What makes you believe that next-gen Democratic candidates won't be subjected to a barrage of attacks (good and bad-faith) based on foreign policy inexperience, absence of national political experience, lack of relationships on Capitol Hill, etc.
Youth solves 1 problem and creates a dozen new ones.
It’s true that inexperience is a liability; the question if it’s more of one than Biden’s age. Looking at the polling it seems pretty clear what his own party’s answer is.
Let's see...the GOP began harping on Biden's age 3 years ago. Legacy media obediently adopted this framing. Pollsters then used the framing in their polling questions. Hardly shocking that people are repeating what they've been fed.
What they haven't been asked are these questions: With the high degree of global uncertainty, would you favor a candidate with zero foreign policy experience? With such a polarized political climate, do you favor a candidate who lacks relationships with anyone on Capitol Hill? With inflation fading, and manufacturing at the highest rate in years, do you favor a candidate with little to no executive experience to lead the domestic agenda?
The idea that someone younger and more charismatic will magically fix the myriad of existential crises facing this country is wishful thinking.
Nobody is saying that somebody younger and more charismatic than Biden will "magically fix" anything. We're saying, based on the evidence, that a significant chunk of the electorate believes that Biden is showing signs of senile dementia.
Please note that I'm not saying that Biden is or is not senile: I'm not a gerontologist and if I were I wouldn't make a diagnosis based on video clips and news articles. What I'm saying is that Biden is perceived as senile by a significant chunk of voters, and that recent health events with Feinstein (D) and McConnell (R) have made the electorate more sensitive to the issue.
You can argue that this is unfair and that the news media, Putin, Xi, or the Elders of Zion are manipulating the minds of American voters. But unless you have some way of countering those opinions, they are going to play a role in the 2024 election no matter how much you flounce around whimpering about how horrible and unfair it is.
The reason for this "perception" is a concerted GOP campaign, readily adopted by right-wing and legacy media, repeated ad nauseam by pundits, pollsters until it's the only association made people.
The point isn't that Biden is old, objectively that's true. The point is the manipulation of minds....just as "her emails" became the most crucial factor in 2016, and no one gave a damn when Trump's family and advisors used all sorts of private servers.
Can you name one instance where "dementia" played a role in any action taken over the past 3 years? No, you can't...it's just repetition of right-wing propaganda.
I disagree with certain Biden policies, but I don't blindly fault "dementia".
I think it's telling that Trump, who constantly forgets words, facts, contradicts himself one-story, mid-pandemic insisted that injecting bleach was the answer, whose father did have Alzheimers is never labeled as showing signs of dementia.
If people refuse to understand how they're impacted by propaganda, it's a choice.
The Democrats spent 2016-2020 insisting that Trump had "stolen" the election with the help of Russian interference, using a dossier which has since been proven fraudulent. While legacy media ran four years of articles insisting that Donald Trump was LITERALLY HITLER and a Putin puppet. Why do you think that in 2021 the media suddenly decided to kick the legs out from under a Democratic president by complaining that he might be suffering from dementia?
Biden is far from senile and on his worst day could run circles around trump, who is only 3 years younger and was not bright to begin with. Stop this Biden bashing!
Great reporting, Ken! I’m curious: what do you (and others) see as the pathway forward for progressives when it comes to this? It seems like the natural or democratically ‘healthy’ thing would be to consider a progressive primary challenge. But is that even feasible? Would prominent progressives put themselves on the line in that way? I’m not hopeful.
Thank you! A vigorous primary and debates. May the best person win. Without that, it feels like the DNC is shoving Biden down our throats. And I do think he's done a good job. (And I'm over 60 so it's not about wanting a young person because I'm young).
Calling bs on Harris, for the simple fact that no one would have considered Biden solely capable of understanding anything, even before his mental decline. He’s making blunder after blunder, including nearly bumbling us several times into nuclear war, as he always has. It’s only more painfully obvious now because he’s president. What was Biden known for as VP, other than wearing sunglasses, because Obama only occasionally let him out of the Capitol Hill broom closet?
Old age is not the problem, per se. In Biden and Feinstein's case it is dementia. It can be called an old person's disease, but it does not affect all old people. Bernie is an example of being dementia free. Let's not generalize about old people. Let's speak specifically about about a person's short comings.
Having said that, it is time for the alda cockers to move on.
But have we seen anything really scary from the Commander-in-Chief? Except for a desire to go to bed after a whirlwind 96-hour Asian hoop-de-do, no--we have not. This media doom loop, nurtured by pollsters and legacy commentators, feeds on their desire for An Exciting Presidential Primary. Lord knows, the GOP isn't providing any. Getting the most accomplished president in a generation out of the race would certainly heat things up!
