Did Anyone Notice that the President’s Press Conference was Better than Expected?

 

Very few.  But The Sensible Conservative did.

Sure, he made some mistakes including being too candid about NATO’s reaction to a “minor” Russian incursion into Ukraine.  As is his wont, some responses did wander a bit.

But his performance – from a style perspective – exceeded expectations.  Since this was only the President’s second press conference after a year in office, many on the Right were cheering the prospect that his well-known history of public incoherence (the evident reason for his absence from the public stage) would be unavoidably on display.  Those on the Left were dreading that this would indeed come to pass.  Disappointment and relief, respectively occurred instead.

Joe Biden was calm, generally in good humor and seemingly knowledgeable on the subjects discussed.  In short, he came off as intellectually alert and confident in his responses.

That was, from a foreign policy perspective, good to see.  Characterizations of our President as incompetent and mentally challenged can discomfort our allies and encourage aggression from our foes.  (Why fear the leader of the free world?)

Such observations, however, were not made by conservatives in general.  Fox’s prime time hosts (7-11pm) had no compliments to utter.  It was as if favorable comments about the devil would bring down the wrath of God (or at least Fox’s viewers) upon them.  Has partisanship so taken hold of people that being fair is forbidden?

Ironically, given the general hostility of the Left toward an American role in the world, CNN and MSNBC took Joe Biden to task for confusing listeners (those in Ukraine in particular) about minor versus major incursions.  (The former would be ok?)  Maybe their general disenchantment with Biden’s failure to fulfill leftist legislative promises is the reason.

NOTE:  My approval is limited to his performance.  The substance of his comments is on the value of policies pursued is delusional.