Biden loses his train of thought, calls Harris 'Vice President Trump' in solo press conference

paf0@lemmy.world to politics @lemmy.world – 109 points –
Biden loses his train of thought, calls Harris 'Vice President Trump' in solo press conference
cnbc.com
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I have defended this man. If he's still the nominee in November I'll still vote for him. But god dammit this is fucking terrible.

I do not have hope for him being replaced but I sure think he should be. Whoever is telling him that he should keep running is guilty of elder abuse.

I do not have hope for him being replaced

Congresscritters, even just a few, coming out for him to step down is massive. It might happen.

While I disagree, I both respect and envy your optimism. I'm feeling defeatist today. Maybe tomorrow I'll share your view but today I'm going to drink and brood.

If it's any consolation, Congresscritters coming out against the presumptive nominee WHO IS ALSO THE INCUMBENT sort of thing is fucking unheard of. That this is happening in public is very much indicative of heavy fucking gears moving behind the curtains. Whether that will be enough remains to be seen.

I say make Bernie the VP, let Biden win and then he can resign and let us get a President who can change some things.

I love Bernie, but putting someone who is OLDER than Biden on the ticket is not a winning scenario. We had our chance in 2020.

If Biden won and then immediately resigned the public would lose all trust in the DNC for decades. People do not like bait and switch.

It's way too close to the election now to switch candidates and have any hope of winning. Most people don't follow the news as closely as us. It takes at least a year of pushing a new candidate into the limelight to make them viable in an election.

If it happens, it's a guaranteed loss.

Enough DNC hand-wringing, let the stammerer and ponderer safeguard democracy and then you can Bernie him.

The man basically said not even an act of God would convince him to drop out lmao.

...said not even an act of God would convince him to...

Good. They need that separation of church and state.

You are a literal disgrace to this country especially when Chase Oliver is here to fight thems horrible candidates. You will vote for someone you know is a failure because reasons and you aren't brainwashed? Vote Chase Oliver, more than enough of us hate Trump and Biden and he stands for real things, check him out before you downvote me https://www.votechaseoliver.com/

Spoiler candidate dude, sorry. I really despise Biden and the two party system, but there's zero choice here, it's Biden or fascism.

The right won't have a spoiler candidate siphoning votes in November, every state RNC is going to make damn sure of that.

So you give power to an unfair system? But its their issue? Or are you unable to do your own thing or say fuck the system? Everyone I know says Fuck Trump and Fuck Biden, literally only voting against someone, and I have to hear this dismissive shit that someone who gives a fuck shouldn't get airtime because? You are part of the problem and contributing to decline.

Best chance to change the system is to get Biden in, then pressure a democrat-controlled govt to adopt change. Federalize first past the post, maximum age limits, limit lobbying. None of this has a chance of ever happening at all if the left cote is split and trump wins. If Biden wins, there's at least a chance, however small.

Looked, downvoted.

And so who you plan to vote for? the court appointed rapist or genocide joe clearly on decline?

I plan on voting for a primary candidate that is not Donald Trump. Come election day, I think it's likely it will be Dark Brandon so will probably vote for him. You voting for any 3rd party candidate is almost as worthless as not voting in out current voting system.

I think you also fail to see that trump is a felon, would have probably been way more genocidal, was a failure to his country during covid, again a failure to his country when he led an insurrection, is batshit crazy in that he thought he should have won the last election. Do I need to go on.

I have to imagine that whomever is promoting a third party candidate either doesn't understand how US general elections work, or is actually trying to siphon votes from Biden to benefit Trump. It's tantamount to convincing someone not to vote at all.

Because of the first past the post voting, you need to vote against the candidate you definitely don't want. Any vote not for the Democrat is effectively a vote for Trump.

This isn't like voting for Kang or Kodos, Trump is a horrible person, was and would be a terrible president, and needs to be put in jail. Giving him the presidential office protects him from accountability which is probably the only reason he's running other than his ego.

Okay you say that, but this is literally the two worst candidates possible, if there was a yime we could win itd be now. Do you know any Trump or Biden supporters? Cause I don’t as someone in NY, literally people falling over themselves over who they not gonna vote, literally a time for Chase Oliver to win, but you know blue no matter who and watch Biden die in these polls.

