The New York Times and Financial Times both have stories with multiple diplomatic and security sources saying they’ve personally experienced Biden’s cognitive decline.
I can’t understand why people want to diminish the significance of that reality.
Read the Times story about Biden. They say he seems more visibly exhausted and physically frail than years ago, confuses names more. No real accusation of mental problems. Includes an anecdote of Biden yelling at Netanyahu. Sources speculate his schedule is too demanding relative to his age.
Could it perhaps be that Biden is literally the only man standing between us and a 2nd Trump administration? That we literally have no other choice?
The next POTUS will either be Biden or Trump. That's it.
I'd take a diminished Biden over Trump any day. At least Biden has good people on his team.
Perhaps we wouldn't be in this predicament if Dems hadn't shouted down anyone who raised this issue years ago. But the good thing is liberals will do some honest introspection, learn from this and never make a similar mistake in the future.
Yes, we do have a vice president for a reason. If anything happens to Biden, then we can count on Harris to step up. but for her to be able to do that, we have to vote for Biden. She won’t be listed separately on the ballot.
Yes, he is an old man. Not denying that. Simply pointing out the objective fact that only he or Donald Trump will become president after the election. There is but one choice.
Cult worship. We are built to elevate people to this huge status and any attempts to bring that down are met with extreme malice. I’m really sick of it. No one gets a free pass. We have to break this cycle.
Hard disagree. There's no cult of Biden.
I think the answer, at least for me, is that we're in this now, the stakes are increibly high and the alternatives are unpredictable and risky, so we're rationalizing a situation there's no clear path out of.
The alternatives are risky, but the status quo is riskier. I don’t understand how people think Biden is going to win, given what we just saw. He’s currently losing. What’s the path to victory?
Same as it was before, negative polarization bringing reluctant anti-Trumpers home, double haters breaking for Biden and some positive economic developments in the third quarter.
I also think the price of Biden's age was one he was already paying...
...the perception outpaced the reality.
I am not saying sticking with Biden isn't risky. But I don't think his defeat is certain and I have no idea how to weigh the risks of changing candidates at this juncture.
I have wavered on the last part personally. But, every political consultant and operative type I know—regardless of ideology—has said they believe Kamala would do better/is more likely to win. Even folks who really don’t love her.
I’ve long been convinced Biden was our best bet for this reason. But, if he can’t be trusted to speak in public without a teleprompter, I think that really limits the likelihood that he can accomplish 1 and 2. Also, the price of his age has increased measurably.
Exactly. Beyond the Biden is hobbled problem is a major enthusiasm gap problem in that this performance will make a lot of folks on the fence less into either voting for him (though maybe they will) but they won’t volunteer time for him. Which further erodes the enthusiasm gap the longer it lasts.
