 And who knows when the next life and death decision will need to be made. Crises don't wait patiently for presidents to be fully prepared. Someone whose cognitive competencies can be compromised as badly as Biden's were by routine travel and a mere cold may be able to live a normal life, but they'd be hard pressed to endure the rigors of negotiating with Congress or a foreign leader, much less making multiple rapid decisions when some future domestic or global disaster emerges.