Even though the event is two years away, the presidential prospects of the Democrat Party remain in disarray. It will take a miracle to restore its fortunes.
Joe Biden is clearly non-compos mentalis. He can’t expect to be politically viable after that date and there aren’t any obvious candidates to replace him. Kamala Harris is not a starter, as she has been all along. Pete Buttigieg hopes. He has no other options. Elizabeth Warren’s dogma of deduction and loud self-promotion are her only strengths. Bernie Sanders is a Communist pathology’s geriatric relic.
Although there is some talk that Gavin Newsom, the California disaster, may be considered for the office, it is unlikely. He would face Donald Trump or Ron DeSantis. If Hillary decides to run or hobble, it will likely only add another round of utter humiliation. AOC attracts media attention and admiration, but is, in common parlance, too much of a “flake” for the Party to consider him a serious contender. Joe Manchin may have the potential to put up a fight but is too humble to be worthy of the Party’s imprimatur.
If the Republican Party doesn’t self-destruct as it is prone, electoral fraud might be the only option for the Democrats. Subterfuge might not be an option after the scandalous last election and the recent passage of election integrity legislation across many jurisdictions. So what is the solution?
The Democrats might be looking at a political tactic that only has one precedent in history, which is permitted under exceptional circumstances. They may be able to continue to lead a Congressional plenum, tampering with the composition and/or cobble together an unimaginable or innovative solution to their problems. However, in today’s cultural and political maelstrom when everything seems up for grabs, and the systemic collapse of the social contract a daily occurrence, the impossible has become uniquely imaginable and even possible.
Barack Obama, the emperor-in-waiting, is the answer to the Democrat dilemma.
The Constitution’s 22nd Amendment stipulates that a president cannot serve more than two terms. However, a rare provision allows a vice president to exceed the limit under certain conditions. This two-term limit has been a tradition since the days of George Washington. It was only broken once when Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to three terms and then a fraction of another. However, this was during wartime when exceptions to the unwritten rule were allowed. In 1947, Congress approved the 22nd Amendment and it was officially ratified in 1951. It seems that the two-term limit has been set in stone.
It would not surprise me if Democrats, who can do any and all legal legerdemains and breaches of established political principles and standard political practices, find a way to nominate Obama for the presidency and justification for his return to the White House for another term. Arguments would be made that the circumstances are extraordinary and an exemption from the rule is necessary for historical moments, just as in the 1940s.
Obama is the only viable successor to the fossilized incumbent, as he commands untinted loyalty to his Party, holds absolute control over the media, enjoys immense public cachet, and has complete control over the media. Obama could have a chance of leading his Party to victory. It would be a shame for a disreputable governing body, a political mafia to create a legislative conjuring trick, while it retains or somehow maintains Congressional authority.
The Dems may find a new war that allows for emergency measures to be invoked. They may be able to manipulate Article 1, Section 4, Clause 4 of the Constitution to “make or modify such Regulations” to improve their midterm prospects as well as the political future. Although we don’t know what they can pull off, we do know they will probably come up with something. Although I’m not a Constitutional scholar, I can be pretty sure of two things.
Obama’s only chance at remaining competitive is if Republicans do not self-immolate.
To ensure continuity, the Party will do whatever it takes.
Dick Morris believes that Hillary will be the Party nominee for 2024. However, Morris is not an oracle. The Democrats probably know that Hillary would make a grave mistake. Obama or a lame duck, it’s either Obama or Hillary. It could well be Obama. It would be foolish to think that the Democrats would not follow the rules, or be reluctant to perform unexpected or illegitimate acts of prestidigitation in order to bring their knight errant into the electoral fold. They will not stop at anything, no matter how absurd or unthinkable.
The scenario I propose is admittedly a bit extreme. This scenario does not seem possible at first glance. It would be difficult to manage the many unpredictable factors and the resulting fear- and anxiety-ridden environment, as well as the subtle legal and legislative complexities.
In these times of tectonic change, however, everything is possible. Democrats view the Constitution as a “living document”, which means that it can be modified or selectively dissolved if they pool their resources to create a crisis or ram a legislative coup through Congressional procedure. Republicans should avoid complacency, and avoid feckless presumption. The famous saying: “Those whom the gods want to destroy are the first to be overconfident.”
It is best to be ready for the Lightbringer’s return.
