The Real Reason for All the Biden Age Talk
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The Real Reason for All the Biden Age Talk
Lopsided dynamics for Republicans, Democrats, and the press.
U.S. President Joe Biden answers questions while departing the White House on January 30, 2024 in Washington, DC. Biden is scheduled to travel to Florida today. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
JOE BIDEN IS OLD. THIS MAY COME as a surprise to you, but it’s true. He started his presidency at the age of 78, older than Ronald Reagan was when he left the White House. Now Biden is 81, and if re-elected would start his second term at 82. His age was the subject of heated discussion all weekend thanks to the publication last Thursday of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s inappropriate storage of classified documents after his vice presidency. Hur’s announcement clearing Biden of criminal charges included a description of the president—“a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who didn’t remember what year he left the vice presidency or what year his son Beau died—that sparked days of news and opinion articles, cable news panels, and Sunday-show chatter.
The New York Times , for example, put multiple articles about Biden’s age at the top of their homepage the day after Hur’s report came out, including news and analysis pieces. They added three more the next day, also at the top of the homepage, along with an editorial —not their first on the subject of Biden’s age—plus multiple columns and newsletters .
For what it’s worth, I’m half Biden’s age and I can’t remember off the top of my head the year of the most important deaths in my life. I can sometimes reason my way toward an answer—for example, I remember my oldest kid doing a very toddler thing at a funeral—but I don’t just know the year. I also don’t know how much Biden telling prosecutors that he doesn’t remember was actual forgetfulness or standard evasions, like when Donald Trump as president said he “can’t recall” repeatedly in his written responses to Special Counsel Robert Mueller.
Still, yes: Biden is old. He’s always had gaffes , he’s always worked to hide his stutter, and now he’s having overt senior moments. He looks and sounds like an old man, and polls show that his age is voters’ biggest concern about him.
But what’s most striking about this discussion is how lopsided it is. It raises concerns about Biden but does not weigh them against concerns about Trump. Elections, after all, are about weighing tradeoffs.
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Trump, it turns out, is also old. He’s 77 now, and if elected in November, he would be the oldest president ever by the end of the term. He is louder and higher energy than Biden, which some interpret as comparatively youthful, he’s always said nonsensical things, and now he’s having overt senior moments.
It’s possible to go through the two men’s lapses tit for tat. Biden, defending himself last week against the accusations of befuddlement, compounded the bad press by mentioning Mexico when he was talking about Egypt. A few days earlier, he referred to the leader of France , Emmanuel Macron, as “Mitterand,” the name of the former French president who died in 1996.
But last October, Trump referred to Hungarian President Viktor Orbán as “the leader of Turkey.” He has said he’s running against “Obama” multiple times. Last month, Trump confused Nikki Haley with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , lying that Haley was responsible for the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, an even more ridiculous lie than his lie blaming Pelosi for it.
Biden and Trump are both old, they’ve both clearly lost a step. In this election, age and mental acuity are, at worst, a wash—at least as things stand now.
But the two men differ on so much else—character, respect for rule of law, posture toward NATO —that fixating on their one shared weakness, and even then only focusing on one of them, is odd. Biden, for all his faults, is running to preserve constitutional democracy and America’s role as the linchpin of global stability. Trump is running to put himself above the law, breaking the republic in the process.
Again, the issue is not the discussion of Biden’s age but the disproportionate focus on it. It’s worth speaking clearly about the reasons for this dynamic among Republicans, among Democrats, and in the press.
For Republicans, Biden’s age is just about the only true thing they can attack him on. In early 2023, it looked like the economy would be a liability for the president. But with solid growth, low unemployment, rising wages, and tamed inflation, it’s looking strong enough now that Trump is preposterously trying to claim credit for the stock market reaching new highs.
Immigration and the border will be a major Republican line of attack this year. But Biden recently agreed to tougher border security and asylum laws , and congressional Republicans rejected it at the behest of Donald Trump. The political attack relies on lying that Biden wants “open borders.”
