Classified documents found in former Biden office

[Herdfan]

Yeah, but did he do it at a PC where he was telling people his memory was fine?

I agree with @AG_PhamD in that Plan B needs to be activated for the D's. There is no way he can run an effective campaign with this hanging over his head. The PAC's will have this report on replay at every media outlet they can.

Can I now be vindicated for saying that Biden had concerning signs of cognitive decline and things will only deteriorate? The gaslighting can stop now when Biden’s own DOJ is reporting this. I’ll be honest though, it was not evident to me just how bad things evidently were in 2017.

Probably not with this crowd.

 

[rdrr]

My retired friends couldn't answer that either.



But in his PC when he was saying his memory was fine (yesterday), he mixed up the Presidents of Egypt and Mexico.

And your candidate didn't mix up people at all?

My point was it happens to everyone. Two people work for me that have the same first name, and very similar last names. I created a mnemonic, that I have to go over in my head talking about one of them. I still get it wrong from time to time.

You could blame it on my age, but that is the lazy thing to do. There are other factors for people to forget, or mix up their memories, it's called being human.

 

[Herdfan]

And your candidate didn't mix up people at all?

Not to my knowledge. Of course right now my preferred candidate is Joe Manchin. He just needs to get his campaign going.

I'm just saying he didn't do himself any favors by mixing them up (one could also say he mixed up their countries more than mixing them up) at the PC where he telling everyone his memory is fine. It is not a good look for him and I don't see how anyone could think it was anything but a negative.

 

[Citysnaps]

Yesterday I took issue with Hur's characterization of Biden being totally unnecessary:

“At trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,”

After thinking about that some more, today my view has changed to that being appropriate. Hur's job was to determine if Biden broke laws of the United States, if there was enough credible evidence to support a conviction, and if a jury would likely render a guilty verdict. That may not be (totally) accurate - I'm not a lawyer.

Based on the above, Hur apparently concluded a jury would likely be sympathetic to Biden based on his age and cognitive decline over the years, which could foster reasonable doubt in some jury members, and thus not obtaining a guilty verdict.

Today, for me, Hur's reasoning had to be included in his report in order to support his conclusion to not go forward charging Biden with crimes.

As an aside, and not related to Hur's conclusion... After the release of Hur's report, with Biden holding a press conference and referring to el-Sisi as the President of Mexico, just conjured up even more disappointment Biden didn't choose to not run for reelection.

He could have done so graciously, backing someone like Newsom (or a number of other qualified people), who would be stronger running against trump, and not having progressively worse optics to deal with that have become more and more apparent with Biden.

For the last year or so, I was hoping that would happen, where Biden could be a senior foreign policy advisor to whoever the Dem candidate would be. I now view Biden's decision to not step aside as a very selfish act.

 

[rdrr]

Not to my knowledge. Of course right now my preferred candidate is Joe Manchin. He just needs to get his campaign going.

I'm just saying he didn't do himself any favors by mixing them up (one could also say he mixed up their countries more than mixing them up) at the PC where he telling everyone his memory is fine. It is not a good look for him and I don't see how anyone could think it was anything but a negative.

No, no it's not easy to mix up Mexico and Egypt. According to your favorite guy, Mexico is where the rapists come from, and Egypt is where the Muslims who need to be banned come from. Two "shithole" countries (so deemed by the dear leader), but different set of people who are worthless according to the Republicans.

 

[Eric]

My retired friends couldn't answer that either.



But in his PC when he was saying his memory was fine (yesterday), he mixed up the Presidents of Egypt and Mexico.

Saw it in my father as well, he was having a hard time recalling who I was toward the end in his mid 70s. It’s sad and likely the way I’m going.

As far as those who serve in office, IMO there should be a mandatory retirement age.

 

[Herdfan]

For the last year or so, I was hoping that would happen, where Biden could be a senior foreign policy advisor to whoever the Dem candidate would be. I now view Biden's decision to not step aside as a very selfish act.

But can you actually blame Biden?

Now that this issue is out there in the mainstream and no longer some right-wing wish, do you think Biden made that decision on his own?

Was he pressured by Jill and aides to run again? Most of those aides have a dream job and if he doesn't run, whoever follows him will want their own aides. Do you see it as conceivable that he has been pressured or manipulated into running by those who have a very vested interest in him running.

 

[Citysnaps]

As far as those who serve in office, IMO there should be a mandatory retirement age.

Absolutely. This will likely happen again in the future.

 

[Eric]

But can you actually blame Biden?

Now that this issue is out there in the mainstream and no longer some right-wing wish, do you think Biden made that decision on his own?

Was he pressured by Jill and aides to run again? Most of those aides have a dream job and if he doesn't run, whoever follows him will want their own aides. Do you see it as conceivable that he has been pressured or manipulated into running by those who have a very vested interest in him running.

I don't believe it was ever right-wing only, he is old, Trump is old, and both have shown signs of memory issues and aging. Our options this time around are terrible IMO both should have stepped aside and let a younger generation step in. This entire year is going to be the season of grumpy old men.

 

[Herdfan]

One thing I am a bit unclear on is his interview in 2017. I guess the SC went back an listened to the tapes of this interview with this ghost writer hoping to discern whether or not he divulged classified info and it was in these tapes that he didn't remember when he was VP or when Beau died?

Is that how you are seeing this?

If so, and it is on tape, Biden coming out and being pissed about the report saying he didn't remember, should he really be denying something that was based on a taped interview?

 

[Citysnaps]

But can you actually blame Biden?

