After watching the way Joe Biden responded to this obviously staged questioner, I was shocked - shocked that Joe still had some fight in him. Yes, I prefer Bernie and Warren. But this clip, more than anything else I've seen, makes me want to vote for Biden if he's the nominee. I hope he keeps it up. We've had enough of turning the other cheek. Its time to slap back.
12
I cringed when I saw this clip on the news yesterday. I can think of upteen better ways Vice President Biden could have taken on this farmer than the way he chose to.
It was a bit disingenuous considering that as Joe Biden physically challenged this man with his aggressive posturing and body language, there are Secret Service agents always with the VP that would prevent any kind of physical altercation, even if the vice president initiates it. Rather than show passion in responding to the question the way he did, it was more calculated performance for the cameras. I expect more from Joe Biden.
Instead of calling the questioner a "damn liar" wouldn't it have been much better for Mr. Biden to calmly say the man was misinformed? The reality is considering the political climate, the question of Hunter Biden's association with Burisma and his complete and total lack of any energy experience begs the question that this man asked Mr. Biden. And Joe Biden had better get used to it since it will come up again and again on the campaign trail. It's a long way to November 2020.
The exchange did not fill me with confidence, and I am a life-long Democrat.
17
Biden should have asked him why was he reading Pravda and/or RT (aka Russia Today) and advise him that Pravda and RT are Russian propaganda fake news sources. The man probably got misinformed by either Fox or POTUS. Let the voter make the connection (Trump=Russia). If he makes the connection it might sink in.
2
I can't say that I blame Jor for getting fed up with this nonsense and fake narrative from the right wingers. As the post from Ellen in Phoenix point out here the entire trump family is employed in th WH and none of them are either qualified or competent. I am clueless as to what any of them do other than sponge off the taxpayers.
6
Ugh. Behaved just like Trump.
This very newspaper published an article detailing how inappropriate Hunter Biden's work in the Ukraine was. Why are we all pretending he wasn't offered that job because his father was the vice president?
14
Way to go, Joe.
For one of, if not the most, important elections in this country’s history, can we not find someone better than Joe Biden? As a lifelong Democrat, I am so unenthusiastic about him.
He does not inspire or talk about his vision for the future but just talk about the past. And like Hillary as well, he talks too much about the Obama era and not the future.
It was a bad judgment error that his son was made rich in the Ukraine. The situation is eye rolling in regards to having a father who is Vice President. Obviously any fool can see, that was the major reason he was hired. He will have to deal with this issue in spades if he is the nominee and what does he do the first time but sound off and lose his cool.
Along with foot and mouth disease now we have to expect THIS!
The Democrats are practically ensuring the re-election of King Trump.
62
I understand why Biden did his power thing, to show his strength after months of vacillating one way or another leaving the public unsure of his abilities at age 77 and exposing weakness along the campaign trail. Is this new face of Biden necessary? Don't think so. Being Trump like is a losing game. Watch Bloomberg with his message and presence over the next few months.
No doubt about it, this is gonna be one tough election for all Democratic contenders. Still a long way to go. Personally I like Sanders and Warren because our country is so unbalanced with the likes of the Republcan Party and Trump. Capitalism is about to hand us the Great, Great Depression where half of the country will be in the breadlines if positive corrections are not made.
One thing we can all agree on...Trump would be a national and international disaster if reelected. The world cannot let this happen.
2
Let's not over-analyze this. The man said that he had heard something in TV (that I do not think anyone has heard before) and, when pressed, he said that it was on MSNBC, which also was not true. When someone says something that is not true, that is called a lie. Let us call a spade a spade. I thought it was great that Biden defended himself and his son. What is he expected to do, let the liars keep repeating lies until everybody believes it is true? Would you allow that about yourself or someone you care about? I don't think so.
38
Biden is going to get this over and over again so I am amazed that he does not have a succinct respectful response that clarifies the issue. Trump has really done a number on him, but why sink to Trump's level of insults and bullying - fans may revel in Trump's abusive, puerile behavior - entertainment for the masses - but most people don't.
3
This farmer obvious is oblivious to the fact that farmers are committing suicide because of the lack of product viability sales due to President Trumps continuing nightmare attempt to negotiate with China on Soybean and Wheat and corn tariff, due to the lack of revenue because of the Trump tariff wars with China and Canada.
Last, Joseph Biden, and his family have painstakingly been absorbed in the prior two years of a second Sons death due to brain cancer. This retired farmers hero appears to be Donald Trump, the worst criminal in America History as a President. I salute Joe for being honest in his approach to this horrible incident.
1
Good for Mr. Biden! Too often politicians are afraid to confront voters with their stupidity. Truth needs to be spoken, not cowering in fear of losing a voter.
1
Consider for a brief moment that the questioner was not a Republican plant, as so many here assert, but a Democrat supporting another candidate, and that he had a legitimate question. Biden totally blew an opportunity to change the minds of Democrats who are sick of watching the children of the elite from both parties (Ivanka, Jared, Donnie Jr., Hunter, Chelsea, etc.) take advantage of their connections to get lucrative positions. There are millions of people out here who don't have connections and are powerless to help their children get much further in life. It is infuriating to watch our often very talented children be doomed to waiting tables or pushing pencils, just because they had the misfortune to be born to parents who either don't have connections or who refuse to use those connections to give their children unfair advantages over others. The issue here is not about Hunter Biden or Ivanka Trump: it is about changing a system that promotes people of lesser talent and merit, merely because they happen to be born to wealthy, powerful, and "connected" people. And that is what the elites of both parties are terrified of. It is why they push the Bidens, the Trumps, the Bloombergs, and the Clintons of the world upon the electorate. They want to keep this system. Warren and Sanders want to level the playing field, and this scares the bejesus out of the people who want to maintain the status quo because it's working for them.
17
There is no point in arguing with a Fox News addict or someone who stereotypes people. It is time to move away from Biden-Ukraine situation and deal with other issues.
What's with the fat-shaming, Mr. Vice President? Besides challenging your accuser to do push-ups or go running, you came within a quarter syllable of calling him "fat," or another syllable of using a derogatory name based on it, despite your denials.
Surely if your challenger had differed from you by virtue of race, gender, age, or sexual orientation, you would not have resorted to verbal sparring that referred to those differences. Why was it OK to do so based on his body shape?
Being accused of nepotism is upsetting, and your initial response was understandable. But the subsequent conversation was revealing of a bias towards people more rotund than you.
We already have a president willing to name call when challenged. I am not encouraged that you would resort to the same tactics.
13
I don't care about Hunter being on the board of Burisma. That is par for the course for the wealthy and powerful. I give it nothing more than a sigh. There was nothing illegal about it. I have to evaluate these situations in context of what is going on in the world. Hunter landing a cush job is irrelevant to me, when I see the criminally corrupt practices from 45.
That said, I was embarrassed and cringed in disgust at how Biden treated fair and polite but difficult questions from a voter. He is exponentially better than 45, but probably my least favorite of the democratic nominees and this awful example of an old man losing his temper is just shameful. I hope voters reject him. Since Oregons vote almost last in the primaries I have to leave it to others to pick the nominee...
9
The real problem here is the “News Industry” Is out of control. It employees two many “Television Stars” and takes up too much air time. It has given rise to slanted liberal and conservative propaganda and frankly due to the failure of our education system, I have found very few people think for themselves. Instead, they just repeat what they are being told what to believe.
In this case, I believe the man asked ligament questions to try to learn for himself the truth. He was polite and straight forward. It is too bad that Biden took umbrage to the question. He shouldn’t, it is a legitimate question.
4
@calGuy
I’ve watched a number of videos of this event, shot from a number of angles. The farmer made many false, debunked statements and repeated unfounded accusations about Biden, rather than asking legitimate questions in an effort to learn anything. Please rewatch the exchange.
I’ve read subsequent reports quoting the farmer (ex-Marine) after the forum was over. He made it clear that he was there to make his points to the audience. And do a bit of man-to-man tussle with Biden.
2
Kerry’s stepson(Heinz) was in business with Hunter Biden.
7
Joe Biden showed critical lack of judgement when he didn’t insist Hunter should have no dealings with Ukraine while he was Vice President and the lead in U.S. policy for Ukraine.
A major conflict of interest no matter how you look at it.
And it’s not going away as it seems Joe naively seems to believe.
A huge handicap in general campaign were he the nominee.
12
The challenger in the crowd was certainly on point re Biden's age. Too bad that issue was not developed. For myself, I think my chances of winning the Power ball lottery would have been better than getting a foreign position making $50K/month for a gas company in the Ukraine. Hunter has such very good luck, if not credentials. I suppose The Bush twin and Chelsea Clinton ending up on network news programs is just serendipity too. Amazing how good things happen to the rich and connected.
12
I don't want to hear another word from anyone about Biden's electability. He isn't and he won't.
Deja-vu 2016 where the Democratic establishment foisted Hillary Clinton onto us. Republicans had spent decades vilifying the Clintons and particularly Hillary in the years leading up to the election. She had baggage, rightfully deserved or not, and was not electable. The race was much closer than it should have been because Republicans ran Trump. If Republicans ran almost anyone else, it would have been a blowout and they wouldn't be in the position they are today.
What is it about centrist Democrats that just refuse to learn from their past experiences?
10
HRC was electable and did in fact win the popular vote. Most of what we know now about DJT was suspected, written about, spoken about or established as fact before Nov 2016. So, you are drawing the wrong conclusions. The starting point for the analysis belongs with the outdated and unfair electoral college that provides small states with a highly disproportionate advantage and results in the election being decided by a handful of states.
3
I like Joe Biden and will vote for him if he is the nominee. (My vote won’t matter much as I live in NY State, but I’ll vote anyway.) Biden has 6 months to figure out just how volatile his son Hunter is and how much damage he can do to the nominee in this election. Denials and angry retorts are not at all appropriate now. We have a son who takes a board job at an excessive salary. Doesn’t speak the language, btw. Has no real knowledge of the geopolitics surrounding his role. Then there’s the China hedge fund issue. I won’t hold him responsible for the brief affair with the wife of his deceased brother (yuck), and I won’t pass judgement on marrying an exotic dancer after a 3 week romance (double yuck) but I most certainly think Big Joe needs to address the character and behavior of his son with something more substantial than push ups. Come on Joe, our future is at stake.
7
All reasons to vote for Bernie.
5
I will vote against Trump in 2020. But if Biden is the candidate, I will have to hold my nose... just as did when I voted for HRC in 2016. Both Trump and Biden committed a similar crime while in office. The difference is Trump's actions have been shown to be illegal, while Biden's obvious successful efforts for his son's undeserved employment has yet to be fully investigated.
I will work very hard during the primaries to keep this unethical political dunce off of the Democratic ticket.
10
Biden bullied an Iowa farmer who asked the question about the two ton elephant in the room. Instead of showing patience and handling the question with tact, Biden chose insults and dares. That man wasn't a Republican plant to embarrass the former Vice President, that man spoke for all of us with whom the Hunter 'windfall Ukrainian' job has never passed the smell test.
This country doesn't deserve another septuagenarian, addle-minded bully in the White House. And this was written by a septuagenarian.
25
Get your words straight, Jack!
That is just rude. And it sounds like it is straight out of a movie featuring the Rat Pack.
Biden should have been more presidential. Should have been more polite. I think of Obama's reasoned and lengthy response to a town hall question about gun control. It was thoughtful and precise and calm. Biden was none of that.
For the life of me, I cannot understand the appeal of Biden.
24
Watch the Anita Hill hearings and you can see clearly, Biden’s been a horrible person for a long time.
8
I watched this exchange and cringed with embarrassment; this was a ham-fisted attempt on the part of Biden to capture the news cycle. He may have been attempting to show strength and resolve, but he overreacted without being thoughtful.
13
Joe should take a lesson from Nancy Pelosi. Her "Don't mess with me" response to James Rosen's (ex Fox News reporter) insults on the same day was certainly much more effective.
5
Joe is telling it like it is. The Trump voters loved it when Trump did it. Let’s see if they like it now. And I’ll bet this “farmer’ is receiving Trump’s socialist handout payments.
2
Way to go Joe! You pushed back at the guy on his own terms while diffusing a situation that could have escalated and at the same time uniting the audience behind you. He even handed back the mic voluntarily at the end.
Pitch perfect!
2
@Barb Campbell
Ooooh, Joe! Please take your shirt off and knock out some push ups for us. If you can total 100 in 90 secs or less...you got my vote! A manly man, for sure.
1
It makes me sad to see that Trump's illegal and impeachable action in Ukraine to get a talking point on Biden's son in front of the US electorate through the Ukrainian president announcing a investigation on Burisma is actually working, even though Trump failed dramatically to have the Ukraine President do it. This article and the comments here tell me that Trump's illegal action in Ukraine have, at least, partly worked, even if it did lead to his impeachment. Come on Joe step back a little, the step up again and attack Trump not actual voters.
1
I for one was heartened by Biden standing up for himself and his son against the slanderous lies the Gang of Putin have been peddling. A big improvement over his former tepid responses to these baseless attacks. Joe is going to have to be tough in order to beat Trump. I thought immediately making an ad out of world leaders mocking Trump was an excellent idea and his campaign should do a lot more of that. We need a fighter. Someone people trust. Joe is both of those things. I am pleasantly surprised by these recent developments. I also don’t believe that retired farmer was an Elizabeth Warren supporter.
4
Corn pop is out of control. If he’s your best chance, you’re in trouble. He can’t take criticism. He wouldn’t survive a month against Trump.
27
Joe Biden, under the spotlight when faced with a small pile of dirty laundry around nepotism (which by the way is distasteful but not illegal -- don't forget Chelsea Clinton's $600,000 "reporter" gig ) forgets that he has a washing machine and instead, with cameras rolling, mixes the laundry with used cat litter and sets the mixture on fire.
He was put into the race but the democratic establishment not for his campaign talent, but purely to win the black vote to prevent Warren/Sanders wing from winning, thereby keeping the oligarchs in power.
17
Agreed. They lost Kamala, but they still have the Sleeper-Who-Will-Pivot-Warren, and Biden and Pete who American oligarchs are investing in to keep power away from all of us... Bernie2020
2
We may likely see more defensiveness on Joe Biden’s part in this primary season. Issues concerning Hunter Biden’s lucrative but possibly questionable Ukraine involvements will be raised to thwart Joe Biden’s bid to be the 2020 Democratic presidential nominee just as his history of plagiarism as a student at Syracuse Law School in the 1960s and later as a member of Congress contributed to the failure of his bid for the presidential nomination in the 1980s. And then there are the issues concerning his alleged mistreatment of Professor Anita Hill in the Senate hearings on Clarence Thomas‘s nomination to SCOTUS. These are potential vulnerabilities that Joe Biden must learn to address without becoming as rattled as he appeared to be in challenging the inquiring citizen in Iowa to a barroom-style push-up contest.
13
Biden's response to the "Floyd R. Turbo" like character in the audience was appropriate. The man was making unfounded and uncalled for personal assertions towards Biden and his family. Biden's response was strong, steadfast and human. The "Turbo"character was confused ("I saw the report on tv...MSNBC") and needlessly profane. The GOP is filled with too many Floyd R Turbo types whose thoughts and actions are driving us off a cliff. Let's hope the rest of us are engaged enough to not let the least competent among us drive that car any more.
5
John Kerry is a much under-estimated American patriot, tackling every assignment with vigour and integrity. It would be nice to find comparable people in the new generation. And a recognition of his outstanding public service. (Perhaps the American public can also forgive him or being able to speak French.)
4
Kerry is part of the American oligarchy. We don’t need more of that in control or telling us who to vote for again.
7
Biden looks and sounds awful. He cannot see the forest for the trees on the appearance of impropriety with regards to his son and the Ukraine oil company, called the guy “fat” , is defensive about his health to the point of insult and calls the guy “fat”........and “too old” to vote for him......unbelievable exchange which can be crafted into a very interesting/funny and devastating commercial against him. He will be chewed up by President Trump in a one on one debate.
26
I found Biden’s response understandable and refreshing. The “questioner” was obviously a set-up, who was there to further Republican conspiracy theories, and Biden was having none of it. Commentators that compare his reaction to the questioner to Trumps, are way off base.
8
But, he could have handled that better. He could have said something about how the gentleman was being fed propaganda. He could have been respectful at least until the man himself crossed a line. His response is disappointing. Calling anyone fat is just childish. My sense is Biden is he’s a good man, but he is not quick enough to be campaigning for president anymore.
8
If he can't handle this old guy, trump will devastate him. Biden is a disaster candidate.
27
@David Jacobson
It seems he handled him just fine.
5
Trump can mock a disabled reporter or call pdople names and get a pass, while Biden blasts a falsehood about his son and gets pushback for being too emotional. Talk about a double standard.
13
Double standard is making excuses for politicians who use their political power to become millionaires in technically ways.
3
While the question put to Joe Biden was ineptly phrased, it is a fair question:
Did he ever discourage his son from taking the highly paid position with Berisma when he knew, as he must have known, that Hunter had no background in the natural gas industry and that Hunter was invited to take the position only because he was the son of the sitting Vice President of the United States and that his family connection would be exploited to white-wash Berisma's reputation as a deeply corrupt company?
I believe this is a fair question, particularly since Joe Biden was tasked at the time with addressing political corruption in Ukraine. Watching Joe Biden's unfiltered and angry reaction to being questioned about Hunter - challenging the questioner to a childish push-up competition or run to prove his fitness for the presidency - gives me little confidence that he is still (if he ever was) intellectually and emotionally fit to be President.
431
@Henry --- Biden needs to clear all of this up before he possibly faces Trump in the general election. His son, Hunter admits that he took as much as $50,000 a month from a Ukraine energy company funded by a Russian Oligarch. Hunter admits he was probably just window dressing as a board member because of his name and the fact that his father was Obama's point man in the Ukraine. Hunter also admits to a lifelong struggle with cocaine and a lot of questionable life choices. Now we have John Kerry endorsing him? Isn't John Kerry's son also involved with Hunter Biden? Didn't those two young men make a trip to China for the funding to start a $1 billion hedge fund, along with a third young man, who has now become a felon?
52
@Henry: Hunter Biden's experience is corporate governance. Ukraine didn't know much about it as a country only recently released from Sovietism, so it made sense to add him to the board.
29
@Henry
The question has been asked and fully answered a very long time ago when the events being brought up were actually taking place. It has been reported again since this republican party scam to bribe Ukraine to throw another election went public.
the answer is this; Joe spoke to Hunter. He asked if he was sure he wanted to do this. He more or less told his father he was doing nothing wrong (re; Scalia "I know if I am doing something wrong") and they left it at that.
There is nothing illegal about the job or Hunter taking it. The problem is the appearance of impropriety" the republicans are making so much hay with after having denied that was even a real thing for Scalia's entire career on the court.
Nothing illegal by US or Ukraine law took place.
44
If Biden is the Dem candidate they will lose by a much larger margin than they did when H Clinton ran. This video demonstrates how callous and out of touch he is. This man who asked the question is an 85-year-old Democrat, and Biden bit back at him like he was a snake sent by devil himself. The very definition of tone deaf!
18
@Miss Patooty: It's funny how quickly people automatically assume that anyone asking a legitimate critical question must be from the "other" side. Good luck finding out whether or not the guy was a Republican plant or not. Until then, keep making unfounded assertions without any solid evidence.