My state is going to go to Biden. A Republican hasn't won my state in over 40 years. With a forgone conclusion, and a winner take all approach to electoral votes, my vote essentially doesn't matter unless I vote for a third party. If I can help them get 20% of the popular vote, theyll be in a much better position in 2028 and maybe we'll see some real change finally.

Also lmao at thinking a libertarian will siphon votes from the left. Also fuck you for telling me how to vote.

Ok let's think of the best case scenario of your choice affecting the election of your state meaningfully. Your third party candidate turns out to actually win your state woooooo!!! But wait that means that unless other states have turnout for that candidate you're state basically just wasted it's vote.

The best case scenario is that my candidate gets 20% of the popular vote and their party gets an automatic spot in the debates in 2028. I don't expect them to win any state outright in 2024, and if they did CT doesn't have enough electoral votes to affect the election in a meaningful way anyway

If this copypasta has better English and was on-topic, it'd get better reception. I get you have a quota, but be less obvious.

Why you, on a Canadian Instance at that, think I am not an American expressing my honest views? What makes you think someone with a different view is automatically a shill? What is obvious about me? Please explain cause it makes no sense.

Honestly, that this is the headline from the meeting is kind of ridiculous.

I absolutely think Biden should step down and hand the torch to whoever is best able to make the case for their beating trump between now and the convention.

But he was always slipping up with word switches over his career.

He was actually very on top of the policy nuances in this Q&A - 1,000x better than Trump could have dreamed of being.

The one word switch in an hour of nuanced policy discussions as the headline is more a failure of the media than Biden.

Even though he def should be making way as his decline is going to get worse and more info is going to come out.

The one word switch in an hour of nuanced policy discussions as the headline is more a failure of the media than Biden.

This a million times over. He did a great job the whole time and had one weird slip up, and all the media cares about is the slip up.

Fuck the media. Focus on the substantive part of the meeting, not the one meaningless gaffe. I say stupid shit all the time by accident, it doesn't matter. It's not even a sign of age, people just do this kind of thing because we're human.

A great job the whole time? This gaffe aside, he seemed to lose his train of thought a number of times, he didn't directly answer some questions and, when he was "on", he just seemed to repeat parts of his speeches. We can do better. While not my first choice, Kalama is better.

Let's talk about a Harris/AOC ticket if we have a democracy after this. Everything else is secondary.

Focus on the substantive part of the meeting, not the one meaningless gaffe.

Has he had an appearance recently that hasn't had at least one? Maybe we should ask the leader of Ukraine, President Putin.

The media was seething because they can't just run another word flub every day. Biden turned their repeated questions about minor misstatements into a policy discussion.

They don't want to run the story "NATO meeting a success" because it doesn't get as many clicks as "Biden secretly nuts". They've become tabloids.

He was actually very on top of the policy nuances in this Q&A - 1,000x better than Trump could have dreamed of being.

Well yeah because trump has the mind of a 3rd grader and spews out word salads with no substance to every question because he doesn't understand any of the questions.

This is legitimately scary. Trump does this every second, now Biden is doing it every other conference. 4 years ages anyone, let alone the man in charge of NATO, the biggest economy, and running for re-election.

I am genuinely starting to be at a loss. I understood the life long stutter, I understood people age differently, I understood that soundclips and sneaky edits can make things look bad, but Jesus Christ. Is this the same day as the "President Putin"?

The whole issue is that leftists have seen this side of Biden for years but we were always told to be silent because we are Republicans or Russians or some such bullshit. The signs have been there for years, Obama had alluded to it several times.

I started calling his bullshit out in 2020 when he was an old racist who his now VP said he was an old racist whose policies impacted her. I knew him as the senator who didn't believe Anita Hill when she said Clarence Thomas raped her. I knew him as the senator who made the 90's crime bill that made BIPOC even worse off and acted like it helped them. I knew him as a senator who helped write the USA PATRIOT Act, the greatest mass removal of constitutional rights in the name of racist polices anti-terrorism.

