NBC’s Chuck Todd delivered the talking point about Mitch McConnell’s health incident that we were all waiting for: this medical episode makes it harder for the GOP to attack Biden’s age. In the commentary segment, Todd did mention Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and her serial health problems, including a severe bout of shingles that sidelined her for months.
He later went into the polling numbers regarding Congress and the Supreme Court term limits, where most voters agree that mandatory retirement age should be in place in the swamp. Sen John Fetterman (D-PA) is another sitting senator who hasn’t recovered from his near-fatal stroke in 2022, and it shows. Todd concluded that there will be more than a few members of Congress who will be 75 years of age or older by the end of 2023. Congress is becoming more like the home of the merciful rest than a legislature.
But buried in that segment is the real point: it doesn’t matter. While being a Senate leader is a key position, it doesn’t hold the presidency's powers. That’s the most obvious, and does it make it harder for the GOP to attack Biden’s age? McConnell doesn’t control the nuclear arsenal nor dictate national security policy. It’s apples and oranges. Also, there’s probably a significant number of Republicans who do want Mitch gone.
The age issue is more relevant for Biden due to apparent reasons concerning power and responsibility. And if Democrats and the media want to call out Republicans for hypocrisy, the GOP should shrug. The Democrats will circle Biden, but it’s well-known that they wish to boot Feinstein. It cancels each other out, and if the GOP operative class is worried about hypocrisy, have no fear; this election will be brimming with it.
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