Should Bidens avoid public speaking?

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. Picture: AFP

It’s ironic that a family whose business is politics has been struggling so mightily to utter sensible comments in public. But after this column recommended in March that President Joe Biden avoid public speaking, perhaps such advice should now be shared with the whole family.

Darlene Superville reports for the Associated Press:

Jill Biden apologised Tuesday for saying Latinos are “as unique” as San Antonio breakfast tacos during a speech to the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organisation.

“The first lady apologises that her words conveyed anything but pure admiration and love for the Latino community,” tweeted Jill Biden’s spokesperson, Michael LaRosa.

The first lady flew to San Antonio on Monday to address the annual conference of UnidosUS, a Latino civil rights and advocacy group formerly known as the National Council of La Raza. She also spoke at a Democratic Party fundraiser at a private home before she returned to Washington.

But Biden’s attempt at a compliment floundered when she described Latino diversity “as distinct as the bodegas of the Bronx, as beautiful as the blossoms of Miami and as unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio.”

She also badly mispronounced “bodegas,” small stores in urban areas typically specialising in Hispanic groceries.

The first lady’s trip to San Antonio is doubly disappointing because she might have been the perfect messenger to tell the president that he should limit his public remarks. Whether or not she is inclined to deliver such a message, she now carries much less authority on the subject. On Monday, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists offered advice for Jill Biden via Twitter:

NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities.

We are not tacos.

Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions.

Do not reduce us to stereotypes.

NAHJ encourages @FLOTUS & her communications team to take time to better understand the complexities of our people & communities.

We are not tacos.

Our heritage as Latinos is shaped by various diasporas, cultures & food traditions.

Do not reduce us to stereotypes. pic.twitter.com/KQIq5gwsht

— NAHJ (@NAHJ) July 12, 2022

Eminently sound and reasonable advice, but given the progressive leftists who populate the administration there’s a danger it will be ignored in favour of still another bizarre communications gimmick, like renaming the family Bidenx.

Whatever they choose to be called, the Bidens face a multifaceted challenge in the area of public relations. The president for his part tends to err when attempting off-the-cuff remarks. He then deploys staff to provide additional public comments clarifying that he didn’t mean what he said. The first lady’s remarks suggest that perhaps there is also an issue of judgment and management competence. According to the White House website the San Antonio remarks were prepared for delivery.

Ashley Parker reports for the Washington Post:

Biden’s remarks to the annual conference of Latinos underwent the regular White House process for such a speech, requiring sign-off by several White House units — including the offices of intergovernmental affairs, legislative affairs and public engagement — according to a person familiar with the speech, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal dynamics.

As first lady, Biden has emerged as a key administration messenger to the Latino community and immigration activists. That role has met with a mixed response from activists who say they appreciate that she is a direct line to the president, but wish they had more direct inroads to White House policy officials.

Worth noting that before Jill Biden made her taco gaffe, her entire speech was read and signed off on by the White House offices of intergovernmental affairs, legislative affairs and public liaison.👇https://t.co/6U46n74fes

— Ashley Parker (@AshleyRParker) July 12, 2022

This brings us to the president’s brother James Biden, but a May interview with the Washington Post suggests that he, too, is not cut out for public commentary. Furthermore, he may be reluctant to discuss whether he enjoys direct inroads to White House policy officials.

Another presidential brother, Frank Biden, also may not be perfectly suited for media relations.

At least on an interim basis, perhaps it’s time for family proclamations to be delivered by the president’s son Hunter Biden. He does seem to have plenty of experience in front of a camera.

WALL STREET JOURNAL