Biden v. Trump II: The battle of the ages. The election rematch no one wanted. | Opinion
Everyone loves a great rematch.
Muhammad Ali lost a 15-round unanimous decision to Joe Frazier in “The Fight of the Century” in 1971. Still, he gained his revenge in the highly-anticipated “Super Fight II” in 1974.
The Boston Celtics won the 1984 NBA Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers only to lose a rematch the next year. In tennis, we had John McEnroe vs. Bjorn Borg in the 1980 and ’81 Wimbledon finals and it was the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers going head-to-head in the 1977 and ’78 World Series with the Yankees coming out on top both times.
Even on the big screen, a small-time Philadelphia boxer, Rocky Balboa, took on the world heavyweight champion Apollo Creed in “Rocky” and again in “Rocky II,” when the champ goaded Rocky into a rematch.
After the rematch, when the dust settles, the loser usually congratulates the winner, and the winner gracefully talks about how tough their opponent was. Most of the time, they shake hands. Sometimes, they hug. It's good sportsmanship.
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When Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in the 2020 election, Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. Trump called the election rigged. Three years later, Trump was indicted by a federal grand jury on four counts related to his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
Now, four years later, we will have Biden vs. Trump II in the rematch no one wanted. When we go to vote next Tuesday (April 2), there will be several names on the presidential preference primary, but nothing the happens in Wisconsin election can alter that reality.
I don't want to see the rematch mainly because of Trump's involvement in the Capitol insurrection on January 6, 2021. The chaos and violence that day were unacceptable, and it's clear that Trump played a role in inciting his supporters. This campaign only serves as a reminder of that dark day in American history and could lead to more unrest.
Trump's return means violence like Jan. 6 is real possibility
In the Jan. 6 committee’s final report, it accused Trump of criminally engaging in a “multipart conspiracy” to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump also failed to stop his “supporters” from attacking the Capitol, the 18-month investigation concluded.
In the words of the committee’s chairman, US Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Miss., Trump “lit that fire.” Trump’s Vice President Mike Pence, whom rioters targeted on Jan. 6 because he was going to certify President Biden’s win, said recently he would not endorse Trump.
This is not surprising when you consider that Pence was forced to flee for his life as rioters chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!” outside the Capitol. Trump did nothing to stop them.
Jan. 6 was not about patriotism. It was all about a sore loser who did not want to concede power. Trump incited his supporters to march to the Capitol to overthrow the democracy that had voted him into office four years prior.
“We fight like hell. And if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore,” Trump said. With those orders, Trump supporters fought to keep him in power by occupying the Capitol and preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the Electoral College votes to formalize Biden’s victory.
After the riot, where people scaled the walls of the Capitol and broke into offices, hundreds were injured, including 174 police officers. You know, the people who Trump supporters claim to love. One D.C. Metropolitan Police officer said he was beaten so badly he thought he was going to die.
"I was struck with a taser numerous times at the base of my skull," said Officer Michael Fanone, who was pulled into the crowd of rioters and attacked. Fanone suffered a heart attack and brain injury, and when he feared for his life, he yelled, “I have kids,” just to stop the attack.
Last week, Trump said if elected president again, his first act would be to “free the January 6 hostages.”
If he loses, could we see a repeat? Let's look at what he said recently while on the campaign trail in Ohio. “If I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s going to be the least of it. It’s going to be a bloodbath for the country,” he warned while talking about the impact of offshoring on the country’s auto industry and his plans to increase tariffs on foreign-made cars.
I’m unsure if this was Trump’s intended choice of words or a Freudian slip. Either way, it’s easy to see how this can be perceived as a threat.
Haley's right. Both Biden and Trump should have stepped aside.
This is an election where I don’t expect many people who are “undecided.” Biden and Trump are opposites.
The only thing they have in common is that they are white and old. While I respect my elders, I don’t want someone in their 80s working harder than they ever have worked before in their lives. Working hard is the definition of the Commander-in-Chief.
The president is responsible for the safety and security of the United States and its citizens, which requires a certain level of vitality and sharpness. I agree with former GOP hopeful Nikki Haley, who said politicians 75 or older must step aside and let the younger generation take over.
For the record, Biden is 81, and Trump is 77. A new ABC News/Ipsos poll showed that 59% of Americans believe both are too old for another term.
When will reckless driving end? Her daughter was nearly killed crossing the street.
Aside from their age, the latest Marquette University Law School Poll, released in February, shows that while the two are in a relative tie in Wisconsin at 49% each, both have fatal weaknesses. The poll showed:
One in five voters have a negative view of both Biden and Trump.
Biden has the highest presidential “disapproval” rating ever recorded.
Biden trailed Trump on the economy and immigration.
About 49% of voters say the phrase “has behaved corruptly” describes Trump “very well.”
In Trump’s party, one in five voters view him unfavorably when matched against Biden.
The most telling thing about the poll was how much people wanted to see this rematch. When state voters were asked how enthusiastic they were about voting in the fall election, only 49% said they were “very enthusiastic.” This is much lower than the 70% enthusiastic in 2020.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a big-time promoter like Don King or Floyd Mayweather to sell this rematch. There is no fancy name either like “Fight of the Century” or “Thrilla in Manila”
Wait, I just created one. Biden and Trump will meet in the “Battle of the Ages.”
It’s catchy, but it still doesn’t do much for me. We still have eight months of endless political commercials, snippy soundbites, a Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, and a Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Bottom line, while this rematch will have a clear winner, the audience will be left feeling it wasn’t worth it.
Reach James E. Causey at jcausey@jrn.com; follow him on X@jecausey.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin spring election ballot includes presidential candidates
