No. He really did. George Stephanopoulos nailed his one-on-one sit down with President Joe Biden. Unlike the usual fare of softball questions, you expect from the media whenever they sit down with a Democrat in the White House, these were some hard questions.
There was no room here for things like, "So, Mr. Obama, are you thinking the Knicks might win that game tonight?" or, "So tell me Joe. You're at Baskin Robbins. Are you having butternut crunch or mint chocolate chip?"
This one will be one for the history books when historians of the future look back on this very unique political landscape we've been living in for going on eight years.
In the days of old, the excuse posed by the White House, that he simply traveled too much before the debate and was tired, would have been easily accepted. Nothing to see here, folks. The president has just worn himself thin working hard for America's best interests.
But Stephanopoulos didn't let Biden pull that punch. "You did have a tough month," he allowed. "But you came home from Europe 11 or 12 days before the debate, spent six days in Camp David. Why wasn't that enough rest time? Enough recovery time?"
"I was sick," Biden chimed back. "I just had a really bad cold."
While I think Stephanopoulos maybe should have pursued that a bit further—we've all been sick and have had bad colds, but we could still mostly function—I'll give him a pass. There's limited time in these interviews, and there were tougher questions to come.
And much more important things to weigh in on and have the president respond to.
Biden tried to point to Trump to help explain his bad debate performance. He talked about all the lies Trump was allegedly telling and went on to say that it was a distraction. And again, normally the media may have given a pass and shook their head yes and said, "Yeah. Sure. I can see how that could be a bit jarring. How do you respond to such lies in two minutes?"
"But," Stephanopoulos responded, "It seemed like you were having trouble from the first question in, even before he spoke."
Slam dunk!
Time to put the onus on you, Mr. President. We all saw how Trump performed. We can agree or disagree about the lies you said he told. Fine and good. But what about you? We're talking about you and how badly you performed, and there's a much bigger question here that the American people have, and it's not the question about whether or not Trump told the truth. It's about why you couldn't answer the questions and gather your thoughts.
The American people want to know about Joe Biden. Is he fit to lead? Can he endure another four years? Is he in mental decline as so many people suspect he is? Can he be the president?
In other words, Mr. President, this interview is giving you an opportunity to try to reassure the American people that you can do the job you're asking to be rehired to do. It's not about Trump anymore, Mr. President. He's not the bigger worry.
You are, and you have to give it to us straight with no fluff. No smoke and mirrors. No deflections. Just the facts, plain and simple.
One glaringly good question from Stephanopoulos came when he asked if Biden had ever undergone a cognitive test and whether or not he would be willing to take one. An important question considering the suspicions of mental decline, the continued assertions there aren't any, and the fact that so many Americans are questioning that.
Why not just take the test and let the American people know the results, and then go on to make whatever judgement they want to about what's behind the lapses and mumbles and slurred speech, or whatever other signs might be pointing to something not being right about the president?
The fact that Joe Biden essentially said no, he would not do a test is very telling. "Look, I have a cognitive test every single day," Joe Biden said. While Stephanopoulos didn't fully take on that answer with something like, "Well, and in the eyes of the American people you are failing that cognitive test every single day," he didn't give it a complete pass either.
"And you have been doing that and the American people have been watching, yet their concern about your age and your health are growing," Stephanopoulos pointed out. In other words, you keep telling us you're good and we should just take your word for it. But people aren't convinced.
"That's why I'm asking. To reassure them. Would you be willing to have the independent evaluation?"
Biden went on to insist he won't take the test and that they (the American people) will make their decision.
Stephanopoulos did suggest that perhaps the American people have already made that decision. Trump is winning in all the polls and handily. And Biden's approval ratings remain abysmally low. "Mr. President, I've never seen a president with a 36% approval rating get reelected."
Biden simply denies the polls are true.
All said, the interview was a knock-down one with question after poignant question lobbed at the president. A no holds barred event chock full of what I think are very revealing answers to questions so many Americans have about Biden's fitness to lead, and most importantly where his thoughts are regarding what's in the best interests of the American people.
Stephanopoulos even called Biden out on his claims that Trump is in the race just for himself and couldn't care less about the people. Without saying it directly, when there are so many questions about Biden's health and well-being, his ability to beat Trump, and the list of people on his own side asking him politely to step down for the good of America and for the good of the party, isn't he doing the same thing? Putting his interests before the party and before America's interests?
He allowed Biden to sidestep the answer to that, and simply closed the interview. It was enough that everything that needed to be said, and that the American people needed to hear was heard.
The bottom line is that the interview did nothing, really, to reassure anyone. It left nothing different to decide than what had already been decided following Biden's debate performance. I am going to give Stephanopoulos great compliment for an interview very well done.
If I say so myself, it's as good and honest of an interview I think I may have ever seen conducted with a sitting president. The mere fact alone that the media is allowing such honesty, with so much at stake for the future of America supposedly on the line, should be enough to make the choice for the American people in November glaringly clear.
In an odd twist of fate, as the media has in the past sort of declared itself as the mechanism through which America decides things according to their influence, it seems now they're pointing Americans in a direction I thought I might never see in my lifetime.
Vote for the other guy. Vote for Trump. We don't think Biden can do this.
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© 2024 Jim Bauer
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