Biden’s classified documents as a story
Ann Althouse offers an excerpt from this NY Times piece by Jonathan Alter. I haven’t read his essay, but here are some portions of the part Althouse quoted:
[I]t’s hard to exaggerate the level of Democratic exasperation with [Biden] for squandering a huge political advantage on the Mar-a-Lago story and for muddying what may have been the best chance to convict Mr. Trump on federal charges…. Republicans are ferocious attack dogs, especially when they have something to chew on….[Biden] could easily lose or be weakened [n the NH primary], opening the door for other Democrats…. Imagine instead that the president…. And the smiling old gentleman in the Corvette — his shortcomings forgotten and his family protected — would assume his proper place as a bridge between political generations and arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history.
This qualifies as a good example of the phenomenon I discussed in my post on Mona Charen’s column on a similar theme, which I called the imaginary Biden versus the real one.
Alter’s idea of the Biden he or the reader is imagining – who might have assumed his “proper place as a bridge between political generations and arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history,” is so far from the real Biden as to be almost laughable.
But I want to add another observation, which is that Alter appears (at least from this excerpt) to see the documents incident mainly as a story. A narrative. It’s not about what really happened, or what it means. It’s about how the public perceives it and how it’s framed. And Republicans? They pounce, those attack dogs.
Tucker called Biden last night “the most destructive president in our history” (an intelligent and properly-informed, not mis-educated, person would certainly have predicted him to be egregiously ghastly, but perhaps not destructive on such an epic scale), yet such foolish pseudo-conservatives as Charen, Sykes, Will, Kristol, and French (as well as countless others) imagined that any support of the Orange Man was so infra dig as to necessitate the public approbation (publicized throughout the media)
of a mentally-impaired candidate who barely bothered to campaign (knowing that the most powerful elements in our society would succeed in installing him). There is required no additional proof of the ability of TDS to destroy the ability of certain weak intellects to think rationally.
“no regrets” = What do you think you’re going to do about it?
His daughter i think is not the sharpest knife either
squandering a huge political advantage on the Mar-a-Lago story
In a weird indirect way this writer is almost flat out admitting that the entire pretense for the Mar raid was artificial and purely political rather than about any supposed real crimes. But truthfully I don’t think that the person who wrote this grasped how flimsy the pretenses were for this latest attempt to “get Trump” anyway.
“ferocious attack dogs”
unlike those cringing mild-mannered bipartisan Democrats
“Arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history. . .” made me cough pretty hard. One would have to be seriously deluded or an extreme partisan to think Biden was any more than a party warhorse who was being rewarded after a lifetime of doing what the party wants. And not doing it very well, at that.
Which reminded me (if reminding is necessary) why I don’t subscribe to the NYTimes. It is not just that they are boringly liberal, it is also that their selection of what to cover and what to ignore is so predictably left-wing.
But I am not familiar with Alter. So I went to Wikipedia. Their post starts “. . .is a liberal American journalist. . .” When even Wikipedia calls you liberal, you have truly earned your stripes.
Twenty-eight years a columnist for Newsweek. . . wow! Further liberal cred. Could there be more? Ah yes — he has authored books on FDR, Obama and Jimmy Carter.
Wow — it’s getting thick. And then we learn he’s an Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker. OK, I get it. For someone with his history to call Biden an accomplished president is entirely in character.
But wait! “An accomplished one-term president. . .” Oh, I get it — get someone with impeccable liberal credentials to call Biden a one-term president! Very clever, Mr. Alter! Slip that dagger between his ribs while you’re embracing him. Et tu, Alter?
Very very clever. A thoroughly liberal opinion writer praises Biden while signaling that he will not be re-elected. I wonder who put him up to it?
Althouse has an unhealthy attraction to left wing publications. She often sees the phoniness but still that is her daily diet of “news.”
F says, “One would have to be seriously deluded or an extreme partisan to think Biden was any more than a party warhorse who was being rewarded after a lifetime of doing what the party wants.”
