Joe Biden's Bike Fall Checks the Final Item on the Jimmy Carter Narrative List
As Spencer wrote yesterday, Joe Biden’s trip to the Delaware shore was a bit bumpy. By that, I mean he tumbled off his bike. The decrepit president was on a bike ride when he encountered the press corps on the bike trail. He tried to stop to answer a few questions and then…timber. The man must be careful. At his age, that’s a broken ankle or hip. It’s something out of the West Wing except unlike the fictional President Bartlet, Biden didn’t break anything. It does reinforce the notion that this man is old. It does reinforce why his staff works overtime to make him look better than he is despite Joe’s protests. Remember, the president was mad that his staff handle him all the time and clarify his remarks. Well, here’s why. They know he’ll fall on his face—just like what happened with this little biking excursion.
The economy is in the toilet. We’re being pushed around abroad. We have an administration that came in way too confident (and too arrogant) that they could solve anything and instead became an endless cyclone of incompetence. To cap it all off, the president took a fall. Why does this all sound familiar? Maybe because we’ve been here before. Biden’s bike blunder has brought the Jimmy Carter narrative full circle. Yes, you could argue that Biden is worse than Jimmy the peanut farmer, but both presidents presided over a trash economy. And both had their weakness exposed for all to see.
While Carter was not bike riding, he did try to do a 10K race, and couldn’t finish it. He conked out. It was 1979. Even the press said he was “pale” and “exhausted,” with photos of Secret Service agents holding the president up (via NYT 1979):
Nearing the crest of a steep, winding hill between the third and fourth miles of yesterday's race, I heard series of groans from President Carter.
They were not the usual pants and grunts of breathlessness that are the common sounds of runners as they battle gravity and themselves. I looked to my left, and suddenly the president began to stagger. His face was ashen. His mouth hung open, and his eyes had an unfocused look.
He faltered. Two runners -- apparently Secret Service men who were part of the contingent accompanying the president either on foot or in golf cart-like vehicles -- reached under Carter's arms and held up his sagging body.
Even though he had collapsed and was no longer making it on his own obviously diminished steam, Carter lunged forward. In mumbled words, he said he wanted to keep going.
[…]
Assisted by the two aides, he shuffled forward. He motioned again that he wanted to push on. Runners passed by and offered friendly encouragement. "Keep it going, Jimmy," said one. "Get ready for the next race." said another.
I called out to one of the Secret Service men: "Give him water -- and fast." None came forward.
I’m sure the Russians had a chuckle when this happened. I’m sure Ayatollah Khomeini had a laugh as well. And Biden is off to Saudi Arabia soon where he'll fall on his face again in front of the crown prince.
Jimmy Carter didn’t know what he was doing and was president at a time when everyone thought the nation was going down the tubes. He was weak. Joe Biden is in the same boat. We have endless domestic and foreign policy crises, and he’s just too weak and stupid to do anything about them. And both men had failed outdoor excursions that put the final note on their presidencies. They were both weak. Biden’s slightly worse in the sense that he’s weak and old.
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