For anyone who wants to see video of the Biden AFT town hall moment sparking faux(?) outrage

[highplainsdem]

Last edited Tue May 28, 2019, 10:34 PM - Edit history (1)

tonight -- where he tells a young girl who'd asked him a question that he bets she's as bright as she is good-looking -- I want to put that comment in the full context of a SEVEN MINUTE encounter, with that remark toward the end of it.

You'll see that minutes BEFORE he tells her that, he praises her for her poise and her courage, AND he tells her HE HOPES SHE'LL REMEMBER HIM WHEN SHE'S PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.



This is the full video of the town hall posted by AFT on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/AFTunion/videos/462780420932283/?s=1470263233&v=e&sfns=mo

where Biden's encounter with this girl, his answer to her question, and her introducing her to the media, lasts OVER 7 MINUTES, from about 44 minutes into the videos to just over 51 minutes in.

Look at ALL of this.

Biden's critics have used a tiny video clip to try to make it seem as if he just walked up to the kid and said those words, which were instead toward the end of the encounter, and after he contrasted her poise to his own problems with stuttering at the same age.

I'd originally linked to a tweet by a RWer I'd normally never link to, just because it contains the very short video clip people are bitching about and I difn't have time to go through the entire town hall video to get the exact time.

I decided to take the time.

This was the misleading tweet from RWer Ryan Saavedra:

Link to tweet

Note, please, that even in that clip, the audience of teachers is laughing and applauding.

Note, too, the ecstatic look on that girl's face as Biden introduces her to the journalists covering the event.

And THIS is what some on the right, and unfortunately also on the left, want to attack Biden for.

Shame on them.

[elleng]

1. Thanks.

It's the FREE PRESS.

[Cha]

2. Thanks.. of course the rwingers are attacking

Biden on this.

[highplainsdem]

23. I wish it were only RWers, but unfortunately some Democrats are doing this as well.

[Cha]

32. I know.. some latch on

to anything no matter how non-existent.

As you know emmaverybo said it brilliantly..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=134494

[Cha]

3. Biden takes a question from a ten year old who tells him her favorite subject in school is..

Link to tweet

You notice how this reporter tweeting on the same girl does not have 1000s of engagements. Because this tweet outlines a bit of context whereas the other frames it as "slightly odd" as if Biden literally picked a girl out, commented on her looks and paraded her to the press.

No. Biden was at a teacher town hall. The topic was education. The mic went round to the girl. Biden asked what her favorite subject is. She answered journalism. Biden shows her the journalists at the back who she can aspire to and he says how important a free press is.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=134203

[Merlot]

52. And he has his hands on her shoulders.

[Cha]

54. So What?!

[AJT]

4. That stuff involving a girls looks needs to stop.

No one says to boys "I'll bet you're as smart as you are good looking".

He needs to figure that out.

[spooky3]

5. I agree. Nt

[Thekaspervote]

33. Oh you stop! Your perpetuating things!! Just what the right is hoping

[AJT]

45. I have heard this junk all of my life. It is belittling.

[IluvPitties]

39. Boys are called handsome all the time.

[AJT]

44. Not with the inclusion of their intelligence.

[Merlot]

51. Agreed.

[George II]

6. Thanks. They lifted five or six INNOCENT seconds out of that and are using it to attack Biden. WTF?

[Cha]

11. Sigh.. Yeah.. that tweet was deliberately taken out of context..

Link to tweet

You notice how this reporter tweeting on the same girl does not have 1000s of engagements. Because this tweet outlines a bit of context whereas the other frames it as "slightly odd" as if Biden literally picked a girl out, commented on her looks and paraded her to the press.

No. Biden was at a teacher town hall. The topic was education. The mic went round to the girl. Biden asked what her favorite subject is. She answered journalism. Biden shows her the journalists at the back who she can aspire to and he says how important a free press is.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=134203

[Merlot]

53. He shouldn't have said it. There is no context missing.

[Cha]

55. Sez you.. most of the forum does NOT

agree.

[Cha]

7. I'm always telling people they "look good!" boys, men,

women, girls, babies!

[highplainsdem]

8. I've edited the OP to tell people where to find the 7-MINUTE encounter in the full video of the town

hall.

