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In politics, “calling a lid” means a candidate will take no more questions, provide no more answers or be visible for any general public activity for the rest of the day. The campaign tells the world, essentially, “No Más.”
Democrat Nominee Joe Biden likes to call lids…a lot. As of this writing, with only two weeks left in what many consider to be the most important election in the history of Western civilization, Joe Biden has closed his campaign off from the world for four straight days.
He has also tapped out for over ten days since the beginning of September.
To be clear, these ‘lids’ aren’t called after a day’s worth of events, rallies, fundraisers, or press availabilities. Such a decision would be understandable.
Rather, most of these ‘lids’ have been called before noon, each day.
Meaning Joe Biden wakes up each morning, doesn’t like what he sees percolating on the national scene, and then, for all intents and purposes, quits.
It’s a presidential campaign strategy not seen since…ever. For much of the general election cycle, the Democrat nominee simply does not exist.
It reminds me of Jeff Goldblum’s character, Dr. Ian Malcolm, in the movie Jurassic Park, when he said: “Now eventually you might have dinosaurs on your, on your dinosaur tour, right? Hello? Yes?”
Now eventually, you might campaign during the presidential campaign, right? Hello? Yes?
Consider the contrast between the two major presidential candidates. President Trump holds multiple rally events before thousands each day. Biden appears to do as little as possible, save for talking to a few people sitting in drawn circles in a parking lot
Trump continues to talk to a combative media that constantly ask loaded questions, and yet he remains one of the most accessible modern presidents. Biden can’t be bothered to take even the most generic of softballs from journalists.
The decision to close the campaign on so many days—while voting is happening across the country—begs a ton of questions. Is Joe healthy enough to run this country? Does Joe have the work ethic to run this country? What is he afraid of revealing if he’s actually out campaigning? What questions does Biden not want to answer?
The obvious issue is his son Hunter Biden’s Ukraine business dealings and his knowledge of that activity. Team Trump has vowed to press Biden on this issue after ABC New George Stephanopoulos failed to bring it up during the Democrats’ town hall last week, and especially if NBC moderators skirt the question again on Thursday.
In the meantime, Biden hides.
Biden has even defended this strategy. During a CNN interview in May—in May, again this is not new—Biden said, “All this stuff about ‘Biden’s hidin,’ well, you know, the fact of the matter is, it’s working pretty well so far….”
He obviously thinks barely campaigning is the way to win. In fact, if Biden does beat Trump, it would be an entirely new way of winning—not campaigning at all.
Team Biden has made the calculation that the less Americans see and hear Biden, the better his chances of taking the White House.
But it is still an outright insult to every American who will cast his or her vote for president in two weeks. Each and every vote deserves respect—enough respect to warrant being asked for it—whether for Donald Trump or the man most undeserving of that office.