Joe: Some musings about age from a centrist who is a few years older than Biden and about six years older than early "boomers" like you, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and, lest we forget, Donald J Trump.
When I look at Biden walk, I think many of us in that "zone" move awkwardly and hesitantly, me, with spinal stenosis, included. No big deal. When I see the eye "slits" I wonder why a handsome man turned himself into Helen Gurley Brown to cover time's wrinkles and bags under the eyes. Trump was also a good looking man in his younger days, but his face reflects his years. A worn narcissist vs. the Sphinx. None of us still has a voice like a bugle, but I have noticed that Biden now seems limited to two tones, a whisper and a shout. As the debate approaches, film clips of the last time around are going to make it awfully clear that the Biden of 2024 seems more than four years older than the Biden of 2020.
Moving from appearance to the mind, I cut Biden a little slack. I am certainly old enough to remember how the Intelligentsia mocked Ike, then merely 70ish, as a fossilized puppet with bad syntax. We now know better; and Ike didn't have to deal with a stutter. But Biden displays episodes of confusion at an unprecedented level, and everybody knows the path forward is slippery and steep.
Which brings me to the un-mentioned Kamala Harris. Does anybody seriously think that Biden, if re-elected, will still be in office on January 20, 2029? Does anybody think Ms. Harris is a budding Truman or LBJ? Progressives may think she'd carry on or even improve on his policies, but many of those policies are not popular with centrist Democrats, much less Republicans. To cite a line from an Oscar winner almost as old as us, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Thanks Joe. Further musing dredged up one of my pet peeves: boarding and debarking from Air Force One. Always a problem waiting to happen. Biden now has to use the shorter back stairway, which Ari Fleischer has noted forces him to walk twice the length of the plane to get to his quarters. My heart goes out to him; I couldn't do it, at least not without looking hopelessly disabled. We are spending zillions on several new presidential aircraft. Can't we do better? The issue is not confined to Biden. Remember how Gerry Ford, an athletic man in the prime of life, was mocked when he tripped? I imagine Nixon, a notoriously awkward man, dreaded these moments, and did JFK, with his chancy back, enjoy climbing up and down? You can still have a "welcoming ceremony" without exposing the president unneccessarily to hazard. They schlep everything but the kitchen sink when he travels. How about a portable escalator?
Help me understand the logic of people who think a Trump win would be anywhere from not good to catastrophic yet still promote the idea that he “could” rather than “should” step aside and let an assured winner get the team over the line.
OK, I assume the "he" means Biden. The thinking is that every last poll and focus group--every one--shows his age is a mortal problem. There is also the--outrageous to me--fact that people simply don't appreciate the good stuff Biden has done. The people are an ass, to paraphrase Dickens. Opposed to that is the possibility that the Dems--who have some very good candidates in waiting--could come up with a stiff breath of fresh air at the Convention. Sorry, I'm failing in my pontifical duties here...but I'm just not sure this will work. But I'm really concerned about Biden.
Apologies, I reread my post and realize that it is poorly constructed. I think it is ‘bleeding obvious’ Biden should step aside and give his party another chance to choose a candidate who the whole country, other than the MAGA nuts, could coalesce around.
In other words it seems anyone not advocating for ‘should’ step aside rather than ‘could’ step aside is taking an unnecessary and irrational risk.
So I think we agree, I just don’t understand why you are not unequivocal about that being the best decision for the party and the country.
There is a road widening project going on near my workplace ( I live near Atlanta), and just this week a big sign appeared that says the project is a part of “President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Bill”.
Hopefully there are a lot of similar signs going up in other swing states.
Joe: Some musings about age from a centrist who is a few years older than Biden and about six years older than early "boomers" like you, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and, lest we forget, Donald J Trump.
When I look at Biden walk, I think many of us in that "zone" move awkwardly and hesitantly, me, with spinal stenosis, included. No big deal. When I see the eye "slits" I wonder why a handsome man turned himself into Helen Gurley Brown to cover time's wrinkles and bags under the eyes. Trump was also a good looking man in his younger days, but his face reflects his years. A worn narcissist vs. the Sphinx. None of us still has a voice like a bugle, but I have noticed that Biden now seems limited to two tones, a whisper and a shout. As the debate approaches, film clips of the last time around are going to make it awfully clear that the Biden of 2024 seems more than four years older than the Biden of 2020.
Moving from appearance to the mind, I cut Biden a little slack. I am certainly old enough to remember how the Intelligentsia mocked Ike, then merely 70ish, as a fossilized puppet with bad syntax. We now know better; and Ike didn't have to deal with a stutter. But Biden displays episodes of confusion at an unprecedented level, and everybody knows the path forward is slippery and steep.
Which brings me to the un-mentioned Kamala Harris. Does anybody seriously think that Biden, if re-elected, will still be in office on January 20, 2029? Does anybody think Ms. Harris is a budding Truman or LBJ? Progressives may think she'd carry on or even improve on his policies, but many of those policies are not popular with centrist Democrats, much less Republicans. To cite a line from an Oscar winner almost as old as us, fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride.
Well said, Lou!
Thanks Joe. Further musing dredged up one of my pet peeves: boarding and debarking from Air Force One. Always a problem waiting to happen. Biden now has to use the shorter back stairway, which Ari Fleischer has noted forces him to walk twice the length of the plane to get to his quarters. My heart goes out to him; I couldn't do it, at least not without looking hopelessly disabled. We are spending zillions on several new presidential aircraft. Can't we do better? The issue is not confined to Biden. Remember how Gerry Ford, an athletic man in the prime of life, was mocked when he tripped? I imagine Nixon, a notoriously awkward man, dreaded these moments, and did JFK, with his chancy back, enjoy climbing up and down? You can still have a "welcoming ceremony" without exposing the president unneccessarily to hazard. They schlep everything but the kitchen sink when he travels. How about a portable escalator?
Help me understand the logic of people who think a Trump win would be anywhere from not good to catastrophic yet still promote the idea that he “could” rather than “should” step aside and let an assured winner get the team over the line.
OK, I assume the "he" means Biden. The thinking is that every last poll and focus group--every one--shows his age is a mortal problem. There is also the--outrageous to me--fact that people simply don't appreciate the good stuff Biden has done. The people are an ass, to paraphrase Dickens. Opposed to that is the possibility that the Dems--who have some very good candidates in waiting--could come up with a stiff breath of fresh air at the Convention. Sorry, I'm failing in my pontifical duties here...but I'm just not sure this will work. But I'm really concerned about Biden.
Apologies, I reread my post and realize that it is poorly constructed. I think it is ‘bleeding obvious’ Biden should step aside and give his party another chance to choose a candidate who the whole country, other than the MAGA nuts, could coalesce around.
In other words it seems anyone not advocating for ‘should’ step aside rather than ‘could’ step aside is taking an unnecessary and irrational risk.
So I think we agree, I just don’t understand why you are not unequivocal about that being the best decision for the party and the country.
There is a road widening project going on near my workplace ( I live near Atlanta), and just this week a big sign appeared that says the project is a part of “President Joe Biden’s Infrastructure Bill”.
Hopefully there are a lot of similar signs going up in other swing states.