I thought these were important insights.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat is a history professor and a scholar on fascism and authoritarian leaders. Sherrilyn Ifill is a law professor and former president and director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
And here we are reminded of the choice we’re probably facing in 2024–and of the mainstream media’s distortion of the reality surrounding that choice.
From Robert Hubbell’s Today’s Edition:
“Trump’s Mother’s Day greeting.
I highlight the following for everyone who continues to harbor doubts about Joe Biden’s age or mental fitness. On Mother’s Day in the US, Trump sent the following greeting:
Happy Mother’s Day to ALL, in particular the Mothers, Wives and Lovers of the Radical Left Fascists, Marxists, and Communists who are doing everything within their power to destroy and obliterate our once great Country. Please make these complete Lunatics and Maniacs Kinder, Gentler, Softer and, most importantly, Smarter, so that we can, quickly, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!’
Besides the obvious omission of Melania, the mother of his son Barron, Trump failed to mention his daughter Ivanka, who is the mother of his grandchildren. While those omissions are inconsiderate and crass, that is not the most important point about the post.
As one commenter observed in response to the post, ‘The sooner we all acknowledge Trump is mentally ill, the safer we will be.’ Good point! We have accepted and normalized behavior by Trump that would be instantly recognized as possible signs of mental illness in any other American. The accumulated heft of Trump’s ravings on Truth Social should be taken as conclusive proof of his derangement.
And yet . . . Democrats are letting Republicans control the narrative that ‘Biden is too old‘ or ‘not mentally fit‘ for the job. Oh, yeah? Take a look at the video of Biden in the Fox News story above where he is commenting on Title 42 and the debt ceiling during a rest stop on his five-mile bike ride. In addition to noting that he bought an orchid for Jill Biden for Mother’s Day, he included this gem on negotiations about the debt ceiling (in response to a reporter’s question):
It’s never good to characterize a negotiation in the middle of the negotiations. I remain optimistic because I am a congenital optimist. But I really think there is a desire on their part as well as ours to reach an agreement. And I think we’ll be able to do it.
Biden may be slower than he was forty years ago, but he is plenty sharp. Heck, I hope I can still ride a bike at 80 years old. The fact that Biden can do so while parrying with a press pool playing ‘gotcha’ is impressive.”
______________
What’s more, Biden profoundly believes in democracy, has a record of remarkable achievements in his first two years, and is leading us with calm, steadfast adherence to his goal of improving the lives of Americans.
And why is it that media coverage of Trump so rarely discusses his obvious mental lack of fitness for office (in addition to all those other apparent disqualifications–as if he’s just another candidate)?
Annie
annieasksyou... 
Proud to be the mother of two “left-wing radical fascists, Marxists, Communists.” Hearing the too-old comments reminds me to renew my meds. I’ll take sane over “youthful????”
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Hi, Cindy–How good to hear from you!
I just hope your “left-wing radical fascists, Marxists, Communists” will vote for–and maybe even work for–ol’ Joe-the-capitalist who introduced the most potentially transformational legislation we’ve seen in decades.
Let’s hear it for sane, even boring, of all things!
Thanks for your comment.
Cheers,
Annie
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They’ll vote for him but won’t work for him. I thought I was liberal…
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I’ll take the votes! I’m in touch with a lot of GenZers via Twitter who are very pro-Biden.
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Father of six. I don’t think it’s a choice. Sane and youthful are seldom in the same mix from my experience. 🙂
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Thanks as always, Annie! I agree with all you say. CNN received a lot of criticism for staging that Town Hall with Trump, and, as I’ve said, it was very hard to watch—I didn’t get through all of it. Still, I think it was a service to the nation, in showing Trump to be the same, crazy, boorish liar that he’s always been— worse, if anything!
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Hi, George. One very positive development may emerge from what I felt was a CNN-organized Trump rally: he appears to have served up compelling evidence for the various prosecutors to use against him.
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Yes! Anything that might harm Trump’s chances sounds good to me!
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My friend Bob still rides at 88. I think we can trust the people to judge the man properly this time. Ms Carroll gives a stark contrast between class and crass.
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I’m all for trusting the people, Richard. I just wish the press would focus on what matters—rather than the horse race. I wonder how many people know that Biden made a strong denunciation of white nationalism at a Howard University Commencement a few days ago.
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Most of your readers do I’m sure. 🙂 Spectacle like heroin needs increasing dose. Media is the supplier but it is not Mexico that has the drug problem. Your comment made me think of a stampede. It is likely that the center has no idea why they are running and are certainly clueless as to where they are going. It also started me to recite Kipling. If: A Father’s Advice to His Son
Thankfully many of the white hot forges that used to turn boys to men are cold now and evolution has been a little slow to catch up. But it will and we will have better men.
Today we “endeavor to persevere”, tomorrow we declare war on the Union.
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Thank you for these comparisons. While Biden is naturally growing older and wiser, Trump is still an adolescent bully.
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I like that, JoAnna! So sad that he’s become a role model for other bullies. The Wizard of Id.
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If Martha Stewart can be on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition at the age of 81, President Biden can still be president! He makes more sense when he speaks than a lot of people half his age … for example, Kevin McCarthy, Lauren Boebert, Marge Greene, to name just a few. People need to stop worrying about his age and start focusing on his achievements, on his views, and get behind him instead of trying to be a roadblock!
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Brava, Jill!
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Thanks, Annie!
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