Before Joe Biden signed up for the rigors of the 2020 presidential campaign, he spoke to his old boss, Barack Obama, on a number of occasions. During their conversations, the former president reportedly had this bit of advice for his former vice president, according to The New York Times: “You don’t have to do this, Joe, you really don’t.”
Later, after Joe decided he really did have to do this, Obama took a keen interest in Biden’s campaign, although not necessarily because he was offering tacit support. In one meeting with Biden’s senior campaign staff, he emphasized that they shouldn’t let Biden “embarrass himself” or “damage his legacy.”
It’s not difficult to see why Obama offered this advice: The Democratic presidential nominee, who was never quite Gore Vidal when it came to crafting quips, has become a stumbling parody of what was already a stumbling parody.
Biden apparently has taken to using teleprompters during interviews now, a charge his campaign won’t even bother responding to because the evidence is so overwhelming.
Thankfully, candidates are expected to use scripts when they give speeches, which meant the candidate’s address in Warren, Michigan, last week had a decent chance of going smoothly.
Alas, even with a script, Biden can still screw things up.
He managed to make it through a rah-rah “Buy American” speech without many problems. After giving the usual Democrat propitiation to unions and promising plenty of union jobs, Biden decided to look for his schedule.
“I want to thank you all. I carry with me,” Biden said, reaching into his pocket. “I don’t have it. I gave it to my staff. I carry with me, in my pocket — do I have that around?
Anyone? Where’s my staff? I gave it away.”
Biden transitioned into showing the schedule, supplied to him by his able staff, which he said “lists every single day the number of troops lost in Afghanistan and Iraq. The number wounded.”
“This is my schedule,” he continued. “The back of the schedule is always a black box. You can’t really see it. The press may be able to.”
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