Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
Editorials & Other Articles
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What the hell is wrong with you people, are you purposely trying to set us up to lose this election [View all]emulatorloo
(45,728 posts)9. ' Amid allegations of Biden's decline, no one can point to anything he's done wrong as a consequence of aging'
Ive posted this a few times, but it is a bottom line truth.
Amid allegations of Bidens decline, no one can point to anything hes done wrong as a consequence of aging
Ageism doesnt require proof.
https://www.editorialboard.com/amid-allegations-of-bidens-decline-no-one-can-point-to-anything-hes-done-wrong-as-a-consequence-of-aging/
If theres one word that can describe the Biden administration all the way up to last weeks disastrous debate, its orderly public servants running the federal government according to the law and Bidens preferred policies. If, on the basis of that disastrous debate, you no longer think Biden can be president, you must reckon with the fact that he has been the president. If you think hes been showing signs of mental decline for months, you must reckon with the fact that no one can point to a single mistake hes made during all that time.
And because no one can point to a serious, consequential, unforced error that is the result of his alleged mental deterioration, we must conclude something thats distasteful to conclude. Maybe the disastrous debate says more about us than it does about Biden. It showed us something none of us has seen before, a president aging in public view. And our reaction to it showed us something else that it doesnt matter how accomplished you are, how good you are, how decent you are, how deserving you are if youre old, youre done.
Nows the time to answer
Ageism seems to be the root of most of the reaction to the presidents performance. Normal aging, like losing your train of thought, cant and wont be tolerated. (If Biden shows several mental lapses, or even just one, its over.) Because discrimination against the old is so common, and because weakness, which is associated with age, is so commonly despised in politics, most of the reaction seemed rather reasonable.
And because most of the reaction seemed rather reasonable, a lot of liberals and Democrats lost their nerve. We let the Times editorial board and its columnists, including liberals, undermine our confidence in ourselves. And we let it happen, in part, because we did not fully appreciate the ageist lens through which we watched the debate.
Liberals and Democrats spent more time talking about what other people think of Biden and not enough time talking about what we think. That allowed rather reasonable arguments rooted in ageism to go unanswered. But that was then. Nows the time to answer them.
And because no one can point to a serious, consequential, unforced error that is the result of his alleged mental deterioration, we must conclude something thats distasteful to conclude. Maybe the disastrous debate says more about us than it does about Biden. It showed us something none of us has seen before, a president aging in public view. And our reaction to it showed us something else that it doesnt matter how accomplished you are, how good you are, how decent you are, how deserving you are if youre old, youre done.
Nows the time to answer
Ageism seems to be the root of most of the reaction to the presidents performance. Normal aging, like losing your train of thought, cant and wont be tolerated. (If Biden shows several mental lapses, or even just one, its over.) Because discrimination against the old is so common, and because weakness, which is associated with age, is so commonly despised in politics, most of the reaction seemed rather reasonable.
And because most of the reaction seemed rather reasonable, a lot of liberals and Democrats lost their nerve. We let the Times editorial board and its columnists, including liberals, undermine our confidence in ourselves. And we let it happen, in part, because we did not fully appreciate the ageist lens through which we watched the debate.
Liberals and Democrats spent more time talking about what other people think of Biden and not enough time talking about what we think. That allowed rather reasonable arguments rooted in ageism to go unanswered. But that was then. Nows the time to answer them.
Edit history
Please sign in to view edit histories.
Recommendations
10 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):
35 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
RecommendedHighlight replies with 5 or more recommendations

What the hell is wrong with you people, are you purposely trying to set us up to lose this election [View all]
Peacetrain
Jul 2024
OP
Ageism will be the death of us all. Tomorrow IS promised to NO ONE and there is simply not one predictable
hlthe2b
Jul 2024
#1
' Amid allegations of Biden's decline, no one can point to anything he's done wrong as a consequence of aging'
emulatorloo
Jul 2024
#9
American voters just don't do landslides anymore. That is unrealistic of Schiff.
emulatorloo
Jul 2024
#8
However you want to frame it, is ok with me... I suggest it's about fear down ticket
Model35mech
Jul 2024
#17
Not to mention, the gods forbid, something happens to Joe in the next couple of years. SHES RIGHT THERE!!!
Cheezoholic
Jul 2024
#16
You can bet that elected Democrats are more in touch with the situation than us
oldmanlynn
Jul 2024
#19
Yeap!!! This, in my opinion, has been one of the achiles heel of the Democratic party, they hit on their own
Escurumbele
Jul 2024
#21