“Does Anyone Care About Politics Right Now?”—Sunday Political Brunch March 22, 2020

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Mark Curtis, GoLocalProv Contributor

 

View Larger +

Coronavirus PHOTO:U.S.Air Force

Remember the age-old philosophical question: “If a tree falls in the words, and nobody is there to hear it, does it still make a sound?” I must ask the same question with the coronavirus outbreak this week. Yes, we had some bigtime politics going on this week, but was anyone listening, and did anyone care? Let’s “brunch” on that this week:

“Politics DID Happen This Week!” – Three states held primary elections on Tuesday, while a fourth – Ohio – canceled its primary at the eleventh hour. Here are the results: In Florida, former Vice President Joe Biden had 62 percent of the vote, to 23 percent for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT). In Illinois, Biden took 59 percent, to 36 percent for Sanders. And in Arizona, Biden won 44 percent to 33 percent for Sanders. It was another clean sweep for Biden.

“Delegate Counts Matter” – Any candidate needs 1,991 delegates to win the nomination. After this week’s primaries, Biden has 1,142 delegates, and Sanders has 824. Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, Michael Bloomberg, and Tulsi Gabbard have all dropped and have endorsed Biden. Collectively, they hold another 81 potential delegates that could move to Biden. Elizabeth Warren, who has yet to endorse anyone, is most closely politically aligned with Sanders. She holds 73 delegates. Look, this is strongly trending to an inevitable Biden nomination. Remember there are “super delegates” which are seats reserved for party leaders such as members of Congress, and Governors. The party faithful are strongly backing Biden.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

“Does Anyone Care?” – The problem for politicians – especially those running in primaries soon – is, are people paying attention? Coronavirus stories are dominating the news, and if you look like you are trying to take political advantage by attacking opponents, it could backfire as pure political opportunism. It’s a fine line to walk, and it puts non-incumbents and newcomers at a disadvantage to incumbent officeholders. Those in office have a legitimate role (and votes) in dealing with the crisis now, and not in November.

“VP is a She-VP!” – In last Sunday’s political debate on CNN, Joe Biden made the bold announcement that he would be picking a woman to be his vice-presidential running mate. Later in the debate, Bernie Sanders begrudgingly said he’d consider a woman as well (though it was clear Biden took strategic advantage as the first to make the pledge).

“So, Who is She?” – As my regular readers will note, I’ve been predicting for about eight months now, that Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) is the woman likely to get the nod. She’s a former corporate lawyer, a former chief prosecutor in a big, urban county, and she’s been elected three times to the U.S. Senate. She’s never lost an election. She’ll be the best pick for Biden or Sanders. Plus, she’s a fresh face with a long resume. I’ve heard people all week speculate that Biden would choose Michelle Obama, or even Hillary Clinton, but both come with baggage. Klobuchar is a fresh face, is well-qualified, and at age 59, has a bright political future ahead of her. She’d be a pick about tomorrow, not about yesterday!

“Gabbard Gabs Good-Bye” – It didn’t make huge headlines, but Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, (D-HI), finally dropped out of the Democratic nomination contest this week. Why she hung on so long amazes me, as she passed on her chance to file for re-election to a safe House seat. A military veteran, still in her 30s, she has a bright future ahead of her and we’ll hear from her again down the road. Had I been an advisor, I would have told her to fold her tent long ago and run for Congress again. Now, that platform is gone, which I think is a mistake. She’s an impressive young lady. Keep an eye on her!

“To Have the Job vs. To Want the Job” – After some initial stumbles and downright boneheaded statements about the coronavirus threat, President Trump has done a lot to right the ship, and perhaps, instill more public confidence in his handling of the situation. His Oval Office address and many of his daily White House briefings have been far more sober and focused, that his often bombastic and inflammatory tweets. Many times, he has come across as far more “presidential” and diplomatic, than the often-confrontational nature of his first three years. And he has become far more deferential to the experts, such as Dr. Tony Fauci. How Trump continues to manage this crisis could well determine whether voters give him a second term.

“So, What’s Next?” – The trick of politics is to know what you control, and what you don’t. We are in uncharted territory, and there are “six ways from Sunday” this whole coronavirus crisis could go south. If the President and members of Congress look like they are in control of the situation, and the threats and fears dissipate, then that’s gold at the ballot box. But, if the illness explodes out of control, with countless deaths and suffering, anyone in office now, is in peril. Remember, politics remains to many voters a, “what have you done for me lately” business.

How is the coronavirus response shaping your political hopes and votes? Just click the comment button to let us know!

View Larger +

Mark Curtis, Ed.D., is Chief Political Reporter for the five Nexstar Media TV stations serving West Virginia, its five surrounding states, and most of the Washington, D.C. media market. 

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook