I agree with much of what you say. The fact that we’re in this maddening conversation is not your fault, nor mine. Nor the media’s.

I have been an admirer of Biden’s for years, and I think he’s done an amazing job.

But the media storm was caused by Biden’s performance on Thursday. He looked and sounded enfeebled and lost. It doesn’t matter at all that a written transcript reveals something different—that’s not how 50 million people experienced it.

Biden’s performance has shaken a great many of his voters to the core. It’s his to fix. Step aside, find a way to reassure the freaked out, but the arguments he’s started between his voters are not going away. Until he puts them away.

No way to blame the media. They’ll gladly fan the flames, but they didn’t start the fire.