Meanwhile, attacks on Biden’s son Hunter have fallen flat , because he’s not in government, has no apparent influence, and the accusations against him basically amount to Imagine Hunter did what Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump actually did .
Biden’s age, however, offers Republicans a line of attack with a basis in fact, and it plays into voters’ existing concerns.
Age talk is a double-edged sword: In emphasizing Biden’s age, Republicans also inherently lower expectations for Biden, including for debates. Typically, campaigns try to lower expectations for their own candidate, setting up post-event spin that they outperformed. With Biden, his opponents insist he’s a drooling dementia patient who can’t string a sentence together, then he waltzes over that low bar, as in the 2020 debates .
It’s worth noting that Republicans are not alone in emphasizing Biden’s age. Democrats keep bringing it up, mostly out of fear that a weakened Biden will open the door to a second Trump presidency.
Some elements of the Democratic coalition have always disliked Biden and they now wish he’d step aside for a more progressive candidate. Some worry about Biden’s re-electability, and wish he’d step aside for a younger candidate. But there’s nothing close to a consensus alternative among Democrats, Vice President Kamala Harris’s net approval is even lower than Biden’s, and he’s running, so it’s moot anyway.
As a result, Democrats’ Biden age discourse is often second- or third-order. There’s concern about his age among voters, yes, but more expressions of concern about that concern. There isn’t enough, there’s too much, you’re not allowed to say it, you won’t shut up about it, etc.
For example, the New York Times quotes Obama strategist David Axelrod lamenting that the special counsel’s comments on Biden’s memory go “to the core of what is plaguing Biden politically.” Interestingly, the Times article introduces Axelrod as “one of the Democratic Party’s leading figures warning about how voters view Mr. Biden’s age.” Note the language: not warning that Biden’s age means he might not be up to the job, but warning that voters see it as a negative.
When Axelrod says “it’s a problem,” he means a problem for Biden campaign strategists and communications, not for America per se (except to the extent it makes a Trump victory more likely). And the advice on how to address that problem is for the campaign to recognize that it’s a political weakness and work to counter it.
For the media, Biden’s age is good for horserace coverage and “both sides” credibility. Biden is in fact old, it’s not a matter of opinion. And the evidence that voters care about it makes it a legitimate subject for discussion from a level of remove.
Still, mainstream media organizations, such as the New York Times , place a lot of value on being fair, objective, and politically neutral—which in a practical sense often translates to publishing a comparable amount of negative-sounding coverage about Democrats and Republicans. With Biden and Trump differing on basic questions such as “Is the president above the law, like a dictator?”—Biden says no; Trump says yes, at least if it’s him—this forced balance leads to distortions.
To make the levels of negative coverage remotely similar, Biden’s age and mental acuity have to, on their own, balance out many things (including Trump’s age and mental acuity). Think of it this way:
So coverage in the press often inflates Biden’s age as an issue and effectively downplays the importance of Trump’s malfeasance, since there’s so much of it.
If you despise Joe Biden and will never vote for him no matter your opinion of Donald Trump, I won’t tell you otherwise. If you think Biden’s age is a negative, and that, all else equal, it’d be better to have a younger president, I agree. But if you think old and sometimes forgetful is worse than or equal to old, sometimes forgetful, corrupt, bigoted, anti-democracy, criminal, serially lying, and encouraging political violence, or that these things deserve approximately equal attention, that’s nuts.
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Tell it like it is.
Maybe there are people who would take a chance on Biden surviving the full term, but on the other hand they might also be concerned about what will happen if he dies.
Word salads for everyone!
Are you accusing me of being unintelligible? It should be bloody obvious what I meant.
Only if you will be helping Kamala serve up her word salads if she becomes president. Her word salads if Joe dies is what I was talking about.
Oh, I apologize, I misunderstood.
Ditto my reply to Right Down the Center. Elsewhere I pointed out that I refuse to change my style of communication to include the "new language". I had no idea what "word salad" was supposed to mean and had to ask Microsoft Bing.
