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Rethinking the choosing of a President

Following this election, instead of gearing up immediately for the next election cycle, both parties should pause and look seriously at reforming the process.

 

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Let me begin with what I suspect will be a welcome promise—I won’t tell you which candidate to vote for or how I plan to vote. As to the first, by this point in the campaign I suspect that you’ve made your choice. As to the second, I also suspect you don’t really care very much how I cast my ballot.

With that out of the way, then, permit me to share a few observations, based on recent and current experience, on the process by which we Americans go about choosing presidents these days.

The first observation is that many voters this year apparently will not so much vote for one candidate as vote against the other. (Needless to say, this cuts both ways.) There’s nothing especially new or wrong about that, but it does suggest why this year’s campaign has been an exceptionally ugly and divisive affair.

And that points to an obvious conclusion. Nearly the first post-election item of business for the winner, whether it’s Trump or Biden, should be to take serious steps—beyond the usual rhetoric, that is—to repair our fractured national unity. One way of doing that would be to forgo dividing up the spoils by handing out plum jobs exclusively to supporters and reach out instead to the losers in filling positions and planning a legislative agenda.

No, I don’t say that will happen—I’m not that dumb. I merely say it ought to happen, which unfortunately is something very different.

A second observation is that, instead of gearing up immediately for the next election cycle, both parties should pause and look seriously at reforming the process.

One area needing close attention is the primary system. No doubt primaries serve some useful purposes, and realistically speaking we’re stuck with them anyway, but steps should be taken to fashion a shortened primary season with fewer candidates and, even more important, new structure that give seasoned party leaders (not big donors but professional politicians) a serious say in choosing their parties’ candidates.

My third observation is that this year’s election has been a particularly painful reminder that, as I and others have often said, neither major party in its present form offers a congenial home to people, Catholics and others, who are both seriously pro-life and seriously committed to the values embodied in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.

To the best of my knowledge, there is one party like that—the American Solidarity Party, it’s called—but, admirable as its policy positions are, it’s barely a speck on a political landscape dominated by the Democrats and the GOP.

Former President George W. Bush seemed to be trying to create something along these lines early in his first term. But then came 9/11 and the debilitating distraction of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and that was the end of that.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) appeared to be pointing to something of the kind last year in his widely noted “common-good capitalism” speech at the Catholic University of America. But the concept remains far from becoming a reality. Here’s hoping Rubio or somebody else picks up this particular ball and runs with it before 2024 rolls around.

Are ideas like these pipe dreams, with the parties and the prospective candidates instead locked into a replay four years from now? Perhaps so. But if the campaign of 2020 has demonstrated nothing else, it has at least shown that our present way of choosing presidents is broken and badly needs fixing.


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About Russell Shaw 303 Articles
Russell Shaw was secretary for public affairs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops/United States Catholic Conference from 1969 to 1987. He is the author of 20 books, including Nothing to Hide, American Church: The Remarkable Rise, Meteoric Fall, and Uncertain Future of Catholicism in America, Eight Popes and the Crisis of Modernity, and, most recently, The Life of Jesus Christ (Our Sunday Visitor, 2021).

60 Comments

  1. The writer misses the point – we, as a nation, can no longer agree on basic matters of truth. Is a fetus a human person? Is Bruce Jenner a male? Is America basically a good nation?
    No, one side will have to subdue the other by force.
    All indications are, the left will violently subdue the right.
    Sooner or later, the Democrats – the party of grievances- will win a national election.

    • Yes I agree. In Eden the Liar and Father of Lies projected doubt,
      skepticism, confusion. These
      are still diabolical weapons and the election process can only be repaired just a bit on the human level. The concern about lies and immorality In the candidates is poorly addressed by an unrepentant populace. A democracy only can work with a moral people

    • Robert,
      Here I go again, but the leftwing/progressives are not having children. Frankly neither are most Americans. Birthrates are at all time lows.
      Traditionally minded people of faith are the ones having larger families & the way demographics works is that they win in the end. You can’t pass on a culture good or bad unless you have another generation to pass it down to. Their generation is shrinking.

      • Unfortunately, the Muslim population is increasing too. We know from history that when they reach a certain proportion of the population, they take over.

      • The Left controls the education system. Until Conservatives (non-Left/non-Progressives) completely abandon the public education system (and shun the private ones), the Left will continue to “have children.”
        .
        Mind you, homeschooling is not a panacea unless specific attempts are made to “innoculate” against the progressive group think that pervades colleges.

