One often has to wonder, unfortunately, just exactly what is presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden saying? And sometimes the words he says are clear but you just wonder what the heck he was thinking?

That second one was pretty much what we saw with the story we reported on earlier today. The New York Times claims Biden had said previously that he judged potential candidates like “calendar models.”

Mr. Biden has likened running-mate evaluation to deciding among calendar models, with three broad categories (and outdated honorifics): Contenders can be a “Mr. August” (a shot of momentum in the summer), a “Mr. October” (a reliable and effective campaigner for the fall) or a “Mr. January” (a governing partner, politics notwithstanding).

Alrighty, now. Can we say “binders of women,” sexism and probably not a good look when one is accused of sexual assault and inappropriate touching? But you know that media will give Biden a pass, despite throwing Mitt Romney under the bus on his innocuous comment and stomping on him multiple times. Just heaven help if a Republican had actually said this.

Well, Joe has another one in the hopper today.

He was having a chat with Andrew Yang, his former primary opponent when he put out another “what the heck” moment.

Biden asked now what would Yang do for “planning now” for the end of the medical crisis for getting back to work, if he, Yang, were “the emperor right now, you’re running the show.” “What are the big ideas?” Biden asked.

During a podcast released this morning, Joe Biden asked Andrew Yang what he would do if he was "emperor" right now

🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/enSOdGoK8W

— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) May 11, 2020

Yikes.

First, we don’t have “emperors” in this country, what country does he think we’re in? Or is that how he perceives the job (a troubling thought)? We’ve already seen he thinks of picking VPs like calendar models. We’ve already seen how Barack Obama abused the office, treating it like a political fiefdom, so maybe this is consistent with that.

Second, or he throwing that out there because Yang is of Chinese heritage? What the heck? One of things often missing in the criticisms of Biden recently is his past history of questionable racial comments, everything from how he described Obama – “I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy. I mean, that’s a storybook, man” – to “put you all back in chains,” “slight Indian accent” and many other remarks.

Third, if you’re only “planning now” for reopening and searching around for the “big ideas,” you’re way behind. Trump and the governors have been talking and working on this for some time. Biden is behind on virtually every issue and this is no different.

Biden keeps trying to dress himself up as somehow important or relevant. But indeed in his case, “the Emperor” has no clothes and we all know better.