And even then I voted for him 2020 because he was "Not Trump." Didn't matter, I live in California, but I didn't want smug NeoLibs saying my vote for the greens in 2016 in California is what single-handedly gave us Trump.

This is sad.

Brutally awful. I am heartbroken that this is happening; to him and this country.

He is doing this to himself, and his hubris is dooming the country.

He is the newest RBG. Not letting go of any of it to try and save America, when it just delays and makes the problem worse because they didn't listen to fellow polticans or the public.

Great we're going to be set back hundreds of years because an old Democrat refused to step down...

AGAIN.

... Because that was guaranteed defeat in the past.

Come on, comrade, this angle is played out.

The way media works, any good he might have gotten out of the speech or question and answer session is going to be completely overshadowed by this flub.

I completely got what he meant. But it's another bad moment.

Overall, the whole impression I got was grandpa Joe giving storytime. I just don't think that's what we need at this time.

He needed a home run to have any chance of unfucking this. He's hitting a single. He's a detriment to the ticket from here on out, I think.

It's already over. If he stays on the top of the ticket Republicans will control all three branches of government, and it won't be close.

Straight up witnessing elder abuse. My grandfather was getting so old that he was making basic mistakes while driving. We took the keys away because he could hurt someone.

The fact that they're allowing this man to humiliate himself and this country over and over again speaks to the cruelty of the people who are still covering for this.

Literally sickening. I've had this happen to family members and neighbors. It's always the easist to abuse those who can't even see they are being played.

Sigh... Well, that's it. I think he's done.

For the last five years, Republican attacks on Biden's age and health have been continuous and stupid. For 4.9 of those years, they've been clearly and utterly baseless, which is what makes this doubly infuriating.

He's had good moments since the "debate," several of which were good enough to make me think he was fine and this was just more Republican bullshit. And even the debate itself, I thought he warmed up after the first twenty minutes or so, and was happily willing to believe he really did just have a cold + jet lag + the general lack of resilience that comes with very old age. Hell, get me sick and then hopped up on cough medicine and I become completely incoherent.

But this... This is two weeks later, and he still couldn't hold it together. He still seemed listless and intermittently uncertain what was going on.

Maybe this is old age catching up to his speech impediment. Maybe it's not an actual decline, it's just the stress of the job and a lapse in his ability to make his mouth do what his brain wants it to do. Maybe.

But even if that's the case, even if that's all it is, communication is a core responsibility for the President of the United States of America. And for whatever reason, be it cognitive issues or just an inability to clearly talk, he simply isn't communicating well anymore.

I hate saying this. I really do. He's been a very good president. But he should step down and let Kamala Harris take the reins. It's time.

Your comment is the one most in line with my thought process.

I thought he did just fine in the debate other than having the cold. I've defended him since then both here, and to people in my real life. I still think he may be the best president in my life (since first term Reagan), and I was hoping he had a great time at NATO and was going to crush this press conference.

But while I was waiting for it to start, I saw the Putin flub. Then he comes out, sounds tired, sounds hoarse and keeps coughing, keeps pausing, keeps getting names wrong. We got creepy Whispery Joe again. It was so awkward and I felt so bad for him. He's done a great job, but it looks time to throw in the towel on this campaign.

I'm in an important state for presidential elections. If they keep him upright through November, he's my guy. If they put in another Dem, I'm with them. But I'm disappointed now it seems too late for him to leave with dignity. He deserves a good legacy, but now he's going to be Sleepy Joe, especially if he drags this out.

What happened with RBG was a tragedy for me and the country, but this could be apocalyptic for our democracy. I'm so mad that a felon is the solid choice for near half the country. I can't trust Biden to be our champion in this fight.

To anyone that didn't watch the conference, watch it. I don't know how anyone in good conscience can say pressing him to continue is for the best.

Covid probably sped up his mental decline.

I hadn't thought of that, but I guess it's possible. Since COVID first appeared, we've learned a lot about how it affects people when they don't take the time to fully recover and try to "push through," as it were.

And I can think of no job more prone to inducing people to try to "push through" than the presidency.

Being a sitting president also probably sped up his mental decline.

