Much has been made about Republican failure to stop Donald Trump’s MAGA bandwagon. What about courage on the other side of the aisle? Now that more and more information is coming out about Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline in the last year, what did Democrats know and do? Former New York Times Executive Editor More
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Photograph by Nathaniel St. Clair
Much has been made about Republican failure to stop Donald Trump’s MAGA bandwagon. What about courage on the other side of the aisle? Now that more and more information is coming out about Joe Biden’s mental and physical decline in the last year, what did Democrats know and do? Former New York Times Executive Editor Jill Abramson has criticized journalists who failed to print stories about Biden’s health – “Shame on the White House press corps for not to have pierced the veil of secrecy surrounding the president.” Shouldn’t Democrats also be criticized for not raising questions about Biden?
Being on board with a candidate and/or president assumes loyalty. One would not be a member of a team if that were not the case. But loyalty does not mean blind loyalty excluding criticism. If Democrats who were in contact with Biden saw his decline, did they not have the responsibility to tell him not to run or to go public?
As Joan Vennochi properly asked in the Boston Globe; “What did Democrats who interact regularly with Biden know, when did they know it, and why didn’t they tell the public after Biden stubbornly pursued another run for president?”
Granted that running or not running for office is a personal decision, but being President of the United States has global implications. Wouldn’t Biden’s closest advisers be worried that he was not up to another campaign or even fulfilling his first mandate let alone a second?
As decision-time approaches about whether Biden will or will not continue running, one of the most worrying aspects about Biden is how his circle of advisers has narrowed, how little criticism is coming directly to him. He is rounding up the bandwagons to protect himself in a Trumpian fashion.
If all critical advisers have been shut out, and his family is behind him, what else could convince Biden to step down? This from the transcript when asked by George Stephanopoulos in the July 5 ABC interview; “If you can be convinced that you cannot defeat Donald Trump, will you stand down?”
Biden: “It depends on– on if the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me that, I might do that.”
In the follow-up, Biden indicated that he had spoken with several Congressional leaders who, he claimed, wanted him to stay in the race. “They all said I should stay in the race– stay in the race. No one said– none of the people said I should leave.”
George Stephanopoulos: “But if they do?”
Biden: “Well, it’s, like, (LAUGH) they’re not gonna do that.”
Stephanopoulos: “You’re sure?”
Biden: “Well, Yeah, I’m sure. Look. I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, “Joe, get outta the race,” I’d get outta the race. The Lord Almighty’s not comin’ down. I mean, these hypotheticals, George, if, I mean, it’s all—
Stephanopoulos: “I agree that the Lord Almighty’s not gonna come down, but if– if– if you are told reliably from your allies, from your friends and supporters in the Democratic Party in the House and the Senate that they’re concerned you’re gonna lose the House and the Senate if you stay in, what will you do?”
Biden: “I’m not gonna answer that question. It’s not gonna happen.”
What’s “not gonna happen”? The Lord Almighty will not come down to tell him not to run? He will actually speak and listen to people who will tell him not to run?
Is this how a democracy should work? Biden is in a shell. He considers himself to be the lone savior who can keep Donald Trump from being re-elected.
We shouldn’t be here. If journalists knew about Biden’s failing health, according to Abramson, then surely Democrats knew. And what did they do? Nothing. They protected their boss in their own interests and the interests of the Party. Before the debate, no Democrat publicly claimed Biden was unfit for re-election. He won the Democratic primaries with virtually no opposition.
So if we criticize the Republican Party for not standing up to Trump, we should also criticize the Democratic Party for not standing up to Biden.
Thinking that even a diminished Biden is better than Trump is not being straightforward with the American people. Dr. Jill Biden is like Edith Wilson, who protected her husband, President Woodrow Wilson, after he suffered a massive stroke in October 1919. She kept him from public scrutiny, considering herself his “steward,” much like Jill Biden is doing with Joe Biden today.
The secrecy about Wilson’s health and the role of the First Lady is why we have the 25th Amendment, adopted in 1967. Section 4 of the Amendment says: “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”
Was there pre-debate recognition that Biden was declining? The New York Times reported on July 2:“In the weeks and months before President Biden’s politically devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta, several current and former officials and others who encountered him behind closed doors noticed that he increasingly appeared confused or listless, or would lose the thread of conversations.”
Perhaps the officials were not prepared to invoke Amendment 25 since what they saw was not as conclusive as “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” But it was certainly important enough to raise questions about Biden’s running for re-election.
So if we criticize Republicans for not forcefully trying to counter the MAGA machine, Democrats and officials who were in contact with Biden before the debate also bear responsibility. They were enablers who allowed this catastrophic situation to happen.
What did Democrats know, when did they know it, and what did they do about it? Whether Biden withdraws or not, all are viable questions to be asked to high ranking Democrats and officials.
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