What were the twinkling sounds at the start of Biden’s speech? Birds through the window? Someone broke a glass? Someone didn’t silence their phone?
It was a well-written speech. He deserves respect for his half century of service, for walking away, and for what he said is at stake.
His body language was good. I noticed the transition when he set his left hand out. He looks good, healthy, bright-eyed. His tone was well-modulated, compassionate and firm and inspiring in proper measure.
And yet. He stumbled a lot. Not stuttering. But saying the wrong word. A lot. Odd inflection as if he didn’t understand what he was saying, several times.
A hugely momentous speech, maybe in his mind the most important one of his career, or at least the one that will be most reviewed in the future. With ample time to rehearse. With a time set by him. With a TelePrompTer.
And yet he couldn’t nail it. He couldn’t do ok with just one or two flubs. Seems to me he was making an error of articulation around once per minute.
It is sad. It’s also concerning. It’s starting to look like those absurd Soviet leaders, not oligarchs but old-igarchs.