Image always have been vital to the electorate. However... The lame FDR projected a strength that was fortified by his disabilities. JFK, a confidence buttressed by his intelligence and humor. Teddy Roosevelt by his emphathy for the down-and outs. Image back then seemed preconditioned and secondary to lived experiences. Nowadays it seems reversed, more reliant on imogees rather than real life.
Trumpers love to say that Biden is a terrible president without saying why. And yet they support a truly terrible person for president. It's only fair that now I should say why Trump is a terrible person: He is a compulsive liar who lacks personal integrity. The core of his campaign strategy is to pit Americans against each other. He is trying to overturn a presidential election that has been shown to have been fairer than any before it. He announces in advance that if he loses an election it will have been rigged. His most obvious outreach is to racists and to violent authoritarians. He loves slimy, kleptocratic dictators, because he hopes to become one. Toward that end, he is trying to destroy our democratic institutions. He seeks out the company of white supremacists and fascists. He practically invented "birtherism." He promotes violence that he believes will work toward his political ends. He took out ads calling for the death penalty for the innocent "Central Park Five." This list could continue at length. Most Trumpers know all this is true, but they support him anyway. They say Biden is a terrible president because, for their own reasons, they want to see installation of a kleptocratic strongman. They are in favor of the end of American democracy, and nobody should pretend otherwise.
8 “I LIKE IKE! “ Shades of elementary school! When I retired, I returned to live with my father, who was feeling his age. My almost “Home Town” is very Republican. I didn’t understand it at the time, but all those school assemblies when we’d gather in the auditorium to “Hear the President speak” probably had more to do with our teachers’ desires not to miss out on keeping current with the candidate they had enthusiastically voted for.
From what I gathered in American History classes, there’s a strong “residential factor” in our “Presidential” choices. I’m not sure there’s any realistic answer to the problem of trying to actually vote on “Issues” rather than “That’s what my parents and my neighbors did!”
Of course, Ike was a humble enough man and a heroic warrior (who was convinced to run). Never intended to draw too close a parallel with Dukakis. I miss “the news” on a weekly basis. I used to plan my life around your broadcasts. This surely says a lot about my state of mind at the time. Hope you are well sir and thanks a lot for all the laughs and music over the years. Thrilled to converse. Saw your broadcast live on a couple occasions. Peace.
I don't suppose that bird watching would make the cut. Although, he could travel a bit with the man who got harassed in Central Park for birding-while-black. He's written a good book about birding and is now promoting it all over the country. I guess that won't impress the farmers and cowboys. Joe is really the right person in the office at this time.
Video games are the obvious sport. Involves the youth, violent, but with international overtones. I don't play myself but I listen to my son's experience and I live vicariously. I would vote for a man with big thumbs.
It's possible that you have a very "peaceable" - or "cartoon-oriented" child, one whose choice of video games doesn't give his parents the Heebie-Jeebies! I used to tutor a single mother whose son was into video games. Sometimes when she was preparing supper, I'd sit in the living room and observe this fellow at the "Throttle", so to speak. He loved car-races.
How did he drive? If cartoon bystanders were out apart from the crowd a bit, he'd aim for those pedestrians and get his thrills from flattening them. or sending them sky high. It seemed to me that he loved his video games because it fostered all his "anti-social" instincts!
If I were a child psychologist, I'd really worry about that boy's "socialization." Yes, his parents had broken up because the husband belittled and beat his wife. She left in self-defense. The ex-husband's "Father Image" was certainly not something for the boy to look up to as a model. However, if I were that mother, I'd try to encourage his several uncles available in that family group to spend as much time as possible with this "Overloaded with free time" boy. I have no idea where he is today. My first guess would be "In a prison cell."
Child or adult, it seems to me that antisocial videogames like that shouldn't be available on the market! Players might say "It's only make believe!" But what the mind focuses on can influence lifestyles! The same goes with pornography. "It's a 'Free Country'", yes. But we need to consider how we're "Modelling Acceptable Behavior!"
It’s a great article, but unfortunately my opinion is that at this point Joe has a LOT of people helping him run this country. I think he just isn’t sharp enough for the job anymore. Not all people his age, just him in particular. For my money the Secretary of Transportation (I won’t spell his name right) Pete Budachev would make an amazing president. I’m an independent, but I know two married gay men with a child have about as much of a chance getting into the White House at this time is as impossible as (I’d like to be clever here, but I’m tired) it gets. Shame on us for that. Pete’s a straight arrow with good sense and he’s smart as a Rhodes Scholar whip.
