I agree with you completely, Chris. And, yet, I am still in disbelief that being too old could be more disqualifying than a person who is transparently vile, who has actively sought to disrupt our democracy and now is threatening the world order that America has stood for since WWII. I recognize that Biden has had public lapses of memory, but so has Trump (mistaking Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi recently comes to mind), and to much less fanfare. I believe that the media attempts to show its fairness by reporting on Biden's "molehills" as much as Trump's "mountains" but the error there is to suggest some sort of equivalency between mountains and molehills. It could cost our country, and the world, a great deal.
I don’t usually disagree with much that Chris has to say, but in this case I do. Donald J Trump announced his candidacy far earlier than usual….in order to be able to bleat that any attempt to hold him accountable for his many misdeeds(ok, crimes). He came out early, sucked the air out if the room, and has had plenty of time to make gaffe upon gaffe. And to alienate lots and lots of voters via his gaping pie-hole. Biden’s advisors have rightly kept him somewhat above the fray, dealing with affairs of state and looking more like a President and less like a guy in a shiny suit selling snake oil remedies off the back of a truck. Now that it is actually 2024, we will see an increase in appearances, speeches, and gatherings by and in support of Joseph R. Biden. There may even be a debate, but I doubt that Trump’s handlers will allow it. There is no way that Democrats,Independents, and principled Republicans should want a Biden candidacy that emulates Trump’s in any way. A measured, sane, thoughtful ,statesmanlike performance is what we need, to contrast with the s#/tshow that is the campaign of Donald J Trump.
I have to agree with you Cathlynn. I’m disappointed that Chris continues to beat this drum about Biden’s age. Even showing a video of Biden falling from 8 months ago adds to this unfair narrative.
In my thinking, having 91 criminal charges, being a rapist and recently stating intent to commit treason by supporting Russia against NATO allies is far more problematic than being 81 years old and having an impressive resume of accomplishment in 4 years as president.
Where is the attention to this issue??? This all consuming obsession with Biden’s age by the media is leading us right down the road to fascism. It’s about time that media does the right thing and stop treating Biden’s age and Trump’s sociopathic behavior as two sides of the same coin. Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy and our country. FULL STOP!!
I can't imagine how a fellow human being will take delight in amplifying another human being's mishap just because of politics. Why on earth will Chris Cilliza continue to show the subscribers of his Newsletter the video of Biden tripping and falling down. What point does he want to prove for goodNess sake. Who did not know that Biden tripped and fell down. And you think Biden and his team will take your ''advice'' to stop shielding Biden. How sincere is that advice from Chris Cilliza.There should be some humanity even in Politics. I don't see even Donald Trump or the Republicans replaying that unfortunate video over and over again. I don't know how many more times you will show that video before November when Biden will be re elected
"When the national political conversation becomes so dumb that I want to remove myself from it, I try to remember that it will soon pass. The conversation might not get appreciably smarter, but it will change to something else. Just give it time.
"So while we wait out the latest stupidstorm over the Hur report and President Biden’s age, take some solace that this is happening in February, instead of October, when the Clinton emails stupidstorm reached its peak."
But why is the Press and the talking and writing heads not talking and writing about the great economy engineered by Bidenomics. Is it because these are good news for Biden. I know why this obsession with Biden's age may not go away. Because the pundits who want Trump back have nothing else against Biden.
Biden is going to be the Democratic candidate unless something catastrophic happens between now and November. I'm sick to death about the articles on his age. We get it, we know, he's old. Maureen Dowd also hammered the shit out of Hillary's emails, and now she's on Joe about his age. Are you columnists secretly MAGA?
Give the age thing a rest, will ya. It's OLD news.
So did Chris about Hillary Clinton's email . And they try to ignore Trump's age too who's just 4 years younger than Biden. They also try to explain away Trump's confusion and gaffes. They can listen to Netanyahu's take on the mental acuity of Biden. He said Biden is sharp and focused any time he interacts with him. They will not write about that. They prefer to speculate and want you to believe their own selfis opinion.
