Tag: Joe Biden

Two Officers are Shot in Compton, California. 9/12/2020

Mr Biden and the State assemblyman for the area quickly condemned the act while calling for justice. Our President, on the other hand, upon seeing the video of the shooting and referring to the perpetrator, tweeted, ‘Animals that must be hit hard.’

Let us pause to think about the difference.

The two officers from the Sheriff’s department were shot in the face and head. Both had joined the force only 14 months ago. A woman, 31, a man, 24. They have undergone surgery at a nearby hospital and are reported to be in critical condition.

The officers were on duty patrolling a Metro station for the train that passes through Compton. They were helping passengers in the system feel safe. People like you and me.

The shooter chose to see the officers as easy targets.

‘All these cops are bad. I don’t care what they’ve done,’ the shooter must have thought. ‘If you put that uniform on, you’re bad. They share responsibility for what other officers have done. I could wait for the court system to look at the details, but how long will that take? Plus, the courts are run by the elites in power. I’m not going to wait for that. I’ll just go out and kill myself a couple. Never mind if they’ve never committed any abuses themselves. Never mind if they have brothers and sisters and parents and children. My need for revenge is greater than anything else.’

Animated by such anger, the person found a gun and readied for the act.

Before proceeding, he may have spoken to someone in his confidence and said, ‘I’ll be in the news, for sure. I hope I don’t get caught, but if I do, I’ll be in the news all over the world. I will be part of history, whereas right now I’m not part of anything, my life of little value.’

The other person may have tried to dissuade him (or her, we don’t know the sex yet) saying something like, ‘this eye for an eye way of settling things has been tried before and it doesn’t work,’ which may have given pause to the shooter and the officers would have been spared.

Or, the other person may have said, ‘wow, what guts you have! I didn’t know you had it in you. I mean, you haven’t done much with your life so far, and you have a low opinion of yourself, but now you’re wanting to turn it around. Well, yeah, I guess you’ll be a hero to some.’

Or, the other person could have said, ‘You’re a fool! Stop that thinking right away! You have to learn to value yourself. What’s the matter with you? You’re just starting out. Life is precious! Don’t waste it!’

Or, the would be shooter might have had no one to speak to, no one to say that he was filled with such hatred from all the recent incidents in our national life, and had not been able to process the anger and destructive choices that were festering in him.

In the end, there was no one around with the courage to say to the would be shooter, ‘pause my brother, there have been many injustices in our lives, yes, and there will be more, but we can’t just strike out in anger or we will perish together.’

And before the president said his famous words, that same person would have said to the shooter, ‘none of us, Blacks, Whites, Asian, Latinos, are “Animals that must be hit hard”’.

Oscar Valdes is the author of Psychiatrist for A Nation and other books, including Letter to A Shooter. Available in Amazon. Oscarvaldes.net

Joe and Jill go Up the Hill

The big question to answer is, should Biden select an African American woman for the vice presidential spot?

To try and find out I transformed myself into a fly and flew into the Bidens’ living quarters. Becoming a fly allowed me to pass through the many secret service checks. A few times they swatted at me and even sprayed some nasty mist in my direction but I managed to dodge till, finally, was able to find a spot up on the ceiling of their living room. I anchored myself in such fashion that I could hear all they said, without seeing any of what they did. Respecting their privacy is important to me.

They had just stepped in from their bedroom when I first heard them. They sat down.

Joe – That is the question. Will African Americans feel disappointed and cool on me if I don’t choose one of them?

Jill – It’s a lot of pressure you’re under.

Joe – I wouldn’t be where I am if it hadn’t been for their showing up in great numbers in the South Carolina primary.

Jill – But still you worry about it, don’t you?

Joe – I do.

Jill – Why?