7
@Anthony I don't believe the 83 year old man was a Democrat and his accusations were right from republican smear attacks.
3
Biden was calling a spade a spade. Nothing wrong with that. He's being smeared by false Republican false conspiracy theories, and this guy was parroting them. Anyone not aware of that by now has their head buried deep.
4
“We need a leader the world respects.”--I suppose that includes a tiny country called US!
Biden would have served himself well by taking Michelle Obama’s advice about going high when they go low.
The inevitability of that voter’s question really makes me wonder why answering it hadn’t been rehearsed at length over the last several weeks.
Biden really isn’t capable of being president if he’s going to react like Donald Trump whenever someone confronts him. And the last thing we need in a debate next August is two unfit candidates talking about how fit they are, while wondering why people get wound up about sniffing hair and grabbing... you know.
Please, not that.
12
What a weird and disappointing trump-esque response from Biden.
At the risk of sounding elite, I miss the restraint, understanding, and humanity that our elected leaders used to show. Beyond the important job of leading the country, they are role models who should bring out the best in us, not drag us into a reality tv swamp.
13
How can anyone think that this is "Biden finally standing for himself"? Seeing the "most electable" candidate insulting a citizen for being too fat and too old (while the only reason he is still in the race is thanks to 60+ people...) should be degrading for anyone who dared to critic Trump for the last 3years.
Plus, how can anyone deny that his son's work is a sign of how oligarchy works? Wrong doing or not, it looks bad, specially when you want to attack Trump on similar things. He should address the issue IF he trully wants to get rid of Trump and what allowed him to get to the office.
You don't defend yourself by calling people fat or pointing out the fact that the other guy is doing worst things that you... Childish... Yes, Trump is doing worst things, but this is why he is Trump. Biden was supposed to be the "classy guy" who gets the US out of these darks times (at least according to the so called moderates) and after his "go vote for Trump", now this? How is this being the "most electable" and "bringing the country back together"?
It seems that "Moderates" would rather loose the next elections in a Trump fashion that dealing with the actual reasons of why Trump was able to get elected in the first place. And it's not the last interview of Hillary blaming Sanders again that would contradict me.
8
Biden can't get out of his own way. It's long past due for the party establishment elites to fall on their swords. Enjoy your retirement and let the people forge a new path forward.
10
Joe Biden has never addressed the unseemly situation of his cash-strapped son suddenly being appointed to a $50,000-a-month position on the board of a corrupt gas company in a corrupt foreign county while Biden was vice president. All he ever says is "there was no evidence" of wrongdoing. I think the people deserve a better, straighter, calmer explanation of what Biden made of the situation. At best, Biden's furious reaction to the man's question was disrespectful -- he turned his back on him as he answered -- and made him look like an emotionally unstable old man. He called the man a liar -- perhaps the man spoke inaccurately about Biden "sending" his son to Ukraine, but the basic facts were correct.
14
Completely agree. It’s time someone gets Ukraine to investigate this. 
1
Joe Biden, if you're listening, this is what we need more of.
When they say anything about your son, throw the fact that Trump is BLATANTLY breaking the nepotism law enacted after the Kennedy administration.
When they say the economy is doing great, you say if you take a loan out on your house and have lavish parties hiring everyone in the neighborhood, are you heading for financial disaster? Yes
CNN had Trump on all the time during 2016. You, Mr. Biden, need to be on CNN more screaming about Trump's Worst Presidency Ever.
Throw some fake fights.
Trump couldn't do one push-up.
2
This is worse than when Joe Biden berated a high school student who challenged his record on climate change. He easily gets defensive and seems as susceptible as Trump to be lured into a petty fight. This is the opposite of the leadership we need. We need someone measured & balanced who is focused on the big issues effecting our country. Challenging a voter to a push-up contest Joe? Is this the zeitgeist of the Democratic Party? In my opinion this is why we need a woman to go up against Trump, and that is why I hope Elizabeth Warren wins the nomination.
8
The use of he epithet "Fat" by Mr Biden when speaking to the man was childish and insulting. The person who was speaking to Biden at no time used derogatory terms and was trying to look at both sides of the issue. Biden is clearly not able to think quickly and respond with respect when under pressure. He certainly did not show leadership qualities in this case.
18
@David Mead
Biden cut off his response mid-sentence. His campaign says he was trying to say the word “facts.” Facts clearly didn’t matter to the questioner.
I don’t think Biden was trying to insult the man. But I do think the man was trying to insult Biden. He started off the exchange by telling Biden he was too old to run for President. He falsely accused Biden of selling access to the President. And he ended his argument saying Biden had no backbone just like Trump.
No derogatory terms? Really?
1
This woman do not like men who cannot control their temper.
There are plenty more like me.
If Mr Biden is running to bring civility back into public discourse......he is going about it in a strange way.
14
It was reported previously that when staff approached then Vice President Biden about his son's business arrangement with the Ukrainian company and how it created the appearance of a conflict of interest he 'exploded' and everyone after that was afraid to bring the subject up again.
And now there's this
You can be sure that Trump will bring up Hunter Biden in every single debate and his campaign will run thousands of ads will run on the subject.
Biden needs to find a way to keep his cool when this comes up.
6
Biden should just say straight out that he had nothing to do with his son getting the job, that he expressed his concerns to his son for accepting the job because of the appearance problems it raised, but ultimately his son is an adult and makes his own decisions. There was no wrongdoing by either of us!
4
Joe is the status quo that led to D.Trump. And all the progresses this WH has made was nothing short of chaos, disruptions, and deals enrich themselves or their friends. Is it so hard for Americans to see that we need a significant change, whether it's our point of view, beliefs we are holding, or the media we're locked into!? Critical thinking, logic and conscience seems to be lacking in many of the voters as well as some of the candidates.
4
The candidate who will get my vote is someone who, first and foremost, tackles the major issues that face the country with sensible and sound policies. And that person would also be able to handle challenges and confrontations with a steel wit coated in eloquence and tact.
7
Good point so at least with this attitude you will not vote for Trump.
3
If Biden becomes the nominee (I predict through some polemic involving super delegates again), Trump is going to win. There will be cheap shots on debate stages and campaign trails that might make the Trumpers happy, but it will certainly wear the rest of us out. And Trump will win.
America: this is about more than beating Trump.
7
He has spouted off a number of questionable things in his town hall meetings including a discussion with an individual about immigration in which he essentially told the man "if you don't like what I have to say, vote for Trump" while turning his back on him and on another occasion, "vote for Sanders". Biden talks about bipartisanship. If this is it, he better quit now.
Clearly, Biden doesn't like to be confronted about his policies and gets upset quite easily making him an easy mark for Trump in a debate.
25
What a clueless reaction to a question that more than one voter may have in their mind. Or maybe it will work in the era of Trump. Perhaps this is a clever reaction and I am wrong.
Talking of Hunter Biden, what might the son of a US vice president be doing on the board of a Ukrainian natural gas company in a region where Russia uses energy supplies as a blackmail tool? Just asking here...
11
@The Hawk,
What you should be asking is what is Ivanka and Jared doing working at the WH? And how and why did Ivanka receive all those trade patents from China during the time her father was negotiating the trade deal with China?
Trump and his family are profiting from the presidency. That should concern you more.
5
We're all fired up about tax returns and what someone did in their first job out of college, but the elephant in the room is that there is cognitive decline on display by the democratic front-runner that should be measured and reported on. Brains age, just like every other part of our bodies. Even if this is normal age-related decline, rather than dementia, the volatility of this exchange is very concerning.
22
Oooops! Not the kind of response any communications team would want their candidate to deliver. The guy asked a perfectly legitimate question AND notice he sighted he had received his information from MSNBC not Fox news. Bigger ooops! Was this guy a plant? I kind of doubt it but that is how Biden reacted to him. Unfortunately, Biden didn't look so much tough as emotionally exhausted and vulnerable. Yes, Biden has the experience to step into the presidency without the need of training wheels, but I am beginning to think he is mentally somewhat compromised – whether because of age or emotion over Beau's death and the poor judgement of Hunter to play off his father's status in Ukraine – this America doesn't need. Years ago I was a Biden fan when he first ran for the presidency. He is a decent man who has served his country admirably – although his actions around the Thomas hearings and his vote on the bankruptcy laws that Warren fought against certainly tempered my view. Biden is a good man. But this incident really gives me pause. Disturbing indeed.
23
Fun clip, but ultimately yet another piece of news to help people reinforce what they already think. Like Biden? This is him not taking any guff, doing his usual Joe Biden thing - rough, but genuine; saying a bunch of ridiculous stuff is even a legitimate strategy if the opponent is Trump. Hate Biden? He's losing it, if he can't handle this guy, how will he handle Trump, etc. Thanks for the clickbait, NYT (but hey, I clicked, so I'm as guilty as you).
5
I do not know or care if the guy was a plant of just someone who watches Fox News, but Mr. Biden did not handle this well.
A campaign is like an extended job interview and the voters are HR. Blowing up at a question is not a good way to land a job anywhere I know of.
Mr. Biden's son may have been at the firm after the time of corruption, but given his CV it does not seem he was put on the board for any other reason than access to his dad's network of friends and contacts. That kind of special treatment may not be illegal, but it smells of privilege and insiderism that is all too common among the political class in America. Kind of like when Chelsea Clinton and Jenna Bush (Hager) got hired on the Today Show- apparently no background needed.
Americans left, right and center are more than a little put out with government of all levels and the political class that seems to hang around it for generations. We notice that our Congressmen and Senators rarely ever come home after their time in elective office and if they do, it is to somewhere else.
Mr. Biden is the poster child for Washington insiderism, so he should expect suspicious or skeptical voters as he asks for their vote. Thin-skinned behavior is not going to do him any good with those not already enamored of him. It did not work well for Hillary in 2016, who promised and reneged on releasing her speeches for cash to Wall Street firms. She never had any intention of letting voters see the content.
24
@david Gregory,
Really? Hillary’s speeches . You still concerned that she never released them. Trump not releasing his tax returns as he promised numerous times doesn’t bother you.
My, my, the hypocrisy runs deep.
@Letty Roerig
There was reporting from respected journalists that what she was telling Wall Street was pure NeoLiberal stuff when she was selling herself as "a Progressive that likes to get things done".
So if I think someone is lying to me just to get my vote, yes it is important. I knew Trump was a crook and strongly suspect Hillary was as well.
3
Biden response was very poor. This was a chance to explain the situation with his son. Every salesman knows that when the customer complains, this is the time to make your sale. You don't call your customer (voter) a liar, etc. You explain why his concern is unfounded. Biden totally blew his chance here.
20
Watch the needle move for Biden. It's about time a Dem took off the gloves and got nasty with these Trumpers who are so lacking ion critical thinking skills that they can only parrot Fox News. Keep the gloves off, Joe, and you will beat Trump. Swing state voters will respond to this blue collar attitude. Nancy did the same to a Trumper today. We must have leaders who are unafraid to get down and dirty to protect our Democracy against these fools who would destroy it.
4
Hey, Tony, I completely agree! Let’s have more of this! Sleepy Joe Biden reveals his cognitive decline and loses it over a very fair point. Catholic Nancy loses it over a completely fair question from a journalist. The Ds can’t defend their partisan corruption/impeachment, so they lash out.
If Nancy loves the Constitution so much, would someone please tell her that it is not right to mix church and state. I’m an atheist and indeed an anti-theist. I believe that religion is a bad idea. Catholic Nancy can believe whatever she wants in her personal life, but please keep religion out of politics.
I hope Sleepy Joe takes Tony’s advice. I want him to be the nominee so that Trump can rip his face off! Sleepy Joe is a career politician who has been wrong on virtually every important issue in the last 50 years. Is this really the best the Ds can do? The best America can do?
6
You lost me at the “term rip your face off”. No wonder this country has descended into tribal animosity if this kind of statement is embedded in an otherwise well-written comment.
1
.. None of the Democrats are looking strong. They all have glaring weaknesses..
.-- Biden looks a bit thin-skinned & unprepared if he can't handle the inevitable questions about his son..
..--- It's kind of amazing that the Dems have spent 3 years agonizing over the need to get rid of Trump.. & they couldn't come up with ONE candidate that's got the clear ability to beat him.
5
Bottom line, it’s not good the President or Hunter Biden are in the Ukraine period! It’s just using US political power to line their pockets. Shame on both, we deserve better!
3
Most of the comments here blame Biden. I remember Hillary, McCain and Romney were all very polite. This man attacked a debunked theory about Biden's son.
If it was Biden himself, I might have a different opinion. I congratulate Joe for calling the liar a liar.
7
Perhaps Biden's comments should have been reserved for Trump.
3
Hunter Biden ??? Are you kidding me ? The Trumplings do much worse on a daily basis, some of which is with Taxpayer Funds. Grow up, open your eyes and consider something radical : Reading.
7
Someday Biden's going to call the wrong guy a liar and have it handed to him.
4
Joe should have told him, that’s a bunch of malarkey. Just to cement his 1950s theme. Sorry Joe, you’re done.
14
Let’s not blow this out of proportion.
3
I like Biden's feistyness, and bet he can do more pushups than Trump, who needs a golf cart to get around.
4
What a misleading title.
This is click bait. The “push-up challenge” was obviously rhetorical.
4
Dear media
Don’t let but his son become the but her emails. Stop
2
Ready...
Aim...
Shoot foot!
7
Lame, Joe. Respond to the substance of questions, Joe.
7
He didn’t get asked any auestions, actually. He got accused, and so did his son.
5
Biden is a bully. And an arrogant one at that. NYT would be ripping politician apart if this was a Republican candidate. Shameful.
19
How is it that i know for certain that everybody on the Left yelling at Joe Biden for sticking up for himself and his surviving son was yelling at Joe Biden yesterday for not being enough of a fighter? And that everybody yelling at him from the Right thinks Trump’s hourly behavior is exactly why he ought to be President?
3
Apparently Trump's attacks Biden's son are working, but the funny part is that it's all for naught. Biden was never going to be the Democratic Party's nominee. Trump's Ukraine strategy has provided the motivation for his impeachment. Had Trump left Biden to fail on his own, Pelosi would probably still be trying to prevent her caucus from impeachment.
3
Trump said Pelosi was having a " nervous fit." A 77 year old guy riding around in a "no mularkey" bus challenges an 82 year old guy to a push-up contest.
I suspect that if you asked any of these characters for their opinions on The Chain Smokers, they would talk about the dangers of lung cancer.
5
Good for Biden. He needs to project lucidity and strength at this point and not take any nonsense off of anybody, be it a muckraking plant or just an ignoramous. If trump had said this sort of thing, which he does on a daily basis, it would've aroused a collective chuckle from his base. Stay strong, Biden!
6
2016 all over again. Any good candidate could beat Trump - the problem is the corrupt hacks of the DNC refuse to give us one.
And if nobody gets the nod on the first vote, the wretched "Super Delegates" will be able to vote, which will guarantee that a truly awful candidate will be running against Trump.
6
Testament: Biden doesn't have the temperament, the intelligence or, dare I say it, the youth that we need in a President after four years of Donald Trump. For Pete's sake, let it go Joe.
11
The old guy is being vilified in these comments – “He was a Fox News plant,” etc. Well, I’m an old guy too, and in almost 50 years of voting I have never missed an election, yet I can count the number of Republicans I have ever voted for on fewer than the figures of one hand. But my two questions for Vice resident Biden would be exactly what this guy’s were:
1. Aren’t you too old to be president?
2. And, what’s up with Hunter’s involvement in the Ukraine?
What we have to realize as Democrats is that in 2020 just as in 2016 the election will be decided by a small group of swing voters who unlike me have no special loyalty to the Democratic Party, and they could go either way. And this guy might be a good example of this kind of voter. If we can’t even deal with this one seemingly-sincere man then we’re doomed.
But maybe some good came out of this—maybe this incident showed that despite his years of service to our country Vice President Biden may not be the one to unseat the evil Trump and get our messed-up country back on the path to be great once again.
8
Nobody has this story right. To get right you have to go back and find when Joe Biden was appointed administration point man on Ukraine. Was this before or after Hunter Biden got his huge Burisma monthly stipend? Next, after Joe Biden had prosecutor Shokin removed, where was he when the Ukranian government-appointed Lusentko, a nonlawyer, to be the top prosecutor? Where was Joe Biden when the Ukranian court dropped the case after Lusentko produced no evidence against Burisma? Joe Biden’s silence then is suspect, at least.
Today, where is the legislation which makes it illegal for a close relative of a government point man to receive substantial sums when a government point man is making decisions affecting the generous entity?
7
As an 83 year old, I felt slighted by Biden. I would not accept a push-up challenge. Not relevant. Or to an IQ test, as I would rest my case on intellectual judgment by the lack of recognition of an obvious conflict of interest.
If Joe Biden wants a challenge pitting him against an 83-year-old opponent. The battlefield could be a chessboard. If Biden can beat me, I'll give his campaign a couple of hundred hours of volunteer time. If this Joe beats the other Joe then he drops out and advises his son on the management of what's leftover from the Burisma money.
6
This pushback to the fox channel garbage shows that Joe can fight. The rest of the dems need to take the heat to the mass of republicans who are blindly following Trump to the demise of the republican party as we once knew it.
I am glad to see Joe match wits with the ignorance he encounters on a regular basis and I don't fault him for a heated response to an outright lie when he hears one. Calling the man a liar puts the ball in the right field, work with facts and call out the mendacity of the currently blinded eyes of Trumps' core supporters.
1
Makes me sad and irritated to follow the latest from Nowheresville, Iowa and East Nowhere, Nee Hampshire. Can’t we figure out a better way? Would any rational person set it up this way? No wonder Biden is testy.
2
So many comments about how Biden isn’t fit for the job based on this exchange. Good grief, people. Get a grip and stop the nitpicking if you want to beat Trump. Seriously.
7
even a candidate doesn't have to take everything thrown his way...I doubt this guy is for Warren...he sounds like a Trump provocateur... Biden has never been my favorite, (my candidate is smarter, braver and younger in spirit, Bernie,) but dumping on him for a very human reaction hardly seems fair.
4
So on the day that Speaker Pelosi announced the intent to impeach Trump, is it just coincidence that we have this sideshow story about Biden?
3
I would encourage any Democratic candidate to hit back with facts when someone confronts him or her with the GOP/FOX propaganda and lies. The whole Biden son in Ukraine issue is used purposefully to obfuscate TRUMP's crimes and lies. It really does not matter what anyone else did in Ukraine in the PAST! It matters that TRUMP tried to extort information from a foreign source on a political rival using US tax dollars approved congressional funds intended to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia. PERIOD..go get 'im Joe and any of the rest of you too!
glad Biden’s team is pushing him to fight back. Maybe they learned from Hillary’s failure of all the other candidates to stand up for themselves. Makes me think Biden won’t wimp out against the big bully trumpf.
1
I think Biden's too angry.. Sheesh people say Sanders is angry. Sanders would know how to answer a question like this with some finesse and without getting so personal. This is almost as bad as Biden's last outburst at a potential voter, when he told a man to 'just vote for Trump if you don't like it.''
I think that old man was right. Biden is not all there mentally. He's a terrible campaigner. He can't take any criticism. He feels entitled to peoples votes. He doesn't want to even bother persuading people to vote for him at his point. Why is anyone still supporting him?
