The winter and lockout have ended; spring training has commenced. Baseball graces diamonds in temperate climes across America.
Celebrated throughout the generations, the national pastime has experienced significant changes, but at its core remains a contest that requires a combination of athletic skill and mental acuity to achieve victory. As ever, as the regular seasons impends, once again no science or logic can bound a fan’s hope that—however improbable—this is the year his team wins a pennant or the World Series. It is only later, after the team’s fortune falters and fails beyond resuscitation, that the fan’s hope dwindles and dies.
For the supporters of then-candidate Joe Biden, hope soared that he would put “adults” back in charge of American public policy; and, moreover, usher in a new progressive era akin to the New Deal. Of course, in his near half-century serving in federal office, both as a senator and vice president, there was little to justify such faith in Biden.
Indeed, as Biden’s “spring training” during the 2020 presidential contest played out, there was little to suggest that the septuagenarian back-slapper was the savior of the republic: he was facilitated by COVID restrictions preventing him from having to endure the full physical rigors of campaigning; extra-constitutional “emergency” changes in election laws and rules that tilted the playing field in his favor; and a compliant regime media aided by Big Tech oligarchs deliberately misinforming the public about the true state of his mental acuity and his and family’s associates and finances.
Nonetheless, his supporters’ hopes were soaring as Biden entered the Oval Office. Human nature being what it is, there was nothing uncommon or untoward in his partisans’ enthusiasm, for even the supporters of James Buchanan and Millard Fillmore initially had great expectations for successful administrations.
Yet, like baseball, governing is a daily grind measured both in moments and as a marathon, requiring skill and mental acuity to achieve victories—sometimes mundane and sometimes momentous. Over any president’s term, the victories and ineluctable defeats (which every president incurs), determine whether they will be reelected and form their ultimate historical legacy.
Though Biden had initial “success” spending trillions of dollars, it exacerbated the continuing political drag of an inflationary economy devastated by the COVID pandemic and lockdowns. There followed the Afghanistan withdrawal debacle, the unconscionable incompetence of which cost the lives of 13 American citizen-soldiers and countless Afghans, even as it allowed the return of the terrorist Taliban’s rule. Unable to inveigle his way out responsibility, even with the aid of a cosseting regime media, Biden has struggled to resurrect his and his party’s political fortunes heading into the midterm election.
Then Putin’s execrable invasion of Ukraine put Joe Biden center stage as the leader of the free world. This would give him the opportunity to burnish his political fortunes and presidential legacy in his professed area of “expertise,” foreign affairs. Having honored a promise to nominate an African-American woman to the Supreme Court, which elated his supporters, Biden grabbed his “big stick,” knocked the dirt from his cleats, and strode into the batter’s box to duel it out with Putin.
But, in holding his big stick, Biden forgot to speak softly or keep his eye on the ball (or at least the teleprompter). The gaffes came fast and furious in Poland; and, with his political season and the fate of millions on the line, Biden found himself staring down the hard ball questions of Fox News’ Peter Doocy about three “big things”; and, in this instance, a walk back is not as good as a hit. Per Mediaite:
“Are you worried that other leaders in the world are going to start to doubt that America is back if some of these big things that you say on the world stage keep getting walked back?” asked Doocy during a press conference at the White House.
“What’s getting walked back?” asked Biden.
Strike one!
“In the last couple days, it sounded like you told U.S. troops they were going to Ukraine, it sounded like you said it was possible the U.S. would use a chemical weapon and it sounded like you were calling for regime change in Russia,” said Doocy.
“None of the three occurred,” replied Biden.
Strike two!
“None of the three occurred?” asked Doocy.
“None of the three,” said Biden.
Strike three!
Regrettably for Biden and the security of the world, he did make all three gaffes. And there is no joy in Demville—the mighty Biden has struck out.
With roughly a quarter of his presidency completed, if Joe Biden were a baseball team, he’d be out of contention before the All-Star break. Nevertheless, during this Spring training season, in the breast of every Democrat, unfounded hope springs eternal for their failed policies and sagging political fortunes. After all, there’s always next year for the cellar dwelling Joe Biden.