Give President Biden a Break
by Dorothea Hubble Bonneau
Last night, before I fell asleep, a question burned in my mind. What could have caused President Biden to falter and fail in his debate with Donald Trump? Were advocates, who days before had argued that in meetings President Biden was in command of the facts and the room, lying? What about foreign leaders who reported the debater Biden seemed like a different person than the president with whom they had recently conferred..President Biden’s poor performance couldn’t be a result of his travel schedule, argued CNN’s Abby Phillip: President returned from his whirlwind activities in Europe twelve days before the debate. And, added Jake Tapper, prior to the debate, Biden spent a full week at Camp David with family where he had ample time to rest. David Axelrod countered, even so, the poor debate performance may have been episodic.
I woke up with a possible answer for Biden’s flawed performance which was verified when I googled the question, “What is the effect of grief on cognition.” The following is the answer that popped up:
Grief can have profound effects on brain function123. Here are some of the ways grief can affect the brain3: effects of grief on the brain - Search (bing.com)
· Memory and attention: Grief often leads to difficulty concentrating and lapses in memory.
· Decision-making: Grieving individuals may find it challenging to make decisions.
· Cognitive fatigue: Grief can be mentally exhausting.
· Processing speed: The processing speed of information may slow down during grief.
Isn’t it likely that witnessing a son’s conviction, on June 11, 2024, days before the debate, would cause a person to grieve?
I am reminded of the passage in TS Eliot’s Hollow Men: “Between the idea and the reality falls the shadow.”
The reality is that during President Biden’s term, ground-breaking achievements have propelled America into a hopeful future.
John Maxwell Leadership Team
1moThis was fantastic. True wisdom. Oh, how we need to tap into the wisdom that is right around all of us who are privileged to serve older adults! Thank you for posting this. Happy birthday to Flossie!