Joe Biden’s press conference last week was strangely thrilling to me. For the record, I have never been a huge fan. His bellicose views on busing and abortion and his failure to stand up for Anita Hill so many years ago are blemishes. And his general behavior - a loud, speak first and listen later - always struck me as not serious. 

But that was back in the 80s and 90s when I watched him with a journalist’s eye. 

Last week’s press conference showed a different Biden I had not seen before: sensitive, humane, vulnerable - and above all human. These are the qualities that won him the election and are driving a popularity that is unexpected, at least for me. 

Biden’s humanity came spilling out of him at the press conference, his first as president. This quality must give his advisors a stroke. Presidential advisors spend weeks preparing the president to face the press. They fear a gaffe that will set back the White House message and policy agenda. So they leave nothing unplanned. 

The problem is Biden ALWAYS goes off-script. He is that strange combination of Irish catholic pol in a bar and a wannabe patrician. He wants to be JFK, but he just can’t. And thank goodness for Democracy.

For example, Biden opened the press conference with an update on COVID, opening schools, $1,400 stimulus checks, and the goal of 200 million “shots in arms.’’ Good so far.

“Help is here, and hope is on the way,’’ he said.  

But then came the first question from Yamiche Alcindor at PBS. Biden veered immediately and totally off course. May as well have thrown the briefing cards in the fire. He went on so long he interrupted himself. 

“Am I giving you too much detail,’’ he asked, before continuing. 

It was so human. So unlike the cool, academic Obama or the blatant lying of Trump. He was actually answering the question. It was not - as they like to say these days - “performative.’’

Other takeaways:

• The rattling around of papers. Unlike most presidents, who try to hide all humanness and imperfection in a public setting, Biden goes regular. He has a list of reporters and ruffles through it as he looks for another reporter to call on. “Let’s see here,’’ he says. You can feel his aides sweating.

• He interrupts himself. Biden will begin answering a question with his prepared talking points and then immediately swerve into his long history as a US Senator and a recitation of how Trump failed on immigration or COVID. This can turn into a recitation of the history of an issue through his own personal lens. It’s flawed and fascinating.

• He says - “Oh C’mon man,’’ when a reporter continues questioning his immigration policy, a signal of growing impatience. What he really means is - “Give me some time to get things done. We are only three months into this.’’

• Biden made news by saying he would run for re-election and challenge the Jim Crow-era filibuster rule in the Senate. He is challenging a status quo he spent decades defending.

• He invented a new term when discussing voter suppression efforts by Republicans. “It makes Jim Crow look like Jim Eagle.’’ Weird analogy. Never would have come from Obama. But it’s real and he means it.

• He agreed with House Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro to insert child tax credits and health care subsidies for kids into the stimulus. He wouldn’t have done that 25 years ago.

I found myself loving this press conference. It is less a formal session with the press than it is a family meeting at Thanksgiving with the head of the family. Biden is the MC, the Dad, and the grandfather. We have a thoughtful, experienced president in the White House, who is trying to do the right thing every day. It is imperfect. But it’s a huge improvement for the country. 

______________

Lie of the Week

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testified before Congress last week and was asked whether too much screen time was bad for kids. 

His answer?

“I don’t think the research is conclusive on that.’’ 

What a joke. He is denying what every parent on the planet knows and can’t deal with. Zuckerberg’s algorithm is specifically designed to promote hateful speech and addict people to their screen so he can sell advertising to corporations. 

Remembrance

Beverly Cleary died this week. She was the author of dozens of wonderful books for children. My favorite - and the first book I remember reading - was Ribsy, the faithful dog of the main character Henry Huggins. I wrote a book report about it in 5th grade. RIP Beverly Cleary.