Just how incapacitated has Joe Biden become? Out of the blue, Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared today that the upcoming Presidential Debates should be cancelled. Yup. The American voters should not get to see the two candidates for the top office in the land engage in a discussion of the issues.

The drumbeat to avoid debates began a month ago. CNN’s Joe Lockhart. Elizabeth Drew of The New York Times. Democratic strategist Zac Petkanas also floated the Trump is “not a legitimate candidate” argument for cancelling the debates. And now, the Speaker of the House has picked up that baton. Pelosi knows, and his handlers know: Joe Biden simply cannot handle three live 90-minute rounds with no commercial breaks. Not with anyone. Certainly not with one Donald J. Trump, who chewed up 16 GOP debate contenders like they were a McDonald’s burger and fries. 

What Pelosi Couldn’t Say

Of course, Pelosi couldn’t say Biden is mentally incapable of debating the President, so she came up with glorious little gaslight. She says the debates would be an “exercise in skullduggery.”

“I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States,” she said. Get that? Not only was his election illegitimate, even a conversation with Trump is illegitimate. But Nancy was just winding up.

So I think that he’ll probably act in a way that is beneath the dignity of the presidency; he does that every day. But I think it will also belittle what the debates are supposed to be about. And they’re not to be about skullduggery on the part of somebody who has no respect for the office he holds, much less the democratic process.

(Talk about projection!)

What is so asinine about this statement is even it were true, Biden — if elected — would have to meet with adversarial leaders. Skullduggery means “underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; trickery.” Does this mean Biden can be easily fooled?

And if he can’t handle a rough time from Trump even with the help of loyal moderators, what’s going to happen in a room with Vladimir Putin or Kim Jung Un or Chinese President Xi? Or Nancy Pelosi herself? Is he going to stay in the White House basement for that too?

Still Obsessed with 2016

Pelosi also rewrote the history of the 2016 debates. Fox News reports, “She cited Trump’s ‘disgraceful’ performance at the 2016 debate when he was ‘stalking’ Clinton as one reason Biden should break tradition and sit out the debates.”

First off, the “stalking” bit was another case of Hillary’s playing the “I’m a Woman Up Against a Man” card. This was the 2nd debate, right after the release of the Access Hollywood tape. Her campaign was trying to sell Trump as a predator. So they made up this idea that he was “menacingly stalking” her during the debate. In her post-election book, Hillary claimed “my skin crawled” as Trump hovered around. Narrative.

But let’s look at some facts.

They were sharing a relatively small platform, both walking around to answer questions. In today’s terms, social distancing was nearly impossible. Trump did tend to remain standing when Hillary talked, rather than return to his chair, and when you’re 6’3” and about 240 pounds, that’s going make an impression. Trump simply physically dominates most spaces he occupies — unless he’s hanging with pro athletes (or more and more each day, son Barron.) But stalking? Menace? And intimidating, of all people, Hillary Clinton?

Check this Google link for images from the debate. Half the time they look like Frank and Liza in a Vegas lounge.

What’s It Have to Do With Joe?

However, let’s assume what Pelosi and Clinton say is true. What’s that have to do with Joe Biden? Thanks to social distancing, they’re probably not going to come within 10 feet of each other during the debates. Plus, far more to the point, Joe Biden is the guy who said if they were in high school he’d take Trump out back and “beat the hell” out of him.

Seems very strange to say the debates should be canceled because Trump would physically menace Tough Guy Joe.

The Real Story

So what’s the real story? Pelosi made her comments unprompted. She deliberately, strategically floated the idea of canceling the debates. This is no PBS bubble head shooting off their mouth to kill time before insulting more paralyzed Republicans at the convention. This is the most powerful elected Democrat in the nation declaring the Democratic nominee should refuse to debate because, in essence, “Orange Man Bad.”

As a Stream colleague said this morning, “If he’s that bad it should be easy to prove in a debate.” No, this has nothing to do with Trump. This has to do with Biden.

A Rasmussen poll in July found 56% of those surveyed thought refusing to debate Trump would hurt Biden’s candidacy. You’re only 6% away from having nothing to lose by not debating. Launch a major effort now to smear a Trump debate, and refusing to debate harms you little, if at all. A smart move when you know what disaster awaits Democrats if Joe Biden actually gets on a debate stage with Donald Trump.

He Can’t Do It

Rasmussen’s poll showed only 54% of Likely U.S. Voters think Biden is capable of debating Trump. 36% say they didn’t think he was capable. That’s not winning a debate. That’s just physically or mentally able to debate.

One-in-five Democrats admitted they think Biden is suffering from some form of dementia. This was before he declared that American blacks are not diverse. Before he blew up at a black reporter, snapping “Are you a junkie?”

This was before he refused to go to the DNC convention in Milwaukee. Before he gave the shortest, least detailed, convention speech by far since 1972. Before he refused to follow his speech with a traditional burst of campaign appearances. Instead he has returned to his Delaware basement … and his beach house.

Joe Biden has not had any sort of press conference since July. He’s only spoken to the collective press twice all summer. He has not answered any questions from reporters not already willing to walk him into the White House.

Biden’s people know the risk. A few pointed questions from radio host Charlamagne tha God in May drew Biden’s now infamous response: “If you have a problem figuring out whether you’re for me or Trump, then you ain’t black.”

Destroying Their Chances

He’s like a biologic that must remain contained in the lab, lest it be released and destroy the Democrats’ chances.

For the record, the Biden camp insists there will be debates. Biden says he is eager, telling NBC’s Andrea Mitchell today that “as long as the commission continues down the straight and narrow as they have, I’m going to debate him.” (Interesting caveat.)

We’re far too close to the election for Nancy Pelosi to be ad-libbing, acting counter to the wishes of the DNC and Biden campaign. The groundwork is being laid. What does she know about Biden’s health that the voters should know?

Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.