Joe, it's time to bow out

As if Biden's stumbling, fumbling, mumbling debate performance wasn't bad enough to doom his reelection chances, last night's "redemption" interview with ABC's George Stephanopolous should be the end of his presidential campaign.

Biden's interview--just another "bad night?"

This was an interview for which Biden should have been prepared, focused, and convincing. 

But he wasn't.

Instead, Biden rambled. He deflected when asked questions about his cognitive capabilities. He was disingenuous (or clueless) when talking about falling numbers in the polls or the maelstrom in Democratic circles resulting from his alarming debate earlier in the week. And when asked if he had since watched the debate (which he optimistically termed  simply "a bad night"), Biden inexplicably claimed, "I don't think so."

I don't think so? How would he not know if he watched it or not?

But perhaps the biggest drop of all: Biden said he wouldn't take a cognitive exam.

"I have a cognitive test every single day."

No, you don't, Joe.

And this would be THE easiest thing to do to bring your campaign back, putting all the questions and concerns to rest. Just take an evaluative test.

But he won't do it.

Because, I think--and I'm guessing as does every other American think likewise (including Jill Biden)--he isn't sure he would pass one.

And that's sad.

But it happens. And when it gets to that point, even though a person is still capable of doing lots of things, running the world's most powerful country is no longer on that list.

So, it's time to bow out, Joe Biden. Thank you for your decades of public service, your accomplishments as President, your decency as a person.

It's time to move on.

For you, and for the country.

Here's a complete transcript of the interview from ABC News

Biden's story (and campaign) keeps crumbling

President Biden's team is in crisis/spin mode, scrambling to keep Biden's campaign alive as his poll numbers drop.

And it's not going well.

As you may have seen (or certainly heard about), Biden's debate--arguably the biggest night of his life-- was a disaster. He was wide-eyed, slack-jawed, and couldn't regularly respond to Donald Trump or the moderators with coherent, salient arguments (I wrote about it here).

"Oh, he had a cold," said the Biden campaign.

And then more excuses.

Biden attributed his horrible performance to jet lag from his G7 European trip--from which he had returned TWELVE days prior and then spent almost a week at Camp David.

His White House staff said Biden had just prepped too much.

His wife, Jill, offered that her husband "didn't feel great" for the debate.

And none of it explains anything, really.

Biden's debate performance was pitiable, to be honest--with the US President appearing as a dazed and confused elderly man. It was sad to watch (and scary, too, if one stops to consider that this man is responsible for things like the nuclear codes).

Amazingly, however, he followed his feeble debate performance the next day with a cogent and rousing speech in North Carolina. 

So, what gives?

As former House Speaker (and staunch Biden supporter) Nancy Pelosi wondered regarding Biden's tremendous debate stumble, "I think it's a legitimate question...is it an episode or is this a condition?"

Of course, the White House isn't offering any clarity on that question.

Just yesterday, the White House Press Secretary said Biden hadn't had any medical exams since his last one in February.

Now, word comes out that Biden actually did see a doctor after the debate. 

The White House explained it away by saying it was only a "brief check," not a physical.

But this lack of transparency and the ever-evolving stories coming out point to one thing as Biden's team is in crisis mode: this IS a crisis.

And should it ever come to a split-second decision--maybe regarding a nuclear launch or an insidious cyber-attack on our infrastructure or thwarting an attempted coup--who is making that decision to protect our country, a clear-headed President or the elderly man at the debate who froze like a deer in the headlights?

And if you have to even ask that question, it's clear.

Joe Biden has to step aside.

And no spin can disguise that.

Biden: Not dead yet?

Following Biden's debate debacle last night, many people (me included) determined his election chances were dead in the water.

Not so fast.

Today, in Raleigh, NC, Biden pulled a Mark Twain--he delivered an incredibly coherent and powerful speech.

Biden's NC speech today shows he's
still in this thing

Unbelievable, in fact. 

I mean, WHERE WAS THIS GUY LAST NIGHT?! 

Biden said the things he should have said in a way that would have made him the frontrunner. 

Hands down.

Unbelievable.

If he can be more like today and less like he was last night, 

Biden's campaign is not dead yet.

Here's a short clip

ADDENDUM: However, that being said, I still believe that Biden should bow out. And the sooner, the better.

So sadly, Joe, you gotta go

As last night's Presidential Debate drew to a close, one thing became abundantly clear:

Joe Biden is no longer capable of defeating Donald Trump.

