February 11, 2024

"Jill Biden and his other advisers come up with ways to obscure signs of senescence — from shorter news conferences to almost zero print interviews..."

"... to TV interviews mainly with fawning MSNBC anchors.... [T]he Biden crew clearly has no plan for how to deal with the president’s age except to shield him and hide him and browbeat reporters who point out that his mental state... is a genuine issue.... Cosseting and closeting Uncle Joe all the way to the end — eschewing town halls and the Super Bowl interview — are just not going to work. Going on defense, when Trump is on offense, is not going to work. Counting on Trump’s vileness to secure the win, as Hillary did, is not going to work...."

Writes Maureen Dowd, in "Mr. President, Ditch the Stealth About Health" (NYT).

So... sift through all that jaunty prose and you'll see Dowd predicting a Trump victory.

70 comments:

Skeptical Voter said...

So Mo Do falls off the Biden fan wagon. Not that I much care about Maureen Dowd and her opinions. But she is joining a crew that seems to be abandoning the Not So Good Ship SS Biden.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Let's not forget, however, that everybody was predicting a Hillary victory.

I'm just saying.

Kate said...

What does MoDo suggest Team Biden do? Her title suggests she wants them to be open and straightforward about his inability to act as POTUS.

Bold strategy, Cotton.

Readering said...

I think it's a terrible position the Dems have put themselves into. But GOP have put themselves into an equally terrible position. And GOP could have both solved their problem more easily, and that would have thereby helped Dems solve their problem. No way Biden remained in race against a putative GOP nominee 2 decades or more younger.

Old and slow said...

Biden is gone. But hopefully not until after the election.

rhhardin said...

She says that Trump is vile though.

John henry said...

"Uncle Joe"?

Really? This is what the press wants to go with?

I remember another "Uncle Joe", Last name Stalin.

Fascist/socialist and mass murderer par excellance. 20-30 million people killed.

So the Press is now saying uncle Joe Biden = Uncle Joe Stalin?

John Henry

John henry said...

A possible strategy for Brandon occurred to me last night.

1) Declare that he is not feeling well and he needs to have his head opened again (3rd time is the charm) for a good spring cleaning.

2) He turns the presidency over to Kamala under 25th amendment. Temporarily, so she is only acting president

3) he disappears for 7 months

4) In October they pump him full of drugs and turn him loose, all healed and charged up and ready to rumble.

5) In the meantime Kamala does artesanal campaigning to small, carefully curated, crowds to keep the enthusiasm level high.

Yeah, that's the ticket.

John Henry

Joe Smith said...

Even the bootlicking dem propagandist is noticing.

DOCTOR Jill should lose her medical license...

Power-mad harridan...

Breezy said...

The most transparent administration ever….

Their “hide him” strategy worked for the liberal masses, who hated Trump so much they were fine with this senescent human “running” the country, or being the face of the people running the country. This was not an okay strategy for the honest and frustrated-by-the-gaslighting people paying close attention. Then Joe decided to harass and indict Trump. That led to his document scandal, which led to someone inside their house having to admit the sad truth - that Joe is indeed infirm. There is no going back. The cat is out of the bag. The genie has left the bottle. Whether Joe is in view or out of view, the sad secret is out.

Time to get real. They deserve every bit of the backlash they had hoped to stave off. “They” being everyone who was complicit in crafting the magical mystical “vigorous” Joe Biden.

robother said...

What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward Chicago to be...aborted? I still don't see how a Democrat Convention can ignore 50 state's delegates pledged to Biden, which brings us back to every path needing Biden to voluntarily step down. Why would he do that, without assurances of pardons all around for him and his family? If Trump wins, those assurances come to naught. The only way to lock that in would seem to be abdication in favor of Kamala now.

tim maguire said...

Over at real clear politics, in addition to the polls, they show the betting lines. The people who vote with their wallets had Trump 9-10 points over Biden for months, but just in the last few days, that almost doubled to 18 pts. Another big gainer is Michelle Obama. Biden still has a big lead as the Dem nominee, but about 15 pts lower than it was a week ago.

