thependulumswings

President Joe Biden and CBS’ 60 Minutes got together for an interview (we use that term loosely these days) that aired Sunday night.  We believe his performance landed somewhere in between two other great theatrical performances.

On the high side, it landed just below John Belushi playing Bluto in the 1980 hit Animal House.

Bluto: “What? Over? Did you say ‘over’? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!”

Biden:  “The pandemic is over.”  We still have a problem with Covid.   But people aren’t wearing masks anymore.  People are in pretty good shape.”

On Monday the White House was power walking that utterance back.  CNN, “the most trusted name in news,” reported yesterday that the White House says that its Covid-19 policy is unchanged despite Biden’s comments that the pandemic is over.

In interviews, six administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment said the president’s statement would probably make it harder to persuade people to get shots or secure new money from Congress, noting those efforts have already lagged behind their goals.

Maybe those in the military who didn’t get the jab or four can get back to defending the country?  Maybe we can stop suspending loan payments? Another round of noninflationary covid-19 stimulus checks anyone?  Etc.

In other words, it’s hard to keep giving away money and telling the same lie if the leader doesn’t go along with it. Maybe the White House can’t handle the truth?

So, on the low side, it landed just above Jack Nicholson playing Colonel Jessup in the 1992 drama A Few Good Men.

Colonel Jessup: “You can’t handle the truth.”

Interviewer: “The stock market dove 1300 points.  People are shocked by their grocery bills.  What can you do better and faster?”  Biden: “Let’s put this in perspective.  The inflation rate month to month is up hardly at all.  It was 8.2. or 8.2 before.  You’re making it sound like it went to 8.2 all of a sudden.  It hasn’t spiked in the last several months.  It’s been just barely, um, it’s been basically even.”

It’s scary to even ask this, but “how many people in America think that if inflation hovers around 8.2% annualized month to month that it’s barely going up?”

Does Biden and the White House actually believe the math salad that they are serving the country?  Or, do they believe America is too dumb to understand, so they buy this BS line just like they’ll stand in line to pay more for groceries?

Your physical health is way better, they just don’t want you to think so.  Your financial health is way worse, they just don’t want you to think so.  The 2022 midterms loom.

When Bluto ran out of the frat house no one followed him.  Today, far too many would.

Do the history books today teach us that it was indeed the Germans who bombed Pearl Harbor?  Today, we can’t handle the truth.