Joe – My main task is to win and remove Trump. The nation cannot endure four more years of this man. The African American vote alone won’t get us there. We need votes from every sector, from the Right to the Left, the poor to the rich and from all minorities. Whites are a majority in this country. I have to appeal to those who voted for Trump and are disappointed with his performance. Race played a big part in Trump’s victory. So I have to reach out to those voters and say to them, ‘look at me, brothers and sisters, I am a white man. Throughout all my political career I have defended the rights of African Americans, and guess what? Doing so has not diminished me but, instead, made me a better person and a better politician for all Americans. Had I not made the choices I made, Obama would not have chosen me as his running mate, and I would not have been able to serve the nation as I did.

Jill – I like that, Joe.

Joe – Thanks, baby.

Jill – It speaks to the need for continued integration, and that new strengths will arise from our coming together… not pulling apart.

Joe – Yes.

Jill – I worry, though, that the various camps… Warren’s, Harris’, Klobuchar’s… and the women governors who believe they might be picked… all keep striving to find favor with you… the people they represent thinking that what they stand for should be put up front on the national agenda, that their views should have a stronger voice, and their candidate being selected would make that more likely.

Joe – I understand. My task, though, is to convey to the nation, that I will be a President for everyone. I will be a president for the Trump supporter who will vote against me, and I will be a president for him because I will listen to what he has to say. I will also be a president to those who have given up on going to the polls, because they no longer believe their plight will ever be heard. Having been a life long supporter of African American causes, has helped me acquire the strength required.

Jill – You don’t feel you have to prove it by choosing an African American…

Joe – Right. Color alone will not sway me. Character will. How can we forget the good Reverend?

Jill – Indeed.

Joe – When you go to the polls and vote for me, you will be voting for what I stand, and my pledge to devote the rest of my life to making this country all it can be. And I will show you my taxes, too.

Jill laughs.

Jill – Joe… have you made up your mind, already?

Joe – I have.

Jill – I had a sense.

Joe – It wasn’t a difficult decision, once I thought about it in detail.

Jill – You feel good about it?

Joe – Very good.

Jill – Any hint?

Joe – I’ll give you one… it is one of the women who ran for president.

Jill – Why?

Joe – Because they put themselves out… they went for it with all they had. I value that.

Jill – That narrows it down quite a bit.

Joe – Yes. Who was your favorite?

Jill – I don’t want to tell you, it might influence you.

Joe – I’ve made up my mind.

Jill – I’ll wait till you announce. When will you?

Joe – At the convention. Keeping to tradition.

Jill – Something to look forward to.

Joe – Yes.

They are quiet for a moment.

Jill – Here’s another question for you… don’t answer if you don’t want. In multiracial America, is there room for an all white presidential ticket?

Joe – You’re nipping close, aren’t you?

Jill – You don’t have to answer.

Joe – Yes, there is. There’s room for an all white ticket.

Jill leans back in her seat and as she does she looks up and notices the fly on the ceiling.

Jill – There’s a fly up there. Wonder how it got in. Joe… Trump will not go down quietly.

Joe – I know. And neither will the voices that preach disunion, privilege and enmity. Look… this race is mine to lose… only I offer the hope for a government that is open to all… and to which I will bring the best and brightest to the White House… from the Right, the Left and the Center, and steer a path to reconciliation and healing.

Jill – And I will be there at your side.

Joe – Ah… what else can a man ask for? Come over here, baby.

At which point, thinking the rest was none of my business, I flew away so I could record what you have just read.

Oscar Valdes is the author of ‘Psychiatrist for a Nation’, available on Amazon and Oscarvaldes.net.

Warren Will Endorse Biden. Obama, When Will You?

In the next day or two, Warren will make her announcement. The choice is clear. She’s a talented intellectual with a political future. There is no future in endorsing Sanders.

Warren miscalculated when she took a center left position that made her seem too close to Sanders, and she’s paid the price in the polls.

But she has a political future. I think she should campaign for Biden all the way through November and thus add weight to the Biden movement.

And she would make a fine secretary of state in a Biden administration.

With the show of strength in Super Tuesday, Biden’s campaign should steadily add to the lead in delegates and so go into Milwaukee with the sufficient number.

Which brings me to the matter of vice presidential choice.

It should be a woman.

As things stand now, Amy Klobuchar is in the lead among potential candidates.

