Biden helped himself, mostly

[applegrove]

Biden helped himself, mostly

By Jennifer Rubin at the Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/07/05/biden-helped-himself-mostly/?utm_term=.84a67db9ea2e

"SNIP......


However, Biden’s interview was overall a success, in part because he was doing it in the first place. He has been cloistered from network interviews and inclined to keep the press at bay during his campaign appearances. That turned out to be a poor idea, both because it left him rusty and because his opponents, by and large, are eager to appear whenever and wherever they can. If the CNN interview is the beginning of a new Biden press strategy, it couldn’t come fast enough.

Even better, Biden is affirmatively defending his policy stance — which just so happens to be popular with most voters, even Democratic primary voters. “Look, it’s center left, that’s where I am. Where it’s not is way left,” he said, emphatically distancing himself from his three closest rivals, who have embraced proposals such as Medicare-for-all. Biden defended the public health-care option (“I believe there should be health care for everyone. That’s rational and will cost a hell of a lot less and will work”) and reminded voters that “if they like their employer-based insurance, which a lot of unions broke their neck to get, a lot of people like theirs, they shouldn’t have to give it up.” Perhaps in a preview of what he’ll deliver at the next debate, Biden went on offense to point out the logistical nightmare of moving everyone to Medicare. (“How long is that going to take? What’s it going to do?”)

He went down the list, dinging the items his opponents eagerly embraced. Decriminalizing illegal entry into the United States? Nope. “I think people should have to get in line, but if people are coming because they’re actually seeking asylum, they should have a chance to make their case.” Giving illegal immigrants health insurance? Not happening. “I think undocumented people need to have a means by which they can be covered when they’re sick,” Biden said. “That’s what I think we should be doing, by building more clinics around the country, not just for undocumented but for other people. When they’re ill, when they’re sick, it’s just common decency.” These are perfectly mainstream, sensible positions — which his team should hope he sticks up for in the next debate.

Biden showed some feistiness toward President Trump. “The idea that I’d be intimidated by Donald Trump — he’s the bully that I knew my whole life,” Biden told Cuomo. “He’s the bully that I’ve always stood up to. He’s the bully that used to make fun when I was a kid that I stutter, and I’d smack him in the mouth.” That’s not an approach that is going to work for female candidates or for the cool, cerebral Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind. It might, however, serve Biden well.

.....SNIP"

[bluewater]

1. "If you are explaining, you are losing" goes the political adage.

That's the first line in the OP article.

It continues:

"In that respect, former vice president Joe Biden wasn't helping himself in an interview with CNN's Chris Cuomo that aired Friday by rehashing a Democratic presidential-debate exchange with Sen. Kamal D. Harris (D-Calif.) about federally mandated busing for school integration. Worse, Biden's admission that he was unprepared for Harris' attack on his opposition to the policy in the 1970s isn't going to help him get back on track."

[applegrove]

2. He did a good job. You should watch the interview. The old joe is back.

[George II]

3. As Maynard G. Krebs (Dobie Gillis) used to say, "that's too much like work."

[bluewater]

6. I did watch it.

But if I don't praise it profusely, I am afraid I will be attacked about "consistently trying to bring Biden down", as I just was in another thread. In fact, something similar seems to be happening right in this discussion.

But let me say I agree with you, "The old joe is back."

Am I allowed to say that's a mixed bag, mostly good, but still mixed? Probably not.

[True Blue American]

52. I thought Joe did a great job

Especially with Cuomo’s gotcha questions. Joe laid out why he was Center Left! So am I, that is what I want to hear. If a woman VP makes it fine, if it is a younger man, fine!

What is up with the perfectly curled hair? Teased like an older woman. Perfect curls.

[Cha]

38. Of course, you have a negative comment

in a positive thread about Joe Biden, right out of the gate. I wouldn't expect anything more. That's what you do.

You're not helping your candidate and you certainly haven't changed any minds of people who support Joe Biden.

[George II]

39. It would be nice to see positive post or comment about....who is it now? Oh, Elizabeth Warren.

[Cha]

40. Thanks, George!

[True Blue American]

53. I like Warren ,too.

See her fighting the corporations and working hard for the middle class. Those 2 would be a great ticket.

[Skya Rhen]

4. Joe did great!

[RelativelyJones]

5. Just watched it. He did a great job.

[Chemisse]

7. Joe has Kamala Harris to thank for forcing him back up on his toes.

All the people who criticized her for picking on poor Joe Biden were short-sighted. The candidates must be out there sparring to get into shape.

[onetexan]

9. Yes, he should thank her, for exposing herself to be the

Opportunistic, expedient person that she is. Its coming back to bite her, isnt it?

