Another White House Cover Up
Polls show that Americans believe Biden is too old for the presidency, and that’s a big problem for the White House. There’s no pandemic forcing social distancing and basement campaigning in this election, so the White House has to figure out how to control the public’s perception of Biden’s physical and cognitive decline… at least until after the election, which is not until November of next year.
Good luck with that.
The mainstream media is doing its best to minimize Joe Biden’s age as a concern by suggesting he’s as physically able and mentally sharp as Donald Trump. “As the oldest major party front-runners in American history — even with demanding schedules — they both remain physically capable,” the Washington Post laughably claimed. “Both candidates have recent passing reports from their physicians and partake in healthy living habits — no smoking, no drinking, no hazardous labor.” (RELATED: Biden’s Health and the Media’s Desperate Attempt to Hide the Truth)
As impossible as it will be to pretend Biden is vigorous and spritely, the White House is making every effort possible to keep the 80-year-old Biden from having any more missteps. Biden has been prone to tumbles on the stairs, and the White House is trying to prevent future incidents by using a shorter set of stairs to make it easier for Biden to board Air Force One. The original stairway has 26 steps, while the new one has 14.
“There are a series of factors that go into the logistical decision-making on this, including weather, what kind of airport we’re landing at and whether there is a formal greeting planned for the tarmac where we expect that press will want an official photo at the bottom of the tall stairs,” a White House official told Politico. “There’s not one hard and fast rule — it is a decision made on a variety of factors in a wide range of settings and circumstances.”
But another official told the outlet that switching to a shorter stairway was done to make Biden’s travel more manageable and reduce the chances of embarrassing incidents. Biden has also been seen wearing sneakers instead of dress shoes.
The age factor is arguably the president’s biggest political problem as he embarks on a reelection campaign. Biden has addressed the issue head-on, with the occasional levity on the stump and, in interviews, by emphasizing the “wisdom” gained over his years in politics. But Democrats concede that there is no great way to paper over it.
“Satchel Paige famously said about age: ‘It’s mind over matter — if you don’t mind, it don’t matter.’ But this does matter to voters,” said Rick Ridder, a longtime Democratic strategist in the West with experience on several presidential campaigns. “And Biden’s physical fragility complicates his effort to convince voters that re-electing him is a vote for stability. Because it’s hard for anyone to embody stability at 80 years old.”
In other words, the White House is trying to cover up Biden’s health decline before the election.
Unfortunately for Biden, these accommodations only prove that Americans’ concerns over his age are legitimate. How can Americans be confident in a commander-in-chief who can’t wear dress shoes and needs shorter stairs to avoid embarrassing himself and torpedoing his presidential bid? While the 2024 presidential campaign has technically started, Biden has not yet begun the process of rigorous campaigning, and the closer we get to the election, the harder it will be to hide Biden’s frailties.