Stop gaslighting, folks. Get serious about democracy and take away Biden’s ‘car keys’

I feel like I’m living through a masterclass in gaslighting. And that’s saying a lot, because as a woman with some years on me I’ve experienced a monumental amount of what I would call expert level gaslighting.

Of course, the gaslighting I’m talking about is Biden’s debate performance and the subsequent road show of “You didn’t see what you thought you saw.”

The sheer audacity of this is mind-boggling and also distributing. People as a general rule don’t like being lied to, and we also really don’t like being told that what we have witnessed with our own eyes didn’t really occur.

We all know that seeing Biden attempt to answer questions was frightening and that the debate debacle served as a giant neon sign that he’s not capable of serving another four years as president.

If you’re older like I am (qualifies for the AMC senior movie ticket discount but not yet eligible for Social Security), you’ve witnessed and dealt with your parents aging and know firsthand all the signs of a person who’s entered the era of rapidly diminishing capacity. They have good days and really bad days, but quickly the bad days take over and that’s all you have left.

When Biden was on the debate stage, my primary thought over his performance, besides terror, was thinking, “Where is this man’s family and why are they allowing their loved one to suffer?”

The fallout or excuse-a-thon after the debate has been astonishing. I feel like we’ve had the kitchen sink thrown at us. Everything from Biden had a cold to jet lag.

Umm no, without a doubt Biden has age related health issues which are rendering him incapable of holding perhaps the most demanding job in the world: that of president of the United States.

As of this writing, Biden is on his, I guess you could call it the “Look at me. I’m not that man you saw on the debate stage” tour and it’s not going well. Despite all the smoke and mirrors and teleprompters, we all see a man who’s 81 and in failing health.

It’s like we’ve all just been forced to solve a horrifying word problem. If Biden at age 81 is exhibiting these issues now, what will he be like in four more years when he’s 85?

The correct answer is, I’m way too scared to think about it.

And here’s what I really don’t understand. For all the talk from Democrats about “saving democracy,” why is the only choice they’re giving us is a man who, due to his age and apparent health issues, is physically frail and mentally fragile?

There are more than 200 million people in the U.S. who are 35 years and older, so logic would dictate there just might be someone a wee bit more up for the job than Biden. I don’t care that he still wants to do it or if he’s waiting for the “Lord Almighty” to tell him to “get out of the race.”

If the party is serious about “saving democracy” they can’t stand by and do nothing. You can’t sacrifice the country’s future because of an old man’s ego.

For me it’s like when my family had to tell my dad he could no longer drive anymore. He pitched a big fit and said he absolutely refused to give up driving. But we took his keys and sold his car for his safety and the safety of everybody else on the road.

I suggest the leadership in the Democratic party take Biden’s keys.

Reach Sherry Kuehl at snarkyinthesuburbs@gmail.com, on Facebook at Snarky in the Suburbs, on Twitter at @snarkynsuburbs on Instagram @snarky.in.the.suburbs, and snarkyinthesuburbs.com.