the big question of the night

While it’s no secret the Intramuralist believes there are serious integrity questions about each of the remaining presidential candidates (and yes, feel completely free to reach a different conclusion), I was glad to see them finally take the stage together last night. Indeed one of the disservices each of their parties has too generously provided the public is to circumvent the Commission on Presidential Debates; such adds to the question of integrity.

However, much as last night was fascinating — and we had so many questions going into the evening (i.e. will Trump be a bully? … will Harris spin up another word salad? … will Trump attempt to be more conservative? … will Harris attempt to be less liberal? … will they have any authentic policy discussion? … will Trump get rattled? … will Harris be able to keep the election not about her? … will ABC be neutral? …will they treat both sides the same? … will they sacrifice viewers?…). But alas, we digress.

As I watched the two on the staged platform, attempting to make a watching public think they are so wonderful and their opponent is so not, pining for the presidency, one question stood out:

Where’s Joe?

Honest thought.

We were told multiple weeks ago that Pres. Biden was incapable of running for re-election. Not only were we told, we saw it with our own eyes in his only debate. Something is clearly wrong with Biden from a cognitive, processing perspective. 

Of course we’ve heard the spin, PR, politicking, you-name-it… oh, it just happened… we never noticed… he had a cold… it was an off night… all you saw before were deep fakes… manipulated video… people trying to make him look bad… he was fine before now…

Please.

And let me be clear. I say this not as a Trump fan, Harris fan or even current member of either political party…

If Biden was deemed unfit to run by political insiders, why is he fit to still serve as President now?

I mean not to be mean. I absolutely will respect the office regardless of my fandom or vote. I simply question who is currently in charge and how capable they are. 

Who is running the country?

Pres. Biden has had little on his calendar. Vice Pres. Harris has been actively campaigning. Neither have been doing interviews. So again I ask: who is running the country?

Who’s reacting to Hamas?

Who’s responding to the aggression of the Houthis?

Who’s addressing Brazil’s censorship?

Who is doing all of the above and so much more — and putting politics aside for the good of the country?

Friends, the 25th amendment was ratified on February 10th, 1967. It was created for a reason. Its third section states that if the President “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office,” then “such powers and duties shall be discharged by the Vice President as Acting President.” With absolutely all due respect, noting the current President’s clear decline, why is VP Harris not the acting President now?

Is there something else in play they don’t want the public to know?

Is there someone who needs the situation to remain stagnate in order to hold onto position, power or influence?

I do not claim to know nor do I wish to craft any unreasonable conspiracy theories. But I do claim to ponder. Where is Joe?

Respectfully…

AR