Biden’s mental state appears to vacillate between confusion and belligerence. His mental faculties are front and center. The status of the Presidential debates is now in question. Why would any presidential candidate duck free air time unless he had something to hide?
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This week in a bizarre and rambling interview Biden put the issue on display. The former Vice President balked at the idea of taking a cognitive test. He reveals that he has not taken one. This comes following charges against his mental acuity from the President and his surrogates.
Performance matters
Biden said during a panel interview hosted by the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists, “No, I haven’t taken a test… Come on, man… That’s like saying you, before you got on this program, you take a test where you’re taking cocaine or not. What do you think? Huh? Are you a junkie?”
The Biden response was quite different than the first time the former VP was asked about the issue. At a news conference in June Fox News’ Doug McKelway asked if he had undergone testing for his mental acuity. Then the Biden response was that he’s “been tested and I’m constantly tested.” So was he lying then or is he lying now? Or maybe he really is confused and does not know the answer. Regardless, what the truth is matters.
The good news for Uncle Joe is that there is only one cognitive test that he needs to take. That is a debate against Donald Trump. Does Biden want to put an end to the speculation about his mental fitness for the job? Maybe he doesn’t. Maybe that’s why he and his handlers are staying in the basement. But, Biden needs to debate Trump.
Leadership = courage, competence, and commitment
He should stand on a stage with President Trump and debate. He should be presidential and go toe-to-toe with the Commander-in-Chief. Biden should accept the responsibility of facing the nation. Is he competent to articulate his positions on the issues of America today? We should not allow Joe Biden to hide in his basement forever.
Uncle Joe must prove to the American people that he is up to the task. It is clear that the media are not requiring him to answer any difficult questions. The media do not hold Biden accountable for his missteps, mistakes, and misremembering. Even Hillary was occasionally asked tough questions. So far Uncle Joe is getting nothing but softballs … which he muffs half the time.
The Biden campaign does not want a debate… for a reason. It is apparent it is the last thing they want. Biden supporters can continue to count on the media to treat Joe with kid gloves only. His supporters know a series of debates with the President will see Trump rip Biden limb from limb. Biden needs to debate Trump to diffuse this perception.
Supporters Want Biden to sty in the basement
High profile Biden supporters, Joe Lockhart, Bill Kristol, and Thomas Friedman advocate skipping the debates altogether. The Trump campaign recognizes the political catch-22 Biden is in. He needs to debate to demonstrate capacity. But his handlers know it will end in utter humiliation.
This week the Trump campaign is urging the addition of a fourth debate in early September. President Trump’s re-election campaign is formally asking for a fourth debate. They want the showdown early next month so it will be information available to voters before states begin sending out absentee ballots. It is a commonsense move the campaigns should agree on. Clearly that would be what is best for voters.
So far Biden is resisting the efforts to add an additional debate. They do not even offer a compromise of the same number of debates with the first occurring earlier. They are stalling while attempting to assure voters and the media Biden will actually show up for the three scheduled debates.
Who knows if Biden’s team will actually roll the dice and let him on stage with President Trump? But, under no circumstances should anyone be considered for the presidency if they are unwilling to go face off with their opponent. The buck stops at the president’s desk. Biden needs to debate Trump and do it before the voting starts.
