Logical Predictions for 2023

Part II

By Colleen O’Connor

The State of the Union is fragile.  The ingredients for more chaos, violence, domestic terrorism, convictions for “seditious conspiracies,” fraud, mistrust, and outright disdain for the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law are already baked in.

No one should be surprised by the speed, undesirability, stupidity, or horrific events and Marquee targets that may present themselves.

Thus, the big predictions.  Neither Biden nor Trump will be the U.S. President in 2024.

• President Joe Biden may or may not run for re-election, but he will not be President in 2024

Better to govern for two years than tackle a bruising campaign.

The reasons for declining, far outnumber the reasons for staying.  His age, corresponding physical and cognitive decline, low approval ratings, multiple impeachment proceedings planned by the GOP House, pointed investigations into his son, Hunter, and the upcoming unfavorable Democratic election map.  Add the unwinnable war in Ukraine, global inflation, and a new Flu/COVID/RSP “tridemic.”

The loss of superior staffers like Press Secretary, Jen Psaki , Chief of Staff, Ron Klein, and Medical Advisor, Dr. Anthony Fauci, underscore the rickety nature a Biden’s future.

Pro-Trumper Elon Musk’s latest post – “My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci” underscores the point.

On the plus side, Biden has just ratcheted up popular wins in the last of the low-hanging fruit, i.e., legislative wins, the return of WNBA star Brittney Griner, confirmation of Jackson Ketanji Brown to the U.S. Supreme Court, the reconfiguring of DNC presidential primary states to better reflect the diverse Democratic base, and the recent midterm election results (holding onto the Senate, while fewer losses in the House) provide Biden a laudable exit ramp.

Reason suggests Biden follow Speaker Pelosi’s example.  Quit while ahead.

• Former President Donald Trump may not even be the GOP presidential nominee.  He, too, lacks majority support among his own party GOP for another run.

Trump may threaten and enter the race but fail to succeed. The quagmire he now faces; damning evidence of the January 6th Committee re: coordinating the assault on the Capitol, probable “criminal referral” to the Justice Department, convictions of his Oath Keepers’ followers for “seditious conspiracy,” multiple conduct and criminal tax fraud convictions against his Trump Organization, and still more pending state grand jury outcomes.

Not counting new embarrassing political losses, calling for “terminating the U.S. Constitution,” dining with anti-Semites and neo-fascists, a renewed rape allegation/ defamation court case, and the RNC now refusing money to cover the “ex-President’s” legal expenses.

More alarming for Trump, his taxes are now in the hands of the House Ways and Means Committee, perhaps to be shared with the public.

Then there is the former War Times Prosecutor, now Special Counsel, overseeing the Mar-A-Lago classified documents case and the attempted overthrow of the 2020 election.

This massive legal, moral, physical, and financial morass makes Trump’s future more than just bleak.  He needs an exit ramp.

• Rep. Kevin McCarthy cannot save Trump and will not survive 2 years even if he wins the Speakership.  He can only afford to lose four GOP votes to secure that post.

The insurgent “Never Kevin” movement is determined to renew adoption of a “Motion to vacate the Speaker’s Chair” to requires a single member’s vote to call the question.

McCarthy’s recent threat: McCarthy Pledges Subpoenas for 51 Intel Agents over the Hunter Biden laptop kerfuffle.

Diane Feinstein will exit the Senate early, following Pelosi.

Help may be on the way.  Direct Democracy possibly coming from both the Jan. 6th Committee and the Ways and Means.

NY Governor, Alfred E. Smith argued (in the midst of Tammany Hall scandals): “The cure for the evils of democracy is more democracy.”

Direct democracy.

The January 6th committee promises to release ALL of their 1,000-page report, with specifics on criminal referrals (and voluminous back up materials/evidence to the public, press, and Congress) AT THE SAME TIME.

So, too, the House Ways and Means Committee could quickly provide all of the Trump tax returns in their possession to the full House to be read into the Congressional Record.  Again, for all to read.

Direct Democracy. A logical prediction for the future.

What better ways to increase the American appetite for knowledge and restore some trust in the body politic.

Pass on the insanity.  Return to governing.