The mandate that Joe Biden claims he has from the Democratic Presidential primary races was based upon the voters' beliefs, undiminished by the truth, that Biden was in good mental and physical health even though he was already at an advanced age.
Now that Biden himself has revealed to the world how diminished his mental faculties are and…
The mandate that Joe Biden claims he has from the Democratic Presidential primary races was based upon the voters' beliefs, undiminished by the truth, that Biden was in good mental and physical health even though he was already at an advanced age.
Now that Biden himself has revealed to the world how diminished his mental faculties are and how progressively worse they could be over the next 4 years, the Democrats need to revisit the validity of the primary results, especially given the ammunition that Trump now has and will flood the media with until Election Day to drive home Biden's depleting mental faculties.
Joe isn't running to remain in office until he is 86 because he think it's best for the Democratic Party. He's running because he thinks it's best for him.
There is no dislike button, but L.D. Michaels, I am writing this out in words: I dislike what you wrote. You made assumptions based on little evidence, and you are projecting your unfounded opinions into the future. Biden does not talk about having to choose between electric boats and sharks. While it is occasionally difficult to follow what he has said, unless you are a physician who has examined him, your diagnosis of his "mental faculties" is entirely inappropriate. In your conclusion, you malign a man who has dedicated his life to his country. What, I wonder, have you done for your country.
Agreed. There are trolls all over Substack now. I’ve reported a couple of truly egregious ones but it’s like pissing into a hurricane(pardon my English here).
SPW, my instinct regarding trolls and troublemakers, or people who express opinions contrary to my own, is to try to offer something to think about, even if it doesn't refute the author's allegations. A popular observer, Brian Tyler Cohen, often reminds us that every accusation is a revelation of the accuser's mindset. Sometimes I will offer a comment aimed at the "commentariat" here to ponder, instead of addressing the rogue poster's screed.
I don’t disagree and I can scroll right on by as long as they don’t start with really egregious and abusive name calling; spewing unsubstantiated comments and persisting in their abuse throughout a thread. Those get reported.
Betsy, I surely hope Biden defeats Trump, but anyone who watched the debate or the ABC interview has a right to their opinion as to the reality that faces Joe Biden and Democratic chances to keep the Presidency.
Do I need to be a lawyer to have an opinion that the Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity is very dangerous to democracy in the US? No, of course not.
And I will vote for Biden over Trump even if his health declines further. But the question is will the rest of USians do the same?!?! It only takes a couple percent of independents to vote the other way.
In my opinion, many (most?) commentors here have their heads in the sand, hoping that staying the course will do no damage and result in victory.
A man who has dedicated his life to his country should have the conscience to step aside when it becomes obvious he no longer has the capacity to be effective.
Well, I did take a peek at his "profile" in which he says, "I do not want anyone to have to pay for a subscription or to pay me anything for my humble thoughts, which could be worthless." So there's that, Betsy!
I guess you're not aware that even George Stephanopoulus stated after his interview of Joe Biden " I don't think he can serve four more years". Nor do I.
Re silly Trump comments about EV boats and sharks, etc: You take him too literally, as do most. Think about it. Would YOU consider a fully battery powered vehicle of any sort to be used in an environment that is 100% guaranteed to get wet at some time?
"Now that Biden himself has revealed to the world how diminished his mental faculties are"
I respectfully request you look at Joe Biden again. Watch the speech he gave tonight celebrating NATO's 75th Anniversary. His mental faculties are NOT diminished. He has a life-long issue with stuttering. That has nothing to do with his "mental faculties".
Yes, the President can read a speech off a teleprompter. But 41 million people cannot unsee his stumbling, confused, inarticulate performance in the debate. And his gaslighting since it happened. And his completely unimpressive interview with George Stephanopoulos, in which he asserted he “can’t recall” if he watched the video of his debate performance. If he didn’t watch the video of the debate that is torpedoing his candidacy, he is an idiot. And if he can’t recall, he is seriously impaired. So was he lying or is he that confused?
Yes, this administration has actually done a very good job. But for whatever reason, the public does not know it and does not give him credit for it. The president was already behind in the polls, and now after the debate he is only farther behind. His recalcitrance will put Trump in the White House, which will be an unmitigated disaster for the United States and quite possibly the end of our democracy.
