Thread on Joe Biden CNN town hall

[drray23]

Let's comment on the town hall. It's being shown live on CNN.

[highplainsdem]

1. I'm struck again, as always, by how presidential Biden looks and sounds.

[Blue_true]

78. Yes, Joe does look like the prototypical movie President.

But he would be the real deal, and we need that right now.

[emmaverybo]

96. Oh yes. Yes to his fab look and yes we need his inner President too and now more than ever.

[highplainsdem]

2. And he has a great sense of humor, too. Making the audience laugh.

[drray23]

3. First questions about veterans.

First person asked him about extending GI benefits for life to all vets, not just after 2013 when a law was passed.
He said that he would attempt to do this.
Second question about providing support for returning vets with regards to mental health. Biden handled both questions very cogently. He is starting strong.

[Gothmog]

88. This was a great response

Link to tweet

[Cha]

99. Mahalo, Goth!

[drray23]

4. They have two chairs. One for Biden and one for the host.

None of them dare to sit yet..

[George II]

23. They both sat down during the break, about 25 minutes into the town hall.

[drray23]

24. Yep. Probably it was planned that way.nt.

[George II]

30. I guess it was just a rest - he stood up about five minutes later and then she followed.

[bullwinkle428]

5. I recall from the 2008 campaign how impressed I was with how he sounded in all

areas relating to foreign policy, and he still sounds pretty solid on this.

[highplainsdem]

8. Agree commpletely. And you should see the WSJ video interview on foreign policy he did a week ago:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287335003

[drray23]

6. Biden is outlining his policies regarding having troops abroad.

He does not want large scale deployments but instead advocate as smaller amounts of troops and non combat units dispatched around the world in strategic locations.

[UniteFightBack]

10. And we must get back with our allies and Joe Biden makes the most sense to do this. If someone

else was better at all this 'govermenting' then I'd be with them. I vote with my HEAD.

[Gothmog]

93. "Bring them back!"

Link to tweet

[drray23]

7. Biden : the house has to impeach.

We have to uphold the constitution, the house has to impeach.

[Gothmog]

89. The House has to enforce the Constitution

Link to tweet

[UniteFightBack]

9. He's kicking some muthafucking ass so far. nt

[Cha]

76. ..

[drray23]

11. He was ready for the Ukraine question.

Biden : " ..That chump Rudy Giuliani "

[Gothmog]

90. That was another truly great answer

Link to tweet

[highplainsdem]

12. Just refered to Giuliani as "that chump." LOL.

[BootinUp]

13. That was perfect. Nt

[George II]

25. And his thugs around him.

[Demsrule86]

85. I loved that.

[Gothmog]

95. LOL

Link to tweet

?s=20

[JoeOtterbein]

14. Please correct me if not so, but did Joe just say he expects the Senate to convict Trump if he...

...is impeached by the House?

[drray23]

16. No he did not say that.

He said that the senators won't necessarily all vote to protect Trump., they will vote according to their constituency. Hence. If public pressure keeps increasing and support for impeachment rises even more, it can become interesting...

[JoeOtterbein]

27. Thanks!

[ritapria]

21. I believe he said they might vote to convict

If they get pressure from the people back home …

[JoeOtterbein]

26. Thanks and...

...wow!

[highplainsdem]

15. Of Trump's defiance of Congress: "As my mother would say, who died and left him king?"

[highplainsdem]

17. LOL. "My 89 opponents who are running for the nomination..."

[drray23]

20. I wonder what the actual count is ?

He may not be that far off...

[TwilightZone]

41. 287, at last count.

https://ballotpedia.org/Presidential_candidates,_2020

Under "Declared presidential candidates by party"

And 109 Republicans.

[Cha]

100. Whoa!

[highplainsdem]

18. Now mocking Jeff Sessions' cringeworthy campaign video cowering before Trump.

[BootinUp]

19. Biden just confidently predicted some tRump ass whuppin '

[drray23]

22. Heavy question on personal grief.

He is praising the people who supported him during his tough times. Striking the perfect tone. People come to him on the campaign trail with personal tragedies and he connects. This man has a gigantic reservoir of empathy.

[doc03]

28. So far he doing great. I am sure the damn media is trying to

catch him at the least little mistake.

[MustLoveBeagles]

29. Well the CNN live stream doesn't work for me

I'll have to watch it later. Thank you for the updates everyone.

[highplainsdem]

31. Did it work at all, and just went out, or it never worked? If it worked at all I'd try the link

again.

[MustLoveBeagles]

37. It didn't work at all

It could be the settings on my computer. I'll try looking for it later.