I’d say ‘superannuated nag ready for the glue factory,’ but that’s just me.
‘those words he is using’ biden is in charge of little, but these administrative drones have done much damage, mayorkas austin, garland and their underlings,
And the Dems are still pushing it was a mistake by a low level employee.
If the not so special counsel comes to the same conclusion we know we are truly over as a free country.
“…arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history.” – you’d think he was referring to Trump!
Letting in 10-20m illegal aliens in four years – and untold quantities of drugs – makes Biden the most destructive President ever in the history of America.
He’s a criminal and should be impeached.
And as I have written before, the Biden Crime Family has millions in bitcoin and the FBI knows it.
Jonathan Alter, apologist for corruption and treason, wallowing in the tradition of Walter Duranty.
except one of the employees miss remus has a very well connected spouse, you note how the national archives has been basenghi over these documents,
I saw somewhere that the Merriam Webster word of the year was “Gaslighting.” Whether that choice was even more of the powers-that-be rubbing our noses in it, or a “I am a prisoner in a Chinese bakery” type of message I can’t say.
Not a problem. Reveal that President Biden has a very very recent diagnosis of Dementia or Alzheimer’s. He resigns and it would just be a terrible thing to prosecute an old retired man with Dementia. Boom. Let’s get Trump.
As of 12:01 PM today his replacement can run for two additional terms as the incumbent.
not a fan of the princess bride
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/01/20/wh-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-attacks-ron-desantis-florida-rejecting-woke-ap-course-incomprehensible/
another 97 persons on the watchlist who slipped into the country, definitely enemy action
The truth as with all democRAT scandals is much worse.
In my opinion, one of the most troublesome features of our times is that so many intelligent and influential people, I mean that sincerely, have lost their tether to reality.
They live in some bizarre closed loop universe in which fantasies incubate even greater fantasies.
That would be all well and good, except that they have a moral certitude that demands that they impose their distorted vision on the rest of us.
Then, of course, there are those whose motives are simply nefarious, who are adept at manipulating the untethered souls.
Mona Charen! Jonathan Alter!
From what crypt did these ghouls emerge?
oldflyer
Well put. I wonder of the item I saw someplace, the “bored bourgeoisie”, might be connected.
If Covid and AGW went away, what would these people do? Enormous swaths of people they can no longer look down upon. No ostentatious virtue signaling. No making other people do stupid stuff.
They NEED to be untethered from reality or…they’d be bored.
Yet another post that makes me think there are “irreconcilable differences” between what appears to be two groups of the citizens of this country that make it impossible to continue as one.
I find it near impossible to comprehend that there are adults who are so gullible to narratives, who (it seems to me) WANT a story—-as opposed to demanding facts, to understand reality. Who are obviously fine with authoritarianism, as long as they are part of the “right” group.
“Stick more of that experimental mRNA in me–yes, the one that causes myocarditis–for this nasty cold that is going around now.”
The Scott Adams’ “same movie, two screens” thing.
I have nothing in common with them, if they don’t value autonomy.
If they want “daddy” to tell them what to do, make it all better,
rather than embrace agency.
If they don’t share the values and inherent rights expressed in our founding documents.
“…arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history.”
Well, at least they’re now admitting that he will be a one-termer.
now we don’t really get much of a story, which documents are they, when did the national archives report them missing, what communications did kathy chung, who was austin’s protocol chief make to her boss, did she notify any of her other three senators who were her employers, mark udall or ted kaufman,
“…arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history.”
Close, but just missed it. There is a reason why NATO has responded with such relative unity and alacrity to the invasion of Ukraine (See Finland and Sweden scramble up the gangplank!), and most of Asia is is spending billions rapidly arming up against China, and it ain’t Joe Biden, now is it?!
Starts with a “T”.
