The question "What were you thinking?" is usually asked for one of two reasons. First, in a "What's wrong with you?!" flabbergasted way. Second, as a legitimate question to learn the reasoning behind someone's words or actions. The purpose of my headline is more of the latter — with a bit of the former sprinkled in.

Following the release on Thursday of Special Counsel Robert Hur's report on his investigation into Joe Biden's mishandling of classified documents and other sensitive information, all hell broke loose. The blockbuster report painted Biden as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," resulting in Hur's decision not to file criminal charges.

Under normal circumstances, Hur’s decision against criminal charges would have been a legal exoneration of Biden but instead, it was a political disaster for a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” and “diminished faculties in advancing age.”

Incidentally, in my non-legal mind, it seems that the purpose of Hur's investigation should have been singularly focused on whether or not Biden committed a crime and should face criminal charges. The issue of whether the president was cognitively capable of committing a crime should have been left to a jury.

So What Were the Democrats Thinking?

Democrat politicos knew before the 2020 presidential election campaign that Biden was in cognitive decline. All the signs were there, and his infamous "basement campaign" was proof enough. His decline has steadily worsened over the last three years and all of America has witnessed it — including the Democrat Party.

So why we might ask what the Democrats were thinking in 2020 matters, the question of what they are now thinking is even more important — and alarming as hell.

While top Democrats still publicly say they support Biden running for re-election, a steadily growing number are increasingly not only worried that he can't win in November but also resigned to the notion that he isn't going to leave the race of his own volition. Moreover, the party doesn't have a viable Plan B. (See: "Kamala Harris.")

But... here's an intriguing question: What if "they" don't want Biden to drop out of the race? And who are "they"? We'll get there. 

The proof has been in the pudding for more than three years that "they" have wanted Biden, first, to be in office and, secondly, to remain in office — despite a steadily growing perception by the American people that he's clearly incapable of carrying out the duties of the presidency.

One House Democrat who spoke anonymously to NBC on Thursday about the characterization of Biden as a feeble old man with a failing memory described it as a "nightmare" that weakens him electorally. Another unnamed Biden ally told NBC that Thursday was "the worst day of his presidency."

And it's only going to get worse.

So, Who Might 'They' Be?

The general answer is people who benefit from Biden being in the office in the first place — and remaining there, as long as feasibly possible. 

Former President Barack Obama's name is usually first on the list, with good reason: Obama craves power, he always considers himself the smartest person in the room, and he knows Biden's a fool. Speaking to a fellow Democrat about Biden being the party’s nominee in 2020, Obama famously warned: “Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f**k things up.” 

While Jill Biden hovers over her husband, often leading him off stage — sometimes grabbing his hand and practically dragging him — I don't suspect she's involved in critical policy decisions in the White House. So who is?

In February 2023, an ABC News report on Biden's "sputtering [2020] Democratic primary campaign" focused on two of Washington's top Democratic strategists responsible for saving the campaign and propelling Biden to a win over Donald Trump in November: Anita Dunn and Bob Bauer. Here's more:

Dunn, a communications specialist, took control of Biden's campaign, immersing herself in its minutiae from a small cubicle at its Philadelphia headquarters. 

Bauer, a former Obama White House counsel, would help shape the campaign's response to some of Biden's thorniest political vulnerabilities, including his son's overseas business dealings. Within months Biden had secured the Democratic nomination and eventually toppled Donald Trump in the November general election.

Dunn currently serves as a senior advisor to Biden; Bauer was White House Counsel under Barack Obama. Is it reasonable to assume that Dunn and Bauer are among Biden's "handlers?" Of course, it is.

As reported by The New York Times in April 2023, a small circle of senior Biden officials, some of whom have known Joe for decades, are known to "guide the president’s political strategy both in the White House and on the campaign trail." Here's more:

They rarely give on-the-record interviews. Only two are on Twitter. But they [remain] the main force behind the president’s political strategy. 

None of them have significant public personas. Of the six, only Jennifer O’Malley Dillon and Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, have active Twitter accounts. 

The administration announced in late January that Dillon would leave the White House to take control of the reins of Biden's flailing campaign. Is it reasonable to assume she'll be back in the White House pulling Biden's if he wins in November? Again, of course, it is.

Jake Sullivan, Biden's National Security Advisor is undoubtedly among Biden's "handlers," and while we're at it, let's toss in embattled serial-lying Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and weasely Secretary of State Antony Blinken as strong probabilities, as well. 

The Bottom Line

Regardless of who pulls Biden's strings, the obvious, and potentially ominous, reality is that his strings are being pulled. And they're pulled by unelected bureaucrats, some of whom have displayed their love of power  — and disdain for anyone who gets in their way.

That realization makes the answer to "What were they thinking?" a whole lot easier to figure out, doesn't it?

SEE MORE:

Does Obama Need a Weakened Biden?

Watch: Fox News Host Suggests Biden's Handlers Are 'Feeding Him Drugs to Allow Him to Function'

Antony Blinken's Soul-Sucking Facial Expressions During Biden Presser Go Hilariously Viral