No problem
If they wanted to tell it like it is they would not have said "Biden and Trump are both old, they’ve both clearly lost a step. In this election, age and mental acuity are, at worst, a wash"
86%....
All charges brought to you by Democrats.
The party that wants to dictate who you should be able to vote for.
Democrats, they don't believe in laws, rights, or the Constitution.
People talk about his age because he’s old and shows clears signs of slippage.
He’s going to be 86 when the next terms ends. The idea that his age wouldn’t be a major issue is preposterous, even if a special prosecutor didn’t think he was already mentally incompetent
Trump is mentally ill.
It was plain to see he was mentally incompetent during the 2020 debates. In another couple years he will be full on vegetable.
I'm 87 NOW and I don't think I'm senile (at least not yet). My brother is 91 and he's MENSA. Age itself is not the sole significant issue. But I'm not discounting that there are other factors,
Biden’s big negative is his age. Trump is 3 1/2 years younger so no meaningful difference.
Trump’s biggest negatives include age and then go vastly beyond.
Trump is an order of magnitude worse than Biden. But demonstrably GoP partisans do not care how miserable their nominee — as long as the R is their that is all that matters.
As Democrats shill for an 86 year old man who lacks the mental capacity to be legally responsible for his actions. The lack of self awareness is stunning.
Funny how you seem oblivious to the fact that Trump would be 83 1/2 in your chosen instance of time and repeatedly shows that he is a loose cannon and making quite a few mental mistakes.
So both elderly men have age issues. Then on Trump we add the fact that he is a loose cannon and a vindictive traitor who has demonstrated that he will violate the CotUS and disenfranchise voters to pursue his personal desires.
In a non-bizarro world, the USA electorate would eject Trump based on his Big Lie con-job alone.
Show me where I've said Trump should be President.
You can say "but Trump" all you want, I'm not defending him. I'm pointing out how silly it is for anyone who will vote for Joe Biden to accuse Republicans of voting for anyone with an "R" after their name. Anyone who would vote for Biden, would vote for inanimate carbon rod if it had a "D" after its name.
I never suggested that you wrote that. Get a grip.
I did not write "but Trump". I made the obvious comparison. When you speak of Biden, Trump is also in context and vice-versa.
I think you will find plenty of people voting for Biden as a vote against Trump. Odd that you cannot conceive of this.
Yep, just like millions upon millions of Trump voters will actually be voting against Biden for that very reason.
The lack of awareness of supporters/enablers of the former 'president' is indeed stunning. It's stupefying, mindboggling, dumbfounding, yet they persist.
For some of us it is good vs evil.
It is not his chronological age but his mental capabilities that are the concern. Your post seems to be oblivious to that
No matter how many times you say that it still sounds like hyperbole.
No, I disagree with your exaggeration of Biden's cognitive issues and your ignoring those of Trump.
That you do not recognize this suggests that you will be voting for Trump regardless of your claims.
No, I disagree with your downplaying of Bidens Cognitive issues. Of course if he chose there is something he could do that would help everyone determine his decline.
You are more than welcome to that opinion. Just as I am welcome to my opinion about your claim of non partisanship
Which is ridiculous given I am supporting Haley both in terms of vote (if given the chance) and financially.
I have found that it is partisans who just cannot believe that anyone would genuinely be non-partisan. They cannot conceive of someone voting based on the candidate regardless of party.
Then you obviously are not talking about me since I would also most likely vote for Haley and have also contributed to her campaign.
But I do find it interesting that when I stated if you voted for Biden you are supporting his bid to become president and you insisted a vote does not equal support.
Yep
So you emerge from vagueness and take a stand finally.
That is correct, merely voting for someone does not mean you support them. You still do not understand this?
I support Haley because I WANT her to win the presidency. That is what support means. I also support her financially by contributing to her campaign. For Biden, I do NOT want him to be president nor have I contributed to his campaign. I will vote for Biden ONLY if faced with a choice of Biden or Trump.
I believe Trump must be stopped and will use my vote the best I can to help stop him.
Should be easy enough for anyone to understand.
Always said I don't want either one as president.
