I was very disappointed to see Biden release a statement that basically claimed he did nothing wrong--or, at least, that he did not intend to cause discomfort. And I was like, "Dude, have you seen the videos of yourself that are going around the internet? Creepy AF."
The guy genuinely doesn't seem to see any problem with his behavior. Which is, of course, precisely the problem.
Agreed. It's also disturbing to watch how the Dems are once again handling their coronation process. (None of which is to say the GOP hasn't been just as cutthroat in the past.) Last time around, the Dems threw Bernie under the bus in order to give Hillary a clear shot, probably because of a conviction that it was "her turn" or something. (Again, the GOP operates along similar principles, which is how Mitt Romney ended up going against Obama.) This time, the "woke" left can't stand the idea that an old, rich white man will lead the charge against Trump when what the Dems would rather have is someone like Kamala Harris or Cory Booker front and center. If the other hopefuls can't compete against Biden, they have to tear Biden down.
I don't mean to say I'm at all sympathetic. Along with you, I find Biden creepy as fuck. But at the same time, the timing of these allegations shows that there's a concerted effort, right now, to bring him down before he usurps the nomination from those who feel more deserving.
By the way—isn't Bernie still listed as an independent? Or did he go back to being a Democrat again? Wikipedia lists Sanders as both Democrat and independent. Confusing.
Is Bernie still an independent? I honestly don't know--haven't been paying that much attention.
As for Biden, I'm not sure if there is necessarily a "concerted effort" to take him down--I wonder if it might not be more of the "woodwork effect" (as in, someone comes forward with an accusation, and then they start coming out of the woodwork--which is in no way a judgment on the veracity of said accusations, just an observation on the way things usually go). And the timing might also just be a function of the accusers not being OK with a creep coming back into power--it might have been easier for them just to "let the past be the past" had Biden not decided to take center stage again. That might seem like splitting hairs, but it's more a question of motivation--even if the end result is the same.
At the same time, though, I can't deny that there certainly does seem to be a general fatigue on the left when it comes to old, rich white men. It's unlikely there is a simple, one-dimensional answer to this.
You could be right, but I think we're seeing a Kavanaugh effect, here. There was a "woodwork" dynamic during Kavanaugh's hearings, too, as you'll recall, although the accusations leveled against him came to nothing. That woodwork effect also seemed to have been time-released. With Biden, there's photographic evidence of creepiness (he puts the "penis" in "creepiness") going back years, but no one took any action... until now. Hmmm. Yeah, I still think the timing indicates a coordinated effort to take Biden down. As Styx just noted, Biden still hasn't actually thrown his hat in the ring, but he's currently polling as #1. Some say he'd be a fool to drop out now, despite the #MeToo blowback; others say he'd be a fool to join the race and suffer the inevitable shitstorm. Comedy gold either way.
I've been against Biden throwing his hat into the ring from the very beginning, even before this whole blowback. It's not necessarily that he's another rich old white dude, it's just... I mean, people like him, for whatever reason. Why wouldn't you want to just take the good will of the public and gracefully fade into obscurity? Why would you want to dive back into that hellish fray again? These are questions for which I find no convincing answer--which is probably why I will never be a politician.
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I was very disappointed to see Biden release a statement that basically claimed he did nothing wrong--or, at least, that he did not intend to cause discomfort. And I was like, "Dude, have you seen the videos of yourself that are going around the internet? Creepy AF."
ReplyDeleteThe guy genuinely doesn't seem to see any problem with his behavior. Which is, of course, precisely the problem.
Agreed. It's also disturbing to watch how the Dems are once again handling their coronation process. (None of which is to say the GOP hasn't been just as cutthroat in the past.) Last time around, the Dems threw Bernie under the bus in order to give Hillary a clear shot, probably because of a conviction that it was "her turn" or something. (Again, the GOP operates along similar principles, which is how Mitt Romney ended up going against Obama.) This time, the "woke" left can't stand the idea that an old, rich white man will lead the charge against Trump when what the Dems would rather have is someone like Kamala Harris or Cory Booker front and center. If the other hopefuls can't compete against Biden, they have to tear Biden down.
ReplyDeleteI don't mean to say I'm at all sympathetic. Along with you, I find Biden creepy as fuck. But at the same time, the timing of these allegations shows that there's a concerted effort, right now, to bring him down before he usurps the nomination from those who feel more deserving.
By the way—isn't Bernie still listed as an independent? Or did he go back to being a Democrat again? Wikipedia lists Sanders as both Democrat and independent. Confusing.
Is Bernie still an independent? I honestly don't know--haven't been paying that much attention.
ReplyDeleteAs for Biden, I'm not sure if there is necessarily a "concerted effort" to take him down--I wonder if it might not be more of the "woodwork effect" (as in, someone comes forward with an accusation, and then they start coming out of the woodwork--which is in no way a judgment on the veracity of said accusations, just an observation on the way things usually go). And the timing might also just be a function of the accusers not being OK with a creep coming back into power--it might have been easier for them just to "let the past be the past" had Biden not decided to take center stage again. That might seem like splitting hairs, but it's more a question of motivation--even if the end result is the same.
At the same time, though, I can't deny that there certainly does seem to be a general fatigue on the left when it comes to old, rich white men. It's unlikely there is a simple, one-dimensional answer to this.
You could be right, but I think we're seeing a Kavanaugh effect, here. There was a "woodwork" dynamic during Kavanaugh's hearings, too, as you'll recall, although the accusations leveled against him came to nothing. That woodwork effect also seemed to have been time-released. With Biden, there's photographic evidence of creepiness (he puts the "penis" in "creepiness") going back years, but no one took any action... until now. Hmmm. Yeah, I still think the timing indicates a coordinated effort to take Biden down. As Styx just noted, Biden still hasn't actually thrown his hat in the ring, but he's currently polling as #1. Some say he'd be a fool to drop out now, despite the #MeToo blowback; others say he'd be a fool to join the race and suffer the inevitable shitstorm. Comedy gold either way.
ReplyDeleteI've been against Biden throwing his hat into the ring from the very beginning, even before this whole blowback. It's not necessarily that he's another rich old white dude, it's just... I mean, people like him, for whatever reason. Why wouldn't you want to just take the good will of the public and gracefully fade into obscurity? Why would you want to dive back into that hellish fray again? These are questions for which I find no convincing answer--which is probably why I will never be a politician.
ReplyDelete