Sorry to see you in panic mode. FYI, ordinary people did NOT react to the debate the way the "pundit class" (which is driving the panic) did. Here's a video that proves this point. I hope it helps you understand the dynamic being created by these talking heads to make money for themselves and for the networks...
I disagree Steve. I and many of my friends, all loyal Democrats and Biden supporters, were and remain very troubled. If he remains in the race, we will vote for him because we believe in democracy. Biden has been an extraordinary president under challenging circumstances. But unfair or not, his debate performance raised serious questions that he and his team have not excelled at answering. I say this while condemning the media feeding frenzy.
Well said. I don't think his team can answer these questions, though. That isn't fair to them to say, "Gee, obviously the debate prep team failed!" No, I think they were loyal and did their damned best!
In the ABC interview with George Steph., Biden said himself that he took responsibility for the failed debate. But then he went on to say that:
* Only the Lord Almighty could come down and convince him not to continue to run. (!)
* All is well as far as Joe Biden is concerned. If I lose, I've done my very best and that is all that matters. (!)
(!) added by me and not part of the paraphrase :-).
Actually, no, the ordinary people did react to the debate in a negative way. 74% of the American public now believe President Biden is too old to be effective as president. In the current polls, the President fell another 6-9 points. At this time in 2020, Mr. Biden was ahead of Trump by 10 points. Now he’s behind 10 points. I see little chance he can be elected. I am not in panic mode. I am in realist mode. And I do not appreciate your condescending remarks.
So you’re saying that the day before the “debate”, which it was anything but, by the way, President Biden was perfectly capable of doing his so far, excellent job of running this crazy country but the day after that debate, he was a blithering idiot? What planet are you living on? And now that the dust has settled, so have the polls, for whatever they’re worth today anyway.
Good points. What I keep thinking about is that if I were in Joe's place, and if I were feeling ill, or wretched, or exhausted, and the scheduled event were going out to dinner in the evening, I would have canceled the gig. But if Joe had cancelled the debate gig because he hadn't slept the night before, or whatever, imagine the fallout for begging off! He was on the horns of a dilemma -- two options, neither one obviously better than the other, and he had to pick one. I wish he had postponed the confrontation with cfdt.
No, actually, I didn’t say that at all. There has been concern about President Biden’s advanced age throughout his presidency. He will be 82 when inaugurated and 86 when his term ends. It is legitimate for people to question how capable he still is of performing the job. The Biden campaign set up this entire debate scenario as a way to show the president is vigorous, engaged and on top of his game. Very sadly, that did not happen and the debate had the opposite effect and strengthened the president’s detractors. That’s the planet called reality that I am living on.
The Biden horse has been forced against the rails, but is running strongly. He'll break away from the pack and take the lead. Class and training tell the tale.
Respectfully, who do they think better positions us to win? I hope we can all realign behind Joe Biden and encourage everyone we know to vote for him. That is how we win. He’s been on fire ever since the debate, he’s the best president in our lifetimes.
Paul I would wager that were you debating Trump that night, and you were the target of the Gist Gallop that he was spewing you would not have done much better.
After he laid down at least 10 or more un-fact-checked lies, assaulted your motives, capabilities and your stellar performance as president and claimed that he was the greatest president ever and you’ve got just 2 minutes to rebut that stinking pile of disinformation, where would you begin?
But you know what, Joe with a life long stutter should never have put himself in that position or have given Trump the opportunity to have that bully-pulpit to bully him. Trump did nothing but lie and parade his egomaniacal self through his distorted world view.
Joe Biden doesn’t need to be able to dominate a bully like Trump in order to govern well. He has gathered a team of talented and capable professionals around him and he brings the wisdom of a lifetime of legislative leadership and knowledge to get things done.
That’s what I want for my vote for president. I want team Biden to shellack team Project 2025. I think they can do it and Kamala is solid as a backup for Joe.
I watched it. Stephanapolous did not attack him. He asked pointed, probing questions which is what a journalist is supposed to do. And the president, sadly, was not able to answer straightforward questions. And during the debate, Trump did not use a teleprompter. So that doesn’t matter.
No, he did not. He asked the President 16 ways to Sunday if he had, is, or will take a mental competency test. It’s insulting that he would ask that once, but numerous times?