      • @mrscracker. I somewhat agree with Kathryn. However, typically large families and homeschooling with a determination to prevent diabolical indoctrination go together. The problem is that it takes 18 years to raise a new voter and perhaps only a few for the education system to “raise” a new hedonist and/or agnostic.

    • I agree. The writer totally misses me point. Division today is as never before. It is between good and evil. It’s not about politics but about Satan’s use of politics for his agenda as predicted by our lady of Fatima

  2. The system works just fine for the oligarchy. The only reform they will seek is whatever is necessary to prevent someone like Donald Trump from becoming president ever again.

  3. Why should “seasoned party leaders” be given a serious say in choosing candidates? They have failed us miserably; they brought us here. The Establishment is corrupt and self-serving. It should not be rewarded for its behavior over many decades. Look at the way it set up congressional districts to protect as many incumbents as possible. It’s a rigged system that benefits the few. How is it that people enter “public service” as elected officials, are always crying they are not paid enough, and wind up multi-millionaires, along with all their family members? Is that the kind of “seasoning” we are looking for?

    • True. That idea sounds like it comes directly from Nancy Pelosi. She stated, with Adam Schiff nodding in agreement, “We cannot allow democracy to be threatened by leaving the outcome of elections up to the voters”. One wonders what her idea of democracy is!

  4. Agreed, the primary system is where the system is broken. I saw this when George Bush Jr. came out of nowhere to win. He had his dad’s organization and big money behind him. He was terrible when he spoke. And I was left scratching my head as to how this guy ever got to where he got, without some big powers behind him. He was not very smart, not a good orator, and didn’t really have any background to qualify him for president. He was a puppet for the powers behind him who were placed there by his dad. And it was the powers behind him that made him. Just like this year, Biden is a terrible alternative. He is sadly beyond his prime, and it is very questionable as to his ability to govern for 4 years. He stutters and stammers trying to piece together a few lines. Yet how did he win? Because of the powers that aligned behind him in the primary. Our primary system is a joke. If you get enough organization and money behind you, you win. It doesn’t matter what qualities you have. Make no mistake about it, the political kingmakers control the primaries, but they were not prepared for Trump and underestimated his ability to gain votes. Other than this mistake, they virtually have the primary system locked up by using the news media. The American people think we have fair and honest elections, but this is not true. You are given a choice between two candidates that are approved by the powers that be. By the time the general election rolls around, it’s too late. The good candidates have been washed out by the media. If you watch the media, they make or break the candidates in the primaries by how much coverage they give to any potential candidate. So if they want a certain candidate to be gone, they just ignore them in the news and that campaign dies off. This pattern has been in place for a number of years now. I remember when Pat Buchanan beat Bush Sr. in New Hampshire. Buchanan made a comment that the fax machines would be going into overdrive to take him out. Meaning the media was going to cut off any positive coverage after that. And that’s exactly what occurred. The Bush money got the media to go after the Buchanansfamily and made him look extreme. Bush won not on merit, but on the money behind him. Bush would have beaten Reagan if not for some counter money behind Reagan and Reagan’s ability to connect with the public. Money generally buys the primary elections, not quality.

    • Politics is a dirty business; we see what it does to a church on a regular basis.

      How can Bloomberg spend all this money on advertising?

      Society could find a better way to spend money than on the billions spent on this election. Good ideas can come from the poorest of the poor.

      Trump 2020; John James if you’re in MI for Senate

  5. When a nation abandons the Creator God and His transcendent values in the marketplace of ideas you are left with the False God of this world and his lethal methods of influence…pleasure, pride, and power. MONEY is the currency of that marketplace. UNTIL we reassert the role of GOD as Creator and designer WE ARE DOOMED. It is as profound and as simple as that.

  6. I am really tired of the church favoring the political right. I recently saw on EWTN Fr Spitzer complain that democrates are combating the reopening of the economy to the detriment of the poor. ?? I have no understanding of that. Reopening of the economy to full force only increases the chance of being effected by the virus which the poor are more prone to catching. Also, there is much more attention given to sexual attention than necessary. Everyone would prefer avoiding abortion even though it is legal and the law of the land. Adoption, volunteer families, etc are all choices that are sought instead of abortion. Just because it is legal does not mean that it will be pursued. Extra marital sex is not illegal but it certainly rampant. The obvious pursuits of the left in areas of help for the poor, promotion of equal employment rights, protection for workers from illegal employment practices by employers, etc., etc. are aggressively pursued by democrats, not republicans. The overall benefits of democratic administration far out weigh what republicans will ever achieve for the greater members of society. Abortion is wrong. No one disagrees. Not me. But the church needs to look at other benefits of democratic values before being so critical. I could not, would not vote for Donald J. Trump if my life depended on it!

