
Instead of being a bridge to a new generation, the Biden administration turned out to be a bridge to nowhere, as he was forced to forego any attempt at a second term due to his steep cognitive decline. He then promptly endorsed his fellow mediocrity for the Democratic nomination. Her presidential campaign was no better managed than her earlier primary run, and her special blend of word salad proved to be unappetizing. The upshot of Biden’s second-rate presidency is that Trump takes office with Republican majorities in both Congressional chambers, while an Originalist majority sits on the Supreme Court, putting him in position to trash the various ideological sacred cows so dear to progressives.
