Let go Brandon?

[jobotic]

So why do they stick with him? They've already shut the left out, or what there is of them. Just pick another centre right warmonger but one that knows which way his up his shirts go.

[Noodle Lizard]

Maybe we've just come to expect this sort of thing from Presidents. Bush Jr. couldn't go a week without some faux-pas or idiotic statement making headlines, and Trump couldn't/can't seem to make it one sentence without getting something disastrously wrong. So now we've got Biden falling asleep on stage or falling up the stairs to Air Force One three times in a row, it's barely even newsworthy anymore.

[Mister Six]

Why now, when he's been doing things as crazy as this for at least the last year or so?

He press have been reporting on his gaffes since 2019 at least, according to my own memory and a 30-second Google search: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/30/politics/joe-biden-donald-trump-truth-2020-campaign/index.html

Why are they all reporting it? Because that's what happens with every news story: one place gets it first and the rest follow.

It's not a conspiracy. It's how things have always worked, you're just selectively interpreting the facts to put something there when there's nothing.

[Mister Six]

So why do they stick with him? They've already shut the left out, or what there is of them. Just pick another centre right warmonger but one that knows which way his up his shirts go.

Because they don't have any recognisable names that (a) people like and (b) aren't geriatric Maoist monster Bernie Sanders.

Trump is a known quantity to the American public. So is Biden. They're hoping Biden's bland folksy nothingness and echoes of his Obama-era hijinks, as well as his reputation as a bland but reliable president will be more appealing than another chaotic Trump term.

Also, Biden's done about as all right as a Democrat is likely to. He's only fucked it recently with his pathetic response to the Israeli genocide disaster.

[rjd2]

Whitmer seems to spend a fortune on "corporate welfare" aka bribes to stop companies leaving Michigan. It feels like a pack of cards that will collapse at some point, just a question of whether it happens while she's still Governor or not.

As for Newsom, it's a lot of hype for a Democrat that's elected in California of all places. It's a bit like Burnham being jazzed up for being comfortably elected Labour mayor in that famously Tory-leaning area of Greater Manchester.

I think Biden is in trouble in Michigan anyway.

Sizable Muslim and youth population who are not thrilled with genocide Joe.

All the logical alternatives are pretty crap from a lefty pov sadly.

Looking at 2028 is their any chance we get a serious challenge from the "left" of the party?

Newsom, Whitmer, Mayo Pete all these are very underwhelming choices.

Because they don't have any recognisable names that (a) people like and (b) aren't geriatric Maoist monster Bernie Sanders.

Trump is a known quantity to the American public. So is Biden. They're hoping Biden's bland folksy nothingness and echoes of his Obama-era hijinks, as well as his reputation as a bland but reliable president will be more appealing than another chaotic Trump term.

Also, Biden's done about as all right as a Democrat is likely to. He's only fucked it recently with his pathetic response to the Israeli genocide disaster.

He's actually been ok on trans and abortion issues hasn't he?

Trans rights is something from a purely electoral POV he didn't have to bother with but pleasantly surprised with him on that.

Other stuff obviously hit and miss, most notably Israel but overall not as bad as I expected. Shame he doesn't know what day of the week it is though.

[Noodle Lizard]

Also, Biden's done about as all right as a Democrat is likely to. He's only fucked it recently with his pathetic response to the Israeli genocide disaster.

I think a lot of people are tying his "Bidenomics" in with one of the worst cost-of-living crises most voters will have ever experienced. I'm not all that knowledgeable about economics, and I know this is happening in lots of countries so I can't necessarily blame it on him, but I think his constant proclamations that things are better than ever under him is quite frustrating to people who can no longer afford eggs, or going on about employment figures when a lot of it comes down to people having to take more than one job. As ever, there's a huge disconnect between America on paper and America in reality, and I suppose there always will be so long as presidencies are largely focused on battling the other party.

[Mister Six]

Yeah, I don't want to give him too much credit and things are still fucked, but inflation did drop by about half from 2022 it 2023 IIRC. Still too high, and a lot of factors go into it, but I'm not sure anyone could really have done any better, and I'm guessing Republicans would have done a lot worse, just based on their usual interests and impulses. Maybe that's unfair, I dunno. I'm not an economist.