16
My hat is off to the retired farmer from Iowa. He worked hard his entire life, and was wondering, as I do, how a VP could allow his son to take a no show job that paid millions of dollars over 5 years, from a dirty Ukrainian company run by oligarchs with ties to Putin.
It was a clear conflict of interest, and Biden is the liar when he says "No one has said my son has done anything wrong".
Plenty of people thought it was wrong, as do I, including this very newspaper as far back as 2015. The last line in this NY Times Editorial is "This is not a board he [Hunter] should be sitting on".
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/12/opinion/joe-biden-lectures-ukraine.html
Withdraw Biden. Doing the Hunter-Joe Biden tag team while you were VP was unconscionable, and you have forfeited the right to lead our country.
Ukraine is a former Soviet Republic, and you working the diplomat room while Hunter worked for Burisma was a shameful, greedy act.
The Biden family broke new ground. No child of the Executive Branch ever had the audacity to sit on a foreign board, let alone one run by Putin influenced oligarchs.
Thanks for saying what I would have, Mr. Retired Iowa Farmer. You are not a liar, you are a good man.
17
Sadly, another presidential candidate shows that he is unfit temperamentally for the position.
There are a number of reasons to be skeptical about Biden. His son's business affairs in Ukraine do not appear to be among them. His ineffective, emotional and personalized response to an 83-year-old Iowa farmer is.
25
Biden seems temperamentally unfit to engage with a critic, allowing anger to get the best of him and stooping to name calling. How is this going to work for him reaching out to independents and open-minded Republicans who have legitimate questions about his record or honest policy differences?
22
@marty it will work out much better than having nominee, dem or repub, who are afraid of trump and try to act nice. Did you miss what happened in 2016?
1
That guy was correct when he suggested Biden was too old for the job. His antagonist is 83 and he knows what is going on. In Addition, Biden lost his temper and his reasoning at the wrong time. We expect this behavior from Trump, not a seasoned politician. Is ‘seasoned’ being optimistic Joe?
22
You can be polite and at the same time deliver a good jab. Biden needs to practice. If he does run against Trump, he will have to be smart and strong. Maybe he should study how Nancy Pelosi takes Trump down. She is a Pro. Funny, I never liked her when I was a Republican. But, I am starting to really like her. Maybe she should run for President.
12
The media, in their bubble, are wringing their hands over this "bad behavior" I loved it — he's talking like a real guy. Most average guys out there (cf. most Times readers) would agree.
13
It will probably help him.
1
As an ardent Obama supporter I don’t dislike Joe Biden.
However, Biden’s son should not have taken that Burisma board position- it’s really inexcusable. It might not have been illegal but it looks bad enough to be a messy distraction which will help Trump win re-election. In the 2020 election it will be the worst kind of baggage. Why take this chance when someone like Bloomberg is a centrist like Biden who can also far outspend Trump- which is likely a necessary reality in this sordid era of Citizens United.
10
@Doug M, your comment reminds me of the double standard among the parties. Republicans are forgiven every evil except working with a Democrat to get things done. The Republican base will get out there and vote regardless of the obvious criminality, the rude and crude behavior, the chaos and petty fights with everyone, the history of immoral behavior needing a fixer to handle his fraudulence and sleaziness. Trump supporters could use some Amazing Grace because they are blinded and can't see this terrible and dangerous man for who he is.
Democrats need to get behind whichever candidate is the nominee and vote, that means everyone.
@MissPatooty
If everything you say is true and Bloomberg is not the nominee Trump still wins. Democrats better start facing reality.
1
If Hunter Biden had been named Biden Hunter he wouldn't have been hired by a Ukrainian energy company.
Hunter Biden was the adult son of the Vice President of the United States.
What other qualifications did he have?
Avoiding the appearance of impropriety is the basic ethical obligation of the legal profession.
Doing no harm is fundamental ethical obligation of the medical profession.
What is the ethical obligation of the business and political professions ?
21
Oh, undergrad degree in relevant stuff, Yale Law, years in government service, stuff like that. Hardly the equivalent of, say, either trump boy, I grant you that.
Why are you carrying the can for the shabby likes of Republicans?
2
@Blackmamba,
Companies that rely on outside investor confidence often appoint glitzy names to boards in addition to appointments of merit. Not all board members are 'qualified in the field'. Some are just show pieces. Kind of like celebrities who charge a fee to be seen at a trendy restaurant. While on the board, seems Hunter did nothing unethical or illegal and his board position broke no laws but the optics were bad, yes. But right now we live in a world where POTUS can own a hotel in DC and have US forces make detours to his resorts. Appearance of Impropriety?
4
Agree. I wouldn’t vote for Hunter Biden!
2
Merle Gorman is an American hero.
7
So much for “No Malarky.”
Put Downs and Pushups is the campaign strategy now. Because, man, Joe knows more than most people know.
13
Biden came off poorly. Hunter Biden got his board position because they wanted access to the White House. That sounds like corruption to me. Corruption permeates DC in both parties. We have perpetual wars because many if not most members of congress profit from them. As a non-voter, the amazing wisdom of the voting class in distinguishing between and among the Uni-Party candidates never ceases to amaze me. Theater for the gullible.
13
@Tom Carberry: I agree with you, but that doesn't make me a non-voter. I won't give up my right to vote, because that is precisely what the oligarchs want me to do. They want me to quit and drop out of the opposition to oligarchy. Become apathetic and disillusioned with politics. Not going to happen. I will keep right on voting the way I see fit.
1
Biden IS too old. He'd be 82 if he was elected to and finished his term. He proved that with this little senior moment.
11
Does anybody really care who John Kerry, who ran a terrible presidential campaign himself and couldn't even beat one of the worst presidents in the history of the country who had taken us into a phony war, endorses?
I would think it might drive more voters away than attract.
17
The discourse would ideally be focused on people who will publicly identify themselves if they are willing to speak in public. Biden was likely correct; the “farmer” smells fishy.
3
Good for you, Joe. This audience member came after you on something you believed to be false and you pushed back. What's wrong with that?
10
Bidens behavior is how Trump won. Considering the age of the Supreme Court, the next President will determine the law of the land. Faced with that, I have absolutely no problems with Bidens behavior. Trump wants to be a dictator and he has a running start. He has a whole
Network lauding his every decision, Trump Tv is the only network that the WhiteHouse will speak with, the nation is pouring millions into the Presidents properties, dignitaries are making sure he knows they stayed in a Trump property, Half of Congress is no longer willing to be the Framers checks and balance. The current leader of the free world left a NATO event because someone laughed at him, a lawyer sits in jail now because he did the President bidding, paying of pornstar(s), after absolving of men the military deemed as unacceptable because of his love of our military, but not the ones with that testified “against” him, those men who shed bleed for this country are all liars. I could go on and on. But Hunter has admitted his unseemly mistake and vowed not to work for a foreign company in any affiliation with the US. However, nepotism is fine if you are a Trump. If Biden has to get in the mud with Trump, I don’t care! I applaud his ability to go there with Trump. We will have our morals while Trump will have a Supreme Court.
Sign me up, I pick the tired man with course language who doesn’t want to a dictator.
10
@W: Again, the two major parties are asking voters to hold their noses and vote for the least worst candidate - not the best one. I only wish the Democratic and Republican Parties would allow us to vote for candidates who would serve the interests of the greater good and bring real change to our sclerotic, nepotistic, cronyist oligarchy. But that would mean relinquishing the power they've accrued over the past decades in Washington, so good luck to us, the voters. We're going to need an awfully big crowbar to unseat the entrenched powers that be. But if Biden winds up being the nominee, then we have no choice again, and you're right - vote for the oligarch who doesn't want to be a dictator. Sigh.
1
Biden was great against that man today, as was Speaker Pelosi with the 'former Fox News' shill this afternoon. America has had enough of the nasty Fox News corruption of reality and decency. We need to get tough with these people.
14
Watching this video makes me realize that Biden's time (if he ever did have a time) to run for the highest office in the land has come and gone. This gentleman actually wasn't trying to provoke him for the sake of it, but Biden took the nonexistent bait and showed he doesn't have the temperament for the job any longer. It's interesting that I find Bernie Sanders, who is Biden's senior, still sharp as a tack and more eloquent than ever, while I see Biden simply unable to to string together a cohesive sentence, and venting his ire at undeserving people.
169
@Christopher
The "gentleman" was a heckler. It's hard enough for a comedian like Don Rickles who made a career of being nasty to deal with a heckler who just won't quit. Dealing with being heckled while trying to garner votes makes stand-up look easy.
Biden did fine.
8
It's obvious that you're a Bernie Bro and are taking this opportunity to make some left-field criticisms of Biden.
If you had a hard time hearing the audio I suggest you turn on the closed captioning. Biden strings plenty of cohesive sentences together and pushes back against the guy who, if he wasn't deliberately trying to provoke him was certainly a typical FoxNews-addled viewer. Biden's reaction was completely appropriate and the guy deserved it.
10
@Christopher since when has being able to string a sentence together (coherently) been a prerequisite for running for major office in the US?
7
I used to be concerned Biden was too old and congenial in the face of today's Trumpian politics to either win or be effective. When I heard news of the video I thought he might have overcompensated and swung too far in the other direction.
Reluctantly, I decided to watch the video and see for myself. I'm pleased with how he stood up for himself and didn't for a moment let those kind of baseless accusations stand.
Be polite and respectful for sure, but don't suffer fools gladly.
Biden didn't.
106
No, he did not. And unlike some who might be named, Biden gave an honest response to being attacked over nonsense, and having his surviving son attacked.
An honest answer.
Anybody remember what that’s like?
9
@Eric W
Nonsense, he knew he was going to get these questions and he should have been prepared and responded in a more respectful manner regardless and not make a spectacle of the situation.
He should leave the confrontations for the "The Tweetster' not, the people who will determine whether or not he even gets the chance to do it in the first place.
12
@Eric W I watched Biden's response and I think it was perfectly fine. What he did was really mild compared with what Trump does at his rallies when he encourages the crowd to beat-up protesters.
8
True, Biden was not at his best in the dispute with the retired Iowa farmer. But the dispute is not the end of the world.
The most important subject here is "Perspective"
Perspective " The capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance"
Perspective says here " You better not tear down your leading candidates against Trump because you might end up with Trump"
The right perspective comes before anything else in this election and also everywhere.
3
Biden must carry a heavy load of guilt never to recognize that his son is a mess and that his son has made a mess of his life in every possible way.
That is their problem. It should not be visited on anyone else. Not on an 83-year-old man from Iowa, not on the United States.
The more we see of Joe Biden in this campaign the more it seems to me he is much less than the man we all thought he was if he ever was.
An unfortunate, embarrassing episode. Another in a long line of them.
Say it isn't so Joe.
23
Really? Guilt because his son had substance-abuse problems? Do you have children? Did any of them ever mess up? “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
9
@Miriam
Let's compare Hunter Biden with Michael Douglas's kid, who was also a drug addict in his youth.
Douglas put his foot down. He didn't enable his son's habit by getting him cushy do-nothing jobs in Hollywood. He allowed his kid to serve prison time, and facilitated him getting his act together.
Now Cameron Douglas is out of prison, wrote a book and became a father in his own right.
Compare that to Hunter, who has been in rehab 6 times, and as recently as last year was caught with a crack pipe in his car in LA.
7
@Miriam No - The Accident
Sadly Biden is showing he not fit for office either. This is the kind of talk my teenage boys tell me they hear on the soccer field between players of the opposing teams. Time for a younger and hopefully more balanced and mature generation to take over!
14
A dreadfully poor performance pay Biden. This is a legitimate question, but instead of engaging in the topic and using this as an opportunity to tell his side of the story, Biden evades and insults.
This fellow is not up to being a candidate. He has never been, and at 78 years his ability to run a focussed and disciplined campaign has not gotten better. At the same time, with every day that he stays in the race, Biden increases Trump’s chance to remain in power. Because Biden will obviously be incapable to win, but his name recognition and association with Obama blocks the path for moderate Democrats who would stand a chance.
In short, Biden with his vanity and incompetence is doing immense damage to his party, the country, the world.
21
Dear America,
Please do not nominate Biden. Many of your friends in the world want a strong candidate to defeat Trump. Biden is not that candidate.
He fumbles more times than not and has a thin skin that does not present as presidential. Additionally he threw Anita Hill under the bus and gave America Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.
He is not fit and Trump would eat him in any debate. Not sure Warren is the right choice, but I would pay good money to watch her debate Trump.
Sincerely, Our Family of Four Up North
22
Biden needs to come out and tell the truth about this. It was a bad judgement call on the part of his son, they agreed to each proceed independently, and Biden threw out prosecutors who were trading withholding action for favors. And his son will not be making such calls anymore. The truth is always best. Righteous indignation is just annoying.
10
This is embarrassing, and no it will not best Trump when he's the master of bullying.
10
It’s nice to know they still have farmers In Iowa who can afford to “retire “.
4
It would have been better judgement if Hunter Biden hadn't accepted being on the board of Burisma, but to say Joe Biden shouldn't have let him do it is pretty silly, since Hunter Biden is now almost 50 years old.
As far as him not being qualified, or an oil man, board members are often chosen for many other reasons - one of them obviously being fame or power. Check out board members for any number of companies and you will find a variety of qualifications.
Give it a rest, GOP!
10
@Pat Boice Pat you summarized this perfectly. Too many people blowing it out of proportion. Violations perpetuated by trump family far exceed anything even implied with the Bidens. People need to keep focus on the current office holder!
2
This is very disappointing.
The first and only thing impressive from Biden was that video capitalizing on the video showing heads of state laughing at Trump that just came out this morning. Nice. I began to think Biden might have something to offer, after all.now
And now this, on the same day. So I figure the video credit goes to his team.
Interesting that the man in the audience, challenging Biden to explain his son starting in the oil industry at the top, said he was a Warren fan. This man would be the mythical mid-west rural voter that we figured would vote for someone solid like Biden and make would make Warren unelectable. Surprise! He likes Warren! Wouldn't it be funny if we discarded Warren thinking that Biden would win over white males?
13
We need to focus on who can defeat Mr. Trump... across the entire country. As corny as a pushup contest sounds, it just got Biden a slew of votes without even being held. I'll bet Trump couldn't do three pushups without stopping for a 40-minute press conference!
6
At first I thought this was just another charming little Biden Blunder. Then I watched the video a few times.
No, this is actually a big deal.
Biden clearly refers to the guy as “fat”, and then proceeds to say he is too old to vote for him.
Wow. Biden is alienating “fat” people AND elderly people. This is like “deplorables”, but with a dose of body shaming and ageism.
Republicans will have this turned into an ad by morning and spend double digit millions showing it to a public that typically worries about two things just after the holidays – gaining weight and getting older.
Nice going, Joe.
36
Joe Biden doth protest too much, methinks.
14
I could care less that Hunter Biden got paid X for a seat on the board of Burisma. It called elitism. He did have a corporate governance background.
Both parties are guilty of it. Is it right, No. But it was not illegal.
Trump and his merry band of family grifters are violating the emoluments clause every singe day and multiple times a day.
Ivanka, Jered and Eric little Don, like their father are enriching themselves every day in on our tax dollars.
Wake up America. Vote in 2020 and rid this country of the grifters in the White House.
9
I wanted to ask the former Vice President if elected President of the United States does he plan to speak softly and carry a big stick but now its apparent he’s just a bully and abuses the elderly.
13
That's the Joe I want to see! Fight back and punch harder! Go Joe!
6
Here America's Democrats go again.
Biden gets testy -- no, he did not lose it -- and all of a sudden he will be raw meat for the vicious, slow-witted criminal Trump.
This search for a perfect candidate is again driving the holier-than-thou wing of the Democratic Party into electoral paralysis.
Does anyone really think Biden will be a left-leaning version of Trump, a lawless, immoral, narcissistic jerk?
Is misplaced self-righteousness reason enough to let the vile Trump pull off another fluke victory?
9
Iowa man: - “Yeah, all right. I’m not voting for you.”
VP biden: - Well I knew you weren’t, man. You think I thought you’d stand up and vote for me? You’re too old to vote for me.”
What worries me is how ill prepared the VP is for questions that he should be more than prepared for. This was an opportunity to explain the deal his son got, accept that it has the appearance of favoritism, etc. With decency. Instead, he concludes with a “You are too old to vote for me”? Doesn’t that reminds us of “the deplorables” expression? Or that other “ There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president [Obama] no matter what," that was the kiss of death for Mitt Romney...
How many voters has he alienated right there and then? Too old? The pot calling the kettle old.
22
I can only describe Kerry backing Biden as "a loser backing a loser." Kerry will do more harm than good.
10
The voter called Biden "too old for the job". What's wrong with Biden challenging him to a push-up contest? If Trump attacks Biden on his age, that would be the perfect response - there's no doubt in my mind who would win. (Hey, remember Trump's attacks on Hillary about her health?)
One moment it's "Sleepy Joe", then when the man brings some fire, the media jumps on him. I'm a big fan of Warren and her policies, but whoever goes up against Trump in 2020 is going to have to be a fighter. Sounds like Biden is up for the challenge.
128
@Sam It's one thing for a would-be president to spar with another candidate, a journalist, a politician; quite another to spar with a voter of the average public.
17
@Sam
No, the idea is to go after Trump, not the people who will determine whether or not he gets the opportunity to do it.
9
I proudly voted for Senator Kerry in 2004, but it is so disappointing to read that Kerry thinks Biden is the man to lead the country after President Trump “smashed” it.
Sorry, Senator Kerry. It’s the neoliberal establishment that “smashed” the nation, and Kerry is one of the most influential members of that establishment.
The Democratic Party has repeatedly broadcast to the electorate that they learned absolutely nothing from 2016.
The neoliberal establishment simply cannot face the truth: they sold out the average American because the corporate oligarchs promised money and power.
Kerry married an outrageously rich heiress, and he would never betray the aristocracy.
I watched the video of Biden interacting with this 83 year old voter, and Biden was way out of line attacking this man.
Biden showed his true colors today.
He doesn’t have the temperament, the intellect, and he most especially doesn’t have the judgment to be president.
Watching the establishment desperately trying to prop up a disaster like Biden just so they can continue to maintain an untenable status quo is absolutely revolting.
If the Democrats nominate Biden they will lose.
And they will deserve to lose.
We’re descending into very dark territory.
130
@Annie: We are already in very dark territory with our unstable president. I fear for our country if he gets another term. And it was the Conservative party that sold out our country with tax cuts for the wealthy, trying to kill the ACA, rolling back regulations so that big business can continue to poison our air, soil and water; the list goes on, with no end in sight. If the Dems were to nominate Big Bird, I would vote for him.
25
@Annie Gramson Hill So well articulated. The democratic party will prop up its favored status quo candidates as they crumble before their very eyes. They are so afraid of change even when other candidates have shown there is an appetite for a progressive agenda.
15
@Annie Gramson Hill you are already in" dark territory" and Biden, Kerry and others may be the way out. Personally I prefer Warren but I doubt if the US electorate is willing to vote their best interests.
4
This may not be presidential, but what are we comparing presidential to these days? Joe Biden is just rough around the edges, but in my mind, he's clearly better than who we have now. I remember when he spoke at my college graduation at the University of Delaware in 2004 and made some people boo because of his Bidenisms and typical gaffes, yet as the state's senator, everyone still respected him. I have come to appreciate him over the years as the VP and would vote for him. Who knows how I would react if someone said something untrue about my kids, I think the mother in me would certainly react. In the end, the gentleman from Iowa still said he would vote for Biden if he were to become the nominee.
