Needling is quite different than the sort of offensive, racist, misogynist,xenophobic and homophobic slurs and taunts that Donald J Trump regularly dishes out, Biden’s low key observations about Trump are perfect ripostes to a thin-skinned megalomaniac who cannot for the life of him shut his pie hole. Of course Biden shouldn’t get down to Trump’s level. He doesn’t have to, to make an impact.
Biden’s doing it exactly right. He isn't getting in the gutter. He’s not stooping to childish insults. Not making fun of Trump’s family. Just pointing out what will happen if we elect a wannabe dictator to the Presidency.
Biden’s image and persona is primarily built around being a decent and respectful human being, so even if Biden were to try to ‘fight’ Trump at Trump’s level, it would not be worn well by Biden, regardless of the fact Trump is so skilled at fighting in the muck. So not only would Biden look silly directly, however, it would also tarnish Biden’s image with his supporters.
Recall Trump was mentored on how to fight dirty by Roy Cohn - Trump received the best training anyone could get.
Nevertheless, Biden’s strategy of just needling Trump enough to get Trump to react might allow Trump to be the bully and to bury himself in the muck. I believe it is intended to allow Biden to appear above the fray, and have Trump throwing haymakers in an empty ring, to mix too many metaphors... Risky - yes, however, might allow Trump to demonstrate the contrast between decency and dirt all by himself.
To use a boxing analogy, I don’t think Biden should go toe to toe with Trump and trade blows. Just stick to the jab and every so often hit him with a barb and get his blood boiling and make him lose his temper.
I don’t think he goes in the mud with Trump ... as much as he just makes fun of Trump who is in the mud. It’s one thing to make fun of hand sizes, and another thing to point out the silliness of making fun of hand sizes. The later gets under Trump’s skin, and lands the punches. The more Trump is aggravated the more reckless he acts the more he loses the suburban housewives and on the fence normals.
Thanks for the review about Biden's pledge to restore civility and the obvious contradiction between that and stooping down to Trump's level. That said, I loved the Biden-Harris campaign's clever call back burn tweet "Be Best."
After I read this, I googled "Has Joe Biden said mocking things about Trump", thinking I must have missed something. I haven't. What google came up with were examples like the "Be best" response, and the recent speech where Biden said he didn't agree with Nikki Haley on much of anything, but he did agree she wasn't Nancy Pelosi.
What Biden is doing is needling, sort of slyly humorous, definitely not bullying, personal, nasty insults like Trump.
Just showing montages of Trump statements and videos, followed by the proverbial " I am Joe Biden and I approve this message", seems logical. The people do need to be reminded..constantly..of how bad of a human being Trump is.
There's no need to get in the dirt. "Be Best" was brilliant. Putting things in perspective and pointing out the obvious are fine; 'irony' can be vicious. And, it's hard to respond to. He has so many things going on--mostly self-inflicted (and he's somewhat right, but it's not a 'witch hunt', it's 'which hunt')--that his responses are becoming increasingly harsher haymakers; he's now using words like "pervert".
It's easier (and more fun) to simply anger him and make him self-destruct. Think Ali vs Foreman.....
President Biden is a DECENT human being. He is not going to get in the mud with Trump. He didn't have to do that in 2020 when he defeated Trump and he's not going to do that now and he's going to beat him (Trump) again regardless of what the phony polls are saying now. President Biden's surrogates and supermarket and the Lincoln Project etc will do that for him.
The presumption that Trump's base is solid and nothing will drive them away from supporting him in the general election. Likewise, the anti-Trump base is equally solid in support of anyone-but-Trump. The President needs to capture the undecideds and anti-Trump voters who might vote 3rd party. I concur with majority of comments that feel Biden should stay out of the mud and just deliver the jabs and zingers, as well as showing video clips of Trump's gaffs and unhinged rants. Play to Trump's thin skin and insecurity and let his (possibly seething) rage show the undecideds the difference between Trump and Biden.
