Joe Biden has integrity, experience, empathy and vision.

[highplainsdem]

This really should be obvious, but I want to make this point again after seeing more "Biden supporters are just motivated by fear" posts.

Biden is an extraordinary public servant and an extraordinary candidate. Which is why he's been leading in the polls for so long.

I hope I won't get any arguments here about his integrity, experience and empathy.

I suspect I might hear some arguments about Biden's vision.

I realize our candidates all offer different visions, at least slightly different views of our country and our world and the best path forward.

That's fine. That's what we want from a diverse, and large, field of candidates.

But I've sometimes seen Biden criticized by those who don't think his vision is "bold" enough or "progressive" enough or extreme enough.

I don't think vision should be evaluated by extremes. (Though I suspect that Trump and the GOP may still try desperately to say all our candidates are too extreme and hang a "socialist" label on Biden, whose policy proposals are quite liberal/progressive. That isn't likely to work with a politician the American public knows as well as they know Joe Biden, though.)

I do think vision should be able to include different viewpoints, and in my opinion Biden is someone who'll be able to do that. If he's elected and he also has solid Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate to work with, we'll see a more progressive legislative agenda. If he has more challenges working with Congress, we'll see him still working to move our country forward and accomplish everything that can be accomplished.

And I hope the same will be true if anyone else is our nominee and is elected. Because whoever becomes president will have to work with Congress.


Now, to get back to the argument that Biden supporters are motivated by fear.

We're not.

And it bothers me when other candidates and their supporters act as though Biden supporters are scared whimpering puppies who'd run happily to new owners if only those candidates could reassure us they're also electable.

We're not scared puppies. We're adults, we're Democrats, and we know very well that we have to vote for whoever our nominee is, and do our best to make that candidate electable.

We have valid reasons -- REASONS, not irrational fear -- for supporting Biden.

So please stop insulting us by trying to tell us we're supporting Biden only out of fear.

That will just piss us off, and make it harder for us to view your favorite candidates objectively, when we know your view of us is so condescending.

[LincolnRossiter]

1. I sincerely believe that even Biden's harshest critics will be proud of the manner in which he

executes the office if given the chance.

[AJT]

2. I really like Joe. If he is the nominee I will gladly vote for him.

[Cha]

12. Thank you, AJT!

[Thekaspervote]

3. Thx highplainsdem.. on point!

And yes a condescending view doesn’t change the minds of anyone. In fact I see posts pointing to just the opposite

Go Joe go!!

[Cha]

4. NO FEAR!

Thank you for writing this, highplains

I support Biden for a lot of reasons and not one of them is "fear".

It is rather insulting for anyone to accuse us of the "fear" meme.

[Green Line]

5. No fear

I support Joe for who he is.

[democratisphere]

6. It is all about likability and Joe Biden reigns supreme for THIS!

Joe Biden will do a GREAT JOB for America!

[BlueMississippi]

7. k&r nt

[Bayard]

8. "I know Joe Biden",

Its an email series I've been receiving from the campaign. There's been some really good ones. This is today's:

The story I’m about to share with you about Joe Biden is special -- in fact, I’m fairly certain I’m the only living person left who actually witnessed it firsthand.

It was about 16 years ago, and I was a young rabbi, brand-new to Delaware, on my way to lead a shiva minyan -- a worship service following a death of a Jewish person. I was from California. Back then, I didn’t know Claymont, Delaware from Scranton, Pennsylvania.

A quick bit of background: When someone passes away in the Jewish faith, we observe seven days of mourning, called shiva. We gather a group of ten Jewish adults together -- a minyan -- to say the Mourners’ Kaddish. It usually happens in a person’s home -- somewhere intimate.

In this case, the deceased individual -- her name was Mrs. Greenhouse, of blessed memory -- had not been a person of means. She had lived in rent-controlled senior housing in a tall high-rise building off of Namaans Road. Her apartment had been too small to fit everyone into, so we conducted our worship service in the building’s communal laundry room, in the basement of the high-rise.

