By JOHN MAXWELL HAMILTON
One of the saddest moments of my life was the day I felt compelled to tell my father that he should give up his car and stop driving. He resisted, but only briefly. It was an example of the kind of man my father was.
And it is an example for us today when we consider the peril our republic faces with President Biden clinging to his reelection bid.
We all know the liberating feeling we had when we got our first driver’s license. The opposite feeling comes when it is time to turn it in. In my dad’s case, the problem was diminished eyesight. A resilient man, he had learned to live with many handicaps, including loss of a leg and use of an arm. He told me of a trick he successfully used at traffic intersections to compensate for his difficulty discerning red lights from green: He waited for other cars to move.
Okay, I said, how will you feel if you end up hurting someone? That was all it took. He sold his car.
Such a moment has come now to Joseph Biden. The chances of him winning in November are virtually non-existent. Yet, he continues to make statements that defy reason in order to keep the keys to the White House.
The president’s performance in his recent debate with Donald Trump was a shock to anyone with eyes and ears. His handlers have limited his unscripted interactions with journalists for precisely this reason. Yet he and his staff insist he is as intellectually vigorous as ever and trot out ludicrous excuses for why he stumbled. One of the excuses, jetlag from recent trips abroad, showed the opposite of what was intended – that is, that it takes the president 11 days to recover from travel.
He, and they, argue that he is the best person to beat Donald Trump in November. After all, they say, he is the only one who has bested Trump at the ballot box. On close inspection, however, the statement is nearly meaningless. Trump has only been in two election races, and the one he won was fluky, to say the least. His opponent, Hillary Clinton, ran a poor campaign – and still won the popular vote. Several Democrats have a better chance than Biden of beating Trump this time round.
It is sad to hear Biden claim he is intellectually up to the job at the same time he says the polls are not all that bad. As the RealClearPolitics Poll Average shows, Trump is decidedly ahead of Biden. Moreover, Biden probably needs around 52% of the popular vote to win, given how the Electoral College functions.
It might be comforting to think that there is still time to turn things around. But anyone can see that Biden is losing voters, not gaining them. The best that can be said is that the battle lines have been fixed in Trump’s favor. Biden has been lagging for months and that shows no signs of changing.
It is understandable that the president seeks supportive advice from staff as well as his wife, Jill, and his son, Hunter Biden. We all want reassurance. But we also need to seek out those who will give us a point of view that we do not want to hear.
Contrary to what Biden is claiming, the elites are not out to get him. Taking on the mantle of victimhood only makes Biden seem unhinged – and more like Trump. Polls show that nearly three-quarters of Americans think Biden is not fit to serve, mainly as a result of the impacts of aging.
The issue is not Biden’s age, per se. Donald Trump, 78, is not much younger than the president. The issue is that in recent years Biden’s acuity and physical presence have shown noticeable decline. Whatever one wants to say about Trump, he is vigorous.
One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans, who have blindly followed a leader whose attachment to the truth is tenuous.
Party leaders now face a test of their credibility.
Some Democratic lawmakers have begun to speak out, urging the president to end his campaign. But more – many more – must step up. They must do what they have said the opposition has failed to do: speak truth to power. Otherwise, an important distinction between the parties disappears along with the possibility of winning the November election.
Like my father, Biden has faced personal hardship and prevailed. That courage is a sign of greatness. I stand with those who believe Biden has many accomplishments and should be proud of his presidency.
But this moment may be his greatest test. True greatness lies in facing facts, not in wishful thinking, and in thinking of the consequences for others, not oneself.
Biden needs to turn in the keys and let the party make a credible fight for the country. That’s what my father, a hardworking American who never pitied himself, would have done. I loved him for it.
John Maxwell Hamilton is an RCP columnist, a professor at the Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University, and an award-winning author of eight books, including The French 75.
This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.
‘One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans, who have blindly followed a leader whose attachment to the truth is tenuous.’
Really? Really? Trump is more like the doctor who tells you bluntly that you need to lose 100 pounds and quit smoking or you will die soon. He makes you angry with his lack of civil manner, but you know in your heart that he is correct.
Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter wrote a song for anyone that believes either Joe Biden, or Donald Trump is fit to serve as President called “Ship of Fools”
But, like every election Americans have ever seen, we’re forced to cast a ballot for the better of the offered evils or not vote at all. That’s reality, Frank. That’s the way it has always been. If you prefer Dementia Man because the Meanie Head makes you angry, vote for the demented guy.
