You Get What You Pay For, Including Joe Biden

In their later years, I grew to love my parents dearly, and appreciated the upbringing they provided for me. But as I grew older, I would have tense discussions with them regarding the home improvements they invested in. Having grown up during the depression, they were always frugal to a fault regarding the people they hired; they were barely interested in the recommendations that the contractors could provide, and were determined to get the best deal. Inevitably, the work was often shabby and poorly constructed, and then my parents would rant about the quality of the work. I would sometimes lecture them, trying to avoid saying, “I told you so,” but over the years, they couldn’t or wouldn’t change their choices.

Until they did. Eventually my mother registered the common sense I was sharing, and they started to be more demanding about the work they had done. And as they were rewarded with good work, they were delighted to tell me all about their experience. I, of course, congratulated them on their wise decisions, and from that point on, they began to enjoy the work they contracted.

I was reminded about this time in our lives, when my parents were still alive, about how they didn’t get stuck in old mindsets and opened up to new possibilities. They relied on hiring experienced contractors and started to pay attention to the outcomes. I was delighted to see them change and mature, and we could all celebrate their growth.

And then I started to think about Joe Biden.

All of the signs of his mediocrity were evident early on. He was known for plagiarizing many papers in his college years. He was in the bottom half of his graduating class. He lied about his college accomplishments. As a senator, he attacked Clarence Thomas as he was being considered for the Supreme Court, which Justice Thomas described as akin to a lynching. Biden was also behind the attacks on Robert Bork.

Biden’s personal behaviors were also called into question. He was frequently seen touching women and children:

In a March 29 essay on New York Magazine’s The Cut, Former Nevada assemblymember Lucy Flores opened the conversation around Biden’s handsy behavior—and thus his unsuitability for the job of President—by writing about a 2014 incident in which Biden, during a political event, put his hands on Flores’ shoulders, smelled her hair and slowly kissed the back of her head. In the essay, Flores said the incident made her feel embarrassed, shocked and confused. She found Biden’s behavior ‘demeaning and disrespectful,’ and spoke of the ‘power imbalance’ between Biden and the women he feels so comfortable touching.

And more recently we’ve seen his inept decision-making regarding removing our troops from Afghanistan, managing the Covid-19 vaccines, disaster at the southern border, record inflation, and other failed legislation. He also frequently told and repeated lies about his family.

Why do I bring all of this up? Because in this critical election period, the focus is on Biden’s mental deficiencies, which distracts people from his disastrous record. His refusal to step down should not be a surprise; his narcissism and self-indulgence are in the spotlight for all to see. But in some ways, Joe Biden has always signaled who he is. Like many politicians, he has a big ego and refuses to listen to the guidance of others, but to an alarming degree (unless they are progressives). We saw the signs early in his career that he was prepared to “dress up” his credentials and repeatedly lie to the American people. Some things simply don’t change

I say to the Democrats—

You get what you pay for.