Spot on article. And this comment section is exactly what I thought it would be. “Trump is old tool.” “Biden has arthritis that’s why he shuffles.” “You’re being too hard on Biden.” The problem is two fold here. A) Your readership has a left leaning bias (no factor), and B) Your readership is REALLY politically engaged. The rest of the nation is not. And when they see former Pres. Trump out there just doing rally after rally after rally, and then contrast that with Pres. Biden who completely botched a press conference called to instill confidence in his mental capabilities, it’s no wonder an overwhelming majority of Americans think that’s he is just too old.
Trump doing rally after Rally. Biden has a country to run. Trump has criminal courts to attend. Also Trump keep making Gaffes upon Gaffes and Gaffes during his rantings called rallies
Agree with Dr. Ibrahim. This obsession over Biden’s age is complete misdirection of the real issue. The real issue isn’t Biden’s age or even Trump’s for that matter. The real issue is who is more COMPETENT to hold the office of president. There is no question when comparing Biden’s presidency with Trump’s, who would be the better president for this country going forward. Biden would more competent at 91 than Trump has ever been at any moment in his life.
Well, Trump is contesting with Biden. So it's only appropriate to compare both of them in terms of their age ,competence, character and policies. This is not whatabouterism
I would imagine if former Pres. Trump was running against someone younger, they would all believe he is too old. The issue is that he’s not. He’s running against a person who is older than he is. You cannot place them side by side and honestly tell me that Pres. Biden is more mentally competent than former Pres. Trump. I get it. You hate former Pres. Trump. That’s fine. That’s understandable. Not a fan myself. But almost every single time Pres. Biden speaks he has some outrageous gaffe. If you truly believe that democracy is in peril, why would you pin all your hopes on already wounded old man?
No Biden is just 4 years older than Trump Mr James P.There is no difference between their ages. You cannot subjectively say one is more mentally competent than the other. There are standardized tests used to evaluate the mental capacity of someone. Unless and until you use these standardized tests , you cannot objectively say someone is deficient mentally. Unless you are like Robert Hur.
It continues to absolutely amaze me that Pres. Biden’s supporters don’t see this as an absolute win for him. You know those 91 charges you always reference? Guess what one of those is? Willfully retaining classified information. Is Pres. Trump also not guilty of that, because as you state, he also makes gaffes? The contorting being done by democrats on this is truly Cirque du Soleil worthy.
I’m not sure what point you are trying to make. The primary distinction between the Trump and Biden document issues is that Trump willfully withheld and concealed the documents whereas Biden fully cooperated. The comments re Biden’s memory were arguably gratuitous and certainly damaging but in no way material to the legal analysis.
President Biden was charged with “willfully retaining classified documents.” His “compliance” shouldn’t matter. He had classified documents, knew they were classified, and held them for years. Much longer than former Pres. Trump. Had Robert Hur found Pres. Biden competent to stand trial, he would have been guilty for the same infraction. Again, the twisting of the charges is amazing.
The ONLY people talking about President Biden and a Super Bowl interview are media horse race writers. I hang out with lots of big football fans and lots of political types. Not one of these people said anything about the president NOT doing a Super Bowl interview. Neither did friends who are casual sports fans. Maureen Down & Chris Cillizza? Yeah, it's a big deal to them. But I'll bet not one independent voter was swayed by the no-interview decision. Which is why it just doesn't matter. But watch: Chris will strongly disagree with me.
I disagree. Everyone I know is talking about this, not just the political junkies. Chris is right, it's a one-time opportunity to talk to 100+ million people. And it's a very friendly environment. The President sits in the White House and does an interview where he spends 80% of the time connecting with the people talking football. To make matters worse, while he should have been on CBS the President did his 1st TikTok talking about shrinkflation! Oh my.
