One of the most difficult conversations in life is with a parent or colleague who is too old and infirm to work. Your loved one is often the last person to notice your shortcomings, whether the weakness is physical or mental, so respectful and genuine concern can be interpreted as a personal attack. there is.
This conversation is difficult enough when it’s done completely privately with friends and family. When it happens in public and involves the President of the United States, it becomes infinitely more difficult.
The overriding conclusion of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on the discovery of classified information in Joe Biden’s home is good for the president. The court found in no uncertain terms that “there is no warrant for criminal charges in this case.” The newspaper said the charges were inappropriate “even if Justice Department policy does not prohibit criminal charges against a sitting president.” The report also did the president a favor by clearly and unambiguously distinguishing between his handling of classified materials and the far more egregious misconduct in Donald Trump’s own archives case.
However, the report shows that: bad The reputation of Biden is more important than the question of guilt, which is one reason why he will not be prosecuted. The special counsel determined that Biden lacked the requisite degree of intentional criminal conduct, in part because of his fading memory. The report characterized him as a “well-meaning old man with a poor memory” and said “his abilities are declining with age.” In support of this claim, the report contains several claims, including claims that Mr. Biden could not remember dates when he was vice president or “even within a few years” of the death of his son, Beau. provided damaging details.
The report understandably angered Biden, but in a heated press conference following the report’s release, Biden confused the president of Egypt with the president of Mexico. On the gaffe alone, the gaffe was minor and not as serious as, say, Donald Trump’s recent confusion of Nikki Haley and Nancy Pelosi, but the timing was terrible. The error comes on the heels of two incidents in recent days in which Mr. Biden confused the leaders of France and Germany with his deceased predecessor, confirming the special counsel’s conclusions. Just.
Democrats may be furious that the special counsel was so candid about Biden’s memory. However, since intent and intention are essential elements of the underlying crime, Hur had Investigate Biden’s mental state and include specific details.
Witnesses are often instructed to say “I don’t remember” if they cannot recall all relevant facts completely and accurately. I’ve taken countless depositions in my career, and “I don’t remember” is one of the most common answers I’ve heard.In such a case, I think this person is not incompetent Of what I remember. But by including details of Biden’s memory loss, Hsu demonstrated that the president’s response was out of line. That doesn’t mean it was appropriate to include all the embarrassing details in the report.But including that Several Details were needed to support that legal conclusion.
Of course, none of this means that Mr. Trump is a better presidential candidate than Mr. Biden. But “better than Trump” is the lowest possible bar. Trump is a corrupt and deranged 77-year-old who is on trial for dozens of felonies in four separate criminal cases and was recently convicted of sexual abuse and defamation.
But while we know Biden is much better than Trump, we still fear he won’t be up to the challenge of governing for four more years. “Better than Trump” does not mean that he will continue to respond clearly and vigorously to serious challenges at home and abroad. “Better than Trump” doesn’t mean we can expect him to finish his second term. “Better than Trump” doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll beat him in November.
Further complicating matters for Biden, age is not an issue that will improve over time. Biden’s memory and energy will probably be better now than next year, let alone four years from now. Additionally, millions of Americans experience the challenges of aging firsthand, either by eventually failing their own minds and bodies, or by watching it happen to their friends and relatives. The same experience makes Americans immune to political spin on this issue. No amount of rhetoric, no matter how powerful, can bash Americans out of a concern as obvious and empathetic as the fact that age matters.
Biden is certainly responding. He can point to the scoreboard. Given his success in his first term, he has solid grounds for re-election. As a conservative, I definitely prefer Biden over Trump, but he was never my first choice for president. But what impressed me most was his response to the Ukraine-Israel conflict. We’ve also seen enough legislative compromise during his administration to provide a glimmer of hope that Congress will continue to function from time to time. And while the American economy is far from perfect, it is the envy of the world.
Biden’s record also includes missteps at the border. But he can tell worried Americans that the last four years are the best predictor of the next four years, and that his gaffes and stumbles pale in comparison to his accomplishments. That’s certainly true. But Biden will have to make that case himself, repeatedly and eloquently. The only real answer to accusations that he is in decline is to publicly demonstrate that he is not.
If the prospect of Biden making this claim is alarming, it means that he can make it consistently and repeatedly on the campaign trail without setting off a chain of mistakes and gaffes that complicate matters. If you’re worried you can’t, it’s time to think twice. Another course of action. Should Biden withdraw?
Not only is this proposal extremely sensitive (Biden is currently quite angry and defiant, as seen in Thursday’s press conference), but it could also cause cascading chaotic consequences for Democrats. While President Trump and the Republican Party prepare for the general election, raise money and hurl rhetorical grenades at a divided Democratic Party, the party jump-starts its primaries and fights a series of divisive state elections. They must be pulled out and then regrouped.
Democrats clearly want to avoid such an outcome. But Biden’s poll numbers are grim. Indeed, his potentially waning support and continued good economic news, combined with continued dysfunction in the Republican Party, could be enough to propel him past Trump. There is good reason to think that there is. But it is deeply concerning that Biden’s single biggest weakness is something he cannot change: his age.