We Need to Worry About Joe Biden

Well, Joe Biden is Joe Biden – and we should be worried for sure. A recent example should have us a little concerned: 

It happened in Poland on February 20 when he was supposed to simply walk down a red carpet and inspect soldiers who were in formation for the president to see.

In a video captured from the event, Biden is shown strolling with Polish President Andrzej Duda.

But there was a problem.

Biden walked away from the red carpet instead of continuing on a straight path.

Some social media users reacted with glee, citing another reason that the president cannot be trusted to follow the simplest instructions in public.

Honestly, we should be worried. 

Can He Just Do the Simplest Ceremonial Tasks?

To be fair to Biden, this is not the end of the world but a little concerning. 

And, no, he is certainly not a “dummy” as one critic called him.

However, this incident calls into question Biden’s lack of ability to do certain ceremonial things that most politicians take for granted.

Everyone instinctively knows to stay on the red carpet and walk a straight line. The Poles walking near Joe Biden had to gently nudge the president back on target.

Looking Lost on Stage

This latest foible reminds detractors of when the president tried to shake hands with someone who wasn’t there.

He turned from the podium and appeared to shake hands with a ghost. Or it hearkened back to the speech he gave where he looked perplexed about what he should do after he delivered his words.

A young girl had to take him by the hand and lead him off the stage.

Make Him Take a Mental Acuity Test

Biden at 80 is the oldest president in history. His political opponents and even his allies have made reservations about his age the main reason they do not support him running again.

Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley, the former governor of South Carolina, is prepared to ding Biden for his ripe age.

Haley wants all politicians over 75 to take a cognitive ability test to prove they can function effectively as leaders.

Haley, 51, has called herself a new generation leader and hopes to bump off both Donald Trump and Biden for being too long in the tooth.

Haley said in her initial speech announcing her run that “America is not past its prime; it’s just that our politicians are past theirs.”

Republicans Look Young in Comparison 

Donald Trump is 76. Other potential GOP candidates are not exactly youthful such as former Vice President Mike Pence at 63 and Ex-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at 59, but you could also say these are prime years for the pair.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is only 44. So compared to Biden, the Republicans have a youth movement going.

Haley may have lapsed onto something the public can relate to.

Should We Let Uncle Joe Be Uncle Joe?

It is clear Biden has many “senior moments.” He mis-speaks, flubs his words, and tells tall tales and shares outright whoppers like your aging uncle does.

Is that enough to eliminate him from presidential service? His doctor thinks that Biden has a clean bill of health and that he is fit for duty – for someone who is 80. 

Joe Biden Can Deliver When the Chips Are Down

Biden gave a better-than-expected State of the Union speech and he made no major gaffes. This was mostly well received by the ordinary voters who watched the speech, and the president received a bump in at least one poll that saw his approval rating jump to 46 percent.

However, since then, his numbers have been weak. 

Sleepy Joe Showed He Can Stay Awake

Donald Trump tried to call Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe” during the 2020 campaign and the aging wonder shook it off and ended up winning. So maybe Biden can ignore his naysayers and put together another successful campaign. If that is to happen, he will have to pay attention to details like red carpets and be able to walk straight down the path.

Otherwise, he will continue to have opponents call him a dummy – or worse.

MORE: Are We Watching the End of Donald Trump? 

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Author Expertise and Experience

Serving as 19FortyFive’s Defense and National Security Editor, Dr. Brent M. Eastwood is the author of Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare. He is an Emerging Threats expert and former U.S. Army Infantry officer. You can follow him on Twitter @BMEastwood. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and Foreign Policy/ International Relations.