That's you Jim Epstein .No one I know talked or is talking about Biden not sitting down for a superbowl interview. Every one I know is talking about Usher, Taylor Swift and Kelci and Patrick Mahom.
Biden’s age issue will not go away, it is what it is. We can’t turn the clock back, it’s something we all do, getting older is part of life. Rather than hide Biden, IMO, he needs to embrace it. He needs to get out there and say, yes he is 81 but also a statesmen, has tons of experience and yes, makes tons of gaffes. His gaffes are apart of him, not just due to age. He has arthritis, so do so many people. He’s a bit stiff and shuffles but it doesn’t mean he’s ineligible to run the country. While I wish he didn’t run again, he emptied that he was going to be a one term president, as a bridge to the next generation, this is what we have. Should he step aside, I am not so sure, I think he needs to take that risk, while we secretly hope that Trump implodes.
Agree. Was interested watching several of the weekend news shows on CNN, MSNBC and the networks, and watched a number of the presenters make verbal gaffes during their conversations with guests or experts, including one in fact mixing up the name of a country’s leader, and another making obvious geographical mistakes. No one called out those presenters for being too old. Everyone, regardless of age, makes verbal gaffes while trying to process stuff happening around us, processing our thoughts and trying to communicate a message to those listening. My mother sometimes had trouble always getting the names of her six children right at times. Verbal gaffes are normal, and we should stop stigmatizing people when they make them.
Agree completely. And I believe that he is now fighting the liberal talking heads as well. They appear to want him to pull out a la LBJ. At this point he has more to lose by hiding than by going hard on offense.
Unfortunately, Biden and his staff's tendency to hide and shield this issue has historical parallels with past Presidential behaviors (Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson come immediately to mind). What is different now is a vastly expanded and non-compliant media environment that no longer goes along with the official line coupled with an ideological and political Balkanization of that same environment. Biden has to become proactive to counter the current prevailing narrative. He'll never overcome the politically oppositional media organizations, but he needs to sway the middle.
If his White House handlers are too afraid to put Biden out before the public, that's maybe a sign that Joe shouldn't be running again. I agree with whoever it was that said Biden is the only Democrat who can lose to Trump...and Trump is the only Republican who can lose to Biden. I know it would be unprecedented for the Dems to replace an incumbent president as their nominee just 9 months before the election, but the longer they wait to pull the trigger the more difficult it will be to do. And yes, I realize Biden will have to be talked into it.
It's a harsh fact that polls of Democratic and Independent voters over the last year have consistently had super majorities who believe that President Biden is too old to run again and be President for the next five years. Those voters aren't marinating themselves in Republican talking points via Fox, Newsmax, OANN Gateway Pundut, Breitbart, Steve Bannon's War Room or Trump's Truth Social platform. If you're old enough, you may recall the response by President Reagan after a first debate with Democratic nominee Walter Mondale that scared many swing voters that Reagan was too old. In the 2nd debate, Reagan was asked if he was too old to be President for a 2nd term. Reagan replied with expert timing that he wouldn't exploit, for political purposes, his opponent''s youth and inexperience." Mondale, the moderators and everyone in the audience laughed. Now, Reagan had less grey hair than Mondale. The White House distrihuted video of him riding a horse at his eanch every time he went there. Trump's golfing is a similar tactic. Biden looks old with his white hair snd physical stiffness. Biden fell off his bike. Biden tripped over sand bags on the stage at the US Air Force Commencement. Republicans didn't make up these facts. When a politician has a vulnerability based upon widespread public perception of an incontrovertible fact such as, Biden is old; the politician's opponent would be committing malpractice if they didn't harp on that. Hiding Biden leaves the topic ooen for Republicans to spin that Biden is old in the most unflattering light. I agree with Chris that given the results of the Biden White House strategy of hiding Biden from the public failing to defuse the public"s concern with Biden's age whole Republicans have been stoking the public's fear at the same time; a new strategy is required. Can Biden change his age? No. Did Biden's defensive news conference response to Special Counsel Hur's report assailing his memory defuse the issue? I don't believe so. I belirve that Biden has to confront the age issue at every opportunity with an offensive message? Am I old? Damn right. That's how I developed experience and wisdom. Then he has to compare his achirvrments with Trump's failures. Trump bragged he'd negotiate an immigration bill. He sabotaged immigration reform bill as President. Biden just negotiated an immigration reform bill -- and Trump sabotaged it again. Trump never produced an infrasture proposal. Biden negotiated and signed a bipartisan infrastructure bill into law. Trump sabotaged a Republican bill to reoeal and replace Obamacare. Biden negotiated and signed into law reforms toower prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients and cap monthly cosrs of insulin for diabetics at $30. There should be ads of Biden joking about his age giving him the wisdom and expetirnce to produce results because Biden csres about redults that improve Americans' daily lives compared to Trump who puts only Trump First and Americans Last.
