While it has long been a point of contention, going all the way back to his campaign for the 2020 general election, Joe Biden’s mental frailty has become a more glaring topic of conversation. Over the past months, examples of his diminished faculties have expanded, the criticisms of this more vocal, and the press has been constrained with trying to turn this line of talk back on the Republicans. Even Democrats have begun to speculate if he needs to be replaced for 2024.
Just don’t tell this to NBC’s Peter Alexander.
Recently, the network's chief White House correspondent was giving an assessment of Biden’s prospects, and Alexander delivered a commentary that is downright baffling.
What we are discussing here is a recent visit Pete made with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports." He gave a rundown of Biden’s appearance before the United Nations General Assembly, and on the surface, there are some at least sound comments from him. The problem, however, is in Biden’s display of things, both in recent months but in particular, this past week.
There was the presser he gave with the President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Through it all, Biden appeared adrift, walking out without da Silva, leaving the stage before him, giving rambling sentences while looking ill-prepared. Even during the controlled sit-down session, you could see the president going off script, and even alluding to the fact that he was breaking the preset directions of unnamed handlers.
Biden’s mental slide is no mystery, so when Alexander suggests great things for Joe Biden at the UN, you can only come to one conclusion: The man is simply regurgitating talking points he's been fed from Biden’s team. How else is one to explain this level of stunted pontificating?
In his earnest and straightforward reporting on things, he seems genuinely sincere in his comments, yet you are struck with pondering what is at play. Is it delusional thinking? Is it obliviousness? Maybe gas lighting? Is it sheer blind allegiance at all costs and against all evidence? You really are left with that feeling as if you are observing a moment divorced entirely from your known reality. It is like walking through a zoo and encountering a species you never saw before: "The Reticulated Coiffed Journo (Partisanian oblivianus) is native to the swampland areas of D.C. and is notable for the way it moves in only one direction."
Peter Alexander is describing a man who constantly struggles with what to do at the close of a press conference, who has developed an ongoing rivalry with his teleprompter, and who is prone to meandering away from events, in an opportune manner will be primed to run the entire planet. This is someone you cannot trust with the TV remote.
At the United Nations, those in attendance, and anyone watching elsewhere, saw a display by a man that would lead to no one voting for him with confidence. He told the Assembly he wanted to work with China, because “NOWHERE is that more critical that in accelerating the climate crisis,” and then proceeded to infuriate the translators with his patented run-on, unintelligible, creative pronunciation.
Later in the week, he met with Ukraine’s President Zelensky and managed to forget the name of what has to be his favorite world leader. Then in a nighttime speech, he looked over the banquet hall and hailed the accomplishments of the Congressional Black Caucus – except he was addressing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
It is for these reasons, and more, that I will be casting my vote to see that Stacey Abrams is reelected as President of Earth.