We assembled the ten elders together, and it was in this most humble of places that I began to lead the kaddish. Toward the end of the service, a door at the back of the laundry room opened, and who walks in but Senator Joe Biden, his head lowered, all by himself.

I nearly dropped my prayer book in shock.

Senator Biden stood quietly in the back of the room for the duration of the service.

At the close of the kaddish, I walked over to him and asked the same question that must have been on everyone else’s mind: “Senator Biden -- what are you doing here?”

And he said to me: “Listen, back in 1972, when I first ran for Senate, Mrs. Greenhouse gave $18 to my first campaign. Because that’s what she could afford. And every six years, when I’d run for reelection, she’d give another $18. She did it her whole life. I’m here to show my respect and gratitude.”

Now, the number 18 is significant in the Jewish faith -- its numbers spell out the Hebrew word chai, as in “to life, to life, l’chayim!” But it’s also a humble amount. Joe Biden knew that. And he respected that.

There were no news outlets at our service that day -- no Jewish reporters or important dignitaries. Just a few elderly mourners in a basement laundry room.

Joe Biden didn’t come to that service for political gain. He came to that service because he has character. He came to that service because he’s a mensch.

And if we need anything right now when it comes to the leadership of our country -- we need a mensch.

I know this is such a simple, small story. But I tell it to as many people as will listen to me.

Because I think that, in their heart of hearts, when people are trying to think about the decision they’ll make next year -- this is the kind of story that matters.

Joe Biden is a mensch. We need a mensch.

[Thekaspervote]

9. Thx for sharing.. great to hear from an attendee

[Cha]

11. Joe Biden is a Mensch! I laughed I cried!

What a poignant memory of Joe Biden from the Rabbi who led the Kaddish for Mrs Greenhouse.

Mahalo, Bayard

[oasis]

14. Joe's a truly wonderful person.

[highplainsdem]

15. Bayard, thank you so much for posting this! What a moving story! I have tears in my eyes after

reading it, but I'm smiling, too, since it's so heartwarming and life-affirming in what it says about all the people involved.

And it isn't really a "simple, small story," modest as that rabbi is. It's a story that speaks to everything that's important about humanity and what it means to care for other people.


There were no news outlets at our service that day -- no Jewish reporters or important dignitaries. Just a few elderly mourners in a basement laundry room.

Joe Biden didn’t come to that service for political gain. He came to that service because he has character. He came to that service because he’s a mensch.

And if we need anything right now when it comes to the leadership of our country -- we need a mensch.


Amen.

[Hekate]

17. Yes he is

[Hekate]

18. Made me cry

[Bayard]

46. Another, "I know Joe", personal story

My name is Kevin.

For 20 years and 8 days, I served in the U.S. Marine Corps—as a helicopter mechanic, as a drill instructor, and as an intelligence officer, deploying three times—to the Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Kuwait.

Since my retirement from the Corps, my most important title is "volunteer." Today, I spend most of my time with the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), working with children and other Gold Star family members grieving the loss of a loved one who served and died, regardless of the timing or circumstances.

Over the course of my career, I've had the opportunity to meet a handful of leaders with true character. Joe Biden is one of them. I want to tell you why.

The first time I met Joe Biden was at a TAPS event, with the children of deceased service members. It was a closed-media event—no news outlets of any kind, just the mentors and the kids they worked with. Suddenly, the back door opens, and in walks then-Vice President Joe Biden. He didn't come in with fanfare, he didn't get up onstage or stand behind a podium.

He made it very clear to us: "I'm here for the kids." And he proceeded to speak with, take photos with, and shake the hands of every kid in that room. They were over the moon. I had never seen anything like it. And by the way, this was several years before Joe lost his own son, Major Beau Biden.

The second time I met Joe Biden was in April of 2010, on the South Lawn of the White House. I was part of a group of active-duty service members sending off our wounded brothers and sisters for the White House to Lighthouse Challenge — a 60-mile, three-day ride that starts on the South Lawn of the White House and ends in Annapolis, Maryland.

Then-Vice President Biden delivered remarks, joined all of us to see the warriors off, and then walked straight into the crowd of service members—shaking hands, taking photos, listening to people's stories.

