# Can I be the only person stunned at just how badly President Joe Biden is doing? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 31, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851 "2021-08-31T19:33:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/174 "2021-09-02T12:59:14Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Agreed. But we can be nuanced here on the Dope. We don’t have to say “Up” just because the other side said “Down”. > > And note that it is not only Republicans jumping to all-or-nothing positions like this. > I was annoyed to watch _The David Pakman Show_ and hear a segment where he entirely talked about a straw man; that critics of Biden must necessarily want a forever war. Depends on what you mean by “critics of Biden”. If they support treason, in other words support the politicians who refused to act against or even supported a coup attempt, their opinion on Biden is not necessarily wrong but should not be listened to. Either to support or reflexively oppose. They don’t have a right to be heard as if their opinion matters if they support the violent overthrow of the government of America. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/175 "2021-09-02T13:09:07Z")
Anyway Joe Biden is a professional politician, and a good one. He surrounds himself with advisors that help him shape policy and craft policy statements because that’s what good politicians do. Good politicians actually think before they speak, they don’t treat us to an unfiltered stream of consciousness that’s a senseless mash-up of right wing conspiracy theories and call it public policy. Good politicians have staff that help them manage their time by not giving a steady stream of crazy people access to the President. Having advisors that you listen to is not a sign of weakness, it’s smart. Anyway, you are ridiculous- it laughable how right-wingers have nothing so they’ve resorted to the dubious and surreal tactic of shouting out completely innocuous statements and pretending outrage. “Joe Biden has a home office in his basement!” “Joe Biden’s wife has a doctorate in education!” “Joe Biden’s son introduced some friends to his father!” It’s pathetic. Do yourself a favor and never watch Fox News again. Don’t watch OANN or NewsMax or right-wing podcasts. It’s worse than heroin, it’s literally destroying your brain. Since the anniversary of 9/11 is approaching, there should be no shortage of clips of Rudy “a noun, a verb, 9/11” Guiliani 20 years ago. Watch those clips, then look at the drooling drunken incontinent lunatic that he’s become. So if you don’t want to find yourself standing on a street corner, wetting yourself during spittle-launching rage fits about George Soros, as your Covid laced fecal aerosols make you a international punch line……turn off your TV. Throw away your computer and phone while you’re at it. Sone people, people like you, just don’t have the mental capacity to deal with the kind of information these devices deliver, and allowing people like you to access them is like putting guns and sharp swords into the hands of young children. So go away. ETA- it looks like this poster has been disappeared while I was writing this. Good. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/176 "2021-09-02T13:14:42Z")
Sorry all, I verified. Policy is to cornfield the Sock’s posts and the replies to said. I did edit **Ann** ’s post to remove the reply. @Ann_Hedonia, you might want to remove the first paragraph. But your call. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/177 "2021-09-02T13:16:52Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sorry all, I verified. Policy is to cornfield the Sock’s posts and the replies to said. > > I did edit **Ann** ’s post to remove the reply. @Ann_Hedonia, you might want to remove the first paragraph. But your call. Done. No fun burning someone that’s not around to feel it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/178 "2021-09-02T13:17:38Z")
Very cool and thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/179 "2021-09-02T13:23:56Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Depends on what you mean by “critics of Biden”. If they support treason, in other words support the politicians who refused to act against or even supported a coup attempt, their opinion on Biden is not necessarily wrong but should not be listened to. Sure, nutballs should be ignored, but there are nutballs on any topic. We should be able to just discuss a topic without being baited by extremist (and ignorant) views into having to ourselves take a black-and-white position. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/180 "2021-09-02T14:16:05Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Sorry all, I verified. Policy is to cornfield the Sock’s posts and the replies to said. Since I’m late to the party ☹ can I get the gist of what the sock said. Even without it @Ann_Hedonia’s post is once again, magnificent. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/181 "2021-09-02T14:19:54Z")
