Joe Biden for Secretary of State

Can't Live With Him and, Maybe, Without Him

President Biden’s post-NATO conference presser was impressive. Yes, we learned that his VP is Kamala Trump. But apart from that gaff and the one delivered hours earlier — introducing President Zelensky as President Putin, Biden not only held his own. He generally held us spellbound, suggesting he’s sound of mind if not sound of speech.

This was Joe Biden the seasoned senior statesman, not the befuddled senior citizen. His message:

The world’s dangerous. Russia, North Korea, and Iran constitute a deadly gang with China an enabler. Without allies, we’re history. I’m the glue maintaining the NATO of old and the architect building the NATO of new. This now includes Finland and Sweden with other nations, many in Asia, partnering up.

Yes, I’m old. But age brings wisdom. And knowing your opponents matters. As the Chinese philosopher general, Sun Zu, told us, ‘Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer’. Find another potential candidate who’s spent more hang time with President Xi or one who will tell Putin that he’s a killer, not kiss his ring.

Biden came across, on first listen, as a careful, savvy steward of our national security. He suggested he’d improved rapport with China, gave Putin enough rope to hang himself, made Iran stand down after letting it stage a largely pretend missile attack on Israel, and was producing peace in our time in Gaza.

No one else has the foreign policy chops and experience to keep our country safe. And, God forbid, Trump is elected. He’ll sell us down the river to his Russian doll.

The problem is the facts don’t necessarily support the narrative. The international scene is far worse than when Biden took office. He may have kept the lid on, but it’s not screwed on. Russia’s playing the long game, acquiring plenty of munitions, recruiting millions of soldiers, and jamming our most sophisticated weapon systems. China and Russia are now not just in bed, but deep under the covers.

If Trump gets elected because too many people focus on the dysfunctional part of my brain, not to worry. Yes, Trump will knife NATO in the back. But NATO has its own weapon systems. It’s not dependent on ours. Well, let me take that back. We NATO leaders just discussed the rest of NATO building its own hyper-advanced military stuff. They should be all set by inauguration day.

Maybe Biden’s been playing it just right. Or maybe he’s been too weak. Russia can bomb Kyiv, but Ukraine can’t bomb Moscow. China can continue supporting Russia economically and militarily, but they now face the ultimate penalty — EV tariffs. Iran can keep arming the Houthis, Hezbollah, and Russia. And the Houthis can keep attacking international shipping, while Hezbollah can keep shooting missiles at Israel. Yes, we had the perfect opportunity to blow up Iran’s nuclear, missile, and munitions facilities when they attacked Israel. But, I keep my enemies close enough to watch them do what they want. As for North Korea’s arming Russia, Russia’s putting nukes in space, and the Russian and Chinese hypersonic missiles we can’t match? I’m planning to sleep extra hours on it.

Biden provided no plan to end the war in Ukraine. As for Gaza, the only detail I heard was a Michigan vote-gathering full Israeli withdraw. China naval and nuclear expansion, plus its aggression on the high “South China Sea”? Well, Biden’s formed a coalition of the impotent — Japan, S. Korea, New Zealand, and Australia.

One can, in short, view Biden as an aggressive, diplomatic genius or a timid leader that can, to paraphrase Churchill, be trusted to do the wrong thing after dismissing all the right options.

As for the 21 states that have prohibited or greatly restricted abortion, well, that’s on Trump and there’s nothing I can do. Education, healthcare, Social Security, tax reform, banking reform, fiscal discipline — Sorry, thanks for your questions. See you on the campaign trail.

Strikes me we need a domestic as well as a foreign policy President. Biden spent three years presiding over a mess at the border. He’s finally taken executive action. His infrastructure bill largely reauthorizes routine maintenance. Social Security’s massive — $63 trillion in red ink — is off the table. Driving our kids bankrupt by spending 18 percent of GDP on healthcare? Sorry, the table’s really short. CBO projecting a debt-to-GDP ratio over 150 percent in three decades? Let me tell you about meeting Golda Meir.

We have so many competent and fully mentally intact Democrats to take on not just Trump, but our foreign adversaries. If Biden is right that he’s vital to guiding America’s foreign policy, there’s a perfect office he can occupy — Secretary of State.

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