I’m not sure why the Biden team keeps making the same mistake over and over again, seemingly thinking if they just get Joe out there more, they can convince people he’s competent. That’s a horrible strategy, as he only continues to make things worse.
For example, with his ABC interview on Friday night, he needed to allay any fears, or why do it?
Yet once again, he only dug the hole deeper, and it only made things worse. So, again, why do it?
Part of the problem was the delusion/lying that was rampant throughout the interview.
Biden even claimed that no one could get crowds out like he could, citing his supporters in Wisconsin.
ABC: “What’s your plan to turn the campaign around?”
BIDEN: “You saw it today … how many (incoherent) drew crowds like I did today?”
ABC: “I don’t think you want to play the crowd game. Donald Trump can draw BIG CROWDS!”
BIDEN: “Who’s he have!?” pic.twitter.com/GstMXRWHrJ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 6, 2024
But Biden’s crowd topped out at maybe 200, with a good deal of them being media. And he’s saying that compared to former President Donald Trump who can draw tens of thousands to an event. That was perhaps his most bizarre moment of denialism, although there was a lot going on.
He kept refusing to accept the polls that showed that Trump was ahead or that his own approval was at a dismal 36 percent.
Biden: “If Trump wins in November, I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and did the goodest job I know I could do.”
“The goodest job” 😂
pic.twitter.com/zQuGYUdI0F— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 6, 2024
“The goodest job” — is that even English?
He also had some just outright lying when he tried to put down Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) for assembling a group of senators to reach out to him to step aside. He claimed Warner tried to run for the nomination, which was untrue. But that’s Biden, when challenged, he lies. It’s not just the cognitive decline; it’s the sociopathy, too.
The reactions to the interview were not good across the board. I didn’t see anyone who thought it achieved its purpose.
Here’s Democratic operative David Axelrod, who, when talking about an early released clip of the interview, called it “disjointed” and not helpful:
Former Obama advisor @davidaxelrod on Biden’s ABC interview excerpt: “I don’t know that it’s going to relieve anyone…it seemed a little disjointed…nothing about that brief clip in the interview that would give people confidence.” pic.twitter.com/iNKX0ZgRft
— Chad Gilmartin (@ChadGilmartinCA) July 5, 2024
“It still didn’t seem like he [Joe Biden] had completely grasped what happened and why,” Axelrod said. Not exactly what you want to hear when you’re trying to assure people you’re cognitively well.
Axelrod also pounded home the point that Biden isn’t dealing with — it isn’t about what he’s done in the past, although I differ from Axelrod. I think Biden has been horrible. But the problem, as Axelrod noted, is his capability for the next four years and what shape he’s in now — and he’s not up to the job. “There’s nothing…that would give people confidence,” Axelrod said.
NBC’s Julie Tsirkin reported:
One House Democrat on President Biden’s interview tonight:“It made me sad. Completely out of touch with reality and insulated from truth.”
“I’ll be breaking my silence soon.”
He explained, “The most generous way to put it is that he doesn’t seem in command.” He also thought they were now going to put a lot more pressure on Biden to step aside.
He found Biden’s comment during the interview in which he declined to take a cognitive test disqualifying on its own.
This is also disqualifying on its own. https://t.co/va9bwZ9pif
— Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) July 6, 2024
ABC’s Jonathan Karl declared the effort a failure of its goal — to allay fears.
Jon Karl sums it up: no major gaffes or anything that would force an exit, nothing in the interview to calm DC Dems. pic.twitter.com/PldwvJ39B3
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) July 6, 2024
He noted that for some Democrats, it was raising “new concerns” because of Biden’s apparent obliviousness to how dire his situation was. He said that Biden’s response about how he would feel if Trump won was particularly alarming to Dems.
“There is nothing in this interview that is calming nerves of jittery Democrats,” he said.
As Matt Vespa at our sister site, Townhall observed, this picture of the ABC panel reacting to Biden during the interview pretty much did in his it’s just a “bad night” narrative. This said it all.
When George cut to the team…their faces. pic.twitter.com/xOB3fUTi3r
— Jay Caruso (@JayCaruso) July 6, 2024