And here's the part I haven't forgotten:

Joe was definitely running late for some meeting or another, because his staff was getting increasingly persistent—"Sir, we really need to go." Not in a way that was disrespectful. It was just clear that they needed to be on their way.

Finally, Joe turned to his aides and said:

"I'm going to stay here shaking hands until there's nobody left to shake hands with, and taking photos with these people until they get every photo they want."

That's exactly what he did. And I promise you that the service men and women who were on the South Lawn that day haven't forgotten it, either.

Character is about what you do when the cameras aren't rolling.

Joe Biden is a man of character.

And in the age of Twitter and perfect sound bites—people who are most interested in themselves, shaping their own image—Joe Biden is a man who, after more than 40 years of public service, still wants to give. I honestly get chills when I think about his empathy for and dedication to everyone but himself.

At a time when everything feels disingenuous and hand-crafted for a certain audience, Joe Biden is genuine.

[emmaverybo]

52. Lovely. Thank you for sharing this.

Joe Biden has such depth of character, experience, and knowledge that I am moved to support him. Not because he is “safe,” although I think he will help make the world more safe, not because
I know his name, not even mainly because I think he’s electable where we need to win. It’s the mensch thing. The loyalty thing. And yes, the vision thing.
Snip—————————-Jonathan Capeheart
What gave Biden’s address more power was that it wasn’t just a harangue against Trump. It was a reminder of who we are as a nation, “the soul of America,” as he called it.
Snip——————————from Biden’s Iowa speech
What this president doesn’t understand is that unlike every other nation on earth, we're unable to define what constitutes "American" by religion, by ethnicity, or by tribe; you can't do it.

America is an idea. An idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant. It gives hope to the most desperate people on earth….

The most powerful idea in the history of the world I think beats in the hearts of the people of this country. And it beats in all of us. No matter your race, your ethnicity. No matter your gender identity, your sexual orientation. No matter your faith. It beats in the heart of rich and poor alike. It unites America -- whether your ancestors were Native to these shores or they were brought here forcibly and enslaved, whether they were immigrants generations back, like my family from Ireland, or those coming today looking to build a better life for your family.

The American creed – that we are all created equal –was written long-ago. But the genius of every generation of Americans has opened it wider and wider and wider, to include those who have been excluded in a previous generation. That’s why it has never gathered dust in the history books.

Snip———————————-Capeheart
Biden wasn’t blind to the shortcomings of our nation and the men who formed it. He talked about them. But he demonstrated that the vision of America was perpetuated by Democratic and Republican presidents alike throughout its history. Ending his speech, Biden slipped off his prepared remarks in an emphatic way. “This is the United States of America! Period! May God protect our troops,” Biden said pounding the podium, ending a speech that everyone knows he believes in his bones.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/08/07/joe-biden-reminded-all-us-what-presidential-president-would-sound-like/

[NBachers]

10. joe

[myohmy2]

13. "Joe Biden has integrity, experience, empathy and vision."

...but does he have my vote?

...not in the primary...(absolutely in the general)

...but we're not there yet...why?

...because I think Bernie has better integrity, experience, empathy and vision...take a look,


https://berniesanders.com/issues/

...

[Gothmog]

16. Joe Biden is our strongest candidate

Link to tweet

[TreasonousBastard]

19. I agree with everything you say. And even though my personal view puts him lower on the list...

I will gladly vote for him in the general should he be on the ballot.

All those years in public life have not spoiled him, but made him stronger.

(And I loved the story about him showing up at the minyan)

[OKNancy]

20. I switched my support to Joe

I changed from Harris to Joe when I had a chimney leak. Rain kept coming down in my fireplace so I had a chimney repair man come over. He was about 30 I would guess. He saw a postcard on my counter when I paid the bill. It was from Biden. He said, "Do you like Biden" I said, yes I could easily vote for him. He said I could too, but I didn't like Hillary.
I said that's too bad, she was really slandered.

Then I said, so you are "ridin' with Biden"? He laughed and said, I think so.

