Thanks for another great history lesson. When Ezra Klein did a podcast the other day suggesting that Biden should bow out of seeking re-election for the good of the country because of public concerns over his fitness for the job, I immediately thought of Lincoln's standing in 1864, and how the punditry of that time was declaring him poli…
Thanks for another great history lesson. When Ezra Klein did a podcast the other day suggesting that Biden should bow out of seeking re-election for the good of the country because of public concerns over his fitness for the job, I immediately thought of Lincoln's standing in 1864, and how the punditry of that time was declaring him politically feeble and not up to the task before him, much as they are doing with Biden now (albeit for different reasons). Klein even used the 1860 Republican convention as a historical basis for why the Democrats should pursue an open convention in 2024 to similarly "organize victory." But the better comparison to Biden in 2024 may be Lincoln in 1864, as I suggested in my own post yesterday:
From an interview with Marilynne Robinson today in the NYT:
“Frankly, I’m less than a year younger than Joe Biden, so I believe utterly in his competence, his brilliance, his worldview. I really do. You have to live to be 80 to find this out: Anybody under 50 feels they’re in a position to condescend to you. You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. It’s very disturbing. Most people my age are just fine. What can I say? It’s a kind of good fortune that America is categorically incapable of accepting: that someone with a strong institutional memory, who knows how things are supposed to work, who was habituated to their appropriate functioning is president. I consider him a gift of God. All 81 years of him.”
Someone please ask these blowhards who say Biden is too old despite his doing a great job as president, what they think of Ben Franklin. After they talk about how he is a sacred Founding Father, remind them that Franklin was 81yo at the Constitutional Convention of 1787! "Benjamin Franklin was 81 years old and nearing the end of his life when the 1787 Constitutional Convention...He proved to be instrumental at the Constitutional Convention as well, helping the process to move forward and recommending the adoption of document despite its faults." https://www.benjaminfranklin.net/franklin-and-constitutional-convention.jsp
Ben did more in his old age than most do as pups. As has Joe. Chump doesn’t even have an iota of the wisdom usually attributed to elders. All he learned to do was look in the mirror.
Old is a spectrum of competence and health. Some are old early, some are young late. Chump is an idiot at any age. Some have a core of decency, some of mush. Some say, there go my followers, I must follow them.
Just ten days short of 91 years, I can’t tell you how much I resent the head patting or how much I appreciate the kindness shown to old age. I don’t see Biden as infirm or incomprtant,whereas Trump appears unhinged. Today he’s peddling sneakers. In the face of all that’s happening he’s promoting shoes.! How much ridicule does that deserve?
The extreme right has its MAGAs and conspiracy theories not grounded in reality. The extreme left has its Kleins, Cornell Wests, Dean Phillips etc. also not grounded in reality, instead pining for an idyllic state of affairs that has never existed and cannot do so given current realities. What they both have in common is that they are fervent in their misguided zeal, are ready to destroy the status quo built by practical reasonable well intentioned but imperfect people. Both zealots have no meaningful realistic alternative to serve as a replacement for the current realities they seek to destroy. Both these groups are useless, acting out their childhood traumas in public and give me a headache.
“Anybody under 50 feels they’re in a position to condescend to you. You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. It’s very disturbing.” -a section of my earlier post today.
What was it that Reagan said about not holding his opponents youth and inexperience against him. Good line, sort of tragic considering that his brain was melting. But chump doesn’t even have youth, and his experience has been graft, revenge and an ego run amok.
Klein really pissed me off suggesting that Joe step aside. Who the hell does he think could do a better job in dealing with Putin, Netanyahu, and Trump??
No one has the guts or knowledge or experience President Joe Biden has. He will stand up to Putin, Netanyahu and Trump.
All three must go somewhere .... a place where the rest of the world would be safer...decent people cared for and encouraged and given 'a hand up", hope for their future....hope for their children and the future of this planet.....and an opportunity to worship or not as they choose!