    • The societal problems you claim Democrats actively pursue have been with us since the 1930’s through many Democrat administrations. Why just 3 years ago we had a Democrat administration for 8 solid years and what is the result, we still have the same old problems according to you. My arrow aims at the economic bullseye. When the economy is expanding it affects all American’s, witness the pre-covid employment numbers for all citizens. A robust economy is far more efficient at raising every citizen’s quality of life than any government program ever invented!

    • Mike,
      If we valued child sexual abuse victims as little as children developing in the womb & said that passing laws against abuse weren’t critical because we can never entirely end molestation, what would that say of the lack of justice & respect shown to those children?

      It’s a fallen world & we will always have crimes committed against the vulnerable but protecting them through law is where we begin to enact justice. That’s why Roe needs to be overturned & re-electing Trump is our best chance. I think everyone actually knows that & it’s the reason for all the political commotion we see.

    • REPLY TO MIKE COLGAN: Your view of what REALLY MATTERS in this temporary place is disturbing. ETERNITY is the real home for “Catholics” and this earthly place is our chance to get it “right” in order to be welcomed to our “eternal home”. Practice of GOD’S ten commandments would be one step in the right direction. Neither party has ALL the answers for getting us to HEAVEN. Forget politics. Neither party will get you “HOME”. Anything good comes from God. Not from politicians. GOD IS OUR TRUE FATHER.

    • I would not vote for a Democrat if my life depended upon it. All of them are fond of giving away the money of those who have earned it to those who have not. This is not Bombay with it’s “deserving poor.” Many of Americas poor have made their own poor life choices, which includes drug and alcohol use, teen pregnancy, dropping out of school. More to the point they champion a victimization point of view. Pathetically, they really believe that someone unknown or faceless owes them something. That some of this is because America is horrible and that being born white makes you an automatic problem to them ) , racist or criminal to be snuffed out in their world . They laughably believe only whites are racists. Ditto they disparage or outright attack the police, who are ordered by their BLUE masters to stand there and take it. . I have friends who are espoused democrats, which in their “brains” appears to mean nothing more than the ill will they harbor Donald Trump. They appear too myopic to see what else that self identifying tag carries with it: anti-white racism, anti-police sentiment, the eradication of the rule of law, the expunging of American history ( not just confederate generals but even abolitionists like Lincoln and Frederick Douglas, open borders and the criminal ills it perpetuates, physical attacks on churches, the loss of the freedom to assemble, practice religion, bear arms. There is nothing positive in their world view. Not content to be miserable themselves they INSIST, by law if necessary, everyone else must share in their misery. The left should not fool itself. A substantial number of the American public does not agree with this. If it comes to civil war, I will suggest that few on the political Right of my acquaintance will go down quietly. The men in my bland looking white collar suburb are armed.

      • We are lifetime Republicans who rarely voted for other than the GOP candidate, but the GOP no longer exists. It has been replaced by the divisive DJT party.

      • @lj. You should realize that non-dependent people have a NATURAL RIGHT to a job. For those who can’t obtain a job, then somehow the state must guarantee one. There are people that would like to work, but are probably FORCED by malicious employers NOT TO, because no one wants to employ them. This country treats workers like excrement. Then somehow it is an able-bodied and perhaps very useful person who is PREVENTED from working who is BLAMED for his troubles.

        I have seen the “dark side” of the employment world and it is EVIL.

    • I didn’t see the broadcast on EWTN, but I wonder if Fr. Spitzer was referring to the record low unemployment among blacks and Hispanics prior to the COVID epidemic and the lockdown which generated so much unemployment. I agree that neither party has “all the answers,” but the Democrats, following the lead of Gov. Cuomo in NY, have endorsed the most extreme abortion policies imaginable, indistinguishable from infanticide. And to my great surprise, Donald Trump has consistently appointed federal judges – most recently Amy Coney Barrett – who will respect life by respecting the Constitution, instead of legislating via judicial fiat. The GOP is far from perfect, but the distinctions between the two parties from a Catholic perspective are still pretty stark at present.

