Biden's missed opportunities

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Michelle and Joe Biden (courtesy of The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Following Joe Biden's farewell speech yesterday, Michelle Paradies from New York congratulates the outgoing President's achievements but laments what could have been for the stammering community.  

As of next Monday, the United States will no longer have a President who stammers. We should take the opportunity to congratulate Joe Biden on proving to the world that someone who stammers can become President. He proved to the more than 80 million people worldwide who stammer that there is no end to the realm of possibilities of what you can accomplish. 

When Joe Biden was elected in November 2020, I wrote an article for STAMMA ('Biden's win is a victory for stammering') expressing my hopes for what his time in office would mean for the stammering community. However, four years on, I can't help but feel that those hopes were sadly not met. Biden missed many opportunities not only to give confidence to people who stammer, but also extend his legacy and, possibly, his political career.

Didn't acknowledge stammering

Biden didn't say much about stammering throughout the four years of his Presidency. We, people who stammer, know that attempting to hide a stammer is quite common. Biden tried to stay out of the spotlight whenever. When he gave speeches, they often featured a slow, deliberate delivery with carefully chosen words. He never seemed comfortable. We, people who stammer also know that these are common behaviours of people who stammer.

Biden didn't say much about stammering throughout the four years of his Presidency.

With each passing year, however, the memes and cartoons on the internet depicting Biden as an incoherent old man garnered a stronger following. We can only wonder how the situation might be different if he had acknowledged stammering publicly at the start of his presidency or at least before 'that' infamous TV debate last June. Would he have been forced to resign? Would there still be such vile division between the political parties or would the traditional American values of dignity and respect for all prevail?

Public perception

As 2024 dawned, there were already calls for Biden to not seek re-election. From soundbites that didn't sound right, awkward statements, accusations of digitally editing recoded speeches and a few falls, his perceived gaffes were becoming more numerous and impossible to ignore. These calls intensified significantly with each passing month. Instead of being recognised for his policies, Biden's public perception was a mumbling, stumbling mess in acute cognitive decline. He certainly wasn't being treated presidentially by the American public. A month after his disastrous performance in a nationally televised high-stakes debate with Donald Trump, Joe Biden made the historic decision to drop out of the election; effectively ending his 50-year political career. 

He certainly wasn't being treated presidentially by the American public.

I watched the disastrous, history-making debate. It was difficult to see the President of the United States, the man who some would argue is the leader of the free world, mumble, avoid some topics entirely and provide obscure answers to others. It didn't take long for more memes and jokes to appear on social media. I knew immediately that this wasn't someone in the advanced stages of cognitive decline but rather someone who stammers and, more than likely, stammers covertly. It was the textbook case of covert stammering, where the tricks that have worked so effectively in the past become ineffective at the worst possible moment. Biden speaks slowly, chooses words carefully and pauses frequently. He avoids confrontation. He gets emotionally attached. He communicates, but not in the same way as other people. These traits are common in people who stammer. 

Encouragement

Children who stammer often experience some of the worst vitriol and viral laughter regarding their speech. Associating Biden's speech with cognitive decline, weakness and disgrace further victimises them. While Biden has not spoken publicly about stammering during his presidency, two children who had struggled with their stammer managed to get him to speak to them about it. Harry, a 9-year-old from Illinois, wrote a letter to Biden asking for advice on 'overcoming' his stammering so that perhaps he could be President one day too. Harry not only got a response, he got to meet the President. Another boy, Jian, a 13-year-old from Florida, wrote to the President after experiencing a particularly challenging day with his speech. He received a response encouraging him to 'persevere in the face of struggle and… commit to a goal'. Jian carries the letter with him to school every day. I congratulate Biden for responding and inspiring children who stammer. In his letter to Jian he wrote 'But I want you to know that a speech impediment doesn't define a person — character and courage defines who you are'. 

If two children can write to Mr. Biden, then so can an adult from New York. Stammering needs an advocate. Biden is an internationally respected statesman and a diplomat. He will also soon be retired and might have some time. His political work involved interactions with leaders of many countries, exposing him to many cultures. Mr. Biden would be ideally suited as the international ambassador for stammering. 

Various media reports described how Mr. Biden had to 'grudgingly' accept that his campaign for a second term as President was unsustainable. Can I, a New York City English teacher who stammers, convince Mr. Biden to 'grudgingly' accept the role of international ambassador for stammering? We shall see when I send him my letter.

What do you think? Would you like to write an article and share your own views about Joe Biden's legacy? See Submit Something For The Site or email editor@stamma.org if you would, or if you would like to write about your experiences or share your poems, art, music, etc.

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