A BOOK set to be released this week dives deep into the decision of former American President Joseph Biden to seek reelection in 2024 despite obvious signs of weakness in his physical and mental capacity, brought about by old age.
Original Sin by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson “presents a scathing account of a president cocooned from reality – and fuels questions about his role in the party,” according to The Guardian.
While the book is yet to be circulated globally, excerpts have been made available in some news outlets, and the authors have been granting interviews into their process of obtaining material for the book. Most of their sources requested anonymity.
The book is expected to detail how Mr. Biden’s decline was attempted to be hidden from public view by his inner circle. His disastrous performance during a debate with now-President Donald Trump is, in hindsight, a manifestation of what they had been trying to conceal all along.
This week, too, the former President’s camp announced he is suffering from prostate cancer, which had spread to his bones. This, in itself, is tragic, as is the thought of the serious blow that the concealment dealt on the prospects of the Democratic party, viewed in the light of current decisions and policies made by the Trump administration.
The Biden story could be seen as a lesson in leadership, selflessness, and patriotism. This is particularly significant at this point in Philippine politics, when we have just elected public servants to lead us in the next three years. Unfortunately, many officials appear intoxicated with a sense of their own indispensability. They may hide their weaknesses, focus on their strengths, and use the benefit of their incumbency political/ familial brand.
Such decisions, especially when they yield disastrous consequences, will negate whatever positive contributions they may have made earlier on in their career.