Biden's debate performance
is cause for concern

There are serious discussions this morning, I'm sure, as to whether Joe Biden is even capable at all.

As convicted felon/business fraudster/sexual abuser Trump confidently spewed lie after lie (after lie), Biden looked feeble and confused as he listened, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

He appeared not unlike the actors portraying dementia patients in many of those commercials for Alzheimer's medicines. That's not hyperbole.

And when it was Biden's turn to talk, his words were sometimes unintelligible, his comments frequently changed course mid-stream, most times his answers didn't end with a clear and defined point. And he even occasionally froze as his mind stumbled for a word or a thought.

Which is amazing for a couple reasons: 1) the debate was on Biden's terms--a friendly network with rules and terms proposed by Biden's campaign, and 2) for more than a week, Biden was in isolation with a team of experts as he prepped for the debate. 

And it wasn't enough. Not even close. Which is genuinely cause for concern--both for a presidential candidate and for a man in his 80's.

This wasn't the Biden of the 2020 Presidential Debate (in which he addressed Trump's constant interruptions with "Will you shut up, man?"), nor even that of his State of the Union address in March (with the insightful and forceful proclamation about Jan. 6: "You can't love your country only when you win"). 

No, this was the performance of a man who was exactly as he appeared, feeble and confused.

It was a performance of a man who provided little reason for crucial undecided voters and Trump-haters to give him their votes. It was the performance, too, of a man who certainly didn't even engender confidence from those in his own camp--in a post-debate interview, his Vice-President Kamala Harris tellingly didn't say Biden's debate performance was an aberration.

This was a performance that, if you're a Joe Biden fan (or possibly even if you're not), was painful (and so very sad) to watch.

So, despite Biden's relatively successful tenure--navigating around a highly expected recession, garnering bipartisan Infrastructure and Semi-conductor-production bills, continuing low unemployment, increases in both manufacturing and energy independence, gains in minority wealth, meaningful legislation for US veterans, and even post-Covid US inflation that is WAY below that of the rest of the world--Joe Biden just doesn't seem capable of a second presidential term at age 82.

And that's not only sad for Joe Biden, it's sad for the country, as well.

 

A thorough and cutting take on Biden's debate performance from James Poniewozik at the New York Times here.

For 187 minutes, Trump did nothing

Just a reminder: For 187 minutes on January 6, 2021, Trump supporters pummeled police officers, and

Trump did nothing.

As Trump's supporters hunted down his Vice-President amid chants of "Hang Mike Pence!"

Trump did nothing.

While our country's elected Congressional representatives frantically hastened to take shelter from a violent, advancing mob,

Trump did nothing.

And when Trump supporters marched through the US Capitol carrying flags supporting Trump and the Confederacy--on their way to ransack Congressional offices and occupy the Senate chambers--

Trump did nothing.

Even when Trump's own staff and family implored him to stop the carnage--because they obviously believed (correctly) these were Trump supporters who would stop with his order to do so--

Trump did nothing.

Well, that's not entirely accurate.

Trump sat in the White House.

He watched it all unfold on Fox News.

He told his staff he wished not to be bothered.

He called Congressional members hiding in the Senate chambers, attempting to solicit support to delay
certification of the election results.

He created a video that told this violent mob that he agreed with them and that they were very special.

That's what Trump did during the 187 minutes that the US Capitol--our Capitol--was under siege.

That's not a leader. 

That's a selfish, cowardly, disgusting excuse for a human being.

And the GOP thinks such a piece of garbage should be President again?

Unlike Trump, you can do something.

Vote Biden.

GUILTY!

 A jury of Donald Trump's peers has found the former President of the United States GUILTY OF 34 FELONY COUNTS.

This is a jury that had been selected with Trump's attorneys through jury selection. This is a jury that faced down the fear of possible retaliation by a vengeful criminal and his rabid and misguided minions. This is a jury that listened to all the evidence and decided that Trump did, indeed, have a hand in falsifying business records in an effort to influence the 2016 election.

Not a witch hunt.

Not a political persecution.

Only accountability for criminal actions committed by Donald Trump.

It's justice.

Finally.

Hallelujah.

Unbelievable stats about Trump

Some stunning numbers from the GOP presidential frontrunner:

The GOP's not the only one pulling for a Trump victory

0 popular vote wins

1 liability for sexual assault

2 impeachments

4 indictments

91 criminal charges

187 minutes of silence while Capitol stormed

11,780 votes demanded of Georgia

130K $ in hush money to porn star

430M+ $ owed in court judgments

Wow.

I mean, just, wow.