US Politics, July 2024 - "Will you just drop out, man?"

I wonder how many WH staff who see him daily were hoping for a faceplant that he couldn't walk away from.

It just reinforces to me that there's nothing he can do to counter the basic and widespread perception that he's too old for the job. Because in fact he is. And that makes him a hard sell, and he's not up to doing the selling.

Most people’s experience of this press conference will be clips of him fucking up Zelensky and Harris’ names

He lit up a bit when he started talking about China.

But it was painful listening to him take that question about Kamala.

What has she done as VP that makes her ready to be commander and Chief?

Freedom of women’s bodies. She was a great prosecutor. Pretty good senator too.

Hey dude tell us how you met with all these people who been dead for decades
That’s reassuring

He needs to go schedule another meetup ASAP.

Like, show me this guy and tell me he's going to be president for another year or two, and I'd be like, errrr I hope he has good people around him. Show him to me and tell me that this is the guy who's been in charge of the country during a time when I (as the median American voter) think things have sucked pretty bad, and also that he wants another four years to keep on doing it, and why in the world would I do that.

The bar is by now so low that he's not as bad as I thought he'd be.

I disagree with most of his foreign policy positions, but he's way more coherent about them than anything else.

actually, I think this is exactly the Joe Biden Performance he would've given a month ago at a press conference.

Sure. He was the same guy a month ago, and the same guy at the debate. It's situational. But it's never great.

Running down the clock to November is not a good strategy

better than the worst televised prez debate performance ever isn't that impressive

I think he sounds as bad tonight as at the debate. A little less raspy.

"Finish...the...job......"

uh oh he's going a little too long...

15 minutes too far!

if there's a problem
yo I'll solve it

I like Bin Laden as the guy “who did the job”

good enough to satisfy internal critics but not good enough to convince any watchers is the worst outcome

"Listen To Him!"

He whispering at this podium like a Ying Yang Twin

— Ira (@iramadisonthree) July 11, 2024

He said he might drop out if his aides tell him there’s no way he can win. But no one is saying that.

Staff, say hello to bus

I’m the Vice President? Wow. I didn’t know that. You’re telling me now for the first time. pic.twitter.com/Wkv5Yg5ypg

— Robert Bork III (@BobbyBorkIII) July 12, 2024

oh, cool, Robert Bork III!

Can't decide whether the craziest thing in this thread today is the assertion that bad actors in the Israeli government wouldn't feel emboldened by a Trump presidency, or that George Clooney is only "almost handsome."

Another Congressman just called on Biden to drop out

Can't decide whether the craziest thing in this thread today is the assertion that bad actors in the Israeli government wouldn't feel emboldened by a Trump presidency, or that George Clooney is only "almost handsome."

― Guayaquil (eephus!),

well, you ARE straight :)

Crüt

i don't think it's joever

There is freedom without

There is freedom within

The bad actors are already emboldened. What are they going to do, dig up all the people they've murdered and commit second genocide?

For viewers who think "foreign policy command" signifies beyond speaking in sentences without regard to the policies you support, this is basically how tonight broke with the people in my local groups:

For Biden backers who want him to stay in, there were moments for validation: Strong voice, foreign policy command, detailed answers. For those who want him out, there were moments for worry: Mixing up names, rambling answers. Which all makes it unclear whether anything changes.

— Matt Viser (@mviser) July 12, 2024

this sounds dicky but I almost wished he had collapsed during the presser, so we could just move on

They could almost make this heroic somehow, like he doggedly rose up to serve the nation one last time because of grave threats to democracy and the American way of life.. but the prizefighter we all know and love has fought his last round, now it's time to pass the torch from Boomers to Gen X

I don't think he was too bad, certainly nothing like the debate horror performance. That might be the worst of all worlds though - possibly good enough to keep him on the ticket, but not good enough to change the narrative. So another win for Trump.

this sounds dicky but I almost wished he had collapsed during the presser, so we could just move on

yep!

For all the talk about how he had to get out there and reassure Americans about him, this was pretty piss poor

xp okay, I don't mean literally 'collapsed' but maybe a McConnell dropout moment

"look, here's the thing, don't quote me on this" should precede every sentence he speaks.

"I'm not being self-serving, but..."

I really wanted to watch tonight, but the late start conflicted with tennis. From what I've read here and elsewhere, and listening to CNN, sounded like a wash. So it drags on.

(One of our players tonight got hit on the side of the face with a shot from her husband/playing partner. As we stood there waiting to see if she was okay, I thought to ask her "Who's the president of the Ukraine?" So thanks for that, Joe Biden.)

Another one https://t.co/AoSJ2qk1Et

— David Weigel (@daveweigel) July 12, 2024

Rep. Jim Himes said that a President needed to be as perfect as Providence allowed a man to be. He wants Biden to step aside. He is the top Democrat on the House Intel Committee. He just called Joe Biden a "story-telling Irishman, living in the world of emotion". ha!

christ

Biden world is feeling good about the NATO press conference. Per one source in his orbit, they believe it should comfort open-minded skeptics who had legit questions post-debate on Biden's ability to battle Trump and offer a second-term vision; they believe he stuck the landing.

— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) July 12, 2024

Exactly how many people in "Biden world" did Kapur talk to? Five? Nine? And what are their job titles?

it seemed to me that the way biden phrased a couple answers created an opening to him stepping down at some juncture, depending on the circumstances. felt like a significant change in tone from his angry recalcitrance of a few days ago

If he's even aware he created those openings

xp okay, I don't mean literally 'collapsed' but maybe a McConnell dropout moment

― Andy the Grasshopper, Thursday, July 11, 2024 6:05 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

this happened! he had a long pause and said “pardon me” or something, I forget which question he was responding to

agree overall it was not a total disaster. what that means I’m not sure, sort of the worst but most predictable possible outcome. status quo I guess

He paused and said "beg your pardon?" in response to some chatter in the room, I believe, although it wasn't clear what was being said.

.@NATO leaders react to President Biden mistakenly introducing President Zelenskiy as "President Putin". pic.twitter.com/V8rNfpY3Sj

— Jeremy Art (@cspanJeremy) July 11, 2024

after 4 years of trump, I suppose this sort of perception of fitness among world leaders is an improvement

As goes Joe so goes the party. Hard to say what the Democrats are even about at this point, just a vague will to power. At least Trump's not vague.

One odd exchange was when he was asked whether he felt like he would be capable of sitting down with Putin or Xi alone in a face-to-face negotiation in a three or four years. His answer was all about his extensive experience in these kinds of conversations but sounded unaware that the question was about his advanced age rather than his diplomatic skills. He seemed annoyed but in a way that didn't seem like spinning the question.