Clicks, eyeballs, online/onscreen chatter. Ad rates! That's all any of this is about: ad rates.
Never thought I'd say it, but I've become an apathetic voter, verging on non & sticking a fork in the political process. My financial situation stayed stagnant through Bush, Obama, Trump & Biden until my employer got real jittery about union talk and threw buckets of money at us. We unionized anyway. I'm using that money to shore up the homestead resilience to get me through whatever's coming as long as possible. Not expecting much more at this point - the inaction & active bipartisan malfeasance on the climate has made sure of that. This crew isn't going to leave until the last amyloid brain cell dribbles out their ears, and when they finally do, we'll all have to suffer the agony of listening to cloying eulogies of these rancid power-mongering freaks who juiced their expiration date with dark money & incestuous institutional influence.
It doesn’t stop with Biden. Much of your ruling class is way too old. It shows an underlying unwillingness to cede power and an egregious contempt for younger generations. If the only benchmark is to stop Trump, you deserve what you get. There are valid reasons Trump won over Hillary but you stubbornly refuse to engage any of it. The DNC strategy of leaning full progressive on most policy fronts and parroting Trump on others is failing and illustrates an administration out of ideas and desperate to cling onto the status quo for its elites. Hanging Bernie out to dry was the dumbest thing thing Democrats ever did.
The bipartisan gerontocracy is extremely recent, so it's not "systematic". Before 2016 at least one of the parties was offering a fairly young candidate. Bush Jr and Gore were both younger. Obama was definitely young. 2016 was the first time in a century when both parties INSISTED on senility.
Hey folks, post any questions you might have here and I'll try to address each one! -Ken
What makes you believe that next-gen Democratic candidates won't be subjected to a barrage of attacks (good and bad-faith) based on foreign policy inexperience, absence of national political experience, lack of relationships on Capitol Hill, etc.
Youth solves 1 problem and creates a dozen new ones.
It’s true that inexperience is a liability; the question if it’s more of one than Biden’s age. Looking at the polling it seems pretty clear what his own party’s answer is.
Let's see...the GOP began harping on Biden's age 3 years ago. Legacy media obediently adopted this framing. Pollsters then used the framing in their polling questions. Hardly shocking that people are repeating what they've been fed.
What they haven't been asked are these questions: With the high degree of global uncertainty, would you favor a candidate with zero foreign policy experience? With such a polarized political climate, do you favor a candidate who lacks relationships with anyone on Capitol Hill? With inflation fading, and manufacturing at the highest rate in years, do you favor a candidate with little to no executive experience to lead the domestic agenda?
The idea that someone younger and more charismatic will magically fix the myriad of existential crises facing this country is wishful thinking.
Nobody is saying that somebody younger and more charismatic than Biden will "magically fix" anything. We're saying, based on the evidence, that a significant chunk of the electorate believes that Biden is showing signs of senile dementia.
Please note that I'm not saying that Biden is or is not senile: I'm not a gerontologist and if I were I wouldn't make a diagnosis based on video clips and news articles. What I'm saying is that Biden is perceived as senile by a significant chunk of voters, and that recent health events with Feinstein (D) and McConnell (R) have made the electorate more sensitive to the issue.
You can argue that this is unfair and that the news media, Putin, Xi, or the Elders of Zion are manipulating the minds of American voters. But unless you have some way of countering those opinions, they are going to play a role in the 2024 election no matter how much you flounce around whimpering about how horrible and unfair it is.
The reason for this "perception" is a concerted GOP campaign, readily adopted by right-wing and legacy media, repeated ad nauseam by pundits, pollsters until it's the only association made people.
The point isn't that Biden is old, objectively that's true. The point is the manipulation of minds....just as "her emails" became the most crucial factor in 2016, and no one gave a damn when Trump's family and advisors used all sorts of private servers.
Can you name one instance where "dementia" played a role in any action taken over the past 3 years? No, you can't...it's just repetition of right-wing propaganda.
I disagree with certain Biden policies, but I don't blindly fault "dementia".
I think it's telling that Trump, who constantly forgets words, facts, contradicts himself one-story, mid-pandemic insisted that injecting bleach was the answer, whose father did have Alzheimers is never labeled as showing signs of dementia.
If people refuse to understand how they're impacted by propaganda, it's a choice.
