Dual Fitness Evaluations For Biden & Trump

The Democrats have an easy way out of the “Biden problem.” It’s also a perfect resolution for voters tired of the “dueling octogenarians” dilemma.

Here’s the solution: Biden publicly offers to undergo a complete physical/mental/psychological assessment, and publicly challenges Trump to do the same at the same time. More than a simple cognitive test, it should be a comprehensive evaluation made by impartial, non-partisan professionals. It should take into account all relevant criteria in determining fitness for office — cognitive, expressive, physical, mental, emotional, and psychological. The two candidates may do better in some areas than others. But the goal is be able to determine overall fitness for office and to make the results public, so that American voters can easily compare both men, based on transparent, professional evaluations.

This might be the most strategic move Biden and the Democrats could make, for a number of reasons. Biden will either prove himself fit for office or he won’t. If it turns out he isn’t fit, he drops out, not because he was forced to do so by party elites, or because of a frenzy of media pressure. He does so because he was willing to be transparent regarding his own abilities to do the job, and was willing to put democracy’s future ahead of his own personal ambitions. He can hand the opportunity for a continuation of his historical accomplishments to a new and worthy successor, with dignity and grace.

If Biden’s cumulative test results prove that he indeed has what it takes to be President, based on neutral, unbiased evaluations, then his fitness for office ceases to be an issue. End of debate story. Game on.

Trump, on the other hand, is left with a no-win situation.

If he accepts the fitness for office challenge that includes full medical, psychological and cognitive evaluations, he does so with no ability to hide or ignore his obvious mental and psychological decline (already made evident by his multitude of incoherent babblings at rallies, interviews and during other various public appearances).

If Trump declines the challenge (regardless of whether or not Biden does it), he looks weak, afraid and on the defensive. The media spotlight immediately goes to questioning why he won’t submit to the same tests as Biden, especially if he’s as strong, cogent and better-qualified as he claims to be.

Biden’s expressive and physical limitations did not materialize suddenly on the night of the debate. There were plenty of other gaffes to choose from long before. But the vast majority of Americans had simply not had the opportunity to see him in public performance mode since the State of the Union speech that seemed to establish his cognitive and expressive command. The debate debacle suddenly caught everyone’s attention. Most were taken by surprise. At that point, all media attention quickly ran away from Trump’s unending lies, word salads and hyperboles and jumped full-bore into Biden’s missteps, anxious to reveal his newly-exposed underbelly.

Perhaps both men ultimately are shown to be unfit, or both barely fit, or both fully-fit to be President; and that determination can be made impartially by non-partisan experts with verified expertise. But regardless of his own test results, Biden’s fitness will no longer be the lead story, endlessly promoted by headline-hungry media, while consistently leaving out an equal assessment of Trump’s own fitness for office. With impartial test results, both candidates are on equal footing going forward.

There is a best case scenario for Biden personally: He proves to be demonstrably and verifiably fit for office, significantly more so than Il MAGA Duce. In this scenario, with fitness verified, the public’s concerns about Biden have finally been put to rest. The media spotlight now shines brightly on Trump’s own fitness for office — not a test he is likely to “ace.”

There are four months left until Election Day, more than enough time to perform the comprehensive evaluation of both candidates that the public deserves (even if only Biden participates). It should only take a few days. If this leads to Biden’s resignation, it’s an easy segue for Kamala Harris to accept the baton from Biden and continue the campaign, including a debate with Trump in September (if the Lyin’ King doesn’t chicken out). Added bonus, the Biden-Harris campaign cash is immediately available to candidate Harris.

It’s unlikely that Team MAGA will ever abandon their cult leader, even if his fitness evaluation (assuming he agrees to it) points to a carbonated salmon beverage posing as his brain, or worse. But even if he refuses the evaluation and remains the GOP candidate, his opponent’s fitness will no longer be an issue. And he will be the only candidate running as a convicted felon, multiple-count indicted conspirator, unrepentant insurrectionist, absconder of government secrets, proven sexual predator, proud fascist, serial liar, and if he refuses the fitness test, the ultimate coward he has always has been.

Meanwhile, whether it’s Joe Biden, Kamala Harris or some other pragmatically chosen presidential ticket, the Democrats will have flipped the table on Trump and assured themselves a clear and direct path to victory in November, without the current distractions.

The strategy is simple and can be implemented right away. The pundit class and news media will be all over the story. If you think this is an idea worth spreading, as they say at TED talks, then please forward this essay to others. Maybe it will find its way to the Biden camp or some other opening in the Democratic party apparatus. They could certainly use a path forward at this incredibly important time. The public eagerly awaits.