I understand what you are trying to say, I am just not buying it. I thought I was clear.
Understand yes, agree with, no. I thought I have been clear on that also.
It is:
So put you down for four more years of Brandon the Human Fuck Up Machine and Democrats wrecking what is left of this country.
No thank you.
Democrat sheeple are great at ignoring their party candidates faults, legal issues, and just downright criminality. So long as they have a D behind their name they are golden.
If the dysfunctional GOP were to nominate Haley then I would be voting for her on election day.
People like you who defend Trump and bad mouth Biden at every turn have enabled Trump to dominate the field and block decent candidates like Haley.
Blame yourself and people who think like you for the fuck up.
"Biden and Trump are both old, they’ve both clearly lost a step. In this election, age and mental acuity are, at worst, a wash—at least as things stand now."
No, I don't believe it is a wash. I don't even think it is a good effort at a spin. It is not Joes chronological age but his mental decline that is getting more of the focus now, partially because of the report, watching Joe and the fact he is being hidden.
The question becomes is he mentally capable of handling the demands of holding the office. He and his staff are doing nothing to help people make that decision, just the opposite.
For instance (and I understand this is just one case) I have a 98 year old father that has been diagnosed with dementia who on his worst day is more coherent than Joe seems to be.
If Joe really wanted to really put this issue to rest he would at a minimum take the VAMC SLUMS evaluation (or even the full test for dementia). Hell, I would like to see Trump or anyone over 75 running for President take it. That would mean alot more in helping people decide if the candidate is capable than seeing tax returns which is nothing more than seeing how good their tax lawyers are.
If he passes all the "he is too old" stuff goes away. If he fails the Dems have an opportunity to go to plan B before it is too late.
Yeah, Trump is a POS. So what?
Biden was already too old in 2020. When we talk about Biden being old and slow (on top of a lifetime of being kind of full of shit), responding by crying, “look at Trump!” is a pretty feeble response. It doesn’t change the fact that Biden is about as inspiring as wet underpants.
This was 100% avoidable. All we had to do was encourage younger, more energetic, charismatic candidates to replace him. The party should be doing exactly that. Biden should be doing it. The people are clearly craving it. Democrats are committing political suicide.
Still could have gone with a different Democrat. What is the justification for not doing that?
And they would be right.
In 2016 the democrats nominated the only person a game show host could beat.
In 2024 the democrats are sticking with the only person Trump could beat.
Congrats!
Deference to the incumbent.
The dynamics of the mindless political machines.
Yes, Trump is a terrible choice.
That does not explain why the Ds are behind Biden for a second term instead of picking a younger, healthier nominee.
With Trump as the GOP nominee, the Ds are in a great position to put forth the person who would be PotUS for the next 4 and likely 8 years. They have a chance to win rather than cling.
I hope you are not still going to be talking like this in September.
Talking like what? Facts are facts.
Just stop with the bothsidesism before it's too late. Everyone is not as objectively analytical as you are.
And here is your key problem again.
If any objective criticism is made of the Ds you simply declare that bothsidesism.
I do not work that way. My comments are not made to support one party over the other. They are made to express my views.
If the Ds had put forth a normal, competent candidate, my comments in this forum would have been in promotion of the D candidate and continued criticism of Trump as the GOP candidate. But the Ds did not do that. I am not going to pretend that Biden is a good choice, he is not. He is a terrible choice. And what kills me is that the Ds have the perfect opportunity right now to promote a younger, healthier candidate who could hold the presidency for the Ds for the next 8 years. It is a strategic blunder.
How many times a day do you think you are put in the position here of having to say that you don't think Biden is fit to be president?
Endlessly it seems. It's tiresome. Same old, same old every fucking day, just about every hour.
Maybe you would like to read this
"Put in the position"? This is a forum. We can respond or ignore as we see fit.
Regardless, who cares? Nothing written here will make any difference in the election.
Yes, JR, the problem is the electorate. Not the tiny group here on NT.
