The withdrawl from Afghanistan and the takeover of the country by the Taliban was the true turning point of the Biden administration.

By all available data, Afghanistan was “The Moment” when Joe Biden’s poll numbers fell and have never recovered. It has been almost two years since we began to watch the Taliban march across Afghanistan, devouring the country whole while the Biden administration stuck to their plans – made months in advance by the White House with little input from the Pentagon. Only when it all fell apart, when civilians and servicemembers alike ended up dying, did the Biden administration attempt to pivot. First, the withdrawl was great. Then it was the Army’s fault. Then it was Trump’s fault. It definitely wasn’t the State Department’s fault. No one planned for such a large civilian evacuation! Of course no one will be fired over Afghanistan collapsing and the Taliban taking over again!

Meanwhile, the agony of the Gold Star Families, as we just heard yesterday, was compounded by the callous disregard of Joe Biden. This cruel and venal man knew that his reputation had taken a possibly fatal blow, and the stories being told yesterday seem to be nothing more than a whole-assed attempt to conflate his made up stories with the very real sorrow and rage of the families who had just lost their loved ones in the most senseless way.

Cheryl Rex, mother of Lance Cpl. Dylan Merola:

"When [Biden] approached me, his words to me were, 'My wife, Jill & I, know how you feel. We lost our son as well and brought him home in a flag draped coffin.'"

"My heart started beating faster & I started shaking, knowing that… pic.twitter.com/lLMRokjEdY

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 7, 2023

But if you checked the mainstream media, would you even know that the Gold Star Families had said anything yesterday? Nope. What is the mainstream media covering? The Biden brand!

Joe Biden’s brand is being tested like never before

⁦@natashakorecki⁩ and me https://t.co/FpszKvYrYN

— Jonathan Allen (@jonallendc) August 8, 2023

Excuse me what now?

President Joe Biden’s brand as a family-oriented public servant has been a signature political asset that for more than 50 years has helped him win the argument that, when judged against “the alternative” rather than “the Almighty,” he stacks up pretty well.”

He’s never lost to a general-election opponent in a political career that’s taken him from Delaware’s New Castle County Council to the Oval Office.”

But the burnish on Biden’s brand is being tested like never before, ahead of a close 2024 election. Some of the president’s Democratic allies are worried about potential fallout from a confluence of family drama that’s spilled into public view and from Republican attacks that cut at the bedrock of Biden’s longtime political appeal.”

This article is all about the pouncing and seizing that REPUBLICANS are doing because Hunter Biden is a sleaze and a pig, Joe refusing to “grandpa up” until Hunter told him it was okay (more like the internal polling was BAD), and just how much Joe has always loved his son and enabled Hunter’s drug use and sex abuses. HOW DARE REPUBLICANS NOTICE, the media cries.

The day after the Gold Star Families testified, and THIS is the memo that the White House decided to send out to deflect?

"Biden's brand" https://t.co/TQDBXdsPli pic.twitter.com/Y5EZOUXO8U

— Kris Kinder (@kris_kinder) August 8, 2023

You know what we’re focusing on right now, media? This story. Marine Sgt. Tyler Vargan-Andrews survived the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate that took the lives of 13 Americans and hundreds of civilians, at the cost of an arm and a leg and internal organs. He testified to Congress last March about how the rank-and-file on the ground were ignored, and as a result, people died. Now he’s talking about the utterly disgusting behavior by Joe Biden, and the media has the DAMNED NERVE to worry themselves about the Biden BRAND???

If there is one veteran or parent with this kind of story about Joe Biden, okay.. maybe it's partisan… sure, I'll accept that. but there are **several** of these stories. On the record. About Joe Biden. https://t.co/Sy5agu74cs

— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 8, 2023

This isn’t “Republicans pouncing.” This is Gold Star Families telling their stories (I thought the media LOVED it when the people spoke “their truth” to power!), and all the stories are adding up to an ugly picture of an old man cloaking himself in stolen valor where the best that can be hoped for is dementia as an excuse. Where is the media who has championed the military in the past?

Those media members have made their decision. The networks and the cable news outlets that aren’t Fox News are circling the wagons around the angry old man. Their goal is to get Joe Biden re-elected, and that means covering Donald Trump 24/7 in hopes that Trump will be the nominee (because they believe that Biden can beat Trump), defending poor little crack-addled Hunter (because Joe just LOVES HIS SON), and cruelly ignoring Gold Star Families who lost their loved ones almost two years ago, because the withdrawl from Afghanistan and the bombing at Abbey Gate wreck their image of Joe Biden as a kindly, caring, president in charge.

The story of the “Biden brand” is Hunter on the one hand (the personal corruption) and Afghanistan on the other (the political corruption). Do not let anyone forget that.

Featured image: original Victory Girls art by Darleen Click