[highplainsdem]

42. I'm sorry. I'll post links for the recorded video and the transcript as soon as I have them. I did

look very hard for multiple links to the live stream, as they had with the debate, in case any one link didn't work, but I couldn't find any but the one I posted.

[MustLoveBeagles]

51. I saw your other posting too late

I looked for links on my own and wasn't successful.

[drray23]

32. Biden getting animated about the fact Harris said he should run in the Republican primary.nt.

[ritapria]

33. Warren said he should run in GOP Primary

[drray23]

35. Yes sorry, I meant warren. Nt.

[brush]

83. Get it straight. That was Warren NOT Harris.

[Gothmog]

104. I agree with Joe

Link to tweet

?s=20

[drray23]

34. So much for detractors saying biden is no longer sharp.

So far, he is clearly demonstrating his mastery of topics and ability to connect on an emotional level to people. It's a masterclass in politics.

[doc03]

40. I don't get it people are concerned about his age, what is he 3 or 4 years older than Trump?

Maybe he should get a ridiculous looking blond wig.

[emmaverybo]

48. You well sum up his twin strengths demonstrated here.

[doc03]

36. Biden killing this town hall but I am surprised how little attention he is getting

on DU.

[highplainsdem]

39. See reply 38, which I'd meant to post as a reply to your reply 36.

[highplainsdem]

38. Many of the supporters of his rivals aren't happy he's getting this town hall and doing well.

I've been scanning Twitter as well (I have several tabs open as always) and I've seen complaints from Sanders supporters about how unfair this town hall is, that CNN is basically giving Biden a long commercial. This complaint seems to tie in with the new Quinnipiac poll showing Biden leading in NH.

[doc03]

46. In my opinion so far he is the only one of them that can win the EC and that

is all that counts. I don't care if they get 100% of the blue states vote they won't win unless they get the purple states.

[TexasTowelie]

65. So it's okay for CNN to have a town hall with Bernie,

but having a town hall with Joe Biden is a commercial?

[highplainsdem]

71. Apparently to those supporters it is.

[doc03]

79. CNN had a town hall with Tom Styer a couple days ago I see nothing

wrong with that. I wish I would have known it was on. I know little about him.

[TexasTowelie]

82. I don't have an issue with the town halls since they are a great way for the candidates to introduce

themselves to the candidates which is important for those who have little public exposure. Bernie decided to have his town hall relatively early in the campaign despite the fact that he really did not need to introduce himself to primary voters. From a strategic POV Bernie would have served himself better to wait and "introduce" himself later in the process as we grow closer to the primary dates and after other candidates withdrew. That was an "unforced error" by Bernie, so I don't see why his supporters are angry about the town hall that CNN had with Biden tonight who finally got "equal time" on CNN.

[Cha]

102. They must have thought

it was Good!

[drray23]

43. On DACA recipients

They are american now, they should be treated that way.

[Gothmog]

91. "They are Americans now. They should be treated as Americans now."

Link to tweet

[highplainsdem]

44. On DACA/Dreamers: "They are Americans now. They should be treated as Americans now."

[Gothmog]

92. I love that comment

Link to tweet

[Green Line]

45. Joe is kicking ass, so impressed with him tonight

[drray23]

47. He is generating so many quotable headlines.

It's going to be all over the media.

[highplainsdem]

49. Hope so. It should be.

[drray23]

50. Some idiots are yelling about climate change

After biden just committed to rejoin the Paris agreement and enact reforms to address it..

[highplainsdem]

54. Biden and Burnett handled the interruption well, though, and it shut down quickly.

[Qutzupalotl]

55. I couldn't make out what they were saying.

Something about 2050.

[highplainsdem]

63. See reply 58

[still_one]

56. Let me guess where those people are coming from

[Cha]

98. Right..

[still_one]

103. .........

[emmaverybo]

52. I am moved at how he connects with people and impressed at his clarity on a variety of issues.

He’s got that presidential je ne sais quoi in spades. His plans sound real, as in we can get this done!

[doc03]

53. I left the room for a minute, what were those people yelling? nt

[highplainsdem]

57. I didn't catch all of it, something about something being "too late." Haven't seen anything on

Twitter yet explaining it.

[highplainsdem]

58. Just found this from the Grinnell college paper:

Link to tweet

Protests erupt from students in the audience at @JoeBiden’s #CNNTownHall at @GrinnellCollege. “2050 is too late, climate chaos is our fate.” #Election2020

[peggysue2]

72. Think what they were yelling was . . .

Zero by 2050. Carbon emissions. It was during the Climate Change discussion.

