Biden’s Debate Debacle Exposes Fabricated Campaign Narrative

Reframed as if it were a plot from a Tom Wolfe novel or akin to Marie Antionette’s disdainful “let them eat cake!” attitude that fueled the French Revolution.  

From the start of the presidential debate on Thursday evening, the Democratic party and the mainstream media were exposed as collaborators in a monumental deceit – the deliberate misleading of the public about President Biden’s mental acuity and fitness for a second term, all while knowing it to be untrue. 

The burning question remains: what motivated this self-deception and betrayal of public trust?

Was it a result of collective, group mentality? 

Or perhaps driven by opportunism and self-serving interests that led them to believe they could retain power and govern the country as if they were puppeteers? 

Could it be attributed to the Biden family’s narcissism, long desiring this level of authority and willing to deny reality to hold onto it? 

In a column for The Wall Street Journal in March of 2023, I argued that Biden’s mental capacity was inadequate for a second term, a sentiment that was met with criticism from various quarters.

The warning signs were evident as far back as September 2021 when Biden seemed oblivious to his senior advisors’ dissent regarding the total withdrawal from Afghanistan.  

Meanwhile, the party and the mainstream media continued to dismiss all concerns about Biden’s mental state as baseless conspiracy theories perpetuated by the right wing. 

The gaslighting continued, with White House staff going as far as suggesting that videos showcasing the president’s compromised physical state were doctored, with The New York Times later lending credence to these erroneous claims. 

Similar to Soviet commissars, liberal cable network hosts, Biden administration officials, and liberal pundits all echoed the narrative that Biden was at the peak of his abilities.

One has to wonder if Trump’s alleged “election interference” in a Manhattan trial pales in comparison to the deception surrounding Biden’s fitness for a second term.

Ultimately, this leftist industrial complex finds itself trapped by its own deceit.

We are now witnessing a summer filled with panic, chaos, and ridicule as the party scrambles to find a replacement for Biden ahead of the August convention, as Russia, Iran, and China view American leadership as weakened.

Most disappointing in this saga is the left’s obliviousness to how misrepresentations about Biden’s fitness fuel the revolt against the elite in the US and recent election outcomes in Europe. 

This culture of echoing narratives has replaced critical thinking on pressing issues, such as the impact of “gender affirming” treatments on teens or the true nature of DEI initiatives.

Centrist Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro offers Democrats a path back to the center, but whether they will take that route remains uncertain.

While the Biden debacle might spell defeat for the Democrats in November, it serves as a reminder of the importance of skepticism and independence in newsrooms. 

Julian Epstein is the former Democratic Chief Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee.