Pinny Bugaeff, who submitted this article exclusively to the New York Analysis of Policy and Government, served as a psychiatric Social Worker. She was employed by a large corporation as the primary therapist in a geriatric day treatment program. Part of the job involved screening new patients for dementia, and other cognitive impairments. One test which was used then and is still used today was the Folstein Mini Mental Status Exam.
I recently read an article in The Atlantic—Jan/Feb. -2020, an interview where the writer, a self – identified stutterer-who interviewed Biden. Biden offered that the reason he falters when speaking is that he was a stutterer. Interesting. I have known a few folks who stutter. Stuttering may be a neurologically influenced communication disorder-with a genetic and behavioral component but stuttering does not explain either inappropriate behavior nor memory loss of basic facts and figures such as I have been seeing and which seems to be to be getting progressively worse. The Stutterer Gambit seems to be only one of the most recent attempts to explain away his apparent growing senility.
Biden is 77, the same age as I and I know that my cognition is not as sharp or speedy as it once was –what I see in Biden isn’t the run of the mill kind of thing we have as a result of normal aging. I spent two full years working 8 hours a day with gentlemen who were in their 70’s,80’s and a few in their 90’s. Some of them were still pretty sharp and other than speed of recall and forgetting people’s names, they fell well within the range of appropriate behaviors for their age. Those with various types of early dementia were in a different category altogether, very like Biden in their behaviors.
Biden has had surgery for two brain aneurysms in 1988 but according to his neurosurgeon:
“The two brain aneurysms Biden suffered in 1988 were fully treated and he showed no signs of mental trouble as a result, said Dr. Neal Kassell, who performed the surgery on Biden three decades ago.” Nor did Biden suffer any brain damage that could come back to haunt him in old age, Kassell said.”
Really? Two brain aneurysms, two surgical repairs and his surgeon says he has nothing that will haunt him in old age. That may not be the whole picture.
A review of a small website has a good collection of Biden gaffs and a good summation on the subject of what appears to be the candidate’s increasing senility.
It is not an enchantment wand that will provide you with the best surgery with the minimum of the State-required hours, or maybe even a few shy, cheating the teen out of valuable experiences usually achieved in proper cialis cipla 20mg driver training. Since 1976 the International Olympic Committee banned the use of steroids, cheap tadalafil pills unhealthy lifestyle, adverse effects of certain medicines, etc. However, ClamCase always looked for raindogscine.com generic sildenafil uk various ways to serve its discerning clientele even better. As a result, a previously taboo subject was transformed into one of the most talked about topics, levitra prescription even in conservative communities of Asia.One could forgive anyone enduring the rigors of a hectic primary campaign to occasionally misstate the state he is visiting, or an occasional name or two. But a careful examination of the former Vice President’s debate performances clearly reveals considerable cause for concern. He seems to struggle to stay on topic, other than touting or exaggerating his past role in various issues.
Voters should be increasingly concerned about this. There is, of course, a long-standing social taboo against suggesting a diagnosis of someone without seeing them or having a proper degree. Nevertheless, when an individual seeks to become President of the United States, clearly the most challenging position in the world, the most intense scrutiny by all voters is totally appropriate.
If there is reasonable cause for concern, and there truly is, why does the Democratic Party leadership seem so eager to support his candidacy?
Partially, it is because the clear surviving alternative, socialist Bernie Sanders, with his hard-left beliefs, enthusiasm for unworkable solutions, and, above all, his bizarre but sincere admiration for Communist leaders, would be a disaster in the general election. For traditional Democrats, a Sanders Administration would be beyond their control as he established a wholly new paradigm.
But there are other reasons as well. It is evident that Biden can and would be manipulated. What President Trump calls the “Deep State” would have a feast within his potential administration. It would be a presidency-by-committee of unaccountable, unpublicized advisers, interest groups, party leaders and top bureaucrats.
A few examples of Biden gaffes can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH-y_w0O5Bw, https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-bites-wifes-finger-in-bizarre-campaign-stop-moment-2019-11, and https://nypost.com/2019/08/05/biden-completely-flubs-where-mass-shootings-occurred/
Photo: Official White House picture