I had always liked him. I gave donations to Harris, Beto, and Biden so I was kind of on the fence. This young man made me think about who could really win. That made up my mind.

[highplainsdem]

25. Love that story! Thanks for posting it!

[NYMinute]

21. Damn straight nt

[Peacetrain]

22. This is why he is my first choice and has been since day one!!!!

He has what we need at this moment in time.. this is his time.. I am just so thankful he answered that inner call and decided to run!!

[OhZone]

23. Right - the GOP is motivated by fear!

Yeah, anyone can be afraid, but the emotional GOP is more motivated by fear than we are. And anger.

I like to think our center emotional motivation is love, compassion, and, oh, determination.

[Autumn]

24. I'm waiting on him to articulate his "vision" for the future. I hear a lot about his past

achievements with Obama and his times in the Senate. The past doesn't concern me as it has no relevance in what we are facing today, my concern is where do we go from here.

[samnsara]

33. well we wont have a future if trump wins again :(

[Autumn]

35. He won't win, unless they cheat. Any of our top Democrats can beat Trump. nt

Last edited Tue Sep 10, 2019, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)

[Blue_true]

39. True.

Though we should not take it for granted that Trump won't win. We must stay focused, united and get out to vote during in-person early voting or on Election Day (I prefer getting my vote in as soon as possible and in-person).

[guillaumeb]

26. Recommended, and well said.

No matter who the candidate is, the GOP will call that candidate a radical socialist.

[Tarheel_Dem]

27. K&R

[qazplm135]

28. if you don't want folks to accuse you of being afraid

then simply stop the only Biden can win malarkey.

Biden wouldn't say that.

Stop that, and simply put forward your candidate, and you all would get a lot less heat.

It's the "this country won't elect a woman" or "only Joe can beat Trump" stuff that gets on people's nerves.

[highplainsdem]

29. I have never said that only Biden can win. I have never said this country won't elect a woman.

And that's true of the vast majority of Biden supporters.

I think I've seen only a few posts here saying that only Biden can win..

There have been a LOT of posts about Biden being most electable, but that's because of the polls showing he almost always beats Trump in GE polls by the widest margin of any of our candidates.

That's data, though. Not uninformed opinion. Not emotion -- and especially not fear.

I believe the "Biden supporters are afraid" meme was invented by supporters of other candidates, including journalists and pundits, who are upset that their preferred candidates aren't doing better than Biden in the polls.

Unfortunately some of the candidates have been making similar comments, and they don't seem to realize that insulting Biden supporters isn't going to win those voters over.

[qazplm135]

31. there are plenty of folks on this site

who have said both of those things.

The current GE polling is "data" the way predictions about the year 2100 are "data."

Sure, it's something, but not much. 100 things can and will happen between now and four months from now much less a year from now. GE polling would have had a President Clinton, or a President Giuliani, or a President McCain at this point in prior cycles. Being in front certainly is not a bad place to be, but neither is being a fairly close second or even third.

Few folks are "upset" about the polling because most folks don't give a lot of thought to GE polling at this point, and there's plenty of primary polling showing any of three candidates have a strong shot at winning, and two other candidates have an outside shot of winning.

The people who generally publish polls are Biden supporters, and to a much lesser extent Warren supporters (probably because she's the one with the most positive movement over the entirety of the primary period so far).

I don't think anyone is looking to win over Biden supporters. I don't think that's a winnable group anyways. Not as long as the "Biden is the best chance to beat Trump" thing is out there. I don't think most of the Sanders group is winnable either by the way. Those folks are equally committed to their candidate for different reasons.

But hey, I'm sure it's everyone else and Biden supporters here on DU are acting perfectly and not doing anything that maybe should be reconsidered or moderated. No need to self-reflect or adjust, it's us not you.

[Bettie]

34. Yep, that is exactly what gets on my nerves

I hate the unspoken but obvious "well, maybe in a decade or two you womenfolk can have another shot, but right now? Only a white man can save us!" message.

I'm sure Joe Biden is a very nice man, but I want someone who looks forward, not someone who wants to turn back the clock.

