7/1/2024

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

As my buddy, Tee, posted on FB, it’s “TIME FOR A RESET.”

We are both having one. Mine is going great!

Assessment methods might help you to contemplate yours.

First, consider the constructs assessed during the debate, specifically the abilities to a) keep your cool, b) think on your feet & c) articulate your position in a succinct manner. While you did keep your cool, you did not provide strong evidence for the other two. E.J. Dionne Jr. points out that you “had trouble landing even easy punches or executing well-prepared attack lines coherently.” Jill Filipovic noted that “saying the word abortion tripped (you) up” She attributed your “struggles to …general disengagement on the issue, & a genuine lack of knowledge.”

Second, consider the validity of the assessment. Those things are NOT the only requirements of the POTUS. As you stated, telling the truth, knowing right from wrong & getting the job done, are also necessary. As are the abilities to “embody the message” & “show up for the people” as noted by Sen Raphael Warnock.

Third, consider the reliability of the assessment, ie: will you get the same result every time you run it? Some, like Gov. Gavin Newsom, suggest your performance was a one-off.

I know Jill & the other Bidens are supportive of your staying in the race. The choice is not easy & I’m glad I don’t have to make it. As the G says, we “are caught between Scylla & Charybdis.”

Ezra Pound speaks my mind when he writes “Democrats say that democracy is on the ballot. But it isn’t. Biden is on the ballot…The president is important, but he is not alone. He is part of a party.” Know that other Dems are ready to step up.

Self-assessment is challenging. Know that you are loved no matter what you decide.

Let’s not forget Burma & the other places in the world in desperate straits. As today’s NYT headline states, “As Inflation Soars, Myanmar Shop Owners Are Jailed for Raising Wages.” UGH!

BYBS,