Anyone who wants to vote for dementia Joe Biden who wanders off, has difficulty knowing where he is, what he is doing, how to get off a stage, etc., to make the difficult, important decisions as president for the country and have the nuclear codes is crazy.
While it is past time to turn in the car keys, a larger issue looms as well. It is in contrast to this statement, “One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans, who have blindly followed a leader whose attachment to the truth is tenuous.”
Democrats (leadership, media, social media, etc) have gaslighted (intentionally lying) to the American people for the last seven years. Examples include “51 FBI agents agree Hunter’s Laptop is Russian…” Nope, it was a blatant lie. “Trump won because of Russian collusion.” Nope, blatant lie AND collusion BY DEMs. Biden is sharp and healthy.” Nope, we have known it for a long time. “Most honest and fairest election ever.” Nope. “January 6th, we almost lost America.” No, but we do have many people in prison, some who didn’t even attend!
I will concede many Republicans follow Trump like he is Jesus and put up with his exaggerations and hyperbolic blustering, but year upon year of intentional lying and deceiving? That appears to belong to one party. And when Americans who have been taught to hate Trump realize they have been gaslighted and lied to, THAT may end the Democrat rule. WHO are we BLINDLY following? When we realize it was years of lies, it appears WE were blind but not blindly following Trump. Blindly believing Biden is tops and Trump is Hitler. Neither was true despite 90% of the media telling us daily.
But we are used to being lied to and will even help the lie and gaslight others – “You are a nazi if you support Trump!” As a rule, we have been good students to our media masters. But the coming weeks/months will reveal whether learned hate for one man is greater than love for country when no viable alternative is found.
Look at the things Trump did say. Kind of sours your stomach.
Losing your ability to drive is like being shackled to the wall,can’t really go anywhere you’re stuck with whatever you can get someone else to take you to. it truly sucks!!!
Biden never really had the keys! Someone else is steering this ship😳
Biden has “many accomplishments”? In what universe?
-High inflation? Check
-Abandonment 1000s of Americans in Afghanistan? Check
-arming the Taliban to the hilt? Check
-funding Iran, whose stated goal is “death to America”? Check
-sitting silent during the worst anti semitic crisis in 50 years? Check
-crippling the energy sector? Check
-poisoning US/Saudi relations? Check
And so very much more.
The author is a moron who seems to be a mix of TRS sufferer and democratic suck up.
Once it reaches that point,its time to find a facility for them you’re not doing them a favor by stranding them without the freedom to get out and do things they’d like to do that’s the reality of being effectively grounded for the rest of your days welcome toGULAG, comrade.
Joe needs to follow the same advice son Hunter follows whilst indulging in hookers: PULL OUT!
“……….One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans……..”
That was the statement that set fire to an otherwise great commentary. When examining the current Sex Wars in American culture, which go back a full century now, the Democrats have arrived at a position that defies reality, logic, and morality. Sorry, but that butterfly won’t fly.
Unfortunately, this piece continues to support a narrative that Joseph Robinette Biden has suffered horribly and striven mightily to overcome setbacks. I respectfully disagree. My study of his early history – and I was around at about the same time – reveals multiple red flags and further suggests he has barely worked a day in his life. America suffers today because Joe Biden has been and is removed from everyday challenges, has never been told “no” or has had to satisfy a difficult boss. He has been coddled for over fifty years as a career politician. (Quite frankly, Donald Trump has a similar set of deficiencies.)
“One of the great strengths of the Democrats in recent years is that they have a much better record of dealing with reality than Republicans, who have blindly followed a leader whose attachment to the truth is tenuous.”
What planet does this man live on? The Democrats believe that men can be women, and women can be men, that preborn children are not fully human, and that man-made global warming is established fact. Oh, and that an open border is good for our country, and that the Inflation Reduction Act actually … worked. And don’t forget this Biden quote: “This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”
He needs a beanie-and-propeller to pontificate like that.
Take away everything that he can throw at you. Mean Alzheimer’s patients tend to throw stuff, anything, at people. They spit at them too, and grab at inappropriate locations of the body. From my visual interpretation, Joe is almost there. You can see it in his eye slits. A very undignified way to go out.
I agree with everything that John Maxwell Hamilton has written in this column, except for parts about Biden’s “courage…, greatness…, and contributions.” And his aside comments about Donald Trump are too predictable and gratuitous.
Anyhow, Joe Biden’s accomplishments in public (i.e. his personal) service are wholly unworthy of mention, although his failures are noteworthy. And now, well into his dotage, he must resign at once.
Wild-eyed Joe Biden looks demonic.