[highplainsdem]

43. Could you please tell me where you've encountered this unspoken but obvious

"well, maybe in a decade or two you womenfolk can have another shot, but right now? Only a white man can save us!" message?

I haven''t noticed it here.

As a woman who supported Hillary Clinton in the 2008 primaries, and in 2016, I certainly don't feel that way.

I don't know any Biden supporters who feel that way.

Maybe a tiny, tiny fraction of people currently supporting Biden feel that way. I suspect he'd be the first person to tell them there's no reason to feel that way.

I'd be supporting one of the female candidates if I thought any of them were as strong a candidate as Biden. I don't think any of them are.

But it's not because of some ridiculous idea like "womenfolk can't have another shot at the presidency for a decade or two."

[Cha]

45. Excellent post, highplainsdem..

Thank You!

I still Support Hillary!

Link to tweet

[Cha]

37. False premise.. highplainsdem has Never

done that.

[qazplm135]

40. ya know...

people get what highplainsdem, and you and others are doing. Constantly posting every single poll, particularly when nothing has happened to have any real movement. Quickly trying to cast doubt on any positive news for any other candidate. Talking constantly about how Biden leads in GE head to head. Talking about winning rust belt states. Etc, etc.

It's pretty clear to a lot of folks.

[Cha]

41. False premise.

[highplainsdem]

42. Wow, it bothers you that Biden supporters post about polls in the Democratic Primaries forum?

Would you think it was okay to post about polls if Harris was in the lead?

Would you expect supporters of any other candidate to refrain from posting polls, or talking about polls, when their candidate is doing well?

As for casting doubt -- there are probably very few threads here about polls where Biden's ahead that don't include replies saying that Biden's lead is only name recognition, or it's too early for polls to mean anything, and so on.

As far as I've been able to tell, Biden's been attacked on this forum much more than any other candidate has been attacked.

And sometimes his supporters have been told that we should just expect this sniping from all sides, since he's the front-runner.

But you don't think we should be allowed to post polls?

[qazplm135]

44. what would bother me

is if Harris supporters went overboard and made specious claims about polls, or continually posted polls and analyzed microchanges when nothing has happened.
Which is, ya know, what's happening.

It's tedious and purposeless except to try and push an inevitability vibe at worst, or I suppose at best shows a complete lack of understanding of the limitations of polling.

What would bother me is if folks then tried to tear down or analyze any positive news for other candidates like suggesting maybe one campaign bussed in more supporters than others as just one example.

Saying polling this far out about the general election is pretty much name recognition combined with party identification.
Polling about the primary is probably less about name recognition because it's closer, but since it's still just now starting to get to the point of people paying attention, yeah name recognition is still a factor.

Very few real shots have been taken, only two debates have happened so far, and both of those didn't have all top three on the stage at the same time. so yeah, it's still early, and if Harris were leading I'd say yeah, it's still early.

And no, Biden hasn't been attacked more than any other candidate. Heck, the candidate that gets attacked the most by far is Sanders, although from my POV it's as often for good reason as not, but nevertheless, he's attacked tons.

But yes, as the front-runner, he's going to get the most scrutiny. Why that's a revelation to you, I don't know. Sanders and Warren also get scrutiny. Then, wait for it, it's Harris. Then it really starts to drop off as not a lot of folks are paying attention to the flaws and foibles of Klobachur or Beto or Booker or Yang. Pretty rational and pretty typical.

Like I said, if you and others want to tout good news about Joe, that's great. Of course signalling him out for having "integrity" must be to distinguish him yes? As if somehow he has MORE integrity than the other candidates. Because if they ALL have integrity, then singling out that quality in a Dem primary is kinda pointless isn't it?

The volume, the hyper analysis of every poll, the claims of insults and attacks when anyone disagrees, the inevitably and only Joe can win...all of it is annoying quite a few folks. I'm not the only one, I'm not some anomaly.

So, I'll say the same thing to you that I say to the Sanders folks over on Daily Kos who take a very similar tack (Joe can't win, only Bernie can bring out the youth and minorities, only Bernie has the qualities we need, etc etc). Are you looking to persuade or are you looking to preach to the choir?