Lloyd W. Robertson said...

Dem convention, Aug. 19 to 22, Monday to Thursday. (Didn't these things use to be on weekends?)

Monday evening: huge gala dinner in Biden's honor. He may not know exactly what is going on, but he'll get the general drift. Pile it on: hero of the Civil Rights movement (subject to checking), served his country in Vietnam or would have if the timing had been better, Gold Star father or almost, tragically lost a golden son--the kind of loss that shows what kind of person you are. Like a couple of members of Al Gore's family. Showed his toughness by fighting black street punks, but still established his lovability to millions of black voters. Earned at least a little respect from the Obamacrats, except for the way he screwed up in Ukraine. Knows how to find a couple of military academies on a map. Or used to. Er, tried to do his best for those woke kids, whoever they are.

Tuesday about noon: offer him a refreshing soft drink of his choice. Diet Coke? Then finish him off, and schedule a big funeral for about a week later. Delegates are then free to choose whatever ticket they want. Newsom/Bobby K?

n.n said...

Observable, actionable differences between one senior and another.

Mort said...

I think all journalists have to eventually make a decision to keep or stop perpetuating the lie that everything is normal with Joe. There are personal costs either way they choose. They may not be employable within the left-leaning echo chamber that is the MSM if they speak too loudly the truth we all see. On the other hand, the cost to personal integrity would be enormous if they actually see themselves as impartial truth tellers. I'd put my money on the Almighty dollar instead of integrity for most of them.

R C Belaire said...

Dowd? Victory? Now I'm worried.

Quaestor said...

...Uncle Joe...

Here's another in dire need of the Test. Uncle Joe? Has Dowd forgotten "Uncle Joe" was the official press nickname for Stalin? Or did she never know?

Interested Bystander said...

Trump’s vileness? What about a man who showered with his 12 year old daughter? Anything vile about that? How about a guy that’s been on the take from our country’s enemies for at least 20 years? Vile? Nah everybody does that right? At least in Dowd and Biden’s circles.

Dave Begley said...

Joe is out despite what Jill is doing.

The Dems can't risk a loss to Trump. Too risky. He'll quit before the convention. If not, way more looks about Joe's feeble mental condition. That's a giant bargaining chip. Death by a thousand leaks.

Joe will also get $50m deposited into Jill's and Ashley's bitcoin accounts.


As Charlie Munger said, "Bitcoin was invented for drug dealers, kidnappers and other criminals." Charlie was nearly always right.

GatorNavy said...

President Biden appears to be in good health, despite the ever increasing dementia. That said, once they buy off Jill and they will, the President will pass away peacefully in his sleep. All hail, President Kamala, supreme puppet of the Obama/Hillary faction of the deep state.
Remember, you heard it here first.

Iman said...

Funny how Party Central gives them permission and the feeding frenzy begins.

mccullough said...

Biden is too old. Trump is too old. Dowd is too old.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

So... sift through all that jaunty prose and you'll see Dowd predicting a Trump victory.

And if you read the full column you'll notice that she doesn't offer any solutions. So I guess they'll either have to embrace Biden's mushy brain or get rid of him and hope whoever they put in his place can manage to make a case for election in the next 9 months. I hear Michelle Obama is ready to go, but to me that smacks of a disaster waiting to happen. And, of course, we all know Hillary is standing out in the hall going; "Oooooh! Oooooh! Pick me! Pick me!". Too bad she's become a pariah.

BUMBLE BEE said...

SO the plot was run the ship of state aground, release the illegals, scuttle it, then blame republicans to infinity. Fundamental Transformation by the Kenyan & Co.
Let's see if it works.

Rory said...

These articles would have more impact if they happened a few at a time. They're as choreographed as an Esther Williams spectacular.

Mark said...