12
This may not be presidential, but what are comparing presidential to these days? Joe Biden is just rough around the edges, but in my mind, he's clearly better than who we have now. I remember when he spoke at my college graduation at the University of Delaware in 2004 and made some people boo because of his Bidenisms and typical gaffes, yet as the state's senator, everyone still respected him. I have come to appreciate him over the years as the VP and would vote for him. Who knows how I would react if someone said something untrue about my kids, I think the mother in me would certainly react. In the end, the gentleman from Iowa still said he would vote for Biden if he were to become the nominee.
3
I wrote earlier about Joe Biden who the New York Times reporters described as “angrily lashing out at a voter” in Iowa. These same reporters later claimed that Biden had lost his cool. Their report colored my perception of the candidate and so I expressed my disappointment in him feeling that he was adopting the same kind of undignified, crass approach as Donald Trump.
If it wasn’t for the video clip, I might still feel that way. But the clip gives a different impression of what happened than what was reported. Biden responded but in no way did he lose his cool or angrily lash out at the voter. Instead he was firm and fair, allowing the man to hold the microphone even when someone was trying to take it away from the voter. I agree with the crowd's reaction to what happened most of whom appeared to sympathize and support Vice President Biden.
When I see this sort of discrepancy between what is reported and what I see on video, I begin to wonder if President Trump isn’t entirely wrong when he excoriates the press. This report colored my view of Biden negatively but after seeing the video, it was easier for me to give the former vice-president the benefit of the doubt.
Sometimes I wonder if the press sometimes isn’t deliberately looking to stir the pot, create drama, or undermine the people they cover. Come on New York Times. You can do better than this.
26
@PeterW Yes I have also noted a tendency of media to overhype reactions. I’m tired of it! Just give me the news without editorializing!
2
I was not planning to vote for Biden in my state's primary but he totally lost me by insulting the man questioning him. If Biden cannot reply civilly to a potential voter -- read: any American -- and resorts to insults, like Trump, then he is not fit to be president. I really, really hope Biden is not the Democratic nominee because I don't want to be forced to vote for him. (There is no way I would ever vote for Trump.)
28
Biden and Trump have a great deal in common, and not for the good. Their temperament is not worthy of the White House, for starters. We deserve better.
22
I didn’t see an angry response. Biden called the guy out but seemed entirely in control.
16
Biden did not look good here. Many believe Hunter was there entirely for influence peddling.
19
Many believe that because they're ignorant, not because it's true.
2
Any of the other candidates would have handled the exchange better. Bidens is absolutely not up to the stress of the job. We have already seen that at the debates. And each of the candidates have been shown on the campaign trail, being challenged by voters. I don't recall any other Democratic candidate responding rudely. Remember the grace with which Obama handled hecklers? This is what we need. Bidens is so thin-skinned, I don't think he could ride the subway, let alone be POTUS.
24
Because he got caught, President Trump was not able to use a shakedown of the Ukrainians to produce an "October Surprise" attack on Joe Biden for the 2020 race.
But it is truly sickening to sit and watch otherwise reasonably good commentary on the impeachment battle and the presidential politics on TV and see supposedly "progressive" "woke" political activists and commentators bring Trump's big cheating across the goal line by using this encounter of Joe Biden with a guy spouting the Russian Intelligence line about the Bidens to criticize Biden and claim that this is an issue that is going to "dog" Biden for the entire campaign -- a virtual promise that the supposedly progressive left intends to use Trump's weapon to attack the candidate Trump wanted to attack with it. I just watched Zerlina Maxwell do exactly that on Hardball.
You're doing the Russians' bidding Zerlina, maybe next time think, and prepare, to go on TV, you aren't being called on for your innate genius.
It's disgusting to watch people on the hard left who hate Biden or hate white people or hate old people or hate men or whatever they hate so much that they in essence go to work for Trump, Giuliani, and Vladimir Putin.
3
@ondelette: Or maybe they are just working to bring some real change to the system of government by the wealthy for the wealthy, by nominating and electing a better candidate.
2
Mr. Biden has had his share of heartaches, more than most of us can even begin to imagen. I fully understand, therefore, why he felt the need to defend his honor and that of his beloved son, Hunter. However, his reaction deeply disappointed me, both as a Democrat and as someone who has the highest respect for Mr. Biden (may I add that this point he is not my favorite for the nomination of the DP.) His response was the kind I fully would have expected from DJT, and most certainly not from JD. He could have responded to the gentleman, who raised a perfectly good point, albeit improperly worded, by saying something like, "I'm afraid you have your facts wrong, sir. Maybe you have been watching one Sean Hannity show too many. Allow me to explain the actual situation to you, whether you believe me or not." Instead, he made a Trumpian move by resorting to name-calling, In the words of Sylvester Jr., the Looney Tunes character, "Oh, the shame of it!"
9
How shocking and unprecedented! What could possibly be next? Demeaning nicknames for people who disagree with Biden? Calling legitimate journalists and members of the press the enemy of the people? Referring to world leaders as two-faced? This clearly demonstrates a lack of fitness for the office of President of the United States. Anyone who would act this way should be impeached and removed from office!
9
So interesting: Today's news includes Biden and Pelosi pushing back with strong words, and the Republicans -- as well as some Democratic operatives (looking at you David Axelrod) -- believing they went too far, that they discredited themselves somehow. Here we have decent, respectable human beings with records to support it showing a little knuckle in the face of a Republican gutter assault that has gathered steam since circa 1980. Recall Lee Atwater and Karl Rove. Most people who have ever been present when a bully gets punched in the face feel the catharsis of it. Biden and Pelosi are fighting back. No time for anyone to cower and find fault with their righteous indignation. It's about time.
10
@vsr
Re: today- You are putting Nancy & Joe in the same sentence - really? Their MOs are polar opposites. He went low & ad hominem, she went high and lifted herself and the Dems up with her firm but eloquent response. Conflating the two is ridiculous!
5
@Socratic Thanks for expressing your sensibilities. Biden gave as good as he got from the kind of uninformed bare-knuckler that voted for Trump and makes up his base. We will not only have to confront Trump and his Republican Party sycophants in order to save this country from a minority that would oppress the majority and its beliefs and social evolution. We will have to confront his base as well. And, frankly, they are the same brand of people who we confronted in advancing civil rights and human civil social agendas.
3
He seems tired already and things haven't even really begun.
13
If this is any indication of what the Trump versus the Democratic nominee debates are going to look like, then count me out. Sick of the playground macho garbage that Trump revels in and will no doubt display as it sells just like the supermarket tabloids. The 2016 television debate was bad enough and the previews certainly portend for more of the same, if not worse, next year. How about some real substantive debates that attack issues not the person.
5
More evidence that Biden is out of his tree.
13
The Trump-Biden Presidential Debates better known as Chewbacca v. Swedish Chef should be one for ages.
7
Compare this to the fawning over the other Joe, the plumber. Different times.
1
The guy challenging Joe Biden was a typical Trumpster ignoramus. Nothing but lies. I’ve always liked Biden, but more and more, I can see him as a very effective and ethical president. Biden is well positioned to win in states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona. He’s got a good track record of accomplishment. He has strong support in the African American community. I believe he’ll pick a solid running mate, undoubtedly a woman. Would I like more progressive policies? Yes. But at the end of the day, Joe can deliver the nation from the Russian apparatchik in the White House.
9
@Todd
Meanwhile in the real world, he gave interviews to the press and said he supported Elizabeth Warren, or anyone else but Biden for the Democratic nominee.
How can Biden "deliver the nation from the Russian apparatchik"? By farming out his trainwreck son to their oligarchs?
7
Not handled well by Biden.... sounded to me like he was Fat shaming the poor guy.... then challenging him to push ups? We definitely do not need anymore of that kind of behavior from individuals who are leading our country!
17
Democrat Farmer? I don't think so. Dirty trick? I think so. Biden showed his stature and capable mind.
4
@PATRICK
Really? There are no Democrat farmers?
5
Fat shamming a voter who wants to know the truth about Hunter’s influence peddling in Ukraine is just plain wrong.
Biden is toast in my book.
17
Every single one of the democratic runners is going to be attacked in this manner.
The fake news coming out of the White House will continue to obscure the truth from fiction.
1
Personally, I’m fine with this version of Biden. He called out the falsehoods. Hard. Just like McCain did with that woman who called Obama a Muslim...
6
I thought Biden sounded like a fool. It was a legitimate question - whether Biden wants to answer it or not, he should do so with respect. I didn't feel like that man asking the question did so in a disrespectful manner. And the crowd reaction was lame as well. Someone finally said "Let the man talk". And what is with calling him "man" - Biden needs to have an answer for this and not pull off some retort out of Trump's playbook - by trying to intimidate and embarrass him.
183
@sarahswan I agree! And he would hardly have been so strutting macho challenging had the other been a strapping younger specimen. This behavioral vignette was entirely birds-of-a-feather Trumpian. Indeed, these old fools...
10
@sarahswan
The guy said, “You’re selling access to the president just like he [Trump] does.” That’s not a question; it’s an unsubstantiated accusation. Biden didn’t hide his annoyance. Good for him.
31
@sarahswan Actually, Biden also said “Let him go” when a volunteer tried to take the man’s microphone.
6
Biden just spoke Iowan, and I can imagine that this clip plays well here. He spoke from his heart, he stood up for his son, and he didn't dither in his response. Iowans, and I'm guessing others, will find in this exchange complete and important authenticity.
10
This kind of authentic plain talk will appeal to the working class swing voters who voted for trump in the last election.
9
@Ted Are you joking? Honestly can't tell
5
Horrors. Mr. Biden behaved like a blue collar guy getting feisty with someone down at the bar after work having had "one too many." The difference is that he's running for President. I suspect that those being most horrified by his behavior are not supporters. His supporters are those who overlook his flaws and stick with him. Those flaws, such as effect of age on his thinking and speaking abilities, so apparent in the debates and likely to worsen, are to me more problematic than this exchange with a voter.
16
When Harris made her petty little hit in Biden, I immediately knew it was a fatal mistake for her, despite the glowing reviews it received from the pundits. It came across as calculated and premeditated. It lacked passion.
Likewise, I think this is good for Biden. Trump showed us Americans don’t actually want politicians to be polished or calculating. They want raw passion, genuinely felt. That’s what Biden did here.
10
I had shared in another article regarding impeachment that from a foreign perspective, I felt the POTUS may have a point in pursuing a concern that Joe Biden might be compromised. Many others pointed out that there were far better ways of approaching this issue than withholding congressional approved aid and tasking a foreign government to pursue the issue which ordinarily a crime for most citizens. I believe the office of the president might have certain responsibilities which are otherwise considered crimes. A citizen ordering a hit is usually a murderer and a mastermind. A president ordering a hit in the right context is protecting his country.
I wish to share here that even though I am broadly sympathetic with the overall concern of Trump, I can see why his approach is contentious, legally and morally. This accusation towards both Biden's are unfounded and cruel. I hope that your country will be able to moderate your views at both ends.
As for the current POTUS, I am confident that the impeachment process will be able to come to a reasonable conclusion that is just, fair and at the same time represents the will of your people. However given the polarised sentiments at both spectrum, as evidenced by this article, I believe extra care is needed to be given to justice as extreme bias both ways can result in an unjust verdict.
3
After all his years in government, at the President's side, in major politics, this is the best that Biden can do?
Underlying the man's question is the need for Biden to clearly, unequivocally and calmly respond. This isn't the first time Biden's been challenged about his son's choice of jobs at Burisma, and it won't be the last.
If Biden wants to bring respect back to the office of President, he's got to bring it with him. This exchange was a really poor, insulting and diminishing display of anger instead.
37
Unfortunately I think this will the level of discourse, if not lower. I can’t even imagine a voter asking a dissenting question to Trump.
3
I love the "Any Functioning Adult 2020" bumper stickers. That said, Biden does not meet this criteria. Sadly he reminds me - very much so - of my father who is battling a slow side into dementia. I know most of you see it - just as my family sees it with Dad - but no one wants to talk about it.
21
@Socratic
Oh please. Biden is not showing signs of dementia. He’s functioning just fine, gaffes and stutters and all.
1
Biden owes this man (who has likely spent his entire life working hard for a modest income) an apology, just as he owed Anita Hill, Lucy Flores and the dozen other women whom he'd improperly touched, genuine apologies. Hunter Biden took in $3 M for doing nothing because of his last name. Biden should apologize for that as well. George Kent was told that the reason Biden's staff didn't convey the State Dept's concern about Hunter was that Biden was too fragile and volatile.
It breaks my heart that people - like John Kerry - think Biden is the best we can do. If we want a moderate candidate, what about Klobuchar?
23
@Robin
It is an illusion that Kerry is any different.
9
You cannot impeach Trump and then have Biden as the nominee. One can only imagine the onslaught of political ads.
5
An endorsement by John Kerry -- possibly the Democratic candidate who generated the least enthusiasm from the base in my lifetime -- is not exactly going to vault Vice President skyward.
13
Actually this exchange will play very well in those parts of Pa, Wi and Mi where Biden will have to confront and beat Trump with white male working class. I get those not understanding that, but this is exactly the type of tough guy talk that will register in those swing districts.
6
I would have preferred to see Biden go high when this man went low. Instead, Biden went low, too. Why not calmly and patiently explain to this man why his claims are unfounded. He's not the only one who believes them and Biden just wasted an opportunity to answer that question for not only him but others who have been misled by faux news.
8
@BlueBird Yes and how far did Michele Obama’s advice take dem candidates? It is a circus now, all the backbiting of an incredibly long nomination process that weakens all the candidates. Remember what happened to the repub cast of thousands? Trump happened.
So one old centrist white guy who ran for the presidency and failed endorses another old centrist white guy who ran for the presidency even more often and failed each time. This hardly qualifies as news.
As for the guy who confronted Biden, there were ways of defending an ad hominem attack without getting personal, but maybe Biden is too set in his ways to come up with a new approach.
11
Our problem as a nation are the candidates that are put forth for the Presidency.
None of them are presidential in the classic sense.
God Almighty, how far we've fallen.
6
You can't win without the fat vote, Joe.
It's the most important vote in America. Rich, poor, middle, minority, majority, man, woman, gay, straight, swing, liberal or conservative. The fat vote is too diverse and too crucial.
27
Biden needs to come up with a better defense if all he can do is punch down -- rather incoherently, I might add -- at a lone man with no power, no handlers, and no other support in the room. You don't have to insult someone to come off as strong and assertive. You just have be more clever and nimbly articulate than they are, and Biden definitely does not demonstrate much of either of those qualities. I get that he lost one son, and so now his remaining son is even more precious to him, but come on -- there is a perfectly good explanation for Hunter Biden's acceptance of a seat on the Burisima board. Biden needs to figure out how to articulate it clearly, without muddying it with extraneous nonsense about physical fitness contests or other random irrelevancies. He only jumbles up his own message. I can't believe such an incompetent speaker has lasted this long in politics.
19
If Ms. Clinton had done this when the Email investigation reopened a week before the election, she would be president today.
This is probably the most effective reaction to fantasy information and allegations.
As far as the "83 year old farmer" goes, he is likely accustomed to being called a liar.
6
I like the way Joe fought back today the same way I like Nancy firing back at that reporter. We need to start knocking down the constant misinformation and Fox Propaganda talking points. There is definitely something to be said for turning the other cheek and keeping your cool, but there are also times when you must stand up for yourself. If anything, this will probably help him in the Rust Belt states with independents.
7
Compare Joe Biden’s performance on the campaign trail with former Pres. Obama’s performance as a candidate and one could almost cry. We now have a better understanding why former Pres. Obama reportedly favored Ms. Clinton rather than Mr. Biden.
4
Biden acted like a bully. It's not the first time either. It comes off as petty and unpresidential to say the least.
The farmer stumbled over his question, probably misspoke if you listen to the whole thing. Biden should have taken the high ground. He holds the power in the room and could have helped the man understand the truth without calling him names and ridiculing him in public.
I've never wanted Biden to be the candidate. This incident is another reason why. In these instances Biden is acting like Trump.
16
@DEBORAH
Biden is not a nice person. No revelation there. He took the wrong track here but he also is not thinking clearly himself these days. Of course, he could also have set the whole thing up himself thinking it would play well.
7
What bothered me and I would have yelled too, was the allegation that Joe 'sent his son' to Burisma. That has never been the narrative on any news channel, let alone MSNBC. To say that Joe 'sent' Hunter to Burisma is a smear. If there is some deliberate planting of this false narrative by the Warren camp, I would ask that Dems do not destroy each other to the point of doing Trump's dirty work for him. Smear campaigns are part of the Trump playbook, let keep it out of this side of things.
5
The logical conclusion of our political process becoming reality television is our elections becoming a WWF match. I guess that's what we want?
This is the center right Democrat hero huh? At least when Bernie is "yelling" it is about substantive policy to improve our lives. Not tearing down voters over his fail-son and challenging them to do push ups. Yall are insane.
10
Geesh. Biden is an embarrassment. It’s simply not possible that his staff had not prepared him for questions about his son. He should have handled that easily.
Is it time to take a closer look at Klobuchar? Booker?
12
I wish Joe Biden would stop acting like a tough guy from the 1940s, challenging a voter to push-ups, saying he would take djt out behind the gym and punch him etc.... it is not a mature or measured look. djt will provoke Biden and Biden better settle in his heart and mind on a better way to demonstrate his own fitness for office. Two brawling boy babies is not what the country needs.
10
So, just what qualifications did Hunter Biden have to serve on the board of Burisma? A degree in geology? Energy marketing experience? If he had been named Hunter Thompson would he have been hired?
11
@John: what qualifications does Jared Kushner have to be working in the White House on the taxpayer dime?
Kids of the wealthy have connections that get them jobs. Happens all the time. It’s unseemly but it’s not illegal.
7
@Tracy
Kushner is an unpaid adviser.
4
Joe has had his 'Boy named Sue' moment again. My god, if Biden squares off with Trump on the debate stage, lets hope they're both wearing strait-jackets. An agreement should be reached beforehand that 'we'll keep family out of this!'
Why couldn't Donald Jr. duke it out with Hunter at a neutral site & keep the old men out of this!
2
Joe Biden step out. You’re done. Calling an 80 year old man Fat because clearly you have no answer to what appears to be a situation that gives the appearance of impropriety.
If he is elected, the impeachment papers should be ready to roll on Jan 21 2021, based ok no less than the flimsy precedent set by his colleagues.
11
I don't blame Biden - he doesn't need to tolerate garbage like that.
He should, however, take the high road next time.
3
Seems a bit over the top for Biden. I think a more measured response would have been: "Really? If you have proof, show me. If not, shut up."
No malarkey, no push ups.
5
Hillary Clinton did not take her email “issue” seriously.
Likewise, Biden is not handling his “Hunter” issue well.
It’s not whether either of them thought these were real issues - it’s how these issues might be perceived by others.
Clinton’s high handedness didn’t work, and if this is the best Joe can do, he’s sunk.
All that experience, all those “advisors” - and we get a former VP yelling at a farmer.
Really??
And it doesn’t matter that Trump is a corrupt rat - Dems should be portraying an option, not a mirror of what we already have.
