Ben Smith: “Given the goodwill and the captive, well-fed audience, Wednesday’s party was also a prime opportunity for President Joe Biden to dispel his main problem with the U.S. media right now — the undercurrent of concern that he’s too old for the job. It was an opportunity to say, in some sense: Hey, you idiots, I may be old but I’m fine.
”“That was clearly the goal of brief remarks he made at the East Wing party… But he then strayed into a couple of hazy monologues, which ended only when his wife interrupted him to remind him it was a party. His speech wasn’t terrible, or even noteworthy. But everyone in the room realized Biden had a simple rhetorical job and hadn’t quite pulled it off.”
“Biden then stood for hours, grinning and gripping and making coherent conversation on a photo line — a feat of endurance and a bit of a nightmare at any age. Still, I’d expect that speech to echo quietly in reporters’ minds — and in their coverage — over the coming months.”