Joe Biden, at 78, is taking the last run.
He may very well win the Democratic nomination. Nate Silver thinks his numbers and support profile looks good.
Timing is, however, everything. Had Biden run last time he would likely have beaten Trump simply because he was not Hillary and no one actually hates him. But he didn’t.
We are in for a year of really nasty campaigning in the clown car which is the Democratic nomination. Biden, and the rest of them, will go negative early and often and The Donald will egg them all on. The poor person who emerges as the candidate will have been savaged by their own party. And every bit of it will be kept in the GOP oppo files.
I was somewhat sorry to see Biden come into the race. He has earned a graceful retirement and now he is going to be shredded by very nasty, very toxic, people who are not grateful for his service. He will almost certainly lose despite using a base pleasing lie (Charlotteville) to kick off his campaign.
He’s too white, too male and too old to satisfy the 2020 Democratic Party.
Which is a bit sad but also more than a little real.
Jay Currie 
I couldn’t believe it when I first read about the Charlottesville thing, and had to check another source to see for myself. Sure enough, Crazy Uncle Joe went there: he repeated a BLATANT LIE that was exposed as such almost immediately after it was first uttered, and with plenty of video evidence out there to prove it. Poor Joe…no one told him, I guess, that the Big Lie technique stopped working with the advent of social media. Back in the glory days, Liberals and Democrats could count on their friends in the print media to splash their preferred narrative all over the front page and relegate anything unflattering to a couple of column inches on page 20; for the 6 o’clock news, it would be the lead story. No more, though. You just can’t control a story and manipulate public opinion like you used to. A simple Tweet or Facebook post can expose a hoax by going viral and be seen by *tens of thousands* of people in just minutes.
You know that Trump’s people are already laughing about this and planning their campaign ads accordingly. Poor Joe…he never had a chance…
“the Big Lie technique stopped working with the advent of social media.”
Perhaps he’s learning from the incumbent? You DO remember Stormy Daniels? The non-existent call from the Boy Scouts? “New” US Steel Mills? The “Middle Eastern Terrorists” behind the “invasion” of refugees at the border? The attendance at his inauguration? Bracomontes’s admission to the US? “Millions of people” committing voter fraud?? Polar ice caps at “record levels”???
Yes, I remember all of that.
(I wouldn’t have included the inauguration one, though. The Trump camp’s attempt to claim superior attendance was countered by the MSM (probably the NYT) posting pictures of the same grandstand full of people for Obama and almost empty for Trump. Problem is, the Trump picture was taken at *6 AM*, hours earlier than the Obama one. Ooops…)
So you’ve seen Trump’s approval rating, right Terry? Does it look to you like his exaggerations have ever hurt his popularity? Is your point supposed to be that if Trump does it, it’s okay for Biden to do the same? Are you saying that because Trump lies, no one can criticize Biden for lying? Trouble is, Trump is just being Trump…Biden, since he is presenting himself as being more honest, will just be seen as a fraud (and a liar) if he keeps doing stupid stuff like this. Most of the incidents you mention were about issues and incidents that are still being discussed and subject to interpretation (in other words, there are disagreements as to what is true and what is not); the accusation Biden made is not only 100% demonstrably false, but there is VIDEO EVIDENCE to prove it.
“Does it look to you like his exaggerations have ever hurt his popularity?”
Yes, because his approval rating is very bad.
Trump unequivocally said there was ‘very fine people’ at the Charlottesville rally of Nazi. He thinks Nazis are just fine. That’s a fact.
https://reason.com/2017/08/15/trumps-inability-to-unequivocally-cond
Your points is that Trump has successfully integrated serial, outrageous lying into his brand; it’s become an amiable eccentricity to his supporters, one they almost expect. There’s an aura of gleeful complicity about it, a giant wink to his peanut gallery, a dig to the ribs and a whispered: “Watch their heads explode when I tell THIS one!” You’re quite correct, and there’s no need to defend or explain his lies away. He just does it, and his followers lap it up.
So when you ask if I believe “no-one can criticize Biden for lying” – of course you can. Just as long as you hold Trump to the same standard, of course.
