I know that the popular pastime for conservatives these days bounces between predicting a Trump win over the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and who the Democrats will name as the members of the new ticket. Let's be honest, the Dems aren't going without a fight. That fight is likely to take many forms, and some will likely be quasi-legal, at best.
Of course, there is always a chance that the party will try to drag Joe across the finish line in November and pair him up with a veep that the electorate finds tasty. Said choice will be enough to keep the voters on the ship, and then Biden can nobly step down after a suitable interval. The question in that scenario, aside from who the wonder-veep will be, is how they can keep Biden looking viable.
Writing for the Huffington Post, Kaivan Shroff thinks he may have the key. It is time for the Biden camp to embrace artificial intelligence to remind us of the greatness of the Commander-in-Chief despite ample evidence to the contrary.
Shroff starts with the obligatory dire warning about the hellscape that awaits the nation under Orange Man 2.0, “With Donald Trump promising to act as a dictator ‘on day one,’ it is not hyperbolic to say the future of American democracy hangs in the balance.”
Ah, yes, "muh democracy" is threatened. As a certain president would say, "C'mon, man!" Your "democracy" has been threatened since Trump won the election. Your "democracy" is threatened every time Trump stops by the pro shop to pick up a bag of tees for the back nine. The dawning of every day brings a new reason for you people to run around waving your hands over your head, screaming "Democracy!" like a serial killer is pursuing you through an abandoned tool-and-die factory.
The challenge, says Shroff, is to push substance over style and defeat the troublesome optics by changing the optics with AI. I knew AI would be trouble the minute it walked into the bar.
Shroff writes:
AI-generated content can be tailored to highlight President Biden’s accomplishments, clearly articulate his policies, and present a consistent, compelling message. In an era where visual mediums and quick, digestible content dominate public perceptions, AI offers an opportunity for more effective communication. These AI-enhanced videos could ensure that the public does not make decisions about the future of our democracy based on an inconveniently timed cough, stray stutter, or healthy but hobbled walk (Biden suffers from a ‘stiff gait’).
Shroff even goes so far as to invoke the Mark Twain quote, “A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes.” AI would allow the truth of the success of Biden's term to get a decent start at combatting the lies of the vicious, soleless right wing. And he offers a warning: if the Democrats do not achieve victory, Trump will harness the power of the algorithm to create havoc:
I have no doubt that should Trump reenter the White House, AI will be weaponized to generate MAGA propaganda. Just as the Obama White House missed an opportunity to demonstrate appropriate use of platforms like Twitter, failing to properly engage with advanced technologies will not stop their abuse and misuse by bad actors who follow.
Again, more classic Democrat projection is on display.
The issue here is that Biden's image is not the problem. Don't get me wrong; it isn't an asset, either. Biden was known for being a one-man comedy revue since his days as veep. And he has a long trail of lying and ambitious, nefarious behavior that predates his time in the Oval Office. His only true believers are the hardcore leftists (of which I admit are legion), the media, celebrities, and other assorted scions of wealth and privilege, who have not had to cope seriously with real life since before the Obama administration — if then.
The image is done for. The image is shot through with cannon fire, taking on water and listing dangerously to port. And to be honest, the media (including your humble correspondent) has wasted far too much time on Biden's mental decline, including his spoonerisms, malapropisms, and incoherence.
Let the progressives worry about the image. The image of the sad shell of a man who, at least for the present, is the standard bearer for the Democrat Party is not the problem. Conservatives should remind Americans of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the loss of energy independence, rampant inflation, civil strife, dying businesses, the loss of all credibility on the world stage, the effects of unchecked illegal immigration, the threats posed by Iran and China, the shadow of WWIII; all of which has happened under the aegis of Democrats.
Cleaning up Biden's image to make him more suitable for Disney's "Hall of Presidents" will not change history. No regular American is better off than they were four years ago. Making Biden into the presidential equivalent of Max Headroom will not change the policies of those in charge. Hell, he already sounds like Max Headroom now. Elect another Democrat, any Democrat, and the misery index will increase exponentially.
Leftists are too avaricious and self-absorbed to admit that. Republicans will be fools not to capitalize on it.
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