And why is no one asking TFG the same question? The man is clearly in the grip of dementia. Have you heard his speeches? Seen him give one of his speeches? They make zero sense and have no context or connection to reality.
Snakes, sharks, electric boats with batteries—the mind boggles.
But it’s Joe Biden’s mental acuity everyone is focused on. Yeah, right.
Trump is capable of communicating his BS just fine. We all need to demand that Trump gets a psychiatric evaluation. A cognitive test would be fine, too, but the psych eval is by far the higher priority.
The president has a large slice of the public—a majority—who are concerned about his mental competency. Taking a mental competency or health evaluation would be a big help if it went well. It is a legitimate question that the president did not answer. After the debate, 74% of people polled said that they believe the president is too old to do the job. We and the president ignore that at our peril.
L.D., please read the transcripts of the debate. Ask yourself who tried to answer the asked question with facts and who lied or twisted or exaggerated the truth. I was frustrated by the performance but thought Biden won on substance. Alas, weak willed Democrats seem to expect TikTok entertainment when substance is needed. You're really handing the election to Trump.
No, no one expects a Tik Tok performance, but they do expect clear, intelligible responses. Yes, on the substance Joe wins but on his performance he lost. Let’s not kid ourselves about that. 74% of the American public now believes he is too old to be president. We cannot just pretend that is not true.
Last thought for tonight: If you read this essay about what the mainstream press did NOT report about Joe Biden, it will help you understand you are being stampeded into a belief about Biden that's not true...
I do not need you to tell me about the mainstream press and how I am being stampeded. I am not being stampeded. I watched it myself. I look up polls and other data myself. Stop already with this condescending nonsense.
Is a President a”performer” now? How do you think you would fare standing 8 feet away from a lying bully, who only repeated the same mantras he always does instead of answering questions.
Yes, the president is a performer. All politicians are. That’s kind of their job. They do their job by performing speech acts. It is what democracy is founded on. I would also have trouble dealing with Trump’s bullying and lies, but I am not running for president. But I do know how to handle it. You don’t respond to the mantras, but present your own vision. Which the president failed to do.
When it comes down to reaching the disengaged undecided voters who'll elect our next president, a TikTok video is exactly what they'll be looking at. 15 seconds of Biden looking incapable of running a washing machine, much less a country.
Seth Abrahamson’s Proof substack has a very thorough discussion of Biden’s competency. And counts 602 lies by Trump in only 40 minutes in the “debate.” He names each one. A long read, but he writes for serious readers.
Trump will do what he always does. He hinted that Hillary was at death’s door. The question is, if Biden performs well around the country in campaign stops, will the media televise it?
I wish he would challenge Trump to a thorough neurological and cognitive work-up by an independent panel of doctors. Trump would refuse. Joe could make his public and end the rumors.
People who see the debate performance as defining Joe, but not defining Trump, are missing this: Trump always lies, but since he can do it fast and loud, it is not seen as weakness. In reality it is a technique called the Gish gallop, not a sign of mental competence. Biden lost his train of thought, but got eventually got back on track and answered the questions. Trump’s train of thought was on a circular track. Evil immigrants , evil Biden, everything was great when Trump was in charge, round and round and ground. He did not see why he should answer any questions because he is Trump, after all.
As an 86-year-old…… I am confident that at the point where Joe needs to stand down, his very capable Vice President will take over. I think it’s time that we stand behind the man and do everything we can to see that he is elected, unless you are a MAGA who wants to live under trump’s project 2025.
Yes, the Biden Administration is comprised of an extremely competent group of people and if need be, Kamala Harris is more than capable to continue to lead the team. This message needs to be shouted daily (along with all their accomplishments) on every media outlet! The disaster that our country would become with trump in the WH also needs to be blasted from the airwaves . . . Project 2025 is one of the scariest documents written and we are fools if we don't think it could become a reality.
Kamala Harris has spent more than 25 years in public service and as you and everyone else knows the VP position is a supporting role (and in this case also the tie breaking Senate vote - as of Dec. 2023 a record 32 times) while also garnering valuable experience from seasoned and capable Cabinet members. She has "walked the gauntlet" to message the president's policies without overshadowing. HCR (and others) has sung her praises (I trust her as a source!) and has noted on a number of her politics videos and Letters that Kamala has traveled the nation on abortion and voting rights and is very popular with women and Black Americans - two groups personally close to my heart.
