# Joe Biden would be an ineffective president who would accomplish very little, if anything. **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 8, 2020, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102 "2020-03-08T14:09:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/161 "2020-03-12T16:12:29Z")
“That’s where American politics are now” is how I would cast your hot take. In days past, every goddamn thing wasn’t recorded and being surrounded by autoworkers is a perfectly fine place to use that kind of language. But now the delicate flowers also get to see it and stagger for the fainting couch. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/162 "2020-03-12T16:29:32Z")
> [@RioRico](#): > > Do those disdainful of Biden prefer the orange terror? > [@SmartAleq](#): > > Those of us who look past optics and personal animus to see actual results consider Biden to be WORSE of the two because his presidency would bring a false sense of “normalcy” to a world situation that is awful and getting worse. Neither Trump nor Biden intend to do a goddamned thing about climate change, they’re both absolute ballsuckers to the oil and gas industries and either one of them insures we do NOTHING about climate change or the environment for four more years–in Biden’s case, everyone goes back to sleep so it’s actually nothing done for MORE than four years. There is no change without discomfort, and Cheeto Jesus certainly brings the discomfort so yes, from an environmentalist point of view especially Trump is preferable. > > Now the ACTUAL preference is for neither of these two deranged clowns driving the clown car in favor of an actual competent person but if the American public is too deluded or the DNC/RNC too good at ratfucking the election process then it’s gonna be one or the other and yes, I prefer the one who creates the most outrage because that’s the one more likely to actually get people off their asses and doing something to effect actual change rather than tastefully rearranging the Titanic’s deck chairs. Susan Sarandon? [Is that you?](https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/29/politics/susan-sarandon-donald-trump-hillary-clinton-bernie-sanders/index.html) ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/163 "2020-03-12T16:45:45Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > “That’s where American politics are now” is how I would cast your hot take. In days past, every goddamn thing wasn’t recorded and being surrounded by autoworkers is a perfectly fine place to use that kind of language. But now the delicate flowers also get to see it and stagger for the fainting couch. No, it’s not that I am offended by the word “shit”. :rolleyes: It’s that I expect someone vying for the role of president, to not take a soft question and respond like some drunk starting a brawl. If Biden were my friend, I would be worried about my friend’s temperament. Let alone anyone being put in a position of power and responsibility. I know we’re in the post-Trump-election world here, but I for one am hoping, just maybe, we can begin the crawl out of the gutter? Anyway, get all your handwaving ready, because there is no doubt in my mind Biden is going to do a lot more of this in the coming weeks, and months if he gets that far. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/164 "2020-03-12T17:32:55Z")
> [@Brayne\_Ded](#): > > I agree with your assessment of a possible Biden presidency, but the only person who could get into office will be bland and a bit right of center. Radical left wing is never a good idea - ask Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn, if he will ever admit it. In US terms, only a candidate who is not controversial and divisive has a chance to unseat Trump. Biden seems to be more of that than Sanders. I don’t think he will be a good POTUS, mainly because he would have the baleful legacy of Trumo to deal with, but he probably won’t be a bad prez either. Again, I am dubious about this take. The GOP has only become more and more radical over time, and the consequences of that have been…a stolen Supreme Court majority, legislatively neutered Democratic governors in states like NC and WI, an expanded Senate GOP majority, and until 2018 a gerrymandered House. Radicalism in the American context is clearly not anathema to voters. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/165 "2020-03-12T17:38:01Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > No, it’s not that I am offended by the word “shit”. :rolleyes: > It’s that I expect someone vying for the role of president, to not take a soft question and respond like some drunk starting a brawl. > If Biden were my friend, I would be worried about my friend’s temperament. Let alone anyone being put in a position of power and responsibility. > > I know we’re in the post-Trump-election world here, but I for one am hoping, just maybe, we can begin the crawl out of the gutter? > > Anyway, get all your handwaving ready, because there is no doubt in my mind Biden is going to do a lot more of this in the coming weeks, and months if he gets that far. I don’t know why you’re more offended than the full of shit guy. At 4:30 in the linked video, he seemed to take it in far better stride than you have. I think that Biden has decided that a ‘fight me’ attitude is working for the blue collar folks who do support him. So he aims to keep them and maybe get a few that aren’t already on his side. And if that offends some, so be it. He’s got the gentle democrat support anyway. It’s the gettable Trump voters he’s after. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/166 "2020-03-12T17:45:09Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > The Senate gave their advice, and it was “No”. Sorry you didn’t like it. :rolleyes: Mitch McConnell gave _his_ advice. Mitch McConnell ≠ the Senate. Sorry if you don’t like it. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/167 "2020-03-12T17:45:18Z")
Well, at the very least it sounds like Biden would be much better in a pandemic. His speech and plans for coronavirus are MUCH better than Trump’s last night. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/168 "2020-03-12T17:48:15Z")
Joe Biden winning the election 8 months early IMO. ---
