In live time Biden might have stared vacantly at the teleprompter, read his stage directions, or asked a disabled member of the audience to stand and give it up for Joe Biden. Free Beacon humorist Andrew Stiles imagined the possibilities in a “leaked” transcript.

Instead, Biden’s handlers in the daycare operation at the White House have contrived to make the big announcement via video. Consistent with the early years of the Biden presidency, one might apply the rule of opposites to the statements made in the video. Every statement his handlers have given him to make is a lie or something like it.

[I hadn’t thought much about the video announcement, as it has become more commonly used these days. However, it’s usually employed in conjunction with a live appearance to formally launch the campaign. Scott’s right to highlight this; it looks like the beginning of another basement campaign. That worked against Trump. Would it work again, and would it work against a different GOP nominee? — Ed]