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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 20:47:02 GMT
That is absolutely not true. Report said: "Our investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and DISCLOSED classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen." Biden’s practices “present serious risks to national security”. Then why didn’t the investigator recommend charges? You seem not to understand the difference between bad practice and a crime. This has been said here before, but the report said a jury would find Biden "a well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" That it would be "difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him --by then a former president well into his eighties-- of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfullness. "just won't "because his diminished faculties and faulty memory he showed in our interview with him."
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 20:58:43 GMT
No, that's NOT how that works. As a senator he was NOT ALLOWED to take the documents. As VP he was NOT ALLOWED to take the documents. Biden DID hide and lie about them. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Because for 6 years before that, when he thought no one was watching, he proved that he was just going to continue to hold onto them. Character is what you do when no one is watching. Piece of advice. Being the devout trump supporter that you are you should never ever use the word “character” in a conversation about another person. By doing so you leave yourself wide open to hearing about dumpster don’s lack of character, Wait, I thought tit for tat was frowned upon here by those that "outnumber" the Right?🤔 Biden DID hide and lie about them. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Because for 6 years before that, when Biden thought no one was watching, he proved that he was just going to continue to hold onto them. Character is what you do when no one is watching.
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Post by sideways on Feb 22, 2024 21:04:28 GMT
Character is what you do when no one is watching. Says the trump supporter. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
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Post by Merge on Feb 22, 2024 21:44:07 GMT
Then why didn’t the investigator recommend charges? You seem not to understand the difference between bad practice and a crime. This has been said here before, but the report said a jury would find Biden "a well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" That it would be "difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him --by then a former president well into his eighties-- of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfullness. "just won't "because his diminished faculties and faulty memory he showed in our interview with him." Mmmhmmm. Also because he cooperated and returned the documents. Unlike other people we could name.
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Post by onelasttime on Feb 22, 2024 21:57:26 GMT
Piece of advice. Being the devout trump supporter that you are you should never ever use the word “character” in a conversation about another person. By doing so you leave yourself wide open to hearing about dumpster don’s lack of character, Wait, I thought tit for tat was frowned upon here by those that "outnumber" the Right?🤔 Biden DID hide and lie about them. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Because for 6 years before that, when Biden thought no one was watching, he proved that he was just going to continue to hold onto them. Character is what you do when no one is watching. link. Note how I included the article from which I’m using a definition of character. Something rarely do. As for yout “”tit for tat”…. iMO you have always had a problem with your comparisons. I believe comparisons should be somewhat equal. Apples to apples type of thing. But your comparisons are more like comparing the actions of a goldfish to that of a killer whale. Then when they are challenged or even dismissed you throw a hissy fit. Joe Biden is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, no humans are as it’s not in our DNA to be perfect. Having said that when one honestly compares President Biden’s words and actions to that trump’s there is no equal comparison one can make. trump is in a class all of his own. There is a reason he has been listed as the worst president in this country’s history. And it was determined by HIS words and HIS actions which are true reflection of his character. I found this article for students to help you understand what character means. “The Difference Between “Having Good Character” and “Being a Good Person"From the article. Students often get confused by the difference between “having good character” and “being a good person.” There is definitely some overlap between these (many good people also have good character), but in the end, they are two distinct things. It all comes down to a person’s core values and to their motivations for acting as they do. In general, people who are considered to have good character often have traits like integrity, honesty, courage, loyalty, fortitude, and other important virtues that promote good behavior. These character traits define who they are as people—and highly influence the choices they make in their lives. Furthermore, a person with good character does the right thing because they believe it is the right thing to do. They don’t act because someone else is influencing or pressuring them to do so, and they don’t do something just because they want to look good in front of others. They take the right action because it is important to them to live life according to their personal values.”
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jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,617
Jun 26, 2014 21:55:15 GMT
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Post by jayfab on Feb 22, 2024 22:01:05 GMT
Piece of advice. Being the devout trump supporter that you are you should never ever use the word “character” in a conversation about another person. By doing so you leave yourself wide open to hearing about dumpster don’s lack of character, Wait, I thought tit for tat was frowned upon here by those that "outnumber" the Right?🤔 Biden DID hide and lie about them.Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Because for 6 years before that, when Biden thought no one was watching, he proved that he was just going to continue to hold onto them. Character is what you do when no one is watching.Hmmm, I am not finding any info that when the fbi searched his places President Biden went and hid them, maybe in a bathroom. Can you point us to that info?
