SUBTRACT AD-LIBS, KEEP THE SILENT PART SILENT
“The words of a president matter. They can move markets. They can send our brave men and women to war. They can bring peace.”
— Candidate Joe Biden during the presidential campaign
It’s a cliche lede for modern commentators: Somebody “said the silent part out loud.” That used to be called saying too much. Or showing your hand. TMI, as the kids say.
When one of us little people says the silent part out loud, we might deserve a rebuke or maybe cause an awkward pause in the conversation. But when the leader of the free world does it … .
He did it again.
President Biden should use more opportunities to keep quiet. His ad-libs don’t just hurt his credibility. They could do damage. He seems to do fine when the teleprompter is rolling. But when he’s yukking it up with the media or fellow politicians, or perhaps going off-script to make his speech sound “more real,” his words become problems.
President Biden gave a near halfhour speech the other day in Poland, little of it remembered. Then at the end of it, he added nine words that everybody seems to remember: “For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power.”
He was talking about Vladimir Putin.
Doubtless the off-the-cuff comment was translated into Russian for a certain president in Moscow, too.
If the little dictator and former KGB agent wasn’t completely paranoid already, and willing to cross certain lines to make sure his invasion of Ukraine succeeds, he probably is now.
Some of us can say the silent part out loud: Having a different president in Russia would probably be good for Europe, and the rest of the world. But those of us who can say that easily enough have no power to make it happen. Not even perceived power.
The president of the United States is in a different kind of position. An analyst on CNN might have put it best: “Will the notion that Biden hopes to topple Putin — even if the U.S. says it’s not true — harden the embattled Russian leader’s resolve against negotiations or cause him to further escalate an already merciless war against civilians?”
After the president’s gaffe, his people shifted into reverse. Which they seem to have to do on frequent occasions.
The White House “clarified” his comment: “The president’s point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia or regime change.” (But that’s what he said.)
The secretary of state for this country was a little better with his walk-back: “We do not have a strategy of regime change in Russia, or anywhere else for that matter. In this case, as in any case, it’s up to the people of the country in question. It’s up to the Russian people.”
Unfortunately for the world, the U.S. secretary of state’s comments probably won’t make as much news as the U.S. president’s. And the propagandists in Russia are probably making the most of the whole thing. European leaders felt the need to disagree with Joe Biden publicly.
The best result of this little episode might be that the world, and the world’s leaders (of every stripe) think not too much about it, because the president of the United States can’t be taken seriously.
NB: The president of the United States must be taken seriously.
In the past, an ad-lib by Joe Biden would only embarrass the Obama administration, or maybe derail one of those several Joe-for-president campaigns. But now that he actually is president, these ad-libs can do damage. And not only to his reputation.