In 2016 we had a member here who I'm sure most people remember. He posted fake news about Hillary Clinton almost every day during the campaign. About her health in particular. And other things. By himself he had no influence on the voting, of course. On a small site like this. But he represented thousands of people who were spreading the same disinformation on other forums and other websites. Of course, anything you or me or anybody here says has no actual influence. But as an accumulation of hundreds of thousands of comments or even millions, it does.
I agree.
Logically, all one can do on a site like this is argue with a tiny statistical sampling of those millions of voters. It is better than arguing with a talking head who cannot hear you. But it has just as much effect on the end result.
Sites like these are good for gaining a deeper understanding of the (fucked up) thinking replete in the electorate (especially the current GOP). One can ask probative questions and see if there is any credibility (or truth) underlying political positions.
It is great as a way of gaining a better understanding and for sharpening one's own thinking vis-a-vis thoughtful debate.
While, admittedly, most of the time the responses are intellectually dishonest tactics, feeble arguments, trolling, etc. There are the occasional moments where one learns a bit more about a mindset that seems to make no sense.
In the end, as with the current GOP, we can get a better understanding of the apparent madness driving this party to nominate Trump. But that is all we get. We cannot do anything, really, to mitigate the madness.
This is what kills me. The Democrats are committing political suicide by having a candidate that is 81 years old. But the Republicans are not committing political suicide even though their candidate is 77. And is a crook, and a fraud, and a bigot and a traitor , and a moron. But there is no political suicide there.
Enough of this crap.
I am confident that Tacos! believes the GOP has been committing political suicide for years.
People cannot write everything in every post.
He is repeating a theme that has inundated the media for the past week. It's not helpful.
Tacos! blasts Trump too.
But I do agree that his comment @6 reads as though he believes Trump and Biden are equally bad for the nation.
Trump is clearly an order of magnitude worse for the nation.
I’m not going to pretend I want Biden as president just because I want Trump in the position even less.
This is a contest I want to win. I’m not content to half-ass it just because I think the opponent is beatable. Believe what you want to believe, but this is going to be a close race, and it didn’t need to be.
The past week??? People have been saying Biden is too old for four years! This issue didn’t magically arise last week.
Such bullshit.
The reason we are here is because the GOP is so dysfunctional that they actually are going to nominate a traitor who could very likely be a convicted felon by inauguration day due to his attempt to steal the 2020 election through fraud, coercion, lying, and incitement.
On the other side, Biden has failed the nation by not stepping aside and allowing others to compete for the nomination. The D party has failed in not convincing Biden that it is in the best interest of the party and the nation for him to pass the baton.
Those failures leave us with Biden or Trump as the next PotUS. Unless one is so muddled in their thinking as to conclude Biden and Trump are equally bad (indistinguishable), the patriotic act is to help ensure the worst of the two is not given access to the presidency.
Standing on the sideline letting others make the decision, and then criticizing those who step up to the plate is truly pathetic.
Bullshit. You have stated that you will not vote for Biden or Trump. If those are the nominees then one of them will be PotUS. If you are not voting for one of those two, you are on the sidelines and leaving it up to others to make the decision.
And that is fine if that is what you want to do. But you are on this site constantly criticizing those who are making the hard decision between two poor candidate.
Right here is another example:
You illustrate that you will be on the sidelines and also illustrate your irrational criticism of the voters who will wind up making this decision.
Why aren't the Republicans committing "political suicide " ?
I will explain it for you.
It is easy for someone to look at the two candidates and decide to leave it to others to deal with the problem. It is easy to not vote or to vote for someone else (who has no chance of being elected). Doing nothing (or the equivalent) is easy and allows you to feel good that you did not vote for a poor candidate.
In contrast, it sucks having to vote for someone you hold to be unfit for the presidency because the other guy is an order of magnitude worse. So much easier to just wash one's hands of the problem and then be poised to claim "I did not vote for ...." when the poor candidate becomes the PotUS.
I do not have a guy this year. My ' guy ' is Nikki Haley but because of people like you who have refused to take on Trump and focus exclusively on "anyone who is a D is bad", Trump is going to consume the GOP nomination and block decent human beings.
