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It’s a job you can do from a chair, surely. Who cares if he’s no runner?
It's not just his physical mobility though is it? When you hear him speak he doesn't exactly sound like he's switched on. Think the democrats are making a big mistake given there's already huge support for all the 'deep state' conspiracy stuff. They'll be saying Biden's not all there mentally, so who is really running the govt?
I remember when he was running for the presidency a few ago it was thought that he’d support Kamala Harris campaign but it hasn’t happened. Not sure why she didn’t step up.
She's been a bit of a damp squib and there seems to be a consensus that she's the wrong woman for the job.
Some interesting approval stats here: https://www.latimes.com/projects/kamala-harris-approval-rating-polls-vs-biden-other-vps/
I agree Biden is oast his usefulness. Probably by 15 years.
Not sure the Democrats have a plan b though
It’s not just his physical mobility though is it? When you hear him speak he doesn’t exactly sound like he’s switched on.
I think Biden has been terribly underestimated by his critics and allies alike. He has spent about 5 decades in government and understands that getting results is more important than getting headlines for a week or two. He's a centrist, so he positions his policies where the votes are, not to meet purity tests from wingnuts. Most voters don't care that he talks like their grandpa - they like grandpa.
She’s been a bit of a damp squib and there seems to be a consensus that she’s the wrong woman for the job.
Yes. My hope when Biden was elected was that he would say that he was only going to serve one term and that Harris or somebody younger would take over. Harris has really not made any strong case that she would be able to succeed against Donald Trump. I'm sure she's a smart, capable woman, but she has not made the case that she should be president.
The next election is going to be a rematch of Biden versus Trump. Biden may not be the president that Democrat base voters hope for, but Trump is a much, much worse prospect. Biden is the safe, sensible choice. Not exciting, but that's the point - being a stable, boring guy is actually a great qualification when the job involves having your finger on the nuclear trigger.
I think Biden has been terribly underestimated by his critics and allies alike. He has spent about 5 decades in government and understands that getting results is more important than getting headlines for a week or two
I was talking to an American last week and he reckoned Biden has achieved a massive amount but it never really gets reported over here due to the Trump circus getting all the attention.
When you hear him speak he doesn’t exactly sound like he’s switched on.
he has a stammer. That’s why he has always spoken with quite a calm, slow and deliberate cadence to his speech.
Trump is running again and he’s now older than Biden was in last election when Trump claimed Biden was too old
Biden has achieved a massive amount but it never really gets reported over here due to the Trump circus getting all the attention.
isn’t this thread gloriously short compared to the Trump one. Not really knowing or caring about what’s going on in the mind, from one minute to the next, of the leader (or ex leader) of a country 1000s of miles away is normal. That’s how it used to be. That’s hopefully his things will stay. The world wants its bandwidth back.
i now know so much more about American domestic politics than I want to
dazh
Full MemberHow the hell is Biden going to do another campaign and then term of office? Watching him arrive and Windsor castle he can barely walk.
Franklin Roosevelt would like a word
Biden commutes 1,500 sentences and issues 39 pardons in biggest single-day act of clemency in history
So it turns out that the United States courts and the probation services are rubbish at deciding who should be incarcerated on an individual case by case basis.
Apparently it requires the expertise of a US president who is struggling with his own mental faculties to intervene.
Over 1500 signatures must have been a very busy day for Joe Biden, let's hope that the incoming president Donald Trump has the same level of stamina and personal expertise when it comes to deciding which individuals should or should not be released from prison.
Presumably if the courts cannot be trusted to decide which individuals should be released from prison then by that same logic they cannot be trusted to decide who should be incarcerated.
So maybe there should be a new US amendment whereby the President has special powers to also jail people without the tedious process of going through the courts , which apparently cannot be trusted anyway.
I am sure that Donald Trump would relish the ability before his presidential term expires to announce a list of individuals which he has decided should be jailed.
And after all if you are going to make a mockery of your judicial system you might as well go the whole hog.
I just read that, only on the Guardian which goes into more detail. As far as I can see it's taking into account time served by people effectively under house arrest during Covid.
It does feel a bit "divine right of kings" though, but I don't understand enough about the process to say whether I think it's right or wrong.
As far as I can see it’s taking into account time served by people effectively under house arrest during Covid.
