Last Thursday, a special counsel report briefly rocked the political world. Robert Hur announced that he would not be charging Biden with any crimes related to his mishandling of classified documents. But he did go on to extensively detail multiple, serious lapses in the president’s memory. He argued that Biden would be able to use his age and diminished faculties to get out of any potential charges. Hur wrote, “Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview with him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Joe Biden responded with anger and swift action. He quickly scheduled a press conference for that evening where he showed a fire and vigor that had been missing from some of his earlier press appearances. Aside from a much-discussed gaffe regarding the president of Egypt, he seemed much more alert and aware than he had been in the special counsel’s report. Many of Biden’s supporters rushed in with quotes to affirm Biden’s appraisal of his faculties as well as attacks against the special counsel. They seized upon an obvious flaw in Hur’s argument: if Biden was as senile as the special counsel described, why had the nation’s Republican lawmakers not pointed this fact out during the many bipartisan negotiations of the past three years?
It is clear that Biden’s age and fitness for office will define the 2024 election. But can Biden turn a fight over age into one over gaffes? And is he on his way to victory if he does?
The age factor matters
Biden’s age is an undeniable factor in his lagging poll numbers. Survey after survey shows a large majority of Americans worry over the president’s performance. Over 80% of Americans in a recent ABC News poll said they believe he is too old to do the job. Consequently, many think that his much-maligned staff, advisers, and even family members are secretly running the country. These fears are likely why the Special Counsel phrased his report the way he did. Many experts have concluded that the report was designed not to accurately describe the facts of the classified documents case but to produce a report that most closely dovetailed with Republican attacks against the president.
But gaffes are another story entirely. Mistakes and poor choices of words have defined Biden’s role in public life for decades. Since the 1980s, he has misspoken about his college grades, told people in wheelchairs to stand up, and forgotten to take important actions during ceremonies. Biden’s propensity to say the wrong thing is accepted by the American people. It has likely contributed to the friendly image that propelled Biden to the White House four years ago.
Biden has to be active
It is Biden’s job to reframe the narrative around his comments. He needs to become a frequent presence on the campaign trail. Biden must show that he has a command of his own presidency and that he is in charge of his administration. He needs to make speeches and schedule media appearances with friendly and less-than-friendly outlets. These appearances will make it easier for Biden to frame his mistakes as gaffes resulting from a heated campaign schedule and not a reflection of his inability to perform the duties of office.
Furthermore, more Biden gaffes from an intense schedule would also help to diminish the issue in the minds of voters. One reason that Biden’s mental acuity is such a news story is that his mistakes and lapses in memory are spread out enough for his critics to gain traction and spin wild conspiracies. A more active Biden schedule would lead to Biden controlling the narrative and turning gaffes and small mistakes into a part of the political debate. Each scandal would recede from the headlines as quickly as an offensive Trump statement.
Biden needs to gain control of the issue of his age. He is not getting any younger. The American people will not stop caring about how old he is. Biden must increase the frequency of his public appearances and speak across the nation whenever he can. The future of his campaign and the legacy of his presidency depend on it.