See? This is why it is hard. It is so easy to walk away and be free of having to vote for a poor candidate. You are already playing your predictable game of "I did not vote for that guy". The easy way out. How impressive.
What is disgusting are those who pretend Trump and Biden are equally bad, who knowingly give Trump a path to the presidency ... who run interference when he is criticized ... and then do nothing to stop this vindictive traitor from securing the powers of the presidency.
I think a conversation around Biden's age is very appropriate. Anyone who's helped care for an elderly relative can see similarities with some of the things that Biden does. He does repeat several stories, seems to get confused mid-sentence, gets angry quickly when questioned. And the White House is not really doing anything to dispute the stories as Biden is refusing to take a mental cognitive test, the results of which could easily disprove (or confirm I'm afraid) the believe of many that he just isn't up to the job. All we get out of the White House and the Democrats is denial of any issues. If you won't trust Republicans for what they say, why should you believe the Democrats?
The focus on Biden's age is a result of that being his biggest personal negative. Trump is a mere 3 1/2 years younger so the same discussion applies. But Trump has many greater negatives that dwarf his age and cognitive mistake problems.
Both men are way too old for this office. Our election process has devolved into absurdity.
The thread was about Biden's age, really has nothing to do with Trump. I can agree that Trump is also too old for the office but I disagree that his age is the biggest personal negative for Biden. I feel that he's done a lot of harm to the country with his decisions.
Good grief, stop with the complaining. Biden and Trump will be constantly compared as long as they are the likely nominees. I made a valid point about age. It makes no sense to speak of Biden's age and his liability as a candidate when his opponent is but 3 1/2 years younger.
A pathetic cliche rebuttal.
Biden and Trump will be constantly compared as long as they are the likely nominees. I made a valid point about age. It makes no sense to speak of Biden's age and his liability as a candidate when his opponent is but 3 1/2 years younger.
Your comment offers nothing of value. Just a predictable mechanical reply.
True. Trump's age concerns me, but not to the degree that Biden's does because he seems to be showing it worse. However, Trump's age is way down the list of reasons I think he shouldn't be president.
You keep saying 3 and a half years difference like it is an important point. That is dishonest. It is mental capacity, not chronological age. While trump may act like he is 76 biden acts like he is 96. Do you think both biden and trump should take the SLUM test?
Same here.
But Trump is showing some serious cognitive problems too so there is not much of a difference. In result, the age issue is a wash.
That leaves us, outside of policy, with Trump holding all the major negatives.
[✘]
Do you observe both men or just Biden? Because if you do not see Trump making bizarre cognitive errors you are not paying attention.
Both were too old four years ago! Nobody at this age should be running for PotUS. And that includes those who show no signs of cognitive problems (which is not true for either of these men).
Policy is important. But not when the fundamental character of the potential PotUS is in serious question ... especially given the demonstration of that character via his Big Lie campaign (and much more).
And if you are concerned about policy, why are you not voting for Trump?
You should give up because you contradicted yourself.
Maybe you genuinely do not see this. So I will explain.
I have suggested that the Biden v Trump decision has factors that are more important than policy differences.
You stated that "Some of us actually are concerned about policy--". You included yourself in that.
Well if policy is more important than other factors then why are you not voting for Trump? Clearly you disagree with Biden's policies. And if Biden wins you will get those policies. And if you vote for someone other then Biden or Trump you are not doing anything to help you get the policies you want.
If you care about policies, as you claim, then you should be voting for Trump.
See?
Yeah, I think you are correct in exiting the building. Take your time and come up with some good bullshit. Next time you criticize people for standing up and making the hard decision while you claim you are not going to vote for either Biden or Trump, I will remind you how important policy is to you and ask if you have reconsidered your strategy.
I am not a doctor but do have experience with people suffering with cognitive decline and dementia. In observing both men I think an objective opinion would conclude it is anything but a wash. Bidens decline is much more profound. While they both make speaking gaffs Joe looks like he struggles to keep track of where he is in sentences and even where to stand or go after speaking. Karine Jean-Pierre's response to the question saying you see how good he is every day is of little comfort to the American people.
