US election 2020

[David]

The things you find out when you visit Fox News, lol.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/13/business/media/joe-biden-tara-reade-new-york-times.html

[Wokko]

[Pies4shaw]

I don't accept that, Wokko. The guy lies more or less every time he opens his mouth. Biden isn't glistening with moral rectitude, either - but there is an enormous "credibility gulf" between them. Biden is just a little senile and an alleged sex offender, whereas Trump just fibs about stuff routinely and then, when he's caught out (as he has been repeatedly), he asserts that he isn't being reported fairly. Whatever they may think about his policies (whatever they actually are), there's a preliminary issue every time they report anything about him. It got so bad recently that significant blogs starting fact checking his coronavirus press conferences live. That became necessary because almost every single factoid he uttered was either demonstrably false or misleading.

Dealing appropriately with politicians as a journalist doesn't involve 50/50 good-versus-critical coverage quota. If you never do anything good, you should never get good coverage. Howard used to whine about that when he was in office - the suggestion that a journalist is "left-leaning" because she or he pulls up a conservative politician for telling porkies is something that has crept into our authoritarian discourse over the last 20 years or so. It should be resisted.

"Balance" for Trump should, in my view, constitute (1) never reporting anything he says, directly (since almost none of it is ever true, however much it may resonate with his faithful); and (2) only referring to what he might have said or done for the purpose of constructive analysis (to the extent that might ever be possible). The guy is an actual bona fide idiot and the fact that he's foaming about in the Oval Office isn't a get-out-of-asylum-free card.

Also, one hopes that now he is not putting up his re-election campaign through the daily "press briefings" on coronavirus (to paraphrase:"Things are going just great, I've done a magnificent job, I'm the best president ever, I'm the King of Ventilators, I'm the only thing standing between you and 200,000 deaths"), it is just possible that someone might stand up at one of those press conferences, acknowledge the genuine tragedy of 54,256 dead in the US, as I write - and express a little regret about that. I understand that he's emotionally incapable of taking responsibility for anything that is or might be unfavourable to him but a little "We can all feel a bit sad about this" wouldn't hurt.

[pietillidie]

The problem here is clearly the opposite of Trump getting a bad run. Trump is such a creep so often, and is so patently unfit for office at every level, and was such a farcical candidate, that an entire separate standard was created for him just to save national face and pretend it was possible to proceed normally.

Trump's not just a serial liar; it's also widely believed by the public that he's a serial sex predator and criminal. Who for a second doubts what they'd find if they looked behind the curtain? That he found his way into the presidency has meant parting with all standards and reality to cater for him.

The only hope for Trump — whose actions have now contributed to mass death as well — is that a different moral standard is applied to Biden than to himself. This is what gets his zombie cult all excited because Trump has benefited from a bizarre suspension of moral standards from the outset. We all know he is about the vilest piece of dog faeces to have ever soiled public office; yet, there he is the the most powerful position on the planet. It's truly sickening, and historians will shake their heads with disbelief.

The best solution is to send them both to trial for their deeds like any ordinary citizen, which means Trump will be standing trial for years for crime after crime after crime — and many more from his time in office when revealed — and Biden may well be convicted for his own share, too, including this allegation.

Sadly, because of the concessions made to accommodate the extremely unfit criminal Trump it won't happen, even if the Biden allegation is true.

This means people who trade in reality are fully aware they will be choosing between (a) Trump, a dangerously narcissistic geriatric criminal and widely believed sex offender (including widely believed underage sex predator) whose incompetence has resulted in multiple thousands of deaths, who can't string two true or sensible words together, and whose mental illness and dementia are worsening, and (b) Biden, a geriatric and widely believed sex offender whose dementia is worsening but who could organise and manage a stable government for a bit.

That's what the binary political choice has been reduced to.

One can only hope that Biden is replaced 'for health reasons' with a younger candidate. But if batshit unstable creep and criminal Trump wins again, the outcome is far worse than enduring Biden, and we face massive global instability and risk.

What a disgraceful predicament. This is where binary politics gets you, and even worse with a mini-fiefdom presidency structure. It's pathetic.

Of course, causing disenchantment and malaise among reasonable people is the secret sauce of the Trump campaign. That's what they want decent people to feel so the dangerous mental case wins again. I just hope it's not over our dead bodies that the despicable piece of filth is eventually stopped.

[Wokko]

This is just becoming a joke. Biden falls asleep during his own online Town Hall when Hillary Clinton is speaking.

https://twitter.com/CalebJHull/status/1255217457465303041

[stui magpie]

^

He's listening to the nice things Hillary is saying

[Wokko]

[stui magpie]

^

It's going to be genuinely interesting.

Trump has burned some of his support with his recent performances, which the Democrats will of course remind everyone of

Biden looks like he should be in a recliner with a crocheted blanket on his lap.

Could be the lowest voter turn out in history, lots of people going "Nup, I'm not being responsible for putting one of them in the Whitehouse"

Biden's choice of VP could be vital, she will effectively be POTUS in waiting.

[Wokko]

I think the difference will be Trump has rusted on, borderline zealot supporters. The whole "Could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose a voter" and Biden doesn't. Very few people are excited about Joe Biden, he doesn't exactly have supporters, more Anyone but Trump voters and 'If he's blue he'll do' kind of voters. Not the kind who'll move heaven and Earth to make it to a polling booth.

[What'sinaname]

Biden is a fossil......he won't win

[stui magpie]

I stand by my prediction from months ago that Trump will win the election but he's making it harder for himself.

[think positive]

Who else is there! Better the devil you know?

[pietillidie]

[roar]

[David]

Some unrest in Democratic Party circles over the assault allegation against Biden. I doubt it'll be enough to displace him as candidate, but one wonders. Certainly inevitable that he will have to confront the allegations, and it's kind of extraordinary that he hasn't yet – are there no journalists in the US willing to even ask him about it? Because even if Reade's story isn't true (and I don't think any of us are in a position to say it isn't), it seems increasingly likely that something untoward happened between them, and Biden ought to be grilled on that.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/29/us/politics/tara-reade-joe-biden.html

He also has relevant papers from his time as senator that are currently being kept under lock and key.

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/biden-should-release-his-papers/610801/