Pete did crush DeSantis's strange anti-Trump ad with its vaguely homoerotic images. His excellent put-down was on CNN, and I think it has gone viral. Buttigieg says things off-the-cuff that show the kind of insight that we all wish we could muster on the fly.
I'm not sure why people think Joe Biden isn't sharp enough. I guess it's because he's thin, which perhaps makes him appear older, and because he speaks slowly sometimes. I haven't heard him truly mess up, and I'll never forget how he got the entire House Republican caucus to promise on national television not to cut Medicare or Social Security. His wealth of experience has truly paid off for him, and for the country, since he became president. He's provided steady leadership at a time when our democracy has been facing unprecedented threats. I wish him continued health and fortitude.
I have read that Joe has arthritis, which accounts for his stiff posture and gait. Although my three younger siblings have had it for ~20 years and my husband had both hips and both knees replaced because of it when he was in his mid-60s, I have only recently started feeling the effects of it in my mid-70s, so I can empathize. I don't think that Joe will be performing any physical feats anytime soon.
Though I am not a 'dem' so I don't support his bid for re-election, I very much agree with your points! And they are ones I've not thought about in the past!
Please consider supporting Biden's reelection bid, because the former GOP stands for nothing but preserving its power, even at the cost of our democracy. The false election fraud claims, the effort to place elections under the unquestioned control of state legislatures, the efforts to curtail voting rights—these and many other things should be dealbreakers for any American patriot.
Sorry - but I can't do that in good conscience. I am a Christian and must vote against abortion and other anti-God things.
GOP isn't perfect, by any means, since we are still talking about a fallen world, but the platform is more friendly to my pro life, pro Constitution stand.
"Pro Constitution"? You do realize the GOP left their pocket Constitutions at home when it came time to read it to DJT? They completely lost their stance by allowing him to trample all over it. And I used to think they had backbone before 2016.
My apologies for not just coming out and saying what I meant - I'm pro 2nd Amendment. Gun grabbers and anti gun people are not. Stopping the murder of the unborn is top priority for me, but being FOR my right to protect myself is a close second.
We've just had three Supreme Court justices vote to put elections under the unquestioned control of state legislatures as many "Republicans" wanted. That is not a party that stands for the Constitution. You will be voting against abortion but for imposing your religious views on the rest of the country, in what is supposed to be a democracy with separation of church and state. The false election fraud claims, the incitement of political violence, the lies, the pardoning of convicted cronies, the dead police officers and the excrement smeared in the U.S. Capitol on January 6th—does the GOP's supposed stance against abortion outweigh all that? Especially since Americans are broadly supporting reproductive rights, even in red states. Abortion numbers are historically low. At least require some integrity of the candidates you support—MAGA Republicans don't have any and they are therefore unacceptably dangerous.
My apologies for not stating exactly what I meant. I'm pro 2nd amendment - I believe in the God given rights, including those that allow me to protect myself and my family and neighbors and even strangers. The stopping of the murder of the unborn children is top on my list but protecting my right to defend myself is a close second.
Serious discourse here - what about YOUR religious views? Explain how telling me not to is not imposing YOUR beliefs on me please. And how do you define separation of church and state?
How do you know the election fraud claims are false? We have evidence on both sides...
January 6 - I wasn't there and wouldn't have been caught anywhere near something like this - which is also why I stayed away from 'demonstrations' across the country the past few years.
And does standing against the murder of the unborn outweigh this? YES! "Reproductive rights?" Why not call it what it is?
And I do require integrity - I am in close communication with state leaders on BOTH sides of the aisle, as I believe is my civic duty, and I require it of ALL of them - but I only see it in the minority, regardless of 'party affiliation.'
To be clear--I am not trying to impose any of my beliefs on you. I am simply presenting an argument as to why you should not support the current Republican party. In contrast, you want your religious belief against abortion to be imposed on the entire country. Also, the second amendment is not under threat. Most Americans want common-sense gun laws (red flag laws, a ban on assault rifles and a minimum age for gun purchases are some possible examples) that would help minimize gun violence. You call your views on guns religious, so again, you seem to think your religious views should be forced on the whole country. The election fraud claims have been shown to be false. Even courts with trump-appointed judges have said so. Even the highly partisan, so-called Cyber Ninjas concluded that Biden won. We do not have any evidence in Trump's favor. If you are a Christian and value integrity as you claim, you should not dismiss the facts simply because you want the truth to be otherwise and because the "GOP" has decided to create its own alternative truth, i.e. lies. Finally, staying away from the insurrection means nothing if you support politicians who would pardon the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol. That's all I have to say.
When you say things like “separation of church and state” you imply that my beliefs should have no bearing on the matter, which is why I asked what you meant by that. I don’t want to misunderstand.