The Democrats spent 2016-2020 insisting that Trump had "stolen" the election with the help of Russian interference, using a dossier which has since been proven fraudulent. While legacy media ran four years of articles insisting that Donald Trump was LITERALLY HITLER and a Putin puppet. Why do you think that in 2021 the media suddenly decided to kick the legs out from under a Democratic president by complaining that he might be suffering from dementia?
superb comment
Biden is far from senile and on his worst day could run circles around trump, who is only 3 years younger and was not bright to begin with. Stop this Biden bashing!
As if polling means anything.
When 77% of the electorate thinks your candidate is senile, it means you're going to have an uphill battle getting that candidate elected.
I’m referring to a poll, where’s the take ?
Great reporting, Ken! I’m curious: what do you (and others) see as the pathway forward for progressives when it comes to this? It seems like the natural or democratically ‘healthy’ thing would be to consider a progressive primary challenge. But is that even feasible? Would prominent progressives put themselves on the line in that way? I’m not hopeful.
I think a vigorous primary would solve the issue. Biden could even win it and if so, would put any doubts about his fitness to rest.
Thank you! A vigorous primary and debates. May the best person win. Without that, it feels like the DNC is shoving Biden down our throats. And I do think he's done a good job. (And I'm over 60 so it's not about wanting a young person because I'm young).
Calling bs on Harris, for the simple fact that no one would have considered Biden solely capable of understanding anything, even before his mental decline. He’s making blunder after blunder, including nearly bumbling us several times into nuclear war, as he always has. It’s only more painfully obvious now because he’s president. What was Biden known for as VP, other than wearing sunglasses, because Obama only occasionally let him out of the Capitol Hill broom closet?
He bumbled us into nuclear war?
Biden was known for being an astute foreign policy wonk.
Here’s a question, Ken: in which universe is “surviving a second term” more important than defeating Donald Trump in 2024?
Not to be too glib but the guy who beat him already could take an infinite nap on Jan 21 and it would be a better outcome.
Old age is not the problem, per se. In Biden and Feinstein's case it is dementia. It can be called an old person's disease, but it does not affect all old people. Bernie is an example of being dementia free. Let's not generalize about old people. Let's speak specifically about about a person's short comings.
Having said that, it is time for the alda cockers to move on.
This is insane when the alternative is Trump
Yeah: McConnell, Feinstein, Romney, even Trump.
But have we seen anything really scary from the Commander-in-Chief? Except for a desire to go to bed after a whirlwind 96-hour Asian hoop-de-do, no--we have not. This media doom loop, nurtured by pollsters and legacy commentators, feeds on their desire for An Exciting Presidential Primary. Lord knows, the GOP isn't providing any. Getting the most accomplished president in a generation out of the race would certainly heat things up!
Clicks, eyeballs, online/onscreen chatter. Ad rates! That's all any of this is about: ad rates.
I feel like Mitt Romney is retiring because he is swimming against the tide of MAGA, not because he is too old.
Never thought I'd say it, but I've become an apathetic voter, verging on non & sticking a fork in the political process. My financial situation stayed stagnant through Bush, Obama, Trump & Biden until my employer got real jittery about union talk and threw buckets of money at us. We unionized anyway. I'm using that money to shore up the homestead resilience to get me through whatever's coming as long as possible. Not expecting much more at this point - the inaction & active bipartisan malfeasance on the climate has made sure of that. This crew isn't going to leave until the last amyloid brain cell dribbles out their ears, and when they finally do, we'll all have to suffer the agony of listening to cloying eulogies of these rancid power-mongering freaks who juiced their expiration date with dark money & incestuous institutional influence.
Not much to say other than:
*Don't vote for senility*
Cheers
The real reason why old Mitt is not seeking re-election is that he doesn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of getting re-elected.
Not only is he too old, he’s completely senile!
What a load of crap
It doesn’t stop with Biden. Much of your ruling class is way too old. It shows an underlying unwillingness to cede power and an egregious contempt for younger generations. If the only benchmark is to stop Trump, you deserve what you get. There are valid reasons Trump won over Hillary but you stubbornly refuse to engage any of it. The DNC strategy of leaning full progressive on most policy fronts and parroting Trump on others is failing and illustrates an administration out of ideas and desperate to cling onto the status quo for its elites. Hanging Bernie out to dry was the dumbest thing thing Democrats ever did.
The bipartisan gerontocracy is extremely recent, so it's not "systematic". Before 2016 at least one of the parties was offering a fairly young candidate. Bush Jr and Gore were both younger. Obama was definitely young. 2016 was the first time in a century when both parties INSISTED on senility.
Many presidents half his age didn’t do as well.