Careful. Don’t use the antiChrist name whatever you do.
Hunter didn’t become Hunter on his own.
Joe played the biggest role in screwing that kid over when He pimped him out for foreign cash.
There is nothing special about sacrificing your family for the love of money.
As for Ashley I could never imagine one of my children writing in her diary during a rehab stint for drugs and alcohol that she had sad memories of being accompanied by an adult while showering.
His blatant distasteful sniffing around underage children in public is proof enough of who the adult was in her shower.
He is one sick old man who has made a fool of himself all from greed and lust.
I have never seen or heard anything that resembles greatness.
Rather unlike dear old Dad, Biden has faced personal hardship and prevailed, damn near destroying an engtire country and her people in the process.
.
Whether Biden’s –courage– to corrupt, weaken, bankrupt, pervert, and disrupt nearly every part of American life, kill Americans in the name of China Flu, geld America’s military, profit from deals with communist China and Ukraine, is indeed a sign of –greatness– may best be left for history to judge, as a great number of Americans, for a great number of reasons, believe otherwise.
.
John Maxwell Hamilton did succeed in leaving us breathless with anticipation: “I stand with those who believe Biden has many accomplishments and should be proud of his presidency.”
.
John Maxwell Hamilton “stands with those” making truckloads of money from trafficking fifteen million illegal aliens into America, selling children into prostitution, forcing communities to support armies of illegal aliens?
.
“Biden has many accomplishments”. Such as?
.
Biden, and therefore every American, “should be proud of his presidency”. Because?
.
We’re waiting, John Maxwell Hamilton.
“I stand with those who believe Biden has many accomplishments and should be proud of his presidency.” Did you get that from Neil Kinnock?
Joe Biden is most certainly NOT a good or decent or honest man. In fact, he’s quite the opposite.
Biden also has not enjoyed even a moderately successful presidency. The cost of living is up more than 20 percent since he took office. Gas prices are up 50 percent. Violent crime has driven law-abiding citizens out of major American cities (all run by Democrats with liberal district attorneys) to red states like Texas, Tennessee and Florida.
The president’s disastrous border policies have allowed more than 10 million people to enter this country illegally, including hundreds on the terror watch list. Education test scores are at their lowest levels in decades. The U.S. has provided Ukraine with a virtual blank check to fight a war against Russia that is in a hopeless stalemate. The U.S. withdrawal in Afghanistan was one of the most tragic and humiliating moments in our country’s history. And China’s posture toward Taiwan has never been more aggressive.
Otherwise, wow… What a success!
But getting back to Biden’s character, does a good or decent or honest man so plagiarize his work and speeches, both in law school and as a presidential candidate, as he did in 1988?
Does a good or decent or honest man blatantly play the race card to win votes, as he did in 2020 by insisting he was arrested while on the porch with a Black couple during the civil rights era? Because that never happened.
Does a good or decent or honest man tell families in Maui, some of whom lost family members and/or their homes, that he could relate to what they were going through by saying he and his family (and Corvette) also survived a raging fire in his home that nearly killed his wife and cat? Because the fire chief at the time said the blaze was a small kitchen fire that was quickly extinguished and endangered no one.
Does a good or decent or honest man pretend his 7th grandchild doesn’t exist simply because she was the product of his crack-addicted son’s fling?
Does a good or decent or honest man warn that then-presidential candidate Mitt Romney was going to put Blacks “back in chains” if elected?
Does a good or decent or honest man use his late son as a prop over and over when talking to Gold Star families by saying his son Beau also died while on active duty in Iraq? Because Beau died of cancer years after coming home.
Joe Biden has failed upwards his entire life and has lied so many times along the way, it’s impossible to list them all without going over a 100,000-word limit. Here are just a few of the biggest whoppers with cheese.
I once drove an 18-wheeler.
No soldiers died under my watch.
I inherited 9 percent inflation.
The Inflation Reduction Act” is the strongest bill you can pass to lower inflation.
I inherited a God-awful mess at the border.
The Border Patrol endorsed me.
I taught a political theory class at Penn.
I’ve traveled 17,000 miles with Xi Jinping.
My uncle was eaten by cannibals.
I still can’t over that last one.
You get the point. Joe Biden is not, and has never been, a good, decent or honest man, despite what every panicked Democrat and many media members insist as they try to coax him into retirement. He’s been a lousy president since 2021, and a lousy guy for at least a half century.
And that’s no lie.
And the weird part about this is the dimlibby left-wing nuts still love him?
My goodness are they idiots!
If elected, you’re about to see the ole liberal Trump.