Presidential candidate Joe Biden really got my attention last week … and not in a good way. First there was the “No malarkey” tour. Okay, that’s a nice, if dated, way to say “no bullshit.” I’m not at all sure it’s a good idea to remind voters that he’s old enough to use that phrase. Worse, a late night show did a “man in the street” bit and only one of the young adults they questioned even knew the meaning of “malarkey.” Clearly it’s not a good way to court young voters.
Then at a campaign event, Biden was confronted by a voter who made accusations about Hunter Biden’s business dealings in Ukraine. Biden instantly turned on the man and called him “a damn liar.” And he didn’t stop there. He got into the guy’s face, challenging him to pushups, calling him fat, etc., while I cringed and wished fervently that he’d just shut up. Attacking voters, however insulted you might be, is never a good idea. Yes, it was righteous anger from a parent defending his son, but in the moment I thought it looked very bad. Not to mention that as a child I was taught never to call anyone a liar. Call them misinformed, wrong, mistaken, but never call them “liar.”
In a different incident, a reporter asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi if she hated the president and she blew up, saying she didn’t hate anybody. (He never said she hated Trump; he simply asked if she did.) She returned to the mic, lectured the reporter, and attributed her reaction to a Catholic upbringing which had taught her never to hate anyone. She went on to say she didn’t hate anyone in the whole world. I wished she had just left it at, “I don’t hate him.” Again, in my childhood, I was taught never to say I hated anyone. I could dislike them intensely, but I couldn’t “hate” them. (My parents were determined to raise a proper young lady.)
I still don’t call anyone “liar.” After all, I might be wrong. But I freely “hate” lots of people and things. It’s so much easier to say than “I really, really intensely dislike that.” I hate that Pelosi was lording her religion over that reporter and I hate that Biden called that voter a damn liar.
I just kind of wish both Biden and Pelosi would just go rest on their laurels…. despite what the old geezers seem to think, they really need to start recognizing there are new generations coming along that need to be inspired and not condescended to.
Trouble is, Biden is the most moderate candidate and that’s what I want — a moderate. (I’m an old geezer, too, just about Biden’s age.) But yes, they need to stop condescending and find ways to appeal to the younger generations. Bloomberg seems pretty moderate but I don’t like the way he jumped into the race.
No offense, but seems as though your moderate Democrats are mostly just Republican Light. I’m 76, but I still don’t think the snotty attitude by the DNC toward the younger generation helped Hillary’s election chances. There was some yuuuuge enthusiasm for Bernie and rather than acknowledging that and using it, the Old Guard pretty much sneered them right out of participating. I was horrified. Hillary thought she was so entitled that she didn’t have to make ANY concessions to the younger generations, to to anyone. BAD move on her part, but of course she never takes the blame. It’s always someone else’s fault.
As for Biden. If he can’t take the heat during the primaries, I can’t imagine him taking on Trump or any Republican.
Just my opinion, for whatever that’s worth. 🙂
Well, they aren’t “my” Dems because I’m an independent, but point taken. And I agree Hillary was horrifying, but still better than Trump. It was truly painful voting for her in an effort to stop Trump. I could consider Republican Light, if there were such a candidate, but who among them would challenge Trump for the nomination?
Biden better learn to hold his tongue because he’ll get a lot more challenges about his son and Ukraine. Anger, even if justified, looks really bad. And unnecessarily defensive (as in, “Methinks he doth protest too much”).
And hey, I appreciate your opinion. I don’t get to talk politics very often with anyone other than my son and grandson. And they lean right, so we’re always careful about what we say.
What??????? Did he really? That is so uncharacteristic of him. I imagine that they are both (among a long list of other people) who are getting bludgeoned with accusations by the thousands every single day (if not hour). Although I definitely do not condone their behavior (that is more in line of how trump would act), they each broke – were pushed once too many times. I wonder how many politicians (the “bigger” ones) actually go through all their Twitter replies/comments/tweets from others. I don’t think I could handle all the negativity and would most likely just not read any incoming tweets whether a direct tweet or a comment/reply to a tweet I made.
He did. At some kind of rally and on camera. I was flabbergasted when he turned on the guy. I’ll wager most politicians don’t waste time on social media and just let staff keep tabs on the trends.
I saw both videos and have a different reaction. I did not think that Biden seemed angry – he was, I think, justifiably rebuking the guy for spouting these unfounded accusations against Hunter Biden. If Hunter did something wrong, then somebody should lay out the facts so we can make up our own minds. Until then, the accusations are just Trump talking points. And as for Nancy Pelosi, I am thankful every day that the (then) newly-elected folks who tried to oust her were not successful. With a less skilled and experienced Speaker, we would be in a very different position. She seems to be the only one who understands how to deal with Trump, and definitely not afraid of him.
Admittedly, when I watched the Biden video again last night, it did not seem as fiery as I’d remembered. But he’d better come up with some calmer, more succinct replies that won’t make his existing supporters cringe. Being too defensive can make one look guilty.
I’ve never much cared for Pelosi, who seems a bit like an old crone. But she’s a wise old crone who knows her stuff. I just wish she hadn’t waited so long to start impeachment proceedings, although I’m sure she had some good reasons for doing so. I’m just afraid the impeachment proceedings are getting too close to the next election and will galvanize Republican opposition.
Didn’t the man ask a question? As difficult as it would have been, I would have preferred an attempt to answer it.
I think he might have, and yes, an honest attempt to answer it would have been the way to react. But it was hard to understand everything he said in the video I watched.