On February 7, special counsel Robert K. Hur cleared President Joe Biden of any wrongdoing in his White House documents case (from his time as Vice President). In his report, right-wing troll (and non-medical non-expert) Robert “Hogwash” Hur embedded a meme-bomb, libeling Biden as “an elderly man with a poor memory.” What followed was a rancid cascade of non-story after non-story (actually, the SAME story, over and over) most above the fold, dictated from the “But Biden’s Old!” Media Fainting Couch. The stories pounded this nothing-burger into the ground like a tent—peg.
To my mind—I’ve scrutinized every presidential campaign since 1968—Biden's confident, assertive, joy-filled State of the Union speech was a total game-changer in this election. SUDDENLY...in 67 minutes...Biden flipped the narrative. Every political reporter was scrutinizing the speech, looking for stumbles and Mitch McConnell aphasia freezes. What they got was a gleeful veteran politician who was articulate, engaged and ready to rumble. Biden demolished the Republicans' main — really, their only— :”But Her Emails” talking point. Gone, never to return...unless the press simply refuses to believe their eyes.
Here’s the New York Times’ day-after story on the State of the Union:
But despite a performance that was more spirited than he often delivers, it was unlikely that one evening would quell widespread voter concerns about his age or change G.O.P. strategy. Republicans have made questioning Mr. Biden’s competency a centerpiece of their 2024 playbook.
WTF? “a performance that was more spirited than he often delivers”?? How about the truth: “A bold, confident, presidential performance that vaporized despicable, counterfeit Republican slurs.”
And then the phrase “widespread voter concerns about his age” Maybe follow with “over-reported by mainstream media outlets desperate to prop up Dementia J. Trump, who they love because he’s so “outrageous,” “provocative” and “incendiary” as he tries to turn America into a Fascist dictatorship.”
Finally, I suggest, “REPUBLICANS WILL NO LONGER BE ABLE TO CREDIBLY make questioning Mr. Biden’s competency a centerpiece of their 2024 playbook.”
So, New York Times, I want to see 31 above-the-fold stories in the next week correctly noting that what Joe Biden did was as significant as JFK’s first debate win over Nixon in 1960, and Obama’s second debate performance against Romney in 2012. It spun the campaign narrative 180 degrees. The narrative is now, “In-Command Commander-In-Chief Battles Sociopath With Dangerous Mental Illness.”
But I’m not holding my breath. The very first time Joe Biden makes the tiniest, most insignificant stumble...”Old Worries About Biden Re-Surface at Appearance, While Confident Trump Asserts the Moon Is Trying to Kill Him.”