Courtesy of Politico ...
Nine questions George Stephanopoulos should ask Joe Biden
When President Joe Biden sits down Friday with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, it will likely be the most important interview that he’s ever done. It also may be one of the trickiest interviews that Stephanopoulos has ever conducted.
Biden’s first interview since his disastrous debate will serve as an opportunity for the president to calm widespread fears among Democrats about his fitness to run for office — or exacerbate them. The interview is being closely watched for what Biden says — and above all, how he seems.
Biden has been criticized throughout his presidency for infrequently sitting for extended interviews. He needs the media now, though. It’s a challenge for Stephanopoulos as well: How to pin the president down in penetrating ways at a critical moment for his presidency — and the country — while remaining respectful, using scarce time to maximum effect and not making himself the story? It’s the kind of moment when preparation pays, and smart interviewers draw on the full breadth of colleagues in their newsrooms — batting around potential questions and approaches, and the answers they may yield.
Here are nine questions we’d ask Biden if we were in Stephanopoulos’ chair — and why.
Have you been tested for any kind of neurological condition? Have you received any diagnosis at all? Given the extraordinary circumstances of your being by far the oldest president in American history, will you fully release all medical records, including those that go well beyond what you have released to date?
Biden’s health has to be the main focus of this interview, and it is essential to get him on record on a matter of obvious public interest. If he says no to any part of this, push him, citing the New York Times reporting on how these episodes are happening more frequently.
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Mr. President, in these situations when you appear lost for words or struggling to find your place — what is your experience of those moments? Do you find that your mind has gone blank or your mind is racing or — well, what’s it like for you?
Use this moment to gain a deeper understanding of Biden’s own assessment of his abilities. At a simple human level, it is a key part of the story: What is really going on in these moments?
Describe your objections to the Supreme Court’s immunity and Chevron decisions.
The typical Washington lawmaker should be able to answer these questions fluently and cogently, and this is a good test of his mental agility on complex matters. But beware — don’t let him use the moment to go on and on and eat up precious time.
Were you aware of the ongoing efforts by your staff to insulate you from detailed interviews, sharply reducing your schedule? Do you now think this may have given the public a false view of your well-being?
Press Biden on his awareness about his own White House and campaign operations. White House reporters have observed for years that the president’s inner circle has formed a cocoon around him — but it’s only become apparent more recently that that cocoon was hiding a president in decline. Does he think he — or his team — should be accountable for that?
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You have said you “weren’t very smart” for “traveling around the world a couple times” in advance of the debate. But that was nearly two weeks before the debate, and you spent five days at Camp David for debate prep. Do the American people deserve a president who is capable of recovering faster from the demands of managing a reelection campaign while performing the duties of being a president?
Directly challenge one of Biden’s latest explanations for his performance.
If in the coming days or weeks you decide it’s best for the party that you step aside, will you commit to throwing your support behind Vice President Kamala Harris?
Press Biden to make news regarding his commitment to Harris. Harris has emerged as the White House’s chief on abortion rights. And in the initial days after last week’s debate, the vice president’s supporters were annoyed that the chatter about potential alternative nominees focused on governors — and not Harris herself. Will Biden back his veep?
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If polls are right, voters are prepared to support Democratic policies and candidates — but they are specifically not prepared to support you. Wouldn’t withdrawing put Democrats in much better shape this fall?
Press Biden on whether he’s arrogant to think he’s the only one who can defeat Trump. This is an uncomfortable sentiment, but it is often heard in background conversations with lawmakers and others in Washington’s political class: The suggestion that he’s being selfish right now clinging to power when Democrats are asking him to leave. How can he say the republic is at stake but then put himself first?
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How, if at all, has your thinking about age been informed by seeing Senate colleagues like Strom Thurmond, Robert Byrd and Dianne Feinstein continue deep into their 80s and 90s, in some cases with quite serious health issues?
Biden is above all a creature of the Senate, where he spent 36 years before becoming vice president under President Barack Obama, a man 20 years younger. It’s likely this Senate experience is influencing him now and possible also he is reflecting on the long arc of his career. A question like this might take Biden off scripted talking points and invite a more reflective response.
You said you would challenge President Trump to golf if he carried his own bags. Could you elaborate on what specifically you were getting at with that comment?
Biden may use the opportunity to try to elaborate on his lines about Trump at the debate and make a case people around him believe: All the focus on Biden is giving Trump a free pass. Fair enough. But if he’s making a serious case about Trump, he should do so, not simply use wisecracks and innuendo as he did at the debate. If Biden evades, push him further: “Mr. President, let’s cut to the chase: You were calling him fat and out of shape, right?”