If a real (i.e., not phony ) video emerged of joke bidet sexually assaulting a minor and then murdering her, the media and those within joke bidet’s administration, as well as the demokrat party leadership would immediately begin the effort to squash any reporting of the “nothing burger,” and portray it all as a republican (maybe evern Russian??) hoax to destroy Bidet.
Bidet’s supporters in DC and in the media will move heaven and earth to protect their “leader.” They literally have no shame, no limits, no compunction when it comes to protecting, really anybody of political power / influence, that aligns with their leftist liberal agenda.
Tucker Carlson has suggested that his problem with the classified documents is that the culpability is all on him. All of the rest of his screwups involve a lot of other players on the left, and taking him down for them would wreck the reputations of a bunch of other Democrats.
Something else though – it’s a new year, another Congress. As of now, Harris could now serve out the rest of his term, then run and win election twice. Last year, she could only do so once, since 10 years is effectively the maximum you can serve as President.
as opposed to the other criminal acts like dissolving the borders draining our strategic reserve, hampering the supply chains, that required not only the cooperation of the cabinet, but members of the so called opposition
Minluv is focusing like a laser beam on abbott laboratories, excusing their negligence last year, after problem had been resolved
“If a real (i.e., not phony ) video emerged of joke bidet sexually assaulting a minor and then murdering her”
Can you deny Republican attack dogs would pounce on it? They are so un-bipartisan!
I wonder about the “bridge between generations.” One could see Obama as a bridge between the Carter/Clinton Democrats and the young AOC Democrats, someone who bridged the gap between the two without belonging to either group, but Biden is old enough to be Obama’s father. He seems more like a bridge back to the hapless Mondale/Dukakis party. Of course, Joe Biden is an oldster who supports the policies of the woke young, but that does more to discredit those policies than to recommend them. I would hope the country breathes a sign of relief and throws wokeness overboard when Joe leaves the scene.
That “Republicans are ferocious attack dogs” also doesn’t accord with reality. Pelosi, who tore up Trump’s speech and impeached him twice, Swalwell, Schumer, Schiff, Raskin, Cuomo, Letitia James, Maxine Waters: aren’t they vicious attack dogs, too? We had years of investigating the spurious Russian collusion claims and now if Republicans dare to investigate anything, they are vicious attack dogs?
“…arguably the most accomplished one-term president in American history.”
This is most certainly true…or would be if one’s goal were to see the country significantly, even irrecoverably, weakened…
File under: Make America Diminished
Another view of the same NYT article:
“It’s Over, Joe: New York Times Throws Joe Biden Under the Bus”
https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/robert-spencer/2023/01/21/its-over-joe-new-york-times-throws-joe-biden-under-the-bus-n1663747
H/T Instapundit.
https://instapundit.com/565266/
File under: Altered reality….
+ (who-woulda-thunk-it) Bonus:
[Even] more classified docs found…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-classified-documents-found-at-bidens-delaware-home-11674346611
H/T Instapundit.
It would appear that “POTUS” is a fount of (classified) information…and the if/and/but of jokes…
It’s not just a story, it’s a multi-episode soap opera.
https://www.newsweek.com/bidens-classified-documents-problem-just-got-worse-1775549
1/21/23
“This is the third time in the last couple of weeks that classified documents have been discovered in Biden’s possession.”
republican attack dogs?
In case you have not noticed, there are no republican attack dogs anywhere in our solar system.
One or two really vicious chihuahuas may briefly emerge to pounce upon that republican Santos guy from NY, but you will notice that there is total silence when it comes to them – or really, any republican – denouncing the democrat Vietnam vet Blumenthal, the life long lying democrat Liz Pocahanta Warren, and of course, joke bidet (yep, the bidet that got arrested by the S.African police while he was graduating #1 from his law school , who rents out his home for about 50K a MONTH ).
The only time one can reasonably say the republican attack dogs emerged from their 50 year long hibernation was when Trump was elected president and they joined their “colleagues ” across the aisle to destroy him. Since he is no longer the president, these attack dogs have gone back to sleep.
