For those who have followed American politics for many years, there are two Biden. On the one hand, he is the American official who perhaps has the most intimate knowledge of what is happening in our neighborhood (including Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations).
A politician who inspired respect and trust both outside and within America’s borders. This is the Biden of the past.
Already in 2020 and despite the relief felt by much of the planet for its victory over by Donald TrumpBiden was often absent. How did he get elected? He faced a Republican candidate who, after a four-year term in the White House, had half the public saying “enough of this craziness.” And within his party, opponents ranged from indifferent to unsympathetic.
Things are even worse today. The Biden of old is gone. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a physically and mentally decrepit 81-year-old man stumbling, literally and figuratively. With his appearance in the debate, we didn’t fall from the clouds, we just saw in condensed time all the individual frailties that we’ve been noticing for a long time. Inability to concentrate, confusion, mistakes, exhaustion.
And that begs the question: How did the Democrats let things get to this point? Why did they wait until July 2024 to admit they needed another candidate? And what do they hope to accomplish now that the hourglass is nearly empty? “Let’s not try to convince ourselves we didn’t see what we saw,” George Clooney wrote yesterday, essentially criticizing those who underestimate the intelligence of the public.
This is not a “privilege” of the Biden circle. It often happens to those who are close to people in authority. They think they can convince citizens to “see” what the leader wants to hear. And they realize where this tactic leads when it is too late.