If you read to the end, you would find out the author is more concerned about Trump’s age than Biden. However with “rational ignorance” the rule, this becomes another Biden bashing piece due to the headline.
Dude, this is getting out of hand. Biden is brain dead, mumbling and incoherent. He is the laughing stock of the world and a complete embarrassment. Only the truly deluded think he is running the White House or himself.
You can keep propping up the cadaver all you want, Biden is done. If he is installed into the White House again the country is toast. I don't want that, and you shouldn't either. Wake the hell up.
Also your "Trump freezing up" clip is total clickbait nonsense. Democrats are really floundering and grasping and it is getting disgusting the level of nonsense you will spew to try to hold onto power. Every single American should be shouting from the rooftops that Biden needs to go but instead we get this halfwit drivel.
The one problem with your last point is that it is far from certain that Trump or the Republican Party will agree to debates before the general election. Without a head to head matchup, the “rationally ignorant” voters may see a narrative that is dominated by Trump.
It comes down to the reality that Biden might not be up to being president by the end of his next term, but Trump isn't up to it now. Both parties have other options, neither party is going to exercise them unless something drastic happens to the defaults. And in the end, old will beat old and crazy.
Let the media play with this pet rock for the next three months. I don't care. They'll get tired of it and age will become far less of an issue once the real campaign of Trump vs Biden is engaged.
Also, if the economy continues to do well and people's attitudes toward it change, Biden's numbers will go up and the "he's too old" take will become more of a "wise and steady hand at the tiller."
The major thing I think you're underrating is this:
1) 52% think Trump is too old. But this is the same 52% who think Trump is deranged, Trump is corrupt, Trump is a creep, Trump is incompetent, etc.: all true things, but the truth doesn't move the needle here no matter what. E.g., for the people who don't think Trump is too old, nothing will change that point-of-view. Trump could come on stage using a cane, a hearing aid, need to have his Depends changed during the debate, misremember the names of his own children, drop his dentures on the lectern, start babbling about how he used to listen to The Shadow on radio on the patio, and go full Mitch McConnell-not-here-now-Mrs.-Torrance for two minutes and Trump's base would say "He is not too old". He could die of a heart attack right there on camera and be buried two days later and they'd still say "Trump is not too old".
2) Whereas Biden only has to be visibly too old once and HIS base will be affected in their view of him. They already are and there are no signs that they're re-evaluating. As you concede, there are valid reasons for their concern. In that respect, I think you are dramatically underrating the extent to which Biden's base, essentially the sane half of the country, have a reasonable expectation that a President will not just run the executive branch of the government but also be a highly present titular and symbolic leader who will speak strongly on behalf of the nation at key moments and provide inspiration, something that Biden has done very little of precisely because his people recognize that every time he does, he's risking providing further evidence of being too old.
So there's an asymmetry here that isn't just about who is too old, or even who is old and crazy. It's between an electorate whose preferences are not based on reality and an electorate whose enthusiasm as measured by donations, excitement, mobilization and participation in the actual election might in fact vary based on both reality AND perception of reality. In light of that asymmetry, Biden is an enormous risk in an absolutely crucial election, and the Democratic leadership don't seem to really care at all about that.
The majority of Americans don't want 2024 to be Trump v Biden II. Biden is one of the few Democrats capable of losing to Trump, Trump is one of the few Republicans capable of losing to Biden. Whichever party figures out how to get rid of the millstone around their necks is going to win, if only one does. If they can both be dumped, all the better.
I disagree with Prof. Drezner's view that the more people listen to Biden the more they won't worry about age. I think it is quite the reverse - a few more "dog faced pony soldier", "I'm going to bed", and "Good Morning Vietnam" comments and he's going to be done. You may notice he rarely does live interviews, never does interviews with a tough interviewer, is hardly seen after dusk, disappears for days after trips. Having had an elderly parent who slipped rapidly in his final months; this is something lots of Americans have experienced and we know what it looks like when people lose capacity. And for lots of us, that's what we're seeing. If it is Trump v Biden II, then I'm hoping No Labels has a good plan for ballot access and a sane nominee.
If you read to the end, you would find out the author is more concerned about Trump’s age than Biden. However with “rational ignorance” the rule, this becomes another Biden bashing piece due to the headline.
