As I predicted on our liveblog before last night’s State of the Union, expectations were set so low that just by demonstrating that he could give a speech, media analysts behaved like President Biden completely dispelled any concerns about his age and mental acuity. Listening to the commentary last night, one might have thought he already won the November election.

In truth, as anybody with elderly relatives knows, those of advanced age can have good days and bad days. It’s not surprising to me that with sufficient preparation and rest (Biden didn’t give victory remarks after Super Tuesday, for instance) Biden could still deliver a political speech. But the concerns about his age are not about one speech — they are about how he will perform day after day — under stress, facing long and sleepless nights and crises, and in unscripted moments. It’s about how he will perform in one of the most demanding jobs in the world for nearly five more years if reelected.

Democrats and their media allies recognize that at this point they are stuck with Biden as the nominee and he’s the only think standing in the way of a second term for Donald Trump. So it makes sense that after a period of negative coverage about his age, they had to jump on any opportunity to declare it a non-issue.

This isn’t to say Biden cannot win. Lord knows, Trump has more than his share of liabilities. But the idea that a speech in March is going to allay deep and legitimate concerns about Biden’s ability to serve a second term is delusional.