Sunday, Feb. 18, is the 66th Daytona 500, one of the biggest NASCAR races of the year. But for anyone watching, it will look like a rerun of the Joe Biden presidency. The cars will drive around in circles, always turn left and many who watch will be waiting for a crash.
Americans got a terrifying reminder of just how true this is following the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on how Biden mishandled classified documents. The report skewered the president as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Soon after, Biden called a hasty press conference to rebut those charges.
It wasn’t an ordinary press event. It was a sneak peek at the great race for the 2024 election. And the president crashed at high speed. Viewers tuned in to see Biden first recite prepared remarks. He faced the press to dispel criticisms of his mental ability. Biden promptly described Egyptian President Abdel Fatah El-Sisi as the "president of Mexico."
A mistake of about 7,600 miles. As Maxwell Smart used to say in the spy comedy "Get Smart," "Missed it by that much."
Team Biden responded to the PR disaster by taking their whole media strategy in for a pit stop to work on it. That meant Biden avoided the friendly Super Bowl interview Democrat presidents get prior to the big game. He stayed on that track by avoiding press inquiries during a Feb. 13 event, but vowed to "come back and answer questions later."
The campaign went full speed on that avoiding-crashes strategy by embracing the Chinese social media app TikTok. The president appeared on the app with a short, pre-planned interview under the comment, "Hey by the way, we just joined TikTok." Ahh, yes, TikTok, the app the president barred federal employees from having on their phones this time last year.
No one asks you tough questions on TikTok, either. So, it’s an easy ride.
Journalists raced around in circles, reporting on the president’s memory lapses. As CNN put it, "Biden’s allies can’t agree on how to combat questions about his age and memory."
But they sure tried. At least three different ways.
The first attempt followed the incident with some honesty. The New York Times explained how, "Eight Words and a Verbal Slip Put Biden’s Age Back at the Center of 2024." The Washington Post had a similar, crash-and-burn look at the memory lapses, "Special counsel report paints scathing picture of Biden’s memory." And ABC News went with, "Special counsel blows open debate over Biden age and memory: ANALYSIS."
The Times editorial board slammed Biden, saying, "His assurances, in other words, didn’t work," adding, "He must do better."
The media then raced to defend the president with medical professionals. ABC News cited doctors declaring, "Forgetting dates doesn't mean President Biden's decision-making or cognitive fitness is failing: Doctors." NBC drove home that point, "As Biden’s memory issues draw attention, neurologists weigh in."
Finally, the media cautioned that there was a similarity between the two likely nominees. AP stayed in that lane. "Verbal gaffe or sign of trouble? Mixing up names like Biden and Trump have done is pretty common." NPR followed right behind with, "Is there a double standard on age between Trump and Biden?" Or, as Forbes put it, "Jon Stewart Mocks ‘Similarly Challenged’ Biden And Trump In Daily Show Return."
Meanwhile, Team Biden kept focused on turning ever left to make up for lost ground.
During the president’s failed presser, he openly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, claiming that Israel’s response to the worst act of barbarism attacking Jewish people since the Holocaust as "over the top." Subsequent reporting had Biden referring to Netanyahu as an "a--hole" at least three separate times.
That left turn is designed to placate the liberals who want Biden to abandon the longtime ally and leave Gaza to terrorist Hamas.
Then there’s the president's liquid natural gas export ban. It’s aimed at keeping the climate extremists happy even if it aids America’s adversaries in Russia. Another left turn.
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And, of course, Biden had to defend his failed border strategy and its architect Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who was impeached by the House of Representatives. "History will not look kindly on House Republicans for their blatant act of unconstitutional partisanship," he argued as thousands more illegals crossed the border.
Add in Biden’s failed Houthi campaign because he fears confronting Iran and the president is turning left so often, he would have made NASCAR great Jeff Gordon dizzy.
All of that has Democrats worried that Biden might not even complete the 2024 race. Politico, the voice of the Democrat establishment, warned, "Democrats Might Need a Plan B. Here’s What It Looks Like." And wannabe President Kamala Harris is eager to shed her Veep title. The Hill wrote, "Harris says she’s ready to serve amid questions about Biden’s age."
If the race continues like this and Democrats want a better chance to win in November, they might need someone else in the driver’s seat. Maybe they’ll open the Democratic convention with Carrie Underwood singing, "Jesus, Take the Wheel."