Yeah I get that it is based on who is considered worthy to be released. But you might be forgiven for thinking that such considerations should be left to the courts and probation services rather than a very busy US president.
I don’t understand enough about the process to say whether I think it’s right or wrong
But you do understand that the next person to have that same power to overrule the courts will be Donald Trump?
Maybe Donald Trump will beat Joe Biden and set a new historical record in single-day acts of clemency? Trump could then prove how he is the most compassionate and forgiving president in history. I can see him proudly making that announcement right now!
I can see him proudly making that announcement right now!
You think he'll make it to the end?
I think it says a lot about how messed up the judicial system is in the states that clemency powers are still a thing
You think he’ll make it to the end?
You think that he might die whilst tirelessly committing himself to making America great again?
Now I can imagine the grief stricken nation and the greatest state funeral ever!
I wonder which airport would be named after him?
Anything can happen in the next 4 and a bit years.
I wonder which airport would be named after him?
O(range) Hair.
It's not really Biden poring over lists of prisoners and going "hmm, I know better than the courts about this guy, let's get him out of prison and back on the streets asap lol" is it though.
Probably something more like:
Advisor person: "Yo Joe, I've an idea, why don't we commute the sentences of everyone who's been at home for a while anyway and has shown that they're already pretty much reintegrated?"
Biden: "Ok, good idea, get me a list"
*is handed a list of names, signs it at the bottom*
Obviously Biden hasn't spent his time personally poring over the list. But how about this "advisor person" advising the courts or parole boards instead of getting a confused old man with dementia to decide whether or not to sign it, and then leaving it to a narcissistic psychopath to sign the next list?
Call me old fashioned but I believe in the separation of the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary.
And that justice should be based on fairness, not the whims of a confused or narcissistic politician.
Meanwhile, everyone else is taking about how the real USA works. Messed up though their system is, with overlaps everywhere, the sitting POTUS has a job to do in that messed up system, and people will lose out on just application of their sentences if the President was to abdicate from their responsibilities as head of state.
@ernie fair enough, but based on even a quick read of the Guardian article there was clearly a lot more thought put into it than just some old guy's whim.
If it's all true and properly checked that they really are all reformed characters and being at home has helped them reintegrate, then it seems like a win all round to me.
If.
Well yeah, but I doubt that Joe Biden put much thought into who should be on the list. So who got to compile the list, and who will be compiling Donald Trump's list? It is clearly a system gagging to be abused.
And can you imagine if we had a similar system here?
Royal pardons we already have, that is obviously not what I mean.
I mean, for example, the Boris Johnson resignation clemency list, consisting of an unlimited amount of individuals.
I mean the politicization of the clemency process in the same way as the honours system is currently politicized and abused.
Well with only 7 days left before his presidency expires Joe Biden isn't easing off his tireless commitment to peace in Palestine, as billions of dollars worth of US weapons continue to pour into the hands of the far-right Israeli government
Biden speaks with Israel’s Netanyahu, urges ‘immediate ceasefire’ in Gaza
Call comes as Israel keeps up its siege on north Gaza, with at least 5,000 killed and missing in 100 days.
And as you can imagine the genocidal leader of this far-right government is very grateful for Joe Biden's steadfast support :
For his part, Netanyahu thanked Biden for his lifelong support of Israel, according to the White House readout.
Well with only 7 days left before his presidency expires Joe Biden isn’t easing off his tireless commitment to peace in Palestine, as billions of dollars worth of US weapons continue to pour into the hands of the far-right Israeli government
And 45 Democrats voted with Republicans to sanction ICC members in rsponse to their actions on Israel.
The cogs have turned and now he gets it....
BBC News - Biden warns of dangers of oligarchy taking shape in US
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1weqzl3ydro
He has spent most of his political life serving the oligarchs, he has been one of the main power brokers moving the democrats from a "peoples party" to a republican tribute act and crushing progressive policies(Nancy Pelosi also). So to Joe Biden "**** of you hypocritical ****" you are only pointing this out because you lost, the modern democrats would have taken the money and screwed the people with glee if they had retained power, you were the president you were in the position to curtail the oligarchy power and you didn't even try you did **** all, your crocodile tears are for losing not because you want change.
the modern democrats would have taken the money and screwed the people with glee if they had retained power, you were the president you were in the position to curtail the oligarchy power and you didn’t even try you did **** all
That had occurred to me too, but at least he's using the right weasel words.