it showed. He was a proud pro- moter of Obama’s policy cred- ibility, and notably performed well in the vice-presidential debate against Sarah Palin, a tricky assignment to be sure. Palin, although still learn-
ing the ways of Washington and the intricacies of foreign policy, was a cultural super- nova; Biden had to remain re- spectful and courtly, and keep his hands to himself. The Biden-Palin debate
took place at Washington Uni- versity in St. Louis 16 years ago. To watch it now is to wit- ness in cold blood the ravages of time. The threads of Biden’s
character form a recognizable through-line — spirit, expe- rience, cocky affront, windy truisms. But his voice back then was
crisp, his eyes clear, his mind sharp, his gait strong. Behind the curtains in St.
Louis, his aides only had to worry about mild strategic missteps, harmless gaffes, perhaps a too-long lingering look at the lovely Palin. In Atlanta 2024, by con-
trast, the anxious Biden team was on high alert for shuf- fling, mental confusion, and
VEEPSTAKES Joe Biden had 36 years of Senate experience under his belt when he was selected as running mate in 2008 for Barack Obama, who had not completed a single term. Yet they made a good team, and unlike this year, Biden performed well in his debate with GOP rival Sarah Palin. Obama considered ditching Biden in 2012 and replacing him with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, but ultimately decided not to.
incoherence. What occurred on June
27, 2024, was a far greater di- saster than even Biden’s staff could have anticipated. On that stage in Atlanta, Americans saw the truth. The truth that had been hidden and spun, finessed and de- nied. Protected and ignored by the Dominant Media in service to a liberal cause and an anti-Trump agenda. The truth exposed in raw visual evidence, but cravenly dis- missed before as “cheap fakes” and dirty political trickery. A truth shoved aside by a family wrapped in delusion and defi- ance. A truth that was pathetic
The consensus in the Oval Office was that Biden should not run for the White House in 2016.
and haunting, deeply per- sonal and sadly familiar to so many families who have seen loved ones age and fade. A truth that spawned one
of the biggest, most shameful lies in American political his- tory. As the Democratic Party
panicked and the press back- peddled and rewrote their own frenetic fictions, the Biden team rallied and blus- tered some more. Biden had a cold, Biden
had an off night, Biden was a bad debater but perfectly fit to lead. Nothing had changed, they
said. Biden was still the best candidate for the job. But the jig was up. During the eight years of
the Obama-Biden administra- tion, the men largely worked in harmony. There were standard grow-
ing pains; second-class citi- zen complaints from the Ex- ecutive Office Building when the vice president and his
AUGUST 2024 | NEWSMAX 63
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