Confronting mortality
“Feinstein’s Demise is a Warning for Biden and Trump” is a very interesting piece of writing by Alex Burns, head of news at Politico. What jumps out for me — beyond the fact that I literally agree with every word of it — is its bluntness.
The part that stood out to me, in particular, was the following:
All these men seem to resent being reminded of their own mortality. The White House staff responds with snark and brittleness to coverage of the president’s age. McConnell is not an expressive man, but his irritation at being questioned about his health is readily apparent.
Trump has blustered his way through the age issue so far, but he has never given an honest accounting of his physical state. His struggle with a dire coronavirus infection at the end of the 2020 campaign — and his attempt to obscure the gravity of that illness — should be a cautionary tale for anyone who believes they can make a confident assessment of his physical robustness.
These political leaders are affronted by the concept of mortality.
I think I am an open-minded and tolerant person of almost every idea — and reasonably patient, as displayed by my appearance on the PBD Podcast. I literally did my best to channel Governor Gavin Newsom, and believe that I did for the first 1:40 of the episode, and then I just couldn’t contain myself anymore and had to shut down the lies spewed by co-host Vinny Oshana.
If you disagree with Alex’s commentary, which is aligned with my own perspective, I want to understand where it is that you are coming from.
In other cultures, age is venerated because of the wisdom and experience gained from living a long life. I think every situation is different and should be assessed on the merits. To do otherwise is blatant ageism. President Biden is masterful at orchestrating bipartisanship and has a wealth of knowledge and experience as it relates to foreign affairs. Trump on the other hand is a mental, physical and emotional wreck.
I support Joe Biden for another term in office. Period. Not only because he is our only choice in the dire reality of the present moment. Not only because I personally love and admire the decent and compassionate man and the knowledgeable and experienced leader he is. But because I have every faith that, should he not make it through a second term, his second-in-command, VP Harris, and all those serving in his administration, will competently and faithfully carry our country forward.