This was surreal. To his credit he eventually got into his groove as he moved through his list of approved journalists.

He's still going and he's not doing great...

Like, he is saying a lot of words, and they do seek to connect with the ones right next to each other most of the time. But it almost never has anything to do with the question after the first sentence or two

I can't tell if he's pretending to talk to people or actually talking to people in the audience. Like I think he sees journalists making comments or reactions and addressing them.

Edit:

When asked if his delegates could vote for someone else if they don't want him he said:

That's the Democratic process

Then leaned in all creepy and whispered

That's not going to happen

Edit 2:

Fucking hell...

They asked about "VP trump" at the end and said trump had already latched into it.

When asked for comment Biden said:

Listen to him

Like? Listen to trump?

Then did his best Monty Burns walk off stage.

As with everything Biden, I highly recommend everyone watch it when they can.

It went on too long, he started to lose his train of thought a few times. The end was weird too. I'm not sure "listen to him" meant what he thought it meant.

The feeding frenzy at the end definitely confirmed that questions were pre-approved and they had to stick with them.

He was hours late because he was cramming the answers for what he was knew was coming.

Nothing about this was unscripted

It's not complicated. "You think I'm hard to understand? Try listening to that guy." Subtext.

Also, he is a lifetime politician. They all dodge hard questions, this is not abnormal. People should apply fair standards to him as a politician, not apply special standards just to him as if he should be better than other politicians or something.

I don't think he got into his groove at all. This guy is toast. And what's with all the whispering?

He seemed to go in and out of rehearsed responses. Sometimes he'd make sense for minutes at a time and then crash.

And whispering? He asks rhetorical questions and then whispered the answers. Joe Biden is always telling you a secret.

I'm voting democrat no matter what, for obvious reasons, but I don't understand the down voting for calling out what is pretty obvious. I watched John Stewart's episode on it, then some interviews today. It was bad. Really bad.

Biden isn't fit to be president. I wouldn't trust him with my dinner order. This election hasr potential to be a disaster. Yes, I know staff is doing the work, but it's still not comforting to have a doddering old man at the helm.

I would think finding someone that is youngish, intelligent,and exciting wouldn't be that difficult. It would also be a(nother) huge contrast from the orange shit stain.

You made your account today and have done nothing but post negative comments on political posts. What sane person would join Lemmy just to look at political stuff they disagree with and only comment on those? Someone that has an agenda, that's who. You talk about fear mongering from the left in one of your comments but that's all you're doing and have done since you made your account.

I recommend you block this guy before getting into the argument he wants out of you. It's what I'm gonna do.

Sooo Trump has been doing this for years too... can we just kick them both out the race and do-over please?

This was my first thought. Like the number of Tim Apples and confusing Nicky Haley with Pelosi and calling Ronny Jackson Ronny Johnson like 15 times in a row... Not to mention the covfefe's and "Look, having nuclear—my uncle was a great professor and scientist and engineer..." And the "nuclear warming" I mean the list is almost infinite at this point with Trump. He's been on that road for a loooong time. Both of these dudes are beyond gone. Either way you're getting a senile president at this point. Just pick your poison I guess 🥹

And here come the sound bites.

This is the problem. I don't want to excuse Biden, but even if 95% of the speech is fine, the 5% is all 99% of readers will ever see.

Apparently we didn't watch the same speech cuz not even 5% of it was fine

You are right lol.

edit:

Still, they are hyper focusing one flub instead of the meat of the speech.

Then he said he was going to defeat VP trump...

And.i honestly don't know if he meant he'd beat Kamala and be the candidate in the general or if he meant he'd beat Trump in the general?

This is getting kinda sad, bro should be sitting at home.

Eh, if you actually watch the video and don't take it out of context you realize he meant Harris, bcz he later refers to how they can beat trump. Sometimes you say the wrong thing, I've done it before and I'm barely into my 30s, and nobody accuses me of being senile.

To be clear, he should have stepped down a long time ago, and I'm not really a fan of Biden. But he's been making mistakes in speeches like this his entire career. It wasn't until he became president that everyone started losing their mind over it.

