Trump

[ROVERT47]

And fast swathes of the good old US of A will be very happy indeed.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Yeah, every appearance of Biden like this strengthens Trump.

 

[ROVERT47]

Yeah, you would have thought both his Missus and Obama would have had a serious talk to him a while ago and told him it’s time to let it go.

 

[Dire Wolf]

Yeah, every appearance of Biden like this strengthens Trump.

Realistically, someone who is clearly struggling that much due to age should probably should not be in charge of governing a major political power. It's like those old people who insist on driving when they really aren't capable and should be at the very least re-tested.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

It seems to be a uniquely American thing, they have a Senator who is over 90 and another dozen or more who are over 75. Reagan being basically Weekend At Bernie's in The White House for over half his presidency.

Trump doesn't come across any better than Biden in this respect, he also looks and sounds very old (well he is).

 

[pr0sl0]

Yeah the US is unique among major democracies in how old its average top-level politician is (senators especially).

It seems to be something inherent to the political system - back in the 80s and 90s the first wave of baby boomer politicians were constantly griping that the generation which fought in WWII wouldn't start retiring en masse either.

 

[Del Woppio]

Well given they're showered in brown envelopes and attention, must be a tough gig to give up

 

[Alan]

It's a lot of things, but if I was going to try to wrap it in a bow:

Incumbents are, statistically, overwhelming favorites in any election they participate in. Each party therefore has a vested interest in supporting the incumbent (given said incumbent is of that party, of course), which minimizes fresh ideas entering the discourse and stops a lot of intra-party challenges. Local elections are typically districted in such ways that the holding party can reasonably expect to win almost by default. Those districts are liquid enough that when a political seat does change hands, the lines are easily redrawn to support the new victors and the cycle starts over again.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

It's a lot of things, but if I was going to try to wrap it in a bow:

Incumbents are, statistically, overwhelming favorites in any election they participate in. Each party therefore has a vested interest in supporting the incumbent (given said incumbent is of that party, of course), which minimizes fresh ideas entering the discourse and stops a lot of intra-party challenges. Local elections are typically districted in such ways that the holding party can reasonably expect to win almost by default. Those districts are liquid enough that when a political seat does change hands, the lines are easily redrawn to support the new victors and the cycle starts over again.

It wouldn’t surprise me if we are starting to see the end of incumbency benefit. For much of our history, scrutiny and exposure of the incumbent has been fairly limited, I believe in the US the pattern has been that post war, the incumbent won unless there was a recession…during a recession voters know it is bad and blame the incumbent. Now we have 24 hour media in all its forms being the incumbent might turn out to be a disadvantage. Biden’s weaknesses are there for everyone to see and they are exaggerated.

 

[Alan]

To be honest, I'm not sure how the incumbency effect has worked out for the Presidency. It's probably a benefit still, but as you start to localize seats of power it becomes almost laughably predictive.

 

[leedswolf]

News from Australia

 

[Tom Hark]

Pleading guilty and being sentenced to time already served is the deal, apparently.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

He is on his way to the Mariana’s islands to sign the deal and then will probably end up here

 

[Tredman]

4 more years it is then

 

[Johnny75]

4 more years it is then

I can't understand why the Democrats are allowing this nonsense to continue.

He needs binning off.

 

[Tony Towner]

I don't know the intricacies of the system and technically he doesn't have the nomination yet, but it's too late for anybody to stand against him so as far as I'm aware the only way he can be removed is if he either pulls out himself which seems unlikely or he is officially declared medically unfit, which he's not from what I can see, just old

 

[Johnny75]

I don't know the intricacies of the system and technically he doesn't have the nomination yet, but it's too late for anybody to stand against him so as far as I'm aware the only way he can be removed is if he either pulls out himself which seems unlikely or he is officially declared medically unfit, which he's not from what I can see, just old

I think the democrats should persuade him to pull out and put Blinken up instead.

 

[Del Woppio]

They could walk down main street, find any 45 year old white man in a suit, make him Democrat candidate, and he'd be president in November.

I always thought Biden was a fundamentally decent person, but this farce proves he puts himself before his country 100 times out of 100

 

[EdgeOfTheAlps]

They should put up Norma Louise Bates, she's more alive than poor Biden

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Surely the likes of Obama and established Senators can persuade him he’s done his duty in beating Trump once and now it is time for someone else to take up the challenge. Blinken comes over very well in the bits I’ve seen of him though being Jewish might be a barrier. As Del said, any competent white man in a suit should be able to beat Trump. It’s bizarre they’ve stuck by Biden as he’s in a very small minority of white males that Trump will have a chance of beating.