Love the One You’re With

Let me just put this right here:  I would prefer an embalmed Joe Biden propped up in a wingback chair to Donald Trump on his best day – if there is such a thing.

The brouhaha brought on by the gratuitous Special Counsel report on Biden’s document retention was quickly enhanced by Biden’s latest gaffe.  He swapped the presidents of Egypt and Mexico in a press conference – called to demonstrate his mental acuity!   Oops.

Let me put this right here too:  Having dueling geezers as our presidential option is suboptimal to say the least.  Neither (likely) candidate will be a Jeopardy champion.

The excerpts from the Special Counsel report were absurd and – in the suggestion that Biden couldn’t recall when his son died – cruel and unnecessary.  Taken in bulk, the comments about memory and cognition were beyond the scope of the investigation and utterly outside the competence of a lawyer.  The supposed defense of these assertions was to show that Biden couldn’t be charged because a jury might find his lack of recall exonerating.  Another bit of ludicrous speculation.  And, sadly, this may present Trump’s misfit lawyers with another tactic:  “Our client is too stupid to be convicted.”  If stupidity was a dispositive defense, 91 felony charges must be dismissed.

I don’t suppose that readers of Yellow Scene will be offended by the use of “stupid” to describe a former president, but if you, are I have this defense:  It was the most generous adjective I could think of.  Of course I’m 77, so I may have forgotten some others.

Trump’s gaffes are nearly Olympian when compared to Biden’s.  He has confused world leaders (use both meanings), insisted that Nikki Haley failed to protect the Capitol, predicted the coming of WWII, confused Biden with Obama more than a dozen times, and switched Jeb and George Bush – perhaps slightly more understandable, given their Wonder Bread commonalities.  Unlike the crude suggestion that Biden didn’t recall the date of Beau’s death, many believe that Trump doesn’t remember that his son Eric was born at all.

I understand that many voters and observers are concerned about Biden’s age and possible declines in memory.  Those concerns, and the unfortunate probability of the Colorado disqualification being overturned, have provided MAGA with dangerous talking points: “Merrick Garland’s hand-picked Special Counsel said Biden is cognitively unfit and the Supreme Court completely exonerated Trump.”

I am among the throng that wishes we had different candidates.  But we don’t.  So as Stephen Stills crooned, “Love the one you’re with.”

Returning to my embalmed Biden claim, the most critical factor, by far, in selecting a leader, is to assess those around her/him. (Oh how I mourn the lost possibility of Hillary.  During a recent MSNBC interview, she was wise, quick, funny, exhaustively well-informed and genuine.)   I needn’t remind you of all the passengers in Trump’s clown car, but he has made clear that the new team will make the old team look pretty good.  At least the old team had a brakeman or two.  Trump’s new team will have only toxic accelerants.

Biden, by contrast, has surrounded himself with superbly experienced and competent women and men.  He seeks and heeds their advice.  Not once during his presidency – or before – has he inclined toward impulsivity or irrationality.   His choices and his relationships with his team members give me full confidence.  I don’t and won’t agree with some of the Biden “agenda.”  I am more of a Bernie Sanders kind of guy.  But, ya know, the Stephen Stills thing.

I cringe to agree with one Nikki Haley point.  The political party first to dump their grump (-y old man) will win the presidency.  But neither will, so, ya know, the. . .

Joe Biden is, to all appearances, a good and decent man.  He and his competent team have accomplished a great deal despite an undemocratic, uncooperative, unhinged opposition.

If his health or mental state fails spectacularly, put on those corny aviator sunglasses and prop him in that wingback, a  la Weekend at Bernie’s.   We’ll be fine.