By Guy Ciarrocchi
He lost his train of thought. He mumbled. He forgot the question. His voice was weak.
Biden lost the debate, but in the end: Who cares?
Democrats across the nation are split on whether to support Biden, give him a second chance, or abandon him like a leper. Their sycophants in the legacy media voiced the range of frightened emotions. Some voiced all three positions in the span of 48 hours.
The understudies wait in the wings, while their “agents” whisper to the legacy media and party leaders. Teams Harris, Whitmer, Newsom, and even Shapiro have been busy this past week.
None of that matters. None of it. Not the “what comes next?” Or, “who comes next?”
There are two far more important issues that come from the embarrassing, humiliating, tragic debate performance — known to all Americans, and every leader of every nation and terrorist group.
The most important issue is: Who’s running our government!?
Clearly Joe Biden isn’t. At a minimum, he’s not running it 24/7/365. Who’s setting up his meetings, writing his speeches and approving his tweets? Who’s in charge of our confusing, meandering policy towards Israel and Hamas — is that him? Who is creating our policies on the Mexican border — first open, then half-closed, then open, then — at least — kind of closed, but not really.
We are told that he’s at his “best” between 10am and 4pm and that, going forward, the staff will avoid events and meetings after 8pm.
Assuming for the sake of discussion that he actually gets to make final decisions between the hours of 10 and 4, who’s making them when the commander-in-chief is “off the clock?”
Hillary Clinton once asked America: “Who will answer the phone at 3am” to make life or death decisions? Who will answer the call from a US general, the Prime Minister of Israel or Japan or the President of Mexico or Poland — or the Border Patrol along our southern border?
In addition, have our ambassadors and generals asked the Chinese, Russians, Hamas, Iranians and North Koreans not to “misbehave” after 4pm? Or 8pm? Have we advised our allies to hold all calls and crises until after 10am the next day?
None of this is about politics. It’s about the security of our nation. The security of our men and women in uniform around the world risking their lives for us. It’s about my family — and yours.
When the call comes in at 3am — or, frankly even at 10:30am after a hearty breakfast — who’s briefing the president, choosing what he’s told and not told? And who is actually making the final decision?
We know “Dr. Jill” is omnipresent. We’re now told that Hunter is attending senior staff meetings and holding his own meetings in the West Wing.
Are they talking to Netanyahu? Putin? Xi? When General Cavoli — the Supreme Commander of NATO — calls into the White House about activity in Ukraine or near Poland, Sweden or Italy, who gives him his final orders?
This isn’t about carrying Pennsylvania or winning the Presidency, it’s about now. Who’s running the show between now and January 20, 2025?
Joe Biden doesn’t have to prove that he’s able to run for President. He has to prove to the American public, Congress, and our allies that he’s able to lead this nation as President of the United States today.
Otherwise, Vice President Harris should be elevated — God help us. It doesn’t matter if that makes it more likely that Trump loses and the Democrats recapture the House, or that the GOP will win in a landslide.
It’s about our national security. Period.
Then President Harris will have to answer the phone at 3am — and be praised or criticized for what she does and says.
That brings us to the second, lesser, but still very important point: She’s been lying to us, too. Big time.
She’s been lying. His cabinet has been lying to us. Karine Jean-Pierre — his official spokesperson — has been lying. Democratic members of the Senate and House have been lying. His campaign staff have been lying. His big donors have been lying.
They’ve all been lying to us for months — probably years. Whether it was “looking us in the eye” lying, giving us “Clintonian” vagaries, or taking an oath of silence: they all lied to us.
Maybe politicians’ lies don’t bother us anymore, but this isn’t about patronage, promising to “fix the roads,” or “help the poor.” This is deadly important.
They’ve been playing “Weekend At Bernies” for months, if not years. They’re all so hungry for power, or so convinced that the ends justify the means. After all, they have to stop him! If you have to destroy the Constitution — if you have to destroy “Democracy” to save “Democracy,” so be it.
If you’re not surprised or troubled that politicians and consultants lied or put themselves and their party before national interest, sadly, I understand.
The real damage to national trust is that the legacy media has been lying to us not only during the last week, but the last several years. Be it incompetence or maliciousness, either they were too lazy, sloppy or left-wing to notice that Biden wasn’t up to the job, or — worse — they knew but chose to ignore it and cover it up. It’s of little matter whether it was the decision of the writers or reporters, or their editors, producers or owners.
The legacy media misled us at best, if not outright lied to us.
From failing to report on Biden’s mistakes, literal missteps and confusion, to actively attacking anyone pointing it out in writings or videos, the legacy media failed us, again. In just the last 30 days, from CBS to the New York Times, they told us that actual video tapes of Biden being confused at Normandy, in Italy, and at a campaign fundraiser were “deep fake” videos.
They kept asking Americans: “Who are you going to believe, us, or your lying eyes?”
From Covid and the lockdowns and mandates, to stories on inflation, to misreporting Trump’s words about Charlottesville or veterans: too many reporters have become progressive advocates — and advocates who get angry when you call them advocates.
And the reporters, editors, producers, and owners believe it’s not only their duty to tell their view of the world; it’s their duty to mock, attack or hide the stories and opinions of anyone challenging them.
To paraphrase the famed fictional attorney — Jerry Callo: “I got no more use for these guys!”
Will Biden run or be replaced? That’s not issue number one.
What Americans deserve to know is far more important: Who’s running our national government? We deserve real answers. And, sadly, we have every reason to doubt that White House staff, Democrats in Congress, or the legacy media will give us the truth.
This originally appeared on July 8, 2024 at Broad + Liberty. Guy Ciarrocchi writes for Broad + Liberty and RealClear Pennsylvania. He is a Senior Fellow with the Commonwealth Foundation. Follow Guy at @PaSuburbsGuy.
Nothing contained here should be considered as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any legislation.
The views expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Susquehanna Valley Center.