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In reply to the discussion: Jon Stewart Reacts to 'Daily Show' Backlash: "I Have Sinned Against You" [View all]All Mixed Up
(597 posts)Do you think Biden has been a bad president due to his age?
Do you think Biden has not been able to get things done due to his age?
Do you think Biden's age has limited his ability to lead this country?
If you do - I can respect that. I'd ask you point out areas where Biden's age has actually hindered his ability to lead compared to, say, Obama or other younger presidents and not just throw a blanket statement out that you feel he'd have done better negotiating with Republicans if he was 20 years younger or whatever.
The reason I ask is because you say Stewart has a point.
The only way Stewart has a point is if Biden's age has caused him to be a bad president.
Otherwise, that would be like saying Obama shouldn't have run for reelection in 2012 because he was Black or Hillary in 2016 because she was a woman.
I know that sounds absurd but is it really? If Biden's age isn't impacting the quality of his work, and I don't think it is, how is just focusing on that age any different than focusing on someone's gender or skin color? Unless you can definitively say Biden's age is problematic, beyond just being an image issue (and trust me, Obama being Black an Hillary being a woman was also problematic from an image perspective for A LOT of voters), the point is not valid.
If Biden was 15 years younger and had the exact same three years as president - literally nothing changing - would anyone care about his age? Of course not. Because he was getting something done.
Obama was 20 years younger than Biden when he was president and can anyone say his ideas while president were more forward-thinking than Biden's? I can't. Obama was great in his role - but Biden has been just as progressive, if not more so, than Obama ever was in the eight years he was president.
So, we can't even say Biden's ideas are a relic of the past. Biden has evolved with the Democratic Party and has had no problem adopting bold ideas that maybe 30 years ago he would have opposed. After all, it was the older Joe Biden who came out in favor of marriage equality before Obama did.
So, again, my question is what's his point?
If it boils down to Biden is old - that's not an argument. Not unless you can prove it's impacting how he conducts the presidency or how his administration is working on 21st Century ideas. In fact, I'd wager Biden might be the most forward-thinking president we've had in a long time.
But when the narrative continues to be that Biden is old, that diminishes every good thing he's done - including signing into law the PACT Act, which Jon Stewart lobbied hard for. Was he too old then too?
If Stewart was being genuine, he would tell his viewers the truth: Biden has delivered historic wins and has had an administration that has taken the boldest steps yet on issues like climate change.
But that isn't his narrative.
He's telling his viewers, many who probably don't particularly like Biden because they're constantly told over and over again how old and out of touch he is, that this election sucks because both candidates are old. As he said, "WHAT THE FUCK ARE WE DOING?"
Well we're working to get reelected maybe the most transformative, at least in legislative accomplishments, president in the last 40+ years. There's a reason why Biden ranks 14th, even after just one term, in the greatest presidents rankings. Because he's been able to get shit done.
THAT should be the focus of our side. But too many liberals and left-leaning moderates are quick to remind us that Biden is just too old and this election is going to suck because no one wants either candidate.
And guess what? That type of mindset is exactly what drives third party support and it diminishes everything good Biden has done by making it a race about old vs old.