2024: Frail vs. Flawed

July 1, 2024

Isn’t it curious that Joe Biden was impaired during the Presidential debate on June 18, then bounced back the very next day at a rally? What did Biden ingest in the hours before the debate in the form of liquids, food, or cold remedies? Was he slipped a performance-destructive drug? Such questions are rooted in paranoia, but given that Russia is the West’s adversary it may be prudent for leaders in future to employ food tasters. So far, there isn’t a hint that “poisoning” was the cause, and Biden intends to remain in the race. But his cognitive lapse during the debate has certainly shaken America, its allies, and the world. Electorally, nothing will change. Most Democrats will ignore Biden’s halting performance just as most Trump supporters will continue to ignore that their candidate is a liar, a cheat, a convicted felon, a tax fraudster, and was a lousy President. Thus the contest will be business as usual. Voters will choose between the “frail” and the “flawed”. The race will be nasty and the outcome will be close. As Pennsylvania’s Governor Josh Shapiro pointed out the next day: “I acknowledge, he had a bad night. But that doesn’t change the fact that Donald Trump was a bad president.”