Just maybe if the countries with leaders or persons attacking us would take President Joe
Biden's advice and copy his example, we would NOT have problems with our shipping pathways....foreigners would NOT infiltrate foreign countries to use their people to steal and remove the riches of those countries....resources that could be used to strengthen families and educate their populations.
OKAY....I am reminding myself of the song " IMAGINE" so maybe we will never be perfect but there is always the opportunity to be better!!!!
President Joe Biden and his team are working daily on "BETTER"!!!
There are equally egregious autocrats in the wings to replace those "leaders"; thus diplomatic leadership teams of the Biden appointed and lead Administration are to hearlded and remain in service to our nation.
I have friends who are baling on Biden, and the Times has been full of suggestions as to how he can step aside. My view is that he does so at our peril.
Of course, TFFG as President again is totally untenable but even if Biden dies after he is reelected Harris is the best VP we've had since Teddy Roosevelt, except for Biden.
I trust her to be President especially if she keeps the phenomenal cabinet and national security council that Biden picked. Many of them will likely leave but many won't.
I like Ezra Klein, but like I said above, Lincoln was 55 when he was reelected when the life expectancy was 45. Life expectancy in 2021 was 76.1 years. Biden will be 81 when he is reelected. Lincoln had lots of detractors like Biden, but he easily won reelection because the people believed in what he was doing.
Life Expectancy statistics usually include infant mortality data, and give a view of overall health of a country, not expected age of senility or death.
Thanks for another great history lesson. When Ezra Klein did a podcast the other day suggesting that Biden should bow out of seeking re-election for the good of the country because of public concerns over his fitness for the job, I immediately thought of Lincoln's standing in 1864, and how the punditry of that time was declaring him politically feeble and not up to the task before him, much as they are doing with Biden now (albeit for different reasons). Klein even used the 1860 Republican convention as a historical basis for why the Democrats should pursue an open convention in 2024 to similarly "organize victory." But the better comparison to Biden in 2024 may be Lincoln in 1864, as I suggested in my own post yesterday:
https://open.substack.com/pub/craiglazzeretti/p/what-the-pundits-dont-get-about-biden?r=tm6pf&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
From an interview with Marilynne Robinson today in the NYT:
“Frankly, I’m less than a year younger than Joe Biden, so I believe utterly in his competence, his brilliance, his worldview. I really do. You have to live to be 80 to find this out: Anybody under 50 feels they’re in a position to condescend to you. You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. It’s very disturbing. Most people my age are just fine. What can I say? It’s a kind of good fortune that America is categorically incapable of accepting: that someone with a strong institutional memory, who knows how things are supposed to work, who was habituated to their appropriate functioning is president. I consider him a gift of God. All 81 years of him.”
Marilynne Robinson
Someone please ask these blowhards who say Biden is too old despite his doing a great job as president, what they think of Ben Franklin. After they talk about how he is a sacred Founding Father, remind them that Franklin was 81yo at the Constitutional Convention of 1787! "Benjamin Franklin was 81 years old and nearing the end of his life when the 1787 Constitutional Convention...He proved to be instrumental at the Constitutional Convention as well, helping the process to move forward and recommending the adoption of document despite its faults." https://www.benjaminfranklin.net/franklin-and-constitutional-convention.jsp
Ben did more in his old age than most do as pups. As has Joe. Chump doesn’t even have an iota of the wisdom usually attributed to elders. All he learned to do was look in the mirror.
Old is a spectrum of competence and health. Some are old early, some are young late. Chump is an idiot at any age. Some have a core of decency, some of mush. Some say, there go my followers, I must follow them.
Just ten days short of 91 years, I can’t tell you how much I resent the head patting or how much I appreciate the kindness shown to old age. I don’t see Biden as infirm or incomprtant,whereas Trump appears unhinged. Today he’s peddling sneakers. In the face of all that’s happening he’s promoting shoes.! How much ridicule does that deserve?
GOOD one!
Considering that some folks day our days are numbered at birth, I have to agree.
I love that!!
