With the stakes so high in 2020, why is the press still assigning so much news value to Biden's gaffes?
took a rightful beating for its good faith headline in the wake of the El Paso shooting—“Trump Urges Unity vs. Racism”—that was so by-the-book it could have been a Yankees box score. The five words, bereft of context, sparked yet another debate about truth and journalism in the Trump age, spearheaded by blue-check-mark Twitter personalities who aren’t journalists but posture as experts when the retweets demand it.
It seems as though we already are. In recent weeks Biden confused Vermont with New Hampshire, tripped over his campaign’s text message number on a debate stage, and blurted out that “poor kids are just as bright and just as talented as white kids.” Biden confuses facts and dates, he exaggerates, he rambles. Coverage of these moments, cheered on by his Democratic opponents, usually hints at Biden’s age and fitness for office, reasonable concerns.
Gaffes have grown in importance over the decades as the default posture of reporters has drifted from skeptical to cynical. Gerald Ford tried to eat a tamale with a husk on it. George H.W. Bush didn’t know the price of a gallon of milk. Ed Muskie cried—or did he?—before the New Hampshire primary. The press turned these moments into lore, because they supposedly revealed essential truths about the candidates, who aren’t allowed to make a simple mistake.
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