Reading the portents in a low information environment

 Hmmmm.

The press would be in a feeding frenzy if the Bush staff handed “real” people the questions to ask Bush at townhall style event. Let’s see how acquiescent the Biden press corps is - or can they still be tough on the person they cover? https://t.co/YnEStaegc3

— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) September 3, 2020

Click for the thread.

Sure, Republicans are going to pounce and there will be a lot of gloating and chortling.  We know that.  

But I worry about this though.  We already have reason to be concerned about possible cognitive decline.  Why would any campaign be willing to create the appearance that that risk is real?

Given the unreliability of the mainstream media, we are left peering at tea leaves but this seems worrisome.  In a controlled environment, when their candidate has been off the campaign trail for months and is rested and relaxed, you would think that his campaign would be perfectly comfortable unleashing him in front of what could be anticipated to be a friendly crowd.

Is it normal for campaigns to hand out preferred pre-packaged questions to the public at these events?  I suppose it could be but I have never gotten that sense.

And if it is not normal, then what does that say about his campaign staff's concerns about his capacity?  That rested and relaxed with a friendly crowd, if he receives an off-script question he won't be able to respond?

Yikes!  There is no case to answer here but that seems bad judgment by the campaign at best and alarming at worst.