Of course there is way to put this to bed for both men. Do you think both Biden and Trump should take the SLUM (or other similar ) test? What do you think is in the best interest of the country?
I would think the dems are very afraid of a cognitive test and having Kamala say she is ready to serve is not making them feel any better.
It is interesting that Trump being a traitor in the colloquial sense is the over riding factor for some and Joes probable dementia is an over riding factor for others. Both sides defend their man with a vigor as well as accuse the other with the same vigor.
And fewer than I can remember actually think policy is the most important thing and are voting for a candidate they really believe is the best for the country.
At least you see cognitive decline in Trump too. That is a little progress.
Do you also see a difference in responsibility, character, presidential behavior, patriotism, ethics, demeanor, respect for the office, trustworthiness, etc.?
I see two guys who are both too old to be PotUS. Both are showing signs of cognitive decline that should eliminate them from consideration for the presidency.
On top of that, one of them is the only PotUS in our history who has attempted to steal a presidential election through fraud, coercion, lying, and incitement. A malignant narcissist who is a loose cannon and one who will abuse the powers of the presidency as he engages in his normal vindictive behavior. Someone who could likely be a convicted felon by inauguration day.
I see two men who should never be president and one of them is an order of magnitude worse.
I will explain this for you.
Empowering a vindictive loose cannon, demonstrated traitor, mentally questionable, divisive, obnoxious individual like Trump with the presidency is substantially more harmful to the nation than having Biden operating but less sharp than he should be.
If you care so much about policy, why are you not voting for Trump?
Do you see these characteristics in a man that runs even though he and his handlers know he doesn't have the mental capabilities to be president?
What do you think of a party that would stick with him only because they have no one to call up in his place?
Of course there is way to put this to bed for both men. Do you think both Biden and Trump should take the SLUM (or other similar ) test? Do you think it would be in the best interest of the country or is the concern Biden would fail and Trump would pass ( giving Trump a leg up) the most important thing?
I understand your opinion and do not need it explained to me. If you read and understood my comment you would see I was not taking sides, merely pointing out I find what some on both sides are doing interesting.
Failure to step aside does not magically eliminate all good qualities.
I do not believe that is the case. The D party is operating as a machine. The incumbent has the momentum and bucking that is difficult. The D party has failed to act. That is their fault and I have already expressed my disgust many times.
So what do you think of a party that would nominate a traitor who is the only PotUS to attempt to steal a US election through fraud, lying, coercion, and incitement? A party that would stick with a vindictive, narcissist asshole like Trump even though they have a fine candidate (Haley) who could step up to the plate and solve the problem of having to choose between two men who are both unfit and too old to be PotUS. A party that is going to nominate someone who might be a convicted felon by inauguration day.
Why, RdtC, do you focus on Biden and the Ds when Trump and the Rs are (in 2024) so obviously so much worse?
It is stupid wallowing around in failure. What is best for the nation is to NOT have Biden or Trump. If the GOP were to nominate Haley, the problem is solved. If the Ds were to nominate an equivalent to Haley, the problem is solved.
But in lieu of that, Trump is an order of magnitude worse for this nation than Biden.
Do you think both Biden and Trump should take the SLUM (or other similar ) test? Do you think it would be in the best interest of the country or is the concern Biden would fail and Trump would pass ( giving Trump a leg up) the most important thing?
What I see is yet another failure on your part to read. I am tired of explaining simple, clear words to you.
What does the word "too" mean to you? Get a clue.
Given policy matters to you, why do you say you will not vote for Trump?
For members of this site who have stated they will vote for Trump, why are you not making snarky comments to them since you pretend to believe that voting for Biden or Trump is senseless?
( The answer is obvious, I suspect most everyone knows. )
Amazing. I state that Trump is an order of magnitude worse than Biden and you say that would be more believable if I was not voting for one of them.
Again, opinion
I'm locking this seed because the sheer repetitiveness of the comments is giving me a headache.