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 22:27:35 GMT
Character is what you do when no one is watching. Says the trump supporter. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 As expected from you... nothing but smear when you don’t like the facts.
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 22:31:01 GMT
He had classified documents from when he was a senator that he was not allowed to have. Also from when he was VP that he was allowed to have. He had them, KNEW he had them in 2017, AND showed them to at least one person. So did Mike Pence. Should he be charged for something? ✌️second time I can not find evidence of that. Do you have a link to that?
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 22:38:12 GMT
Wait, I thought tit for tat was frowned upon here by those that "outnumber" the Right?🤔 Biden DID hide and lie about them.Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Because for 6 years before that, when Biden thought no one was watching, he proved that he was just going to continue to hold onto them. Character is what you do when no one is watching.Hmmm, I am not finding any info that when the fbi searched his places President Biden went and hid them, maybe in a bathroom. Can you point us to that info? Again, right there in what you quoted. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. For 6 years as he continued to hold onto the classified documents HE PROVED he had no intention of doing the right thing. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. He kept the fact a secret from the authorities and had no intention of handing them over. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge.
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 22:38:59 GMT
This has been said here before, but the report said a jury would find Biden "a well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" That it would be "difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him --by then a former president well into his eighties-- of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfullness. "just won't "because his diminished faculties and faulty memory he showed in our interview with him." Mmmhmmm. Also because he cooperated and returned the documents. Unlike other people we could name. I didn't see that mentioned as a reason.
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jayfab
Drama Llama
procastinating
Posts: 5,617
Jun 26, 2014 21:55:15 GMT
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Post by jayfab on Feb 22, 2024 22:41:36 GMT
Hmmm, I am not finding any info that when the fbi searched his places President Biden went and hid them, maybe in a bathroom. Can you point us to that info? Again, right there in what you quoted. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. For 6 years as he continued to hold onto the classified documents HE PROVED he had no intention of doing the right thing. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. He kept the fact a secret from the authorities and had no intention of handing them over. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Ok, cool, you can't show where when the fbi came knocking he hurried up and ran to hide them to prevent the fbi from locating them. Maybe his home doesn't have bathrooms.
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 22, 2024 22:49:30 GMT
Again, right there in what you quoted. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. For 6 years as he continued to hold onto the classified documents HE PROVED he had no intention of doing the right thing. Biden KNEW in 2017 that he had them and didn't say a word to the people that needed to know. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. He kept the fact a secret from the authorities and had no intention of handing them over. The ONLY reason he cooperated now, was because it became public knowledge. Ok, cool, you can't show where when the fbi came knocking he hurried up and ran to hide them to prevent the fbi from locating them. Maybe his home doesn't have bathrooms. I know you want so badly to negate the fact that Biden knew for at least 6 years that he had classified documents and had no intention of turning them over. But you can’t.
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Post by onelasttime on Feb 22, 2024 23:30:05 GMT
Ok, cool, you can't show where when the fbi came knocking he hurried up and ran to hide them to prevent the fbi from locating them. Maybe his home doesn't have bathrooms. I know you want so badly to negate the fact that Biden knew for at least 6 years that he had classified documents and had no intention of turning them over. But you can’t. Where is your proof that he knew he had them the entire time? Did he admit he knew he had them and knew for the entire 6 years? Or were the documents discovered when his attorneys went through the boxes and upon finding them contacted the proper parties to let them know what they found. They could have been boxed by mistake. How do you know they weren’t? Is this in the report? If so why didn’t you post the information backing up what you are claiming? Inquiring minds want to know!
