No excuses! President Joe Biden continued to try to save face yesterday after a poor debate performance that led many members of his party to loudly question whether the presidential ticket should be replaced.
Biden said he “fell asleep on stage” because he had “traveled around the world several times” in the two weeks leading up to the debate. “I’m not very smart,” he said at a fundraiser in McLean, Virginia. “I decided to travel around the world a few times in I don’t know how many time zones.”
Biden assured donors that this was “not an excuse, but an explanation.” Meanwhile, his press secretary kept repeating that, in fact, his poor performance was because he had a cold.
They should probably get their story straight. And, although Biden traveled to Italy, France and Los Angeles in early and mid-June, he returned to Washington, D.C., on June 16 (11 days before the debate), where he spent a full week preparing for the debate.
Biden’s jet lag lasted for an incredible 11 days. And if he is so exhausted from this type and frequency of travel, he may not be fit to serve another term in the White House given what is expected of him.
Biden has clearly declined: Voters will certainly not be surprised that the 81-year-old’s cognitive abilities are not as sharp as they were four years ago. The White House physician assured the public back in February that the president had no major health issues and that there were “no findings consistent with Parkinson’s disease.”
Without going into the obvious, things decline quickly as we age. Just because a doctor made this assessment in February, doesn’t mean it will hold true in July. Additionally, the White House has not disclosed the doctor to reporters and has remained tight-lipped about Biden’s health.
Mainstream media now Quiet The slide on Biden has finally been broken. According to the report, “People who have spent time with President Biden over the past few months or so say such missteps appear to have become more frequent, more pronounced, and even more concerning after Thursday’s debate.” New York Timesfollowed by Politico Reports about Biden’s super-protective advisers who appear to be shielding him from media interviews.
Our nation’s newspaper of record and its little Washington cousin both completely reversed their narratives last week:
The New York Times has some explaining to do. In a little over a week, a major story has taken a complete turn. pic.twitter.com/KZqHXcvAzO
— Alex Tabarrok???️ (@ATAbarrok) July 3, 2024
Two weeks ago, The Washington Post gave “Four Pinocchios” to purportedly edited videos of Biden apparently exhibiting cognitive issues, calling them a “harmful” effort that “reinforces “contrary to existing stereotypes,” citing the White House’s assertion that the films are “cheap fakes” that mislead people. pic.twitter.com/wOFbVaHe1x
— Drew Holden (@DrewHolden360) July 2, 2024
The path forward for Democrats: “Beyond the straight horse-race numbers between Biden and Donald Trump, a look at the polls — which include Democratic Senate candidates in close races in battleground states — shows that Biden’s chances are even more elusive. It’s unsettling, but it also gives us a glimpse of hope among Democrats,” Nate Silver said in New York Times. “Democrats can find a silver lining in these surveys. Voters in these polls like the Democratic congressional candidates, which is good. Actually, even better: The problem is Mr. Biden.”
Silver went on to describe that five presidential battleground states also have competitive Senate races this year: Arizona, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Democratic Senate candidates are polling better than Biden in 46 of 47 nonpartisan surveys of likely voters since March.
Silver concluded from this that the party should “hold open auditions for the nomination process” — possibly allowing Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro or Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to have a chance — of new candidates. People can announce their campaign intentions, give speeches, hold rallies, and even debate each other. Silver believes that “delegates can consider this information at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and make more informed decisions.” Of course, “the plan will require Mr. Biden to announce his intention to withdraw from the race as early as possible” — — which is hard to pin down because it requires putting his ego aside to serve his party.
There’s a tension between the Democratic Party’s standard line that “democracy is at the ballot” and Biden’s unwillingness to step aside so that a better candidate can actually emerge who can defeat Trump. If democracy does appear on the ballot, this personal sacrifice will surely be worth it. If Biden can’t bear the thought of quitting, that’s a sign he never meant anything in the first place.
New York scene: I’ve always wondered what beach vendors in the Rockaways were actually selling when they advertised “The Nutcracker.” It turns out they were illegal homemade rum drinks, but the operation to avoid trouble with the police was surprisingly complicated. Blessed are the freedom fighters!
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- Notes about round up: The newsletter will be on hiatus on July 4th and 5th so that I can fully celebrate America. I wish every one of you (even the haters) a beautiful free day filled with cold beers, delicious strawberry/blueberry themed desserts, lake/ocean/river time, illegal Zyn bags, American flag bikinis, and maybe a There was a Bruce Springsteen song or two blasting from the speakers. Yes, it’s a cliche holiday and yes, I love it.
- “Some [Federal Reserve] Officials have begun citing the labor market as a concern. Bloomberg. “Hiring has also cooled, and the unemployment rate, while still at a historically low 4%, has increased slightly in recent months.” “San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said last week that the job market is approaching an inflection point, with further easing A slowdown could lead to an increase in unemployment.”
- “I don’t think a cold, even a very bad one, could explain the level of incoherence Biden displayed on stage,” wrote intelligence agentIt’s Jonathan Chait.
- Honestly, this is a very fair question:
California is a hot, unemployed girlfriend who relies on her billionaire sugar daddy to pay for her lavish spending. What happens when she hits the wall?
My latest? https://t.co/lMEryEm6mi
— Sanjana Friedman (@metaversehell) July 2, 2024
- wolf howl, Washington post Version:
Don’t you say it every four days? pic.twitter.com/iYIVOIE0GB
— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) July 2, 2024