[Blue_true]

44. I would not call her opportunistic and expedient.

She showed that she is willing to throw a punch. But being willing to throw a punch does not win a fight if the other boxer makes adjustments. Let's see whether Joe has what it takes, or a glass jaw. The end of July democratic debate should be really revealing in many ways.

[onetexan]

45. Call it what u will, its still political expediency to me

Completely manufactured a fAke issue and now she's having to deal with the fallout. It wasnt smart.

[Chemisse]

48. It got her attention and a sharp rise in the polls.

Biden is no longer seen as the only candidate who could beat Trump and the race is now competitive.

So I would say it was smart.

[onetexan]

56. U said it, its expediency

[True Blue American]

54. I wish I could say

No to that, I can not.

[oasis]

10. ..."picking on poor Joe Biden...."

Don'tcha worry about Joe, he can handle it.

[comradebillyboy]

33. He didn't handle it too well at the debate.

But I will admit he's bouncing back nicely. I'll be curious to see how his developing feud with AOC and Bernie plays out. I'll support Joe in that spat.

[Chemisse]

50. I am betting he WILL handle it a whole lot better in the next debate.

I may be rooting for Kamala at this point, but I'd sure like to see the old Joe up and swinging on that debate stage again.

[mobeau69]

8. Did Joe forget who was interviewing him?

He kept calling Chris "Man". "Come on, Man." "Look, Man."

Maybe it's just hipster talk.

[Funtatlaguy]

14. Joe says look and man all the time. All the time.

[Drunken Irishman]

25. I think it's slang - my father used to do it a lot.

Except 'man' was often 'dude' or 'dudette (when speaking to someone female)'. He'd even say that to family.

[mobeau69]

29. dudette. LOL. I forgot that one.

[True Dough]

27. Biden repeated that a lot

"Come on, man!"

It was a little jarring. A few slip ups like being tough on Russia in Iraq, I mean the Ukraine. But otherwise a solid interview.

[treestar]

60. Nit picking

[BeyondGeography]

11. There would be no Russian interference on his watch?

Why is he criticizing Barack Obama?

[applegrove]

13. Because now we know it is happening and McConnell is not doing well in Kentucky polls?

[woodsprite]

51. Perhaps Joe felt the nation should have

Been informed despite McConnell’s threats of blackmail re: the true Russian interference. That’s the only time I feel that Pres. Obama failed to uphold his oath of office. At that point, he knew this country was dealing with many enemies both foreign and domestic that were hijacking and destroying our government.

[UniteFightBack]

12. Watching now! Joe needs to just be himself !!! nt

[Celerity]

15. these are great answers

Decriminalizing illegal entry into the United States? Nope. “I think people should have to get in line, but if people are coming because they’re actually seeking asylum, they should have a chance to make their case.”

Giving illegal immigrants health insurance? Not happening. “I think undocumented people need to have a means by which they can be covered when they’re sick,” Biden said. “That’s what I think we should be doing, by building more clinics around the country, not just for undocumented but for other people. When they’re ill, when they’re sick, it’s just common decency.”


Biden defended the public health-care option (“I believe there should be health care for everyone. That’s rational and will cost a hell of a lot less and will work”) and reminded voters that “if they like their employer-based insurance, which a lot of unions broke their neck to get, a lot of people like theirs, they shouldn’t have to give it up.”

(I DO want to know why he keeps flipping back and forth between it being Medicare , then Medicaid, then flipped back to Medicare-based) Medicaid based is a fail, as it has such low reimbursement rates, far below private insurance and also Medicare, and so doctors often refuse it.

[crazytown]

18. The reason is that th 'Medicare Like' Public Option is closer in coverage to Medicaid than Medicare.

Elizabeth Warren has spoken about a 'Medicaid Buy-In', but has since lined up behind mandatory 'Medicare'. Single payer health care will not be 'Medicare', it will be significantly wider with lower co-pays.

[Celerity]

23. I understand that in regard to a full blown single-payer plan, like Canada for instance

But if we just offer a wide Medicaid-style public option (whilst keeping private insurance for those who want it), how would we overcome the much lower reimbursement rates? The doctors and hospitals will lose their collective minds in rage. Would the reimbursement rates be significantly raised from what pure Medicaid pays out now?

[Hortensis]

62. The healthcare industry supported The public option

as part of the ACA to begin with.

It was always understood, of course, that large numbers of people would ultimately choose the public option for themselves.

It’s important to note that Biden is being a true, strong liberal in supporting our guaranteed individual freedoms, as in the right to life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, by insisting that people should have open choices.

Closing down choices and forcing an entire nation into one system is not consonant with government of, by and for the people. Freedom requires choice.

Those who created the ACA understood this is a matter of principle, not just the political reality that government oppression would anger even many millions of those who do support universal healthcare.

