Presidents causing national anxiety

The world spent much of Trump’s presidency in suspended anxiety over his unhinged tweets. That’s why Biden’s presidency provided such a collective sigh of relief.

But Biden now seems hell-bent on inflicting more anxiety over his cognitive decline. That was all I felt watching this interview. I kept waiting for him to display that now-infamous blank stare with mouth agape or lose his train of thought and blurt out some Tourette’s-like non-sequitur.

Sadly, it was even worse. Because Biden is wallowing in a rabbit hole of delusion and denial. He’s convinced anyone who doesn’t think he can beat Trump is dead wrong.

Even his endearing speech fillers, like “no hyperbole“ or “I probably shouldn’t say this,“ now sound like brain farts from age-related brain fog. The sad and untenable fact is that every time Biden appears on TV, his supporters will suffer high anxiety watching him suffer performance anxiety.

Defiant Biden says he’s staying in the race

Frankly, Biden is ignoring reality, playing the victim, and fighting mad. He’s acting as if he alone can save America from Trump. What could be more Trumpian than that?

His die-hard supporters see a defiant politician. His MAGA detractors see an easy mark. I see a stubborn old fool. It’s maddening folly for him to think he only needs to perform well in debates, interviews, press conferences, and rallies the next few months to give us another collective sigh of relief.

Any self-respecting candidate would spare himself and the country these contrived mental acuity tests. All that’s left is for Biden to start aping Trump by boasting about acing a hard cognitive test by correctly reciting a series of words in order — “Person. Woman. Man. Camera. TV.“

Apropos of which, with all due respect, Dr. Sanjay Gupta is losing his credibility by failing to insist that Trump take the full-ranging cognitive test he’s now insisting Biden should take.

But Biden is sacrificing his legacy at the altar of his ego by insisting only God almighty can make him quit. Even worse, he’s risking a loss in November that would see Trump turn American democracy into a Russian-style autocracy.

‘Bike fall’ makes Biden too hurt to run

It’s disappointing and frustrating to see so many Democrats showing the same kind of blind loyalty to Biden they spent years damning Republicans for showing to Trump. I thought rabid partisanship was bad. But this bipartisan cult worship is sad, even scary.

To save his legacy and save democracy, I urge Biden to take a fall during his routine bike ride. He should claim he’s fine enough to complete this term. But he should say that, given the head trauma he sustained, doctors warn long-term damage might manifest in unsettling ways during a second term.

With that, he should say he’s releasing all of his delegates to VP Kamala Harris. He should then call on all Democrats to rally around her as the party’s nominee to defeat Trump in November. And he should orchestrate this generational passing of the torch before the end of July to give Harris and the party enough time to prepare for the Democratic National Convention in late August.

Do the right thing, Joe. Go! Don’t make Democrats force you to stop running the way kids have to force elderly parents to stop driving.

* This commentary was originally published yesterday, July 5, at 9:46 pm