That's what they're DOING! Please point out ONE TIME Biden has "gotten in the mud." Please sharpen your 500-page policy analysis, to bring with you to the next gunfight.
The question posed by Chris was "Should Biden get in the gutter...?". I agreed with the vast majority of comments that he shouldn't get in the gutter. I don't see any place in my post where I implied the Biden campaign had gotten into the gutter. And if you want to trade barbs, I think you need to renew your Valium prescription. ;-)
I’ll admit I cringed a bit when I read the “Be best” response. I felt President Biden was making fun of Melania’s “English as a second language” grammar. Not a good look for him. Someone on a news program said Biden doesn’t need to go low because he has the Lincoln Project to do that for him. I agree. He can state facts about Trump. And even poke at his vulnerable weirdness. But he needs to be careful. 🤷♀️
I was thinking the same thing about the Lincoln Project. They do a great job at pushing Trump's buttons, so Biden doesn't have any need to get in the dirt. As another reader also mentioned, Biden has lots of surrogates who can go a bit lower without actually getting in the dirt. The nice thing about Trump is that the material pretty much writes itself. You don't need to get in the dirt. Just continue to re-play and highlight all of Trump's verbal gaffes and cognitive flubs. They've always been there, but now they're occurring more frequently and are reaching a wider mainstream audience. It doesn't bother me that Trump's approval ratings are growing and solidifying with the MAGA base. I want Independents and Moderate Republicans to look at Trump and see him as the mentally unstable person he is. My sincere hope is that Trump has some sort of very public short-circuit (preferably after Labor Day), and the MAGA Republicans are faced with an "oh sh*t, what do we do now" moment.
The "short circuit" I want to see is the massive fatal myocardial infarction, happening mid-rant in front of the Inadequates at the next hatealong, with the body hitting the stage floor face-first, deader than the proverbial doornail. If Biden's "needling" of Old Uncle Thin Skin gets us there, good on him!
Hard disagree. That was Melania's anti-bullying campaign slogan, for Pete's sake. Good grief, let's not be so silly that we can't needle the big bad bully. So what, if Trump will gets mad and plays the victim? When has he ever NOT done that?
Oh,my! Totally agree Trump should be bullied! I just don’t think it’s a good look for Biden, since he was bullied for his stutter. I feel he should take the high ground as far as out right bullying. There are plenty of people able and willing to do that for him. 😊 Also... I’m absolutely not sticking up for Melania. It’s just the image that hit me. 🤷🏼♀️
Chris, your concerns are valid. Biden should absolutely not lower himself to Trump’s level for two reasons. First, Trump is good at gutter humor. His highest and best use would be as an insult comic is a rundown Vegas lounge. Biden is not suited to that game. Second, one goal is restoring civility, and you do that by drawing a contrast between a substantive campaign by Biden and babbling rants by Trump.
Thanks, Chris. My sense is that somewhere in the middle might be a good approach. Certainly not talking about Trump's hands or odor but a few key things that hopefully would resonate with undecided voters......his sexual assault and libel convictions, his fraud convictions, the indictment for taking State secrets out of the White House and refusing to return them, Jan 6, and the related attempts to overturn the election, his horrible response to COVID, comparing the economy on Jan 21 when Biden inherited the Presidency from Trump to how it is now, his culpability for abortion restrictions. And then just his basic lack of decency in how he speaks of others. I am sure that if you bring up too many things, it almost becomes diluted through sensory overload but I think it is critical for Biden to attack Trump on these key things and contrast his decency with Trump's amoral character.
>Should Joe Biden get in the gutter with Donald Trump?
Biden himself shouldn't, but that's what his surrogates are for.
Needling is quite different than the sort of offensive, racist, misogynist,xenophobic and homophobic slurs and taunts that Donald J Trump regularly dishes out, Biden’s low key observations about Trump are perfect ripostes to a thin-skinned megalomaniac who cannot for the life of him shut his pie hole. Of course Biden shouldn’t get down to Trump’s level. He doesn’t have to, to make an impact.