    • Poverty and malnutrtion kill many more than Covid. I am living in South America, and the countries doing the worst in confronting the virus, are doing so because of poverty levels. Uruguay is doing the best and they had very limited lockdowns. Also, why not compare objectively, which administration – this one or the last one – has done more for the working class across all demographics? If you use CNN, MSNBC, NY Times talking points you may not get to the truth.

    • So…you don’t care about cancer patients’ delayed treatments? You don’t care how social isolation has caused spikes in mental health problems/suicide/drug use? Childrens’ educational declines? Lack of immunizations? Increased heart attack/strike deaths. Tuberculosis?
      .
      How about the estimated 130 more people who will starve due to government imposed lockdowns?

    • At last, the voice of reason. In reading some of the writer’s objections, giving money to the poor who don’t deserve it etc. Am I to assume they would rather give the money to the billionaires via tax breaks? Most Catholics have been told they must vote for Trump regardless of his lies, name calling, past fraud, rapes, sex scandals including visits to Epstein’s mansion many times, and making money for his hotel and business through his presidency. As far as abortion, Did God not put Satan here and give us free choice to sin or not? Abortion was approved, and no Catholic can ever serve as president. But is it not the sin of the person having the abortion, of her own free will, that is the sinner, not the president that has fallen in with the current abortion laws? I fear that in spite of Fox “news” having been classified as “propaganda” or entertainment, that all Republicans listen only to Fox and are continuously misled, and listen to no other news source to hear the truth.

  7. Very informative. It is time to break the cycle of two parties promoting their own agendas. It is time, that millennials participate in the election process versus passively waiting for some change by only being bystanders. It is time that those 30 million Americans who live below the poverty line, live like the rest of Americans.

  8. Mr. Shaw, really? “reach out instead to the losers in filling positions and planning a legislative agenda”. We have a party of life and a party of death. If the party of life wins (and I pray that it does) what members of the party of death would you like to have in the cabinet?

  9. Mr. Shaw understands the political problem in the U.S. like the Vatican understands the Chinese Communists. See this Catholic News Agency article:

    Vatican official praises China for witness to Catholic social teaching

    An excerpt:

    The chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences has said that China is exercising global moral leadership in the principles of Catholic social teaching and defense of human dignity.

    China is the best example on the planet of what you get when the diabolical, militantly atheistic left seizes power. And that’s how the Vatican sees it?

    One is reminded of how Joe Biden sees China:

    China is going to eat our lunch? Come on, man … I mean, you know, they’re not bad folks, folks. But guess what? They’re not competition for us.

    It looks like the current Vatican regime is Catholic like Joe Biden is Catholic. Of course we now know that the Biden family took millions from the Chinese Communists under the table. Is that the problem with the current Vatican regime?

    What is more disturbing is that the U.S. bishops appear to be clueless about the threat the diabolical, militantly atheistic left currently poses to the United States and to the world.

    They may seize power in the U.S. on November 3rd.

    Mr. Shaw and the U.S.bishops just can’t bring themselves to frame the situation as it really is the way the former prefect of the CDF, Cardinal Gerhard Müller put it:

    The outcome of the U.S. election will determine whether the U.S. remains the leading power in the world — for freedom and democracy — or whether a communist dictatorship will assume that role for the global community …

    See:

    Exclusive: Former Vatican Chief Says ‘Future of Democracy’ at Stake in U.S. Elections

    Müller is saying, of course, that a Biden victory means world domination by the diabolical Chinese Communists.

  10. When Donald Trump won the last election he kept on several holdovers from the Obama administration. We saw how disastrous that was when they sabotaged and plotted against him.

  11. An entertaining article that is mostly wrong, but not completely. You start off with an admittedly Captain Obvious observation: some people vote more against a candidate than for one. Duh!
    You then suggest that a way to unify the country would be for the winner to forgo “ dividing up the spoils by handing out plum jobs exclusively to supporters and reach out instead to the losers in filling positions and planning a legislative agenda.” that just perpetuates the current system by handing out positions based on party affiliation even if it’s the other party. People should be selected on ability, accomplishments, and talents regardless of party affiliation, race, gender, religion or ethnicity. That would be a refreshing and unifying.
    Next, you suggest that today’s primary system be reformed with a “ new structure that give seasoned party leaders (not big donors but professional politicians) a serious say in choosing their parties’ candidates.” Are you for real? You want to return to those halcyon days where candidates like Rutherford B. Hayes, Warren G. Harding and others were chosen by “professional politicians” in smoke filled back rooms rather than in the current raucous, even chaotic primaries that so annoy you where we unwashed masses have a say. Don’t you realize that we are in this mess because of “professional politicians” for whom keeping their jobs is far more important than doing their jobs?
    Finally, you make the stunning observation that “… neither major party in its present form offers a congenial home to people, Catholics and others, who are both seriously pro-life and seriously committed to the values embodied in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.” That is, at best, and it’s not a very good best, only partially true. You place the Church’s teachings on social justice on a par with its doctrines about the sanctity of life and marriage and religious freedom. They are not. Only one major political party is adamantly and even fanatically hostile to those doctrines and that is the Democrat Party. The Republicans, for all their faults, are consistently if frequently ineffective supporters of those non debatable doctrines.
    I am sorry Mr. Shaw, but your well intentioned article is just plain wrong.

