As I observe the about-face in media coverage of President Biden’s mental decline, I keep getting reminded of a line from one of my favorite episodes of “The Twilight Zone.”
In introducing a character who is becoming unraveled, Rod Serling describes, “A man protected by a suit of armor all held together by one bolt.” And Serling tells us, “Just a moment ago, someone removed the bolt and [his] protection fell away from him and left him a naked target.”
This is very much what we’re witnessing with Biden.
Ever since Biden clinched the Democratic nomination, the media have been covering up his declining mental state.
In 2020, the appropriate question wasn’t whether he was too old at that exact moment, but whether he would be fit to serve over another four to eight years under the stresses of being president. Anybody with a functioning set of eyes and ears could tell that Biden has been steadily declining over the course of his presidency.
But other than an occasional story about his mental acuity that was quickly batted down and then forgotten about, there was very little acknowledgement by the White House press corps of how much he was diminishing, particularly as he sought to become president until he was 86. They would rather report on how much he loved ice cream.
CNN reports that White House correspondents now acknowledge they didn’t adequately cover the age issue. “Biden’s age was also a right-wing talking point for years, something the White House was quick to point out to reporters, which may have inadvertently turned off any serious investigation,” Hadas Gold writes.
She also quotes another reporter as saying that they feared getting berated by the White House communications team. The reporter says, “I think that’s left some folks to conclude that these stories are too painful to report or that they should pick their spots more. It’s clear the age stories that have angered the White House (and the liberal Twittersphere) the most.”
Imagine being given the coveted job of holding the most powerful man in the world accountable and deciding instead of holding him accountable, to become partners in a coverup out of fear of getting yelled at by his staff and angry leftists on social media.
Nonetheless, it’s clear that’s over now. The media is now finally ready to cover Biden’s mental decline.
As I flagged yesterday, the New York Times is now even pointing to video footage it previously dismissed as “misleading” as evidence of his growing mental lapses.
Biden cannot long survive without the continued protection of the media. Now that the media have decided to actually cover this issue, it means they will scrutinize all of his public appearances. And under scrutiny, there will be no hiding his condition. He is now a naked target.
If you want one reason to put money on Biden being forced to step aside in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris, it is this: Biden no longer enjoys media protection, but Harris will.