Biden should not have run and hurt Democrats by failing to drop out sooner.
But the Tapper-Thompson account has a serious shortcoming in that the authors did not interview Biden to test a narrative -- based largely on anecdotal material and second-hand information -- portraying the President as more or less incapacitated.
Certainly, Biden would not have granted an interview but I think Tapper and Thompson are obligated in post-publication interviews to acknowledge the hole in their reporting and defend the certainty of their argument.
That has not been the case. Book tour interviews have been generally laudatory with questioners appearing to accept the Tapper-Thompson argument at face value and embracing the notion that the mainstream press "missed" -- or suppressed -- the Biden story.
I would not argue against publication of this or any of the recent Biden books, and, as said, believe Biden should not have sought a second term. But in my view, authors must at least leave open the possibility that the President, obviously slower and looking "old," was, as his staff insisted, competent behind the scenes, and not the doddering fool Tapper and Thompson describe.
That’s a good point, Fred. At times, Biden’s physical constraints are cited as if they prove his mental incapacity — and of course, that’s not necessarily the case.
Physical constraints and mental incapacity do not not necessarily go together, for young people. However, they do often go together when it comes to the elderly. If Biden was younger he would haven gotten the benefit of the doubt, but he was elderly and nothing could change that situation.
Really enjoyed this read and glad I found. If I may ...It was about his worldview not just physical constraints. Biden came across like he was working from a playbook written in another era, and that meant he was often out of step with the values of younger voters. It might be one of hte issues I learned at NowThis going through a LOT of pitches and editing a lot of material from a newsroom of 20-somethings.
His entire political identity was shaped by faith in institutions: Congress, bipartisanship, American exceptionalism. I'm sorry but that nostalgia doesn’t hold up in a moment where people are watching those same institutions fail them over and over. So young people saw not just a slow man, but a slow response. And ironically, there was a deep reverence for wisdom and experience in a lot of the young people I worked with. They love Bernie Sanders, Noam Chomsky, Jane Fonda. What they wanted was urgency, not legacy. Bernie could fill stadiums, and Biden struggled to fill hearts. People just didn't connect with his worldview.
Thanks, agree with all of that Ruqaiyah. If you’re dealing with people who are less likely to vote and to follow politics closely, you have to put even more emphasis on being able to communicate a world view they can appreciate and endorse. So as you smartly point out, Biden’s emphasis on tradition and institutions wasn’t resonating with a lot of younger voters, and he seemingly wasn’t capable of modifying his message and broadening his appeal. I’m glad you liked the piece.
Rich --
Biden should not have run and hurt Democrats by failing to drop out sooner.
But the Tapper-Thompson account has a serious shortcoming in that the authors did not interview Biden to test a narrative -- based largely on anecdotal material and second-hand information -- portraying the President as more or less incapacitated.
Certainly, Biden would not have granted an interview but I think Tapper and Thompson are obligated in post-publication interviews to acknowledge the hole in their reporting and defend the certainty of their argument.
That has not been the case. Book tour interviews have been generally laudatory with questioners appearing to accept the Tapper-Thompson argument at face value and embracing the notion that the mainstream press "missed" -- or suppressed -- the Biden story.
I would not argue against publication of this or any of the recent Biden books, and, as said, believe Biden should not have sought a second term. But in my view, authors must at least leave open the possibility that the President, obviously slower and looking "old," was, as his staff insisted, competent behind the scenes, and not the doddering fool Tapper and Thompson describe.
Thanks for another fine effort. FB, age 84
That’s a good point, Fred. At times, Biden’s physical constraints are cited as if they prove his mental incapacity — and of course, that’s not necessarily the case.
Physical constraints and mental incapacity do not not necessarily go together, for young people. However, they do often go together when it comes to the elderly. If Biden was younger he would haven gotten the benefit of the doubt, but he was elderly and nothing could change that situation.
Really enjoyed this read and glad I found. If I may ...It was about his worldview not just physical constraints. Biden came across like he was working from a playbook written in another era, and that meant he was often out of step with the values of younger voters. It might be one of hte issues I learned at NowThis going through a LOT of pitches and editing a lot of material from a newsroom of 20-somethings.
His entire political identity was shaped by faith in institutions: Congress, bipartisanship, American exceptionalism. I'm sorry but that nostalgia doesn’t hold up in a moment where people are watching those same institutions fail them over and over. So young people saw not just a slow man, but a slow response. And ironically, there was a deep reverence for wisdom and experience in a lot of the young people I worked with. They love Bernie Sanders, Noam Chomsky, Jane Fonda. What they wanted was urgency, not legacy. Bernie could fill stadiums, and Biden struggled to fill hearts. People just didn't connect with his worldview.
Thanks, agree with all of that Ruqaiyah. If you’re dealing with people who are less likely to vote and to follow politics closely, you have to put even more emphasis on being able to communicate a world view they can appreciate and endorse. So as you smartly point out, Biden’s emphasis on tradition and institutions wasn’t resonating with a lot of younger voters, and he seemingly wasn’t capable of modifying his message and broadening his appeal. I’m glad you liked the piece.