Because you are clearly doing the latter quite well, but I don't see a lot of the former...quite the opposite.

[highplainsdem]

47. You're entitled to your opinion of my posts and other Biden supporters' posts, but it's only

your opinion.

I'm here to discuss the primary race. I do not view this forum as virtual canvassing or proselytizing, because I expect most people here to be well aware of who the candidates are, and to get all or most of their information about the candidates elsewhere.

I don't think Biden supporters need your stamp of approval. I hope no one believes they need to check in with you to make sure they haven't offended your ideas of how many polls we're allowed to post. And btw, I've posted polls where other candidates are ahead. I like to post polls, period.

You're once again running down Biden having a lead in the polls now, but you don't think it's fair if anyone points out that a candidate who got an exceptionally loud, enthusiastic welcome -- which is being touted as proof of enthusiasm in comparison to other candidates' reception -- had bought hundreds of tickets for supporters, bused some of them in, and handed out noisemakers.

Definitely a double standard there.

[elocs]

30. You left off that he stands for truth, justice, and the American way.

Well, we obviously have our nominee. I'll vote for him if he is.

[Cha]

48. No, we don't ".. have our nominee.." most

of us are just doing one day at a time.. not being able to tell the future.

We all have our candidates.. mine is Biden and it's not out of "fear" as some have accused.

[samnsara]

32. im supposed to be motivated by fear? of what?

[Bradical79]

54. "well we wont have a future if trump wins again :("

That was your fear based response to someone criticizing Biden's "vision".

[Gothmog]

36. Here are some great comments by Joe on the proposed SC abortion law

Link to tweet

[highplainsdem]

49. Thanks, Gothmog!

[Cha]

50. Thank you, Goth and Biden!

[Blue_true]

38. All of our primary candidates have those qualities.

Some more than others. I think that the person that has the highest level of each is Senator Warren.

[BootinUp]

51. Personally, I think it's Bidens time. Just like

It took a perfect storm to push us up against the precipice, That storm is being followed by a man of principle and integrity.

[Gothmog]

53. Great post

[Gothmog]

55. Silence is Complicity. When we remain silent, we are complicit."

Link to tweet

[highplainsdem]

56. Great tweet from Ana Navarro with that video of Biden. Maybe you should post it as an OP?

[Gothmog]

57. The hardest job for the next president may be fixing Trump's mess

This is one of the reasons why I think that Joe Biden is the best candidate. Who ever is the nominee will have to be prepared to fix all of the damage that trump has done to our government. https://beta.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-hardest-job-for-the-next-president-may-be-fixing-trumps-mess/2019/09/16/e16216fe-d8bf-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html

Perhaps the most straightforward and least complicated undertaking, since it would be entirely within the next president’s purview, is rebuilding the executive branch from the corrupted ruin Trump will leave behind.

One of the most underreported stories about the Trump administration is its basic incompetence. Perhaps Trump’s biggest con of all was convincing his supporters that he was some sort of business wizard with a genius for management. In truth, the Trump Organization was a mom-and-pop family business that he repeatedly micromanaged to the brink of collapse. He is doing exactly the same with the government of the United States.

The White House itself is less like “The West Wing” than “Game of Thrones.” Courtiers vie for the favor of the Mad King, unable or unwilling to perform normal duties for fear of risking Trump’s ire. Usually, the White House is a place where information from outside sources is synthesized and digested so the president can make the best possible decisions. Under Trump, the flow is reversed — his whims, however ill-informed or contradictory or just plain loopy, are tweeted out and must be made into policy.

Agencies vital to our national security — including the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency — lumber along, month after month, without permanent leadership. “It’s easier to make moves when they’re acting,” Trump has said, but really the situation reflects his own insecurity. By keeping his underlings weak and beholden only to him, he limits their power — and thus hamstrings the departments they nominally lead.

Joe Biden is the best candidate to repair the damage done by trump. I think that the repair of this damage will keep the next Democratic President very busy.