Original Sin is the ultimate now-they-tell-us account

Some thoughts on the new Biden book

I was hearing that there were some big revelations in Original Sin, the new book from Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which covers the tail-end of the Biden presidency, his infamous debate night blunder with Donald Trump, and his decision to ultimately drop out of the 2024 race for the White House. Yet until I listened to the audiobook, I didn’t realize how bad things were.

The book gets to the point quickly. Between barely being able to get through full sentences, his staff adjusting his schedule to make the demands of being President more manageable, or the all too on point element of an 81-year old having dinner at 4:30 PM, former President Biden wasn’t fit for the office. At the end of his presidency, we could all see it, and his decision to run for President in 2024 was a significant reason Democrats lost the White House. His administration ignored the signs and prevented Democrats from having a chance in the presidential race.

I gobbled up Original Sin quickly. I’m interested in strategy, especially when it comes to deciding who is going to lead the free world. The book gets into that, and the gulf of opinions within the party over what choices Biden should’ve made regarding his reelection. The administration mostly ignored pollsters advising the party to change its message, hid the President’s health, and couldn’t align on a party strategy to defeat the GOP. The party is still reeling from these decisions and a lack of alignment today. It still seems like the party continues to lack a coherent message or any bench of candidates they can offer the country.

The book is harsh, and it seems like focusing on President Biden’s lack of fitness for the job will be the only thing people remember about his time in office. It is a legacy crusher.

Given his recent cancer diagnosis and the timing of the book’s release, it’s easy to view Original Sin as a pile-on. But to me, that is the easy way out. Some pundits have denounced it, and criticized Tapper and Thompson’s reporting as unfair to the former President. Citing the book as unfair to Biden is heretical and what put Dems in this position in the first place.

I get it. Discussing anyone’s personal health or mental decline is sensitive. Yet the job and the American people require more, which makes Original Sin a worthy journalistic endeavor. Critics can’t cover every move of the current administration and hope to hide from reality in their political circle.

Regardless of its tone, we needed someone to put what we all saw and felt during the debates and the end of the Biden presidency into words, which is what Tapper and Thompson do well. The book touches on that infamous debate night performance against Donald Trump that seemed to astound us all. The President looked confused, incapable of communicating clear ideas, and in declining health. It wasn’t an illusion. It is the ultimate now-they-tell-us story, about the highest office in the world, which also makes it a big deal. In a democracy, we need that, whether it aligns with our politics or not.

I can understand the backlash the authors have taken in the short time the book has been available. Discussing anyone’s personal health or mental decline is sensitive. Yet the job and the American people require more, which makes Original Sin a worthy journalistic endeavor.

Ultimately, it’s a sad account. If we want to avoid another situation like it, maybe we should trend younger next time we select a leader. Oh wait….