President Joe Biden frequently speaks from his heart, telling the honest truth. Chockamo said it first, but it’s one reason I’ve liked him. Politically, though, those ‘gaffes’ have always been painted as his damning sin. Nobody who allows careless truth out of his mouth could ever become President, they told us. Weirdly, these political experts believe this still applies to President Biden even now.
Do We Want the Truth?
How important is the truth to us? Most people will say they want an honest man as President. Speak to us openly, we ask, even when the truth is hard.
I have my doubts about that. Look at how we welcome any charlatan who delivers rousing speeches filled with nonsense and exciting lies. Still, I’m optimistic. I hope the majority of us hold to the truth.
Yes, Biden goes off-script now and then, telling us something obvious but uncomfortable. He doesn’t lie to us.
Tactics
We’ve seen how this happens. Biden goes ‘off-script,’ saying something provocative. The White House jumps into action each time, trying to walk it back, denying that Biden said that and insisting that he only meant something adjacent to those words.
I see two possible reasons for the rapid White House response:
- It’s a deliberate tactic for deniability. Biden gets to say something difficult but honest. The White House deliberately denies that Biden meant what he said, trying to defuse the political consequences. In the end, the President can forcefully promote a position (or issue a threat) without changing the official United States position.
- Biden’s remarks are unplanned. Biden is impulsive and sometimes speaks too honestly. The White House, concerned that whatever he said might politically damage the US, desperately walks the remarks back afterward, hoping to limit the damage as much as possible.
Some sources speculate that Biden and his White House are using option 1. While I find the idea of careful tactics attractive, it’s unlikely. The people behind Biden walk it back too hard. Instead, they leave the President looking feeble and somewhat unhinged.
Unelected Handlers
I believe some (self-defined) Very Important People have made themselves Biden’s handlers. They try to ‘fix his gaffes,’ confident they understand the realpolitik better than the elected President.
The problem is that they’re failing miserably. Nobody believes them. And no, they’re not making America safer. They’re just undercutting Biden politically, intellectually, and morally. They tear at our international standing. And what have we gained? Ambiguity? No. Biden’s remarks are usually unequivocal. Nobody believes the walk-back. We don’t get solidity or even deniability. Instead, the Biden administration turned another opportunity into an unforced disaster. Only Democrats can botch politics this badly.
Biden and The Honest Truth
Once the President has said something definitive, go with it. If he’s being accurate, doesn’t that help? Biden is giving us the honest truth. Is Putin a war criminal? Yes. Can he sustain his position as absolute ruler in Russia? Probably not.
The White House needs to adjust; find a different approach to Biden. Because their responses so far have been suicidal.
He’s the President, Not America’s Ruler
The President is the chief executive. I know Trump wanted to be a King, or maybe the Emperor. There are reasons he ended up disappointed.
As head of the executive branch, Biden is powerful. But he’s still just one of three co-equal branches of our government. Just because the President says something doesn’t make those words the official American position. Biden can express his feelings that Putin is a war criminal without instantly shifting US policy. His words have power, both from his position and moral authority. But Biden isn’t America any more than Trump was.
Bad Public Servants
Finally, Mister President? Can I respectfully suggest that you need to fire some people? At least give them a significant recalibration upside their heads. You are the President we elected, and I question whether that fact is as widely understood as it needs to be.
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