Better go easy on pouncing. Patrick Mahomes sprained an ankle doing that yesterday.
Some context to the latest papers
https://countervortex.org/blog/iraq-peter-galbraith-scandal-opens-window-on-oil-struggle/
Some elaboration
https://twitter.com/15poundstogo/status/1617175641119498241?cxt=HHwWgoC9xa2rrvEsAAAA
Ah Miguel, “El Presidente” could be handing out those docs on 42nd and B’way and nobody would give a damn…
Such a charming, decent gent, doncha know…
And so effective!
(Just as David Brooks….)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/opinion/biden-leadership-extremists.html
Key grafs (have double-reinforced, motion-sickness bag at the ready):
“…Biden’s cheerful confidence is an unappreciated national asset. As American power has come to be underestimated, especially since the election of Donald Trump, a man like Biden, who has been underestimated pretty much his whole life, is in a decent position to help Americans regain confidence in their country and its government.
“At the moment. Biden is facing several significant headwinds — political, economic, foreign, domestic. I’d describe this administration’s methodology across these different challenges as incremental pressure and steady progress….”
Hmmm, let’s see:
– “cheerful confidence”!
– “several headwinds”!!
– “methodology”!!!
– “different challenges”!!!!
Mr. Brooks is deperately in need of help.
Cue “Officer Krupke”!
Oops. Should be “Just ask David Brooks…”
– – – – – –
And just a reminder:
Here’s one of the “Best of” Decent Joe’s…in that stellar appearance in Philadelphia last September!
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/biden-blood-red-backdrop-speech-maga
AesopFan, not sure if this is the cache of docs you are referring to but per Instapundit last night, docs from Joe’s time in the Senate (so now at least stretching back to 2008) have been found, and it appears the FBI is doing the searching, not just Biden’s lawyers.
https://instapundit.com/565340/ Senate docs
https://redstate.com/carcand/2023/01/21/breaking-fbi-may-search-more-locations-for-bidens-classified-docs-n692354 Senate docs, FBI searching, and may be searching more locations
there’s not enough ipecac barry to get through brooksie rose colored idyll
Ye’ cannae’ win, mousie….
‘Trump And Lawyers Hit With $938,000 Penalty For “Frivolous” Suit Against Clinton’—
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/trump-and-lawyers-hit-938000-penalty-frivolous-suit-against-clinton
Opening grafs:
‘A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump and his lawyers to pay $938,000 in sanctions for having filed a “completely frivolous” lawsuit against Hillary Clinton and others, claiming they attempted to rig the 2016 election by smearing Trump with allegations that he was colluding with Russia.
‘ “We are confronted with a lawsuit that should never have been filed, which was completely frivolous, both factually and legally, and which was brought in bad faith for an improper purpose,” wrote Judge Donald Middlebrooks in a 46-page order issued in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
‘ Gee, it’s a small world — Middlebrooks was nominated by Bill Clinton in 1997.
‘ In April, Trump’s lawyers filed a motion asking the judge to recuse himself from the case, arguing that “because her husband nominated Judge Middlebrooks to the Federal Bench, there exists a reasonable basis that Judge Middlebrooks’ impartiality will be questioned.” He denied the motion, citing precedents….’ [Emphasis in original; Barry M.]
Well yes, to these people the truth is, alas, “COMPLETELY frivolous”….
(Justice Robert—of “There are no Trump judges or Obama judges” fame—was unavailable for comment…
@Christopher B on January 22, 2023 at 12:58 pm said:
Thanks for the additional links.
Now we just have to wait for the NEXT oopsie.
However, they claim that THIS time they got them all, really, truly.
Maybe.
Tucker Carlson has suggested that his problem with the classified documents is that the culpability is all on him. All of the rest of his screwups involve a lot of other players on the left, and taking him down for them would wreck the reputations of a bunch of other Democrats.
Yeah. It allows a “controlled demolition”.