9
Oh, no, now we've got Biden pretending to be Trump Lite, aiming for the working class, male vote. It's not an image that becomes poor old Joe. The DNC has got to support a better candidate. There are so many good ones to choose from, and all they can do is throw their weight behind Biden? Get a clue, DNC. Biden is not going to light a fire under any of the voters you desperately need to beat Trump.
8
And this boomer wants to be President? Pass.
10
That's it, Mr. Biden. Right out of the Trump playbook. Someone asks you to account for uncomfortable accusations, you sidestep and launch the ad hominem attacks.
11
Sad thing is Biden thinks he only lost 1 vote in that exchange.
21
As this man has refused to identify himself, how do we know he is a "voter"?
3
@Alan J. Shaw
He did identify himself, and was interviewed.
4
Joe Biden is not cool.
To respond in an awkward defensive manner to a legitimate question about Hunter is a turn off for me. Joe could have said the same thing in a prepared well thought out response. He should have been prepared to answer this question. It’s not going away anytime soon. Just tell the truth in calm manner, or Joe, you will end up on the junk pile with Hillary.
10
I’m glad the Times showed the exchange from the back of the room. The video showed how the crowd was reacting to the questioner, who clearly was rehashing the debunked lies about Biden and his son Hunter.
The questioner had the chutzpah to stand up and spew that garbage in his face, and he wasn’t giving up the microphone so quickly. I’m glad Biden called him on it. Good for you, Joe.
7
Biden will wipe the floor with Trump.
Bullies need a smack on the nose and Joe is the one to deliver it.
That Iowa gentleman was accusing Joe of being as corrupt as Trump. He should have educated himself before he started hurling accusations.
28
I have always thought moments like this was reason for Trumps push to get rid of Biden. Trump won hearts with plain spoken jabs. I think Biden is one who able to mirror Trumps behavior.
2
Uncle Joe is loopy.
This compounds his decades of bad bad judgment.
Just say no to Joe.
30
It would be worthwhile for the NYT did a complete story on Hunter Biden and the Barisma Board. During his time on the board fellow Americans Devon Archer, a senior adviser to John Kerry and Cofer Black, a former CIA director and Ambassador at large for George Bush served on the board along with the former president of Poland. Is there any notion that they received less compensation than Biden and what experience did these gents have on boards of directors?
Turning to the Biden experience on boards of directors,would you have learned from the media that George W. Bush appointed Biden to the Board of AMTRAK where he served as vice chairman. While serving on the Barisma board, he was chairman of the board of the World Food Program USA. one of the largest nonprofits dealing with hunger throughout the world.
Sounds like a different guy that you thought he was. Doesn't it?
11
@JGresham
Unlike the current Amtrak C.E.O., Richard Anderson, whose train experience consisted of running Delta Airlines and who is currently trying to eliminate long-distance trains, both Hunter and his father Joe took Amtrak trains and made a point of publicly supporting Amtrak.
2
@JGresham
Hunter Biden had received from Burisma more than 3 times as much as Kwasniewski, the former president of Poland (over $3 millions vs 1 milion, in toto), although Kwasniewski held higher position on that board. In an interview on Thanksgiving day Kwasniewski explained that they both were employed by Burisma due to name recognition.
Good for him!!!
10
Biden's calling a heckler a liar and telling him "You're too old to vote for me" doesn't strike me as a brilliant riposte. He could have shut the man down forcefully without resorting to name calling and a third grader's comeback. Trump provides us daily with enough childishness. I keep hoping the Democrats will do better.
23
Pelosi and Biden --who can remember when TV came into existence--are now in "future shock" zone. Everything goes viral---restraint as in Schiff Restraint would serve them well.....
2
Totally unpresidential.
If one scream can bring down Howard Dean, can this bring down Biden? (Please!!!)
30
I don’t believe for one second this guy was there as an undecided (or even Warren) supporter to engage in a informational talk with Biden. This guy is a dyed in the wool extreme right wing plant. He didn’t give his name because he didn’t want everyone to easily Facebook him and see all his crazy alt right meme reposts.
20
Thanks,
And there will be many more of these
Joe the Plumber attacks.
If you don’t have facts, pound the table.
1
So Biden told this man he was “too old to vote”. Old (very old) Joey is getting unhinged.
31
@TJ
That was a joke, and even the audience got it. His answer to the farmer’s opening quip about Biden being too old to run for President.
1
Ah, he wants to seem tough so voters will think he will bloody Trump. But in the process, bloodies voters.
22
Not a great exchange, but calling the voter FAT, how schoolyard bully!
Like Trump, not Obama.
29
Looks like Biden was trying to prove he's "tough," instead he came off as pathetic. He lowered himself to Trump's level.
36
We need our Obama 2.0. Too bad he's Mayor Pete, not Senator Pete. Then the choice would be obvious and Biden would have been put out to pasture.
6
Mr. Biden needs to go back to school and study Senator John McCain’s measured and courteous, yet firm, response to the woman who called Mr. Obama an Arab.
21
@Drusilla Hawke
John McCain would have defended himself and his family just as strongly if confronted with such lies.
1
What people who are against progressives fail to understand is that Biden is the left's version of Trump --- the lowest common denominator of a candidate that needs to appeal to the "average" low information voter.
8
Top 5 worse things Joe could have said:
"Do you like life, sweetheart?"
"You see this knife?"
"Wanna head out to a bar and see who picks up first?"
"You talking to me?"
"It’s not what you know, it’s what you can prove."
Aren't y'all thankful he didn't?
7
This is obviously Biden's achilles heel and Trump will exploit it in a general election.
8
I wonder if all these commenters saying Biden should have told his son what to do tell their adult children what to do. If so, I feel sorry for the kids. Are the commenters going to listen to and obey their parents. Fat chance!
1
@Steve Fankuchen: On the other hand, it does make me wonder how Biden managed to raise a son who had such poor judgment that he could not see how his accepting such a position -- when his father was in charge of dealing with corruption in Ukraine -- would look very bad and could be used as a political club to beat his father with. Either Hunter didn't care, in which case, his action was selfish; or else he was so inured to this way of doing business (hiring the progeny of the rich and powerful in order to exploit the connection) that he didn't think it was a big deal. It makes me wonder what sort of values Joe imparted to Hunter, and does not inspire confidence. Any ordinary federal government employee is threatened with dire consequences should they do anything that might present the impression of corruption, but apparently, the rules don't apply to the higher-ups.
6
@Allison
The money were too good to pass and Hunter was in financial trouble. Maybe father had to support him.
1
Way to stand up, Joe. We don't need any old fat farmers getting in our way. And we don't need Lizbeth Warren passing out the pie-in-the sky. Go for it, man.
6
Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!
6
Challenging his questioner to a pushups-cum-I.Q. challenge and then saying that he didn’t want his vote because “you’re too old to vote for me” was classic Trumpian schoolyard behavior.
Not looking good for Biden.
34
Trump is an incredibly adept button-pusher. Given the chance, he will eat Biden alive in a "debate".
18
You go JOE!
3
Former Vice-President said what must be said and called out a man for lying by parroting the Trump/Giuliani lies.
After watching world leaders laugh at Trump and mock him during a Buckingham Palace reception, I hope that more people will call out Trump to his face and call Trump a liar.
I wish that I could say this to his face, "You are a liar, Trump."
3
Ok, Biden's rolling now; i.e. just received endorsement from that deep geopolitical thinker John Kerry.
10
The ol’ man brings up a valid point. For Joe to erupt the way he did ... on an 83 year old man... he will get DESTROYED by Donald Trump in a debate and Trump can’t even speak English...
10
Are we going to be subjected to these push-up challenges through Super Tuesday? Please merciful God in heaven, make this guy tank sooner rather than later.
18
I like that Joe Biden is an older but still virile guy. He can tell off anyone without looking disrespectful to age. Way ta go Joe!
2
Apparently today’s right-wing watchword is, “How DARE them lib’ruls stick up for themselves?”
Sorry you object to somebody getting mad at being called a crook based on zero, and having his surviving son attacked, boys.
3
I thought for sure this was an Onion headline. Parody is dead.
13
Go Joe!
2
Me impersonating a Trump troll:
I'm no fan of Trump. I'm voting for socialist leaning Democrats like Warren. By the way, Trump never lied about Ukraine, it's those unpatriotic military officers, diplomats, and public servants that testified who did.
1
Uncle Joe fell for the oldest political trick ever pulled. A Trumper posing as a Warren supporter going after your kid. Fox gets to harp about both campaigns. Biden's a madman, and Warren supporters are evil pranksters. Oh, Joe. Enjoy your well-earned retirement.
4
More corroboration that Biden is unfit for the job. We don't need another vomit-mouthed POTUS. When did belligerent aggressiveness replace levelheaded diplomacy and dignity? I guess it worked for the Republican Kavanaugh when he had desperate backers for the Supreme Court nomination, but he is talking to Democrats right now, and it’s a big, big turnoff. He might not be too old (although he is), he might be able to do pushups like a 20-year-old (so what?), and he might have a high IQ (so do I--if mine is higher do I get to be President)? But we don’t need another abusive bully who thinks that a comeback of name-calling is supposed to be adequate defense. The man questioning Biden is asking the same questions we all want answers to—how did son Biden get such a cushy job with no experience? Obviously, Biden can’t respond with anything that sounds like integrity, whether it was legal or not. Biden likes to brag about being a “good” VP under Obama, but in my opinion Obama would have made it his business to make any VP look good. Obama was a true leader, and Biden it seems didn’t learn anything from him.
21
We are not a high minded and thoughtful society. We are a short term thinking society that can’t, as a group, digest complicated information.
Biden’s response was more than appropriate for our challenged electorate. If being foul mouthed and aggressive is what it takes to beat Trump, so be it.
1
Jeez Louise, give the man a break. So many of these comments are prim, nit-picking, and yes, politically correct. Biden's reaction was more than justified; it was smart, down-to-earth, and human.
3
Biden handled this pretty well. These people come to these gatherings just to ask these questions that Fox News feeds them to. These people should be put down like how Biden did. This is what we need.
8
@Climate Change. Democrats are eating each other. The civility level of Biden is below zero.
1
Funny, the media always talk about how angry Sanders is, but ignore that Biden is like an anger management drop out.
22
Funnier, marxists grabbing at bourgeois straws.
Sad to see Biden disinigrate right before our very eyes— and getting worse ever day. Age is sometimes just a number: Biden way way too old mentally to run or hold any kind of office. Elizabeth Warren , the energizer bunny, seems to have the wit and stamina of a 50 year old. Bernie is incredible: who has a mind like that at his age?
Biden is pathetic really— and embarrassing! The hubris of the man! Can’t someone in his family or staff get him out of here? Meanwhile, considering his ongoing “Fists out ready to fight “ mo he might do well to run a b roll of sen. McCain on the campaign trail, calming explaining to an older woman in the audience that Obama was a good man, a family man, not a terrorist. But that was then..
14
The moment captured Mr. Biden appearing to lose his cool when questioned about his son — a topic Mr. Trump is sure to press him on if he faces Mr. Biden in a general election.
HA! Trump can call somebody out about insulting people? I'm bleeding from my…whatever.
You go, Joe!
3
"I'm leaving in six hours. If the Prosecutor isn't fired in six hours you won't get the billion dollars" - Joe Biden and his quid pro quo
16
Way to go, Joe.
You're a good man.
9
Oh, please tell me Joe Biden's not trying out some I'm-more-macho-than-Trump strategy.
God help us all.
8
Once again the most recommended Readers Picks are there because they are pumped up by Trump's trolls, bots, and whatever. Trump is a lot of things, but he aint no dummy. He knows who his most formidable foe is.
1
@Steve Fankuchen
Not sure I agree. There is a pay wall & I don't think Trumpians read the NYT.
Edit: They don't read (full stop).
2
Oh brother. Just because Trump is a boor doesn't mean that every candidate needs to follow his style. It's undignified.
I thought Joe Biden had more class until after reading this story.
He's so angry and lacks the fire in the belly to be President. He should drop out.
7
That “Go High when they go low” resulted in the end of women’s reproductive rights in several states, destruction of the environment, tax cuts for the rich and immigration bans.
I no longer care about decorum or civility. We are an uncivilized society.
Biden’s response got more positive media than a well reasoned response would have.
His response plays well in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
1
Biden just lost any chance of me supporting him. “You’re too old to vote for me.”What? Did he really say that? Ageism from a near octogenarian? Yikes.
24
How would this old man have inside information? He does not, he's repeating something he heard. It was a mean spirited comment and it deserved a harsh response, he got it. No apologies needed.
4
So this is supposed to be our best shot against Trump? Uncle Joe needs an intervention.
9
Who’s going to want four years of Joe’s snooty attitude and thin skin? As if Hillary’s coronation wasn’t bad enough, after all Joe knows everything why even bother with the crown, it’s assumed already.
10
Really - Biden insulted the guy questioning him as "fat".
Biden just lost the election right there.
15
This guy was a plant, maybe by the Trump organization. The Democrats should expect more of the same dirty fighting and plan how to deal with it. I thought Biden did a pretty good job when he was blindsided by this obvious plan to embarrass him.
8
Perhaps I should change my name to Cranky Old Biddy. It seems as though every week I say in the comments section of an article or op ed that we DO NOT NEED another old white man in the White House. Losing his temper on a public stage is bad enough, but Biden suggesting that he and a farmer engage in contest of push-ups or IQ tests! This is the behavior of an old man well past his prime who feels he has to prove himself. Sound familiar?
7
disgusted with how Biden spoke to a constituent. And yes, Joe Biden "got" his son the high paying job in Ukraine - how the heck else would the drug addled no-good son of a VP get a cushy job paying him millions. Quid pro quo, without words. IT's obvious . Good for this man to raise his concerns and shame on Joe for reacting this way.
13
15 minutes of fame.
Why does Iowa exist? I am serious. So it can produce freaking corn for the U.S.?
We can buy corn from Mexico and it will be cheaper and just as good.
iowa having such an outsized effect on elections is absurd.
I've been there many times. The folks are simply not sophisticated. And that's the truth.
7
In my opinion, I find using your name to get to get a job distasteful but not illegal. Illegal is the nation paying TRUMP hotels for President TRUMPS golf trips. And I can’t even .......... with the Biden trading his son and for President Obama’s favors. Once again, one needs to reference the constitution about illegal vs distasteful.
1
Here we go. From Smokin Joe Frazier to Smokin Joe Biden. Sure would love to have some of what Smokin Joe is smoking. I get worried when a leading candidate lets someone drag them down to their level.
9
Biden can get things done, just nothing we desperately need to get done...like putting a sexual predator on the Supreme Court.
7
That "voter" is a FoxNews plant if I ever saw one.
22
Agreed, saying he's a Warren supporter us a twofer for Fox.
4
Get off Uncle Joe's lawn.
4
"You're too old to vote for me." ??? Just another day on the Malarkey Express.
23
Bye bye, Biden!
12
Looks like the farmer forgot to wear his MAGA hat.
18
Go Biden Go!
11
I'm not a Biden fan, but good for him. don't let Repubs trash your children
18
#M4A #Sanders2020
3
I absolutely loved it! Since we’re all going to hell in a hand basket at this point, I’m pulling up a chair to watch septuagenarians yell at each other. The twist is the 83 year old farmer is for Liz Warren! I thought he was a trumpster.
12
Sure he is.
He is, should take about 6 hours until we see his true agenda.
2
In 2016, Trump “owned” Hillary over and over again. Remember his “you’d be in jail” remark? He dropped the mic. We need a candidate that can own Trump even harder than that.
After today, I’m still not sure Biden is that guy. Warren? Very doubtful. But Bernie “I wrote the damn bill” Sanders...?
4
I’ve always said “ Those that are Guilty always holler the loudest, “ This fool is still protecting his deadbeat son, Hunter Biden. How much farther will Joe go, he’s done this for Hunters lifetime. Screw up after Screw up , now he’s threatening his own campaign for this do nothing dope head
15
It is nothing short of elder abuse on behalf of the DNC allowing Biden to run. His frontal lobe has gone missing.
Time for someone serious, like Bloomberg, to start running on pragmatic issues facing everyday Americans. Like gun control, obesity, taxes.
Biden apparently cares about push ups and defending his son’s totally indefensible privilege. A son whose problems include drug abuse, cheating on his wife with his dead brother’s widow, potentially knocking up an Arkansas woman while still dating that widow. Bizarre, creepy behavior. Time for Biden to just admit his son is an embarrassment. Some kids are just screw ups. He could’ve simply said that.
Warren cares about a pie in the sky health dream that won’t actually improve anyone’s health. Sanders cares about decrying Bloomberg’s wealth. Harris cared about herself. Like Biden, all irrelevant issues.
Would be nice to see someone with an actual thesis to run on. Trump, for his insane number of flaws, at least had a thesis...and...won.
14
Wow. Just wow.
He’s been in this game long enough to know that he will be legitimately challenged by skeptics, and baited by provocateurs bent on getting a rise out of him. Especially now. He should know better. Personal insults are the stock-in-trade of the man he says he’s better than, but with exchanges like this, not many will take the time to differentiate between the two.
I’ve said for awhile that this is not the same Joe Biden of the Senate, or of the Obama era. Maybe it’s age, residual grief over Beau, or the Ukraine business, but all his miscues call into question his fitness for an extremely grueling primary and general election season (potentially), or the presidency.
I hate to say it, but I lost a bit of respect for him today. That makes me sad. If this kind of behavior keeps up, I hope his staff can gently convince him that it maybe it’s time to give it up, and look back on a long and fruitful life in public service. I don’t want to see him go out this way.
34
Of course, I would vote for Biden over Trump.
But I question the wisdom of choosing Biden as a candidate when his son took a sinecure at a Ukrainian energy company that seems to have occurred to buy influence with the president. In this sense, I agree with Biden's questioner.
Moreover, Biden is partially responsible for get-tough policies which led to high incarceration rates of America's poor. That is a major negative.
Finally, when Biden visited China as Vice President, he characterized China's one-child policy as "repugnant." I believe this was a mistake---China's one-child policy has enabled China to grow to an economic superpower in the last 40 years. The one-child policy was a response to the Great Chinese Famine which under Mao had cost China from 10 to 40 million lives. Biden's remark revealed a lack of knowledge of Chinese history.
Moreover, it suggest that Biden would be less willing than other candidates to provide foreign countries with family planning or access to abortions for women. The Mexico City Policy forbids American NGO's from ADVISING foreigners about access to abortions.
What is Biden's exact policy on illegal immigration? Would he support aid to Guatemala so that Guatemala can improve its own economy so immigration from that country is not needed? Would Biden support providing family planning to Guatemala as a part of that aid?
Many of the Democratic candidates are short on specifics regarding illegal immigration.
7
I see some inconsistency in people who support Biden’s response here. While they claim that Sanders and Warren are angry or abrasive and will not unite the country, somehow this angry, unhindered response by Biden is okay. No fighting for the 99%, just fighting against people who provoke, similar to Trump.
15
Because Americans don’t want preachy, angry know-it-alls like Sanders and Warren rub people the wrong way. Too much we-know-what’s-best-for-everyone.
But a dad getting a little unhinged while defending his son against false accusations, anyone can relate to that.
2
I actually have thought the opposite. To my way of thinking Warren and Bernie are not nasty enough to keep up with Trump.
@Mike
Come on, be honest. This is about your financial portfolio and taxes, not how the candidates speak. This greed is ruining the country.
