RICHARD FERNANDEZ: The Last Election. “The critical nature of the 2024 election makes the probable lineup of rival candidates all the more curious. Can the Dems find no one but Joe Biden to stop the MAGA? The under-appreciated effect of Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy on progressives is that by locking them in a crisis mode, they lack time to evolve or renew their strategy. They go into each new battle with the same old talking points and the same geriatric leadership. Like Mahan’s ‘fleet in being,’ they comprise a threat that cannot be ignored and the Dems must send the old Mighty Hood out to meet them. The end point of all these forced moves is an extraordinarily unpalatable dilemma. The establishment nightmare is Biden loses; but perhaps an even worse dread is a situation where Biden wins.”