The Chattering Class

 

      Many in the chattering class are obsessing over President Biden and questions about his fitness for office.  At the White House Press Secretary’s briefing yesterday, Karine Jean-Pierre fielded an hour of questions such as, “Does the President need a nap every day?”  “Why hasn’t he released ALL of his medical records?”  “Why has it taken him SOOO long to speak to Congressional leaders, hold a press conference, or waited so long to participate in an unscripted interview?”

      Dissatisfied with the administration’s answers, the chattering class and democratic members of Congress are increasingly calling for Biden to step down so that … what?  They are not very clear on the “what”.  Meanwhile, they forget that President Biden has already been “out there” during a very successful Presidency.  They forget that his legislative accomplishments could not have come about without significant public and private engagement by the President of Congress, American power-brokers, foreign leaders, and the American people.  Engagement that the chattering class now complains is missing.  Biden has already proven he can do all the things the chattering class now say he cannot.

According to David Rothkopf, writing in The Daily Beast, “Is it fair to judge a man of demonstrated strengths and massive achievements by a few off moments that all people who are aging encounter? Perhaps not. But it is a political reality with which Joe Biden, the White House, the Democratic Party and the country are desperately and appropriately grappling right now.”  Why, however, are we grappling with it when the preponderance of evidence should lead us to a different conclusion?

Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s take on the Supreme Court’s immunity decision, claiming complete vindication and demanding that all criminal cases against him be dismissed, gets only passing mention.  He increasingly uses the Supreme Court’s decision to justify his authoritarian and lawless plans should he be reelected.  His speech is increasingly incoherent giving rise to consistently questionable behavior.  Yet, more and more, Trump’s unfitness receives scant coverage because, “Trump is unfit but we have seen it all before.”  Why, however, are we failing to grapple with it when the preponderance of evidence should lead us to a different conclusion?

The best way to evaluate Trump’s fitness is to evaluate him in light of his opponent; a man of character, skill, and accomplishment.  Replacing President Biden with a younger, physically fitter Democratic candidate will not help us gain any better insight into the threat posed by a second Trump Presidency.