I asked a Democratic Congressman if Biden should be in charge of the Nuclear Codes at age 86. As you might suspect, he really, really didn't want to answer
Yesterday I issued an urgent appeal for all conscientious citizens, journalist or not, to pose a very simple question to the frantic Democratic Party “insiders” currently running around in despair that they won’t be able to beat Trump. The question: Do they believe that Joe Biden is mentally competent to retain “sole authority” over the nuclear launch codes at age 86? Because that’s the age he’ll be at the end of the next term he’s ostensibly seeking. Yes, the same question could (and should) be asked of whether he’s competent now, given the catastrophic cognitive deterioration everyone witnessed last week. But I do think tailoring the question specifically to his age 86 aspirations helps crystallize the issue. It’s impossible to believe that anyone who saw his DEFCON debate performance could remain sublimely confident in the mental dexterity of Biden to preside over the nuclear-apocalypse arsenal that would remain in his unilateral control four and a half years from now. Here’s my article from yesterday that goes into further details about the mechanics of presidential decision-making with respect to this world-destroying power.
So far there have been two Democratic Congressmen, Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), who have publicly called for Biden to withdraw. But as far as I’m aware, neither have addressed what should really be the core issue in any evaluation of presidential competence: do they have the cognitive aptitude necessary to handle extremely high-stress, high-intensity, time-sensitive life-or-death matters over which they have ultimate and virtually unchallengeable authority? Obviously the nuclear obliteration scenario is the most dire, but there are plenty of other lower-severity yet still massively consequential scenarios that should also be taken into account. The US is currently facilitating cross-border missile strikes into territorial Russia, a circumstance that would’ve made most Cold War-era presidents have an anxiety aneurysm. Israel appears to be gearing up for an all-out war against Hezbollah that could easily expand into an even larger regional war than the one that’s been raging since October 2023. Does this stuff ever cross the minds of despondent “Dem insiders”? Or are their brains so warped by Trump-obsessive fever dreams that they literally cannot even conceive of any other potential downsides to a cognitively impaired president, other than that he may have a hard time winning Wisconsin?
Hence, I ventured out to a Fourth of July parade today in Ridgefield Park, NJ, where Congressman Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) was scheduled to be holding court. Politicians love parades. They stomp around like they own the place, merrily shaking the hands of random people who mostly have no clue who they are, but assume they must be important. So as Gottheimer waltzed down the parade route, big smile on his face, I asked him the simple question that I’ve exhorted everyone to ask every “Dem insider” they can find. (See, I’m a man of my word!)
“Should Joe Biden be in charge of the nuclear launch codes at age 86?” I asked Gottheimer along the parade route. He said “Happy Fourth” and literally ran away, eager to plow ahead with his chipper glad-handing — much more enjoyable than answering a pertinent question of vital public interest.
I trailed Gottheimer to the end of the parade route, and after he finished huddling with campaign underlings, I attempted to ask him the same exact question. He claimed he had to go back and huddle with his posse once again, as if to just have me wait one second and he’ll be right back. Of course, that was his ploy for an escape route. At this point, certain of the staff started to realize there was a journalistic threat lurking, and mobilized into action. One asked me what my question was, and when I replied I would ask the Congressman directly, he said, “That’s not how this works.” The fellow evidently doesn’t understand how the First Amendment works. I’m happy to provide some remedial instruction.
Other goons then performed the standard Congressional staff maneuver of trying to physically blockade the meddlesome intruder from posing his question. This caused a very minor “scene” in which a police officer nearby assumed I must be up to no good, even threatening me with arrest if I persisted in approaching the goodly Congressman. I de-escalated the situation with the officer, explaining that this was a member of Congress politicking for votes at a public event, and I was not “harassing” anyone by attempting to calmly ask my question. He tentatively agreed, and acknowledged that I was permitted to continue.
Amusingly, the Congressman then ducked into the patriotic Grand Marshal parade booth, apparently thinking this would bar me from conveying my question over the open ledge. He was probably two feet from me, in direct earshot, so I asked the question (same wording) two additional times. Gottheimer hilariously pretended not to hear and/or just straight up ignored what I said. He then got up and hightailed it out of there, hoping to finally rid himself of my nagging presence. Oh, there was also one point where he specifically darted right in front of a stationary marching band playing at full volume, I guess to auditorily impede my ability to ask the question.
It was then that I relented, never wanting to make too egregious of a “scene,” but having accomplished the objective of posing the simple and straightforward question that should be posed to every “Dem insider” scrambling around right now in a political frenzy, even if they’re striding through their local patriotic parade looking for votes.
Conclusion: Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) really, really doesn’t want to say whether he thinks Joe Biden should be in charge of the nuclear codes at age 86.
Thankfully there was a brave policeman there to threaten to arrest you, menace to the public order that you are.
Nice story though. We could use a lot more of this. These fuckers are way too comfortable.
Coward. Leaders need to be brave, this guy is a weasel.