I’d be interested in the source for your assertion that “Problem is, the Trump picture was taken at *6 AM*, hours earlier than the Obama one.” These two articles tell a different story, but I’m sure you’re quoting a reliable source. Seriously, please share it.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-inauguration-image/crowd-controversy-the-making-of-an-inauguration-day-photo-idUSKBN1572VU
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/06/donald-trump-inauguration-crowd-size-photos-edited
Fred, I am interested in your comment about the Trump picture being taken at 6AM, do you have a reference for that?
Hmm. I have a lengthy response to Fred’s comment in moderation. Jay, was it something I said?
Weirdly, your comment was held for moderation. Probably the links….Who knows?
John Cross says:
April 30, 2019 at 6:34 am
“Fred, I am interested in your comment about the Trump picture being taken at 6AM, do you have a reference for that?”
Sadly, I have only my memory as a reference, sorry. There was something about the shadows being wrong…maybe it was an earlier rally, not the inaugural one. The links Terry posted above detail some MSM cheating as well, and there was that Washington Post reporter Dave Weigel also playing games (he quickly apologized) with one of the rallies.
Fred, I went searching using various terms for anything that might back up your suggestion that the famous photograph comparing inauguration crowds involved shots at different times. I found nothing. Did you search?
I did find the articles above, one of which notes that the photos – both -were taken and the moment of swearing in.
Your “evidence” disputing that is an unsourced memory of something you think you read somewhere, maybe about another rally.
Don’t stand too close to Trump, dude. Whatever he’s got seems to be contagious. 🙂
What have I ever said that would lead you to to believe that I am fan of Donald Trump? Because I object to people telling flat-out lies about him? Sorry, you misunderstood completely. I object to that, not because I like Trump, but because it insults *me* that people might believe I would be so easily fooled. I saw the press conferences and read the transcripts: that is NOT what he said.
Terry Rudden says:
April 30, 2019 at 4:27 am
“So when you ask if I believe “no-one can criticize Biden for lying” – of course you can. Just as long as you hold Trump to the same standard, of course. ”
Of course. As you said, though, no one really expects the truth from Donald Trump…from Joe Biden, they do.
“As you said, though, no one really expects the truth from Donald Trump…from Joe Biden, they do.” And this is where I get lost. That’s okay with you?? Trump gets a pass because he’s habitual liar???
Right back at ya: it’s okay with *you* if people tell lies about Trump, then? You haven’t condemned anyone for doing it yet, have you?
As for “Trump gets a pass”…welcome to reality, Terry. Despite everything the Democrats, the MSM, Hollywood, Robert Mueller, the midterm elections and everyone else has thrown at him, HE’S STILL STANDING. I don’t like it, but I’m wise enough to accept it for what it is. I know how much that must offend your tender sensibilities, but those are the facts and no amount of denial by you and your fellow ‘progressives’ will change that, sorry. Don’t let him make a fool of you, the way he had done to so many others who were so incensed by his mere presence that they lose all ability to form a reasonable, rational argument and just start shrieking obscenities at him.
“Right back at ya: it’s okay with *you* if people tell lies about Trump, then? You haven’t condemned anyone for doing it yet, have you?”
Sorry, I don’t condone lies from anyone.
“I know how much that must offend your tender sensibilities, but those are the facts and no amount of denial by you and your fellow ‘progressives’ will change that, sorry. Don’t let him make a fool of you, the way he had done to so many others who were so incensed by his mere presence that they lose all ability to form a reasonable, rational argument and just start shrieking obscenities at him.”
Uh…you seem to be the one who’s shrieking, Fred. Anyway, I think you and I are at the end of productive discussion on this topic. Thanks. Intersesting thread at Dawg’s on a related team, inaugurated, interestingly by Peter.
Cytotoxic says:
April 29, 2019 at 4:46 pm
“Does it look to you like his exaggerations have ever hurt his popularity?”
Yes, because his approval rating is very bad.
Actually, his approval rating just took a big jump upwards yesterday over his handling of the economy.
Trump unequivocally said there was ‘very fine people’ at the Charlottesville rally of Nazi. He thinks Nazis are just fine. That’s a fact.
No, that’s A LIE (I know you have trouble telling the difference…I just don’t know why…).
Try reading more than just the headlines of the stories, and stay away from hard-left ‘news’ sources.