Now that this issue is out there in the mainstream and no longer some right-wing wish, do you think Biden made that decision on his own?

Was he pressured by Jill and aides to run again? Most of those aides have a dream job and if he doesn't run, whoever follows him will want their own aides. Do you see it as conceivable that he has been pressured or manipulated into running by those who have a very vested interest in him running.

I do - on both counts. It's selfishness. Even good people can suffer from that.

He could have bowed out graciously, and would have been greatly admired as an excellent past President. He could have been an outstanding senior foreign policy advisor to the next Dem President, having decades of experience.

I now view him as unnecessarily putting the United States at great risk, on several fronts.

 

[GermanSuplex]

People who think Biden is stepping aside barring an actual major medical diagnosis are smoking something. Wishful thinking at its finest.

Hes been around a long time, and if he fell over in office, he’s surrounded by competency.

I do get the concerns, truly, but big picture, the guy who tried to disenfranchise over 80 million voters and incited an insurrection is running again, and leading his party, which is full of minions far more brain damaged than Biden will ever be, and their only North Star is whatever Trump says that particular day.

He beat Trump once and he will do it again. Then he can step aside if he wants. He can make it to November. I’d be fine if he serves, even if he slows down. The scrutiny is such that it would be hard to hide true medical issues as they did with Reagan.

He doesn’t slip up any more than Trump (probably less), and doesn’t pad it with mind-numbing rubbish and lies.

Also, I don’t care who you are, how could this era of politics NOT age you beyond belief? What other president besides Lincoln and a couple of his successors had to walk in behind an insurrection and a president who refused to commit to a transfer of power?

I bet you Biden could tell you the cause of the civil war.

 

[Herdfan]

He beat Trump once and he will do it again.

I don't think so with this coming out. It just shines on an issue that has been lurking just under the surface that no one really wanted to talk about. Now they have no choice.

I think this is a perfect time for a legitimate 3rd party candidate to emerge. Or even Dean Phillips to start getting some traction.

 

[Eric]

I don't think so with this coming out. It just shines on an issue that has been lurking just under the surface that no one really wanted to talk about. Now they have no choice.

I think this is a perfect time for a legitimate 3rd party candidate to emerge. Or even Dean Phillips to start getting some traction.

Yeah I don't think this moves the bar, I get Republicans will pounce but in the bigger picture of everything I think it'll take much more than this to change anything. The entire election season will be fraught with trials for Trump and each one seems to sink him further, it'll be hard for him to recover. That said I'm sure it will be close, as most presidential elections are decided by a point or 2, whoever moves those in the middle will take it IMO.

 

[GermanSuplex]

When it’s Trump and Biden on the ballot, this won’t matter. A basic question one could ask themselves is “which one will end democracy?”.

Sure, some think the dems and Biden already have and are eager to vote for Trump. There aren’t enough of them.

 

[rdrr]

I don't think so with this coming out. It just shines on an issue that has been lurking just under the surface that no one really wanted to talk about. Now they have no choice.

I think this is a perfect time for a legitimate 3rd party candidate to emerge. Or even Dean Phillips to start getting some traction.

A third party candidate will not grab more than 2 or 3 points. Depending on what side they lean towards will hurt one of the two candidates.

I wish that Biden held to his promise commitment of not running a second term. I wish that MAGA didn't have a strangle hold on the Republican party.

 

[Herdfan]

Yeah I don't think this moves the bar,

Maybe not this alone. But he is going to be under pressure to assure voters that he is OK. The first attempt last night didn't go well.

So at this point every little gaffe, misstep and stumble will be magnified and now at least it seems as CNN and others are willing to do so.

There are a few different types of people looking this:

1) First you have those who have been saying this all along. This just validates their suspicions.

2) You have those who wondered, but weren't really paying much attention but now are starting to wonder even harder. Will these people still vote for Biden? Even if they don't vote for Trump, they may simply stay home.

3) Those who knew in their minds, but didn't really want to believe it. Now they have no choice. These people may turn or return to Trump.

4) Those who actually knew but thought they could keep it under wraps. Cover's off folks. They would vote for a yellow dog if it had a D beside its name.



There is also the concept that no one, even here, really wants Biden. He is there because he beat Trump and in theory could do it again, but still he is no one's first choice. So this opens the door for Newsom or even Whittmer. But they will need to get on it now because at this point, the DNC could run a sem-real primary. Get much later in the year and they get stuck with Kamala.

 

[MEJHarrison]

Regardless of what happens here, I'd still rather have Biden. I don't care if he loses it and tries to send boys off to Europe to fight in WW II. I'd still rather have him than the current alternative. I said it four years ago and say it again now. I'd vote for a potato before I voted for the person likey to be the Republican nominee. A potato wouldn't do much good for the American people, but it would do less damage than the alternative.

 

[Herdfan]

Regardless of what happens here, I'd still rather have Biden. I don't care if he loses it and tries to send boys off to Europe to fight in WW II. I'd still rather have him than the current alternative.

But the Dems now have a chance to have someone else. The question is will they take it?

 

[Citysnaps]

So this opens the door for Newsom or even Whittmer. But they will need to get on it now because at this point, the DNC could run a sem-real primary. Get much later in the year and they get stuck with Kamala.

Sadly, I think the Newsom possibility has sailed. I suspect he wants to. But out of respect for Biden isn't making a move.

I don't want Kamala as a backup should something force Biden out. I think she's a fine person. But... she's had years to distinguish herself in some manner. And I haven't seen that happening. Not even a press conference (that I can remember) when she's a Senate tie-breaker.