To be fair, good newspapers (and other media) carefully vette anonymous sources.
It’s not like any random person can call a newsroom and say whatever they want and expect the rumor to be published. That doesn’t happen (except maybe at some shady website).
The best newsrooms have policies on this and they do check rumors before publishing to verify they come from credible sources.
From The Washington Post (as one example):
In some circumstances, we will have no choice but to grant confidentiality to sources. We recognize that there are situations in which we can give our readers better, fuller information by allowing sources to remain unnamed than if we insist on naming them. We realize that in many circumstances, sources will be unwilling to reveal to us information about corruption in their own organizations, or high-level policy disagreements, for example, if disclosing their identities could cost them their jobs or expose them to harm. Nevertheless, granting anonymity to a source should not be done casually or automatically.
< snip >
Editors have an obligation to know the identity of unnamed sources used in a story, so that editors and reporters can jointly assess the appropriateness of using them. Some sources may insist that a reporter not reveal their identity to the reporter’s editors; we should resist this. When it happens, the reporter should make clear that information so obtained cannot be published. The source of anything that is published will be known to at least one editor.
We prefer at least two sources for factual information in Post stories that depend on confidential informants, and those sources should be independent of each other. We prefer sources with firsthand or direct knowledge of the information. A relevant document can sometimes serve as a second source. There are situations in which we will publish information from a single source, but we should do so only after deliberations involving the executive editor, the managing editor and the appropriate department head. The judgment to use a single source depends on the source’s reliability and the basis for the source’s information. - SOURCE
Incapacitated, senile, cognitively slipping/impaired, tell ya what: If he steps down and maybe y’all should calm down a bit as he hasn’t yet. I wouldn blame him if he was a, “pissy dick” about it. He has been the best President in terms of achievements in modern times and his own party can’t wait to bury him before he’s dead. All with the help of the breathless media.
I live in Michigan, so I will vote for whatever sacrificial lamb they toss out there, but I’m ashamed at the dissposal of the best President we’ve had in a long time. I just hope that if he steps aside that I’m dead wrong on the outcome of the election.
This assumes Biden is not diminishing as he ages. Not everyone does but also it is very common and not unusual to anyone.
My mom was very intelligent, great work ethic, excellent at her job. Her decline at the end was rapid. Her great past did not mean she was suitable to continue her work (and she tried but it was clear she could not keep going in her job).
Anecdotal I know but, again, I think it is a very common story most are familiar with.
He’s not. He had one bad night, the media pounced on it because the media only cares about ratings and profit, and people have spent three weeks doom-spiraling about it and turning it into a self-fulfilling prophecy.
A bad night that he absolutely has not been able to shrug off since. Have him do a dozen interviews and knock them out of the park. Show the haters they are wrong. Apparently the opposite is happening and the White House press corps is not happy. His handlers are keeping Biden (mostly) away from the press.
Also, if Pelosi and Obama and other insiders are all starting to sing the same tune chances are they know more than you and, fully understanding the dangers of switching candidates, are all starting to call for him to step aside maybe you should believe them.
Unless you think they are all beholden to the media you think is so unfair and they are willing to march to Trump’s narrative.
Maybe the media did create this situation, but it’s the reality of the moment. Wishing it wasn’t like that won’t change people’s minds. The reality is that high ranking members of the party are openly saying he should step down. The strategy moving forward needs to incorporate how to deal with the external pressure wanting him to step down. Maybe it was the media who whipped it up for ratings. If so, the tactic worked. Now we have to deal with the situation where lots of people think Biden is too old and is going to lose when there’s a media who will keep whipping up the “too old” angle. If Biden is to say in, he needs a strategy to turn the message around so that the media is running stories that help Biden win (or at least doesn’t tank his chances).
Again, as I mentioned earlier tonight, several months ago, I saw coverage of him speaking at some outdoor event which he was attending with the First Lady. He gave several minutes’ worth of remarks, which were likely prepared ahead of time, but I don’t think he had a teleprompter. His remarks were difficult to follow, and he stumbled over words and phrases repeatedly.
I was shocked and dismayed by how he sounded that day. His performance at the debate was similar.
Bad chart, you have to factor in their life styles, McDonalds and sleeping around, only exercise is golf- and he uses a golf card. Vs eats healthy, exercises, has the best medical care in the world.
I’d say I would bet on trump dying first.
Nope-
Obama told allies he’s concerned about Biden’s campaign: Reports
The Associated Press reported that Obama is privately expressing concerns about the matter,
That headline is a BIG FAT LIE-
Sure- concerns- concerns that this shit is helping trump win.
Thanks to the media who seems to have forgotten how to report that Trump is equally as bad. And, thanks to a bunch of panicking democrats who seem to have forgotten how to fight back.
Speaking at an outdoor event with the First Lady is not a core duty of the president. I don’t need him to be able to do that. I need him to do the job the Constitution tasks him with and I have seen no evidence that he is not 100% up to that.
When he comes out to the podium wearing five ties, says that Jesse Jackson and Al Gore have just dropped out of the primary and endorsed him, and declares that we’re sending troops into Rhodesia, then I’ll believe he’s not up to snuff.
The media has been reporting on Trump’s word-salad, nonsensical ramblings since 2015. His supporters don’t give a shit. They never have. Indeed, they love it cuz it owns the libs.
If you have some magic sauce for reporting about Trump’s shortcomings let us know.