On CBS Sunday Morning, Joe and Jill Biden got an early Christmas present from the liberal broadcast network as correspondent Rita Braver lobbed softball after softball during a fawning, pre-taped puff piece. Even when Braver briefly acknowledged the President’s unpopularity, she sympathetically hoped the American people would soon “comprehend” all of his supposed accomplishments.
“You’ve seen the President’s poll numbers drop. Does that bother you?,” Braver gently asked the First Lady, without spelling out any of the glaring administration failures. Jill Biden offered talking points about how her husband was able to “rescue America”:
You know, I look at it a little differently, Rita. During the campaign, Joe made certain promises, things that he would do. And we were going through a pandemic which no one could have anticipated. So he did come in and rescue America, with the American Rescue Plan.
In a follow-up, Braver suggested the public just wasn’t capable of understanding all the White House had done for them: “So do you figure once the public kind of comprehends this, things will turn around?” Biden replied: “I do. I do.”
The only challenging question from Braver in the entire gushing profile came in the form of another polling query: “...there have been some recent polls that show that quite a few Americans have some questions about the President’s current mental fitness. As somebody who spends – I can see you shaking your head. So what’s your response to that?”
Biden simply dismissed the topic completely: “I think that’s ridiculous.” It was never mentioned again during the ten-minute segment.
Instead, Braver swooned:
We got to observe the bond between the Bidens when we traveled aboard Air Force One with them just a few days before Thanksgiving, to Fort Bragg, North California, where she introduced him....And we saw that Biden family spirit at the White House this past Monday, where Dr. Biden’s holiday decorations have drawn rave reviews. A gingerbread house honors America’s essential workers.
Of course no mention was made of a Christmas stocking missing for the seventh Biden grandchild, the infant daughter of scandal-plagued Hunter Biden, who had an affair with an Arkansas stripper.
While touring the White House decorations, the President joined the friendly conversation. Braver commiserated with him:
This has been a hard year. I mean, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. You know that various things that you’ve done have gotten a lot of criticism, you’ve had a hard time getting the other side to work with you. You know, don’t you ever feel discouraged about this? And doesn’t the criticism get to you? And how does Dr. B [Jill Biden] help you through that?
“Well, you know, I guess it should get to me more, but look, one of the things we did decide – and I mean this from my word as a Biden – I know what I’m willing to lose over,” Biden replied. Braver clarified: “You mean you’re willing to lose your presidency because you’re going to stick with that?” Biden confirmed: “That’s right, because I’m going to stick with it.”
That exchange echoed a clip of Braver’s sit-down with Jill Biden that was shown on Friday’s CBS Mornings, where the reporter fretted: “I think a lot of people would find it hard to believe that you don’t get frustrated when you feel that Republicans are really trying to block the President’s agenda.”
The Sunday segment ended with Braver touting this “perspective” from the First Lady: “No matter where I travel across this country, a lot of people say to me, ‘Jill, I feel like I can breathe again. Thank you. Please tell the President thank you for what he’s doing.’”
No need for the Bidens to write a Christmas list, they already got priceless positive PR from CBS.
This easy chat with Braver was sponsored by WeatherTech and Downy. You can fight back by letting these advertisers know what you think of them sponsoring such content.
Here is a transcript of excerpts from the December 12 profile:
10:02 AM ET
(...)
RITA BRAVER: You’ve seen the President’s poll numbers drop. Does that bother you?
JILL BIDEN: You know, I look at it a little differently, Rita. During the campaign, Joe made certain promises, things that he would do. And we were going through a pandemic which no one could have anticipated. So he did come in and rescue America, with the American Rescue Plan. And millions of families got money because they were desperate. We have vaccines for kids, ages five and up. And now with the infrastructure plan, we’re going to have better roads and better buildings that don’t have asbestos, better drinking water.
BRAVER: So do you figure once the public kind of comprehends this, things will turn around?
BIDEN: I do. I do.
BRAVER: And one more question on that, on the polls, because there have been some recent polls that show that quite a few Americans have some questions about the President’s current mental fitness. As somebody who spends – I can see you shaking your head.
BIDEN: Yes.
BRAVER: So what’s your response to that?
BIDEN: I think that’s ridiculous.
BRAVER: We got to observe the bond between the Bidens when we traveled aboard Air Force One with them just a few days before Thanksgiving, to Fort Bragg, North California, where she introduced him.
(...)
BRAVER: And we saw that Biden family spirit at the White House this past Monday, where Dr. Biden’s holiday decorations have drawn rave reviews. A gingerbread house honors America’s essential workers. It looks amazing, was it fun to do?
BIDEN: It was fun to do.
BRAVER: The central theme: Gifts from the heart. What’s the gift that we’re celebrating in this room?
BIDEN: So this is the gift of peace and unity. And you can see that by all the doves that encircle this tree.
BRAVER: But as President Joe Biden joined us – so thank you so much, Mr. President, forgiving us your time.
BIDEN: Are you kidding? Are you kidding?
BRAVER: It is clear that both Bidens understand that unity is an elusive goal. This has been a hard year. I mean, we’re in the middle of a pandemic. You know that various things that you’ve done have gotten a lot of criticism, you’ve had a hard time getting the other side to work with you. You know, don’t you ever feel discouraged about this?
JOE BIDEN: No, look –
BRAVER: And doesn’t the criticism get to you? And how does Dr. B help you through that?
JOE BIDEN: Well, you know, I guess it should get to me more, but look, one of the things we did decide – and I mean this from my word as a Biden – I know what I’m willing to lose over. If we walk away from the middle class, if we walk away from trying to unify people, if we start to engage in the same kind of politics that the last four years has done – I’m willing to lose over that.
BRAVER: You mean you’re willing to lose your presidency...
JOE BIDEN: My presidency –
BRAVER: ...because you’re going to stick with that?
JOE BIDEN: That’s right, because I’m going to stick with it.
(...)
BRAVER: And from the perspective of First Lady Jill Biden...
JILL BIDEN: No matter where I travel across this country, a lot of people say to me, “Jill, I feel like I can breathe again. Thank you. Please tell the President thank you for what he’s doing.”
