The first presidential debate is done and the aftermath has not been good for the incumbent, Joe Biden.
Some Democrat politicians and operatives reportedly texted CNN commentators with hopes that Mr Biden, 81, would step aside. Some floated the possibility of going to the White House and publicly stating concerns about him remaining as candidate.
But if Mr Biden were to drop out, it would be a free-for-all. There is no official mechanism for him or anyone else in the party to choose his successor, meaning Democrats would be left with an open (Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago from August 19-22.
You do realize that age is not a perfect proxy for mental competence? A good number of people remain mentally sharp well into their 90s, while others experience rapid dementia as early as their 60s.
I’m not saying his age wouldn’t be a talking point, but I’m damn sure Bernie could express his platform with more clarity and vitality than Biden at this point. Unfortunately I dont think it’s a real possibility, but it’s stupid to act like the the actual birth date matters. It’s the signs of cognitive decline that are problematic.
When people are repeatedly arguing that Biden (and Trump as well) are too old to be president, I’m not sure why that wouldn’t matter.
Uhh, I just explained why. People can argue whatever they want, but the actual behavior and performance of the candidate supercedes their biological age as a barometer for electability.
Also I never said it wouldn’t matter, in fact I specifically acknowledged that it would be a talking point, then explained why that wasn’t the most important factor at play.
It doesn’t supercede the “he could die at any time” part of the argument, which sure seems to be a big one.
Look, I get that you like Bernie. I like Bernie. But when you argue that Trump and Biden are too old to be president, you can’t suddenly say this older guy is not too old to be president. And it has been about “too old.” Go do a search for “Biden too old” or “Trump too old” if you don’t believe me.
Trump, Biden, and Bernie are all too old. They could all die at any time, and thus it’s not an effective political argument for either side.
The reason why Biden is being attacked from that angle more effectively is because he is showing signs of dementia. That’s a whole other issue aside from the likelihood of death.