She has received almost zero coverage by the MSM except for being blamed for not solving the Mexican border issues and which the republicans nixed every proposed solution (including their own) to alleviate the problems!!!
The Biden administration works as a strong team and I have complete confidence VP Harris could effectively step into the presidential role if need be and she would certainly change the landscape of two, old, white guys! On a macro level, I agree with the democratic platform and there appears to be no evil, criminally insane people trying to destroy democracy on that side of the equation!
While I disagree with almost all you have said, I appreciate your thoughtful comments.
I was specifically asking about her actual accomplishments considering her soft on crime years as a DA / Cal Aty Gen and zero legislation passed as a senator. (see https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001075/bills-sponsored/116 for her last two Senate years. 80 bills sponsored, ZERO bills passed. Similar results for the first two)
As Border Czar she visited the border or consulted with on-scene Border Patrol zero times. YOU could have sat in her chair acting as a tie breaker. She is VP for one reason: she is a minority female. Just ask Joe about his selection criteria.
Ruth As an 90-year-old, I am not confident that people only somewhat younger than me should be running our government. The position of president of the United States is a stressful 24/7 responsibility.
I have considerable wisdom that comes from boots-on-the-ground experience. What I lack is the sustained energy to keep pace with what I could easily have handled a few decades earlier.
These ‘age factor’ comments certainly apply to Trump and could well apply to President Biden.
And should apply equally to both candidates. I was dismayed in 2020 that all we got were two old white guys. Biden did far, far more than I thought he could, and I came to believe that it was his age and experience that allowed him to make so much progress.
I share your concerns, despite everyone below labeling you a troll. As if every HCR subscriber has to think that Biden is the only (and best!) hope for Democrats. If you are supporting Trump, maybe you are a troll, though.
I wonder how many people would be willing to sign up for the debate team if that was the primary requirement for a successful run for president? Who thought TFG did an excellent job at the debate? Yes, Biden failed miserably but did TFG win the day?
The Democratic Party is putting this country at great risk with their divisiveness. The “supreme” court has already begun to destroy the democracy, the GOP fully supports that destruction and all the mainstream media can talk about is biden’s age! We walk away from Biden, we walk away from democracy. The media sow’s distrust in the way they report, the way they create a headline…remember the media has a lot to lose because TFG will seek retribution for all who said “not nice” things about him. Journalists work for corporations and corporations have different priorities than the average citizen on the street. The regular person of the middle class doesn’t figure into their profit making bottom line. G-d forbid you are not the right color, right gender or right religion if the GOP takes over the country. You will have no rights, no protections and no say in your own life. The “supreme “ court is now in charge…and they have proven themselves to be white Christian nationalists who expect “we the people” to go along, or be gone.
Completely agree. He's been outed as no better than Trumps craven need to be President. Trump wants to save his own skin from prison. Biden has no problem he solves by winning and no forward looking message. A pox on both their houses
The mandate that Joe Biden claims he has from the Democratic Presidential primary races was based upon the voters' beliefs, undiminished by the truth, that Biden was in good mental and physical health even though he was already at an advanced age.
Now that Biden himself has revealed to the world how diminished his mental faculties are and how progressively worse they could be over the next 4 years, the Democrats need to revisit the validity of the primary results, especially given the ammunition that Trump now has and will flood the media with until Election Day to drive home Biden's depleting mental faculties.
Joe isn't running to remain in office until he is 86 because he think it's best for the Democratic Party. He's running because he thinks it's best for him.
There is no dislike button, but L.D. Michaels, I am writing this out in words: I dislike what you wrote. You made assumptions based on little evidence, and you are projecting your unfounded opinions into the future. Biden does not talk about having to choose between electric boats and sharks. While it is occasionally difficult to follow what he has said, unless you are a physician who has examined him, your diagnosis of his "mental faculties" is entirely inappropriate. In your conclusion, you malign a man who has dedicated his life to his country. What, I wonder, have you done for your country.
Trolling is worse now, with AI. Better not to reply.
