Joe Biden and Mitch McConnell struck up a friendship during their nearly quarter-century in the Senate together. Now in their 80s, the Democratic president and the Senate GOP leader appear to be giving political cover to each other as they fend off questions about their advanced age and health issues.
Notably, McConnell, R-Ky., 81, hasn’t joined Donald Trump, 77, and other Republicans who have attacked Biden’s age, health and mental acuity as he seeks re-election.
And after McConnell’s second freeze-up last week, Biden was one of the first to call McConnell, telling reporters that his “friend” sounded like “his old self” and that such episodes are a “part of his recovery” from a fall and a concussion this year.
It’s not that hard to believe.
You have to remember that many politicians aren’t true believers. From gay men who run on a ‘family values’ platform, black men or people in interracial relationships who run on a (borderline) racist platform, rich ultra-capitalists who pretend to be men of the people and promote populist crap, ultra conservatives who are privately quite liberal, highly educated people who pretend to be morons, city folks who pretend to be cowboys, those who run on a green platform while privately investing in fracking from the comfort of their private jet, those who promote conspiracy theories they find stupid, those who hate the people who elect them, etc. etc.
Just like someone on QVC selling overpriced watches, it’s their job to pretend the product they’re selling is the best option for those watching. When the cameras are turned off, even the more extreme ones inevitably drop the act and act more like normal human beings.
It’s deeply cynical, it’s caused damage to democracy, but it is what it is. It’s like pretending to like arseholes if you’re a waitress, except you get paid more.