I regret to inform you that the national press has no idea how to cover Joe Biden following his announcement that he is staying in the 2024 presidential race. In one of the most insulting, ridiculous headlines to ever be produced, a sympathetic yet conflicted Associated Press decided to put out this all-timer of a headline.
READ: Joe Biden Gives Definitive Answer on His Future, and Democrats Are Going to Need a Stiff Drink
This is an actual headline from the Associated Press. What a time to be alive. pic.twitter.com/rKWTykp9lU
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) July 4, 2024
Think about the process that occurred for that to go to print. Five different reporters wrote that story (we’ll get to the content in a moment). It was later sent up the food chain and gone over by an editor. That insanely laughable headline was then put on top of it. Yet, at no point before hitting publish did anyone in the chain pause and say, “You know, maybe this isn’t such a great idea.”
The responses were deservedly not kind.
I didn’t think the media could possibly top this moment but I stand corrected. https://t.co/jwR0cW2OyK pic.twitter.com/ChgLRYQfrD
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 4, 2024
AP in 2024: accurate and fair but sometimes partisan and shoddy.
— Charles West (@CharlemagneWest) July 4, 2024
5 Bylines trying to tell you what you saw was “sharp and focused” pic.twitter.com/Tdw5kPdLJU
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 4, 2024
So what do five bylines get you in the mainstream press these days? It gets you convoluted nonsense like the following.
He is often sharp and focused. But he also has moments, particularly later in the evening, when his thoughts seem jumbled and he trails off mid-sentence or seems confused. Sometimes he doesn’t grasp the finer points of policy details. He occasionally forgets people’s names, stares blankly and moves slowly around the room.
Biden’s occasional struggles with focus may not be unusual for someone his age. But at 81 years old and seeking another four years in the White House, the moments when he’s off his game have taken on a fresh resonance following his disastrous debate performance against Republican Donald Trump. The president appeared pale, gave nonsensical answers, stared blankly and lost his train of thought.
Notice the descriptors used. Biden is supposedly “often sharp and focused,” but his struggles are only “occasional.” Those two lines alone warrant throwing the entire article in the trash. The president has not had a public appearance in at least three years where he’s been on the ball mentally. The only time he’s “sharp and focused” is supposedly behind closed doors, which is very convenient for a White House desperately looking to control the narrative.
Of course, even that (clearly false) talking point has been dunked post-debate, with numerous leaks from aides and even world leaders exposing Biden’s senility in meetings. The president’s struggles aren’t occasional, as described. They are seemingly constant based on all available evidence.
ALSO SEE: It’s Time for the Press to Apologize to Robert Hur
So what’s the AP’s game? Again, they simply have no idea how to react right now. Some of the lines in the article are pretty brutal regarding Biden’s condition. Yet, the reporters try to cover that up with qualifications that point to him otherwise being fine. It’s a dog that won’t hunt.
The problem is that the media is filled with partisans who do not want Donald Trump to win. That’s left them with a conundrum. Do they go full-bore to try to push Biden aside for Kamala Harris, a risky strategy in its own right? Or do they fully circle the wagons and go back to being White House lap dogs? We are in a gray zone at this moment where they are still trying to figure out the answer to that.
Rest assured, though, they will arrive at whatever they think will help the Democratic Party. My past prediction still stands. We’ll be back to articles about “cheap fakes” by next week. They simply can’t abandon Biden because he’s not going to step aside.