Biden is at sea in the current "debates," which are not really debates but candidates throwing well-rehearsed lines at each other in a bid to go viral ("that little girl was me"). But I was impressed by Joe's interviews with Judy Woodruff and Nora O'Donnell, and this exchange had real vinegar without nastiness. I'm voting for Joe and his cabinet picks.
4
Wrong question. The right question is, would telling the president of a foreign country that $1B of aid provided by Congress was not happening unless someone in that country was fired, be a quid pro quo?
10
@ross ,
Wrong question again. The question is whether withholding the aid is being requested as US policy or as a political favor to benefit a certain re-election campaign.
1
It’s strange how Biden has attacked many with misinformation and assumptions, Anita Hill as an example, but in a moment where a prospective voter did the same to him in a much more respectable way and understandable situation, Biden became a bully. How can Biden say he wants to be President, the representative of all people, when he tells this elderly retired peanut farmer that he doesn’t need his vote and insults him. Also, many government watch dog agencies and scholars were in fact stating that Hunter Biden’s job in the Ukraine at the time his father was VP was unethical. It doesn’t matter if it broke a law or not- there was a question of ethics, and if Biden still does not believe he is accountable for questionable unethical situations, then why do we want him as President?
27
He didn’t insult the man. He just called him fat.
1
@love,
Why don’t you ask those same questions of President Trump?
Nice to see Joe waking up! If he keeps this up, he'll have my vote!
7
I was no McCain supporter, but he clearly was able to handle outrageous claims in town halls with grace. Biden not so much.
A little too testy about his son I'm afraid. Hunter's actions may have not been illegal, but they sure doesn't pass the smell test. And Biden clearly knows it.
22
Looking into the possibility of Biden winning the nomination and what might follow gives me a raging headache. Two old men denigrating each other maybe arm wrestling or doing pushups. Well maybe no pushups, I can't visualize Trump doing any.
Jose better get his temper controlled and behave more like a normal candidate before he gets compared to Trump. We don't need a bad attitude candidate from the Democrats.
7
The man was actually right but in Biden's case the quid pro quo wasn't actually overt. Everyone knew what was expected from them without anyone having to specifically lay it out. If Trump had been this cool and reserved we wouldn't be where we are not with impeachment.
3
@MikeinNYC: If Trump had been doing something legal, he would have engaged VP Pence on an official mission to discuss the military aid with the new president, notified the State Department and the Ukranian ambassadors that he wanted to renegotiate the deal, gathered together evidence of the corruption he wanted to have investigated, and presented it to the Ukranians. He would have asked AG Barr and the Justice Department to cooperate with the Ukranians and furnish them with whatever evidence they needed in order to proceed. He would not have sent his personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, to go behind the State Department's back, conspire to fire the ambassador, and conduct clandestine, back-door negotiations involving threats of extortion. Nor would he have focused exclusively on Hunter Biden, but on other cases of corruption involving Americans in Ukraine, as well. But that would have meant implicating his own personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani, who was busy also trying to do business for himself in Ukraine by throwing the president's name around and offering to intervene on behalf of billionaires under investigation by the Justice Department, sadly, so perhaps that's why Trump decided to keep it all a secret from his voters.
1
The Biden camp better reset and remember that people want a return to norms of decency and civility. Swing voters who may be on the fence about Trump's policies have strong opinions against his unpresidential behavior and poor role modeling for their kids.
4
Someone accusing you of a crime without any factual evidence deserves a far more vigorous response that Biden gave him. It's time Democrats call out all the lies told by the Trump administration. The only ones spinning this as a poor response are the fringe elements of the GOP that try to use conspiracy theories and framing deceptions to manipulate the public. And, the supporters of other candidates.
5
I like Biden for many reasons but he should not let himself be baited by the likes of a guy like this. Had this been a trump rally, the guy would have been forcibly ejected for daring to challenge. Be calm, Joe. Be firm, Joe. Be assertive, Joe. But be frosty.
1
Sorry- i like Biden. I do. I like Bernie and Warren. I liked Clinton. This exchange just further demonstrates why this country needs to move past doddering grandpas and grandmas to lead the country. Especially seeing this example from Biden. This is something Hemingway would have said in his later years to some guy at the bar, much to the embarassment of his friends. Enough. If Biden, or anyone else, thinks they are going to beat 45 down in mud, they are even more clueless than Biden is.
4
It seems Biden's viability as a candidate is finished after this, once it makes a few news cycles. I wasn't going to vote for him in the primary anyway--too corrupt, too corporate, and not progressive enough--but now he seems personally unhinged and unfit as well. NOT presidential.
As a two time voter for President Obama, I'll have to vote third party, or not vote at all, if Biden is the Democratic nominee. I couldn't bring myself to vote for Hillary in 2016 either, since she was a big booster of the Iraq War and Patriot Act.
How hard is it to nominate a presidential, not corrupt, progressive candidate? It's not rocket science.
11
@Observer
Biden is not finished.
Thus you contributed to the election of this “Cancer” on America that we are dealing with now with Donald Trump.
Regardless of your perceived feelings of Hillary Clinton, she at least loved this Country and is not a ”pawn” of VLADIMIR PUTIN.
1
Trump and team accomplished exactly what they set out to do. To discredit Biden just enough to sow doubt in voters minds. It does not matter whether Biden is being truthful or not. The damage is done. Biden is toast.
3
Remember Sidney Blumenthal was the first to raise the issue of Obama’s birth place. Dems will use proxies like this guy to keep the questions of Hunter’s business activities and Joe’s demands for a Sovereign Country to change its Administration in exchange for not $400 Million but a $1Billion in aid. Has anyone asked Joe what would’ve happened if they did not agree to remove the Prosecutor? I just heard for the last 3 Months that this a National Security issue. So Joe and presumably Barack were willing to put Ukraine and as we’ve heard the past 3 Months the US in jeopardy over a corrupt Prosecutor? Hard to believe.
7
OMG...
"I know more than most people." Where have we heard that before? Where have we seen a performance like this before?
Does he think that behaving like the Republican president is going to endear him with his voters? Not a chance. Just look at Fox News now.
4
This was a bad response to a reasonable question.
Yes, the rich and powerful get good jobs for their kids, and even without the direct help their kids can parlay their connections into cash.
He can face it and deal with the ramifications of honesty or he can pretend that there is nothing there, lash out at questions about it, and let the problem fester.
As a footnote, Kerry was a disaster candidate who could not beat off accusations of cowardice from a draft dodger (an event which left a permanent mark on our language, even) . How is his endorsement important?
10
I thought Biden was fantastic in this exchange. The questioner was trying to roll him, and he wasn’t having it. That’s exactly what he should have done.
8
The level of discourse, debate questioning and political reporting from many outlets has gotten so low that people believe all kinds of stuff (a four letter word might be more appropriate). Kudos to Biden for calling out this ridiculous questioner. Seems like this retired farmer was a Fox News plant.
Biden has made abundantly clear that he never influenced his sons' career or financial choices. There is no evidence he did. Hunter Biden traded on his last name - no doubt - like virtually every other child of a ridiculously famous person. But Joe Biden did nothing wrong or remotely unethical - in contrast to our soon-to-be impeached president.
4
How sad it is to see an exchange like this. Not even the politicians of this country go this low.
5
Joe Biden does not handle voter criticism properly. This is
the third time I've seen him berate a voter that has a critical
viewpoint of Biden. This man is not the only one who thinks that Biden's kid has made a living out of influence peddling his
father's position. And this is wrong . When your father is vice-
president of the U.S. He represents the government and the tax payer. Hunter owns 10% of a Chinese company that makes
facial recognition technology to track Muslims in China. It's
all good. I write this as a life long democrat who is tired of
the rich elites of the party pushing and enacting policies
that have hollowed out our industries and our financial
stability. Take a close look at Biden's record. He has done great damage to our country. He is part of the reason we got Trump. As much as I want Trump out; if anyone thinks removing him is all we need to do to restore our nation to
health, think again. Biden's kids' soft corruption is endemic
to the ongoing rot. All this has to change. I want a Democratic Party that really is on the side of the working/middle class. These party elites have much more in
common with Republican elites than with most of the country.
11
Mmm...you are at least as old as me, 71. Typing into web based platforms does not require carriage returns. Word wrap happens automatically.
@Dennis Embry , I'm fairly computer illiterate,
But what does that mean ? What does that have to do with my comment? I'm actually only about 5 years younger than you. A Chicago Daley
Democrat and that's why I know enough to
call baloney on today's elite Democrats.
3
I really like Obama calling out 'cancel culture' (ie 'whataboutism'), for having become too common. But I admire the courage of the old vintage heckler to bring this up. I don't know why Joe took so long to decide to enter the race, and whether Hunter was the most responsible for that. Biden's son should never have accepted a job in Ukraine, and Biden himself should have told him not to. When Biden entered his consideration should have been that he would have a significant vulnerability which would, first and foremost, be a handicap for the Democratic party, which it clearly has become.
10
@Jaap van der Straaten
I agree with this. Either Hunter takes the job or Joe Biden runs for presidency. To have both is sticky.
5
"...with a message focused on electability, and eventually became the nominee."
And not the President.
"Electability" is a sham fostered by establishment; an extortion racket. "Vote for us or Trump will win" - even though the track record of safe moderate candidates is terrible.
The only Democrat to win the White house in 20 years was an upstart who challenged the safe establishment candidate.
3
Most of the comments posted in this article appears to fall in Trump's trap. Remember, one of the requirements for the " Quid Pro Quo " is to announce publicly about Biden's son investigation and they even did not care whether the real investigation actually taking place. Now, everyone is talking about it.
I hope we do not make every Democratic presidential candidate pass a " Purity Test ". Our mission is to remove the current occupant out of the Oval Office. Vote Blue all the way to Nov 3, 2020.
3
Ever since Biden confirmed his candidacy, I've been hoping someone else would break out of the pack and sprint far ahead of him. My last choice for our next president would be another old white man. With this silly episode, Old Joe is making me yearn even more for Warren or Buttegieg to become the Democrats' nominee.
Yes, he was the Vice President and has plenty of experience in government. But no, he's not our best option. He's oddly dated and out of touch, a leftover seemingly from the 1990s who refuses to withdraw because of his "electability." What is up with him repeatedly saying "man" when speaking? Didn't that go out with Cheech and Chong?
And if he can't take the heat about his son's ill-advised position on the board of Burisma, he should get out of the kitchen now. It's not going to get any easier and this is a subject Trump is sure to bring up whenever possible.
I'm sure Old Joe is a nice guy, but I don't want him to be my party's nominee, nor do I want him to be our next president. I want him out of the race so that the women and younger men have a chance. It's entirely possible that Old Joe is suffering from some age-related brain deficits. He is unpredictable and often seems disconnected from the world around him. Do we take a chance on that?
I don't like him, don't trust him and don't want him. My fervent desire is a Warren/Buttegieg ticket. Experience and youth in two brilliant candidates who will work well together. No Slow Old Joe, please!
4
Buttigieg most resembles the breakout from history, like Obama or Lincoln. I yearn for someone with stability and composure with a sense of history for my beloved country. Governing a country is not a financial transaction. It is about people from every walk of life having hope for the future and for our children. From many, one. (This does not like Latin).
@Country Girl: You and I on exactly the same page about this issue. Thanks for your comment!
1
If Biden’s nominated, the Republicans surely will use nepotism as a weapon...weirdly, Democrats seem historically unlikely to bring it up in regards to Ivanka enjoying a high-placed advisory job for which she is spectacularly unqualified.
4
I think he said "Okay, Mac," not "Okay, Fat." (Who says "Okay, Fat"? That's not a thing.)
4
@Seth That’s exactly what he said.
1
All these comments casting doubt on Biden based on this interaction are ridiculous. Sure, Hunter Biden should not have taken the job, but nothing illegal happen and it’s a blip on the radar screen compared to the wildly unethical Trump family. And guess who my Southern conservative brethren say they will vote for over Trump? Not Sanders, not Warren, not Mayor Pete, it’s Biden.
10
This indicates that Biden does not have the temperament to be president. Why did he have to respond so angrily? True, it was an arrogant question, but a better politician would have handled it with more finesse, and perhaps with more humor than some boring, macho ultimatum.
What it means is that Biden -- like other spoiled, entrenched, longtime pols like Pelosi -- feels like he's above scrutiny and gets testy and loses it when challenged. Not an admirable trait for someone seeking to replace Trump.
10
Love it. I am sending Joe more money. He is the only one that beat Trump.
9
I'm all about transparency with Hunter Biden. If it comes with transparency for Donald J. Trump and his kids. You cannot have one without the other.
3
People are talking about Burisma because Trump needed this announcement. He wanted to weaken Joe Biden as a candidate and it worked, just as he meant it to. Except here is the reality...Joe Biden was already weak candidate. It could have worked itself out, but Trump did not trust that voters deserved to make this choice.
While this may be an ethical issue, there is no evidence of wrong doing. If people do not understand that Joe Biden is a private citizen, then they do not deserve this beautiful democracy. People should be mad that Trump poisoned this election with his Ukraine dribble. I am! And I had no intentions of voting for Joe Biden!
2
So hard to stomach the comments throwing cover to Joe and Hunter. There is nothing normal or ordinary about Hunter serving on that board and getting $50k/month. Hello!?! While in no ways Trumpian, it stinks of using proximity to the president to get a seat one is wholly unqualified to hold. It is at very least terrible judgment. It is time for Joe to go home.
9
Trump has put every politician into bare knuckle territory, and it’s about time. I kinda like Joe, but he’s that prototypical old school pol who says NOTHING you can put him on the record about while chasing high office. All candidates this time are going to have to take a few on the jaw and we will see if they remain standing. Joe is wobbled badly at the moment.
3
A push up challenge? Seriously?
I doubt the man asking the question was too worried.
Now, if Joe had threatened to start nibbling on the man’s fingers, he would have probably run for door.
10
John Kerry, the man who watched and did nothing as that young college student was tasered four times for asking a question -- his endorsement "is among Mr. Biden’s most significant to date"?
With friends like that...
3
"The exchange instantly overshadowed the campaign’s announcement that former Secretary of State John F. Kerry was endorsing Mr. Biden."
This is an example of opinion being reported as fact. I was aware of the Kerry endorsement this morning, and have only just read this story about Joe not taking any guff, like Nancy today.
Some Democrats are going to try and get Independents thru a display of strength rather than capitulation. Youse guys need to start get getting used to the idea and quit clutching your pearls every time it happens.
This was vintage Biden. His aggression and vigour suggest that age need not hold him back. A feisty experienced and aggressive Biden could be Trump’s worst nightmare. Say it is so Joe.
7
A carefully planted puppet. Don't get me wrong I am not saying that some organization plated this guy at this event. What I mean is that the FoxNews-GOP Alternative Reality Production Machine by creating, developing, and disseminating a crooked reality has been heavily manipulating the way some people perceive, think, and feel. Then you get to meet such guys who cannot even articulate their accusation well or identify the source of rumors. But, somehow these guys are sure that there is something deeply wrong with Biden or Bernie or Warren or anyone who has been target by the Fox-GOP Complex! There is plenty of 'Jacks' at town hall meetings, grocery shops, neighborhood meetings, restaurants, colleges... I don't know how to deal with them but my sense is that just avoiding them is the best strategy to stop the whole thing from evolving into something big. Biden simply gave the FOX-GOP Complex some material that will first be carefully edited (Joe called a Trump follower a liar!) and then served for the consumption and mobilization of Trump's base. Hillary did the same mistake with 'deplorables.' Time to be very careful and smart and not play into their hands.
2
Hunter Biden is currently unemployed and recently moved to Los Angeles. The Obamas recently signed a development deal with NetFlix. See where this is going? Not illegal, I know. But the grifting never stops with these scions of either party.
10
This is exactly the kind of adolescent nonsense that aging Boomers like Biden and Trump seem to think is still acceptable. It hasn't been, for a long time. We need real change, not more myopic machismo.
3
I’ve never been a fan of Biden’s, but was surprisingly disappointed to see him fat-shame a confrontational voter.
Just one more reason that the dems can (and should) do better.
7
Biden is not even close to presidential material. He is an embarrassment to the democratic party and needs to step aside. His casual comment that he is smarter than most people is highly condescending and unfortunately highly doubtful too. Trump would expose him for the fool he is immediately. He consistently challenges people to physically fight him. It’s not a fluke. Even Trump is more mature than that. His history regarding the Anita Hill hearings is awful. And he is corrupt. Seriously, what was Hunter Biden doing in the Ukraine on the board of an energy firm? It’s not coincidence.
9
Seems clear at this point that Biden is not up for the task ahead. For whatever reason, he makes as little or less sense than Trump as a speaker. His significant experience doesn’t seem to come to his aid much, if at all. And we all know his policies, such as he presents them, are largely stagnant. We need somebody with ideas, PLANS and energy to redirect our heading to a truer North.
37
@James, and Trump is up to the task?
Consider his childish behavior at the recent G-7.
2
@James
Well this is bad because the race began without another moderate candidate that the midwest independents will vote for, and it will be the midwest independents that decide the electoral college. Will the other candidates step up and fill the moderate position? Will Bloomberg or Patrick sweep in? Seems those are the only hopes right now.
If you're going to insist on a progressive candidate you might as well go out and campaign for Trump.
1
@Mike Holloway
You may be right, but I guess I don’t feel that way. Obama was elected recently, twice. Trump wasn’t elected even once. I still have some faith in the electorate, even these days. Senate republicans, no. The people, yes.
1
This interaction will play a lot differently in Iowa than in NYC. It will be replayed over and over on the local channels, and the questioner will certainly appear in numerous local media interviews. Watch Biden's numbers drop. This is an opening for Mayor Pete.
24
@Ben Anders I beg to disagree. Hillary let Trump roll all over her in the debates. Biden has a spine and wouldn't put up with Trump's bully-boy taunts for a minute. How refreshing it will be to see Biden hit back - hard. I would not be surprised if Biden's taunter was a plant - Roger Stone isn't in jail yet - and his true colors will be exposed. I'd also bet that Biden's numbers will rise because of this encounter.
2
Nope. Watch the audience reaction. They knew the questioner was being rude and untruthful.
9
We don’t need another representative of the rigged economy, like Pete. He can’t be trusted. We need someone who can beat Trump, who can be trusted. That’s only Bernie.
3
Push-ups, really? What we certainly don't need right now is a candidate who descends to playground behavior when challenged. There are far too many issues of real importance to be discussed.
If Mr. Biden can't handle a situation like this with aplomb, I question the value of all these years of experience he continually touts.
528
Previously, Joe Biden said he would beat up Trump on the playground. He told us at that moment he was not up for the job. Not presidential at all.
23
@gesneri I think he handled it with amazing aplomb. The man accused Biden and his son of wrongdoing. He denied it. He maintained that Biden lacked the physical ability to serve as president. (And President Golf Cart does?) He called his on it. Moreover, place Donald Trump in the same place. His reaction would be to encourage his supporters to physically remove the person from the room. The number of times when Trump has encouraged his supporters to respond violently are legion.
45
Right. Because taking the high road last time worked so well! It’s a five state strategy. What works in Manhattan or West LA is irrelevant to this fight.
29
Reminds of the Seinfeld episode starring Lloyd Bridges as retirement home resident, Izzy Mandelbaum, who's main line was "It's Go Time"!
Hilarious stuff to this observer.
14
That was a funny episode.
