Mark Warner has raised the discussion of Biden’s future to a whole new level.
by Joe Fitzgerald
Virginia Senator Mark Warner is a cautious man. That’s not a negative in a world where public figures seem to have magazines full of tweets ready to load at a moment’s notice. He also trusts his own judgment. He’s got half a billion dollars in the bank, so maybe he should. When he makes a major move in a year he’s not on the ballot, he’s likely not doing it for the money or the votes.
That’s why his concerns about President Biden should carry more weight than, just for instance, the NYTimes editorial page. He doesn’t want the job himself but, even if he does, he’s smart enough to know he has less chance than Harry does of being king. He’s smart enough to know that he has enough political capital to affect the conversation, and that he may not have as much when this is all over. So, the question becomes what’s in it for him.
It’s hard to find an answer that doesn’t come down to duty and love of country. He’ll still be a rich United States Senator regardless of who’s president. He doesn’t have a personal stake in whether Biden or Trump wins, except for the desire to live in a country that’s not run by a felonious, adulterous, lying megalomaniac. But your mileage may vary. Maybe you just can’t believe in patriotism. You love your country and you don’t want to live in the one Trump will create, but you can’t quite give the benefit of the doubt to any elected officials.
(more…)