**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:** [March 12, 2020, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/169 "2020-03-12T17:56:40Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I don’t know why you’re more offended than the full of shit guy. At 4:30 in the linked video, he seemed to take it in far better stride than you have. > > I think that Biden has decided that a ‘fight me’ attitude is working for the blue collar folks who do support him. So he aims to keep them and maybe get a few that aren’t already on his side. And if that offends some, so be it. He’s got the gentle democrat support anyway. It’s the gettable Trump voters he’s after. I have not used the word “offended” before this sentence. I’m not offended. I’m embarrassed, and worried it’s just a matter of time before the gaffes reach a level of awful that the electorate won’t be able to overlook. No part of that interaction looked bad to you? Like I say, even his aides seemed concerned to me, trying to end the interaction as quickly as they could. Sent from my Redmi Note 8 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2020, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/170 "2020-03-12T19:05:24Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > I have not used the word “offended” before this sentence. > > I’m not offended. I’m embarrassed, and worried it’s just a matter of time before the gaffes reach a level of awful that the electorate won’t be able to overlook. > > No part of that interaction looked bad to you? Like I say, even his aides seemed concerned to me, trying to end the interaction as quickly as they could. > > Sent from my Redmi Note 8 using Tapatalk He does seem to be quicker to anger. But I do think he’s made the calculation to be more aggressive and I think it’s deliberate for the reasons I’ve already stated. It may not be a good look to you or me, but if you’re already a Biden supporter, or an anti-Trumper considering voting for him, this won’t really hurt him. I mean, even the guy he insulted didn’t hold it against him. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/171 "2020-03-14T20:49:09Z")
In an upcoming debate, Biden would stand up to and attack Trump way more convincingly than Sanders - in the eyes of blue collar swing voters in Wi/Mi/Penn, who see Bernie as more of a “socialist threat” than Biden. This demographic’s eyes would glaze over as Bernie would try to excoriate Trump on points on M4A policy, while Biden’s homespun meat-and-potatoes ad hominem engagement with Don, would, sadly, be the optics that these voters would calibrate their allegiances to, accordingly. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/172 "2020-03-14T21:26:14Z")
Well put. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/173 "2020-03-14T21:40:10Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > No, it’s not that I am offended by the word “shit”. :rolleyes: > It’s that I expect someone vying for the role of president, to not take a soft question and respond like some drunk starting a brawl. You’re lying to yourself. These sentences directly contradict each other no matter how many eye roll smiles you use. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/174 "2020-03-14T22:05:53Z")
> [@QuickSilver](#): > > I’m all for means testing when it comes to who gets social security benefits. How about you? Welfarizing a program like Social Security is a sucky idea. Means testing really doesn’t save you that much; there are way fewer rich people than there are non-rich people. What it does, however, is create is a constituency for further cutting the program. Same would be true of a program for low-cost college at public universities. (Actually even more so, since most rich people will continue to send their kids to Harvard and Yale, rather than UVa or any of the other ‘public Ivies.’ The money to be saved by excluding them is minimal.) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/175 "2020-03-14T22:08:26Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > Well put. Thanks. Let’s just hope Joe doesn’t gaffe up too badly over the next while. ---
**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:** [March 15, 2020, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/176 "2020-03-15T08:45:15Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > No, it’s not that I am offended by the word “shit”. > It’s that I expect someone vying for the role of president, to not take a soft question and respond like some drunk starting a brawl. > If Biden were my friend, I would be worried about my friend’s temperament. Let alone anyone being put in a position of power and responsibility. > [@CarnalK](#): > > You’re lying to yourself. These sentences directly contradict each other no matter how many eye roll smiles you use. Yes, you’re absolutely right…in the universe where all English verbs mean the same thing. In our universe meanwhile, “worried” and “offended” do not mean the same thing. If my friend was drunk and starting a brawl, I’d be embarrassed for him, and worried about what was going to happen next. I wouldn’t be offended though, why should I be? Likewise when Biden responds to a fairly polite question with “You’re full of shit!” I – like his aides – am embarrassed by the tone of the response and think it looks bad _for him_. Again, I’m not offended. Not Verb-same-iverse. ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/177 "2020-03-15T09:10:44Z")
Disagree with the thesis of this thread I think Biden could be very effective in stalling any meaningful progress on climate change, saving fossil fuel reliant companies trillions in the short run. He would help keep the medical insurance industry going, costing Americans dearly but lining the pockets of investors. Private prisons, weapons manufacturing would also do better under Biden. As a racial segregationist, he would help avoid equality of opportunity issues like slavery repetitions becoming a problem. Biden would be a very useful force for some issues ---
**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:** [March 15, 2020, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/178 "2020-03-15T09:20:02Z")
> [@Mijin](#): > > Yes, you’re absolutely right…in the universe where all English verbs mean the same thing. Before anyone says it: I know, sarcasm fail – “worried” and “offended” can be verbs, but here they are being used as adjectives. I meant Same-Adjectiverse… ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2020, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102/179 "2020-03-15T10:32:13Z")
> [@Guest-starring\_Id](#): > > Thanks. > Let’s just hope Joe doesn’t gaffe up too badly over the next while. Yes. This is one reason I think Stacy Abrams would make a good running mate. She speaks so well, including off the cuff and responding to questions – she could do most of the talking, while Joe drove the pickup trucks and chowed down the barbecued meats. (Others could do the talking just about as well as Abrams – Castro, Booker, McCaskill…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joe-biden-would-be-an-ineffective-president-who-would-accomplish-very-little-if-anything/849102.md?page=8)