I agree, Chris. Biden's handlers coddling him so closely also feeds a damaging narrative: It's so bad that they would rather suffer the consequences from shielding him than put him out there. I can only speak personally, but my assumption based off their shielding him so much is it's pretty bad. Alternately, maybe he's playing the long game and trying to win the battle of low expectations.
My 95 year old uncle looks years younger and lives independently, but he isn't going to all of a sudden join a pickleball league. Biden is going to continue declining, he just is. But the less he is seen, the more stark even the simplest setback. He needs the country to get used to, and accept, his 'new' reality.
That said, while it's stunning a party would support a person out on bail, who frauds and tax evades and in his spare time sexually assaults women, a party that won't take grandpa off the road isn't exactly playing with a full deck. It's stunning there are no adults who think there is no one more capable, on either side.......
I agree with you completely, Chris. And, yet, I am still in disbelief that being too old could be more disqualifying than a person who is transparently vile, who has actively sought to disrupt our democracy and now is threatening the world order that America has stood for since WWII. I recognize that Biden has had public lapses of memory, but so has Trump (mistaking Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi recently comes to mind), and to much less fanfare. I believe that the media attempts to show its fairness by reporting on Biden's "molehills" as much as Trump's "mountains" but the error there is to suggest some sort of equivalency between mountains and molehills. It could cost our country, and the world, a great deal.
I don’t usually disagree with much that Chris has to say, but in this case I do. Donald J Trump announced his candidacy far earlier than usual….in order to be able to bleat that any attempt to hold him accountable for his many misdeeds(ok, crimes). He came out early, sucked the air out if the room, and has had plenty of time to make gaffe upon gaffe. And to alienate lots and lots of voters via his gaping pie-hole. Biden’s advisors have rightly kept him somewhat above the fray, dealing with affairs of state and looking more like a President and less like a guy in a shiny suit selling snake oil remedies off the back of a truck. Now that it is actually 2024, we will see an increase in appearances, speeches, and gatherings by and in support of Joseph R. Biden. There may even be a debate, but I doubt that Trump’s handlers will allow it. There is no way that Democrats,Independents, and principled Republicans should want a Biden candidacy that emulates Trump’s in any way. A measured, sane, thoughtful ,statesmanlike performance is what we need, to contrast with the s#/tshow that is the campaign of Donald J Trump.
I have to agree with you Cathlynn. I’m disappointed that Chris continues to beat this drum about Biden’s age. Even showing a video of Biden falling from 8 months ago adds to this unfair narrative.
In my thinking, having 91 criminal charges, being a rapist and recently stating intent to commit treason by supporting Russia against NATO allies is far more problematic than being 81 years old and having an impressive resume of accomplishment in 4 years as president.
Where is the attention to this issue??? This all consuming obsession with Biden’s age by the media is leading us right down the road to fascism. It’s about time that media does the right thing and stop treating Biden’s age and Trump’s sociopathic behavior as two sides of the same coin. Trump is the greatest threat to our democracy and our country. FULL STOP!!