And what BBC are, in your opinion, common sense laws and red flag laws - and what do YIU consider assault rifles? I dare say that most people use those terms without fully understanding what they mean, so I’d like to know what they mean to YOU. We might just agree…
And if I called gun rights religious that was not my intention. If you mean because I say God given right, that’s the wording of the founding documents.
As for forcing my religious views, actually I’m saying that it is immoral to murder babies. Do you disagree with that statement? If so, is it also not immoral to insist there is no slavery? Or is that also forcing my religious views?
Apologies if I seem argumentative. I'm afraid that if nearly half the country continues to support candidates whose main strategy is to pit us against each other, it will be a long time before we can feel united as a country again.
I don't see it argumentative at all! I am all for discussion, debate, sharing of ideas, etc.! It's the only way ANY of us can learn and grow!
I agree completely about pitting us against each other! I believe it's happening on BOTH sides though... I personally don't trust most of them to have OUR best interests at heart... :(
Riding a bike without a helmet is an easy way to accidentally, all of a sudden, illustrate the literal meaning of 'brain dead.' If you feel like taking a chance on removing yourself from our midst, that's up to you. I've seen this, she's gone, and that's all there is to her, except memories.
You've forgot about "Ridin' with Biden" and what a load of unmitigated fun that was. The Pres in his shades lookin' so cool. We just had to love it.
"Ridin' with Biden" is still active on Facebook and has had some wonderful anti - t-Rump posts lately.
Great! Glad to hear it.
He has eaten ice cream in public many times ... my favorite sport
Image always have been vital to the electorate. However... The lame FDR projected a strength that was fortified by his disabilities. JFK, a confidence buttressed by his intelligence and humor. Teddy Roosevelt by his emphathy for the down-and outs. Image back then seemed preconditioned and secondary to lived experiences. Nowadays it seems reversed, more reliant on imogees rather than real life.
He rides and falls off of bikes. This has not helped his popularity because he is a terrible president.
What's terrible? Specifics please.
I have no desire to change your mind Michael. If you like him... great.
Cosmic wimp-out, Sharon.
No, no, Lawerence. Now be fair.
She’s required to resort to baseless name calling.
Given that she is working totally without fact (or, more precisely, contrary to fact), realistically, what else can she do?
Trumpers love to say that Biden is a terrible president without saying why. And yet they support a truly terrible person for president. It's only fair that now I should say why Trump is a terrible person: He is a compulsive liar who lacks personal integrity. The core of his campaign strategy is to pit Americans against each other. He is trying to overturn a presidential election that has been shown to have been fairer than any before it. He announces in advance that if he loses an election it will have been rigged. His most obvious outreach is to racists and to violent authoritarians. He loves slimy, kleptocratic dictators, because he hopes to become one. Toward that end, he is trying to destroy our democratic institutions. He seeks out the company of white supremacists and fascists. He practically invented "birtherism." He promotes violence that he believes will work toward his political ends. He took out ads calling for the death penalty for the innocent "Central Park Five." This list could continue at length. Most Trumpers know all this is true, but they support him anyway. They say Biden is a terrible president because, for their own reasons, they want to see installation of a kleptocratic strongman. They are in favor of the end of American democracy, and nobody should pretend otherwise.
“A presidential candidate should never be seen in a helmet.” I submit this worked for Ike. However Dukakis was no Ike. And that helmet was no gimmick.
Ike wore the helmet in military action. He did not wear one while running for the White House.
8 “I LIKE IKE! “ Shades of elementary school! When I retired, I returned to live with my father, who was feeling his age. My almost “Home Town” is very Republican. I didn’t understand it at the time, but all those school assemblies when we’d gather in the auditorium to “Hear the President speak” probably had more to do with our teachers’ desires not to miss out on keeping current with the candidate they had enthusiastically voted for.
From what I gathered in American History classes, there’s a strong “residential factor” in our “Presidential” choices. I’m not sure there’s any realistic answer to the problem of trying to actually vote on “Issues” rather than “That’s what my parents and my neighbors did!”
Of course, Ike was a humble enough man and a heroic warrior (who was convinced to run). Never intended to draw too close a parallel with Dukakis. I miss “the news” on a weekly basis. I used to plan my life around your broadcasts. This surely says a lot about my state of mind at the time. Hope you are well sir and thanks a lot for all the laughs and music over the years. Thrilled to converse. Saw your broadcast live on a couple occasions. Peace.
I don't suppose that bird watching would make the cut. Although, he could travel a bit with the man who got harassed in Central Park for birding-while-black. He's written a good book about birding and is now promoting it all over the country. I guess that won't impress the farmers and cowboys. Joe is really the right person in the office at this time.
