For the past 3 years, I’ve felt something was amiss with the Democrats and their bench strength. For a team that plays to win, no matter what, they seemed to have burned all their boats without regard to future possibilities. As I wrote in February:

It became apparent three years ago [ed: That is, 2021] that Biden would not be able to run in 2024 due to age-related issues. It was even doubtful that he would finish his one term. The not-so-funny joke is that his protective ace card in the hole was Kamala Harris, who would become the incumbent, which scared many Democrats. To win in 2020, the Democrats had to burn the ships, leaving no credible candidates on the national stage but Biden.

The party placed themselves between a rock and a hard place by going all in on Biden’s presidency, combined with ‘the first black woman’ as V.P. This meant they could not be grooming, developing, and promoting any other future candidates without appearing racist. Doing so would signal that Harris won’t have a future shot, and for Democrats and their base, that would be kryptonite.

Burning all the ships in the 2020 primaries got them a win, an action known as “eating your seed corn.” The short-term benefit comes at an enormous cost.

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Democrats knocked off some promising future candidates and, more importantly, failed to set up two or three leaders who could be groomed to run in 2024 and beyond, people who would have the gravitas to win in the future. They avoided this obligation because to do so would have required facing Jill Biden’s wrathful question: “Just what the hell are you doing?” Any grooming that began in 2021 would have affected the 2024 election cycle.

Just look at the Republican side for comparison. Whether you like all of these or not, any one of them has the power to run a strong race: DeSantis, Vivek, JD Vance, Tim Scott, Doug Burgum, Tom Cotton (there are more, you get my point), or even Tulsi Gabbard would fare better than most any Democrat candidate.

So, Democrats are left with the unctuous Gavin Newsome, whose California policies demonstrate failure...and who else? None of the usual suspects have any gravitas. Whitmer, Mayor Pete, and some obscure governors are all they have unless they get lucky and lightning strikes Hillary’s electrodes, reviving her. Or Michelle, which is where my money is, despite her denials.

In that same February essay, after observing the devil’s bargain Democrats made to get Biden in office, I nevertheless expressed my disbelief that they didn’t have some secret play ready, just in case:

But to my original point, it’s inconceivable that the real powers in the Democrat party would blunder so badly that they have no qualified candidate to face Trump or any other Republican. They’ve had three years to figure this out. Power is so ingrained that there is no excuse for showing up without a solid chance to win, through fair means or foul.

Therefore, we must conclude that there is a plan that will both present an 11th-hour bombshell to damage the Republican effort, while presenting a saving alternative from the Democrats. Someone must be pulling the strings, and those types will not give up power easily, for it is their raison d’etre.

While it seems Democrats don’t have any competent person in mind to take over because they’re stuck with Kamala, don’t discount what they’ll do to win in November, for power is the left’s only goal. The damage their politicians do to our country, our economy, our standing in the world, and the threats of external danger are secondary considerations. Their only question is: Which body can we drag across the finish line?

So, I return to my original point. Are Democrats really that incompetent, even stupid? Did they box themselves into a losing position all by themselves?

Or do they have a Hail Mary pass locked and loaded that we don’t see coming? Bird flu and the required lockdowns again, perhaps? Maybe the long shot – Biden steps aside at the convention, Harris is the candidate who selects Barack Obama as the VP, leading to a third Obama Presidency once they win and Kamala steps aside?

For once, I don’t have an answer, or even a theory, unless the real answer is that they screwed up big time and are about to pay the price. Which is difficult to believe and is not where I’d bet my money.

Lewis Dovland is a passionate observer of America’s future direction with a focus on exposing the “Big Picture” end goals of the progressive Marxist movement and how we can prevail. Email at Lewis.Dovland@gmail.com.