People keep making references to Biden's "strong" performance at the State of the Union and today's D-Day addresses as proof that he is really alright mentally. Not necessarily the case, or to quote Corso, "Not so fast my friend."
Joe Biden is a career politician. He's spent a lifetime making speeches, reading from teleprompters and playing the part of the on stage diplomat. Such performances are second nature and deeply ingrained in the dark recesses of his brain. Such performances of familiar things by people with severe dementia are not at all unusual.
Glen Campbell, even in the later stages of his dementia battle and not even recognizing close family members could still pick up a guitar and play pieces from many of his popular songs almost flawlessly.
Tony Bennett, also late into the stages of his dementia, could still bang out "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and other songs without missing a note.
My own grandfather, who had been a Methodist minister, could still quote various scriptures word for word when he didn't even know where he was or anyone in the room.
These people were all able to "perform" in a way that was second nature and which they could somehow reach back and miraculously draw upon when they couldn't remember virtually anything else. So, one key thing to watch is not just how each of them performed while "on stage" but how they performed when the performance was over. In each case, after their "performance" was over they returned to the real nature of their mental state. For example, just watch poor Joe when his speech is over. He can barely find his way off stage without assistance - often stumbling and appearing lost.
So remember, all is not how it might appear at times. And a real reason to question his fitness for office when his is not a series of strong performances punctuated by the occasional slip up but, rather, a series of major slip ups punctuated by the occasional seemingly strong performance.
Joe Biden is a career politician. He's spent a lifetime making speeches, reading from teleprompters and playing the part of the on stage diplomat. Such performances are second nature and deeply ingrained in the dark recesses of his brain. Such performances of familiar things by people with severe dementia are not at all unusual.
Glen Campbell, even in the later stages of his dementia battle and not even recognizing close family members could still pick up a guitar and play pieces from many of his popular songs almost flawlessly.
Tony Bennett, also late into the stages of his dementia, could still bang out "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and other songs without missing a note.
My own grandfather, who had been a Methodist minister, could still quote various scriptures word for word when he didn't even know where he was or anyone in the room.
These people were all able to "perform" in a way that was second nature and which they could somehow reach back and miraculously draw upon when they couldn't remember virtually anything else. So, one key thing to watch is not just how each of them performed while "on stage" but how they performed when the performance was over. In each case, after their "performance" was over they returned to the real nature of their mental state. For example, just watch poor Joe when his speech is over. He can barely find his way off stage without assistance - often stumbling and appearing lost.
So remember, all is not how it might appear at times. And a real reason to question his fitness for office when his is not a series of strong performances punctuated by the occasional slip up but, rather, a series of major slip ups punctuated by the occasional seemingly strong performance.