Like the President has said, “end of quote”.
"Chaps and boots, a leather vest" and a Marlboro. Good for several million votes even in these strange times.
How about assless chaps? He'll definitely appeal to a certain demographic, albeit a rather small one.
Video games are the obvious sport. Involves the youth, violent, but with international overtones. I don't play myself but I listen to my son's experience and I live vicariously. I would vote for a man with big thumbs.
It's possible that you have a very "peaceable" - or "cartoon-oriented" child, one whose choice of video games doesn't give his parents the Heebie-Jeebies! I used to tutor a single mother whose son was into video games. Sometimes when she was preparing supper, I'd sit in the living room and observe this fellow at the "Throttle", so to speak. He loved car-races.
How did he drive? If cartoon bystanders were out apart from the crowd a bit, he'd aim for those pedestrians and get his thrills from flattening them. or sending them sky high. It seemed to me that he loved his video games because it fostered all his "anti-social" instincts!
If I were a child psychologist, I'd really worry about that boy's "socialization." Yes, his parents had broken up because the husband belittled and beat his wife. She left in self-defense. The ex-husband's "Father Image" was certainly not something for the boy to look up to as a model. However, if I were that mother, I'd try to encourage his several uncles available in that family group to spend as much time as possible with this "Overloaded with free time" boy. I have no idea where he is today. My first guess would be "In a prison cell."
Child or adult, it seems to me that antisocial videogames like that shouldn't be available on the market! Players might say "It's only make believe!" But what the mind focuses on can influence lifestyles! The same goes with pornography. "It's a 'Free Country'", yes. But we need to consider how we're "Modelling Acceptable Behavior!"
Can't stumble on a video game controller......unless of course you are Stockton Rush.
There is nothing Joe could do to appear Presidential. Maybe being able to have an intelligent thought.
If you voted for Trump, then you have no ability to judge what is an "intelligent thought."
No one said a thing about the Former President did they? The fact that you did means you have the problem
Nope, you have problems
Reality, my sympathies. You must be struggling with that too.
Ironic you should say so in what is a supremely inane comment...
He is a bicycle rider.
It’s a great article, but unfortunately my opinion is that at this point Joe has a LOT of people helping him run this country. I think he just isn’t sharp enough for the job anymore. Not all people his age, just him in particular. For my money the Secretary of Transportation (I won’t spell his name right) Pete Budachev would make an amazing president. I’m an independent, but I know two married gay men with a child have about as much of a chance getting into the White House at this time is as impossible as (I’d like to be clever here, but I’m tired) it gets. Shame on us for that. Pete’s a straight arrow with good sense and he’s smart as a Rhodes Scholar whip.
Pete did crush DeSantis's strange anti-Trump ad with its vaguely homoerotic images. His excellent put-down was on CNN, and I think it has gone viral. Buttigieg says things off-the-cuff that show the kind of insight that we all wish we could muster on the fly.
Thanks for the spelling of Pete’s last name. I know. Let’s use a biblical reference. As impossible as a camel going through the eye of a needle.
They have two children, twins.
I'm not sure why people think Joe Biden isn't sharp enough. I guess it's because he's thin, which perhaps makes him appear older, and because he speaks slowly sometimes. I haven't heard him truly mess up, and I'll never forget how he got the entire House Republican caucus to promise on national television not to cut Medicare or Social Security. His wealth of experience has truly paid off for him, and for the country, since he became president. He's provided steady leadership at a time when our democracy has been facing unprecedented threats. I wish him continued health and fortitude.
I have read that Joe has arthritis, which accounts for his stiff posture and gait. Although my three younger siblings have had it for ~20 years and my husband had both hips and both knees replaced because of it when he was in his mid-60s, I have only recently started feeling the effects of it in my mid-70s, so I can empathize. I don't think that Joe will be performing any physical feats anytime soon.
Remember when John Kerry put on camo and went goose hunting? Great pix, but people didn’t buy it because they didn’t think of him that way.
Thank the Swift Boat campaign for that.
Though I am not a 'dem' so I don't support his bid for re-election, I very much agree with your points! And they are ones I've not thought about in the past!
Grace to you, sir.
Please consider supporting Biden's reelection bid, because the former GOP stands for nothing but preserving its power, even at the cost of our democracy. The false election fraud claims, the effort to place elections under the unquestioned control of state legislatures, the efforts to curtail voting rights—these and many other things should be dealbreakers for any American patriot.
Sorry - but I can't do that in good conscience. I am a Christian and must vote against abortion and other anti-God things.