  12. Hate to experience the alternative to free election, in-country war between political parties. Read history of Mexico at the turn of the century were more than a million people died because there was no peaceful transition of power from one political party to another

  13. I agree. The writer totally misses me point. Division today is as never before. It is between good and evil. It’s not about politics but about Satan’s use of politics for his agenda as predicted by our lady of Fatima

  14. “To the best of my knowledge, there is one party like that—the American Solidarity Party, it’s called—but, admirable as its policy positions are, it’s barely a speck on a political landscape dominated by the Democrats and the GOP.”

    This is the problem. It wouldn’t be “barely a speck” if people would stop dismissing it offhand, as a non-entity. Wouldn’t it be great if we turned our collective backs on parties who no longer represent our values (but cynically pay lip service to them, during the election cycle)? Instead of voting out of fear of what might happen, if “bad” doesn’t prevail over “evil”, “values” might stand a better chance.

    • What I intended to say was “If we voted with our values, instead of out of fear…” Alas, no edit function in this combox.

  15. “repair our fractured national unity”. Mostly caused by Trump’s vitriol and lack of leadership.

    “A second observation is that, instead of gearing up immediately for the next election cycle, both parties should pause and look seriously at reforming the process.” OK. Leadership is imperative! Trump offer none when he will never take responsibility for anything. He doesn’t know the meaning of mea culpa.

    Our electoral college with ridiculous swing states should be deep sixed. One person, one vote.

    “Catholics and others, who are both seriously pro-life and seriously committed to the values embodied in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church.” Roe should be replaced by the Hyde Amendment.

    “our present way of choosing presidents is broken and badly needs fixing.” Understated! Dark money, background check no cons, build a platform on facts and achievable goals.

  16. There are Catholics who are in danger of reducing the 10 Commandments into a single “thou shalt not kill”. It becomes a tragedy when some well meaning priests fail to correct this. Abortion tends to focus on women only who kill and there is a great desire by some Catholics to publicly shame them. In contrast those who lie, steal, commit adultery etc are seemingly absolved and never publicly flogged. Our Lord Jesus taught us to love and His love is different. We, humans always think in favour of “US” Or “ME” attitude. Jesus on the other hand showed us that we do not love a person because he/she is right or wrong. We love regardless, in spite of disagreements, pain and suffering. In Romans 5:8 ” But God proves His love for us in that we still were sinners when Christ died for us.”
    Does that not teach us that love of God is worth dying for? We are called to emulate Christ in this quest for love for others, a preference to think of others first.
    “Love is patient, love is kind, in not envious or boastful or arrogant, or rude, it does not insists on it’s own way, it is not irritable or resentful, it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but finds joy in the truth.”
    (1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

    Jesus did all of the above for us on the Crucifixion so that we may learn from him. Catholics are now so divided and we need to reflect and choose Christ’s way to the Cross. Reflect on what He did and said. How he treated those who were mocking Him and those who nailed Him on the crucifix.

    For God is not unjust, he will not reject those who come to Him for refuge. We are all sinners, and even those we consider to be sinners sometimes in their lifetime have done good works.

    ” For I will be merciful towards their inequities, and I will remember their sins no more.” Hebrews 8:12

    We shoul focus more of converting others first. We should be guiding lights by showing those of our brothers and sisters who are struggling by actions that emulate what is required of a child of our God. In Romans 13:8 we read: ” —-for the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law.”

    We should be thinking, “how can I improve those who disobey God’s 10 Commandments?”
    By our own life experiences of practising God’s Love and spreading it to everyone.

    • “We should be thinking, “how can I improve those who disobey God’s 10 Commandments?”
      By our own life experiences of practising God’s Love and spreading it to everyone.”