Best not as it would pretty much violate the DNFTT concept and there wasn’t too much to it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/182 "2021-09-02T14:29:39Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Done. No fun burning someone that’s not around to feel it. Might want to clarify that you weren’t answering me; as right now that’s what it looks like. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/183 "2021-09-02T14:36:11Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > Since I’m late to the party ☹ can I get the gist of what the sock said. They agreed with the OP. There was some other stuff but you didn’t miss anything beyond generic trollery. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/184 "2021-09-02T14:50:44Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Put it like this: Let’s say that I am the Deputy Manager of a factory that has been making defective batteries for 8 years. When investigators come, is it enough to say “Hell, I told the boss we should be making ice cream instead of batteries, but he didn’t wanna”? No: given the decision to make batteries, it’s my (partial) responsibility to make sure _they work_ . I reject your analogy. Making batteries is not the same as making a nation. If someone says “Here’s where we want the house; here’s the bricks and mortar I want you to make it with,” but the site is a swamp, there aren’t enough bricks, and the mortar isn’t mixed right, are you going to blame the guy who said we shouldn’t build the house in the first place? **BigT** covered the rest of what I would say here in his response; I don’t see the need to pile on. ---
**Author:** ![bobsmom101](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobsmom101/32/2867_2.png) [@bobsmom101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobsmom101)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/185 "2021-09-02T15:05:46Z")
IMO @Ann_Hedonia is one of, if not **the most** , coherent thinker(s) on the SDMB. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/186 "2021-09-02T15:07:32Z")
Sorry about that, I was attempting to reply to the OP, who was nuked while I was composing my reply, which made everything weird. The first few lines of my original post were a fine piece of snark directed at the OP….but I edited it out after conferring with moderation - that’s what I was referring to. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/187 "2021-09-02T15:10:00Z")
Oh yeah, I understood that – I was just thinking of somebody else possibly coming into the thread late and not understanding it. It’s too late to edit that post again; but this bit of discussion we’ve just had should serve as clarification. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/188 "2021-09-02T15:24:48Z")
> [@bobsmom101](#): > > IMO @Ann_Hedonia is one of, if not **the most** , coherent thinker(s) on the SDMB. Seconded. > [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Sorry about that, I was attempting to reply to the OP, who was nuked while I was composing my reply, which made everything weird. The OP, or the cornfielded sock? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/189 "2021-09-02T15:48:48Z")
Oh, sorry again, the cornfielded sock. I forgot she didn’t start it. But I think it applies to the OP as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/190 "2021-09-02T17:54:59Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > I reject your analogy. Making batteries is not the same as making a nation. I at no point mentioned nation-building and that is not part of my criticism at all. > [@SunUp](#): > > If someone says “Here’s where we want the house; here’s the bricks and mortar I want you to make it with,” but the site is a swamp, there aren’t enough bricks, and the mortar isn’t mixed right, are you going to blame the guy who said we shouldn’t build the house in the first place? Your analogy is actually exactly the same as mine. Because Biden said we shouldn’t be in Afghanistan; good, that’s right. That’s equivalent to saying we shouldn’t build on the swamp. But then what happened? Bearing in mind that I \*wasn’t\* talking about nation building so not as impossible task as you’re framing it. Did he point out the errors being made over the 8 years? ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/191 "2021-09-02T19:55:35Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Might want to clarify that you weren’t answering me; as right now that’s what it looks like. Yeah, I was wondering what it was you said…didn’t sound like you at all! ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/192 "2021-09-02T20:12:25Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > didn’t sound like you at all! Thanks! I do hope I’ve got a better reputation around here than one that would expect responses like that! ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2021, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851/193 "2021-09-02T20:38:08Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Because Biden said we shouldn’t be in Afghanistan; good, that’s right. That’s equivalent to saying we shouldn’t build on the swamp. > > But then what happened? Every job I’ve ever had, the planning stages are when you give your opinion, point out problems, suggest alternatives. If after all that the boss still wants to build in a swamp, then you get on board and make building in a swamp work as best as you can. If you think it is a really, really bad idea (and or illegal), you of course have the option of quitting. Biden didn’t, so hopefully he did his best to make a bad plan work. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-the-only-person-stunned-at-just-how-badly-president-joe-biden-is-doing/949851.md?page=10)