It's one of the most famous misquotes of all time: Aristotle's supposed assertion that “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without accepting it.”
One blogger points out that this misquote appears to have first appeared in Lowell Bennion's 1959 book Religion and the Pursuit of Truth, and that he “can only assume that it is a somewhat radical paraphrase of the actual sentence that appears in the book Aristotle “Nicomachean Ethics.”
However, the idea itself – even if it is a “radical reformulation” and does not reflect Aristotle's true meaning – is not a bad idea. It's certainly a better sentiment than this anonymous quote about what happened to Vice President Kamala Harris when she was exposed to the media where she wasn't portrayed in a positive light: “It got to her head and caused severe anxiety.”
This quote comes from an Axios article published on Friday, titled “Inside Biden's Morning Joe Obsession.” Apparently, the president can't get enough of MSNBC's weekday morning show, which generally gives his administration and Democrats very effusive praise of literally Biden. He couldn't do a better job if he was doing it himself.
And I don't mean that as in “figuratively, but in bold italics” literally, but literally Literally – considering this is what happens when America's leader tries to flatter himself:
JUST IN: President Biden appears to be speaking a different language while giving a speech at Earth Ryder Brewery in Superior, Wisconsin.
Don't worry…the media has assured us that it is more severe than ever before!
“Beer is brewed here. It is used to make fermented beer. pic.twitter.com/UeJ3zf2ZXX
– Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 25, 2024
What did he say. Four more years! Four more years! Four more beers!
For a media outlet often concerned about former President Donald Trump's media regime, the Axios report should raise more alarms about what the current White House occupant and his aides are watching.
“Biden's years-long love of the MSNBC morning staple is influencing how the White House is run — and who Biden listens to,” Axios reported.
The president often calls co-host Joe Scarborough — a former Republican congressman who is now a vocal critic of Donald Trump — to get Scarborough's opinion on issues and occasionally vent about media coverage, according to people familiar with the relationship.
“During the day, Biden asked his longtime staff if they had seen a story, poll or segment that was on the show. He included regulars on the shows in informal conversations with policy experts.
Because there's no one I think should set politics like “Morning Joe” Scarborough, Mika Brzezinski and their merry band of regular guests. Other program participants cited as participating in foreign policy discussions include journalist Mike Barnicle, former Council on Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Haass, and anti-Trump historian Jon Meacham, who once said after a 2020 presidential debate that the now-former president's support proved “ There is a lizard mind in this country, whatever that means.
In other words, the White House is now a real-life version of the 1979 movie Being There — only with Peter Sellers' goofy, scholarly character in charge of the country as well as offering advice:
However, this is not the most disturbing part of the Axios report. Kamala is also reported to be a huge fan of Morning Joe, and hosted a dinner for the show's co-host couple last month at the vice president's residence.
But she also goes to different parts of the wire — and when she ventures outside the safe confines of MSNBC and its fawning coverage, she doesn't like what she encounters.
“His aides noted that Harris also watches Fox News and sometimes watches the movie The Five,” Axios reported. “Some aides felt that Fox News’ persistent negative coverage — initially portraying her as Biden’s powerful puppeteer, then later as incompetent — could push Harris to distraction.”
“It got into her head and caused her extreme anxiety because they were constantly knocking on her,” a former Harris aide said.
In other words: Kamala Harris is one heartbeat away from the presidency in an administration in which that heart has been beating for 81 years, and if it is as constant as the brain that regulates it, it may not be the most reliable part in the trash.
However, when she encounters “The Five,” a mostly comedy show that takes on the news of the day in a joking, if often conservative, way, it's clear that she's putting herself in such a situation that a Valium might be in order.
Axios' Alex Thompson has, somewhat incredulously, moved on from this, noting more love from both the president and vice president for “Morning Joe.” President Biden loves CNN's “Fareed Zakaria GPS” too! There's a scoop for you.
“Aides say Biden respects these voices on cable TV, and loves when they applaud his actions,” Thompson wrote. “Some White House aides have bristled at Haass’s nuanced public criticism of Biden’s foreign policy.”
Previous presidential media habits were also touched upon: “Donald Trump is obsessed with Fox News, including ‘Fox & Friends’ and ‘Hannity,’” Thompson wrote. “Barack Obama was more attuned to magazines, including The New Yorker and The Atlantic”.
Wow, that was Barack reader. It's a trademark revelation of a president the media likes to portray as having influence and intelligence on par with Aristotle, with a hint of Cincinnatus.
But let's back up a little. Kamala Harris sometimes chimes in with Fox News — and their negative portrayal of her gives her “severe anxiety?” What bubble does this woman live in? I'm not sure, but whatever it's isolated with should be studied for use in military applications, because there's nothing that penetrates it.
For example: Her approval ratings are very high, along with her boss's approval ratings — and in an interview with Morning Joe's Katie Couric, who was softer, she said it was because they didn't take “enough credit” for the work they were doing. with it:
Kamala Harris explains why she and Biden are historically unpopular: 'We don't get enough credit' pic.twitter.com/Ofzi0Krsxd
– RNC Research (RNCResearch) January 25, 2024
Why do you care? They have “Morning Joe” to give them adequate credit — leaving out all the bad details about inflation, ballooning debt, American weakness, and global instability.
No, Aristotle did not say that “it is a mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without accepting it.” I'm pretty sure that if you got a time machine and moved him forward by 2,300 years or so, he'd probably say it was a worthwhile idea.
I'm also pretty sure he wouldn't approve of the second-in-line of a nation-state's executive seat being sent into a state of “extreme anxiety” by a bunch of people making jokes about it on Fox News. . But then, I think this is just the beginning of the problems the ancient Greek philosopher might have with the state of a Biden administration in 2024.
This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.