[Paul Calf]

At this point, America is a zombie empire. The young generally have no desire to play World Cop and the old would like to but they're coasting out their years on soft drugs, cruises and selling their children's future for an extra decade or so shitting their crimplenes in a nursing home or an assisted cruise. But the decentralised empire they've built is so strong and enduring that it swerves all over the world sucking up resources with an unconscious driver at the wheel.

[SteveDave]

Weekend at Brandon's

I don't think there's any reason an 81-year-old has to be an absolute state.  Just that this guy is.

Paul McCartney's 81 and even though he's been tokin' da reefer since 1964, he seems a lot more together than Joe Biden. Fucking Ringo is 84 this year and his hair is still lustrous and black. All I'm saying is, let the remaining Beatles run America.

[Terence Bowl]

Biden is from the generation before boomers, whatever that was.

The Greatest Generation – born 1901-1924. The Silent Generation – born 1925-1945. The Baby Boomer Generation – born 1946-1964. Generation X – born 1965-1979.

A whole generation of people constantly forgetting what they were just about to say.

[Thomas]

I think the election might kill one or both of them.

I was saying this to my wife the other day. Trump (77) has the unhealthier lifestyle but Biden (81) is far more frail - meaning Trump's bloated form can withstand more of the drugs pumping adrenaline through his scarred heart to keep him alive.

I enjoyed some comments I saw on Reddit in defence of Biden, saying 'Well, I couldn't tell you exactly when my grandparents passed away' as if that's the same as failing to estimate the decade when your own son died.

[DelurkedToHelp]

Apparently Biden just did a shitshow of a press conference, in which among other things, he claimed President Sisi of Egypt was actually the president of Mexico.

[Oosp]

A whole generation of people constantly forgetting what they were just about to say.

Silent but deadly

[C_Larence]

As I recall, the Biden campaign in 2020 got around this by almost totally hiding him away for days at a time and limiting appearances to videos, which iirc Trump joked were filmed in a basement they'd locked him in. Covid was also a helpful distraction (I don't mean that in a conspiracy theory way). Not sure how they're going to manage something like that now.

[Mr Farenheit]

He needs some Gregg-lists to remind him what to do

[shoulders]

Clinton nearly beat Trump, Biden did beat Trump (quite inefficiently) and they both won the popular vote vs Trump.

You'd think the lesson would be 'just pick someone who isn't a crook or a skeleton' but it's the Democratic Party so bleepbleepboopboop MORE BIDEN, MORE SKELETONS, MORE CROOKS

[BlodwynPig]

Because they don't have any recognisable names that (a) people like and (b) aren't geriatric Maoist monster Bernie Sanders.

Trump is a known quantity to the American public. So is Biden. They're hoping Biden's bland folksy nothingness and echoes of his Obama-era hijinks, as well as his reputation as a bland but reliable president will be more appealing than another chaotic Trump term.

Also, Biden's done about as all right as a Democrat is likely to. He's only fucked it recently with his pathetic response to the Israeli genocide disaster.

"How was your dining experience at Chez Biden?"

"Pretty forgettable and bland, with a really nasty dessert"

"But better than McTrumps, non?"

"I guess, their food gave me the runs for weeks but i sorta liked the wacky decor"

"So where will you be dining next, Sir?"

"Deffo not that vegan place"

"Sander's Salads? That shut down ages ago"

"I'll just cook at home, i think"

*gasps*

[EOLAN]

Thought his performance was reasonably ok and robust. Until he walked off stage and decided to carry on with what seemed to be an impromptu Q&A on the Gaza crisis.

Given the original discourse, this was the one time he needed to keep on the straight and narrow and not make any gaffes. Then comes out with the President of Mexico being in control of the Egypt border.
Slightly separately, his hubris seemed to get to him at the end too where he stated that he believed Hamas committed their atrocities on the 7th October because of his own personal great peace plan.

[Funcrusher]

Guardian sticking the knife in again in its headlines

Biden was in a fighting mood for surprise speech – but he didn't win
The president insisted he 'put the country back on his feet', but a last-minute fumble provided more fodder to his detractors

The president won't face criminal charges in classified documents case, but the line he is an 'elderly man with a poor memory' will linger

They're quite openly saying that he's fucked.

I'll pursue being a conspiracy theorist a bit further. There was some speculation at the time that the documents in Biden's garage 'coming to light', around the same time as Trump's document charges, and a Democratic administration opening an investigation into their own president was perhaps a shot across the bows to Biden and his camp, when at that point he hadn't declared that he would run again for sure, that maybe he was getting too old and forgetful and he should step aside.

Now the final report on that is being used as the knife to take Biden out. Perhaps there are competing factions within the Democratic machine right now - Biden loyalists (who have responded to this by immediately sending this doddering old man out to make more gaffes) and another faction that is shitting itself about Biden's consistently terrible poll numbers and ever declining faculties (what we're seeing probably isn't the full extent of how bad he is, or how much he's propped up by meds) and have decided he has to go. I think that liberal press outlets like The Graun might be throwing their lot in with the latter. Maybe they just think that the truth can't be hidden any longer, but I could see them just carrying on with Pravda like denial all the way until Biden loses. Maybe they've seen some indication that pressure will get Biden replaced.

[BlodwynPig]

Thought his performance was reasonably ok and robust. Until he walked off stage and decided to carry on with what seemed to be an impromptu Q&A on the Gaza crisis.

Given the original discourse, this was the one time he needed to keep on the straight and narrow and not make any gaffes. Then comes out with the President of Mexico being in control of the Egypt border.
Slightly separately, his hubris seemed to get to him at the end too where he stated that he believed Hamas committed their atrocities on the 7th October because of his own personal great peace plan.

why do you think that words speak louder than actions. that in the moment speeches carry more weight than empirical evidence?

"I have every faith in Uncle Joe now that he managed to give a speech without any gaffes. His vision is clear and I admire that he can read from a teleprompter at his age."

versus

Joe Biden supports genocide. Full stop.

[BlodwynPig]

"Reasonably OK" -> Earth melting without any plan or desire to stop it.

[iamcoop]

The debates are gonna be a grotesque mind-melt aren't they? Biden incoherently slurring something about a '57 Corvette in reply to a question about Gaza

[Captain Z]

Biden angrily rejects claims that he is struggling with memory problems.

"I can't remember the last time I was this angry", he said.

[Funcrusher]

US lib media is taking the same line as the UK

New York Times
Special Counsel's Report Puts Biden's Age and Memory in the Spotlight
After an enquiry concluded that Biden was well meaning but had a poor memory, he angrily fired back in an attempt at political damage control

Eight words and a verbal slip renewed Democrat's fears and Republican's hopes

Washington Post
Special counsel report paints scathing picture of Biden's memory
Robert K. Hur's report could reopen a line of attack that the president's team has tried hard to tamp down.

You would think that saying these things out loud would come under the heading of 'handing the election to Trump', but they're just flat out saying that Biden is in pretty mortal trouble.

[dissolute ocelot]

I reckon the Democrats are aiming at the large section of the population (particularly on the right) who think a dead president would be the optimal leader. No more big government or interfering wokes. I've heard people claim that the 652 days from 2018-20 when Belgium had no government was a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. President Biden is the same basic principle. Dead best, asleep nearly as good, senile fine.

[BlodwynPig]

I reckon the Democrats are aiming at the large section of the population (particularly on the right) who think a dead president would be the optimal leader. No more big government or interfering wokes. I've heard people claim that the 652 days from 2018-20 when Belgium had no government was a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. President Biden is the same basic principle. Dead best, asleep nearly as good, senile fine.

Waco time...or Jonestown more accurately

[Elderly Sumo Prophecy]

He really is just a Skyrim NPC. His pisshole in the snow eyes just complement the look.

[Video Game Fan 2000]

America is a religion, not a democracy

[Ferris]

I don't think he can be removed from the ballot from a lot of states at this point, and he's locked up the DNC nomination so even if he dies he'll be the democrat on ballot papers in November.

I've mentioned it already but as trump's felony cases advance, there's a non-zero chance that US voters in November will be forced to choose between a jailbird and a corpse. Possibly even a pair of corpses, and you get to choose the colour rosette.

It's not likely, but it's feasible. Greatest democracy on earth and all that.

[dontpaintyourteeth]

banter country