Where's Joe?

[George K]

Governors want to know:

The phone calls come from inside the new administration, but the president is not on the line. In fact, Joe Biden has not dialed in to any of the weekly COVID-19 coordinating calls with the nation’s governors since he came into office, a sharp contrast with his predecessor and a break from last year’s pandemic ritual.

Every Tuesday, usually at 11 a.m. EST, all 50 governors dial in to the same conference call to coordinate federal and state responses to the coronavirus crisis. And until this past January, they heard each time from the vice president. Mike Pence, as head of the White House COVID task force, led those weekly discussions. Donald Trump dropped by from time to time. The calls continue under the current administration but without Biden. “It's been a real frustration, I think it's safe to say, for all 50 governors,” New Hampshire’s Chris Sununu told RealClearPolitics.

Of course, he appreciates hearing from Jeffrey Zients (pictured), the new White House COVID response coordinator, and from Dr. Anthony Fauci, the White House chief medical adviser. But Sununu told RCP, “It would go a long way if the president would just get on the phone, or the vice president would get on the phone and take questions. Allow us to ask the folks in charge questions.”

The Trump White House hosted a total of 40 COVID conference calls. Pence led 39 of them, according to that administration’s final COVID report first obtained by RCP. Trump participated in eight. Things are different now, said Pete Ricketts. “President Biden hasn’t been on any of them,” the Nebraska governor told RCP, “and Vice President Harris has only been on one, but that was for about five minutes and she didn’t take any questions.”

Andrew Cuomo now leads the calls as chairman of the National Governors Association. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki explained that the New York governor was put in charge instead of the vice president because a change was needed. One of the reasons, Psaki told reporters in March, “is that there were operational aspects of the way the last administration approached COVID and approached the distribution of vaccines or approached planning and engagement with governors that wasn’t working.”

[Mik]

Lots of arrows pointing the wrong direction with Joe. I wonder what the reaction will be if it does come out that he was and is in stages of dementia and the Dems knew they were running an incapable candidate.

[brenda]

Distancing? Even the VP doesn't participate?

[Jolly]

Heck, the man didn't hardly campaign, put multiple lids on his schedule, jacked him up on drugs (IMO) before the debates so he could utter a complete sentence without stumbling and had the national media literally not cover some things or just outright lie about his business dealings.

And that got 80,000,000 votes?

Get outta here...

[Copper]

@mik said in Where's Joe?:

if it does come out that he was and is in stages of dementia

Is there really any question?

[Mik]

@jolly said in Where's Joe?:

Heck, the man didn't hardly campaign, put multiple lids on his schedule, jacked him up on drugs (IMO) before the debates so he could utter a complete sentence without stumbling and had the national media literally not cover some things or just outright lie about his business dealings.

And that got 80,000,000 votes?

Get outta here...

It strains credibility. But we already knew that.

[Doctor Phibes]

He was a bad candidate. His opponent was worse.

What credibility is there to strain?

[LuFins Dad]

Reaction? He’s not Orange. Those that voted against Trump got what they wanted.

Hell, they could have run a Walt Disney’s frozen head and the vote totals would likely be the same.

[mark]

@lufins-dad said in Where's Joe?:

Reaction? He’s not Orange. Those that voted against Trump got what they wanted.

Hell, they could have run a Walt Disney’s frozen head and the vote totals would likely be the same.

Just like the the 2016 election only in reverse.