Sharon Kennedy: Why Biden will lose

The chances of President Biden losing the election are becoming more likely as the felony charges against Trump increase. Don’t get excited. I haven’t crossed the aisle, and I’ll never wear a red hat, but I do tend to have a phenomenal grasp of the obvious. Every time Biden laughs at the troubles DJT brought upon himself, Trump’s base grows. That’s strike one. It’s human nature to root for the underdog even when he’s a criminal. Watch any movie where bad guys are planning to rob a bank or steal cars and you’ll cheer if they get away with it.

Strike two is his unpopular running mate. Most voters know very little about Ms. Harris. She rarely gives a speech that receives media coverage. She gets on my nerves. I don’t know why. It might be the sound of her voice I find grating, or her attempt to appear passionate about whatever she’s promoting. She comes across as phony and insincere. I can’t take more than three minutes of listening to our vice president.

The third strike is Biden’s apparent lack of visibility. Whereas Trump’s been on major networks and cable channels every day since he lost the 2020 election, our President is seen only occasionally. When he takes to the campaign trail, he often mumbles and lowers his voice until it’s barely audible. The great exception was the State of the Union address which was spectacular. He was intelligent, mentally alert, aware of his surroundings and ready for a good political fight. He managed to move the poll needles in his favor. Some say they weren’t moved more than a whisper, but even a tiny bump was noteworthy.

Sadly, old Joe slipped back into his comfort zone shortly after his memorable address. Podcasters ignore him or give him a brief 10-second glimpse when he delivers a campaign speech. He rarely says anything off the cuff unless it’s a one-liner. The liberal press cut him a lot of slack, but he’s ripped to shreds on FOX and other right-wing media. They discount his achievements, and he doesn’t mention them often enough. When he does, they show clips of him looking bewildered and fishing for words.

Contrast this with the endless coverage of DJT. He gives commentators plenty of fodder. They love it because it boosts their ratings. He informs us of his every move from the time he awakens until his bedroom lights dim around 3 a.m. The lies he tells on TRUTH Social are taken as gospel. His devotees call him our “real” president. His nonstop braying has maintained his high profile.

As a master puppeteer, he pulls the strings of every Republican in Congress. Some tried to break free. This act of defiance cost them an early retirement as their constituents voted them out or threatened them and their families with violence. Others fled Washington while there was still time to catch a train or plane heading west. That’s the power of Trump’s rhetoric.

His popularity grows stronger as the legal nets bind tighter. He emerges from courtrooms and bellyaches that he’s an innocent victim suffering at the hands of Biden’s Justice Department. The truth is irrelevant. His self-inflicted wounds are dismissed as nonsense. If Biden doesn’t start raising his voice and reminding voters of what he’s done for them, and if he doesn’t start exposing Trump’s lies and his man-crushes on murderous dictators, he’s running on thin ice. He better get with it or get out because, should he win, nobody wants to see Ms. Harris replace him when he’s considered too senile to govern.

— To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy's new book, "View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories," is available from her or Amazon.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Sharon Kennedy: Why Biden will lose