The Douthat Solution: An Old-Fashioned Convention February 12, 2024February 12, 2024 Trump now admits January 6 was an “insurrection” — caused by Pelosi! So, yes, Biden is elderly (I’ll get to that) . . . but effective, steady, caring, experienced, and decent. Trump, by contrast, is a criminal who has lied, cheated, and scammed all his life; who prefers autocrats to democrats; aspires to be an autocrat himself; and for years kept a book of speeches about “vermin” and “impure blood” by his bedside. In his four years, Trump completely failed to fulfill his infrastructure promises. > Biden succeeded: A massive infrastructure revitalization is finally underway. In his four years, Trump completely failed to boost U.S. manufacturing. > Biden succeeded. The only better performance coming out of a recession was in 1948. In his four years, Trump completely failed to provide his oft-promised “terrific health care at a fraction of the cost” — never even revealing his plan, because he never had one. > Biden made progress: lowering the ranks of the uninsured to the fewest ever; capping insulin for seniors at $35/month and out-of-pocket costs for all a senior’s prescription drugs at $2,000 beginning next year; giving Medicare authority, finally, to negotiate drug prices. GRAPHIC INTERLUDE Click here for a less shrill, more nuanced — but still compelling — comparison and pass it on to those who think the economy . . . let alone the stock market . . . does better with Republicans at the helm. For a century, it’s been just the opposite. That strikes me as important for people to know. One more point before we get to Joe Biden’s age. Voters are finally beginning to notice the improving economy. It’s early — but encouraging. OK, so here’s what I think: Based on the facts, the President and his team have done, are doing, and will very likely continue to do a really good job for the American people. As I’ve argued before, “It’s Not Calisthenics” — any more than it was for Stephen Hawking and physics or Warren Buffett and capital allocation. Click here to be reminded of how much cash you would have left on the table had you sold your Berkshire Hathaway stock when Buffett turned 82. We’ve all seen the same TV clips; but everyone I know who sees the President regularly tells a different story. Did you see Senator Chris Coons speaking yesterday on ABC’s This Week? It’s really worth your time — and worth sharing. That said, I get (and I’m sure Joe and Jill get) that “perception is everything.” Which is why Ross Douthat’s suggestion — that Joe should step down in August and throw the nomination open at the Convention — does not strike me as crazy. It gives everyone more time to reflect and to see how the polling looks then, how Trump looks then, how people perceive the economy then, how the border situation* is looking then. In the meantime, I would argue, our course is clear: To help in every way we can to lay the groundwork for a huge Democratic turn-out in November — to hold the White House, hold the Senate, win back the House, and flip state legislatures blue. In case you can — and so many of you have! — please click here. And/or volunteer. Have a great week. Go, Chiefs! *Which of course is why Trump is trying so hard to keep America from solving its border crisis. He doesn’t care about human suffering or fentanyl trafficking; he cares about preserving the crisis so he can ride it into the White House and shut down the criminal proceedings he faces. Does anyone really doubt that?