So Maureen has gone MAGA!

Yeah, right. When you lose Dowd, continuing the disinformation operation just doesn't work as well.

tolkein said...

What is so vile about Mr Trump? The press wasn't like this when he was a society figure (donating to Democrats and getting lauded by Jesse Jackson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5lcART6TTE?
Seriously, what is so bad about him?

typingtalker said...

The Democratic Party should have thought about this eventuality when they nominated Kamala Harris for VP. It was probably a "We'll cross that bridge if/when we get to it" decision.

Well kids, the bridge is here, and it looks a little weak.

Mike of Snoqualmie said...

The NYT is grooming the base for Bribe me! Biden's replacement. Whoever that might be. Elmo?

PM said...

No, Joe, it's gotta be Gavin.

Michael K said...

More and more the lawfare campaign against Trump is becoming obvious and his ability to withstand the pressure is making a nice contrast with Biden's senility

Michael K said...

More and more the lawfare campaign against Trump is becoming obvious and his ability to withstand the pressure is making a nice contrast with Biden's senility

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Mary Katharine Ham: 1h
"I did not predict leaning into the aging issue with an Andy-Rooney-on-quaaludes rant about how chip bags used to be fuller." 😂

n.n said...

Biden lays down in his unheated garage, Harris takes a knee for her progress, Democrats lean forward with malice aforethought, while JournoLists bray loudly. Demos-cracy is aborted at the twilight fringe.

rhhardin said...

Cicero lists no longer being obsessed with chasing after the ladies as a benefit of old age, so no Bill Clinton problem. The nubile interns are safe.

gilbar said...

Serious Question:
In the last 6 months.. What was the Longest Time that ANYONE saw resident Biden on his feet for?
How long are his "press Conferences? his "speeches" diplomatic dinners?
20min? 30? can he take Enough Adderal to last an hour?

robother said...

Where were the adults in the room when the DNC rigged the Democrat primaries to keep RFK, Jr. and any other serious challenger out? Some viable candidates whose name is on the next 47 state Democrat primary ballots would be handy about now. Oh, right, this is the 21st Century: there are no more adults allowed in any room when it comes to politics or foreign policy.

gilbar said...

John henry said...
A possible strategy for Brandon occurred to me last night.
1) Declare that he is not feeling well and he needs to have his head opened again ..
2) He turns the presidency over to Kamala under 25th amendment. Temporarily..
3) he disappears for 7 months

i'm Sticking with:
resident Biden SWEEPS the primaries, and on the 1st night of the convention.. TRAGICALLY Dies!
(probably from "covid")

Milo Minderbinder said...

Hillary is tanned, rested and ready to step in, provided of course Biden doesn't blow us all to hell before the dems' convention.

JAORE said...

The suspicious part of my mind is that the timing is set to give Democrats and the media time to pivot to Joe has GOT to go.

The "strategy" of More-Joe-More-Of-The-Time is a great way to help that along.

I also suspect the left would have preferred that to be neaor at the convention so Kamela would have zero claim to delegates.

traditionalguy said...

Just maybe 7 years of croaking out that Trump and his voters are vile might be the stupidest tactic known to man… in a free and fair election.

Trump will have a landslide vicuntil the 3:00AM fake ballots are stuffed in again.

Yancey Ward said...

Need a body double for Biden ASAP. Auditions being held at every nursing home and cemetary across the US as I write this.

readering said...

He's scheduled to give State of the Union March 7. That should be interesting.

William said...

I think Edith Wilson deserves some credit for what she pulled off. She didn't have the advantages of a complicit press, and her husband had had a massive stroke. That's not to diminish the accomplishment of Eleanor. Her husband had a lot of health problems besides polio, and he was an extremely diminished man by his third term. Still, she persevered and remained supportive, worshipful even, for all those photo ops.... Given the fact that Biden does occasionally have to make a brief public appearance and he's so blatantly addled, Jill's feats of denial are also impressive. Nonetheless, any fair minded person would have to put her in third place behind Edith and Eleanor. Jacqueline deserves an honorable mention but she's simply not in a class with these three.