Agreed. There are trolls all over Substack now. I’ve reported a couple of truly egregious ones but it’s like pissing into a hurricane(pardon my English here).
SPW, my instinct regarding trolls and troublemakers, or people who express opinions contrary to my own, is to try to offer something to think about, even if it doesn't refute the author's allegations. A popular observer, Brian Tyler Cohen, often reminds us that every accusation is a revelation of the accuser's mindset. Sometimes I will offer a comment aimed at the "commentariat" here to ponder, instead of addressing the rogue poster's screed.
I don’t disagree and I can scroll right on by as long as they don’t start with really egregious and abusive name calling; spewing unsubstantiated comments and persisting in their abuse throughout a thread. Those get reported.
I've seen a few noxious posters. Some are intractable. They spoil the vibe, plus waste time.
No, really, SPW - your English is quite good!
It's 'so' hard to resist though Anne. I immediately and reflexively launched out at one today myself ... caught myself quick then went on.
It's just a waste of valuable energy. We need all our energy at the moment.
Perhaps more of us should start reporting these comments. Not only the message, but the actual wording needs review by the administrator.
Good point. The actual wording.
Betsy, I surely hope Biden defeats Trump, but anyone who watched the debate or the ABC interview has a right to their opinion as to the reality that faces Joe Biden and Democratic chances to keep the Presidency.
Do I need to be a lawyer to have an opinion that the Supreme Court decision on Presidential immunity is very dangerous to democracy in the US? No, of course not.
And I will vote for Biden over Trump even if his health declines further. But the question is will the rest of USians do the same?!?! It only takes a couple percent of independents to vote the other way.
In my opinion, many (most?) commentors here have their heads in the sand, hoping that staying the course will do no damage and result in victory.
A man who has dedicated his life to his country should have the conscience to step aside when it becomes obvious he no longer has the capacity to be effective.
Well, I did take a peek at his "profile" in which he says, "I do not want anyone to have to pay for a subscription or to pay me anything for my humble thoughts, which could be worthless." So there's that, Betsy!
I guess you're not aware that even George Stephanopoulus stated after his interview of Joe Biden " I don't think he can serve four more years". Nor do I.
💙
Re silly Trump comments about EV boats and sharks, etc: You take him too literally, as do most. Think about it. Would YOU consider a fully battery powered vehicle of any sort to be used in an environment that is 100% guaranteed to get wet at some time?
"Now that Biden himself has revealed to the world how diminished his mental faculties are"
I respectfully request you look at Joe Biden again. Watch the speech he gave tonight celebrating NATO's 75th Anniversary. His mental faculties are NOT diminished. He has a life-long issue with stuttering. That has nothing to do with his "mental faculties".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeP7z1GCsDM
Yes, the President can read a speech off a teleprompter. But 41 million people cannot unsee his stumbling, confused, inarticulate performance in the debate. And his gaslighting since it happened. And his completely unimpressive interview with George Stephanopoulos, in which he asserted he “can’t recall” if he watched the video of his debate performance. If he didn’t watch the video of the debate that is torpedoing his candidacy, he is an idiot. And if he can’t recall, he is seriously impaired. So was he lying or is he that confused?
Yes, this administration has actually done a very good job. But for whatever reason, the public does not know it and does not give him credit for it. The president was already behind in the polls, and now after the debate he is only farther behind. His recalcitrance will put Trump in the White House, which will be an unmitigated disaster for the United States and quite possibly the end of our democracy.
Sorry to see you in panic mode. FYI, ordinary people did NOT react to the debate the way the "pundit class" (which is driving the panic) did. Here's a video that proves this point. I hope it helps you understand the dynamic being created by these talking heads to make money for themselves and for the networks...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiyQeBO5SqM
I disagree Steve. I and many of my friends, all loyal Democrats and Biden supporters, were and remain very troubled. If he remains in the race, we will vote for him because we believe in democracy. Biden has been an extraordinary president under challenging circumstances. But unfair or not, his debate performance raised serious questions that he and his team have not excelled at answering. I say this while condemning the media feeding frenzy.
Well said. I don't think his team can answer these questions, though. That isn't fair to them to say, "Gee, obviously the debate prep team failed!" No, I think they were loyal and did their damned best!
