Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Getty
Democrats are in need of a reality check. The stakes are too high for us to indulge in the kind of denial, self-deception, and illusions that are a too-common reaction to many of the biggest challenges we face as a party and a country. Indeed, reality is our greatest strength and our best defense. Only failing to acknowledge it can undo us.
Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report describing President Joe Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” has caused a furor. Reactions to it among members of the president’s team and his supporters have ranged from defensiveness to outrage. Most such reactions have not been particularly helpful.
The issue of the president’s age cannot be willed or wished away. It must be understood, accepted, and addressed in ways that are consistent with observable reality.