Optics Are Everything
Thursday, October 3, 2024
In today’s fast-paced world, sound bites and visuals dominate the 24/7 news cycle. In other words, optics are everything, especially in politics. And so, there is no excuse for what happened this past weekend.
President Joe Biden, with 51 years of political experience under his belt, decided to spend Saturday and Sunday relaxing at his mansion in Rehoboth Beach amidst the greatest natural disaster to strike the U.S. since Hurricane Katrina. The humanitarian crisis caused by Hurricane Helene should have compelled the president to (1) address the nation on TV; and (2) visit – or at least fly over – the storm-ravaged areas of Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee.
However, instead of personally assessing the damage while offering words of comfort to those who lost their homes and their loved ones in the unprecedented flooding, America’s Commander-in-Chief chose to stay in Delaware and work on his tan. President Biden couldn’t even be bothered to return to the White House to oversee the rescue and relief operations.
When questioned by a reporter this week about his being AWOL, this was President Biden’s callous response…
“I was commanding. I was on the phone for at least two hours yesterday and the day before as well. I command. It’s called a telephone.”
Has a sitting President of the United States ever uttered more unconscionable and uncaring words in the midst of a national catastrophe? It is mindboggling to think that someone with a shred of human decency would act and respond in such a heartless manner.
The only explanation I can come up with is that Geritol Joe has already “retired” from his presidential duties, allowing his lame duck administration to run itself on autopilot. Of course, there are those who speculate that that was standard operating procedure throughout President Biden’s four years in the White House.
At least Vice President Harris was picking up the slack while Joe was sunbathing in style, right? N-O-P-E! Ms. Harris was attending star-studded fundraisers in California while people in Asheville, Maggie Valley, and Chimney Rock were digging out from under a mountain of mud and other debris. I guess she cares more about the Left Coast than Georgia and the Carolinas, something I hope the voters there remember on November 5th.