In the ABC interview with George Steph., Biden said himself that he took responsibility for the failed debate. But then he went on to say that:
* Only the Lord Almighty could come down and convince him not to continue to run. (!)
* All is well as far as Joe Biden is concerned. If I lose, I've done my very best and that is all that matters. (!)
(!) added by me and not part of the paraphrase :-).
Just get him in. Naturally, he's not going to get any younger... but his brilliant team is there. And eventually, what's a Vice-President for?
Perhaps the You Tubers aren't being guided by the media? their loyalty to a good president is encouraging and heartwarming.
Actually, no, the ordinary people did react to the debate in a negative way. 74% of the American public now believe President Biden is too old to be effective as president. In the current polls, the President fell another 6-9 points. At this time in 2020, Mr. Biden was ahead of Trump by 10 points. Now he’s behind 10 points. I see little chance he can be elected. I am not in panic mode. I am in realist mode. And I do not appreciate your condescending remarks.
So you’re saying that the day before the “debate”, which it was anything but, by the way, President Biden was perfectly capable of doing his so far, excellent job of running this crazy country but the day after that debate, he was a blithering idiot? What planet are you living on? And now that the dust has settled, so have the polls, for whatever they’re worth today anyway.
Good points. What I keep thinking about is that if I were in Joe's place, and if I were feeling ill, or wretched, or exhausted, and the scheduled event were going out to dinner in the evening, I would have canceled the gig. But if Joe had cancelled the debate gig because he hadn't slept the night before, or whatever, imagine the fallout for begging off! He was on the horns of a dilemma -- two options, neither one obviously better than the other, and he had to pick one. I wish he had postponed the confrontation with cfdt.
No, actually, I didn’t say that at all. There has been concern about President Biden’s advanced age throughout his presidency. He will be 82 when inaugurated and 86 when his term ends. It is legitimate for people to question how capable he still is of performing the job. The Biden campaign set up this entire debate scenario as a way to show the president is vigorous, engaged and on top of his game. Very sadly, that did not happen and the debate had the opposite effect and strengthened the president’s detractors. That’s the planet called reality that I am living on.
The Biden horse has been forced against the rails, but is running strongly. He'll break away from the pack and take the lead. Class and training tell the tale.
My entire family and all my close friends are all democrats and Biden supporters… who also believe it’s time for him to step down
Respectfully, who do they think better positions us to win? I hope we can all realign behind Joe Biden and encourage everyone we know to vote for him. That is how we win. He’s been on fire ever since the debate, he’s the best president in our lifetimes.
There are probably 1000 Democrats who could take up the mantle and be very effective in communicating the message!
@Paul S Bowman
Paul I would wager that were you debating Trump that night, and you were the target of the Gist Gallop that he was spewing you would not have done much better.
After he laid down at least 10 or more un-fact-checked lies, assaulted your motives, capabilities and your stellar performance as president and claimed that he was the greatest president ever and you’ve got just 2 minutes to rebut that stinking pile of disinformation, where would you begin?
But you know what, Joe with a life long stutter should never have put himself in that position or have given Trump the opportunity to have that bully-pulpit to bully him. Trump did nothing but lie and parade his egomaniacal self through his distorted world view.
Joe Biden doesn’t need to be able to dominate a bully like Trump in order to govern well. He has gathered a team of talented and capable professionals around him and he brings the wisdom of a lifetime of legislative leadership and knowledge to get things done.
That’s what I want for my vote for president. I want team Biden to shellack team Project 2025. I think they can do it and Kamala is solid as a backup for Joe.
He was being attacked by Stephanopoulus. Trump uses a teleprompter all the time.
I watched it. Stephanapolous did not attack him. He asked pointed, probing questions which is what a journalist is supposed to do. And the president, sadly, was not able to answer straightforward questions. And during the debate, Trump did not use a teleprompter. So that doesn’t matter.
No, he did not. He asked the President 16 ways to Sunday if he had, is, or will take a mental competency test. It’s insulting that he would ask that once, but numerous times?
And why is no one asking TFG the same question? The man is clearly in the grip of dementia. Have you heard his speeches? Seen him give one of his speeches? They make zero sense and have no context or connection to reality.
Snakes, sharks, electric boats with batteries—the mind boggles.
But it’s Joe Biden’s mental acuity everyone is focused on. Yeah, right.
