In June 1815, near the town of Waterloo, just south of Brussels, French General Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated by two armies. Considered by many to be the greatest general of his time, and perhaps of all time, because of his stunning victories against overwhelming odds, Napoleon couldn’t overcome the numbers this time. He commanded 73,000 troops, while the Duke of Wellington and Prussian Field Marshall Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher together commanded a total of 123,000 troops.
Napoleon’s loss marked the end of the Napoleonic Wars and his rule as emperor of the French Empire.
Democrat presidential contender Joe Biden is facing a similar situation.
In last week’s Democrat debates, Biden became the “invisible man,” according to Emily Larsen of the Washington Examiner. In the first three rounds, Biden dominated the conversation. In the fourth he spoke for less than nine minutes in the first 90 minutes of the debate.
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The New American reported that his online donations have fallen below those of both Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, thanks to what one Democrat political consultant called an “enthusiasm gap” between his supporters and those of his opponents.
Two days after last week’s debate, Dean Beta of Microsoft News noted “a sharp decline in support of Biden among all Americans, adding that his decline “was consistent across all age groups and genders.”
On Sunday the Wall Street Journal reported on the Biden campaign’s “distinct funding disadvantage” reflected in the amount of cash reserves his campaign held compared to his nearest rivals. As of September 30, Biden had just $9 million, compared to Sanders’ $33.7 million and Warren’s $25.7 million. In an e-mail appeal to supporters, Biden’s campaign director Elana Firsht admitted it was in difficulty: “I hate to say it, but our opponents are way ahead of us when it comes to money in the bank,” suggesting budget and staff cuts “if we don’t pick up the pace here.”
Two separate polls monitored by Real Clear Politics reveal just how the numbers have gone against the once-leading candidate. In the last month, 18 polls have been conducted, with Biden and Warren splitting the results evenly. Before that it was all Biden in every poll but one (which was a tie).
The other poll monitored by RCP is its “betting odds” poll. In every single instance, all eight of the betting websites show Warren running away from Biden in the Democrat contest by at least 29 points.
Bonaparte had stunning victories at Austerlitz and Jena–Auerstedt against overwhelming odds, but then received his comeuppance.
Biden’s presidential aspirations have seen only minor successes, such as being ahead in the polls for awhile, and in the end, history might footnote him as a three-time loser.
Image of Joe Biden: Screenshot of ABC News debate coverage
An Ivy League graduate and former investment advisor, Bob is a regular contributor to The New American, primarily on economics and politics. He can be reached at [email protected].
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