      ************

      Practicing God’s love & spreading it first involves His command about whatsoever we do to the least among us. The most vulnerable & helpless. We can’t throw them under the bus.
      Denying a child the right to be born denies them every other human right. Not to mention baptism.

    • “Abortion tends to focus on women only who kill and there is a great desire by some Catholics to publicly shame them.”

      Your analogy is off. You’re comparing women who abort their babies to people who do not kill, but commit other crimes.

      Your comparison should be to those who kill – murderers, manslaughterers. And compared to them, the women who kill babies get off quite lightly, with a cheering seciton telling them how wonderful and brave they were. I don’t know of anyone who has “publicly shamed” a particular woman by name (unless the woman has made the abortion public by bragging about it, as not a few Hollywood-types have), but I do not see how you can object to a general statement that anyone who murders an innocent baby (that includes the baby’s mother and the person who performs the abortion) has performed an evil act.

      Yes, God loves us, but He doesn’t say, “I love you, so go do whatever you want; it’s all good.”

      And your definition of “love” appears to be rather a wizened, puny thing. You might bear in mind that the spiritual works of mercy include instructing the ignorant and admonishing the sinner.

  17. Poor MorganB! More senseless rantings. Come out of the basement and get some fresh air and sunshine. It might help you think more clearly. And a basic civics class wouldn’t hurt either. The electoral college was created to avoid rule by the mob.

    • How shocking! Senseless rantings are the president’s specialty. With his limited vocabulary and his complete lack of knowledge of the Constitution, history, and simple geography, civics as well governing, and his total lack of admission of the need to learn. He refused even to go to the basic education of the running of the government that all presidents all are required to do. Even his ability to read well is limited. Yet you criticize someone that has years of knowledge of the government and all the rest! This is truly an abomination. Incidentally, his basement is a fully equipped and beautiful room second to no one’s best office!

      • ” Incidentally, his basement is a fully equipped and beautiful room second to no one’s best office!”

        I’m quite certain that this is just a CNN “news” opinion…

      • Zita, you might go rant to Israel and Bahrain, just for starters, about how ignorant President Trump is.

        And then you can talk to all the babies who have been aborted for the past 50 years about why a president who actually defends life is so much worse than a nominal Catholic who supports abortion and supports government funding of it. Only you can’t, because they’ve been mercilessly butchered.

        And you can talk to the Little Sisters of the Poor about how Joseph Biden, nominal Catholic, is perfectly fine with forcing them to pay for contraception, much of it abortifacient.

        “He refused even to go to the basic education of the running of the government that all presidents all are required to do.”

        I have no idea to what “basic education” you refer. “Required?” By what? Certainly not by the Constitution.

  18. Well, Mr. Shaw, you got your seasoned politician. And we now know why Biden didn’t campaign. He didn’t need to. The “season party leaders” made sure he was going to win. Is that what you had in mind?

  19. You may be mistaken in stating Biden’s inability to speak effectively without stuttering and stammering. That is Fox “news” opinion. You have apparently not heard him speak very many times, and speak well. There were several good candidates in the primary, and fortunately, one is to be Vice President. It would be helpful for all Americans to listen to all news sources before making decisions.

    • “There were several good candidates in the primary, and fortunately, one is to be Vice President.”

      You have a great future before you as a stand-up comedian.

      “It would be helpful for all Americans to listen to all news sources before making decisions.”

      The problem is that so many people (probably including you) happily watch the network news and read the newspapers and assume that the people presenting the news are unbiased, when in fact they are almost entirely left-wing. Hence the failure even to mention the evidence that the Biden family engaged in corruption on a massive scale with China, after having reported and reported and reported and reported on the hoax of Russian collusion based on no evidence. Those at whom you are probably aiming your condescending remark in fact do hear those sources, but we also read others.

    • Thanks for reminding us what a “low information voter” sounds like. Kamal Harris – the candidate who dropped out of the race due to having no support, and someone who is a rabidly anti-Catholic bigot and a Marxist. I guess we have a different understanding of what “good” means.

    • Kamala Harris dropped out of the race before a single vote was cast in the Dem primaries. She could not raise the funds. Up until Biden selected her, she was not well liked.

  20. Yikes. Some of these responses are pretty vitriolic (unChristian?).
    As a Canadian, I find the primaries rather mysterious so I find Mr. Shaw’s criticisms of them interesting. I think Mr. Shaw is quite knowledgeable and his comments worthy of respectful consideration.

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