Joe Biden: The President Who Wanted to Stay Too Much

On the morning after the presidential election in November last year, an angry Joe Biden grumbles that he would have beaten Donald Trump. Despite dramatic polls, a painful exit as a candidate after an embarrassing debate and his visible physical and mental decline, the 81-year-old president, who was announced on Sunday to have an aggressive form of prostate cancer, remains convinced of himself. The loss of Kamala Harris is everyone's fault, except his. Racism and sexism in society have made his intended successor vulnerable. But the real culprits, Biden complains, are the media and especially prominent party members (Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama) who forced him to resign.

The rest of the Democratic Party, on that hungover morning, draws the conclusion that it was Biden himself. His stubbornness to continue despite his decline has caused them to lose to the man who now has a second chance to destroy democracy and the rule of law.

The book Original Sin , by journalists Jake Tapper (CNN) and Alex Thompson (Axios), reconstructs in detail how bad Biden was in his condition, based on two hundred – mainly anonymous – sources. But the book goes further than an autopsy and does not place the blame solely on him.

Joe Biden: The President Who Wanted to Stay Too Much

Biden’s family and his inner circle – nicknamed “the Politburo” – have for far too long pretended that the president is doing just fine. Anyone who thinks they see anything different is silenced by them . The rest of the party is taking it in stride, walking into the electoral abyss with their hands over their eyes and fingers in their ears. Journalists, including Tapper himself, have downplayed the signs of decline that did emerge.

The book is therefore more than just another settling of scores with Biden. It confronts the entire Democratic cadre with the failure of 2024 and forces many prominent figures, especially those with ambitions for the 2028 presidential elections, to look back and defend themselves for their poor judgment of Biden's competence. Some have sworn in the American media in recent days that they discouraged Biden from running again. Others maintain that they were not involved enough with the White House to have had a good picture of it.

Hindsight wisdom

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro says he was “very candid” with the president during the campaign “about what I saw as his shortcomings.” Biden’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says that “in hindsight,” it would have been better if Biden had never sought re-election.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear says that “getting out earlier would have given any new candidate more time” to mount a strong campaign. According to Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy, there is “ no question ” that Biden was experiencing cognitive decline. “The debate is whether that compromised his ability to function as head of government.” These politicians believe it is essential that the Democratic Party learn from the mistakes of 2024 and not repeat them. Despite the unpopularity of Trump and his policies, the opposition party is at a historic low in the polls.

With the benefit of hindsight, it would have been better if Biden had never tried to get re-elected Illinois Governor JB Pritzker says he never noticed anything wrong with Biden. He is one of the few who says Biden should have stayed in the race, because dropping out in July of last year was too late . Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she saw too little of Biden to have a good picture. The new book "does make me question a lot of things that I thought I knew for the past year and a half."

Other Democrats find it a pointless debate at a time when all oxygen should go to fighting Donald Trump. Notable absentee from the whole exercise: Kamala Harris.

Wheelchair required

The descriptions in Original Sin, which have so far only been published in a pre-publication and in the media involved , are disastrous for Biden. The journalists describe how he does not recognize George Clooney on the night the actor organizes a major fundraiser for him. Biden reminds a fellow party member of his father, just before the man died of Parkinson's disease. Biden's staff discusses how the president may need a wheelchair to get around safely, but that he absolutely should not be seen in one for his re-election.

Trump is happy to join in the hacking at Biden. On Friday, book author Thompson got his hands on audio recordings of Biden's muddled interrogation in October 2023 with the special prosecutor investigating the withholding of state secret documents. Trump has lashed out at Biden an average of six times a day in the first 100 days of his presidency .

Biden himself is still grumbling. In anticipation of the book’s publication, he gave two unsensational interviews earlier this month, on the BBC and ABC , to defend his legacy and choices.

And to show that he’s not dead yet.

He brings his wife Jill to the ABC talk show. Just as she did during his decline in office, she defends him more fervently than he does. “The people who wrote those books weren’t in the White House with us. They didn’t see how hard Joe worked every day.”

It will take more than a certificate of hard work to salvage anything of Biden’s political legacy.

Questa mattina mi sono alzato
o bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
questa mattina mi sono alzato
e ho trovato l'invasor.

This morning I woke up
oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao
this morning I woke up
and I found the invader.

Rufus Wainwright
# interview


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# Amsterdam Prinsengracht
Concert on Water


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Tonite Let's All Make Love In London - Interstellar Mix


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