Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry, in Des Moines, Iowa, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Perhaps there is a method to the madness with Trump?

Even if one wants to believe there’s no grand strategy, no one can deny that he doesn’t know how to maximize the damage to his opponents once something is out there. Joe Biden is learning that reality, as he’s slipping hard in the Democratic primaries following the revelations about he and his son’s possible corrupt actions becoming front page news.

But it’s not just the primary where he’s stumbling. It’s among the general electorate, and that’s far more important if he somehow hangs on for the nomination.

NATIONAL POLL: Did @JoeBiden put pressure on Ukrainian officials to get them not to investigate his son?
Probably did / probably not
43% / 37% All voters

67% / 15% Republicans+leaners
21% / 60% Democrats+leaners
39% / 27% true independentshttps://t.co/E5pMemfoOt

— MonmouthPoll (@MonmouthPoll) October 2, 2019

What Democrats think is largely irrelevant here. What really matters is the numbers among independents and the spread against Biden here is massive. There’s a 12 point gap in favor of those that think Biden got the Ukrainian prosecutor fired to help his son vs. those that don’t.

What this shows is that this isn’t going away. No matter how many times Jake Tapper or some host on MSNBC insists the Biden-Ukraine matter isn’t news, the voters aren’t buying it. I say that’s a good thing. It shows a lot of people are still willing to use common sense and not be gaslit. We don’t know for sure what Biden did or didn’t do here, but we certainly have enough information to warrant an investigation.

None of this happens without Trump being willing to push the issue. When other Republicans would have backed down and cowered in the corner, Trump went over the media’s head and doubled down. Now, the story is at a point where it’s going to keep rolling on its own.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren is hanging out wherever socialists hang out and laughing at her good fortune. I suspect that’ll change once the general starts though.

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