Is Joe Biden planning to stumble back into the spotlight? It seems an unlikely proposition, and even CNN, a network that aided and abetted the White House’s cover-up of Biden’s cognitive decline, presented a rather unflattering prognostication. Still, the former chief executive on April 15 made one of his few public speeches since leaving office in January. It was about as inspiring as most Americans might have expected, and it was the kind of less-than-glamorous venue at which many former presidents have delivered remarks. But, if Biden is about to come out of seclusion, how will he be received? And what could possibly be the motive, given the strain it could put on the octogenarian former statesman?
Delivering remarks at the national conference of Advocates, Counselors and Representatives for the Disabled in Chicago, Joe Biden seemed as frail and impaired as he did for pretty much the entire second half of his White House term. After trotting out a couple of obligatory childhood anecdotes of questionable veracity, Biden rambled about Social Security, jarringly alternating between that now trademark reassuring whisper and excessively loud bursts of anger – for no obvious reason. He accused President Donald Trump of planning to “gut” Social Security and said his administration had “taken a hatchet to the Social Security Administration.”
A Joe Biden Political Renewal?
Beyond this painful-to-watch address, though, where is Joe Biden going? Some sort of foundation is in the planning phase, presumably with a mission to preserve his legacy, such as it is. Then there’s the presidential library, which doesn’t yet have a prospective home.
What of political engagement, though? CNN reports that Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin was not very forthcoming about a possible post-presidential role for Biden. Through a spokesperson, Martin issued a statement saying, “No Democratic president has invested more in the party’s infrastructure than Joe Biden, and I’m deeply grateful for the president’s service not only to our nation, but his ongoing commitment to the party.” That reads like a statement an NFL team would put out after firing an underachieving head coach.
CNN also quotes one unnamed Democratic member of Congress as saying, “I haven’t heard of one person who has communicated with [Joe Biden].” Another individual, whom the network described as a “longtime supporter and donor,” when asked if they had heard from Mr. Biden, curtly responded, “No. Thank God.”
Keeping the Biden Brand Going
So, it seems difficult to imagine our newest ex-president wielding any great influence over his now floundering party. Still, some people within his inner circle appear to have plans for Joe Biden. One of them, also unnamed, said, “Joe Biden is going to thrive in that very wise, senior statesman role of ‘How do you help navigate?’ And I think people do want him engaged and involved.”
It’s not easy to identify those who want him engaged and involved. Recently published books about his single term suggest he was neither engaged nor involved during at least his final months in the Oval Office.
Maybe his visibility is required to raise money for the foundation and the library. One can’t help but think, though, that perhaps some of those inner-circle people – particularly certain family members – are hoping to keep that rickety old gravy train moving just a little further down the tracks. The Biden brand was good for business, after all.
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