Oh, So True?

Dear Mr. Vice-President:

I feel like I know you. After all, isn’t that the image you want to convey? So, I will feel more comfortable just calling you, “Joe,” and, selfishly, it’s a lot easier to type.

Joe, like so many other people, I’m worried about you. I’m worried that you may not win this election – an election like no other in our time – an election that will determine whether our beloved system of governance will survive. These fears are not exaggerated paranoia. You know that. If Trump wins re-election, our institutions will evaporate so fast that they’ll fall apart before Kim and Kanye’s marriage does.

I do not fear your loss because I think you’re not qualified, not at all. Nor am I afraid, as others are, that you will say something incoherent or silly. Of course, you will. But, everyone does, especially when every comment they make is blasted across the universe. And incoherent or silly is different from untrue. My fear is that there is nothing you can say or do that can counter what Trump will say or do. That’s because, of course, Trump is a pathological liar.

You can’t debate a liar. A person unconstrained by facts can say anything. You can cite to Trump’s failures to control the virus, but he can counter with the lie that he did better than any other country, and he can repeat that lie no matter what you say. Forget his misrepresentations about your son’s involvement in Ukraine, he can allege that your wife is a founder of Black Lives Matter. A simple denial from you will be as meaningful as Dennis Rodman’s diplomacy.

What to do? I have an idea, Joe. Why don’t you propose that the debates be held under oath? Trump hates being sworn in even more than he hates apologizing. Call his bluff. On the off chance that he is willing to conduct the debates under penalty of perjury, that will be terrific.  Will it stop him from lying? Probably not. But, it may very well limit the extent of it. And, who knows? When he does lie, although Attorney General Dis-Barr will certainly not prosecute his potentate, any one of the local prosecutors in the area where the debates occur will also have jurisdiction. 

If, more likely, Trump refuses your offer, that will be fodder for you and your supporters. It will evidence, if more evidence is needed, his inability to stick to anything true.  And how about if you make it even more dramatic?  Suppose you start the debates by being sworn in yourself and contrast your willingness to be honest with his inability.

So, Joe, bring a Bible to the debates. He can raise that book upside down above his head. You can put your left hand on it, raise your right and watch a puddle of orange form at your opponent’s feet.