2
I don't care if Biden is uncivil to Trump in a debate but to a citizen, this was problematic and was in a way like Hillary calling people "deplorable." Also, Biden should have kept his son out of that position and all these candidates should understand that voters do not look kindly on the children of politicians getting lucrative status jobs while it is a struggle to make ends meet including for the young people graduating from good colleges and universities.
96
He was a political plant, not some random citizen.
3
@DLS, do you apply the Biden standard to Trump?
Ivanka and Jared? Why does Jared have a security clearance when intelligence officials wanted to deny him a clearance?
Regarding being uncivil to citizens, did you laugh and cheer when Trump said that he would pay the legal bills for his supporters if they were arrested for beating up an anti-Trump citizen who attended a Trump rally?
5
Trump’s supporters don’t seem to mind that he appoints his children to all manner of positions for which they’re not qualified. Democratic candidates should certainly not do that sort of thing but I’m much more concerned that our so called Commander in Chief is also the Grifter in Chief. Let’s clean up that mess first. For the sake of the country.
5
I was really surprised when I read Obama and Dems are grooming Mayor Pete for VP with Biden.
Many of Obama's top aids are endorsing Mayor Pete for Pres.
I hope the back door maneuvers are played to beat Trump and not the progressives, otherwise our precious Democracy stands to be lost forever.
8
@s.whether
Whatever democracy we have left in this republic will be lost if the Republican president (we're not allowed to call him names here) wins again. And he will win if there isn't a candidate midwest independents can vote for. Standing on principle, wishing really hard, and repeating the mistakes of 2016 will insure Trump wins.
1
Obama and Clinton are supporters of the rigged economy. Just like Biden and Pete. They will lose again. We can’t survive more of this strip mining of what’s left of the middle class.
4
@s.whether
"I was really surprised when I read Obama and Dems are grooming Mayor Pete for VP with Biden.
Many of Obama's top aids are endorsing Mayor Pete for Pres."
Please give sources for this information, especially your first sentence. All I could find is endorsements by three minor former Obama aides.
That was wonderful!
I wasn't all that keen on Biden but I am now. Direct, honest, if a bit too Irish and pugnacious. But that's okay. It may be precisely what we need just now.
29
Biden is not my first choice. However, everyone chiding him for how he responded. Watch the full video. If someone falsely accuses me of a crime, I would’ve responded in the same way. And before someone says it’s not presidential, consider for a moment the current occupant of the office.
34
I question the farmer is an Elizabeth Warren supporter. He wouldn't give his name because he was there to create an embarrassing moment, rather than ask a candidate a policy question. I think his whole intent was a fraud.
38
if the man was indeed a fan of Warren, and going around stirring up Joe-hate, that's very bad. If Joe does get the nomination, this man's words will be used against Biden by the GOP, as well as all the other nasty snipes that are launched against him between now and then.
This ritual happens every four years, where the Democrats get to see their own words used against the chosen candidate -- by the people we're supposed to be working against
2
I think he sounds more like a fan of Trump, most interested in causing whatever havoc he can for the Democrats.
1
@Winston
Biden running at all works against democrats. It’s got to be a progressive like Bernie or Warren. The centrist candidate always loses.
4
@Corbin: Biden is not my first choice, but in 2016 the "centrist" candidate won the Democratic nomination with votes from a majority of the delegates and that candidate went on to gain the largest share of the popular vote in the general election. She lost the general election in large part because of the inequities of the electoral college, Russian interference, voter suppression, a disinformation campaign by segments of the American media, and outright dishonesty by the Republican candidate. I'd like to correct those problems before simply dismissing large swaths of the electorate. Also, if you can't make a convincing argument for a more progressive candidate on their own merits then maybe a centrist candidate truly deserves the nomination. In any case, I fully intend to support the Democratic nominee, whoever that is.
I thought Biden looked pretty good in this exchange, calling out falsehoods on the spot, standing up for truth and condemning the baseless conspiracy stories peddled sometimes on "tv". More of this please.
Anyone campaigning to be leader of the free world in this day and age is going to have to regularly, and without hesitation, denounce the myriad falsehoods flying around. It's actually a bona fide campaign issue in the post truth era.
I prefer someone like Biden who calls out lies than someone like Trump who perpetuates them.
288
@marie
Nope. This is too much. There is no other reason for them to have wanted Hunter Biden other than he was the Vice President's son. That's the truth. Biden needed the best mea culpa he can produce to say it was a mistake. He's already admitted it was a mistake. He needed to build on that. But no, instead he's emulating that ...
The mistakes of 2016 can not be repeated. There must be a strong, moderate adult on the Democratic ticket.
19
@marie - biden can't call this a "lie" because it's true his no good druggie son wouldn't have gotten a mulitmillion dollar job for a country and company he has no experience or expertise without his daddy's help. Joe got him the job whether he admits it or not. And that's why he is so mad - the man spoke the truth.
12
A senile Biden using his power to ‘punch down’ appeals to you? Using his power to get his son a job he’s not qualified for because he is okay with using political power to enrich himself and his family? That’s really the best you hope for in our President? Not me.
26
Interesting. While it's been shown that Joe, the candidate, did nothing wrong, this plant went after him. The guy didn't ask about the children at the border separated from their parents, he didn't ask about North Korea, NATO, the economy, education, taxes, mass shootings, etc. He brought up a red herring. He was a plant and Joe called him out. Good for Joe.
23
@Marie S - no. THe guy called Joe our for getting his son the high paying job in the Ukraine for which he was unqualified and only got because of his last name and his dad was the VP. That's why Joe is so mad. He's been caught. The other issues you mention are not part of the convo.
5
While I'm curious about the 83 year old's identity, and whether he actually is a Warren supporter, I really want to know where he got the false idea of his accusation. With over half of voters now informed via social media, i.e., without context or sourcing, thus without a way to gauge credibility, the battle in 2020, like 2016 turned out to be, will over what voters perceive to be true, even when they're wrong.
5
@stephen beck The fact that he's peddling that claim does make it seem much less likely that he's a Warren supporter. You are correct.
Seems more like the "Joe the Plumber" incident later exposed as a fraud.
2
Hardly. Warren's been dropping like a stone, and it would make perfect sense for her campaign or one of her supporters to do something like this to try and knock down Biden
2
Leaving behind his shaky showings on the debate stage, Biden flashed the sterner stuff he will need more of in what promises to be one the most combative presidential campaigns in our times. Bring it on, Joe!
17
We need Bloomberg to swoop to the forefront and win the party’s nomination.
2
More oligarchy! Brilliant.
1
"Mr. Kerry, like Mr. Biden, was perceived as a more establishment, centrist figure"
If nominated Biden too will lose as Kerry did in 2004. Trump ran and won as an outsider and businessman promising to drain the swamp. The truth of the matter Trump wound up flooding the swamp.
The Democrats seemed to have learned nothing in 2004 and 2016, that the American people are sick and tired of the centrist corporate incremental status quo Democrat and looking for a real change in Washington.
Warren 2020
12
@mlb4ever Democrat here. Consider the last two Democrats that actually won and reconsider your position. There is no way I would vote for Warren. Cynically abusing Afirmative Action by asserting she is Native American for a leg up in her career should torpedo her nomination. This east coast liberal will never vote for her.
Bloomberg 2020
Biden 2020
2
Biden is hopefully gonna flame out soon. This is only a preview of what Trump would do if Biden gets the nomination. The questioner is not the problem for Biden it is the question his son did get a job with a foreign corrupt company. A lot of Senators and congress folk have relatives working as lobbyists, but I can’t think of anything like this. I can only imagine the stuff Putin has on Hunter in Ukraine
18
@GladF7
"A lot of Senators and congress folk have relatives working as lobbyists, but I can’t think of anything like this."
Well, that is a problem, yes?
So here's what we do. We can start with the New Year, in January.
Let's have a list of every administration and Congressional spouse, relative, intimate associate; their job, their occupational title, their education and career experience, their income. their particular qualifications for their present position.
Let's start at the top, where the worst offenses are likely to occur. All them Trumps, front and center.
I do have to point out, you boys sound intensely naive if not out right foolish. Have you looked at a Board of Directors lately?
How many of those excellent people have any experience whatsoever related to the core business of the corporation they serve? Not many is how many.
Corrupt or not, they didn't need Hunter to tell them how get oil and sell it. They needed him to tell them how to manage their money, which he had been doing for decades.
@GladF7
And Trump's children?
Biden's good. He's really pretty good.
He's also pretty old. And predominantly white.
If he wants to be the Democrat candidate he'll need to demonstrate he is more than just another Clinton/Obama corporate lefty.
I don't care what his ideas are. I care what his plans are.
What will he do for student victims of DeVos and for-profit diploma scams?
What will he do for victims of corporate decisions to follow slave labor around the globe rather than fight globally for worker's rights and level the playing field by raising others up instead of pushing us down?
What will he do for healthcare for everybody?
Not expand the mean-spirited, adversarial programs we have in place today, I hope. Something more oriented to providing superior care instead of fighting off fictitious welfare queens when we know the biggest transgressors are hospital corporations, Big Pharma, and lawyers.
What will he do about that?
Oh, and the world... Maybe he could mention a thing or two about saving that while he's at it.
I like Joe. I like old crotchety, linguistic boo-boo Joe. But I can't even imagine voting for the man until he answers some those questions.
By answers I mean answers, not some on-the-hustings pablum. Plans, Joe. Plans.
6
And yet Warren is outright mocked for having plans. I truly do not understand why American men are so afraid of women.
This is just another example of the well connected chasing ever more money from whatever source they can. Oh to dream of breathing such air, or of ever elevating my children to such heights . .
I don't think Biden senior is involved in anything untoward with the Ukrainians, but Burisma Holdings certainly would have thought they were scoring a major asset in employing a Biden. A real bad look all round. To those saying, 'but Trump does far worse' alot of people will say, as regards to big money family cronyism, that Biden is just the same.
16
Biden responded forcefully and properly to a questioner who was needling him. Imagine what would have happened to that questioner at a trump rally!
You self-destructive Democrats criticizing Biden’s reaction (spoken clearly, forcefully, and to applause) are assuring another Trump presidency by not supporting him.
Have you looked at the National polls? Biden leads by double figures in most - and has since he announced his candidacy; and leads by higher margins in swing states than other candidates.
Watch the video. That’s the kind of candidate I want to see face-to-face debating Trump. And face-to-face confronting Putin.
22
Mr. Biden stood up for his family and for himself, and did so firmly and decisively. And the problem is ...?
26
Demagogues usually stand up for family. We don’t need more politicians who place their offspring in jobs they aren’t qualified for to give them an unfair advantage while the rest of us are working three jobs on survival wages.
3
@SJM
The problem is that, if Biden is elected, his son may not stay quietly in his place, and the father (our President by then) may have to waste his time defending/protecting him rather than doing his job. We, the employers, should hire a problem-free candidate.
3
@Fran
There is no problem free candidate. Never has been. Never will be.
1
Joe Biden had to refute the charge this man made about him and his son in connection with the Ukraine deal. Hold his temper? One cannot be mild and polite in such a situation. He came back hard - a rather normal and genuine reaction. So he called a voter a liar - sacrilege in politics - but Biden did it his way. I can't fault him for his reaction. It probably felt good to do it his way - so he may lose some votes - but with so much fake news around, I can't blame him for blowing up about this.
15
I loved his response. I am so sick of Democrats tip toeing around trying not to offend. The base. The base. That is all we hear about. Don’t offend Trump’s base. Well guess what? They need to be offended. And called out for their behavior. The man needed to be put in his place and Biden rightly so did.
19
Photo shows an Iowa farmer without a wrinkle due to years of exposure to sun. Not at all looking like farmers around here. Maybe he came from central casting.
14
@Anne
He does not look 83 either (I am 85, so I assume that makes me a good, impartial, judge).
3
@Anne
And maybe he used sunscreen and wore a hat.
Some farmers do, you know. And modern tractors
have enclosed, air conditioned / heated cabs.
3
Joe's got to start keeping up his promises.
He promised to meet Trump at the back of the gym.
Still waiting.
Biden better remember he promised Trump contest first.
The push-up contest comes after that.
Gotta go get some popcorn. I have just enough for one contest.
2
Trump is going to win again in 2020 because Democrats can’t just nominate a normal person.
Literally, qualifications to beat Trump...
Be normal.
That’s it. That’s ALL someone has to do to beat Trump. Just be a normal human being who does normal things. And the Democrats couldn’t find anyone to fit that bill. Makes me want to rip my hair out.
10
"No evidence that the Bidens engaged in wrongdoing." The Times has apparently never heard of the appearance of impropriety concept, i.e. that you don't take a no-show job with a company, having no experience, because the company obviously wants access to your father, the vice-president. It's amazing how, when it comes to Trump and Repubs, the press constantly engages in speculation and connect-the-dots guilt by association, but when questions are raised about Dems the responses is, 'oh there's no direct evidence of wrongdoing.' The press is not even curious to find out if there was wrongdoing, because it's a Dem.
13
And apparently you’ve never heard of Wikipedia, which makes it simple to compare Hunter Biden’s credentials to Javanka’s and maybe even consider that an appearance of impropriety is not a crime, and one heckuva lot better than, say, taking $600 mil from the Kuwaitis to bail you out of a gawdawful real estate deal while you’re supposedly brokering peace in the Mideast.
@R.P.
The question, in my opinion, is not so much "Was there any wrongdoing?" as "Did Hunter Biden have to do any work at all?"
1
The best thing that anyone seems to be able to say about Biden is that he isn't Trump.
Is that the best we can do?
17
The Trumpster/Bernie/Liz trolls are just too much. Every parent I know encourages their sons and daughters by lending them access to the networks they've acquired and nurtured over the years. The Ukrainians with their history of Soviet style corruption probably did think that by offering Hunter Biden a seat on the board that they were getting an inside track to Biden and Obama. But there's no evidence that they did get an inside track and until there is Hunter's job is a nonissue other than with respect to criticism of Hunter himself. He was a grown man and his actions can shouldn't reflect on his father's long history of integrity. Any Trumpsters trying to make something of this are clearly hypocrites, just look at Eric, Donnie Jr., and Ivanka. As for the Bernie and Liz purists, it's cloth out of smoke.
9
@HelgaGiselaMeisterzock
"Every parent I know...". Right, but shouldn't we hold our elected officials and their families to higher standards of behavior?
2
@HelgaGiselaMeisterzock
How true. My father was the accountant at a local HVAC company. He was able to get my then boyfriend, now husband, an interview with the owner. My husband was hired as an apprentice and worked in the industry for over thirty years at various companies until getting the position in his present job on the recommendation of a former co-worker.
Our son-in-law got a job in a heavy construction company partly because his uncle is a foreman in the company. My cousin got his job in the bank his father-in-law was vice president of. My husband's brother got a job working in the same machine shop as their father.
"Every parent I know encourages their sons and daughters by lending them access to the networks they've acquired and nurtured over the years." This has been done forever. Most of us just don't get such lucrative positions. But we still get the leg-up.
2
I recall my father-in-law, a bank director, telling one of his sons that he was not going to help him get a job with a friend's company, because "it would look bad." The son had to go out and find a job on his own. And he did. People who think they have to give their children an unfair advantage must not have much confidence in their children's abilities.
3
Yikes. It’s frightening how apparently little the Biden campaign has done to sufficiently prepare their candidate for probably the most easily anticipated “difficult” question they can receive. I’m surprised he didn’t start saying he would “punch” this Iowan and “keep punching at him and punching at him and punching at him.”
27
Not sure if the people assailing Biden here saw the same clip I did.
This was the best thing Biden has done since he announced. Do you people understand the 5 states he needs to win to become President? He spoke plainly and forcefully. More of this Joe!
17
It does not matter who the Dem candidate is. They will be lied about and slimed 24/7, because that's how GOPers roll. They have no ideas, so the ad hominem is the go-to option. This Ukraine thing will dog Biden until Nov. 2020, fair or not. Since when was Trump ever fair?
6
You can correct misinformation without being insulting. I guess everyone now knows what Biden’s biggest vulnerability is and don’t doubt it will be used against him. If he has so little self-control he has no business running for President.
22
What Biden needs to do to shut everybody up is to say, "I'll be happy to talk about my son as long as we include in the conversation President Trump's son, his daughter, and his son-in-law who was laughably given the task of bringing peace to the Middle East and is now in charge of "The Wall" that drug dealers are cutting through with a $100 tool purchased at Home Depot."
That's what he needs to do if Trump brings up Hunter at a debate. Call on his son, and raise the ante on Jared, Donnie Jr., and Ivanna---or is it Ivanka?
15
Good strategy.
2
Malarkey is now the #1 google search among 35-55 year olds. Those under 35 didn't even hear about it.
I tease.
5
@Henry, who can forget nattering nabobs of negativism. We all had to look that one up once too. A little harder though back then.
This disturbing incident -- with Biden improvidently losing his cool and demeaning a heckler with insulting names about his age and weight (shades of You-Know-Who!) -- exemplifies why I, and an increasing number of others (especially once they've heard him speak in an extended setting and watched him defuse opponents and win over skeptics), believe Pete Buttigieg is eclipsing Biden and moving to the head of the class.
Because Buttigieg HAS class.
If nothing else -- and there's plenty else! -- Mayor Pete is temperamentally best-suited among ALL the current democratic candidates to deal with Trump one-on-one in a debate and, post-Trump, unite and heal (to the extent possible) a bitterly divided nation.
Pete is the Anti-Trump. Young, brilliant, respectful, and morally-grounded, he is just the kind of president the United States will need in the aftermath of Trumpism.
7
Donald Trump has pushed the bar so low Joe Biden could throw- up on someone and I'd still vote for him before Trump.
13
Joe Biden, in his incompetence, ignorance, and narcissism, makes a perfect foil for Trump. Both stand for nothing but power gained for the sake of power. When they are challenged in even the mildest terms they resort to unhinged bullying and ridiculous stunts. They, and their corrupt families, should be no where near the levers of power.
7
Another gazzilionaire endorses for the regressive candidate.
Why am I not surprised?
I did have higher hopes for Kerry, though. Guess he's part of the "establishment" Dems that are scared to death of changes that are good for the actual people. He's lost touch with those kind of humans.
5
The issues raised about hunter Biden are fair questions. If his last name had not been Biden he d surely would not have been able to get these plum jobs in Ukraine.
8
Good for Joe. These conspiracy theorists need to be shut down.
7
There is no fool like an old fool, so they say! Biden is slowly unraveling and he will be crushed by the Senate's impeachment hearing. The Dems are in big trouble, I think. I saw Bloomberg's press conference/appearance in Aurora, CO today and while he is an articulate, thoughtful speaker, he's so mild-mannered and unenthusiastic that I'm not sure he'll gain traction. No charisma or passion at all!
3
That picture of the smiling 83 year-old retired farmer surrounded by iphones says it all.
Time's up.
3
Very Disappointed in John Kerry -- good ol' boy club, I guess. But BIDEN IS NOT THE CANDIDATE THE DEMOCRATS lSHOULD NOMINATE FOR PRESIDENT. He's no longer firing on all cylinders. And, yeah, he DID start to call the guy "fat-something" but caught himself. NOT anywhere near as embarrassing as Trump when he speaks, but...definitely not very Presidential.
8
I approved this message. Its good to fight back against people who repeat untrue republican talking points.
