KRAWIEC: I just had a cold

OK, Democrats, the time for choosing is now.

President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference Thursday on the final day of the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin / AP Photo)

I know you are likely tired of hearing about President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance recently. I can’t resist commenting on it, though. The mainstream media has been in a tizzy for the past week about the debate and what a shock it was.

I hope you’ve noticed that the only time the media does its job is when there is a Republican in the White House. Then they work around the clock, turning over every stone to find a “gotcha” incident. If they can’t find any, then they go to great lengths to make stuff up and report on it as if it’s fact.

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There is nothing mainstream about the media. That stream meanders through Castro’s Cuba, North Korea and the People’s Republic of China. That’s the best I can say about our mainstream media.

The media talking heads were in “shock” the president performed so poorly. Huh? Where have they been? This was no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention. Most of us have seen the president do much worse at other times. This reminds me of Captain Renault in the movie “Casablanca.” He said, “I’m shocked, shocked to find gambling going on here.” He made this statement as he was collecting his winnings.

Members of the press have been running cover for the president ever since he began running for office. He managed to hide out in his basement during the first campaign and he wasn’t seen or heard as much as he should have been. Of course, COVID was on the scene, so they had a likely excuse. Most of us at that time had seen the signs of the president’s cognitive condition. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice when someone is having trouble putting thoughts together and expressing himself.

No matter how you feel about the president, and you know I’m no fan, this debate was painful to watch. It made me feel sorry for President Biden.

The spin room has gone dark, and the Sunday shows have had their input. Now the Democrats are in full meltdown. The party has some big decisions to make. Do they circle the wagons and protect their nominee, as they have been doing for four years? Or do they just throw him under the bus without running him over?

This is a real dilemma for the party. They have been telling us not to believe our “lyin’ eyes.” They classified our fears as “cheap fakes.” They rigged the nomination process to protect the president against other opponents. They put all their chips on their guy, and now they must reap what they have sown. They even shut out a Kennedy and would not allow him on the ballot — a Kennedy! There is no stronger Democrat credential than being a Kennedy.

The president’s team has answered with a decision to get him out more in front of the people. I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. He did OK at a rally where he could read the teleprompter, but we’ve seen in the past that he couldn’t do that without messing up.

His handlers also scheduled an interview with “friendly” commentator George Stephanopoulos. That didn’t do much more than the debate to stem the tide of those who believe he is incapable of being president. He appeared to lose his train of thought and meandered a bit. The performance was somewhat better than the debate, but that’s not saying much.

Biden’s campaign slogan has been that a Trump win will be the end of democracy. He also told Stephanopoulos that he could live with a Trump reelection and that he could sleep well if he did his best in the campaign. “I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all, and I did the goodest job I know I can do; that’s what this is about.”

Those comments will not help Americans conclude that he can serve as president. It will confirm the fact that he is a stubborn and selfish man who will do or say anything to hold onto power.

OK, Democrats, the time for choosing is now. You asked for him, and you got him, such as he is. Consequences are a real bitch sometimes.

Sen. Joyce Krawiec has represented Forsyth County and the 31st District in the North Carolina Senate since 2014. She lives in Kernersville.