Biden needs to learn from Vivek Ramaswamy.
Be his opposite.
Ramaswamy is a caricature of Donald Trump.
Trump presents himself as the indispensable hero. He told the GOP convention "I am your voice" and "Only I can fix it." Vivek Ramaswamy is the young, over-eager, highly-caffeinated exaggerated version of Trump. He is even more full of himself than is Trump. On the debate stage he is the overly-confident know-it-all. He is articulate and whip-smart, but the more we see him the less we like him.
Biden isn't Ramaswamy. That's good. Biden should accept that reality. A great many Americans worry he is not fully credible as a CEO and party spokesman, especially one who starts a new four-year term beginning in 16 months. But he has a role where he is fully credible: Chairman of the Board. We have a template for that: Rupert Murdoch at Fox. No one doubted that he was in charge, even at age 92. People did not expect him to be at the office directly managing his media properties. When voters vote for president we are voting for the boss. A few highly-visible actions directed by the boss, e.g. firing Bill O'Reilly and Tucker Carlson or settling the Dominion lawsuit, made clear who the boss was.
Voters have another mental template for understanding Biden's presidency: The veteran head coach. No one thinks the head coach should be on the field blocking and tackling, and a head coach is not diminished by having an excellent quarterback or wide receiver. The coach is respected for managing a successful team of players with great skills and strong personalities. If they get out of control, Biden can fire them. Murdoch did. Coaches do.
My sense is that Biden is keeping the next generation of Democratic leaders at arms length out of fear that their prominence would reflect badly on him. That is a mistake, borne out of his trying to be a CEO and spokesman president. That role worked for Clinton, Obama, and Trump, and well-enough for the two less-articulate Bush presidents. It works poorly for Biden. So change the paradigm.
Gavin Newsom is currently in the news looking self confident and presidential. Biden should draw him closer and enable his visibility, making clear he is part of Biden team. Claim him. Elevate him. Same with Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Cory Booker and a dozen others who are waiting on deck. Biden has people in his administration, including Janet Yellen at Treasury and Antony Blinken at State whom we don't see enough of.
The standard staging of presidential bill signings is the president at a desk, with onlookers. Those serve the purpose of displaying a president as either CEO or as Chairman. Keep those.
Biden needs to change the structure of another form of presidential presentation, where we see the president standing up front, with the Vice President standing one step behind and one to the president's right.
Biden should take Ramaswamy's example as what to avoid. Don't be a know it all. Don't be a stage hog. The role does not play to Biden's strengths. Don't play to Trump's strength by going head to head with him over who is the most dominant star on stage.
Instead manage stars. Be Bill Belichick. Or Greg Popovich. Or Phil Jackson.
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11 comments:
Overall this seems to make sense. No to Gavin Newsom. In my opinion, California represents sexual deviancy of all kinds (you name it), drug culture and crime. Keep it in California.
Democrats do have competence on their side. This is what should be emphasized.
While the sports analogy is apt, I'd opt for the "Village Elder" model. Certainly not the CEO one, since they are the villains of this era. The wise elder doesn't have to prove himself or defend his throne, it's secure. He is surrounded by heirs apparent and counselors.
Timing is everything. I expect the strategy is to let the judicial process crawl its way through the rest of the year, and then begin a sustained chorus from all hands singing from the same hymnal, "Oh, Biden Thou Art", along with "Donald, Of Satan Begone".
It will be inspiring and uplifting...can I hear an "Amen"?
I'm reading a very interesting independent discussion and breakdown of the Afghan Evacuation in The Atlantic, and the writers observations of the President during that August when apparently the wheels came off any plans the Administration had reveal an entirely different Joe Biden that what is seen on our TeeVee machines. And the Biden in the article is closely aligned with what Peter presents, a President keeping potential successors at arms length out of a fear of being upstaged .
I've felt since shortly after his inauguration, that if Biden had been treated by Obama as Biden has treated Kamala Harris, Biden would never have been seen again after his terms as VP.
Biden is 80 years old, and people that old are pretty set in their ways. Biden didn’t win the nomination in 2020 via charisma; he won it via behind the scenes manipulation, most notably, with the help of Elijah Cummings.
Biden apparently has the nomination locked up at this point. His polls against Trump don't look good, but it’s too early for that to have much significance. He may not see any reason to fix what looks to him like it ain't broken.
Democrats are starting to wet their beds over 2024, but that’s their problem, not his.
I already. Think of Biden as the CEO surrounded by competent people as opposed to the prior administration that was surrounded by yes people, crooks, or incompetents. This is the sane administration in the eyes of the world.
Anybody who care about our republic has a Hobson’s choice: Biden.
Harris has been nearly invisible because she has been needed in the Senate.
If Democrats expand their majority you will see her a lot more, which is a good thing for America. She.is sharp.
Agree with this column. Biden picks good people. His administration has had stability, which is important for our economic and national security.
I've not seen the GOP debates, so don't know how Vivek Ramaswamy has come across, but he launched his campaign with this E Pluribus Unum, anti-identity politics 3 minute ad.
I agree with every word of it.
https://www.politico.com/video/2023/02/22/ad-vivek-ramaswamy-launches-2024-gop-presidential-campaign-844240
You don’t have to have seen the debates to be aware that Ramaswamy has spread lies and distortions on subjects including the 2020 election results, the Jan. attack on the Capitol and climate change. When challenged on those statements, he denies he made them even though they’re on record or claims they were taken out of context. That’s why he’d be such a worthy successor to Trump: he considers facts irrelevant.
Joe needs to invite Taylor Swift to one of his rallies. That's how you beat Trump.
Or pick her for VP.
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