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 23, 2024 0:01:29 GMT
I know you want so badly to negate the fact that Biden knew for at least 6 years that he had classified documents and had no intention of turning them over. But you can’t. Where is your proof that he knew he had them the entire time? Did he admit he knew he had them and knew for the entire 6 years? Or were the documents discovered when his attorneys went through the boxes and upon finding them contacted the proper parties to let them know what they found. They could have been boxed by mistake. How do you know they weren’t? Is this in the report? If so why didn’t you post the information backing up what you are claiming? Inquiring minds want to know! "The report said federal investigators found a box labeled “mark Z” and that a recorded conversation with Zwonitzer in 2017 included Biden telling the ghostwriter that he’d “just found all the classified stuff downstairs,” referring to a home he was renting in Virginia." NBC
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 23, 2024 0:07:25 GMT
I can not find evidence of that. Do you have a link to that? He had classified documents from when he was a senator that he was not allowed to have. Also from when he was VP that he was allowed to have. He had them, KNEW he had them in 2017, AND showed them to at least one person. So did Mike Pence. Should he be charged for something? 🤟 Third time I can not find evidence of that. Do you have a link to that? To quote you: "If so why didn’t you post the information backing up what you are claiming? Inquiring minds want to know!"
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Post by sunshine on Feb 23, 2024 0:13:02 GMT
Were we ever told how joey was able to steal documents when he was a senator? Senators aren’t permitted to remove anything from a SCIF, yet he did.
I’d love a link to his explanation.
Thanks!
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Post by onelasttime on Feb 23, 2024 3:50:27 GMT
So did Mike Pence. Should he be charged for something? I can not find evidence of that. Do you have a link to that? linkIt took me less than 90 seconds to find this. Be honest you just want to put shit out there with no verifying articles or facts. There is a lot more but you can look it up yourself. AP ” New classified document found in FBI search of Pence home”
From The article….
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI discovered an additional document with classified markings at former Vice President Mike Pence ’s Indiana home during a search Friday, following the discovery by his lawyers last month of sensitive government documents there. Pence adviser Devin O’Malley said the Department of Justice completed “a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours” and removed “one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice president’s counsel.” The search, described as consensual after negotiations between Pence’s representatives and the Justice Department, comes after he was subpoenaed in a separate investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and as Pence contemplates a Republican bid for the White House in 2024.
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 23, 2024 4:25:24 GMT
Were we ever told how joey was able to steal documents when he was a senator? Senators aren’t permitted to remove anything from a SCIF, yet he did. I’d love a link to his explanation. Thanks! I'd love to see that explanation too.🤔
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Post by morecowbell on Feb 23, 2024 4:37:06 GMT
I can not find evidence of that. Do you have a link to that? linkIt took me less than 90 seconds to find this. Be honest you just want to put shit out there with no verifying articles or facts. There is a lot more but you can look it up yourself. AP ” New classified document found in FBI search of Pence home”
From The article….
“WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI discovered an additional document with classified markings at former Vice President Mike Pence ’s Indiana home during a search Friday, following the discovery by his lawyers last month of sensitive government documents there. Pence adviser Devin O’Malley said the Department of Justice completed “a thorough and unrestricted search of five hours” and removed “one document with classified markings and six additional pages without such markings that were not discovered in the initial review by the vice president’s counsel.” The search, described as consensual after negotiations between Pence’s representatives and the Justice Department, comes after he was subpoenaed in a separate investigation into efforts by former President Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and as Pence contemplates a Republican bid for the White House in 2024 BFD It took you less than 90 seconds to find an article that does not support your claim. It doesn't say one damn thing about Pence showing his classified documents to anyone. That is exactly what you did. Nothing to back up your claim. Then provided an article that still doesn't back up your claim.
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 11:48:33 GMT
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 11:49:31 GMT
BREAKING: Legendary MSNBC anchor Lawrence O'Donnell destroys the Republican smear attacks on Joe Biden's age, says they have "a complete and utter misunderstanding of the work of the presidency."
But it gets even better...
In a fiery new viral segment, O'Donnell dismissed the "notion that Biden is too old" because the job of the president is to "make decisions, not speeches."
"History writes about the decisions," said O'Donnell. "That’s what matters. If you have worked in government you know that because speechmaking is the only thing that the news media is allowed to watch" so the media "insists that that must be important."
"It's just like the Super Bowl. You can remember what Patrick Mahomes did on the field but you can't remember a word of his speech and that's for a very good reason. The job is on the field," he went on.