I can't imagine how a fellow human being will take delight in amplifying another human being's mishap just because of politics. Why on earth will Chris Cilliza continue to show the subscribers of his Newsletter the video of Biden tripping and falling down. What point does he want to prove for goodNess sake. Who did not know that Biden tripped and fell down. And you think Biden and his team will take your ''advice'' to stop shielding Biden. How sincere is that advice from Chris Cilliza.There should be some humanity even in Politics. I don't see even Donald Trump or the Republicans replaying that unfortunate video over and over again. I don't know how many more times you will show that video before November when Biden will be re elected
I think David Kurtz over at TPM nailed this:
"When the national political conversation becomes so dumb that I want to remove myself from it, I try to remember that it will soon pass. The conversation might not get appreciably smarter, but it will change to something else. Just give it time.
"So while we wait out the latest stupidstorm over the Hur report and President Biden’s age, take some solace that this is happening in February, instead of October, when the Clinton emails stupidstorm reached its peak."
But why is the Press and the talking and writing heads not talking and writing about the great economy engineered by Bidenomics. Is it because these are good news for Biden. I know why this obsession with Biden's age may not go away. Because the pundits who want Trump back have nothing else against Biden.
Biden is going to be the Democratic candidate unless something catastrophic happens between now and November. I'm sick to death about the articles on his age. We get it, we know, he's old. Maureen Dowd also hammered the shit out of Hillary's emails, and now she's on Joe about his age. Are you columnists secretly MAGA?
Give the age thing a rest, will ya. It's OLD news.
So did Chris about Hillary Clinton's email . And they try to ignore Trump's age too who's just 4 years younger than Biden. They also try to explain away Trump's confusion and gaffes. They can listen to Netanyahu's take on the mental acuity of Biden. He said Biden is sharp and focused any time he interacts with him. They will not write about that. They prefer to speculate and want you to believe their own selfis opinion.
Spot on article. And this comment section is exactly what I thought it would be. “Trump is old tool.” “Biden has arthritis that’s why he shuffles.” “You’re being too hard on Biden.” The problem is two fold here. A) Your readership has a left leaning bias (no factor), and B) Your readership is REALLY politically engaged. The rest of the nation is not. And when they see former Pres. Trump out there just doing rally after rally after rally, and then contrast that with Pres. Biden who completely botched a press conference called to instill confidence in his mental capabilities, it’s no wonder an overwhelming majority of Americans think that’s he is just too old.
Trump doing rally after Rally. Biden has a country to run. Trump has criminal courts to attend. Also Trump keep making Gaffes upon Gaffes and Gaffes during his rantings called rallies
You’re proving my point. It’s always “what about Trump!!” The “what about Trump” is the democrats equivalent of “her emails” circa 2016.
Agree with Dr. Ibrahim. This obsession over Biden’s age is complete misdirection of the real issue. The real issue isn’t Biden’s age or even Trump’s for that matter. The real issue is who is more COMPETENT to hold the office of president. There is no question when comparing Biden’s presidency with Trump’s, who would be the better president for this country going forward. Biden would more competent at 91 than Trump has ever been at any moment in his life.
Well, Trump is contesting with Biden. So it's only appropriate to compare both of them in terms of their age ,competence, character and policies. This is not whatabouterism
Mr James p, what percentage of Americans think Trump is too old to be president and what percentage think Biden is too old? If you believe in Polls
Dr. Ibrahim,
I would imagine if former Pres. Trump was running against someone younger, they would all believe he is too old. The issue is that he’s not. He’s running against a person who is older than he is. You cannot place them side by side and honestly tell me that Pres. Biden is more mentally competent than former Pres. Trump. I get it. You hate former Pres. Trump. That’s fine. That’s understandable. Not a fan myself. But almost every single time Pres. Biden speaks he has some outrageous gaffe. If you truly believe that democracy is in peril, why would you pin all your hopes on already wounded old man?
