The Democratic presidential nomination crisis began as a visceral reaction to President Joe Biden’s public turmoil, and that element of judgment continues to rightly play a key role in Democrats’ belief that Biden is no longer up to the task of saving the party and the country from Donald Trump.
But setting aside Biden’s polling (bad) and performative sentiment (even worse), Biden’s conduct in this case violates a clear black letter line: it is disqualifying in and of itself, beyond his effectiveness as a candidate.
Biden didn’t break any laws, but he did violate two important norms. First, he invited his son Hunter to White House meetings as an adviser. “The president’s longtime aides have expressed concern about Hunter Biden’s new presence in meetings with the president,” Politico reports. Or, as NBC News puts it more subtly, “The reaction from some senior White House staff was, ‘What the hell is going on?'” according to another person familiar with the matter.
It is not unusual for a president to turn to his family for comfort and advice. But Hunter Biden, a recovering drug addict and convicted felon, is completely unqualified to advise the President on his own fitness to hold office or to run for a second term. He has no relevant expertise and his only relevant qualification is his abiding love and respect for his father, a love that makes him completely unable to separate the interests of his family from the interests of his country.
Indeed, Hunter’s looming prison sentence creates a major conflict of interest: President Biden has said he will not pardon his son, but there is little penalty for breaking that promise after the election. And if Joe Biden were to withdraw from the White House, he would have to step down as president, potentially losing the opportunity to pardon his son.
Hunter is reportedly outranking Joe’s longtime advisers, a troubling trend that calls into question whether the president will be successful, let alone whether he is even trying to distinguish between what is good for himself and what is good for the Democratic Party and the country.
Donald Trump did something similar throughout his presidency, using family members as advisers despite their lack of qualifications and major conflicts of interest. Democrats vehemently and correctly condemned the arrangement. To tolerate it now would be to lose ground in attacking Trump’s unconventional blend of family and business.
The second, and more egregious, violation is Biden’s reported disregard for the need for cognitive health testing: “Since winning the White House, Mr. Biden has continued to deny the need for cognitive testing, with aides saying he has never been tested as president — not during his three annual physicals, nor during a week when an awkward debate performance raised more urgent questions about the mental capacity of the now 81-year-old Biden,” The Washington Post reports. post.
Three former colleagues of Biden’s doctor speak out post His behavior on the debate stage suggests he may need cognitive testing. Paul Campos has spoken to medical experts who agree, as has Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
This does not mean Biden has a neurological disorder, but there is clear agreement that his behavior requires testing, which he has refused to do.
Following medical advice and getting a cognitive health check is the absolute minimum for Biden to run for president this year and win another four-year term. The idea that Democrats would nominate someone who exhibits characteristics consistent with cognitive impairment and refuses or neglects to even get tested for the symptoms is absurd and irresponsible. For Biden to ask Democrats to do so demonstrates deep-seated narcissism and denial.
The issue began with Democrats squinting at their televisions and wondering whether their candidate was up to the job of touting his own record and criticizing his opponent. But this is no longer a matter of theatrical criticism. There are standards of behavior that a president must follow to maintain the public’s trust. Biden is not following them.
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