Maynard said...

It's pretty obvious to all except the Demo-fellatio MSM that Biden has to step down. However, they cannot just throw Kamala to the curb or ask her to run for VP again with another candidate.

The Dems are stuck with Kamala. You know she will be the candidate when you start seeing journalists writing about how much she has grown in the past 4 years.

William said...

On the ABC evening news, they featured a brief snippet of Biden where he looked unmistakably old and frail. These news snippets usually show him in his more robust moments such as they are, but last night he looked like an absolute wreck. They did a switcheroo with that Senator from New Jersey a while back. Something might be in the works.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

tolkein said...

What is so vile about Mr Trump? The press wasn't like this when he was a society figure (donating to Democrats and getting lauded by Jesse Jackson)

He has always been considered a nouveau riche buffoon by New York society and the DC power set. That's how we got here. He was the goofball that Hillary was supposed to easily beat in 2016. His money was nice, though.

Seriously, what is so bad about him?

They can't stand the thought of him having won in 2016 and dread the prospect of him possibly winning again in 2024. They are a weak elite and another Trump victory would force them to have to admit that if only to themselves. He must be vile because the reality is unthinkable!

hombre said...

"...you'll see Dowd predicting a Trump victory."

What's she supposed to do, acknowledge that the Democrats will rig another election?

William said...

Thoughts about FDR and Trump: Many here rejoice in the way that Trump tells various media figures to bugger off, and I wouldn't hold it against him if Trump attacked Jim Acosta with a golf club I'd recommend a #9 iron or wedge so he doesn't have to shorten his swing. Still, it must be observed that it's a lot easier to govern when the press and the "deep state" are, if not on your side, at least not your resolute enemies....FDR had a lot of failures besides CHF but they were never reported, and his staff down to third tier officials and a resentful wife were absolutely loyal to him. That makes governing a lot easier.....If Trump wins, don't look for any of that. There is no detrimental fact that will be suppressed, and a lot of detrimental non-facts will also be reported in banner headlines. Some of his appointees will quit and get huge advances for their books detailing Trump's wilful blunders....I hope Trump wins, but there will be no balm in Ilium after the election.

hombre said...

"Seriously, what is so bad about [Trump]?"

He's a boorish apostate.

JaimeRoberto said...

Hide the Biden worked last time around, so why not this time? It's also Hunter's favorite game, but for different reasons.

Aggie said...

I'm coming around to the notion that Mr. Hur looked at the preponderance of the evidence on the stolen documents, weighed them against the Trump evidence, and then looked at the likely response that would come from the DOJ under the circumstances. And then, outraged, decided to craft the report to do the most indelible damage, accordingly. Looks like it's working.

Charlie said...

I can't read this.....paywall.

OH NO!

Anyway........

Leland said...

Putin did a 2-hour interview. Biden isn't up to leading us against Russia.

Rory said...

"Too bad she's become a pariah."

John Podesta was just named climate czar. Hillary's in as good as ever.

Mr Wibble said...

Blogger typingtalker said...
The Democratic Party should have thought about this eventuality when they nominated Kamala Harris for VP. It was probably a "We'll cross that bridge if/when we get to it" decision.
-----

I don't think that they expected Biden to win. He was picked because he had the least negative effect on downballot races, and Harris was picked because she was expendable- a losing presidential campaign wouldn't hurt her career because she had nowhere to go after the senate.

tcrosse said...

"Counting on Trump’s vileness to secure the win, as Hillary did, is not going to work...."

It didn't work because Hillary's vileness was equal to or greater than Trump's.

Narayanan said...

I wonder if FJB noticed shrinkflation in crotch while sniffing around?

Mr. Majestyk said...