"Everyone who sees Joe Biden doing his job behind closed doors says he is fully capable to do that job and is good at that job — including former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy who, though he disagrees with Joe Biden, always thought President Biden was fully capable when he was in the room negotiating with him last year," said O'Donnell.
"Last year when Joe Biden managed to do what seemed impossible and convinced the Republican Speaker of the House to go along with a deal that would prevent the United States of America from defaulting on its debt for the first time in history and violating the debt ceiling," O'Donnell went on. "It looked impossible at the outset but Joe Biden did it."
Well said! Despite the constant attacks from MAGA world and the nonstop lies, Joe Biden's record speaks for itself. The economy is booming, infrastructure is growing, and our rights are secured. He is, by every metric, a historic success.
Four more years!
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 11:54:45 GMT
You’re grasping at straws if you’re going after President Biden for classified documents. Not to mention the hypocrisy of criticizing what Biden did but supporting Trump and remaining silent on his classified documents. Even Hur explained the simple difference between Biden and Trump. President Biden fully cooperated. Trump did not. He refused to return documents and tried to hide them. apnews.com/article/classified-documents-biden-trump-special-counsel-b5589ea8f066ede51c8138665f108f7aHur concluded there is not enough evidence to convict Biden of “willfully” retaining the Afghanistan documents or the notebooks. When the Afghanistan documents were found in the garage in 2022, Biden was allowed to have them because he was president at the time, the report said. To bring charges, Hur said prosecutors would have to rely on a comment that Biden had made to his ghostwriter in 2017 — when Biden was a private citizen and living in Virginia — that he had “just found” classified documents downstairs.
But Hur said Biden could convince some jurors his actions weren’t willful by arguing, for example, that he forgot about the documents shortly after finding them in 2017. It’s also possible the Afghanistan documents were never in the Virginia home at all, but were accidently kept without Biden’s knowledge in Delaware since he was vice president, Hur concluded.
Hur also cited limitations with Biden’s memory and the president’s cooperation with investigators that “could convince some jurors that he made an innocent mistake. The report described the president as “someone for whom jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt.”
Regarding the notebooks containing classified information, Hur concluded that Biden could plausibly argue if there were a trial that he believed that the notebooks were his personal property and he was allowed to take them home.
“During our interview of him, Mr. Biden was emphatic, declaring that his notebooks are ‘my property’ and that ‘every president before me has done the exact same thing,’ that is, kept handwritten classified materials after leaving office,” the report said.
Other classified documents found at the Penn Biden Center, Biden’s Delaware home, and among Senate papers at the University of Delaware “could plausibly have been brought to these locations by mistake,” Hur concluded.
Hur’s report says the differences between the two cases are “clear.” Unlike Biden — who cooperated with investigators, agreed to searches of his homes and sat for a voluntary interview — the allegations in Trump’s case present “serious aggravating facts,” Hur wrote.
“Most notably, after being given multiple chances to return classified documents and avoid prosecution, Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite,” the report said.
For instance, prosecutors say, after the Justice Department issued a subpoena for the records in May 2022, Trump asked his own lawyers if he could defy the request and said words to the effect of, “I don’t want anybody looking through my boxes.”
“Wouldn’t it be better if we just told them we don’t have anything here?” one of his lawyers described him as saying, according to the indictment. In the Southern District of Florida federal criminal case against Trump before Judge Cannon, Trump just filed a motion claiming absolute presidential immunity for stealing classified documents at Mar-A-Lago essentially arguing to Judge Cannon that not only did he telepathically declassify sensitive national defense info when in office (eg nuclear weapon info, war plans, foreign govt weapons system) and with no paper trail but he then also converted this national defense info into his own personal property under the Presidential Records Act (which actually says the opposite of what Trump claims) such that not only are America’s most sensitive documents magically declassified placing our military and foreign assets in danger, but that the documents now belong to Trump personally and not the United States and therefore he should get absolute presidential immunity for his telepathic declassification and personal seizure of national defense info because it fell within the outer perimeter of his official duties
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 11:57:40 GMT
This is what you’re supporting when you support Trump or today’s Republican Party
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 12:14:19 GMT
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Post by gar on Feb 23, 2024 12:21:27 GMT
He wants to get rid of the Dept of Education??? But one person is going to sit at a desk and make sure 'everyone' speaks English Well that sounds like a sound plan
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Post by sunshine on Feb 23, 2024 13:12:02 GMT
Oh lookie-a lefty void of curiosity.
