Bob Schwartz

The Democratic establishment is now complaining that “the media” are paying too much attention to questions about Biden’s age and not enough attention to Trump’s legal troubles.

In what universe?

I would be happy to see that the wall-to-wall saturation coverage of the Trump Trials actually had some effect on his chances to be the Republican nominee and to be elected president. There isn’t much evidence of that effect.

By comparison, the coverage of Biden’s age issue, or of his verbal and possibly cognitive slips, is relatively small. These are covered, which is unavoidable and appropriate, whether Biden or the party likes it or not. Politically inconvenient, but not out of proportion.

The Democratic establishment is well-known for dealing itself and holding difficult hands to play. The 2016 demand that Hillary be the nominee, despite her obvious political weaknesses, is a recent example, and one with still-current consequence. Once set, was there any real way of getting out of it? Just do what you can until election day.

That’s exactly where the Democrats are now. What do they expect from their complaints? Will the media stop reporting Biden’s age? Will they report his age but follow every report with the message that age doesn’t matter, even with the oldest candidate ever? The Democrats can’t “manage” this and other issues because even the best crafted message won’t change minds and can’t change what people see and hear with their own eyes and ears. It surely won’t change what the media does.

People who think that Trump is a criminal and a con man already know that, and have decided he should or shouldn’t be president in spite of that or because of that. No overwhelming number of trials is going to affect that. People who think that Biden is too old or too likely to suffer from cognitive decline already know that, and have decided he should or shouldn’t be president in spite of that or because of that.

Two parties holding two terrible hands they dealt themselves—and us. Dispiriting and potentially disastrous. Speaking just to the Democrats right now, it’s not the fault of the media.