But none of MY readers are rationally ignorant! They all read to the end!
Great critical look at how old age is factoring in the coverage leading upto the '24 presidential election.
Dude, this is getting out of hand. Biden is brain dead, mumbling and incoherent. He is the laughing stock of the world and a complete embarrassment. Only the truly deluded think he is running the White House or himself.
You can keep propping up the cadaver all you want, Biden is done. If he is installed into the White House again the country is toast. I don't want that, and you shouldn't either. Wake the hell up.
Also your "Trump freezing up" clip is total clickbait nonsense. Democrats are really floundering and grasping and it is getting disgusting the level of nonsense you will spew to try to hold onto power. Every single American should be shouting from the rooftops that Biden needs to go but instead we get this halfwit drivel.
The one problem with your last point is that it is far from certain that Trump or the Republican Party will agree to debates before the general election. Without a head to head matchup, the “rationally ignorant” voters may see a narrative that is dominated by Trump.
It comes down to the reality that Biden might not be up to being president by the end of his next term, but Trump isn't up to it now. Both parties have other options, neither party is going to exercise them unless something drastic happens to the defaults. And in the end, old will beat old and crazy.
Let the media play with this pet rock for the next three months. I don't care. They'll get tired of it and age will become far less of an issue once the real campaign of Trump vs Biden is engaged.
Also, if the economy continues to do well and people's attitudes toward it change, Biden's numbers will go up and the "he's too old" take will become more of a "wise and steady hand at the tiller."
The major thing I think you're underrating is this:
1) 52% think Trump is too old. But this is the same 52% who think Trump is deranged, Trump is corrupt, Trump is a creep, Trump is incompetent, etc.: all true things, but the truth doesn't move the needle here no matter what. E.g., for the people who don't think Trump is too old, nothing will change that point-of-view. Trump could come on stage using a cane, a hearing aid, need to have his Depends changed during the debate, misremember the names of his own children, drop his dentures on the lectern, start babbling about how he used to listen to The Shadow on radio on the patio, and go full Mitch McConnell-not-here-now-Mrs.-Torrance for two minutes and Trump's base would say "He is not too old". He could die of a heart attack right there on camera and be buried two days later and they'd still say "Trump is not too old".
2) Whereas Biden only has to be visibly too old once and HIS base will be affected in their view of him. They already are and there are no signs that they're re-evaluating. As you concede, there are valid reasons for their concern. In that respect, I think you are dramatically underrating the extent to which Biden's base, essentially the sane half of the country, have a reasonable expectation that a President will not just run the executive branch of the government but also be a highly present titular and symbolic leader who will speak strongly on behalf of the nation at key moments and provide inspiration, something that Biden has done very little of precisely because his people recognize that every time he does, he's risking providing further evidence of being too old.
So there's an asymmetry here that isn't just about who is too old, or even who is old and crazy. It's between an electorate whose preferences are not based on reality and an electorate whose enthusiasm as measured by donations, excitement, mobilization and participation in the actual election might in fact vary based on both reality AND perception of reality. In light of that asymmetry, Biden is an enormous risk in an absolutely crucial election, and the Democratic leadership don't seem to really care at all about that.
The majority of Americans don't want 2024 to be Trump v Biden II. Biden is one of the few Democrats capable of losing to Trump, Trump is one of the few Republicans capable of losing to Biden. Whichever party figures out how to get rid of the millstone around their necks is going to win, if only one does. If they can both be dumped, all the better.
I disagree with Prof. Drezner's view that the more people listen to Biden the more they won't worry about age. I think it is quite the reverse - a few more "dog faced pony soldier", "I'm going to bed", and "Good Morning Vietnam" comments and he's going to be done. You may notice he rarely does live interviews, never does interviews with a tough interviewer, is hardly seen after dusk, disappears for days after trips. Having had an elderly parent who slipped rapidly in his final months; this is something lots of Americans have experienced and we know what it looks like when people lose capacity. And for lots of us, that's what we're seeing. If it is Trump v Biden II, then I'm hoping No Labels has a good plan for ballot access and a sane nominee.
I think they care very much about it. But they have not been able to mount a compelling convincing and conclusive counter argument.
Who would they be arguing with? Biden? Or the significant majority of their own voters?