Defending Jake Tapper

 

Television journalist Jake Tapper is being criticized for his book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again co-written with Alex Thompson.

Disclaimer number 1: I've only read excerpts. My copy is on order. Yes, I could have it on my Kindle, but I prefer to keep hard copies of historical/political books.

Disclaimer number 2: Over all I respect Joe Biden. As a human, he has made mistakes, but his policies and actions over a long career would be ones I would have made in his position. Aside from the health issue, I wish he had better publicized his successes. For example, when the many congressmen/women took credit for programs that Biden had instituted but they had voted against, he should have called them out. 

As for his declining health and his wanting to rerun anyone who watched him, could conclude, he was too old. Polls reflected that voters thought both candidates too old.

As much as I hate the "what aboutism" Biden was not the first president to have had health issues in office covered up.

• James Garfield was shot 2 July 1881. He hovered in bad condition until November.
• Woodrow Wilson was disabled by a stroke in 1919, but his condition was kept from the public and his close circle with the help of his wife, later known as the first female American president. She took control until the end of his term in 1921. Wilson died in February 1924. 
• FDR was left paralyzed from the waist down by polio in 1922. Between crutches and leg braces, his condition was kept from the public. Wheelchair President is a documentary that reveals many of the details, the public never saw. The press helped keep the information from the public.
• JFK had major back problems, that were hidden from the public as was his Addison disease. The press also kept mum on his sexual affairs.

It is easy to laugh at Trump's medical reports, one written allegedly by his doctor which read like one of Trump's rally speeches. His doctor's alleged letter said: "If elected, Mr. Trump, I can state unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."As for when Trump had Covid, the medical team reports were like a bad made for-TV movie. www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGiIi5Z45zA.

Back to Sin. The public should be made aware of major health issues of any leader. The press, including Tapper/Thompson, could have done more during the administration. However, there is a better late than never theory. 

When this period of American history is studied in 20, 50, 100 years, the dangers of Trump have not had the coverage they deserve need to be available. 

The ramblings of Nos. 45 and 47 show an unstable human. I may not be a psychologist, but professionals have sounded the alarm. https://jaapl.org/content/46/2/267 

The timing of the release of the book has been slammed. It was not Tapper/Thompson's fault that it came at the same time of Biden's cancer announcement.

Had the book been released before the election the accusation of trying to influence an election would be more damning and guaranteed a Trump victory. If it had been released when there was still time for the Democrats to select a better candidate, that would have maybe saved the country from Trump. But books can't be published before they are written.

Sin accomplishes a major thing...it reports an important part of the story of the 2024 election among many other factors. 

The 2024 election was a disaster for America: two unsuitable candidates with a result that is leading America down the path of self-destruction. Tapper/Thompson are not responsible for it.