I’m guessing that a fair number of people are reacting to this week’s publication of the blockbuster book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, by thinking, “Hey, give the guy a break, he’s old, he’s sick, he was a good President — why bring up all this stuff now?”
Sorry, I’m not one of those. Remember this is Joe (“I will never lie to the American people”) Biden, whose people and party told us what was at stake in the 2024 election was respect for Truth vs. the Liar and The Big Lie. It was whether facts matter versus lies, distortions, and misinformation. It was about electing us, the adults in the room — or irresponsible know-nothings. It was a simple choice: us, or the end of American democracy.
Was it all a sham? A lie? Sure looks like it. Sure looks like everyone in Biden World was willing to do whatever they could to cover up the inconvenient truth of Biden’s not just ineffective, but dangerous, condition. It was bad enough that they kept up through his term, but inconceivable that they tried to tell us — no worries, he can handle another four years.
I happen to believe that Trump’s lies and distortions, not to mention his mendacity and that of the Republican Party, are yet worse. But the problem with all this is that now those who are appalled by Trump, MAGA, and the GOP enablers don’t really have a leg to stand on. They, or we, certainly can’t claim that Trump World is the one that purveys lies, distortions, and deceptions while the Democrats are on the side of truth, decency, and transparency.
Nor can one any longer claim that Trump’s constant attacks on the so-called Main Stream Media (MSM) as “fake news” are simply false and self-serving. The MSM bought the Biden World spin as eagerly as a dog goes for a bone, and gaslit any who questioned it. As co-author Jake Tapper put it, “Alex and I are here to say that conservative media was right and conservative media was correct and that there should be a lot of soul-searching, not just among me, but among the legacy media.”
The focus of Original Sin was Biden’s compromised condition, which was apparently evident as early as 2019. But to the “original sin” was added a second travesty, insisting that Kamala Harris must be the nominee and everyone must fall in line on that, as well. Calls from former President Obama for an open convention were ignored even though, before Biden finally stepped aside, Biden’s people were using the flaws of Harris as their rational for his staying in the race. “What? Do you want Kamala Harris?” they whispered.
The 2024 election was winnable. Trump was not inevitable. He could have been beaten and the Democrats had people who could have won.
It is noteworthy that the book’s title is a theological term, Original Sin. In the world of Christian faith, the response to finding oneself caught in sin is repentance, which is admission of failure and acceptance of responsibility. In fact, repentance begins, so to speak, at home. John Calvin echoed the New Testament when he said that “Repentance begins with the house and people of God.” Which, by analogy in this case, means it begins with the Democratic Party.
It does not begin by pointing the finger at others, whether Trump, Vance, Musk, or Speaker Johnson, but in self-examination, confession of sin and of failure. There may not be much that is truly original about the failure of the Biden inner circle and of the Democratic Party, but I am not seeing much in the way of self-examination and contrition. Prominent Dems have responded to the book by saying, “lay off,” “this is not the time,” etc.
So far it seems like the hopes of Democrats for the mid-terms are being pinned on the same old song, how awful Trump is, and that he is engineering the end of American democracy.
Here’s the truth: The Democratic Party has failed us. It has failed itself. Democrats need to own it, repent, and come up with a real agenda in place of “We’re not Trump.”
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Six months later, the country’s pastime is still flogging the losers of the last election. Is that healthy or productive? Absolutely agree a vision is needed, but “not Biden” as an ethos or plan isn’t all that different from “not Trump.” American journalism is cooked.
We have come to know the adage if a politicians mouth is moving they’re lying. Some of us held hope that the media would point it out and not whore themselves to a political party. The loss of that estate is saddest for me.
I couldn’t have said it better. You’re spot on.
Face it Anthony: All people lie, especially maybe Presidents.
For my group of Democrat friends, we all knew as early as 2022 that Joe’s cognitie abilities and overall health had deteriorated and that he should not run again. Joe said “I am a bridge to the future” but then he, and his entourage, talked themslves into running.
Why: He convinced himself that only e could beat Trump. Was he wrong: Clearly. Power corrupts, although I doubt he is personally, but he like other Presidents let family profit from his influence. Does anyone remember “Bill Beer” Or today, the gift of a Presidential airplane?
And American journalists told the country he was slipping. They showed it nightly in their film of him. Couldn’t get it “confirmed by someone inside?” Not needed, the eyes don’t fail us and the visuals spoke clearly.
So yes, he probably “gift wrapped Trump the Presidency.” That’s his “Original Sin.” And it hard and getting harder to forgive.
But enough about Joe. Can we please leave that to history and focus on the evil and blatantly unconstitutional actions of Trump?!t
What would this even mean? Let’s picture the Democratic Party stepping up to their responsibility with some self-examination. Who, specifically, do we see in this scene? Tim Walz? Gavin Newsome? Patty Murray? Everyone, all trying to get a word in edgewise? Where would this self examination be taking place – out on Highway 61? Would CNN be there?
There are books, columns, blogs, enough written and said about all this that no one could take it all in. Mostly unsatisfying, sure – kind of thin on substance, because the Democratic Party is the “big tent.” They aren’t going to come up with a “real agenda” that has anything new in it, because they don’t really have a common ideology the way the Republicans do. They will return to responsible government, and hopefully that’s what people want.
Here in Portugal, the recent elections added a lot of parliament members to the MAGA-like party, and they were disastrous for one of the left parties. The advantage this system has, is that you don’t have just one party with every kind of responsible politician, and the less responsible may be able to reel in a lot of voters but they hopefully won’t have enough to get control. In America, everyone from Pramila Jayapal to Marie Gluesenkamp-Perez is D, and the MAGAts will seize on one extreme and try to represent this as the party’s direction. You can ignore them. You aren’t going to vote for the party, anyway, you’re going to vote for individuals – it isn’t like the Republican party, where you’re voting for some insect who will do Trump’s bidding.
