Former Obama Aides Sound Alarm Over “Frail” Biden
Previous associates who closely collaborated with then-Vice President Joe Biden during the Obama era are expressing genuine apprehensions regarding his age, describing it as "a very real issue" and noting his apparent increase in fragility and incoherence.
Jon Favreau, the former chief speechwriter for Obama during Biden's tenure as vice president, highlighted Biden's perceptible frailty in recent appearances. "If you watch Joe Biden speak, oftentimes he sounds frail and he sounds more frail than he used to, even in 2019 and 2020," Favreau remarked on the "Pod Save America" podcast. He attributed this change partly to Biden's arthritic condition, which affects his mobility, and also observed a decline in his vocal clarity.
Favreau emphasized the significance of addressing public concerns about Biden's age, citing polls indicating that up to 80% of Americans worry about having an 81-year-old president. He stressed the necessity for Biden to make more frequent public appearances to reassure voters, cautioning that his absence could exacerbate apprehensions about his fitness for office.
His sentiments were echoed by podcast co-host Jon Lovett, another former Obama speechwriter, who urged the Biden administration to showcase the president's mental and physical capabilities through public engagements, despite the risk of potential verbal slip-ups.
Dan Pfeiffer, a former senior adviser to Obama, shared similar concerns in a separate interview, describing the issue as "a very real issue" that could impact Biden's chances of reelection. Pfeiffer emphasized the importance of addressing Biden's age as a strategic priority for the campaign, particularly among voters who question his fitness for the presidency.
David Axelrod, a former Obama campaign strategist, suggested leveraging Biden's personality as a campaign asset. Referencing Biden's past confrontational remarks, Axelrod encouraged Biden to embrace his temperament and directly challenge former President Donald Trump with succinct, memorable phrases that resonate with his authentic style.
"I would encourage Biden to be Biden," Axelrod remarked during a CNN appearance, emphasizing the potential effectiveness of Biden's candid and straightforward approach in engaging with voters and shaping the campaign narrative.