Sound advice from Robert McElvaine: "Call Hur’s 'Bombshell' what it is: Bullshit!" Don't miss his debunking of baseless claims surrounding Joe Biden's mental fitness with undeniable facts and accomplishments: Joe Biden tackles the challenges head-on while his predecessor's mental decline remains ignored.
Published:February 15, 2024
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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.
Yes, those are ovaries. The “pair” that Democrats need to grow are ovaries.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?”
It's official - Joe Biden is not running for re-election. Joe weighs in on his historic Oval Office address - and why it should remind all of us why we elected him in the first place. And now that the torch has been passed - what does Joe make of the enthusiasm so far? How can the Harris campaign capitalize on their momentum - and what do they need in a VP pick? Plus - what Joe's seeing in the data that should have Trump and MAGA very worried about Project 2025. And speaking of VP picks, is JD Vance ok?
Fascists want to control what we talk about and how we think about it. To save democracy, we have to weirdify what fascists desperately want to make normal.
On July 24, 2024, President Biden ended his candidacy for reelection, acknowledging it was best for America that he “pass the torch to a new generation” as “the best way to unite our nation.” But, writes Steven Beschloss, "It was much more: This was his profound articulation of what’s at stake that supersedes his personal ambition."
Rick talks to Michael Steele about the candidacy of Kamala Harris and the excitement and energy she brings to the campaign. They also touch on the lack of a “plan B” from the Trump campaign, and the need to prepare for potential election challenges from the right.
Follow Michael Steele on X at @MichaelSteele, listen to his podcast - The Michael Steele Podcast - on your favorite podcasting platform, and watch him on The Weekend on MSNBC.
Follow Rick Wilson at @TheRickWilson on X and subscribe to his Substack at therickwilson.substack.com.
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