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Presidential Pretzel Logic
One day, out of the blue, my father called. His voice was halting. Seriously halting. I was sure he’d had a stroke. Nope. I was with him when the Doc showed him the MRI: cancer had spread from his spine to his brain.
My father was relieved. As a Jew who’d survived the Holocaust in labor camps – starved, beaten, frozen, worked beyond exhaustion – he had one fear: that he’d lose his mind.
I get it. When we lose our mind, we lose ourself. We become a pale shadow of who we once were. At best. At worst, we become confused, angry and incapable of the tasks that we once performed with ease. And yes, a burden.
Heavy Duty
A scathing report on then-Vice President Biden’s mishandling of classified documents concluded that the President of the United States suffers from diminished mental capacity.
Including but not limited to Joe Biden’s inability to recall the dates of his tenure as VP and his son’s Beau’s death.
With more than 70 percent of the electorate saying the President is too old to serve a second term, with ongoing, increasing and increasingly obvious evidence of cognitive decline, Joe Biden has become a burden to his Party. And the country.
The President can’t remember which foreign heads of state are in power, referring instead to long-dead leaders. How are we to trust him to navigate foreign policy?
We’re talking about the Commander-in-Chief of the United States of America. The man in charge of the world’s greatest military might, including the nuclear codes.
What could possibly go wrong?
With the Best of Intentions!
“I am the most qualified person in this country to be president of the United States,” Biden snapped at his presser.
While I sympathize with those who consider Donald Trump less-than-entirely qualified for the presidency, whataboutism is no excuse for willful ignorance of the fallacy of President Biden’s proclamation.
The President’s misstatements are not “gaffes.” They reflect mental confusion and memory loss. The President’s struggle to speak coherently and forcefully isn’t simple tiredness. It’s a symptom of dementia.
Judging from his combative, cantankerous press conference (above), President Biden sincerely believes he’s up to the job of continuing his position of Commander-in-Chief for another four-year term.
Based on his own Justice Department’s assessment, he is not. In fact, you’ve got wonder how anyone can watch the above video and fail to see the President’s mental and physical decline.
Elder Abuse?
President Biden – and the electorate – have been “protected” from confronting his fragile condition by the media, his doctors, aides, political supporters and family.
It’s the most cruel and cynical exploitation imaginable, allowing those propping him up to pursue their personal and political agendas without personal accountability.
More than that, it’s a form of punishment.
At 81-years-old, Joe Biden should be taking it easy, enjoying his children and grand-children, reflecting on his legacy.
Not dealing with the economic, military and political challenges of leading the free world – even if that’s what he wants to do.
Ye Olde Presidential Protection Racket
Joe Biden is not the first President to continue to serve despite diminished capacity. President Woodrow Wilson had a stroke in October 1919, leaving him partially paralyzed with impaired cognitive function.
For the last two years of his administration, Wilson’s wife and doctor more or less ran the country.
In the wake of the Iran-Contra Scandal, President Ronald Reagan began to suffer from the Alzheimer’s disease that claimed his life.
To the point where Reagan’s aides discussed invoking the 25th amendment, removing the President from office.
In his biography, journalist Lou Cannon wrote: “The sad, shared secret of the Reagan White House was that no one in the presidential entourage had confidence in the judgment or the capacities of the president.”
Times have changed. Try as they might, the media can’t keep a lid on Biden’s struggles.
Even normally obsequious CNN was forced by events to confront the Commander-in-Chief’s mental prowess during his angry old man late-night appearance.
Should President Biden continue the sad cloistered charade of running for President, commercials highlighting his “gaffes” will obliterate his chances of a second term.
In short, there’s no way for him to win, despite the unbridled animus aimed at his opponent.
Keep the Faith
My father died at 87. He checked out with dignity, grace and a good measure of humor. My last words to Peter Farago: “thank you.” His last words to me: “Keep the faith.”
To those who support President Biden’s progressive policies, go ahead. Keep the faith. But the ends do not justify the means. Find another standard bearer. Let Joe Biden rest in peace. To not do so reflects badly on us all.
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