Dialing the time machine back to 1972, we find a previous presidential scandal.  Though not directly involved, Richard Nixon was the focus of blame.  A handful of operatives in Nixon's campaign and administration performed a "third-rate burglary" at the opposition's headquarters.  Several of those involved avoided using their first names.  Instead, they were G. Gordon Liddy, E. Howard Hunt, and L. Patrick Gray.

Most curious in this affair was the lack of a serious motive.  Nixon's re-election was a solid inevitability.  Not all that long after the Watergate break-in hit the news, Nixon carried 49 states, and McGovern didn't even carry his home state of South Dakota.  It seems most likely that internal polling would have been aware of this.  Once the scandal became full blown, "Don't Blame Me I'm from Massachusetts" bumper stickers started appearing — referencing the only state along with D.C. that went for McGovern.

A lasting effect of the election of 1972 is that primary elections have replaced nominating conventions as the way both parties usually select their candidates.  Ostensibly, this is supposed to be more democratic — but it has also drastically increased the hunger for campaign contributions, since there is almost twice as much campaigning to be done.  An aspect of an unintended anti-democratic effect of this transition is that the larger money sources, such as George Soros, have strengthened their grip on the process.

In Biden's case, the scandal is not especially political, but instead that of a quest for profit.  He has been caught selling influence — and often not in the best interest of the United States.  Wrapped into this burrito is the Department of Justice and other government minions, who've gone to great lengths to keep this business out of the news.  Trump's presidency exposed the myth of government being politically neutral.  "Official" conspiracies abound in order to influence public opinion — and further evidence of this keeps emerging.

As this is being written, the news is totally abuzz over judge Noreika's refusal to accept Hunter Biden's sweetheart plea deal.  Now, since Hunter's plea has been changed to not guilty, we may possibly be treated to the embarrassing spectacle of a public trial — but don't hold your breath.  More likely, the DoJ conspirators and Hunter's defense team will work out a more acceptable plea that won't gag the judge.  Mr. Trump should now expect another surprise raid on his residence — just to divert attention.  Oh, something like this has just happened, as Jack Smith of the DoJ has added another slew of meaningless charges against Mr. Trump.

Also of particular interest is Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa).  Being the longest serving Republican in the history of the U.S. Senate, he is also the one remaining Watergate senator.  And as ranking member of the Budget Committee, he is a significant player in today's political circus.

Two years after Nixon lost to Kennedy, in a close contest, he then lost to California's incumbent governor, Pat Brown (yes, Jerry's father).  Afterward, he famously announced to a fairly hostile media that "you won't have Nixon to kick around anymore."  Six years later, he was elected president.  Being no dummy, Nixon had a major impact on toning down the political anger over the Vietnam War.  He instituted the draft lottery so young men of military age would have a much clearer idea of what fate had in store for them.

On the other hand, Biden's harvesting of graft was further enhanced by his inheritance of Obama's politically weaponized Deep State.  Does the name Lois Lerner come to mind?  Trump's aberrant presidency, though it interrupted the continuum, gave the Deep State operatives a good chance to sharpen their knives. 

There is genuine fear that we are circling the drain into a totalitarian one-party dictatorship.  I tend to disagree, because ordinary people have this odd personality quirk: self-interest.  Americans, especially, are particularly protective of their standard of living.  We don't like having to step over passed-out vagrants, or step in their excrement.  We don't like having fewer choices when we go shopping.  We especially don't like being told what to eat, what to watch on TV, or what to say when we argue.

But we also don't like making enemies.  Hence the suppression of personal dissent from the prevailing dogma, also known as implied censorship.  As I wander the pathways of my neighborhood in the progressive stronghold of Oakland, California, I often converse with my neighbors.  They are much more conservative than an outsider would expect.  There are, of course, true doctrinaire lefties.  But they seem to be in, at least, a slight minority.  Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but this same story is playing out in many other venues.  Weariness of crime is front-burner; so are taxes and burdensome authority.

Back to Hunter's problems...just for fun.  The DoJ prosecutor and his co-conspirator in Hunter's defense tried to pull a fast one on the judge, thinking she was as stupid as other judges they had previously fooled.  They guessed wrong.  She busted them, and now the corruptocrats are scrambling.  This has further added to the "Deep State as enemy of the people" meme — as well it should.

Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.