Biden will be tempted to consider Harris for the position but I think it will be a mistake.

He already has the black vote. He doesn’t need to offer the position as a gift for their support.

What he needs to do, once he’s elected, is deliver on the promises he’s made.

And now to Obama’s endorsement.

I see the merits of his having abstained from endorsing Biden to let things play out.

But they have already played out. And it is clear that Biden’s solid performance on Super Tuesday will continue to be replicated in other states.

Endorsing Biden now may seem like the kiss of death to the Sanders’ campaign but the party needs to solidify behind Biden and the quicker it is done, the more productive the outcome.

Sanders’ supporters need to feel represented in Biden’s campaign.

And so should every American, including those who now support Donald Trump.

The message will need to be refined. The less strife leading up to the convention, the more time to clarify the positions and broaden the appeal.

Biden Deals a Blow to the Coronavirus.

This morning, the house of representatives agreed on a bill that will provide 8.3 billion to fight the coronavirus.

It is no coincidence that this move comes right after Biden’s big win in last night’s primaries which vault him to the top in the delegate count.

‘We have to do something, quick, hurry up,’ said the Republican legislators eager to cooperate on the new bill, ‘Joe Biden is coming!’

A campaign that just before South Carolina’s primary last Saturday, seemed badly bruised and cornered, has charged back valiantly and landed a heck of a punch.

Biden’s gain has acted to restore hope that there is sanity in the nation, that diverse communities will have a say in the conduct of our affairs, that kindness is part of who we are, that no one is to be excluded, that we can improve on what we have already built and don’t need a revolution as Mr Sanders has touted.

Joe Biden’s victory last night means that a huge segment of this country, has entrusted him with the task of taking on Donald Trump in the debates to come, confident that Joe will go full out in the fight to dethrone the president.

Joe Biden now symbolizes America’s repudiation of this administration’s ill conceived measures  such as our pulling out of the Paris accord on climate change, a reckless trade war with China which has damaged our economy, the passing of a tax cut that disproportionately benefits the well off, excessive deregulation which damages the environment, an overly partisan approach in selecting people to positions of leadership which has resulted in the exclusion of the best and brightest the nation has to offer.

And it will be up to Joe Biden also, to select a woman as the vice presidential nominee.

Distinguished women fought hard to become the democratic selection for president. Voters are choosing him instead, but he can take it upon himself to ease the path for a woman becoming president by selecting one now as his running mate.

Joe is not only beating the coronavirus, he will defeat Trump too, and by selecting a woman vice president, will open a new chapter in the history of our nation.

Thank You, South Carolina. And When Should Obama and Bloomberg Endorse?

The spirited give and take of last night’s debate helped clarify my positions.

My support for Biden has strengthened, my hopes for Bloomberg died.

While there is no outstanding candidate among the contenders, Joe Biden brings a vast trove of experience along with a warm and accessible personality. It matters.

Bloomberg managed successfully the affairs of New York city, but Biden has been in the thick of many critical national situations and earned the praise of president Obama for his performance as vice president.

I am thankful for all the philanthropy that Bloomberg has supported and for his willingness to back many people running for office. But I do not think that he, himself, has the personality traits that can motivate voters. I thought he might, but his debate performances have shown me otherwise. Debates are important.

My hope is that Bloomberg will continue to play a most important role in this election, providing needed funds to counter Trump’s large reserves, which grow steadily while democrats spend in the primaries.

Bloomberg would do well to step down now and save his money. The democratic cause, to which he has pledged his allegiance, will need it. He ought to do so quickly, preferably before the big contest on March 3rd, but vanity is a powerful force. The expectation that he’ll have delegate votes to shuffle around at a democratic convention with no clear winner may help fuel the vanity, but not the cause.

I heard Biden say that, after March 3rd, there will be only two candidates standing, Sanders and him. I think he’s right.

Buttigieg has had his moment in the sun and so has Warren, but they will fight on, regardless, just in case an unexpected event changes the possibilities. Both front runners are older men.

Tom Steyer would do well to give it up now, save his money or give to a charity, and endorse one of the other candidates.