It wasn't until he became president that everyone started losing their mind over it.

Do you not agree a position as powerful as President should be under more scrutiny?

I don't think we should crucify him for saying the wrong thing occasionally like every human ever does.

He has plenty of shit policies to talk about. But the only thing that seems to get people riled up lately is the way he speaks.

Imagine going to a buffet where everything is gone except a suspicious and particularly greasy clam chowder or an overcooked ham sandwich that's been left out too long.

Also, you have a shellfish allergy.

Welp...it's over folks. To those continually downvoting me because you can't face facts, it's time. As a staunch Democrat, I cannot bring myself to support that man any longer. Either find a new candidate or this will be the first presidential election I don't vote in.

Bitch, moan, downvote all you want. I don't care anymore.

I'd fucking vote for a corpse over fascism. It's sad that you feel otherwise.

This is the internet. The odds of that guy actually being a staunch dem are very slim.

Yeah, elsewhere he gave "It's a very complex issue 🥺" plea, unprompted, on whether Trump et co are fascist.

I believe you misread that or you're a fucking liar. Either way, that's not what I said.

He is a fucking liar, and intentionally wants to twist up the obvious context to fit his chosen narrative. In other words, a propagandist and a try-hard.

He went super fascist on me...about fascism. Fucking funny really.

He went super fascist on me…about fascism. Fucking funny really.

Fascism is when you ask someone to explain something they said, and the more you ask, the more fascist it is, I guess.

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Some of us live in states where our votes conveniently don't matter. I don't give a single fuck about performative voting. I care about winning, and Joe Biden is not going to win.

The popular vote is an important legitimizing factor in elections. If your logic is that the end result is preordained, maybe you shouldn't be voting in any election where the difference between victory, tie, and defeat > your vote.

The popular vote is an important legitimizing factor in elections.

Yeah, that sounds good, but ultimately it is fucking meaningless. I'm all for the popular vote compact, but that isn't reality right now.

If your logic is that the end result is preordained

It isn't preordained. I am working off the available evidence, and every single piece of available evidence is that he is going to fucking lose. Joe Biden staying in this race is dooming this country, and when he loses I hope he is punished for his hubris.

Yeah, that sounds good, but ultimately it is fucking meaningless.

Okay, so you don't understand how governments act and sustain themselves. Cool.

I absolutely understand. You are in your feelings. I am living in reality. The electoral college is all that matters. That is what determines our elections, and is what will determine if we are able to sustain our strained democracy. When Biden loses the election and wins the popular vote you can carry all the water you want, but Trump will still be president.

I absolutely understand. You are in your feelings. I am living in reality.

I guess you missed the whole autocoup issue on Jan 6? Minor, I know, to people with only a passing interest in politics, but kind of integral. Clearly you don't understand the effect the percieved legitimacy of a government has on its functioning and continuation.

Jesus fucking christ man. You are out to lunch. I've followed every single part of the political process in this country since I was like 11 years old. You are pissing me the fuck off now.

I watched January 6th live, I watched 9/11 live, I watched the invasion of Iraq live, I have diligently paid attention to every historical moment in my lifetime. The vast majority of the people under 50 in this country already think the government is illegitimate. It does not, and has not ever worked for them. The popular vote changes nothing. If you think it does then you are deluded.

I watched January 6th live,

Apparently it didn't have much effect on you, considering your lackadaisical attitude towards legitimacy in government and political violence.

The vast majority of the people under 50 in this country already think the government is illegitimate.

lol

Apparently it didn't have much effect on you, considering your lackadaisical attitude towards legitimacy in government and political violence.

Yeah, okay 👍 whatever you say chief.

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So January 6th bad, President Putin and VP Trump is perfectly normal?

You're concerned about legitimacy of government, functioning and its continuation while ignoring that there is a brain dead corpse that just gave a speech. That same brain dead corpse is running the world's largest military, and can't even form a cohesive sentence.

BlueMAGA has a new meaning tonight

So January 6th bad,

Yes, I thought that was apparent, but fascists like you always adore a good coup attempt.

President Putin and VP Trump is perfectly normal?

No, and I haven't said as much.