That was the day I said I will never pay attention to another word from that fucking moron.
The extreme right has its MAGAs and conspiracy theories not grounded in reality. The extreme left has its Kleins, Cornell Wests, Dean Phillips etc. also not grounded in reality, instead pining for an idyllic state of affairs that has never existed and cannot do so given current realities. What they both have in common is that they are fervent in their misguided zeal, are ready to destroy the status quo built by practical reasonable well intentioned but imperfect people. Both zealots have no meaningful realistic alternative to serve as a replacement for the current realities they seek to destroy. Both these groups are useless, acting out their childhood traumas in public and give me a headache.
Hear! Hear!
The best term I know for the ones who claim to be on my side is "Bourgeois Bolsheviks." Also "Socialite Socialists."
How about "whiny little @#$%es? (hint: it's a word that rhymes with 'itches'). That's what we called 'em in my neighborhood.
These words really fit then don’t they?
“Anybody under 50 feels they’re in a position to condescend to you. You get boxed into this position where people who deal with you are making assumptions about your intellect. It’s very disturbing.” -a section of my earlier post today.
Ezra Klein is 39 years old.
They do indeed.
What was it that Reagan said about not holding his opponents youth and inexperience against him. Good line, sort of tragic considering that his brain was melting. But chump doesn’t even have youth, and his experience has been graft, revenge and an ego run amok.
Klein. He's well-named. Little.
And who knows how long he will live?
TC you are priceless!
Not priceless, they just haven't offered me enough yet. :-)
lol
💕
😂😉
I missed something TC…what day were you referring to?
Ezra Klein’s podcast, I think TC was referring to.
Ah, ok thanks
Klein really pissed me off suggesting that Joe step aside. Who the hell does he think could do a better job in dealing with Putin, Netanyahu, and Trump??
Marlene,
No one has the guts or knowledge or experience President Joe Biden has. He will stand up to Putin, Netanyahu and Trump.
All three must go somewhere .... a place where the rest of the world would be safer...decent people cared for and encouraged and given 'a hand up", hope for their future....hope for their children and the future of this planet.....and an opportunity to worship or not as they choose!
Just maybe if the countries with leaders or persons attacking us would take President Joe
Biden's advice and copy his example, we would NOT have problems with our shipping pathways....foreigners would NOT infiltrate foreign countries to use their people to steal and remove the riches of those countries....resources that could be used to strengthen families and educate their populations.
OKAY....I am reminding myself of the song " IMAGINE" so maybe we will never be perfect but there is always the opportunity to be better!!!!
President Joe Biden and his team are working daily on "BETTER"!!!
Sad that some Dems are aiding and abetting the opposition. They do so at all our peril. Could misogyny play a part.
The Democratic Party or The Russian Party. Take Your Pick Americans.
That is what it has shaken out to be.
There are equally egregious autocrats in the wings to replace those "leaders"; thus diplomatic leadership teams of the Biden appointed and lead Administration are to hearlded and remain in service to our nation.
I have friends who are baling on Biden, and the Times has been full of suggestions as to how he can step aside. My view is that he does so at our peril.
Of course, TFFG as President again is totally untenable but even if Biden dies after he is reelected Harris is the best VP we've had since Teddy Roosevelt, except for Biden.
I trust her to be President especially if she keeps the phenomenal cabinet and national security council that Biden picked. Many of them will likely leave but many won't.
I like Ezra Klein, but like I said above, Lincoln was 55 when he was reelected when the life expectancy was 45. Life expectancy in 2021 was 76.1 years. Biden will be 81 when he is reelected. Lincoln had lots of detractors like Biden, but he easily won reelection because the people believed in what he was doing.
Life Expectancy statistics usually include infant mortality data, and give a view of overall health of a country, not expected age of senility or death.
True MaryPat, but age of senility or even forgetfulness varies as widely as does IQ.
As Rex Tillerson so aptly stated, "Trump is a fucking moron." So he's old AND stupid. You don't see the networks or papers say that everyday.