Joe Biden is My President. So Where is He?
Today, just as I was contemplating what became the title of this post, I came upon a video clip on CNN of President Biden. For a moment, I was encouraged to see him. After all, he has been pretty much missing in action, so to speak, since the inauguration. With the exception of still photos of him signing the plethora of executive orders (is it 45 as of today?) he has been nowhere to be found.
I got used to his absence during the Presidential campaign. He spent most of it either in his basement in Delaware or in press conferences where he “called the lid” somewhere around 9–10AM… often just moments after he had begun. Even during those Zoom type interviews from a controlled location, he often referred to notes when speaking.
I thought candidate Biden’s placing the blame on COVID for his reticence to appear in public indefensible given that his opponent, President Trump, was flying all over the country daily, speaking and interacting with tens of thousands of people. Yes, it got President Trump a case of COVID but he received treatment and returned to the campaign trail days later, fit as ever. Now granted, Joe Biden is older than Donald Trump. But they are both septuagenarians and, therefore, both at high risk for COVID. President Trump did not allow it to slow him down. To the contrary, Joe Biden allowed it to bring him to a screeching halt. Perhaps.
Maybe candidate Biden’s reticence to appear in public was motivated by something other than COVID. Maybe it was motivated by age. To be exact, physical and mental diminished capacity. I know many commentators, mostly on the political Right, claimed that to be the case. But, as with much of the media, I wanted to make up my own mind. I was willing to reassess the behavior of candidate Biden now that he is President Biden.
Most of us, with the notable exception of Donald Trump, slow down as we age. I know this not only from watching my parents age, but because I am now at that age when slowing down begins, with or without my permission. Some people slow physically but not mentally. For some the opposite is true. For still others, it is an unwelcome assault on both stamina and mental acuity. How and when it happens is unique to each of us.
Joe Biden is 78 years old. He has been in public life for over 40 years. Consequently, there is video of him spanning decades during which he aged naturally. In my opinion, A-B comparisons of him then and now…1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, and most recently 2020–2021 are…well…both sad and damning.
Candidate Biden and President Biden present the same. This is the tragedy. He is today as he was on those rare occasions when he allowed himself to be seen during the campaign. He is physically frail and unsteady. He is mentally slow, confused and, at times, lost. While he is likely on schedule for most soon to be 79-year-olds, he is just not your average Joe.
This man is President of the United States. The most powerful nation on the face of the earth. He is clearly unfit for the job description.
Two recent occurrences really brought this home to me. A spokesperson for the President said this past week that he would be pushing for passage of his $1.7T economic aid package from D.C. as opposed to how its usually done by a President. Usually, the President would be flying state to state to “sell” his package to the American people. The spokesperson said President Biden would be taking a different approach. He’ll do it from the White House.
Then, just this evening, I saw today’s CNN video clip of the President responding to mounting criticism that he is signing way too many executive orders and bypassing necessary process. He was seated at the Resolute Desk, note cards in hand. He spoke like an elderly person speaks. Slowly, haltingly, and most tellingly, from his note cards. He is unable to even give a 90-second explanation without having it written down in advance. This is because he has trouble thinking and speaking. When he must do both at the same time, he is at his most vulnerable.
Yes, Joe Biden is my President. But I know where he is. He is heading off into the sunset. Shame on the Democrats and his family members who, so hungry for power, supported him in this folly.