By Berl Falbaum
With uninterrupted regularity, someone in
the media expresses concern about President Biden’s mental acuity given his
age.
Most don’t cite any examples of his cognitive decline, and those who do go to extremes to prove their point.
It seems timely to examine the charges given the upcoming election and since Biden turned 81 on November 20. Here are some examples:
—The Hill called upon Biden to take a cognitive test because polls show the public is concerned about his mental and physical condition. Could that be because The Hill and other media outlets continually write about his alleged decline?
— The Evening Standard had the following headline: “Joe Biden No Longer Mentally Well Enough to be President.” The paper cited some verbal errors, hardly supporting that ominous headline. But here is my favorite defense of its editorial decision: It wrote that Donald Trump, 77, is also guilty of talking “nonsense in public” but he does so with “vigour and energy.” You gotta love such political analysis.
—The Standard’s Columnist Matthew d’Ancona told us that in 2024 voters will have a choice between a candidate facing serious jail time and an incumbent who can barely speak sense…and [suffers from] advancing senility.
Compare that, for instance, with what Bret Stephens, The New York Times conservative columnist who agrees with the president only on the spelling of his name, wrote about Biden’s October 10th speech on the Israel-Hamas war:
“For its moral clarity, emotional force and political directness it deserves a place in any anthology of great American rhetoric.”
Not bad for a man in cognitive decline who cannot “speak sense.”
—Several media outlets published photos of Biden falling over a sandbag after finishing a speech. Tom Brady would have tripped over that sandbag as well.
—I reviewed Biden’s so-called gaffes committed over the last two years or so. Some are embarrassing and/or silly but they are hardly indicative of mental deterioration.
Of course, much is stoked and amplified by Trumpite-like politicians who keep the refrain going on social media, and distribute manipulated videos.
So, let’s take a look at the other side of the coin, i.e., what this president with “declining cognizance” has accomplished:
—In the face of Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine, with exceptional diplomatic skills, he united NATO which often has been split by special interests. No mean feat. If it were not for Biden’s financial support for Ukraine, for which he needed Congressional approval, Russia might have been victorious long ago.
—He is skillfully walking a political tightrope in the Hamas-Israeli war and was instrumental in successfully negotiating an exchange of hostages and a four-day pause in the fighting.
—He took a bone-tiring trip by plane and train to war-torn Ukraine and a similar one to the war zone in Israel.
—He held a sensitive summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping and while the issue of Taiwan was not settled, there appeared to be progress toward a better relationship.
—His legislative record has been compared to that of LBJ, who had one of the most productive in recent U.S. history. For instance, Biden managed to pass a bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill and bipartisan gun control legislation; negotiated a debt ceiling increase with minimum concessions; and signed an executive order reviving the vital but struggling microchip/semi-conductor industry.
—While a president cannot take full credit for creating jobs, under Biden’s administration 13.9 million new jobs have been added to the workforce. The national economy grew at a healthy 4.9 percent in the third quarter, much better than economists expected. Inflation has receded while policies to control it did not lead to a recession as many economists predicted. And crime/murders are down in five major cities.
—Unemployment, which stands at 3.7 percent, has not been this low, consistently, since the Vietnam War. The unemployment rate is now below four percent for the 23rd straight month.
I want to stress: one may not agree with Biden’s political agenda but policy disagreements do not translate into charges of mental deterioration or senility.
Indeed, many news stories have expressed puzzlement over the disconnect between Biden’s achievements and his dismal showing in the polls.
I don’t want to be misunderstood. I am only addressing the issue of senility. I have my differences with the president.
I believe he badly botched the withdrawal from Afghanistan, although I agreed with the decision. He also was not forthright and honest to Americans about the advice he received from the military on the withdrawal.
I am deeply concerned about the deficit which, surprising experts, doubled over the year to $2 trillion. (Given its complexity, I plan to address the overall deficit, which slipped over the $34 trillion mark two days before year-end, in a separate column.)
He also has failed to develop a comprehensive immigration policy. I understand the opposition he faces from a Republican-controlled House, but I had hoped there would be more progress on this issue.
And he has been a disappointment on the environment, approving drilling in what has been described as the country’s “largest expanse of pristine land” in Alaska and, under his watch, oil production in the U.S. is setting world records.
Finally, yes, age is a valid issue for the American public to debate. And, yes, I am concerned about Biden’s age not because he is presently suffering from cognitive deterioration, but given his age, he is more susceptible to mental decline and physical illnesses.
If Biden is presently suffering from some kind of mental degeneration, I hope that it is contagious and infects all members of Congress—Democrats and Republicans alike.
————————
Berl
Falbaum is a veteran journalist and author of 12 books.
