Alex Thompson on 'Original Sin': Biden's Inner Circle and Alleged Health Cover-Up

The "Original Sin" of Biden's Re-election Bid

• 💡 The title "Original Sin" refers to the Democratic party's perspective that Joe Biden deciding to run for re-election was the primary reason for their electoral losses.
• 🎯 The book details how many Democrats, both within the administration and on Capitol Hill, observed Biden's decline in 2023 and 2024 but remained silent due to fear.
• 🧠 This silence is attributed to a mix of CYA (Cover Your Ass) tactics and a sense of relief that they could finally speak out after the election.

Fear and Silence Within the Democratic Party

• ⚠️ Democrats feared that speaking out about Biden's unsuitability for office would hurt him, make him more entrenched, and ultimately benefit Donald Trump.
• 🎭 Many Democrats engaged in a mirror image of Republican behavior, saying one thing privately about Biden's condition and another publicly.
• 📉 The fear of political repercussions, similar to what happened to Republicans like Bob Corker and Jeff Flake, silenced many.

Signs of Decline and Protective Measures

• 🗓️ The fall of 2023 is identified as a period when Biden's decline became more apparent, exacerbated by Hunter Biden's legal troubles and aging unpredictability.
• 🚶‍♂️ The "Ptorian Guard" or "Royal House Guard" around Biden implemented elaborate measures to minimize his visibility and mitigate the political harm of his decline.
• 👟 These measures included insisting on handrails, shortening stairs, limiting walking distances, and providing new shoes due to his degenerating spine and fear of falls.

Campaigning and Communication Challenges

• 🎥 Campaign commercials required astronomical hours to produce due to Biden's difficulty speaking, necessitating numerous jump cuts and multiple cameras.
• 📺 A staged town hall in Delaware, intended for a campaign commercial, was deemed unusable because Biden was still struggling to communicate.
• 🗣️ The campaign pushed public events to times when his energy levels were perceived to be higher, such as early mornings or late evenings.

The Mythology of Joe Biden

• 🚀 The mythology of Joe Biden, characterized by overcoming past setbacks and always coming back, became a signature virtue that eventually turned into a tragic flaw.
• 📖 The book frames the decision for Biden to run for a second term as a tragedy, driven by a sense of entitlement and the belief that all presidents deserve two terms.
• 🤔 Looking towards 2028, Democrats may face a reckoning, similar to the 2008 Iraq War vote, to determine their accountability for their actions or inactions regarding Biden's candidacy.