Biden....Sad

[Badermigee]

I've just seen Biden introduce president Zelensky as President Putin....its just beyond sad now, surely this has to be a big sway to stepping down?

He’d never be allowed to continue here. The parties especially the Conservative Party have a long history of ejecting PMs. If you look at Liz the lettuce she lasted 6 weeks. Sunak most likely faced a number of leadership bids against him and was ridiculed for going out in the rain. Biden’s cognitive decline is clear and dangerous. I just can’t understand how he’s seemingly the best the democrats have and why there aren’t more checks and balances.

The problem is many of us have seen a degree of denial among elderly relatives about the true state of their health. If he is digging in and being stubborn it’s deluded but also incredibly selfish and you do wonder what the hell people around him are doing.

It's beyond belief that out of all the billions of people in the USA, these 2 are the best they can find to lead the country

about 332 million, not billions, but enough people to find a good President!

may as well just chuck hulk hogan in there seeing as the country appears to be rapidly descending into an idiocracy

No need for the eye rolls, I read “if he could” as “if he could bring himself to…”.

anyway, yes I agree celebrity is not a qualification, although it worked for Trump in 2016 and Zelensky and Boris Johnson. And much as I admire Michele Obama I’m not sure what her qualifications are for POTUS either other given she hasn’t held ever held elected office at any level. I held that against Trump and I hold that against her.

This mess is entirely in the hands of the Democratic Party. President Biden was old when he was elected, he could have succumbed to any number of acute medical episodes common to men of his age, as well as chronic conditions affecting cognitive function. There should have been succession planning from the day he won the election, with a small number of potential candidates afforded higher profile national roles that gave them exposure and opportunities to prove their capability. It would be a natural step for one of them to be appointed as VP to a President Harris when she stepped up, and then a decent range of choice for the candidate for the 2024 election.

The problem is many of us have seen a degree of denial among elderly relatives about the true state of their health

Absolutely. I think a PP said it was like trying to persuade him it was time to give up driving, and meeting angry denial - only on a bigger scale. I think it’s obvious he has lost any ability for self reflection and self assessment. He clearly can’t stand for election - and now the question is there on whether he should even stay in office until January, given the speed of his decline.

I don't really see how saying someone sounds 'incoherent' is cruel? It's an observation and might also be applied to someone not suffering from dementia. Trump is regularly incoherent.

He actually looks and sounds a good bit older than 81. I wouldn't feel comfortable with Biden being in charge of a motor vehicle never mind a country.
His nonsensical parting shot about Trump "Listen to him" was a perfect example of the lets politely laugh moments we've all experienced with elderly relatives.
At this point, his entire campaign is a failing exercise in trying to look competent and sprightly; I saw clips of him doing ridiculous little skips at a meet and greet recently 🙈😬 It's sad in many ways, but much too serious for this 'let him have a go' stuff, like he's merely being assessed for a care package!

I’m starting to wonder if all this talk about Michelle Obama running is planted the Trump camp they want Biden to stay if he goes they do not want to deal with a serious political contender one with experience

I do not hear this mentioned on political podcasts with knowledgeable political commentators but read it again and again online

I really admire Michelle Obama, She is extremely intelligent, could easily take on Trunp in debates, could handle difficult press conferences, she is passionate on the causes she supports but she has no political experience. The Trump camp absolutely know how many people would vote against her becoming President

it wasn’t that long ago of you polled people many felt Jeremy Clarkson would make a great PM and said they would vote for him I think we have to take into account what the polls are asking not just the result of the poll

This whole thing seems to be about 2 elderly men’s egos and not the good of the nation

If it was just the good of the nation I wouldn't care. But we have children being massacred in Gaza, a raging war in Eastern Europe, a horrific war in Sudan which everyone is ignoring, China doing god knows what and a climate emergency. It's criminal that these are the two options for the most powerful position in the world.

I'm afraid I have limited sympathy for Biden at this point and none for the people around him who are enabling this nonsense. This isn't the Chair of a family business hanging on to their position longer than they should but arguably the most powerful person on Earth, who is elected to serve the people.

Everyone complicit in this should hang their heads in shame, because the way things are going, they may as well hand the keys to the White House over to the narcissist Putin fan and felon Trump now and that will affect all of us.

I’ve just watched him. Poor bloke isn’t well. Someone needs to step in and sort the situation, not just to protect us all from Trump but for Biden himself. He’s slurring his words as well as being confused.

Wrestle it out, its the only way!

If he goes, I think he must also resign the presidency. That way, President Harris takes on President Trump with the benefit of incumbency. It also quells the chance of the Democrats fighting like rats in a sack at the Convention. And under US law she can campaign with the funds in the Biden-Harris campaign, which becomes the Harris-whoever campaign. It's the only way to avoid chaos. And he won't do it (a) because who resigns the presidency? (b) he will think that he can still win and this will pass.

And even then, you wouldn't leave him in charge of the remote let alone the big Red Button in the White House

Biden having cognitive difficulties has been apparent for years. However, progressive media in the US has long been complicit with the urge of the White House to keep it quiet, and viciously turning on anyone seeking to discuss the problem.

It was interesting to see how progressive media reacted to the debate. Before it had been nothing-to-see-here-move-on, the debate triggered mass panic, which led to the give-Biden-the-boot campaign, but once it became clear that Biden is going to cling on, there's now a split between part of the media doing a U-turn into qualified support to avoid further damaging an already compromised campaign, while another part is still betting on getting rid of Biden. During all of this, the progressive media have put on this "Shocked! Shocked I tell you!" act at supposedly having been deceived by the White House.

It's a mess. A big part of this has been that the progessive media in the US have failed of their role in a democratic society. Their intentions were good, to support Biden in the hope that he'd beat Trump, but they lost sight of what they were supposed to be doing.

I completely agree - the fact it’s got this far and there are no other suitable candidates is shocking when not just their country is going to be affected by the outcome. You’d never get someone that age, particularly with failing mental capacity leading our country - we just wouldn’t stand for it. It’s as if the other world leaders are too intimidated by the US or scared that they will offend them to criticise or point out the obvious - bizarre as we will all suffer the consequences

According to Starmer, who met him yesterday, he was very much on the ball. Hard to know who to believe.

Yes and not just the media you’d see that vicious denial on here

Now there’s a bigger problem because campaign funding sticks with Biden and / or Harris and it’s a fair amount

If they’d not gone into denial mode $91m could be behind someone else. Now they’re a bit stuck.

Starmer is not looking well sidling with Biden. You do not need his opinion anyway the evidence is there for all to see.

I cringed watching him on the news. Not for the first time. He is, unfortunately, an embarrassment to his office. He is not fit to lead. (neither is Trump)
He is so reminiscent of Ronald Regan in his final year in office.

I’ve not followed the other incidents closely but that particular one struck me as someone making an accidental slip for a related word, not particularly evident of old age dementia or similar.

Starmer isn't siding with Biden. He's doing the diplomatically expected thing of being respectful of his host, like pretty much every other world leader that has been asked about this in Washington.

Do you think it would be OK for him to say, yeah, the old man clearly isn't up to the job?

Starmer is the new boy AND not exactly well known for voicing a strong opinion if he thinks it could come back to bite him.

I don't blame him for supporting Biden.