Donn, it IS hard to imagine a scenario where the leaders of our political parties subject themselves to audits, disciplinary actions, or FOIA requests from journalists. In private, they may acknowledge that their actions played a role in reducing voter trust, but it’s unlikely that they’ll share their regrets with other members of the party or the public at large.
Is anyone in either party empowered to dismiss party leaders who interfere with open elections, tolerate nepotism, and perpetuate misinformation or disinformation campaigns? Will Democrats ever admit that shaming the friends and family members who vote Republican destroys trust and needs to stop?
I love the objectively, Anthony. The willingness to see things for what they are vs denying reality, in fealty to dogma, is a breath of fresh air.
I’m dismayed at most Democrats in Congress and their party. The glaring inability or unwillingness to respond to the president in ways that people can understand seems to me to show cowardice or even fear. Only a few of them have bothered to speak to their constituents. The lack of ideas is appalling and indefensible. Can they think? It seems not. I’m fully aware that a post such as this one solves nothing, but I just had to write it.
As an independent long horrified by the increasing corruption and cruelty of the Republican Party and disappointed by the corporatization of the Democratic Party, I watched the Biden Trump debate out of my deep concerns about Joe Biden’s candidacy and his ability to deal with the Trump steamroll machine. As many have said, I would vote for a rock over Trump. But Trump was bankrolled and backed by billionaire boys, rightwing fanatics and Christian nationalists the likes of which we have never seen. He was an ominous threat and needed to be stopped.
Within ten minutes it was gravely apparent that a massive coverup had been taking place, and I felt a wrenching sense of betrayal that was only compounded as Biden, Democratic operatives and his inner circle gaslit the American public. “Who the fuck is running the country?” I cried. Cause it sure wasn’t Biden.
Anybody who underestimates how seriously impacted many of us were by this “unmasking” understands nothing about ordinary Americans. Yes, this story is important. The Democrats have a ton of responsibility for the fact that Trump was elected, and this is a hugely significant piece of it. What in the world were they thinking? That they could cruise on a dysfunctional Biden because Trump was so bad? Well, here we have it: a fast deteriorating democracy and all the rest of a barrage of rubbish since inauguration day. Frankly, I don’t know how or if the Democratic Party will recover from this. The rest of us are bracing as best we can for the storms ahead.
It was actually that they were afraid to do anything else, because Trump was so bad.
Robinson’s “they had people who could have won” picture glosses over the problem.
It wasn’t a particularly stellar crowd – the best potential isn’t going to come out when there’s a successful same-party incumbent, and contrary to the propaganda he’s been reading, Biden’s administration was doing well.
I’m not saying it was the best idea ever, but comparing this to the problems with the current administration is unreal. The bottom line is that Americans aren’t always going to be able to count on the Democratic party to save them from themselves, The people who actually elected Trump are the ones who need to be doing the self reflection and repentance, and the churches as well since that’s where his largest demographic was.
When I think about the policies the Democratic platform must address in 2028, I think of Ezra Klein’s interview with a Democrat pollster named David Shor. Shor’s analysis of the 2024 vote includes an upsetting chart titled “Issue Importance Versus Trust in Democrats.”
I was surprised to see that 2024 voters had roughly the same level of trust in Democrats and Republicans on traditional Democrat issues like student debt, voting rights, race relations, income inequality, education, Medicare, housing, and poverty. They had slightly more trust for Republicans on issues like civil liberties/privacy issues, drug abuse, Social Security, and political division. How did THAT happen?
I was not surprised, however, to see that 2024 voters had a LOT more trust for Republicans on hot button voting issues like INFLATION, THE ECONOMY, and COST OF LIVING.
Perhaps the 2024 election was merely a referendum on inflation and the cost of living – not a referendum on trust for the Democratic party itself. If inflation continues to rise, and/or the cost of living remains high, perhaps voters will lose trust for Republicans, too. Democrats may find themselves in a position to regain the support, if not the trust of voters.
Should we wait passively and hope that this is what happens?
I hope I’m not the only voter who believes that a successful and stable Democracy depends on voter trust for BOTH parties as well as the Executive branch, the Judiciary, and Congress. I also believe that a stable Democracy depends on voter trust that our Democracy will not fail because the opposing party is currently in power. What can voters like me do in their community to rebuild voter trust – one voter at a time? What can our political parties do? What can our journalists do? To view the video by Ezra Klein which challenged my assumptions, see https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-david-shor.html.
Can anyone make a case for trusting political party leaders? I’m under the impression that leadership rights go to the best fundraisers, not the people with the best policy ideas or the people who are most honorable and trustworthy.
Trustworthiness is a kind of squishy thing to pin down, isn’t it?
You may not be old enough to remember Ronald Reagan. He was very good at getting people to trust him, but he had a pretty good head start as a conservative Republican, because – pardon me if I indulge in a stereotype – the conservative voter type is is more motivated by faith, trust, loyalty etc., than the liberals, who are more fickle and skeptical by nature. Do these conservative voters go to great lengths to assess trustworthiness? No, obviously they do not.
I would urge people to consider the INDIVIDUALS they’re voting for, and their actual record of honesty. As reported by the press, as in, newspaper ideally. Don’t “listen to your heart”, just count ’em lies.
The headline of this article misses the point and directs us to the wrong issue.
Joe Biden is irrelevant.
The Democratic mandarins, both elected and adjacent, are the culpable ones.
But all they illustrate is the human frailty of group think and fear. We are all guilty of that.
And yet it would be useful for the Democratic Party establishment to acknowledge something related to what the Republican establishment is also doing — inaction and even support of the dangerous elephant in the room.