A thought on the presidential election of 2024

During the now-infamous debate between the former President and the incumbent President, the debate that forced the incumbent, Joseph Biden, out of the campaign altogether, there was a moment that looks a lot different now than it did at the time.

There was a moment when Donald Trump was going on about the wonders that would be worked for America by his, Trump's, great relationship with Putin. He said, for example, that by a simple phone call he, Trump, would get the Wall Street Journal reporter, then being held in prison by the Russians, released.

In fact, Trump even spoke some kind words about that reporter, Evan Gershkovich. I don't remember the words -- and I'm too lazy to look them up-- but they were an exception to the general rule of calling reporters "enemies of the people". As is his wont. Except, apparently, when praise is convenient.

Anyway ... it would only take one phone call....

At the time, Biden simply kept his head down and stayed silent. There was no effective response to this braggadocio. It was easy to take this as a demonstration of the degree to which Biden had checked out, mentally, and could not come up with any reply.

Now, though, that moment seems different. Biden knew that a deal to release was in the works, and was in fact at this point very far along, he also must have known that by saying so he could throw a wrench into it. He stayed silent not because he is a doddering old man, but because he cared more about the successful resolution for Gershkovich and the other hostages involved than he did about making a good showing at the debate.

In the following days, Biden seems to have continued work on this subject even as his campaign for president fell apart, at a time when most people's concentration would surely be rattled.

Yet, Biden (as they say in Paris these days) stuck the landing.

Good for him.

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