Trump is capable of communicating his BS just fine. We all need to demand that Trump gets a psychiatric evaluation. A cognitive test would be fine, too, but the psych eval is by far the higher priority.
Or just put him in jail already.
The president has a large slice of the public—a majority—who are concerned about his mental competency. Taking a mental competency or health evaluation would be a big help if it went well. It is a legitimate question that the president did not answer. After the debate, 74% of people polled said that they believe the president is too old to do the job. We and the president ignore that at our peril.
Trump wouldn't know how to use a teleprompter.
Thank you Steve. It was an excellent speech and well delivered.
Two sets of headlines in Australia: "Biden gives forceful speech" and "Biden struggles to give speech at NATO".
Thank you for that link! I watched and it was good, as I expected it would be!
L.D., please read the transcripts of the debate. Ask yourself who tried to answer the asked question with facts and who lied or twisted or exaggerated the truth. I was frustrated by the performance but thought Biden won on substance. Alas, weak willed Democrats seem to expect TikTok entertainment when substance is needed. You're really handing the election to Trump.
No, no one expects a Tik Tok performance, but they do expect clear, intelligible responses. Yes, on the substance Joe wins but on his performance he lost. Let’s not kid ourselves about that. 74% of the American public now believes he is too old to be president. We cannot just pretend that is not true.
Last thought for tonight: If you read this essay about what the mainstream press did NOT report about Joe Biden, it will help you understand you are being stampeded into a belief about Biden that's not true...
https://open.substack.com/pub/sethabramson/p/we-now-know-what-really-happened
I do not need you to tell me about the mainstream press and how I am being stampeded. I am not being stampeded. I watched it myself. I look up polls and other data myself. Stop already with this condescending nonsense.
The probability of that being true seems rather low, after reading.
Is a President a”performer” now? How do you think you would fare standing 8 feet away from a lying bully, who only repeated the same mantras he always does instead of answering questions.
Yes, the president is a performer. All politicians are. That’s kind of their job. They do their job by performing speech acts. It is what democracy is founded on. I would also have trouble dealing with Trump’s bullying and lies, but I am not running for president. But I do know how to handle it. You don’t respond to the mantras, but present your own vision. Which the president failed to do.
In the debate, as set up, one had to answer the questions, which he dud. In a speech, you present your vision, which he has done.
Is he too old? Yes. Can he do the job? Find me someone better enough that Joe can say, "OK, you've got this."
Great response! Also... this video from Beau of the Fifth Column might help you respond to people like Mr. Bowman. Just trying to help.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiyQeBO5SqM
Love Beau and use his videos often.
Thanks for that link. He's right!
When it comes down to reaching the disengaged undecided voters who'll elect our next president, a TikTok video is exactly what they'll be looking at. 15 seconds of Biden looking incapable of running a washing machine, much less a country.
Ridiculous garbage!
Seth Abrahamson’s Proof substack has a very thorough discussion of Biden’s competency. And counts 602 lies by Trump in only 40 minutes in the “debate.” He names each one. A long read, but he writes for serious readers.
Yes, it's a very long read, but it's carefully covered.
Trump will do what he always does. He hinted that Hillary was at death’s door. The question is, if Biden performs well around the country in campaign stops, will the media televise it?
I wish he would challenge Trump to a thorough neurological and cognitive work-up by an independent panel of doctors. Trump would refuse. Joe could make his public and end the rumors.
People who see the debate performance as defining Joe, but not defining Trump, are missing this: Trump always lies, but since he can do it fast and loud, it is not seen as weakness. In reality it is a technique called the Gish gallop, not a sign of mental competence. Biden lost his train of thought, but got eventually got back on track and answered the questions. Trump’s train of thought was on a circular track. Evil immigrants , evil Biden, everything was great when Trump was in charge, round and round and ground. He did not see why he should answer any questions because he is Trump, after all.
I think you are behind the times re the cognitive test. Trump has already taken one, albeit a few years ago. Joe says not only "no", but "Hell no".
I’m afraid it’s going to take a lot more than 14 million votes to get elected in November. Joe may be able to run the country now…but 86?