[George II]

15. Good job, thanks very much.

[left-of-center2012]

9. God forbid Biden ever ...

God forbid Biden ever helps an elderly lady across a street.
The Biden haters will be calling for his head!

[George II]

16. Yes, the headline would be "preying on the elderly and defenseless!"

[TheRealistRealist]

10. Sorry but...

I do not see how any parent would be comfortable with a male stranger touching their child (especially daughters) in this way. Please stop this Joe.

[Demsrule86]

12. At a rally in front of people? Seriously...won't work.

but keep it up so entertaining ....really.

[TheRealistRealist]

18. What are you talking about?

I stated my opinion in regards to any strange man touching a child in this manner and I stand by it. He needs to stop doing this because we can't afford any unnecessary distractions. And you need to stop looking at your fav through rose colored glasses. Candidates need to be told of their flaws before the general election. They are not gods and I am not a cult member.

[oasis]

24. Joe Biden isn't "any strange man" he's a former U.S. VP. The

kid was most likely informed who he was by her parents who brought her to the the event to see him.

[TheRealistRealist]

25. You sound just like Trump and Bernie supporters who refuse to see any of their flaws

My opinion stays the same. And this is the best time for candidates to work on their flaws. Keep looking through those rose colored glasses.

[oasis]

27. If by characterizing Joe Biden as "any strange man" is

your opinion, then by all means, run with it.

[Demsrule86]

48. He is not a 'strange' man. Everyone knows who he is...and I watched the entire video ...not the

doctored video and all I have to say this will backfire. And those who post this stuff do our side no good.

[Hortensis]

50. And MY opinion, The, is that you should just say no

to unnecessarily spreading RW smears.

You need to be aware that the feelings you claim are overly dark and not how most sensible, balanced adults feel when they see good people touching children in kindness.

This is a nice thing, what we want more of in a nice world:



Opportunistic RW smears on this are NOT nice. In fact, they're genuinely evil.

Our job is to defeat the kind of people who are literally kidnapping thousands of children like this little girl, erasing their identities so they can't be reunited, and spiriting them away to desert detention camps and distant for-profit board and care facilities, or losing and not bothering to look for them at all.

Do not help them.

[pnwmom]

31. Biden said he got it and would stop. Apparently nothing has changed,

despite his little video.

[IluvPitties]

40. He should not change one bit.

Most people know his intentions and like him the way he is.

[Demsrule86]

47. I watched the video and it was a bullshit attack from start to finish...only those who dislike

and/or hate him would even post a video like this...right wing...BS and maybe a certain candidate who is losing badly had a hand in this doctored video...I watched the entire thing and was struck by his kindness and warmth.

[Baclava]

49. Jill Biden just 2 weeks ago, on Joe's inappropriate touching. "He got the message loud and clear"

Maybe not

'Keep your hands off women and children' ...is too much for him?

I'm dropping him, i just can't support him anymore, especially since I got a post removed for saying what I think, way to go DU

[Cha]

13. Sorry, Realist.. not everybody sees it that way..

Link to tweet

You notice how this reporter tweeting on the same girl does not have 1000s of engagements. Because this tweet outlines a bit of context whereas the other frames it as "slightly odd" as if Biden literally picked a girl out, commented on her looks and paraded her to the press.

No. Biden was at a teacher town hall. The topic was education. The mic went round to the girl. Biden asked what her favorite subject is. She answered journalism. Biden shows her the journalists at the back who she can aspire to and he says how important a free press is.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1287&pid=134203

[Demsrule86]

14. Sure....I appreciate your concern. I really do.

[George II]

17. ...

[Eko]

19. God forbid he kisses a baby.

[highplainsdem]

21. This was near the end of a seven-minute encounter and Biden was escorting the girl to meet reporters

in another part of the room. Earlier he'd complimented her on her poise and courage, contrasted it with his own problems with stuttering when he was her age, and also told her he hoped she'd remember him when she's president of the United States. He'd given a very long, thoughtful answer to her question, which was also long and thoughtful. She deserved all the compliments and the introduction to the media.

Now this is being treated as if he'd just walked up to her, instead of her having been introduced to him to ask a question, and as if he immediately commented on her appearance.

I don't know what sort of people you know, but I couldn't count the times I've seen adults take children by the hand or put hands on their shoulders when introducing them to other adults. There's nothing abnormal about it.

