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As the Democrats struggle among themselves over President Joe Biden's declining mental state and his declining poll numbers, it did not have to end up at this impasse. The Democrats and all their "mainstream" media enablers who claim they love democracy didn't want any serious or rigorous primary challenge for Biden.

Is it possible that Democrats are still haunted by Ted Kennedy challenging President Jimmy Carter in 1980? The parallels between Carter and Biden on foreign fecklessness and domestic inflation are obvious.

After the disastrous debate, British journalist Katty Kay -- a regular on Biden's favorite "news" show, "Morning Joe" -- tweeted something eye-opening. "Wondering what Dean Philips (sic) is thinking today. He complained that he couldn't get traction in the press or in the primaries because the race wasn't truly open. The incumbent had a lock on the system."

Yes, Rep. Phillips (D-Minn.), whose entire rationale for his campaign was challenging Biden's mental decline, was blocked by the incumbent and his press partners. The Republicans held five (Trump-less) debates, and the Democrats held zero. "Democratic" parties in the states obnoxiously refused to put Phillips on the ballot.

As Phillips complained, "How can Democrats say we're fighting for democracy ... yet removing me from the ballot in Florida and North Carolina? How can you say you are for free speech and protecting freedom and democracy and not even consent to doing one debate?" Even then, Bidenites were scared of debates.

So were the "news" networks. In February, former GOP chair Michael Steele interviewed Phillips on his show "The Weekend." Steele was blunt: "The chairman in me says, 'What the hell [are] you doing? And why are you doing it?'" Steele said the party chose Biden in 2020, and not Kamala Harris or Bernie Sanders. "So what makes you think after that -- an incumbent president, Joe Biden's not going anywhere. He's not stepping down!" Phillips piped up: "Big mistake. Big, big mistake!"

He was discouraged and ignored. ABC totally ignored Phillips the day he announced his campaign, like he was a tree falling silently in the Minnesota woods. On ABC's "The View," Ana Navarro was rude. Phillips was just a "wealthy guy in his 50s having a midlife crisis and I guess instead of buying a convertible Corvette or building a yacht, he decided to run for president."

Phillips made the ballot in New Hampshire, and because Biden's Democrat apparatus refused to let New Hampshire hold the first primary in 2024 -- "too white" -- Biden had to win the race with write-in votes. Phillips pulled 20% of the vote, a protest of either Biden's failings or the party's diss of New Hampshire. The day after the vote, the morning shows on ABC, CBS and NBC all refused to speak of Phillips.

CBS put his last name on screen with his 20%, but reporter Nancy Cordes boasted of Team Biden "looking past the primaries" to increase "their attacks on Trump."

Meanwhile on ABC, George Stephanopoulos noted to colleague Jonathan Karl that "Joe Biden did better with Democrats than Donald Trump did with the Republicans." Karl concurred that Biden did "a lot better ... without really campaigning, without having his name on the ballot." Neither mentioned Phillips at all.

It would be fascinating for reporters who ignored Phillips for months to interview him now and ask how he feels about his campaign based on Biden's cognitive decline, and how he was dismissed as a "wasted vote," and a waste of the media's time. It's another reason to point and laugh when the media boast they are the lifeblood of democracy.

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Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org. To find out more about Tim Graham and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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