The Hamas attack on Israel was not a direct attack on the United States, but the attack killed at least 30 Americans, and to many of us, it was so heinous and bloodthirsty that it felt like an attack on America, or perhaps against humanity itself. In past crises, public-opinion polling has shown a “rally around the flag” effect — a surge in support for the head of state and reduced criticism for the leader of a country.
So far, that hasn’t happened for President Biden. Americans’ opinions of Biden appear pretty much the same as two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, as Dominic notes, Sky News asked Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen whether Joe Biden has the energy for another five years in office. She answered that Biden is “very involved, very vibrant.” When Americans think of Biden, I don’t think “vibrant” is the word that comes to mind.
One of the reasons I think the effects of President Biden’s aging are worse than any of his staff, friends, or cabinet is willing to publicly acknowledge is that we almost never hear anyone in those groups describe Biden’s health and condition modestly — e.g., “he’s doing pretty well for a guy turning 81.”
Instead we hear Delaware’s Democratic congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester insisting Biden’s “energy is higher now than maybe when I first met him,” in the late 1980s. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insists Biden has so much energy, “I can’t even keep up with him.” To hear them tell it, Biden is doing cartwheels down the White House hallways when the cameras are turned off.
The people around Biden rarely can acknowledge that, at a month away from turning 81, he’s not as spry and energetic as he used to be, and he’s in one of the most challenging jobs in the world. History has shown us that the pressures of sitting behind the Resolute Desk cause men to age quickly.