Democrats: Don't "Defend," Go On Offense

 By Robert McElvaine

“I am vacillating between ‘October surprise in February’ and ‘Dark Brandon fighting back opportunity,’” a friend wrote, asking me to write about how I see the gratuitous and wholly erroneous assessment of Joe Biden’s mind that Robert Hur put in his report.

It is both, but we definitely need to make it a defiant “Dark Brandon fighting back.” 

“The White House is defending President Biden after the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report,” Alicia Menendez began a segment on MSNBC Saturday morning.

“‘A nightmare’: Special counsel’s assessment of Biden’s mental fitness triggers Democratic panic” – NBC News

“‘This is the worst day of Joe Biden’s presidency, Democrats admit.” – The Telegraph

“Democrats need to face the unavoidable truth about Biden.” – Edward Luce in the Financial Times

Hell, no! Americans, any remaining patriots in the No-Longer-Republican Party, and, most particularly, the media, need to face the unavoidable truth about Trump.

I mean, seriously – the media go into a five-alarm feeding frenzy over a Trump appointee saying that President Biden is “a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory”? WTAF?

That charge reinforces the rightwing narrative that has gained much force from pieced-together snippets of the President misspeaking or seemingly being “out of it.” Anyone who bothers to watch extended portions of his speeches would realize that that narrative is wrong.

Why do “journalists” run with this story when they could instead talk with people around President Biden regularly who will put the lie to charge?

On the other side, hardly a day goes by when Donald Trump doesn’t display that his mind, which plainly was never very good, has deteriorated greatly.

The media’s attitude seems to be: Well, you know, that’s not news. Everybody already knows that, so why bring it up all the time? Trump’s derangement, lies, feebleness … ? That’s all “Dog Bites Man”—it’s not new, and it’s not news.

Because the future of democracy, America, and the world is at stake, that’s why.

Here are a few salient facts:

Joe Biden has been known by media people throughout his career to be a “gaffe machine.” There’s nothing new about that. It is not a sign of his age.

The interview Hur conducted and chose to report on to the public took place immediately after the October Black Sabbath Hamas atrocities when Biden was working virtually around the clock.

Biden sometimes doesn’t remember names! Oh, my God! Uh … who doesn’t have this problem? Yes, it can get worse with age, but it is in no sense reflective of overall mental ability. And … how’s Trump on that one?

President Biden has consistently shown himself to be on top of things and handling the presidency more than competently, which was absolutely not the case with Trump.

Donald Trump was the worst president in American history, and while there had before him been considerable competition for that distinction, now no one else is even close.

Joe Biden has been the best president since FDR. Seriously. Look at his accomplishments.

Get a grip. The only thing Democrats and the media should be talking about every day between today and election day is this obvious contrast:

Democrats absolutely should not be “admitting,” “defending,” “panicking.” We have to be on offense every day. The survival of the American Experiment in government by the people in a diverse society hangs in the balance.

FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT DOOCY: “The special counsel said in his report that one of the reasons you were not charged is because, in his description, you are a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

BIDEN: “I’m well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been president; I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation.” 

FOX NEWS CORRESPONDENT DOOCY: “How bad is your memory, and can you continue as President?”

BIDEN: “My memory is so bad I let you speak!” 

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