Why I can no longer support Biden after the CNN debate
“Papa, what’s wrong with Old Grandpa?”
‘Old Grandpa’ was how my daughter referred to my grandfather, her great-grandfather. This way we could distinguish the venerable patriarch of our family from my father, Grandpa.
He had gotten old. Once he was a bright man, a brilliant man even. He had travelled the world. Narrowly escaped death on numerous occasions, saved the lives of other people. A strongman, he bent steel with his bare hands. And on top of this, he had been an accomplished yachtsman, a man of letters and a legendary raconteur.
Until one day, he wasn’t. Until one day, Old Grandpa was just… old. And the ‘senior moments’ kept piling up and the bright, sharp look in his eyes just, dimmed. Dimmed, little by little, until one day it had disappeared.
His eyes were just like the eyes of Joe Biden — bright and blue. Clever, always, until some day they weren’t. He lost his essence, my grandfather, the very thing that made him who he was.
By the time even my six-year-old daughter started noticing something was off, he got diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. It was of the rapidly advancing kind. Within a year, he was dead.
The Joe Biden I saw at the State of the Union address? He’s dead, too. Probably has been for a while. At the CNN debate, without autocue, without a script, he was lost. Hopelessly so. It was painful to watch. Especially after months of hyping up Biden — by both the Biden team, and the Trump team who were setting up Trump for failure, explaining away a near-certain loss by claiming Biden would be “drugged up”.
For a week he practiced daily mock debates at Camp David. Joe Biden came well-prepared. And still, his voice was a mere whisper. His mouth frequently was open, and his eyes seemed confused, dazed. The White House came out with a statement, well into the disastrous debate; the President “had a cold”, they said. As if this explained the odd performance of Biden. The President made even ‘Low Energy Jeb Bush’ seem like the Energizer Bunny in comparison.
I was rooting for Biden, for months. For years, I have been defending the man both online and offline. And I still do. I still defend Biden, his administration, the things they accomplished. No, his record isn’t flawless. But he did perform, and perform admirably. His team is solid. His speech writers are top notch. His wife, Dr. Jill Biden, is a fine First Lady and a breathe of fresh air after Melania’s vapid frozen botoxed self.
The saddest photograph of debate wasn’t taken during; it was after all was said and done. Dr. Jill Biden, taking Mr. Biden by the hand and leading him off the stage. Again, I was painfully reminded of my grandfather. How my grandmother would take him by the hand, too. Her small, fragile white hand on his huge tanned sailor’s hand. In his last weeks on this earth, he was like a child at times.
And yes, he had good days. Biden has good days, too. Excellent days, even. The Biden we saw at the CNN presidential debate wasn’t having one of his good days, however. A thought crossed my mind. Several, in fact. The first thing I thought — he can never live this down or recover from this, politically. Not in a hundred new debates.
If there’s a new debate, Biden would have to bring his A-game. And it still woudn’t matter because the contrast with the CNN debate would be too big; him doing well would only lend credibility to Trump and allies’ claims of Biden being on drugs — whatever he does now, the optics aren’t on Biden’s side anymore and never will be.
And my last, and most haunting thought… what I just watched accounts to elder abuse. Because I tried to imagine my own grandfather running for office. He, too, was once a bright and intelligent man. He, too, was proud and stubborn. Surround a proud and stubborn man with an army of sycophants and put him on a stage, he’ll still think he’s the King, even when he isn’t. The Emperor may not have clothes, but he’ll strut his stuff around all the same — in his own mind, he’s still the Emperor.
A kind and loving family would protect Mr. Biden from further humiliation. Allow him to retire, with dignity, and live out his days with his loved ones. His granddaughter, Naomi, is reportedly pregnant with his first great-grandchild. His son, Hunter, is facing legal hurdles of his own. A lot is happening within the Biden Clan. Let him deal with that, in peace. Put forth a younger candidate. Someone energetic, someone sharp, someone who would whipe the floor with Trump on the next debate stage.
I have nothing whatsoever against Joe Biden. I was with him, on domestic policy, the forgiving of student debts, the reclassification of marihana, his stance on Ukraine, all infinitely better than Trump’s stances.
But I don’t think he’s the man, to carry that torch. Let the CNN debate be the end of an old man’s great and impressive political career. And select a younger, fitter replacement to carry that torch and to remind the voter that the man he’s running against is very much 78, himself.
Because it won’t be Joe Biden to remind anyone of that. And that’s okay. He’s done enough. It’s time to say our goodbyes.