[zentrum]

16. Thing is, this new way

......of talking by someone who might be President: "smack him in the mouth." Really?

Make the point about bully's but don't do to the language what that punk who is now in the WH has done to it. We're supposed to be world leaders, after all.

[applegrove]

17. I think joe has always talked that way about bullies. Back in the day people

talked that way. Violence was more accepted back then as was giving bullies their due that way.

[zackymilly]

20. But we're not "back in the day" anymore. Joe should know this.

Trump loves this tit for tat macho crap.
We have a long way to go before the primaries.
I don't think Joe will be the nominee, but we will have to wait and see.

[applegrove]

21. I think he may just have it.

[True Blue American]

55. You say

“ We are not back in the day,” then admit Trump is a bully. There will always be bullies.

Joe laughs at Trump. That is a cut a bully hates because there is no comeback.

[treestar]

61. It's just a figure of speech

nit picking at these things doesn't help your candidate since we can do it to her too.

[mobeau69]

22. Exactly.

I thought the same thing when I heard him say that.

I watched the entire interview. It was a struggle. Way too much slang, poor sentence structure and diction for someone that has been acclimated to hearing Pete and some of our other candidates answer questions.

Joe's like an old prize fighter who didn't know when to hang up his gloves. Honestly, the last couple of months have been kind of a sad spectacle.

[applegrove]

26. Oh i think he has landed on his feet with this interview. I hope to see more

of him being interviewed.

[WA-03 Democrat]

31. Here's this politician you should look up!

Donald Mother Fucker Trump.

He’s President and destroying the country.

You poor dear, struggling through a tv interview...thanks for the bravery.

[Cha]

41. Wow! Zing.. Thank You, WA-03!

[NoMoreRepugs]

34. Stop. A veritable moron who speaks on a 5th or 6th grade level got elected President. Slang, poor

sentence structure - u want a President who relates to people or a fuckin' politically correct pantywaist who passes all the purity tests?

[Cha]

42. THANK YOU, NMR!

[emmaverybo]

19. Joe looks fit, answers well, and sure shows he is not out of step. His answers were strong on

healthcare and foreign policy. He was well-able to put forth his policies, show the folly and danger of Trumps’, and field Cuomo’s challenges.

He did a good job addressing his stance on busing.

He also makes the foreign policy issues he touched on easily understood and he shows he is thoroughly up on these.

He looks very competitive in this interview and, though strong in his own defense, keeps the argument above-board and retains throughout the composure, even temperament, ability to
listen, and upbeat, grounded personality that has made him likable.

Some might well learn from his effective speaking presence.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/05/politics/joe-biden-cnn-interview/index.html

[mobeau69]

24. Seriously, Folks? Come on, man!

Folks, folks, folks.

[Skya Rhen]

30. Folks, look Buttigieg is at what? 4% and 0% among African Americans? Come on, man! Folks, I'm not

joking...

[Skittles]

35. I know

the pretzel logic is staggering

[Cha]

43. Yeah, keep mocking the way Biden

speaks.

[mobeau69]

46. You shouldn't do threatening posts, Cha.

[Cha]

47. You're falsely accusing me of something

I didn't do.

[Mike Nelson]

28. All the...

… "c'mon, man" seems like the '60s... like groovy, man. Doesn't sound "hep" to me, but whatever gets you votes, I'm for... I think he did more good than harm. He has to start doing more interviews and televised town halls. I would call Crooked Donald more than just a bully... how about every Democrat call him "Crooked Donald" every time he's mentioned? How about every Democrat call him "Rapist Trump" or "Alleged Rapist Trump." It would stick. He would be asked about rape at every gaggle... Dems need to use "Branding" too...

[Peacetrain]

32. I think he did just fine.. I thought it was a good interview..

[mobeau69]

36. Cuomo: Why didn't you say that (explanation for flip on bussing) at the debate?

Biden: Come on man, in 30 seconds?

Cuomo: You could've went over your time. Everybody does. You the only person I've ever heard on a debate stage say "Im out of time".

That was a good interview.

[ucrdem]

49. And Joe is probably the only candidate bashed for following the rules.

[True Blue American]

57. Biden shot down every pompous gotcha question Chris tried to inject.

[highplainsdem]

37. Joe's doing really well.

[ginnyinWI]

58. I'm center-left, too.

I was for Joe when he ran in the primary against Obama. Was happy with Obama and happy he picked Joe for veep. But I wonder if he’d have been president in 09, would we have had a Trump? Would he have run? We will never know and that’s just how it goes.

[Eric J in MN]

59. We can't

...have Medicare for All because the logistics of signing people up would be too difficult.

The logistics of our current Frankenstein system of public spending and private profit are A-OK, though. (Sarcasm).

[Gothmog]

63. Joe Biden has the best chance of beating trump

Link to tweet