GOP isn't perfect, by any means, since we are still talking about a fallen world, but the platform is more friendly to my pro life, pro Constitution stand.
"Pro Constitution"? You do realize the GOP left their pocket Constitutions at home when it came time to read it to DJT? They completely lost their stance by allowing him to trample all over it. And I used to think they had backbone before 2016.
My apologies for not just coming out and saying what I meant - I'm pro 2nd Amendment. Gun grabbers and anti gun people are not. Stopping the murder of the unborn is top priority for me, but being FOR my right to protect myself is a close second.
We've just had three Supreme Court justices vote to put elections under the unquestioned control of state legislatures as many "Republicans" wanted. That is not a party that stands for the Constitution. You will be voting against abortion but for imposing your religious views on the rest of the country, in what is supposed to be a democracy with separation of church and state. The false election fraud claims, the incitement of political violence, the lies, the pardoning of convicted cronies, the dead police officers and the excrement smeared in the U.S. Capitol on January 6th—does the GOP's supposed stance against abortion outweigh all that? Especially since Americans are broadly supporting reproductive rights, even in red states. Abortion numbers are historically low. At least require some integrity of the candidates you support—MAGA Republicans don't have any and they are therefore unacceptably dangerous.
My apologies for not stating exactly what I meant. I'm pro 2nd amendment - I believe in the God given rights, including those that allow me to protect myself and my family and neighbors and even strangers. The stopping of the murder of the unborn children is top on my list but protecting my right to defend myself is a close second.
Serious discourse here - what about YOUR religious views? Explain how telling me not to is not imposing YOUR beliefs on me please. And how do you define separation of church and state?
How do you know the election fraud claims are false? We have evidence on both sides...
January 6 - I wasn't there and wouldn't have been caught anywhere near something like this - which is also why I stayed away from 'demonstrations' across the country the past few years.
And does standing against the murder of the unborn outweigh this? YES! "Reproductive rights?" Why not call it what it is?
And I do require integrity - I am in close communication with state leaders on BOTH sides of the aisle, as I believe is my civic duty, and I require it of ALL of them - but I only see it in the minority, regardless of 'party affiliation.'
To be clear--I am not trying to impose any of my beliefs on you. I am simply presenting an argument as to why you should not support the current Republican party. In contrast, you want your religious belief against abortion to be imposed on the entire country. Also, the second amendment is not under threat. Most Americans want common-sense gun laws (red flag laws, a ban on assault rifles and a minimum age for gun purchases are some possible examples) that would help minimize gun violence. You call your views on guns religious, so again, you seem to think your religious views should be forced on the whole country. The election fraud claims have been shown to be false. Even courts with trump-appointed judges have said so. Even the highly partisan, so-called Cyber Ninjas concluded that Biden won. We do not have any evidence in Trump's favor. If you are a Christian and value integrity as you claim, you should not dismiss the facts simply because you want the truth to be otherwise and because the "GOP" has decided to create its own alternative truth, i.e. lies. Finally, staying away from the insurrection means nothing if you support politicians who would pardon the people who attacked the U.S. Capitol. That's all I have to say.
When you say things like “separation of church and state” you imply that my beliefs should have no bearing on the matter, which is why I asked what you meant by that. I don’t want to misunderstand.
And what BBC are, in your opinion, common sense laws and red flag laws - and what do YIU consider assault rifles? I dare say that most people use those terms without fully understanding what they mean, so I’d like to know what they mean to YOU. We might just agree…
And if I called gun rights religious that was not my intention. If you mean because I say God given right, that’s the wording of the founding documents.
As for forcing my religious views, actually I’m saying that it is immoral to murder babies. Do you disagree with that statement? If so, is it also not immoral to insist there is no slavery? Or is that also forcing my religious views?
Apologies if I seem argumentative. I'm afraid that if nearly half the country continues to support candidates whose main strategy is to pit us against each other, it will be a long time before we can feel united as a country again.
I don't see it argumentative at all! I am all for discussion, debate, sharing of ideas, etc.! It's the only way ANY of us can learn and grow!
I agree completely about pitting us against each other! I believe it's happening on BOTH sides though... I personally don't trust most of them to have OUR best interests at heart... :(
Wait, didn’t I see multiple clips of Biden on a bike? Oh yes, but he was wearing a helmet……. Never mind
Riding a bike without a helmet is an easy way to accidentally, all of a sudden, illustrate the literal meaning of 'brain dead.' If you feel like taking a chance on removing yourself from our midst, that's up to you. I've seen this, she's gone, and that's all there is to her, except memories.
I’m all about bikes and helmets…..
and yes, accidents do happen