No Biden is just 4 years older than Trump Mr James P.There is no difference between their ages. You cannot subjectively say one is more mentally competent than the other. There are standardized tests used to evaluate the mental capacity of someone. Unless and until you use these standardized tests , you cannot objectively say someone is deficient mentally. Unless you are like Robert Hur.
It continues to absolutely amaze me that Pres. Biden’s supporters don’t see this as an absolute win for him. You know those 91 charges you always reference? Guess what one of those is? Willfully retaining classified information. Is Pres. Trump also not guilty of that, because as you state, he also makes gaffes? The contorting being done by democrats on this is truly Cirque du Soleil worthy.
I’m not sure what point you are trying to make. The primary distinction between the Trump and Biden document issues is that Trump willfully withheld and concealed the documents whereas Biden fully cooperated. The comments re Biden’s memory were arguably gratuitous and certainly damaging but in no way material to the legal analysis.
President Biden was charged with “willfully retaining classified documents.” His “compliance” shouldn’t matter. He had classified documents, knew they were classified, and held them for years. Much longer than former Pres. Trump. Had Robert Hur found Pres. Biden competent to stand trial, he would have been guilty for the same infraction. Again, the twisting of the charges is amazing.
The ONLY people talking about President Biden and a Super Bowl interview are media horse race writers. I hang out with lots of big football fans and lots of political types. Not one of these people said anything about the president NOT doing a Super Bowl interview. Neither did friends who are casual sports fans. Maureen Down & Chris Cillizza? Yeah, it's a big deal to them. But I'll bet not one independent voter was swayed by the no-interview decision. Which is why it just doesn't matter. But watch: Chris will strongly disagree with me.
I disagree. Everyone I know is talking about this, not just the political junkies. Chris is right, it's a one-time opportunity to talk to 100+ million people. And it's a very friendly environment. The President sits in the White House and does an interview where he spends 80% of the time connecting with the people talking football. To make matters worse, while he should have been on CBS the President did his 1st TikTok talking about shrinkflation! Oh my.
That's you Jim Epstein .No one I know talked or is talking about Biden not sitting down for a superbowl interview. Every one I know is talking about Usher, Taylor Swift and Kelci and Patrick Mahom.
Biden’s age issue will not go away, it is what it is. We can’t turn the clock back, it’s something we all do, getting older is part of life. Rather than hide Biden, IMO, he needs to embrace it. He needs to get out there and say, yes he is 81 but also a statesmen, has tons of experience and yes, makes tons of gaffes. His gaffes are apart of him, not just due to age. He has arthritis, so do so many people. He’s a bit stiff and shuffles but it doesn’t mean he’s ineligible to run the country. While I wish he didn’t run again, he emptied that he was going to be a one term president, as a bridge to the next generation, this is what we have. Should he step aside, I am not so sure, I think he needs to take that risk, while we secretly hope that Trump implodes.
Agree. Was interested watching several of the weekend news shows on CNN, MSNBC and the networks, and watched a number of the presenters make verbal gaffes during their conversations with guests or experts, including one in fact mixing up the name of a country’s leader, and another making obvious geographical mistakes. No one called out those presenters for being too old. Everyone, regardless of age, makes verbal gaffes while trying to process stuff happening around us, processing our thoughts and trying to communicate a message to those listening. My mother sometimes had trouble always getting the names of her six children right at times. Verbal gaffes are normal, and we should stop stigmatizing people when they make them.
Agree completely. And I believe that he is now fighting the liberal talking heads as well. They appear to want him to pull out a la LBJ. At this point he has more to lose by hiding than by going hard on offense.
I wish the button said "agree" rather than "like."
Unfortunately, Biden and his staff's tendency to hide and shield this issue has historical parallels with past Presidential behaviors (Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson come immediately to mind). What is different now is a vastly expanded and non-compliant media environment that no longer goes along with the official line coupled with an ideological and political Balkanization of that same environment. Biden has to become proactive to counter the current prevailing narrative. He'll never overcome the politically oppositional media organizations, but he needs to sway the middle.