Needling is different, I agree, More needling please! Trump needs is a bully; he needs a heavy dose of his own medicine.
Biden’s doing it exactly right. He isn't getting in the gutter. He’s not stooping to childish insults. Not making fun of Trump’s family. Just pointing out what will happen if we elect a wannabe dictator to the Presidency.
I think Biden just needs to remind the populace every day of all the despicable things tRump has said and done. The ugly truth is gutter enough!
Yes and there is plenty to work with.
That’s for sure- every day of the year!
Biden’s image and persona is primarily built around being a decent and respectful human being, so even if Biden were to try to ‘fight’ Trump at Trump’s level, it would not be worn well by Biden, regardless of the fact Trump is so skilled at fighting in the muck. So not only would Biden look silly directly, however, it would also tarnish Biden’s image with his supporters.
Recall Trump was mentored on how to fight dirty by Roy Cohn - Trump received the best training anyone could get.
Nevertheless, Biden’s strategy of just needling Trump enough to get Trump to react might allow Trump to be the bully and to bury himself in the muck. I believe it is intended to allow Biden to appear above the fray, and have Trump throwing haymakers in an empty ring, to mix too many metaphors... Risky - yes, however, might allow Trump to demonstrate the contrast between decency and dirt all by himself.
To use a boxing analogy, I don’t think Biden should go toe to toe with Trump and trade blows. Just stick to the jab and every so often hit him with a barb and get his blood boiling and make him lose his temper.
I don’t think he goes in the mud with Trump ... as much as he just makes fun of Trump who is in the mud. It’s one thing to make fun of hand sizes, and another thing to point out the silliness of making fun of hand sizes. The later gets under Trump’s skin, and lands the punches. The more Trump is aggravated the more reckless he acts the more he loses the suburban housewives and on the fence normals.
Thanks for the review about Biden's pledge to restore civility and the obvious contradiction between that and stooping down to Trump's level. That said, I loved the Biden-Harris campaign's clever call back burn tweet "Be Best."
After I read this, I googled "Has Joe Biden said mocking things about Trump", thinking I must have missed something. I haven't. What google came up with were examples like the "Be best" response, and the recent speech where Biden said he didn't agree with Nikki Haley on much of anything, but he did agree she wasn't Nancy Pelosi.
What Biden is doing is needling, sort of slyly humorous, definitely not bullying, personal, nasty insults like Trump.
Just showing montages of Trump statements and videos, followed by the proverbial " I am Joe Biden and I approve this message", seems logical. The people do need to be reminded..constantly..of how bad of a human being Trump is.
Montages are the way to go, each and every day!
There's no need to get in the dirt. "Be Best" was brilliant. Putting things in perspective and pointing out the obvious are fine; 'irony' can be vicious. And, it's hard to respond to. He has so many things going on--mostly self-inflicted (and he's somewhat right, but it's not a 'witch hunt', it's 'which hunt')--that his responses are becoming increasingly harsher haymakers; he's now using words like "pervert".
It's easier (and more fun) to simply anger him and make him self-destruct. Think Ali vs Foreman.....
Biden promised to restore dignity to the White House and he did. He will maintain that decency for the next FIVE years!
President Biden is a DECENT human being. He is not going to get in the mud with Trump. He didn't have to do that in 2020 when he defeated Trump and he's not going to do that now and he's going to beat him (Trump) again regardless of what the phony polls are saying now. President Biden's surrogates and supermarket and the Lincoln Project etc will do that for him.
The presumption that Trump's base is solid and nothing will drive them away from supporting him in the general election. Likewise, the anti-Trump base is equally solid in support of anyone-but-Trump. The President needs to capture the undecideds and anti-Trump voters who might vote 3rd party. I concur with majority of comments that feel Biden should stay out of the mud and just deliver the jabs and zingers, as well as showing video clips of Trump's gaffs and unhinged rants. Play to Trump's thin skin and insecurity and let his (possibly seething) rage show the undecideds the difference between Trump and Biden.