Amy Klobuchar has not risen sufficiently in the standings, but I have been impressed by her character, her pluck, her consistency and equanimity. I think she would make a fine vice president. So I think she should continue to campaign as long as her funds allow.

Should Obama step in at this stage and endorse a candidate?

I think he should.

He should because it ought to be clear, that Sanders has no chance to beat Trump. No matter how many polls the Vermont senator cites as evidence that he can beat Trump. He will not.

Obama’s endorsement of Biden, before Big Tuesday (March 3rd), will likely push Biden ahead of Sanders and put him in the lead of delegates, which will increase the likelihood of a clear winner going into the convention.

If Sanders has such a strong base as he boasts he has, then it won’t matter that Obama endorses Biden.

As to vice presidential choices, Biden should pick a woman. Should she be white or black?

Biden may be tempted to go with Kamala Harris but I don’t think that is a good idea.

He already has the black vote in a contest against Trump. Why ignore someone with the substance and tenacity that Amy Klobuchar has shown?

Kamala Harris dropped out. Klobuchar has fought on and will continue to do so until she’s flat out of cash. She’s got scrappy written all over her. That feistiness and commitment needs to be rewarded. Not doing so sends the wrong signal to voters.

Can Biden beat Trump?

I don’t know.

Trump is strong, younger, charismatic, pugnacious, will do or say whatever he must to get his votes, has been campaigning non stop, holding rally after rally during his entire presidency, eager as he is to redeem himself for not having won the popular vote and to erase the haunting suspicion that Russian interference elected him. He is hungry for the attention and power and has loyal supporters. His is a train running full speed ahead.

So I don’t know if Biden can beat Trump. But he will put up a hell of a fight. Biden will do that.

Those forthcoming presidential debates between Trump and Biden will be memorable because both men will be swinging at each other from the get go. Both men aiming for a knock out, both fighting desperately for their political lives.  

So, Obama and Bloomberg, are you hearing? Be bold and endorse Biden now.

How Trump Helped Biden

Sometime ago I wrote that both Biden and Sanders ought to bow out of the race given their age. I was half wrong.

Biden has shown strength and has begun to appeal to more of the undecided. Part of his gains he owes to gaffes his adversaries are making. Warren shares too many of Sanders’ campaign positions and it has started to hurt. Sanders is overly identified with the Medicare for All concept and has boxed himself in.

But Biden owes much also to Trump himself.

Trump has an abundance of flaws and no reluctance to reveal them, but he also has had sharp political instincts. If not massaged properly, though, they may backfire.

Back in July, when Trump looked at the field of democratic candidates and considered their possibilities, he thought Biden was the one he needed to undermine the most. And so he chose to go after the former vice president with all the craft he could muster. But Trump overplayed his hand and poor judgment got him in trouble.

Trump may survive the impeachment, but there is no doubt that the attempt to pressure Ukraine’s president Zelensky into investigating Joe Biden’s son’s work with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, was a political move intent on defanging Biden as a candidate and rival. That fact is unassailable. So it doesn’t matter if Trump is not found guilty of attempting to bribe president Zelensky with the promise of $ 396 million in military assistance to defend against Russia in exchange for his agreeing to investigate Joe Biden’s son. It doesn’t matter because the damage has already been done.

The impeachment process, playing in congress to great fanfare, amounts to a huge plus for Biden and the democrats.  

Additionally, the damage inflicted by the impeachment process is not limited to Trump himself, but affects the entire legislative representation of the Republican party, which in their shameless surrender to Trump, have chosen to not see the real elephant in the room, the decent people they were appointed to represent.

I was originally opposed to the impeachment of the president on grounds that it would be a loss of valuable time to get the message out to the public that a president bent on dividing the nation should not be reelected. But the democratic legislators have done a great job of moving things along and the matter has now been handed over to the Judiciary committee to draft the charges against the president.

The whole impeachment inquiry process has not been the ‘plus’ Trump boasted it would be for him. Quite the opposite, it has been a resounding minus.