So you in the MSM CREATE a problem, and then yammer about the problem you've created?
I think you like Dictators better than competent old men.
And then they pretend about it
If his White House handlers are too afraid to put Biden out before the public, that's maybe a sign that Joe shouldn't be running again. I agree with whoever it was that said Biden is the only Democrat who can lose to Trump...and Trump is the only Republican who can lose to Biden. I know it would be unprecedented for the Dems to replace an incumbent president as their nominee just 9 months before the election, but the longer they wait to pull the trigger the more difficult it will be to do. And yes, I realize Biden will have to be talked into it.
It's a harsh fact that polls of Democratic and Independent voters over the last year have consistently had super majorities who believe that President Biden is too old to run again and be President for the next five years. Those voters aren't marinating themselves in Republican talking points via Fox, Newsmax, OANN Gateway Pundut, Breitbart, Steve Bannon's War Room or Trump's Truth Social platform. If you're old enough, you may recall the response by President Reagan after a first debate with Democratic nominee Walter Mondale that scared many swing voters that Reagan was too old. In the 2nd debate, Reagan was asked if he was too old to be President for a 2nd term. Reagan replied with expert timing that he wouldn't exploit, for political purposes, his opponent''s youth and inexperience." Mondale, the moderators and everyone in the audience laughed. Now, Reagan had less grey hair than Mondale. The White House distrihuted video of him riding a horse at his eanch every time he went there. Trump's golfing is a similar tactic. Biden looks old with his white hair snd physical stiffness. Biden fell off his bike. Biden tripped over sand bags on the stage at the US Air Force Commencement. Republicans didn't make up these facts. When a politician has a vulnerability based upon widespread public perception of an incontrovertible fact such as, Biden is old; the politician's opponent would be committing malpractice if they didn't harp on that. Hiding Biden leaves the topic ooen for Republicans to spin that Biden is old in the most unflattering light. I agree with Chris that given the results of the Biden White House strategy of hiding Biden from the public failing to defuse the public"s concern with Biden's age whole Republicans have been stoking the public's fear at the same time; a new strategy is required. Can Biden change his age? No. Did Biden's defensive news conference response to Special Counsel Hur's report assailing his memory defuse the issue? I don't believe so. I belirve that Biden has to confront the age issue at every opportunity with an offensive message? Am I old? Damn right. That's how I developed experience and wisdom. Then he has to compare his achirvrments with Trump's failures. Trump bragged he'd negotiate an immigration bill. He sabotaged immigration reform bill as President. Biden just negotiated an immigration reform bill -- and Trump sabotaged it again. Trump never produced an infrasture proposal. Biden negotiated and signed a bipartisan infrastructure bill into law. Trump sabotaged a Republican bill to reoeal and replace Obamacare. Biden negotiated and signed into law reforms toower prescription drug costs for Medicare recipients and cap monthly cosrs of insulin for diabetics at $30. There should be ads of Biden joking about his age giving him the wisdom and expetirnce to produce results because Biden csres about redults that improve Americans' daily lives compared to Trump who puts only Trump First and Americans Last.
I agree, Chris. Biden's handlers coddling him so closely also feeds a damaging narrative: It's so bad that they would rather suffer the consequences from shielding him than put him out there. I can only speak personally, but my assumption based off their shielding him so much is it's pretty bad. Alternately, maybe he's playing the long game and trying to win the battle of low expectations.
My 95 year old uncle looks years younger and lives independently, but he isn't going to all of a sudden join a pickleball league. Biden is going to continue declining, he just is. But the less he is seen, the more stark even the simplest setback. He needs the country to get used to, and accept, his 'new' reality.
That said, while it's stunning a party would support a person out on bail, who frauds and tax evades and in his spare time sexually assaults women, a party that won't take grandpa off the road isn't exactly playing with a full deck. It's stunning there are no adults who think there is no one more capable, on either side.......