As an 86-year-old…… I am confident that at the point where Joe needs to stand down, his very capable Vice President will take over. I think it’s time that we stand behind the man and do everything we can to see that he is elected, unless you are a MAGA who wants to live under trump’s project 2025.
Yes, the Biden Administration is comprised of an extremely competent group of people and if need be, Kamala Harris is more than capable to continue to lead the team. This message needs to be shouted daily (along with all their accomplishments) on every media outlet! The disaster that our country would become with trump in the WH also needs to be blasted from the airwaves . . . Project 2025 is one of the scariest documents written and we are fools if we don't think it could become a reality.
I wonder if you could explain to us just what it is that Harris has done to arouse such confidence?
Kamala Harris has spent more than 25 years in public service and as you and everyone else knows the VP position is a supporting role (and in this case also the tie breaking Senate vote - as of Dec. 2023 a record 32 times) while also garnering valuable experience from seasoned and capable Cabinet members. She has "walked the gauntlet" to message the president's policies without overshadowing. HCR (and others) has sung her praises (I trust her as a source!) and has noted on a number of her politics videos and Letters that Kamala has traveled the nation on abortion and voting rights and is very popular with women and Black Americans - two groups personally close to my heart.
She has received almost zero coverage by the MSM except for being blamed for not solving the Mexican border issues and which the republicans nixed every proposed solution (including their own) to alleviate the problems!!!
The Biden administration works as a strong team and I have complete confidence VP Harris could effectively step into the presidential role if need be and she would certainly change the landscape of two, old, white guys! On a macro level, I agree with the democratic platform and there appears to be no evil, criminally insane people trying to destroy democracy on that side of the equation!
While I disagree with almost all you have said, I appreciate your thoughtful comments.
I was specifically asking about her actual accomplishments considering her soft on crime years as a DA / Cal Aty Gen and zero legislation passed as a senator. (see https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/H001075/bills-sponsored/116 for her last two Senate years. 80 bills sponsored, ZERO bills passed. Similar results for the first two)
As Border Czar she visited the border or consulted with on-scene Border Patrol zero times. YOU could have sat in her chair acting as a tie breaker. She is VP for one reason: she is a minority female. Just ask Joe about his selection criteria.
Ruth As an 90-year-old, I am not confident that people only somewhat younger than me should be running our government. The position of president of the United States is a stressful 24/7 responsibility.
I have considerable wisdom that comes from boots-on-the-ground experience. What I lack is the sustained energy to keep pace with what I could easily have handled a few decades earlier.
These ‘age factor’ comments certainly apply to Trump and could well apply to President Biden.
And should apply equally to both candidates. I was dismayed in 2020 that all we got were two old white guys. Biden did far, far more than I thought he could, and I came to believe that it was his age and experience that allowed him to make so much progress.
And Trump's team? Do they inspire confidence and admiration?
Let's do "now", for a start.
And you said the same thing on Joyce Vance’s Substack.
I share your concerns, despite everyone below labeling you a troll. As if every HCR subscriber has to think that Biden is the only (and best!) hope for Democrats. If you are supporting Trump, maybe you are a troll, though.
You became a qualified neurologist through what university?
Crapola.
I wonder how many people would be willing to sign up for the debate team if that was the primary requirement for a successful run for president? Who thought TFG did an excellent job at the debate? Yes, Biden failed miserably but did TFG win the day?
The Democratic Party is putting this country at great risk with their divisiveness. The “supreme” court has already begun to destroy the democracy, the GOP fully supports that destruction and all the mainstream media can talk about is biden’s age! We walk away from Biden, we walk away from democracy. The media sow’s distrust in the way they report, the way they create a headline…remember the media has a lot to lose because TFG will seek retribution for all who said “not nice” things about him. Journalists work for corporations and corporations have different priorities than the average citizen on the street. The regular person of the middle class doesn’t figure into their profit making bottom line. G-d forbid you are not the right color, right gender or right religion if the GOP takes over the country. You will have no rights, no protections and no say in your own life. The “supreme “ court is now in charge…and they have proven themselves to be white Christian nationalists who expect “we the people” to go along, or be gone.
Completely agree. He's been outed as no better than Trumps craven need to be President. Trump wants to save his own skin from prison. Biden has no problem he solves by winning and no forward looking message. A pox on both their houses
Where did this information come from?