So go, Joe, go! Your stances are appealing to the center. And if Warren and Sanders’s supporters acknowledge that defeating Trump is what is most essential to this election, then it will happen.

So go, Joe, go!

By the way, you keep talking about the pushups you do, so just how many do you do?

Dear Joe Biden:You and the Year of the American Woman

You are, today, in a very special position to alter the course of American political life. Your talents have been in evidence during your long career, reaching a high point when they caught the eye of Barack Obama, a good judge of character, who made the excellent choice of picking you as vice president. At a time of historical transition, Obama chose well, you delivered superbly, and the nation felt it could trust democrats to open a new chapter in its history.

Thank you for that.

Surely there were many moments during your tenure as vice president, when Obama sought your advice in complex matters and your wisdom made a difference.

Thank you for being there for all of us.

Personally, I remember one very special instance when you boosted the flagging spirits of all democrats. During the heated campaign for reelection in 2012, after Obama had put in a lackluster performance in the first debate against hard challenging Mitt Romney, you came back with a sterling demonstration of political savvy, debating vigorously and dominating his running mate. It was unforgettable.

Today, as the nation is roiled by the hatred and mismanagement stirred by a short sighted republican president, history has once again put you in a position to have an outsize influence in our national life. Not by you vying for the presidency, but by you helping to shift the attention of America’s electorate to a worthy woman candidate.

I am sure you have thought about this.

Never before, have so many American women been driven by the desire to put themselves in the thick of the nation’s political struggles, to endure whatever comes to those bold enough to make public their political ideas, to those strong enough to bare themselves to public scrutiny.

Never before, have women moved forward so confidently, and say to the nation, ‘we are over half of this land, we have given birth and helped nurture all Americans. We have something to say and we will be heard, for we have the capacity and vision to lead”.  

What we are witnessing is unprecedented. It signals that we are ready to move to another stage in our political development, a stage where American women, long neglected and ignored, must play a central role.

It cannot be otherwise. Like Obama was the personification of a powerful force in our midst, so now is the time for an American woman to lead.

History has set the stage.

How? By our having elected, in 2016, a man who is the antithesis of good sense. A man whose instincts are against the environment, against nurturing alliances with steadfast friends, a man who has failed miserably to invest generously in Americans, so we can move confidently into the future.

With that contrast, it should be clear that 2020 ought to be the year of the American Woman.

There are, in the present field of candidates, highly capable women running for president and you, Joe, are in the enviable position of being the force that influences events decisively.

Imagine you saying to the nation that it is time for Americans to elect a woman. The force that your words carry would have a profound effect on the electorate. You would help narrow down the choices so that our energies can be better spent. The allocation of campaign funds would become more efficient, which we need because wealthy Republicans, aiming for preferential tax treatment from our president, will give lavishly to reelect him.

So now is the time, Joe, for you to bow out of the race. Now that you are on top, now that you are leading in the polls. Paradoxically, this is the best of times.

On close scrutiny, you have lost some of your former sharpness. The temptation, of course, is to deny it, to go on and on, to pretend that it is not happening.

The grueling contest for the nomination and later the race to election day will, however, be unforgiving, further exposing some of the apparent deficits. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You have made a place for yourself in our political history. Those of us who appreciate your years of service would prefer not to see you stumble. Those of us who know of your invaluable contributions would prefer not to see you leave the race because your performance has lost its luster and you no longer lead the field.

So this is the time, Joe. Right now.

I do not think that this suggestion of mine will ever come from any of the talented women candidates now vying for the nomination. Their pride wouldn’t allow it. They would rather battle it out with you. And it could be that one of them will defeat you in the contest. But even if you should be the one to capture the nomination and go on to beat Trump, I do not think that you will have the profound impact on our nation that a woman president will.

This is their time, Joe, right now. Their golden moment, and you can help make it happen.

I urge you to consider moving from leading presidential candidate to leading force in helping usher in a new era in American politics and you will shine with lasting light.

You, Joe Biden, gallant knight of a thousand political battles, can make 2020 the Year of the American Woman and help open the next chapter in our political history.

Best

Oscar Valdes