You all may have seen videos such as this one that are compilations of Joe Biden’s verbal and cognitive lapses. But something even more disturbing is revealed by parts of his speeches that are relatively coherent.
Those bloopers were taken from a recent speech Biden made in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, which can be found in its official full-length version on Biden’s own YouTube account here. The errors and slurrings Biden made are all too real.
But what’s worse is the content of the speech itself. Lie after lie (doom-laden stuff about COVID and Trump, Trump called the military “losers”, Biden won’t ban fracking although he said many times that he would, Trump hasn’t delivered on any of his promises though he has) and simplistic and formulaic solutions delivered in a shouting monotone for the most part. For someone who bills himself as the nice guy in the race, this speech has a harsh animus.
I want to highlight two segments that weren’t on the blooper video because they’re not bloopers. But I think they’re extremely revealing about what makes Joe run and what has always made him run: Envy and bitter anger.
Here’s the first:
In addition to the bitter anger, Biden says “I’d only be the second guy in this century, in the last century, that in fact didn’t go to an ivy league school.” But which century is Biden talking about? If it’s the 21st century, there have only been three presidents so far. But Obama had two years at Occidental, not ivy league, and then finished up at ivy league Columbia. So, would Obama be the one predecessor in the 21st century who didn’t go to an ivy league school? And what about Trump? Two years at Fordham, not ivy league, and then two years at the U. of Pennsylvania which is ivy league. Just like Obama. And if by adding “in the last century” Biden means the 20th century too, a whole slew of 20th century presidents didn’t go to ivy league schools.
And here’s another angry tirade:
At the beginning of many sentences in this speech, Biden also displays a repetitive vocal tic: “Look!” And it’s not the only repetitive phrase he uses. The whole speech has a robotic air, as though he’s memorized some time-worn phrases that he is reciting with what feels like the correct and appropriate affect but that’s somehow off.
Can this be what America wants? I guess we’ll find out – I was going to say “soon enough,” but of course there may be quite a post-Election Day delay before we know.
[Neo is a writer with degrees in law and family therapy, who blogs at the new neo.]
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY