Cheryl Rofer: As an Old, and because it's late at night with few folk around, I will say this. In some - not all, but enough to notice - of the criticism of Biden's age, I see fear of that age and being that Old. We're not good at respecting age in the US. All of us, if we're lucky, will get there.

As an Old, and because it's late at night with few folk around, I will say this. In some - not all, but enough to notice - of the criticism of Biden's age, I see fear of that age and being that Old. We're not good at respecting age in the US. All of us, if we're lucky, will get there.

The ageism really troubles me. Biden didn't do a superb job, but neither did he totally fail. He had a cold, he was tired, he was over-prepared, he was under-prepared. Whatever it was, I think it's fixable if he commits to it _and_ we let him. Right now, we're creating a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Exactly. I am more worried about that self-fulfilling prophecy than I am about Biden's capabilities.

I also wonder what the evidently sky-high expectations of the harshest critics were, because Trump has participated in dozens of "debates" since 2015 and as best I can recall, no one, Republican or Democrat has effectively demolished him because the truth means nothing to him and he has zero shame.

It's almost impossible for anyone to deal with a Gish Gallop, which is what Trump was doing. The tactic was named back in the 1990s. when creationists were using it. I've been thinking about writing a post about it, because many people weren't around for that.

I didn't have "ski-high" expectations. I was just hoping my candidate wouldn't freeze up or segue from an answer on abortion to a comment about undocumented migrants.

Biden was widely viewed as having won the first 2020 debate with shouty, covidy Trump.

I am also worried that his campaign doesn't seem to realize that they should have been trying to address this starting last weekend and continuing through this week.

I have mixed feelings about this. I recognize that this is the conventional wisdom - to respond quickly - but a lot has happened, including the immunity decision, which has implications for how to respond. I would want a good lawyer to take a look at that decision before responding in detail.

I was thinking more just showing that he's up to the job. It'd be in superficial ways, like tv or newspaper interviews, but that's how campaigns work.

Oh yes. It would be part of a normal campaign anyway. But if I were him, I would take a few days off to figure things out and to let some of the hollering die down.

Yes someone replied to me (38 years old) that having a cold doesn't make you fatigued and something like unable to concentrate and I told them that is a very youthful take on it. I'm definitely fatigued by a cold, if not taken out for a day or two.

Also, sounds like they haven't had a real cold, or needed to do something intellectually complex when they have a cold. Or maybe they're just really awesome, or don't remember, cos the cold made their memory fuzzy.

I know I was like that when I was younger, a cold didn't bother me at all. Now it's like my whole body is lost in a fog. I think you're right about them forgetting how mentally complex this was, just trying to process and answer in 3 minutes including listening to your opponent. It's a lot.

Two minutes!

and the transcripts showed he did a rather good job, in a ridiculous situation.

Biden is committing genocide.

I'm not an ageist. I know what I saw on the tee-vee. Biden had a spectacularly bad debate performance. Historically bad. Absent a time machine, it is not "fixable." And, sadly, we'll be racing each other to get the first Trump 47 Football shot on 1/20/25.

Oh, to be so lucky. Though I admit the members of my family have gotten there were fairly awful. It’s not a great sample set. :(

We age variably. and there are enormous differences physically and mentally. Biden should be evaluated on the basis of what he has done and how he performs now. I would like to know more about Thursday night, but since then he's looked good to me.

My family just refined being fucking horrible from their formative years over the decades. Biden appears to have actually grown and changed over time.

I'm sorry you had a family like that. Some in my family became worse with age.

Not worse, just more what they always were.

I never post, but I am making an exception to say thank you because I really appreciate your reasonableness right now.

Very much agreed

I want to note that although I am not unconcerned with Biden’s health, the words people are choosing to use when they talk about this reveal some ugly shit about how they think about older adults and late life, and if I were in that demographic, I would be even more angry about it than I am now

The fact that people who claim to be progressive can so casually and mindlessly accept the most horrid ageist AND ableist language and concepts fills me with anger and dismay. It is the 21st Century! Why have we not grown past this kind of thinking yet!

The whole “Old = Bad” thread running through recent discourse is just plain insulting and infuriating, frankly. As someone who is generally perceived as female, I’ve already been subjected to ageist “Too Old” BS starting in my 30’s. Seeing how that gets worse the older one gets makes me furious.

Going to have to start slapping people if this keeps up

Aging is distasteful to them. They decide someone's old & write them off. Yes he's gotten old & more frail. That's what aging does. Those folks will get old too & I only wish I could be around to see the looks on their faces the 1st time somebody treats them as if they were invisible.

This is so real. Nobody likes to be reminded of their loved ones or their own mortality. I pretty recently realized that my mom is Old. It has made everything feel so urgent! I get it

Hear hear

So much this. Thank you for sharing.

Yes. I wonder if this has become increasingly prevalent due to tech gaining $ & power. There is so much ageism there.

I don't think that's the only reason.

Oh no, which is why I noted it late at night, with not many people around.

Everyone my age understands age matters. There are exceptions to every rule, but for most of us, decline is inevitable. Denying it is absurd. There are exceptions, but if so, it's clearly seen, not dipping in and dipping out like a frightened toe facing cold water.

I suggest that we consider individuals as individuals, not apply a universal "rule" to everyone.

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