Joe Biden rises from his Irish wake

[ucrdem]

A couple of weeks old, but worth reading:
....................................
Joe Biden, like Tim Finnegan, rises from his Irish wake



A few weeks ago I wrote off Joe Biden's chances for the Democratic nomination and suggested the happy warrior of American politics ease into a well-deserved political retirement.

By so doing, I joined a not-so exclusive club led by hundreds of writers who completely wrote him off. He was broke, had just finished fifth in New Hampshire, and a very distant second in Nevada. Let the wake begin.

I had looked at an NBC poll that Sunday morning showing him 20 points or so behind in national polls. He seemed helpless, his cause seemed hopeless. Joe (Finnegan on his mother’s side) Biden, of course, did the exact opposite of what the entire media and political world expected and came roaring back in South Carolina and now on Super Tuesday.

{snip}

Suddenly, there was hope after South Carolina and then there was history on Super Tuesday, as he swept like a mighty wave across the country. In the swirl and whirl of the massive weekend changes, one thing stood out. Joe Biden found his voice.

The halting and stammering debater was replaced by an incisive, deeply personal, and very moving politician who talked about decency and respect and pride in diversity, words you will never hear spoken in this White House.

more: https://www.irishcentral.com/opinion/niallodowd/joe-biden-rises-irish-wake

[LakeArenal]

1. Once again I contest this failing Joe theory

Press had him behind in places he was never supposed to win.
Once his true base had a chance to get a vote, all that changed.

So much so, that every other primary candidate could read the writing on the wall. Thankfully, the best of those dropped out gracefully and threw their support behind Joe.

[ucrdem]

2. Well yes, but this makes a much better story

I also thought his debate performances were underrated, including his set-to with Kamala. He said his piece and held his tongue and that is exactly what he needed to do.

Still to the casual observer that SC-ST return from the dead was nothing short of astonishing. Whether he makes it in November or not, and I think he will, he earned a page in the history books, or at least the Guinness book!

[stopdiggin]

4. I'm going with both of the above

(posts that is). Biden did come storming back .. the evidence for that is in the campaigns themselves .. Biden, faltering and running very low on cash .. Sanders, dumbstruck and absolutely shell-shocked following SupTues. On the other hand .. also correct in that there was virtually no expectation for Biden in the first three contests .. and everybody knew it. National polling had Biden as a clear front runner for almost the entire race (and even more clearly as the best in head to heads against Trump) .. with Sanders only very, very late starting to close that gap. So, the media and the pundits also drove some of this narrative of, "the dead come to life!"
-- --

[DownriverDem]

6. Okay

You say you are undecided. Undecided between whom? Biden or trump?

[stopdiggin]

12. sorry. I just never felt the need to declare on this board

And I'm still comfortable with that decision. (in fact, see even less reason to now)

[NCProgressive]

11. This is why we need to have Iowa and NH the very last in the nation

and get rid of those caucuses -- they are undemocratic.

Joe Biden would have won a Nevada primary instead of the caucuses.

[FM123]

3. So true.

The halting and stammering debater was replaced by an incisive, deeply personal, and very moving politician who talked about decency and respect and pride in diversity, words you will never hear spoken in this White House.

[Cha]

5. Hold the Irish Wake! I love reading about

what happened.

We had hope for South Carolina but if you're like me I don't count on anything until it actually happens. James Clyburn coming out and endorsing Joe Biden on Wednesday certainly made for exciting encouragement and then when the votes were in and SC voted for Joe so Overwhelmingly that was Hope.. but would it be enough for Super Tuesday which was only 3 days away?.. Why Yes it Was!

And, then the following 2 Super Tuesday must have really bowled over the 100s of writers like Niall O'Dowd. America and the Planet were back on track!

Joe won in States where he had spent no money and hadn't campaigned in. BS spent 4x as much $$$$$ and he still lost. There's a lesson in there.

Thank you, ucr!

ETA~ A Big Mahalo to Pete and Amy whose dropping out and endorsing Joe Biden was Priceless in helping Democracy and Joe Biden to Win Big on the Super Spectacular Tuesdays!

Mahalo, ucr!

[ucrdem]

7. Soooo much credit goes to James Clyburn and of course Jannie Jones!

And the voters of SC and Amy and Pete and Beto. It was a team effort for sure and not one I was expecting or thought possible. And truth be told a slice of credit goes to Bernie Sanders for galvanizing the populace to get behind Joe or face the prospect of 4 more years of catastrophe!

[Cha]

8. Oh Thank You for bringing up Jannie Jones.. I was

certainly thinking about her when I wrote that!

And, Pete and Amy.. how could I not mention them Before Super Tuesday.. Good Grief. I'm going the ETA them in.. they were/are Vital to the equation.

As far as Sanders.. yeah you have a valid point.

[William769]

9. ...

[ucrdem]

10. Like a phoenix rising, exactly.

Great pic! Thanks William!

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. K&R