[.99center]

30. Yeah, politicians showing affection towards children is unheard of!

What's next? Are candidates going to start kissing babies?

[Thekaspervote]

35. Go away!! You too are perpetuating the issue.. helping the right with their cause

[SouthernProgressive]

43. .

[Grendam]

20. Another video and...

First, I wasn't sure whether to post in this thread or the larger one, but here's another angle...

Link to tweet

Second, I want to say I watched this live on the feed, and I kind of cringed when I saw him holding onto her shoulders for so long. It's not because I thought it was creepy/weird because I don't believe Biden, the girl, or really much of anyone in the room thought there was any harmful intent.

Here's the problem though... he's under a magnifying glass and not even two months ago, he had to release those videos explaining how he understood that the touching/invasion of space was a problem for many people. He said, "I get it." several times. What's worse is that he told the girl, "I'll bet you're as bright as you are good-looking." While most of us will think of that as a harmless compliment, part of the slew of complaints from early April entailed women complaining about feeling devalued/demeaned (not sexually assaulted) with some referencing Joe's past comments about being "pretty" or whatever. Given the context of all of that, what occurred today kind of shows that, as his critics assert, he doesn't "get it." I say all of this as someone who likes Joe, but this can only really be seen as an unforced error that the far left and right will use to further the narrative of "Pedo/Pervy Joe" not respecting women/children and just can't help himself from touching people wanted or not.

When I saw what happened, I immediately started searching twitter and came across Felicia Sonmez's tweet minutes after she posted it. Not long afterward, other reputable journalists I actually follow started retweeting it and then the right wing trolls and ultra progressives in my feed. I don't buy much into the faux outrage, but I do worry about false narratives being spread and how easily others actually do get fooled or completely put off by it. I think Felicia's tweets were/are very disingenuous, but someone really needs to sit Biden down and explain to him how some of his actions/words are adding fuel to this pedo/creep narrative and/or reinforcing the idea he cannot change.

[highplainsdem]

22. I think the attempts by Biden's critics to make too much of this will backfire.

And I would hate to see him become completely stilted and standoffish during his public appearances.

The people who think he's "creepy" aren't going to change their opinion even if he never gets closer than 20 feet to anyone other than his wife for the rest of his life.

The people who know that these arguments against Biden are BS are going to recognize each new attack on him as just that, and if anything it will increase their support of him.

[peggysue2]

26. I agree!

The faux outrage over these nothing burgers will backfire. Speaking as a former 10-year old girl, I can tell you I would have been thrilled to be noticed and spoken to by a former Vice President of the United States, someone who was kind and took my interest in journalism (or anything else) seriously.

Just more spin and rabid BidenEnvy.

[Cha]

38. Biden's up to 15%

now.. 14% yesterday.

[Cha]

37. Biden has already gone up to 15%

.. 1 more % from yesterday!

[emmaverybo]

29. Let Joe be Joe and let him worry about the fall-out.I think if he dramatically alters his behavior,

it makes it seem he was doing something wrong before.
I did notice that he did not hold on tight to Meghan McCain’s hand for long duration on his recent View visit, whereas he had—he tends to hold on while continuing to talk—on a previous visit when he consoled her over her father’s illness.

If modifying is needed, I think his advisors and his extremely bright and sensitive wife will tell him.

[Cha]

36. Mahalo for this tweet, Grendam..

Link to tweet

[emmaverybo]

28. Thanks for posting this sweet moment which shows Biden's warmth and his absolute

sense of propriety. No wonder the appreciative audience reactions. it’s refreshing to see a child treated as special in what could have been a purely political, self-aggrandizing occasion.

[Cha]

34. Ha! I just noticed Biden's % went

to 15% on DU anyway.

The more they try to smear him the better his polls seem to get.

[SouthernProgressive]

41. One of the most pathetic attacks on Biden yet. NT

[mcar]

42. Shame on anyone pushing RW propaganda on this site

[Hortensis]

46. Hear, hear. Take and remember names.

Here and elsewhere.

Ryan Saavedra, now with slimy Daily Wire, was actually fired by Breitbart (!!!) for being too outspokenly bigoted. Lol. Read that he and BigLeaguePolitics.com (RW swiftboaters mounting fake scandals against Democrats) are feuding.

Good. "When thieves fall out, honest men come by their own."