Well, it was, until a few months ago. It still is, much of the time. But it clearly is isn’t all of the time, and isn’t getting better. Some people do well throughout their 80s: my great-aunt worked full time until 95. But a decline is inevitable, and it starts somewhere and somewhen.
OK, that explains this from Politico
-
The White House said on Thursday that it was “entirely normal” for a president to be briefed about the journalists who would ask questions at news conferences, a day after President Joe Biden was seen holding a paper with what appeared to be a reporter’s question.
-
The comments come after Biden was seen on Wednesday holding a note card titled “question 1" regarding a Los Angeles Times reporter’s information during a joint news conference with President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea.
-
Jean-Pierre said the information on the card was different from the question that was asked.
If you’re basically running even with a convicted felon cult leader rapist who lies as easily as he breathes and tried to overthrow the government less than four years ago, maybe you’re not the candidate we need. I love Biden, but it would seem many of the people we need to vote for him don’t so much right now. And support numbers don’t seem to be going in the right direction for the good guys. Saying how fit he is, or how mentally fit one’s elderly parents were at a similar age doesn’t matter one iota. SUPPORT for Biden isn’t there like is was four years ago.
Yeah sure, Harris is also polling behind trump, but she’s not the presumptive nominee (yet). If she takes over the ticket, she can take over the campaign’s narrative.
Yeah sure, she didn’t do so well in 2020’s primary. But she was running in a crowded field with people who were basically friends (or at least friendly allies). That’s a tough needle to thread. I think with a piece-of-shit Roe-overturning felon enemy-of-the-state as her opponent, her prosecutorial background may very well kick in. She’ll bring the energy of something new, while being able to reference the accomplishments of the Biden/Harris administration. She’ll also bring the energy of a 50-something to the stump. She’ll be an amazing contrast to the doddering, mentally-failing orange buffoon.
Pair her with someone like Astronaut Mark Kelly-- a retired military, reddish state, border state Senator whose family has been affected by gun violence-- well, baby, you just might have a stew going!
You can say Trump is all those things. His supporters don’t care. (1/2 the county?)
For some reason, that no one can explain to me, they are brainwashed.
They’ve drank the Kool aide.
I like it!
And tell me this guy doesn’t look like a friggin’ bad-ass! Someone you simultaneously fear and want to have a beer with. Like Mike Ehrmantraut without all the murderin’.
Because as I said earlier, it’s not just about age. Age is just a number. It’s about Biden’s obviously frail condition. This is by far the most important election of our lifetimes, and it’s far too vital to have the luxury of just being nice to a deserving old man.
And that’s why there needs to be a major development, and Biden needs to have the self-awareness and the courage to make it happen.
In a way, this is reminding me of trying to get an elderly driver to stop driving. They’ll never say that they’re too old to drive. They’ll always say that they are fine to drive regardless of their ability, eyesight, or the number of fender-benders they have. They eventually get the keys taken away by a relative or insurance drops them for too many accidents. It’s not enough for Biden to say that he has the ability to win this election. He needs to demonstrate it. Just like an elderly driver needs to actually demonstrate he has the ability to drive rather than just say he does. I’m sure Biden is convinced he has the ability, but I don’t think enough of the voters are convinced of the same. If Biden wants the voters to keep him in the race, he needs to campaign in a way that the voters believe he has the ability to win. Just asking the voters to trust him is not enough.
It’s interesting here how many people simply refuse to consider that Biden may, in fact, have passed a milestone.
I see several posts continuing to address the right-wing false narrative that he has dementia (in the memory-issues sense, not in the most technical sense), even though that’s not actually the concern among potential Biden voters.
But whether it’s true or not true, cognitive decline (without memory issues) is possible, and worth discussing.
Assuming (1) the goal is a D victory in November and (2) Biden has declined far enough that by October, he will have practical limitations on his work (not too late in the day, not too many hours in the day, etc.): what is the best path forward?
Is it:
- Pretend it’s not happening and give him full-throated support?
- The take-grandpa’s-keys scenario and give the race to Harris?
- Come clean to the public but support Biden, limitations and all?
- Something else?
I understand that we don’t know that this is true: it could be bad debate + cold + slander + propaganda + whatever. But it’s possible and it’s plausible that he’s not up for the job that starts Jan. 2025, and worth gaming out.
I guess his family is too close and not seeing it. But, really his nearest advisers oughta be upfront.
I remember that Doctor egregiously lying about Trump’s health in a news conference.
Is that normal? To doctors of important people not have some obligation to be truthful? For National security if nothing else.
Even Gupta on CNN says the man needs to be assessed.
THIS was a point that Stephanopoulos repeatedly pursued in the interview. Instead of Biden focusing on what he has done in the past 3.5 years he wanted Biden to say what he will do in the coming 4 years of his next Presidency, but Biden kept missing this, even when Stephanopoulos pressed on it. Another point of concern for me and a point for those who think he should be replaced.
This.
Maybe Biden is indeed this way - we can’t know. But the issue is, what do the voters think he is like?
If he is healthy, spry and active, but the voters think he’s old, decrepit and brain-fogged, they’ll vote as if he is too old. Or they might not even get off their couch to vote for him.
Biden did actually address this at some point, though it was neither emphatic nor convincing. It was easy to miss.
What if said “I can’t run that mile, anymore, but dammit I get there, without lying, ruining democracy or paying off pornstars!”
Seriously he needs new talking points about Trump. Just call the asshole a filthy felon, a creeper of women, a user of people and is only out for himself.
He needs to sling some mud. Call him an orange haired Clown.
The time for delicacy and good guy politics are out the window.
Just sayin’
Probably not a good idea to call trump a felon.
Okay, then we run a candidate that isn’t doing even that well, so trump has an easy victory.
Remember, trumps lies came home to roost in 2020. But now he can make all the lies and false promises he wants to- but Biden cant.
Because they are running neck and neck in the polls- 4 months before the election?
And so trump has an even easier path to victory.
Why not stick with the Man who beat trump in 2020 and current is just about even with him in the polls? Why abandon him for another Dem who isnt doing as well as Biden is?
Then if Harris gets picked, and she is polling behind trump, we dump her and try another?
Because the man who ran in 2020 is no longer available, time having passed.
2024 Biden has some major advantages over 2020 Biden (3½ years doing an excellent job as actual President is the main one), but also some major disadvantages (old age is catching up with him in a way that is starkly visible). You simply cannot pretend that 2024 is the same as 2020. Yes, it’s the same man, but time and history have both been doing their thing.
If the world were fair, Trump would be experiencing these effects, too. To my mind, he’s declined much more in the last 4 years than Biden has, and he’s certainly accomplished less. But the world is not fair, and I, at least, am not as worried about Trump voters as I am about getting out the vote for the Democratic candidate in November.
You’re making an argument against this one thing I said in my post while ignoring the rest of it.
Something to chew on.