Put me down in the camp of those who think Joe will be out of the picture come the convention, and Michelle Obama will "reluctantly" accept the party's nomination to save the country from the "threat" of another Trump term. I don't buy for a minute that she's not interested in being President. Not interested in running for President? Yes, that takes work. But she's a hard-core lefty, and they live for wielding power.

Mea Sententia said...

Dowd's jaunty prose includes concern for Biden's "crepuscular mien." I was struck by how much she loathes Trump and Republicans, how she feels Democrats are too virtuous, and how terrified she is at the prospect of another Trump presidency. Her column begins and ends with references to violence.

Josephbleau said...

“I don't buy for a minute that she's not interested in being President. Not interested in running for President? Yes, that takes work. But she's a hard-core lefty, and they live for wielding power.”

The dems feel they are on a cusp, and one more election can cement a one party nation, Michelle will get in to win the election, she can drop out and head back to the beach in 6 months and Gavin, her vp, can become Barack’s next puppet.

The Godfather said...

OK, here's the way the Dems will do it. AFTER all the Primaries, Biden "calls in sick" and Kamala is declared acting President. Shortly before the Convention, Biden resigns "for reasons of health", and Kamala becomes the "first woman-black-Asian-whatever President". The Convention then nominates Newsome for President. Because he and Kamala are both Californians, they can't run together for Pres and VP, but Newsome commits that as President he will appoint Kamala to the first open Supreme Court seat. Newsome picks some Black Woman who-cares-who for his VP.
I don't think Trump is quick enough on his feet to beat that.
Things will NOT GO WELL for the Newsome Administration (because a Democrat Congress and Senate will enact his policies). I don't know where the next Reagan will come from, but he/she will beat Newsome in 2028.

Jim at said...

I think it's a terrible position the Dems have put themselves into. But GOP have put themselves into an equally terrible position. And GOP could have both solved their problem more easily, and that would have thereby helped Dems solve their problem.

Or - and work with me here - you could've not stolen the 2020 election, Trump would be finishing his second term as a lame duck, Biden would be crapping his pants unnoticed in Delaware and both parties would have fresh candidates.

FullMoon said...

His age is not the problem. His mental acuity is the problem. Plenty of people in their '80's who are still competent and sharp.

hawkeyedjb said...

Jill Biden, oy. How does an ordinary, insecure middle-aged woman become important to the future of a great industrial and military power in the 21st century? Are there really no sentient adults paying attention to the affairs of this nation?

Bunkypotatohead said...

A Trump presidency would give Dowd four more years of material for her snarky opinion column.
She's probably secretly rooting for him, in that empty cavity in her chest where a heart should be.

Joe Smith said...

"Jill Biden, oy. How does an ordinary, insecure middle-aged woman become important to the future of a great industrial and military power in the 21st century? Are there really no sentient adults paying attention to the affairs of this nation?"

Middle-aged...is she going to live to 144?

glacial erratic said...

"He makes at least as many mistakes as Joe Biden, but because he does it with this bravado, it doesn’t seem like senility."

Citations please.

It sounds like "both-sides-ism", in an attempt to deflect from the fact that Biden is senile and Trump is not.

I suspect that, to Dowd, Trump's "mistakes" are simply statements that she disagrees with.

Tina Trent said...

FDR died in the arms of his mistress in Warm Springs, Georgia. Eleanor had tried to divorce him when she learned of the affair many years earlier, but she was convinced to stay married to him, and he promised to stop contact with Lucy Rutherfurd so he could run for President. Later, FDR grotesquely used his daughter Anna to arrange liaisons between himself and Lucy, who had ties through birth and marriage to both Theodore Roosevelt and Churchill.

It's too bad Biden is too infirm to get a mistress at this point. It would solve a lot of problems. Instead, refer to Macbeth for the next installment.

Kirk Parker said...

"John Podesta was just named climate czar."

Any politician who refers to a government position as a "czar" -- even unofficially -- and any person who accepts appointment to such an office, should be sentenced to death for treason against tbe American people.