That was NOT a “Big-Boy Press Conference.” Not even close.

Yet, in it’s own way last night’s TV appearance by the president was absolutely splendid!

I’m talking, of course, about Joe Biden’s first presser in 18 months. Never has so much rested upon a single 59-minute appearance.

Luckily, hand-picked lickspittles in the media did their part, politely asking questions no one cared about, with few if any follow-ups.

Biden did enough to survive - he even appeared lucid at times - but not enough to change the inevitable trajectory of the election.

As I said, it was perfect. Chaos will continue to dominate the Democrat Party for the foreseeable future.

Sure Biden stepped on a rake and provided a comical sound bite when he said Trump was his vice president, but hey, who hasn’t confused the former president with cackling Kamala?

Easy to do.

Democrats nominated this fool. They’re stuck with him.

For now, anyway.

In case you didn’t watch, Biden arrived about an hour late for the presser. He began by giving a campaign speech that he read off a teleprompter. (When was the last time a president needed a teleprompter at a press conference?)

Then he took dutiful, boring questions from a list of pre-selected shameless reporters who no doubt had their questions vetted by Biden’s staff. Or worse, handed to them by his aides.

That had to be the price to participate in the presser. Frankly, these Biden collaborators masquerading as journalists should be ashamed. They lied to the public for years about the president’s mental condition and then lobbed softballs to him when they finally got a chance to put him on the spot.

With no access to the president for almost two years - Lord knows when Biden will hold another presser - there were critical questions begging to be asked:

It’s astonishing that not one reporter asked Biden why he hasn’t held a cabinet meeting in nine months. I would have asked him to name all of his cabinet members. What are the chances he could recall the names of people he hasn’t seen since October 2, 2023?

Where were questions about the Parkinson’s doctor at the White House eight times in the past eight months?

Why didn’t anyone grill him about what role Hunter Biden has in his administration and why Hunter  is accompanying his father to high-level meetings? A follow-up would be whether Hunter has security clearances.

Why were there no questions about the five American hostages being held in Gaza? They’ve never mattered much to this administration. Biden talked about Israel but the fact that Americans were kidnapped - one had his arm blown off - by Hamas nine months ago is of little concern to this White House.

With immigration consistently rating as one of the top issues of concern to voters why were there no questions on the border?

Not even one on illegals voting?

Why did no one ask Biden why he was staying in the race when, according to a new ABC News/Washington Post poll, two thirds of all Americans - including a majority of Democrats - believe he’s too old to be president and should drop out?

Why didn’t some inquiring mind ask the president if he’d order Merrick Garland to release the audio recording of his interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur? If not, why not?

Damn it, the public has a right to hear the tape.

The job of the press is not to make the president feel comfortable at these encounters. It’s to put him on the spot. Geezus, this isn’t hard.

This was just one more stage-managed event by a White House staff that has erected an invisible wall around the president. Contrast Biden’s orchestrated presser with  Trump’s combative free-for-alls with Jim Acosta and other members of the hostile press corps during his presidency.

It was hard to keep track, but I counted 11 “well anyway” lapses when Biden lost his train of thought, at least five times when he went into that weird whispering Biden’s so fond of and on one occasion the angry old man emerged.

Biden did enough Thursday night to fend off some of the frenzied inner-party back-stabbing that began two weeks ago. He bought himself some time.

But the Democrat saboteurs will be back. Their knives are sharp.