[JoeOtterbein]

59. I can't watch. Any really hard questions and answers you heard yet?

Twitter not saying yet.

[drray23]

60. We chose science over fiction, we chose hope, we chose truth over lies.nt.

[Cha]

77. Yes We DID!

[W_HAMILTON]

61. Pretty strong performance from Biden.

[drray23]

62. Just concluded. He is immersed in the crowd mingling with the audience.nt.

[drray23]

64. So far pundits are saying it's his strongest performance to date.nt.

[peggysue2]

73. Then the pundits are being honest

It was full on Joe Biden--everything he knows, feels and thinks on a variety of subjects. He really lashed out at the Saudi's in reference to Khashoggi's murder. He said the man was butchered. Which, of course, he was although Trump would like everyone to forget about it.

[highplainsdem]

66. Kirsten Powers on Biden's performance: "The empathy factor was huge" in how he connected

with the audience.

[drray23]

68. Indeed. It was pouring across the tv screen.nt.

[highplainsdem]

67. John Aaravosis tweet:

Link to tweet

At the CNN town hall, Biden just got asked about personal loss. Gave one hell of an answer. Just incredibly empathetic. Again, mature, adult, smart, experienced, and decent man. That’s how he’s coming across. So far, this appearance is everything he could have hoped for.

[Cha]

74. It's so great to see all these

wonderful reviews for Biden, hpd!

I needed to take an important phone call from my daughter and missed the whole thing!

It's fun catching up, though!

[highplainsdem]

69. Bob Cesca tweet:

Link to tweet

Watching Biden’s CNN town hall. Not an endorsement by any stretch but his experience is on full display, one of his best nights so far. Sharp and presidential.

[texasfiddler]

70. I really like Biden

He had a good town hall. I’ve watched all of the top candidates in town halls. He relates to me. I can see why Obama picked him.

[wellst0nev0ter]

75. Biden cites Garland as proof of future Repuke cooperation

Former Vice President Joe Biden repeated his belief that Republicans will be more willing to work with Democrats if President Donald Trump loses the 2020 election.

But he also offered a contradictory example -- one that showed, as Biden’s Democratic rivals have frequently pointed out, that GOP lawmakers refused to cooperate with Democrats well before Trump became the party’s standard-bearer.

Biden pointed to former President Barack Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court in March 2016. Senate Republicans refused to give Garland a hearing.

“I called 12 Republicans and said, ‘What are you doing?’ Biden said. “I said, ‘You realize what you’re doing to the Constitution?’ They said, ‘We know, Joe, but here’s the deal: Joe, I’m in a state where if in fact the Koch brothers drop in $10, $12 million, I will lose the primary.’”

<snip>

Still, he said, “I honest to God believe, with Trump out of the way, you’re going to find people screwing up a lot more courage than they had before to say, ‘OK, OK, I can move now, I have more leeway.’”

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/joe-biden-cnn-town-hall/h_afdf2f916ac94a5410308fa7351128d9

Is there anyone here who is willing to endorse what he said?

[Blue_true]

84. I think that he is being wishful.

Which isn't a bad thing, but the only way to stop republicans from defiling the Constitution is to make sure that they don't get elected to office to begin with.

[LanternWaste]

105. You then believe that "9 million people are expendable"?

(I figure if you could lay that unsupported and irrelevant accusation at the feet of others, it would look just as valid at your own size tens. Six of one, half a dozen of the other)

[wellst0nev0ter]

106. Seriously, what?

[Cha]

80. The reviews are brilliant and it won't work

for anyone trying to get on this thread to spoil it.

[highplainsdem]

81. Alyssa Milano tweets:

Two tweets starting here:

Link to tweet

Biden was great tonight. I have some issues with him, I do, but I can’t deny that his empathy is what makes him an impactful leader. Also, the man is taking it from all sides right now and he is steadfast in his service and strength.

This was a better format for him. He shined.



And this is not an endorsement. Just respect.

[Cha]

86. Wow! Alyssa Milano gets it! Retweeted!

Thank you, !

Link to tweet

[OnDoutside]

101. Yes, that's actually an excellent point she made, I hadn't thought of it

like that.

[Gothmog]

87. Biden on Grief

Link to tweet

[Cha]

94. Thank you.

[emmaverybo]

97. Grief is a universal. Biden speaks its language and gives hope to all who have experienced it.

I like that he can talk foreign policy fluently one moment and about the deepest human experience the next.

[Otto Lidenbrock]

107. It sucks CNN don't upload the full event on their youtube

I've been trying to find a full video and there seems to be no recording. Just two minute clips on twitter.