The whole world knows Trump had documents. As did Biden. As did Pence.
But damn, don't wonder how a sitting Senator was able to actually steal documents. I mean...did he yell squirrel!!! and then shove them down his pants? Did someone help him? Never mind, he's too old and decrepit to find that out. But hey, good choice for President!
I'm guessing the legendary Lawrence O'Donnell didn't have any info on that.
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Post by compeateropeator on Feb 23, 2024 13:47:48 GMT
Oh lookie-a lefty void of curiosity.
The whole world knows Trump had documents. As did Biden. As did Pence.
But damn, don't wonder how a sitting Senator was able to actually steal documents. I mean...did he yell squirrel!!! and then shove them down his pants? Did someone help him? Never mind, he's too old and decrepit to find that out. But hey, good choice for President!
I'm guessing the legendary Lawrence O'Donnell didn't have any info on that. Well just to weigh-in with my conspiracy theory, even if it doesn’t make sense to some (because those seem plentiful these days), and I don’t want to be accused of not playing. 😄 They followed the job. He had the documents in his senate office (legally or not…couldn’t tell you so I admit my theory has a break down here) which they loaded all into boxes at the last minute and moved into the VP Office. From there they made it to hanging out with the corvette. This theory has no relevance to being someone who has moved offices (sometimes to different departments) and may or may not have to admit to ending up moving stuff I shouldn’t. If this might of happened…when found stuff was returned if required or properly disposed of. 😉
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 15:05:55 GMT
Trump might be in real financial trouble. Fewer donations and massive fines to pay. He would never receive a security clearance and a private citizen and should never be trusted with national, nuclear or military secrets. He will sell them to the highest bidder, if he hasn’t already.
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 15:13:49 GMT
Last night alone, Trump talked about making Israel the capital of Israel stumbled when he tried to say evangelical - too many syllables for him rambled nonsensically about baseball fields being taken away, Knocker fields, very serious ranted about "Evil Joe Biden" persecuting Christians and migrants poring over "steak mountain" praised "J6 hostages" for their tremendous spirit talked about ending Roe and how everyone on both sides agreed with the decision (he's delusional is he thinks that's true) talked about forcing school prayer bizarrely commented - you have men, you have women, you have religion was clearly in his fake pretend to be a Christian mode - God is here and he's watching and probably can't believe what he's seeing Mueller should have known there was no collusion because Hunter Biden's laptop
The more the Democrats put a spotlight on Trump's craziness, the worse it will be for Trump. Policy, criminal indictments, unfitness and the danger to democracy aside, who wants to listen to 4 more years of his rambling, incoherent speeches?
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Post by aj2hall on Feb 23, 2024 15:56:46 GMT
This is what a lot of the concern about Biden's age is really about, the potential for a black female president. In the Washington Post, George Will extrapolated and equated VP Harris with a one term VP from 80 years ago with communist ties. His opinion was insulting and a dog whistle. No evidence needed, President Biden should just dump her. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/02/23/franklin-roosevelt-changed-running-mates/Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett was on a podcast for the Meidas Touch Network and explained the ageist attacks against President Joe Biden. We all saw how Republicans lost their shit when we had our first Black President in office; well, imagine how they'd feel about a Black woman as President -- Kamala Harris. They're afraid she will ascend to power, and they can't have that.
"The only reason that MAGA can see a Black or a woman that is in power, let alone a Black woman, is if, for some reason, we were given a handout when the reality is that we have to work 10 times as hard as our white male counterparts to get anywhere in this life," the Texas Democrat explained.
She said that Trump got into power with his dubious history whereas a Black woman wouldn't stand a chance "because if that had been a Black woman that had the number of affairs, that had the number of marriages, that had the number of baby mamas that Trump had, then they would never be there."
"In fact, a Black woman being vice president is too much for them," she continued. "They want to pretend as if they are so concerned about Joe Biden's age because he's senile or he's a criminal mastermind, one of the two. So that concerns them."
