(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Just as he was anointed as their top pick an honest appraisal of his competency is needed.

Joe Biden gave his latest video coronavirus address and made mention of the fact that he mentioned what he intends to be implemented with the relief funds. The next round of coronavirus stimulus, due to be paid out next January, is possibly seen as the chance for him to push his environmental agenda as President…we think. Joe has not been entirely clearly understood of late.

“We’re gonna have an opportunity in the next round here to use the my green economy my green deal or to be able to generate both economic growth consistent with the kind of infusion of monies we need“

Fractured syntax aside for the moment, how big of a misstep is this when, after days of the Democrats absorbing every bit of criticism for trying to ram an excessive amount of pork projects in the emergency virus relief budget, Biden boasts of wanting to waste even more? Some of the most thankless jobs right now have to be with the Biden support team. After being completely unseen for nearly a week during a crisis Biden emerged with an announced series of daily briefings on the matter. It has been a brutal week for the presumptive Democrat nominee — and it is only Wednesday.

These daily video pressers from Biden have been largely ignored. His live streams on Periscope have barely registered more than a few thousand viewers, and on YouTube the views have woefully been in the hundreds. It has been noted how very few members of the press have even covered these briefings, and that is probably to his benefit. There have been more than an ample amount of mistakes and malaprops to give a campaign manager migraines. The Biden team has eliminated the comment sections on these broadcasts to stem more criticism.

In a recent video interview, Biden claimed that after he left his tenure in the Senate he went on to become a professor at the University of Pennsylvania. The issue — he never taught classes there. The closest was his receiving an honorary professorship at the school, but that was granted after his terms in the White House. On the PBS News Hour he had this uncomfortable exchange:

BIDEN: “The president’s numbers with the public have gone up in handling this crisis, but they haven’t gone up in terms of his presidency.”

INTERVIEWER: Actually, his job approval is also up.

BIDEN: “Well, I hope that he’s so strong that he’s up way above that.”

In the past months while the campaigns were active on the trail there were a number of instances of Biden losing control, shouting at voters and even challenging them to conflicts. This has only devolved. Since then he has had instances of his speech trailing off, and of appearing briefly catatonic, to go along with the other questionable displays.

These most recent examples have been in controlled situations, so the obvious questions are being raised about the candidate’s competency. It has become obvious enough of an issue that The Atlantic just ran a piece that attempted to declare that Biden would be the needed candidate to battle President Trump, even as a hollow shell of a human. As despicable of a greedy thought as that is, it highlights the reality of a man losing his grip on functionality.

And this becomes just the latest significant challenge for the Democratic Party leaders. They have essentially installed Biden as their preferred choice. In the past month most of the contending candidates were forced aside, made in a matter of days to back Biden. How much regretful hand-wringing must be taking place by these once hopefuls to see the man they were tabbed to support showing this level of significant vulnerability.

The DNC has to be working overtime on contingencies. What choice will they have if Biden becomes such a damaged property — either from just a PR standpoint or an actual physical infirmary — that alternate plans are required? Do they suffer through a Bernie Sanders comeback? Will it be a case of choosing the best second option, to be selected as Vice President? Or, with growing likelihood, is the option of a brokered convention once again set out as the best option?

The party leaders have mounting difficult decisions to make and, while they are at least somewhat shielded at the moment by the viral crisis eclipsing these moves, once the path is selected it is looking likely they result is a party offering damaged goods going into the general election. A weakened candidate, a socialist entered by default, or a prefab choice offered up for voters — none of these appear as an appealing choice from the standpoint of strength.

What is becoming more apparent is that people are going to be paying closer attention to Joe Biden, but that will not be out of interest in his policy positions. It will be to see just how far he may appear to be drifting, and then what decisions are going to arise as a result of any debilitating signs.