The eyes have it

By Ivan Morgan

If you didn’t catch the presidential “debate” last week, may I recommend watching a few minutes? It’s all over social media. Most saw it as a trainwreck for President Joe Biden. A complete disaster. I saw it as a public service.

For months we were told he was fine, top of his game, totally in control. His handlers said so. The media repeated this.

Then last week we watched the “debate.” (I put debate in quotes because it wasn’t really.)

Now Biden’s people are spinning his abysmal performance, making excuses.

He was having a bad day. He had a cold. He was over-prepared. He was under-prepared. Trump performed better but it was all lies. Don’t believe what you see. Listen to us instead.

Watch the “debate” with your own eyes. The poor fellow is not fit.

President Biden deserves respect, compassion, and gratitude from all Americans. But he is clearly done. I saw it. If you watch, you will see it too.
Why do I see his poor performance as a public service?

Because it reinforces my message of not listening to the political handlers, the communications people and policy folk. Don’t see what they tell you to see. See for yourself. Try to get the people who want your vote to speak to you directly, hopefully in a situation that can’t be controlled by his or her handlers. That’s the way to find a good candidate. See for yourself.

I have been in and around politics my whole life and I have seen people bomb before. Not as bad as Biden’s performance – it was pitiful – but bad. I have helped prepare candidates for debates, and I have seen some shine, and some bomb. In my experience the ones that read their briefing notes and ask questions shine, the ones who don’t, bomb. It ain’t, as a well-known local politician once said, rocket surgery.

What political parties do is dress their candidates up for what they want you to see.

I recommend watching 10 or 15 minutes of that “debate” to get used to using your eyes. To trusting your eyes. You are going to need them. We are coming up on three elections in the next year or so – federal, provincial and municipal – and you are going to be shown a lot of nonsense.

You will need your eyes. So far, I have seen political types on both sides infer if you vote for their opponents, you are putting people’s safety at risk. Poppycock. You are going to be told the other side is evil, misguided, dangerous. Nonsense.

You are going to be told this election is critical. What they mean when they say that is they could lose their jobs, or not get one. Regardless of the outcome, life will go on.

You are told healthcare is getting better. Food prices are under control. Excessive immigration isn’t causing problems. Is it true? Use – and trust – your eyes.

You need to see through all the crap. See what it is, not what you are told it is. The American Democrats have been saying for months President Biden is fine, sharp, on top of his game. Think so? Watch the debate. Trust what you see.

Political parties are run by ideologues who have a lot invested in staying in power, and only want you to see what they want you to see. They are only interested in their “truth.” Use your own eyes and trust your own judgement.

Last century there was a writer (Eric Blair) who called himself George Orwell. He had the intellectual clarity to see what was coming in politics. In 1949 he published a book called (quaintly) 1984. The book was a warning of how bad politics could get in the future. Forty years after its title’s date, it’s still an interesting read, and predicts a lot of what we now see in everyday politics.

The whole Biden debacle from last week reminded me of a line from Orwell’s book: “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

Ivan Morgan can be reached at ivan.morgan@gmail.com