Joe Biden is now positioned as the defender of the Obama administration’s wretched track record in office. His sole source of electoral strength among Democrats, particularly among African-Americans, is his identification with the nation’s first black president. But that connection is also turning out to have a considerable downside, as the leftward shift of the party’s activist base leaves Obama’s 8 years looking too measured for the radicals and the Democrat contenders pandering to them. Meanwhile, the stark reality of a failed presidency haunts Biden’s appeal to swing voters.

Yesterday at the Iowa State Fair, Biden was asked about the Obama administration’s China policy and he chose to boast about its big achievement being getting China to sign the Paris Climate Accord (which he at first called the “peace accord”):

Asked what the Obama-Biden Administration did in 8 years to stand up to China, first thing Biden cites is getting China to join the Paris Climate Accord.

A reminder, the Accord was non-binding agreement with no enforcement mechanisms. pic.twitter.com/dLHA60ko7M

— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) August 8, 2019

This is a pathetic joke. Not only are there no enforcement mechanisms, as Zach Parkinson notes, China was allowed to continue to increase its carbon dioxide emissions until 2030, which was called its “peak” year, after which emissions could decline. China has been energetically constructing coal-fired generation capacity in the years since signing the accord – all within the terms of its commitment.

Beto O’Rourke says we have only 10 years, with other hysterics offering other numbers for our doom either similar or even lower. This is now an unassailable "truth" among the Democrats' base, and the major engine of the party's demand for strict government control of all economic activity, the ultimate objective of statists.

Choosing this fig leaf of a meaningless accomplishment in the face of China’s aggressive policies of intellectual property theft, domestic market protectionism  and currency manipulation, not to mention its military expansionism in the South China Sea is pathetic, especially compared to President Trump’s standing up to China.

Even though he continues to lead the rest of the Democrat field in the polls, Biden is an extraordinarily weak candidate, even before we factor in the infirmities of age and his limited intellect.

Image credit: Twitter screen grab

Hat tip: Roger Luchs