"What their real concern is that there's a Black woman that is behind him," she said. "They are concerned that if he passes away, a Black woman will ascend to power. And let me tell you, she is a beyond capable Black woman and I will stand on that any day of the week because I personally have had the ability to interact with the vice president on more than one occasion."
"But more importantly than that, what most people don't know, and one of the first things that I told her when I was sworn in and I had an opportunity to meet her, was that she inspired me," she continued. "As a young Black lawyer, she was my first inspiration to run for my first elected office because she was elected as a prosecutor as the first Black woman out there in the Bay Area."
"And I saw this as a young Black lawyer," Crockett said. "She inspired me. I truly don't know that I would be in politics today, but for my initial inspiration, being her, and then followed by that of me also being inspired by Barack Obama. So yes, representation does matter."
"And there are those that don't want people like me to be exactly who I am every single day of the week, an educated, a passionate Black woman that is going to fight not only for Black folk, but I'm going to fight for people that historically have been disenfranchised, forgotten about, or just kicked while they were down."www.durangoherald.com/articles/talk-about-bidens-age-is-code/‘Talk about Biden’s age is code’ Sunday, Jan 14, 2024 4:00 AM Roberts, Bill It was never my intention to become an expert on language and I make no claim to be one. But it is hard to spend a quarter of a century reading and editing written opinions without developing some sense of how things are said – and what is really meant.
Take Joe Biden’s age. When people wring their hands over the president’s advancing age that is not what they are talking about at all. Talk about Biden’s age is code.
People on the left tend to lapse into jargon, which can be annoying or laughable. Those on the right tend to prefer code, which can be more dangerous in that it is often less obvious.
But the code here is clear. Every time the phrase “Biden’s age” is repeated, simply think: “Oh no! We could have a Black woman as president!”
To understand how obvious that is, simply look at the context. We are hearing a lot about whether Biden is infirm or losing it, and how old he will be if he serves out another term. And in another race that would be legitimate. Biden, after all, is 81 and the oldest president this country has ever had.
And who was the oldest president before Biden? Donald Trump. And if Trump wins back the Oval Office on Inauguration Day, he will be the same age as Biden was when he was sworn in.
This whole issue would make sense if Biden were facing someone in his or her prime. Say, someone like Bill Clinton who was 46 when he took office, or George W. Bush, who was 54. (Both of whom are slightly younger than Trump.)
But at Trump and Biden’s stage of life, a four-year age difference is nothing. Other factors such as heredity, diet, exercise – of the mind as well as the body – and old-fashioned luck play bigger roles than the calendar.
The Bible says a man’s lot is three score and 10, and those of us who have cleared that mark are reminded daily that things change over time. What may have been easy 50, 20 or even just a few years ago can be challenging.
And most of us get used to stumbling a bit, often like Biden both physically and verbally. Every once in a while, the right word is not there and names can be elusive. Conversations from the 1970s are clear, but what was said this morning may not be.
Any honest assessment, however, should also factor in the good stuff. People do learn from experience and most of us old folks are indeed wiser than we were in our youth.
That goes beyond simply not doing the stupid and foolish things that could have (should have?) gotten many of us killed back in the day. It is remembering how things work, what to do in certain circumstances, how to talk about delicate matters and, perhaps most important, when to shut up.
In the current situation, that is most apparent with Biden. He has been in and around Washington and the federal government for more than 50 years. He knows how it works and how to make it work.
U.S. life expectancy for a white male these days is roughly 77, which suggests that perhaps neither Biden nor Trump will make it to 2028. We do not yet know who Trump’s running mate will be, but if Biden is re-elected, that would indeed mean that a woman of color could be our next president.
Voters will have to decide whether to risk a Black woman or accept an orange man.
From 1990 to 2017, Bill Roberts was Opinion editor at The Durango Herald. wordinblack.com/2024/02/its-not-about-bidens-age-its-about-race-and-gender/It’s Not About Biden’s Age. It’s About Race and Gender Fear of a Kamala Harris presidency is what’s really behind the nonstop chatter about how old President Biden is. It’s election season, and we’re hearing more talk and chatter about the age of Joe Biden and how it could impact his ability to lead the country.
Yes, Joe Biden is 81. However, we need to ask ourselves why there is a narrative around his age, which started before he was elected during the last presidential election cycle. Many of us have people in our own families — who are just as old, if not older, than Joe Biden — who are in great shape, and in some cases may outlive many of us, and from a cognitive standpoint, are as sharp as tack.
