This doesn't look good.
The story of the Biden dog got worse, the more I learned. The Biden dog, Commander, had been biting people every couple of weeks for nine months. People got hurt and needed puncture wound treatment at the White House Medical Unit.
I realize that this error by Biden is infinitesimal compared to Trump trying to undermine the Constitution. I am not claiming equivalency between being an inconsiderate dog owner and trying to overthrow the republic. Trump is worse. That said, I think Democrats must be clear-eyed about errors by fellow Democrats, whether it be in policy, in behavior, or as political malpractice.
Commander biting people is body language. It is a thing -- an event -- that tells a story at first glance. It is a mentally sticky story because it undermines the Biden brand. It gives rise for some voters to think that the whole image of "Scranton Joe" -- the old-school supporter of the working guy -- is a hypocritical lie. I watched Joe Biden tell union firefighters he cares about them. That is the Biden in speeches.
But actions speak louder than words. Nothing signifies disrespect and entitlement so much as Biden tolerating a dog who bites Secret Service employees.
It looks bad because it is bad.
It exemplifies an unattractive part of the Biden story. That is the one where he tolerates intolerable behavior by members of his "family," be it Hunter or Commander. Blindness to wrongdoing speaks to Joe Biden's competence and judgment. Those are the supposed Biden strengths.
Possibly I dislike dog bites more than the average person. I was bitten on the forearm by a large dog as a five-year-old and I still remember it. Maybe some people are OK being around an aggressive dog with a reputation for biting people. I'm not.
I think Biden was a disrespectful employer and a negligent dog-owner. Commander needed at the first or second incident to be adopted out to a calmer environment. But it took two dozen incidents to persuade Biden to move Commander out of the White House last fall. And if Commander was too dangerous to be safely placed elsewhere, then he needed to be put down. What Biden could not do is tolerate owning a dog that regularly bites federal employees.
If I were on the Republican communications team, I would make a big deal about this. It would be a version of the "Swift Boat" attack strategy, where you criticize the opponent at their point of strength.
Just look at Biden's sense of entitlement! You think he cares about working people? Ha!
Maybe the ad would have images and sound of a snarling German Shepherd. Maybe get video from a disgruntled former employee. Maybe intercut some images of Hunter so people get the connection that Joe Biden is blind to corrupt and dangerous behavior.
Is there a defense for Joe Biden? If he claims ignorance, he risks making the point that he is a clueless. He cannot easily claim he thought Commander was improving because the incident log shows Commander kept biting at a steady pace. Maybe he can try the indulgent-parent approach, and say Commander is a good dog who was just trying to help the Secret Service protect him. Biden can present himself as a character we all know, the overindulgent dog lover.
Some dog lovers will like him for that, but I have little sympathy for dog owners who tolerate dangerous dogs. Commander proved himself to be dangerous. My sympathies go with the employees. Biden's first loyalties were owed to them.
Biden screwed up. He can apologize and hopes this fades from memory. Maybe it will. Possibly Republicans are too busy chasing fantasies of the stolen 2020 election to realize their opportunity.
Totally agree. I was appalled to hear this. Really bad.
Having worked in a government bureaucracy, I am wondering who is going to bother the President of the US with the fact that his dog bit a Secret Service staffer. I dont think that would have happened.