CNN Spins Biden's Basement Campaign As a 'Concerted Strategy', Here's What they're Not Telling You

Do you remember the days when journalists in the mainstream media viewed politicians and candidates for public office who made it a point to avoid the media as often as possible as “suspicious” and “troubling”?

Well, those days are over – but only as long as you happen to have a “D” by your name and also happen to be the guy running against President Donald Trump.

CNN’s “New Day” program illustrated the media’s love for Democratic candidates hiding in their basement during their program this morning, with co-anchors John Berman and Alisyn Camerota leading the way in painting Biden’s hiding from the media this week in advance of the debate as a smart, “concerted strategy” to counter the “kaleidoscope of chaos” allegedly presented by President Trump’s campaign rallies.

During the segment, Berman claimed of Trump’s campaign that “this is a roving nationwide mayhem tour, presenting this kaleidoscope of chaos. So what is Joe Biden doing? He’s been off the trail in debate prep. It’s a heck of a contrast. And most probably a deliberate one from the Biden campaign…”

Berman then went on to introduce the guests on the program, which included Showtime’s “The Circus” series executive producer Alex Wagner (who is apparently a political expert) as well as Politico reporter Laura Barron-Lopez.

To Wagner, Berman noted he had had “sort of epiphany” about Joe Biden’s campaign strategy while watching the World Series (bolded emphasis added):

And Alex, I want to start with you, because I had this sort of epiphany as I was watching the World Series last night, and I saw that ad. First of all, it shows the cash advantage the Biden campaign has right now, but it also answers the question a little bit of, gosh, what’s Joe Biden doing? He’s taking these days off the campaign trail to prepare for the debate. What’s he doing?

Well, he’s presenting this stark contrast with the president, who is out there — your show is called “The Circus.” I mean, Joe Biden is running against the circus right now. And I think trying to provide that chaos. And if the president wants to be out there with this mayhem tour, so be it.

Gosh, it almost sounds like Berman morphed into a Biden campaign surrogate there, doesn’t it? I mean, there’s no other possible reason Biden would want to avoid interaction with the media at this particular time, right?

But it didn’t stop there. Camerota suggested that Biden was “also employing an unorthodox campaign strategy, which is within these final two weeks, just lay low and stay inside.”

At no point in the segment did anyone speculate that Biden might be avoiding the media because he didn’t want to answer questions about the Hunter Biden emails. In the minds of the anchors and panelists, Biden was employing this smart strategy of “laying low” in order to prepare for the debate and to let Trump “implode.”

Barron-Lopez even echoed the Biden campaign’s talking points in her comments on his “strategy”:

I mean, a big part of why Biden decides to call a lid some days as early as 9 a.m. is because of the fact that, yes, he’s following this campaign adage that, if your opponent appears to be imploding or doing the work for you, then you let them do that.

But it’s also because we still are in the middle of a pandemic. And that was the very reason why his campaign decided to be on the road less. And right now, we are starting to see increases in states across the board, in COVID cases. So, that’s the main reason why his campaign has decided to hold smaller events, socially-distanced events.

Berman and Wagner, who both seemed to be fangirling each other at times, agreed that the Biden campaign had to be “erupting in cheers” over Trump calling Biden “boring” while on the campaign trail:

BERMAN: I guess the point I’m making, is I actually now do think this is a concerted strategy from the Biden — Biden team. I mean, the president was out yesterday in Erie, Pennsylvania, literally saying, Joe Biden will be so boring. And I imagine the entire Biden campaign erupting in cheers saying, Yes, yes, Joe Biden will be boring.

That’s what we are now running on. It’s this closing message of normalcy, as highlighted by, you know, the sonorous tones of Sam Elliott. One other thing — sorry, Alex.

WAGNER: I would just say it’s not just boring; it’s responsible. It’s what you do when there’s a surge in a deadly virus across the country.

Watch this quartet of wannabe-Biden spokespeople living in an alternative reality below, courtesy of MRC-TV:

Back to the real world, what’s Biden’s “concerted strategy” going down the final stretch of the campaign really all about? Professor Jacobson from Legal Insurrection gets right to the heart of the matter here:

50 million + people will have already voted. That is Biden’s strategy. Keep a lid on the story as long as possible so as many voters as possible early vote without knowing. The media is fully aboard on the plan. https://t.co/mXyBCrN5eu

— Legal Insurrection (@LegInsurrection) October 21, 2020

Bingo.

Just as Biden’s basement strategy in the months leading up to October was about keeping him from damaging his campaign with the gaffes and flubs he is prone to make, he’s “laying low” from the media this week in an effort to keep from having to answer questions about the explosive emails found on his son’s laptop.

This isn’t about “debate prep” and “being responsible” and “letting Trump implode.” This is about holding the media – and worse, the American people – at bay on the issue of his son’s emails for as long as it takes to get Joe Biden over the finish line. It’s just that simple.