That's what they're DOING! Please point out ONE TIME Biden has "gotten in the mud." Please sharpen your 500-page policy analysis, to bring with you to the next gunfight.
The question posed by Chris was "Should Biden get in the gutter...?". I agreed with the vast majority of comments that he shouldn't get in the gutter. I don't see any place in my post where I implied the Biden campaign had gotten into the gutter. And if you want to trade barbs, I think you need to renew your Valium prescription. ;-)
I’ll admit I cringed a bit when I read the “Be best” response. I felt President Biden was making fun of Melania’s “English as a second language” grammar. Not a good look for him. Someone on a news program said Biden doesn’t need to go low because he has the Lincoln Project to do that for him. I agree. He can state facts about Trump. And even poke at his vulnerable weirdness. But he needs to be careful. 🤷♀️
I was thinking the same thing about the Lincoln Project. They do a great job at pushing Trump's buttons, so Biden doesn't have any need to get in the dirt. As another reader also mentioned, Biden has lots of surrogates who can go a bit lower without actually getting in the dirt. The nice thing about Trump is that the material pretty much writes itself. You don't need to get in the dirt. Just continue to re-play and highlight all of Trump's verbal gaffes and cognitive flubs. They've always been there, but now they're occurring more frequently and are reaching a wider mainstream audience. It doesn't bother me that Trump's approval ratings are growing and solidifying with the MAGA base. I want Independents and Moderate Republicans to look at Trump and see him as the mentally unstable person he is. My sincere hope is that Trump has some sort of very public short-circuit (preferably after Labor Day), and the MAGA Republicans are faced with an "oh sh*t, what do we do now" moment.
The "short circuit" I want to see is the massive fatal myocardial infarction, happening mid-rant in front of the Inadequates at the next hatealong, with the body hitting the stage floor face-first, deader than the proverbial doornail. If Biden's "needling" of Old Uncle Thin Skin gets us there, good on him!
From your lips to God's ears...
Hard disagree. That was Melania's anti-bullying campaign slogan, for Pete's sake. Good grief, let's not be so silly that we can't needle the big bad bully. So what, if Trump will gets mad and plays the victim? When has he ever NOT done that?
Oh,my! Totally agree Trump should be bullied! I just don’t think it’s a good look for Biden, since he was bullied for his stutter. I feel he should take the high ground as far as out right bullying. There are plenty of people able and willing to do that for him. 😊 Also... I’m absolutely not sticking up for Melania. It’s just the image that hit me. 🤷🏼♀️
Chris, your concerns are valid. Biden should absolutely not lower himself to Trump’s level for two reasons. First, Trump is good at gutter humor. His highest and best use would be as an insult comic is a rundown Vegas lounge. Biden is not suited to that game. Second, one goal is restoring civility, and you do that by drawing a contrast between a substantive campaign by Biden and babbling rants by Trump.
All you Goody Two Shoes need to notice that it is Biden's SURROGATES who are wielding the sharp needles. Not Biden. That's what surrogates are for.
You are arguing against a premise I never advanced. But take your shots as you see fit
Thanks, Chris. My sense is that somewhere in the middle might be a good approach. Certainly not talking about Trump's hands or odor but a few key things that hopefully would resonate with undecided voters......his sexual assault and libel convictions, his fraud convictions, the indictment for taking State secrets out of the White House and refusing to return them, Jan 6, and the related attempts to overturn the election, his horrible response to COVID, comparing the economy on Jan 21 when Biden inherited the Presidency from Trump to how it is now, his culpability for abortion restrictions. And then just his basic lack of decency in how he speaks of others. I am sure that if you bring up too many things, it almost becomes diluted through sensory overload but I think it is critical for Biden to attack Trump on these key things and contrast his decency with Trump's amoral character.
Absolutely!!