When it comes to representation and leadership, currently, three U.S. senators are older than Joe Biden: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who will turn 82 on Feb. 20; Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who will turn 83 in September; and the oldest member of the Senate, Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who will turn 91 in September.
In addition, there are currently eight members of Congress who are older than Biden: Danny K. Davis, 82; Jim Clyburn, 83; Nancy Pelosi, 83; Steny Hoyer, 84; Maxine Waters, 85; Hal Rogers, 85; Bill Pascrell, 86; and Grace Napolitano, 86. Eleven people in total are older than Joe Biden. Yet, we don’t see the mainstream media and political talking heads questioning their age, their ability to make decisions, lead the country, or their knowledge of domestic and international politics.
What is behind the buzz about Joe Biden’s age? Kamala Harris.
While most of them are not constantly in the public eye, I can assure you that many walk just as slowly, if not slower, and more gingerly than Joe Biden. What would they say about Mitch McConnell if they had to watch him side-waddle from Air Force One to the White House? Republicans would probably have you believe that his walking posture, in some way, is a precautionary form of physical therapy to help maintain his posture, flexibility, and agility.
So what is behind the buzz about Joe Biden’s age? Kamala Harris.
The righteous people in this country do not want to see a woman, especially a Black woman, as the face of freedom and democracy for the United States. As second in command, Kamala Harris would take over the duties of the presidency if something happened to Joe Biden while in office.
When we look at Nikki Haley, people wonder why she is still in the race to be the Republican nominee, even though she has no chance of winning. She is still in the race because she’s not running against Donald Trump. She’s in the race to strike fear in the hearts of Americans who cannot stomach the thought of a Black woman running the country that their forefathers so valiantly protected from being a place that they could not solely control.
Why is Nikki Haley talking about Kamala Harris on the campaign trail? Because she and the Republican establishment are trying to make race an issue, while Donald Trump tries to sway as many Black folks and other ethnic groups to support him as the “best candidate to support their interest.”
What is also interesting to me is that people will try to cast Barack Obama as the worst president that we’ve had — while also trying to make a case for Donald Trump being the best. Again, this is an attempt to say that a Black man was not up to the task, and the Make America Great Again candidate is the best thing for America since Jim Crow.
This race is not about age. It’s about gender and race.
While I won’t debate who was better and who was worse, I will ask you to take a deep look at the economy and the quality of life based on the last six presidencies:
George H.W. Bush: bad economy, country at war Bill Clinton: great economy, country no longer at war George W. Bush: bad economy, country at war Barack Obama: saved the economy from disaster and ended his term with a great and growing economy, took out Osama bin Laden Donald Trump: inherited a great economy and ruined it, and created an environment of racial tension in America not seen since the Jim Crow era Joe Biden: saved the economy from disaster, and successfully navigated the country through COVID-19 While I’m not a person who gets caught up in party labels, I am a person who looks at history, and what history will tell us is that we have to get away from scare tactics and inaccuracies when it comes to voting. History will tell us that race and politics have always been a bad combination for America, especially Black America.
This race is not about age. It’s about gender and race. After all, Donald Trump, who will be 78 in June, is the same age as Joe Biden during the last presidential election, and no one is talking about his age the way they were and are about Joe Biden. But I suspect it would quickly become an issue if he chose Tim Scott of South Carolina as his running mate.
Look at the big-ticket domestic political items targeted by Donald Trump and the Republicans — Affirmative Action, DEI, and a woman’s right to choose. The reality is that these are the tips of the iceberg as they relate to their political agenda, and they are eager to regain the momentum for their agenda that they enjoyed while Trump was in office.
Knowing that the goal of winning the presidential election is based on raising the hairs of bias, racism, and sexism on the back of the necks of those who wish to “take back” our country is a sign we all need to pay close attention to.
Vote based on who you believe best represents your interest, not on who you believe will serve out the full term or not. Tomorrow is not guaranteed, not even for the president of the United States — no matter who they are.Chris B. Bennett is CEO and Publisher of The Seattle Medium Newspaper Group and a founding member of Word In Black.
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