You’re concerned about legitimacy of government, functioning and its continuation while ignoring that there is a brain dead corpse that just gave a speech. That same brain dead corpse is running the world’s largest military, and can’t even form a cohesive sentence.

How am I ignoring it?

From the looks of it, this is a hill that you are going to die on all by yourself

That fascism is bad? Sorry that the people you see regularly feel otherwise.

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maybe you shouldn’t be voting in any election where the difference between victory, tie, and defeat > your vote.

PugJesus, encouraging people not to vote.

Sorry that I tried to demonstrate the ridiculousness of that logic by demonstrating its necessary defeatist conclusions.

Sure. That's what you were doing.

You were doing what you incessantly accuse anyone who has been critical of Biden's support for genocide of doing. You were encouraging people to stay home in the face of fascism.

Sure. That’s what you were doing.

Yes, I thought the absurdity of not voting unless you were the deciding vote was obvious enough, but clearly it went over your head. I'll be less subtle next time, though I imagine I'll need bright highlighter colors to get any less subtle.

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Yes, yes I fucking do. And I don't feel bad about it anymore. You should.

And I don’t feel bad about it

Cool, great, nice to know you don't give a fuck about your fellow Americans.

You should.

I should feel bad for... voting against fascism?

You should be ashamed to vote for that. To force that abhorrent excuse of a barely conscious individual onto the world stage to represent this incredible country.

His campaign is over. His money is going to dry up and we're going to be stuck with a fascist because you can't nut up and make a difficult decision. Fuck!

You should be ashamed to vote for that. To force that abhorrent excuse of a barely conscious individual onto the world stage to represent this incredible country.

Not happy about it, but I'd take a pet rock over fascism. Not really sure why you're advocating otherwise.

His campaign is over. His money is going to dry up and we’re going to be stuck with a fascist

It's funny that you seem to forget that when the issue of voting against fascism comes up.

because you can’t nut up and make a difficult decision. Fuck!

Wait, I'm the one not nutting up and making a difficult decision? Is that difficult decision 'not voting and letting a fascist win'? Because that's the only thing I've opposed here.

You don't seem to be comprehending that the campaign is over. People are not going to vote for him. You can't make them.

And distilling the complexities of American leadership and our standing in the world into fascism vs. dementia is just naïve and simpleminded.

There is time, but we need to move quickly and decisively. There is no time for nostalgia.

And distilling the complexities of American leadership and our standing in the world into fascism vs. dementia is just naïve and simpleminded.

Okay, tell me about the 'complexities' of Trump as the other viable candidate, I'm interested in hearing this.

What the fuck are you people not hearing? There is time to find a replacement! But we need to move.

What the fuck are you people not hearing? There is time to find a replacement! But we need to move.

No, no, let's stay on this.

And distilling the complexities of American leadership and our standing in the world into fascism vs. dementia is just naïve and simpleminded.

Please explain what the fuck you meant by this.

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You're never going to break through the Blue MAGA brain rot. They are too far in denial. The grip of the sunk cost fallacy is too strong.

And this particular homie has every dnc talking point memorized. Dont get caught up in a slap fight with that one cuz no one out-types ol' pugjesus lol. must type 120wpm, shits crazy

Sadly, you're probably right. I'm just hoping there are enough people in positions of power to get the wheels moving on a replacement.

These people will just have to come along for the ride.

Blue MAGA

Jesus Christ.

You may not like it, but you are embodying it. Deal with it.

You may not like it, but you are embodying it. Deal with it.

By... advocating for a replacement for Biden, but also emphasizing that voting against fascism is non-negotiable for people who want to actually oppose fascism, and who aren't ready to passively welcome it?

By... advocating for a replacement for Biden

I don't see much "advocating" from you. I see a lot of hand-wringing.

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If only Democrats had listened to leftists 4 years ago, we saw all the signs then and we were told to shut the fuck up

Biden was supposed to be a transitional president, but he has done nothing to promote anyone but himself. It was selfish and it will be his legacy - it's sad.

Good night. Sleep tight. And pleasant dreams to you. Here’s a wish, and a prayer that all your dreams come true.

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