8
A push up contest ? Really? How about a I can make more mistakes in my speech contest, you’d win that in a heart beat. I’m a democratic vote a vet and I’m 63 years old not twelve. You and your son made a mistake. Get out of this race with your dignity and let someone else be the nominee.... you can give them advice and help all of us but you are too old joe
20
Not very presidential, Joe. And keep in mind that without Obama you'd be toast right now.
8
I doubt this guy is a Democrat but Biden’s son should put out a statement. Taking a job with nice big salary because you’re related to someone isn't a crime. The GOP and the Trump Kingdom thrive and depend on it. It seems like most of his cabinet and all the important appointments are all based on "who you know" instead of "what you know". The ones with experience don't seem to last very long.
4
@James
But this is one of those times where two wrongs don't make a right. Sure, they're hypocrites, but that isn't going to help end this nightmare.
3
@James
Hunter Biden did an interview on ABC Oct 15, 2019. He acknowledged poor judgement in taking the position.
1
This guy set himself up and deserved every word Biden said. I thought that Biden actually kept his cool in this exchange, given the unrelenting lies being said about him. And Biden would do just fine in a debate with with Trump, who is so ignorant on so many levels, and so untested in a real debate (witness his embarrassing performance this week in Europe, the laughingstock, for just a tiny example).
8
Sounds like the guy probably works for Trump or Buttigieg. A ringer I think.
4
Everybody’s a pundit! Oh!..this is going to happen! No, *that* will! Loser! Winner! Haven’t we all learned over at least the past 3-years that nobody can predict the ripple effects of ANYthing? All I can do is shake my head when people in these forums predict the effects of Biden’s unusually aggressive defense of his son. We’ll see, won’t we?
5
Good for Biden. I wish he would have engaged this inquisitor more about how Fox News doesn't ever focus on facts, just theories.
6
Sleepy Joe trying to be tough love it, lets see if he is this tough next November!!
2
"He has made debunked claims about corruption, and there is no evidence that the Bidens engaged in wrongdoing. "
Except Hunter Biden's work on the natural gas company's board is wrongdoing. Not likely the kind that leads to a criminal prosecution.
And Hunter Biden most certainly contacted the Obama White House in 2014 after his appointment to the Ukrainian gas company board. That's pretty close to wrongdoing.
The reporting here has inserted an invented reality regards Hunter Biden. Would have been much better if the article said "no explicit evidence of criminal wrong doing by Hunter Biden".
6
Joe Biden got Obama to grease the skids for Hunter Biden to get a multi-million $ deal with Ukraine by squelching an investigation of Hunter's company, where he was on the board of directors. Hunter made out like a bandit due to pressure from Joe Biden and Obama. It was corruption at its most basic level. And Joe Biden is the liar by denying it ever happened. The Hunter Biden deal was widely reported by many news outlets no matter what Joe Biden says.
10
@TK
Those were the myths and accusations at the time, yes. And they were investigated and found to be baseless.
But let's do this: let's survey every Congressional spouse and acquaintance. Let's record their experience, positions, income levels, and education.
Let's measure "merit" and "undue influence", and lets see where Hunter comes out.
Lets start with, oh, let me see, Ivanka.
Joe Biden must be a movie buff. This kooky exchange looked like a scene from a Humphrey Bogart/James Cagney film. Do we really need another actor in the White House?
1
Hunter will be to you what Hillary's server was to her, Joe, and you can spend your retirement knowing that you lost your race to Donald Trump. Oh, and too bad for the rest of us, I guess. You're just another old white male that knows he can get away with having family members peddle their association with your high-level government position. Long past the time to confront the double-standard, white male bias that has propelled you so ubiquitously that you actually believe you have something special over the other amazingly qualified, intelligent and energetic candidates in the race.
7
Sorry Joe but you're starting to look as whacked as the old guy we already got.
You had an opportunity to show how to have a reasonable response to rampant misinformation but instead turned it into a chest thumping confrontation that ultimately served to belittle the other guy.
Way to bring the country together, heal wounds and all that rhetoric...
16
The gentleman" who made baseless accusations would not identify himself because he isn't a Democrat.
No doubt he left his MAGA hat in his BMW in the parking lot.
6
Joe's just more of the same in sheeps clothing. I would vote for him if he ends up being the candidate. dt is just........fill in the blank.
Jared & Ivanka are seasoned diplomats though. Throw dt and joe out with the bath water.
1
That sounds like an impeachable offense. Or am I too early?
4
I can't stop laughing. This is worse than HILLARY. I guess the one good thing about running a 77 yo is that he can put down an 83 yo w/o seeming to be a bully. I'm sorry only that the older guy didn't take the pushup or IQ challenge. Would've been a better visual than Dukakis in the tank.
Rs fall all over themselves justifying Trump. And Ds can't do any better than Biden and a 37 yo mayor who can't tell us what he did for 1/4 of his post-college working life while serving the bosses of McKinsley.
Oh, oh. Here we go again.
9
Trump wasted his ammunition trying to get dirt on Biden. Democrats ambush him daily. Reading the exchange, the citizen sounds like a Trump supporter sent in to cause a dust up.
I cannot understand why every article ends up being a rant against Biden. If the man has policies the people want, let them vote for him. If another candidate has policies people want, let them vote for that candidate.
Save the rants for Trump.
1
My Dear VP Biden, The response is, my dear sir, you have no idea what you are talking about. I am running for president. My son is a grown man who is responsible for his actions. I'm here to discuss what I can do to heal the nation. My sons work in the UKRY is history. The current resident of the WH has NO govt experience whatsoever and you see what condition the country is in right now. Divisive, full of hate and distrust. He placed his family in positions they know nothing about. So let's talk to him first about what they are doing and I'll tell you about my plans for the future. Thank you.
DUH!
3
Biden's testy response is more important than Kerry's endorsement and shows he still has the fire you need to be President of this great nation. Yeah, his critic is "old and fat" and should not expect to be treated nicely when falsely accusing Joe and his son of misconduct.
7
@EPMD
That "old and fat" critic looks much younger and healthier than Biden himself (at 83 his hair is not even gray; could it be that he is only 59 and a half?)
2
The unidentified man must have confused Hunter Biden with the lying, now confessed criminal Duncan Hunter.
5
You don't have to subscribe to the nutty Trump theories about Ukraine to realize that Mr Biden's son was most definitely not appointed to that board on merit.
8
That doesn’t matter if Biden didn’t do anything illegal or unethical, and there is no evidence that he ever did. So, raise this red herring all you want. As good old boys like to say, “That dog don’t hunt”.
@Melbourne Town
You honestly believe Board members anywhere are appointed on merit?
Not often...
Playing the Republicans' game (mudslinging/Name calling) is not a good idea. "Wrestle with a pig - you just get muddy and the pig likes it." Joe will fail miserably in debates with Trump if he tries to out-Trump The Donald.
2
This story barely scratches the surface of why Biden would be a terrible nominee. In addition to calling a voter fat he has In the past month forgot Kamala Harris was black, bit his wife's finger on stage, told some weird story about leg hair, said he likes kids jumping on his lap, forgot what state he was in multiple times and forgot what years he was VP.
17
Mr Biden. Take a deep breath and reconnect to your best self. Please.
1
Groan! Can someone please tell Biden to cut out the stupid macho language. Challenging a questioner to a push-up contest...really? It's the same impulse that makes him say he can beat Trump "like a drum". It is a 77-year old's feeble attempt to pretend he is a tough young guy. Which he never was anyway.
16
Well, that's disappointing. We all thought Biden was this really great guy when he was Obama's V.P. Now it turns out Biden shares the same Narcissism/egotism to promote what he procreated as T(he) Rump. Maybe in the future we need to require presidential candidates to have Animals, instead of sons & daughters. Then we won't know the Republicans want to date their daughters, in addition to paying them; and the Democrats get their sons $50,000./month "bored" gigs, internationally. How the other 1% lives, huh !?!
3
Isn’t it hypocritical and “fake “ to criticize Hunter Biden when Ivanka and Jared trot around ringing up the Trump cash register. Ka Ching! And they flaunt it in our face because they can. This guy was probably a farmer on our dime getting pay outs because the Trump trade wars are a failure.
3
He never chalenged any of his rich donors...right?
3
A loser endorsing another loser.
Great.
Bernie in 2020. If Warren joins him so much the better.
4
@Blunt
I have it the other way: Warren in 2020; if Sanders joint her so much the better.
Mr. Biden responded. “You think I thought you’d stand up and vote for me? You’re too old to vote for me.”
Mr. Biden how old is to old to vote for you? 60, 50, 18? I wouldn't want to make that mistake.
Are you to old to vote for yourself?
Mr. Biden can you explain why you don't want the votes of older voters?
12
@Mr Rogers
My guess is because they have no sense of humor to speak of, and no sense at all for sarcasm.
You think you are so tough? Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum! Mandelbaum!
5
John Kerry endorsed Biden? Kiss of death, if you ask me. Kerry was a total loser as a candidate.
Biden's volatile anger on the issue of his son and the Ukraine job is a sign that he knows there was a problem. That doesn't mean Trump doesn't deserve to be impeached and removed from office for attempting to bribe the Ukrainian president. He does. But Biden is not clean.
2
If "no experience" is suddenly a problem for the GOP let me remind you of a family working for the government with no experience in governing whatsoever:
1. Donald J. Trump (qualification: ex tv host and con man/fraudster)
2. his daughter Ivanka (qualification: daughter)
3. her husband Jared (qualification: husband, investor)
4. Donald Trump Jr. (qualification: junior, wearing a beard)
5. Donald Trump Jr's brother (qualification: son, brother, unknown)
2
Fair play to this guy in the audience! The question is fair and in all honesty I don't see much a difference between Biden and Trump right down to the excessive narcissim . Same class of folks, cut from the same cloth the two of them are, far as I can see it. These white bread dems in this video clapping their heads off for Joe's proposed pushup contes makes me sick. Ain't nobody wanna see Joe do 3 pushups out here. WE DONT CARE. They think Biden gonna save them, but he is a false prophet. Biden aint nothing but same old same old rich class of folks been running this thing since the beginning and Im talking Washington and the rest.If ya care about the planet or anything else ya know Biden aint it. Welcome to the new Gilded Age 2020!!!!
6
I'm sorry, Joe Biden is a fool and so is John Kerry.
These two in particular are both losers as I recall.
I like winners.
7
Nailed it Joe!!! Not just one but a whole series of savvy and eviscerating retorts to this cognitively infected boob. I've been drifting towards Mayor Pete lately, fearing the possible waning of your rhetorical assets, but you suddenly have my attention. Is this the real Joe Biden we've been hoping for? If this is the real you, you have my vote again!
4
Status Joe son Hunter was involved in a quid pro quo just like Dotard Drumpf.
1
Nailed it Joe!!! Not just one but a whole series of savvy and eviscerating retorts to this cognitively infected boob. I've been drifting towards Mayor Pete lately, fearing the possible waning of your rhetorical assets, but you suddenly have my attention. Is this the real Joe Biden we've been hoping for? If this is the real you, you have my vote again!
3
Good for Joe
6
Here we have the preview of the Biden Trump face off -- issues forgotten push ups and IQ tests are the rejoinder . Biden has to come up with something better but it is hard . I doubt Jill orJoe Everyman would get a shot at being on the board of a Ukrainian power company so of course the vice president's son got the job by being his Dad's offspring. Did he do anything wrong, I doubt it but that won't stop Trump et al from making hay . So Mr Biden you have to come up with a better story, not push ups, IQ tests and fat shaming, or expect LOTS more of this and an election distracted from the real issue: we have a white supremacist fascist demagogue in office !
3
Reminds me of a slightly deranged great uncle of mine.... Except that that this guy wants to be president.
13
Joe lost his temper, acted like a bully
9
The gentleman, questioning Biden about his son, was maybe a plant?
6
Who "debunked" claims that the Biden/Ukraine situation was corrupt? Allowing Hunter Biden to accept a position with a Ukrainian energy company when you're the vice president in charge of Ukrainian policy was wrongdoing on its face. This paper is such a farce. Pretend Biden is a Republican and do your job.
3
Here's a clue, Clueless Joe:
No one has discovered anything illegal regarding your son's Ukrainian excellent adventure, but the least you could do is acknowledge that it was bad judgement to have your family serve on boards they never would have served on if you weren't the Vice President at the time.
Getting mad about your own family's appearance of conflict of interest is not the solution...and in fact is evidence once again of bad judgement.
Not a great day for Clueless Joe, but that's why he has no business being the party's nominee....and that was true long before the Ukrainian brouhaha.
Let's find a better Democratic nominee.
112
@Socrates
Quid Pro Joe
9
@Socrates ----I hope you don't mean Bernie Sanders, because that would be the height of cluelessness. Biden is the only Democrat who has a chance to win. The sooner we come to grips with that, the better off we'll all be.
5
@Socrates
As I remember, you were pretty rough on Hillary, and look how that turned out.
2
Any one who becomes president of the united states will hear
harsh and unsettling remarks about himself and family every day of the year.
It's actually more effective if you can handle that sort of situation with dignity and keeping your voice and gestures on an even keel.
We already have a president who becomes flustered and upset by reporters difficult questions. This is not the behavior that America needs in their next president.
Becoming angry doesn't make you right. only being right makes you right.
Our next president should be right, speak softly and carry a small stick to remind himself to not lose his cool.
111
@M.W. Endres: Are you kidding? Political cartooning is dead in the US. One gets fired for deviating from portrayal of Trump as as a perfectly conceived immaculate being.
2
@M.W. Endres
I don't disagree with your comments. However, should one moment out of Biden's decades-long career define him? Or should we look at his decades-long record of being one of the most dignified, cordial, well-liked American politicians, known and respected by leaders throughout the entire world?
2
@M.W. Endres at this rate, it’s too bad the next president will be Trump.
1
Well then. If Biden didn't look old before, he sure looks old now.
We need to ask the question: If Trump meant to damage Biden with talk about Ukraine, did he not succeed?
Arguably, impeachment is worse. However, the President's campaign against Biden appears more successful than not. It's sort of like pass interference where the receiver gets injured. Sure, the ref throws a yellow flag and tacks on some yardage. The receiver is still out of the game though and the pass was never caught. Damage done.
Call Trump's campaign strategy an intentional foul.
34
@Andy: Trumpists obviously believe that everyone is incapable of divining intent from results. Presumption of idiocy is axiomatic in the US. Oops, harm to Biden was just collateral damage in the campaign to restore Ukraine to the fold of Mother Russia. No harm done.
1
@Andy
Would that include an assist by right winged media?
2
@Andy
The "strategy" succeeded because the accusation is factually true. You don't have to believe Trump. All you have to do is notice the total ZERO retractions on the Hunter stories from mainstream media outlets.
5
Joe Biden is part of the DEM's who are republican in all but name that got us into this mess.
How is it at this point in time Mr Biden doesn't have a better come back to what he should know is only going to get more frequent? I have the feeling that was staged. It lands like a Biden gaff to me.
Just based on what we know from the news I could say something spontaneously that would have been more effective at confronting the shadow story in those remarks.
21
@magicisnotreal
Well, I would not exactly call him RINO. Have you seen what constitutes the Republican Party these days? The most prominent members of the party are bunch of raging extremists and the rest are spineless cowards.
2
Good for Joe!
His feistiness will serve him well on the stage with Trump.
70
@Cordelia
If Trump gets too close, maybe old Joe will bite his fingers.
3
@Cordelia
Yeah, it’s clear Joe won’t put up with any “malarkey”. Is that a 1950s meme?
2
Feisty is what we call being a total jerk now?
6
Biden needs to learn how to keep his cool. And answer the question about his son. Of course trump is worse by orders of magnitude but Biden has to address the job in Ukraine thing. Dems hold their candidates to much higher standards. And that is ultimately what will put them over the top.
57
@William Thomas
They already do. All you have to do is compare Al Franken to Donald Trump and tell which party has higher standards. It's the Republicans who need to hold their entire membership to a higher standard.
1
Democrats, from Pelosi to Biden, are beginning to respond to conspiracy theories in a way those who believe in them understand.
Planned or not , it could work.
14
Iowans in general aren’t this rude and confrontational. The quadrennial routine is pretty ingrained now and we get down to business when the candidates are in town. So it’s surprising to see an old farmer get in someone’s face.
Must have come over the border from Minnesota.
36
@Puny Earthling
or flew in from Russia.
1
He didnt get in anyone’s face. He quietly, slowly, and politely asked a question and Biden’s immediate response was to call him a liar
3
Speaking of the Kerry endorsement, why not just announce that Obama hasn't endorsed Biden. Seems awkward and unhelpful.
7
I used to like Obama now not so much.
1
If Obama endorsed Biden, which he will once he’s the nominee, the leftists and Bernie conspiracy mongers will cry and moan about how the DNC establishment rigged the primary.
4
In fact, the DNC and Clinton did rig the Primaries. And if they do it again, they will lose again.
3
No doubt Hunter Biden has no expertise in mineral extraction, but he does have experience in general business. Specific to members of any board of directors: How many on any board have "experience" in the product produced by the company they hold a seat with? Does the President of Poland, also on the board with H. Biden, have experience as a ruff-neck extracting petroleum?
50
@Jim
No, but by the same token, I am sure that the other board members have no experience in being an alcoholic; going to rehab half a dozen times; getting favorable mortgages from their father's campaign contributors; dating their dead brother's wife; getting kicked out of the Navy for cocaine use; or impregnating a woman half his age and not paying child-support.
10
@Jim If the GOP makes sitting on a board without experience in the industry an issue, they'll have some problems (or would if consistency mattered anymore). See, e.g, Nikki Haley and Boeing board of directors, or Matt Whitaker and the patent fraud company.
4
can he speak Ukrainian?
2
Not a Biden fan (though I'd vote for a hat before voting for trump) but I appreciated his show of authentic outrage at the poor schlub who is at least aware enough not to admit that his sole news source is actually Fox, not MSNBC.
61
@PtTaken
Funny, he is a Warren supporter though.
5
@PtTaken Yes! My sentiments exactly. And I actually think your characterization of Biden's response ("outrage") is more accurate than some idea of Biden being unhinged or uncontrollable. Sometimes outrage is exactly what should be expressed.
6
@PtTaken As Biden noted the man is s liar. Says he’s a Warren supporter? Yeah right
1
I watch the full video. Makes me want to vote for Biden. Someone lies about me and my children and I will call him out.
77
@Marie You are not running for President and we should hold our President to a higher standard of self-control and smarts.
17
@Marie What did Joe think was going to happen? Did he think there would be no questions about Hunter being on that board?
When I read that New Yorker article in July I put my head in my hands and groaned. And this is exactly what I imagined would happen. A huge mess.
What Hunter did pales to Trump and his children. But I knew it would be a problem and I've been angry at Joe ever since for allowing his ego to take charge and whisper, "You are the one that must run to save us.". No. He just made everything worse.
I'll vote for him over Trump in a heartbeat. But Joe should have known and been prepared with some kind of better answer than a pushup challenge. Our country is at stake.
7
@Marie The man was not lying. He had a fact or two wrong but the premise of his quesiton was entirely correct. Hunter Biden has no qualifications to serve on the board of a natural gas company in a country where he does not know the language except that he is trading on his name and that the company wants to trade on his relationship.
Joe Biden should have forbade him from doing it, should all of Hunter Biden's failed life forbade him from trading on his father's political prominence as Hunter Biden has done time and tim again.
5
As the father of 5 grown cbildren, I would do anything to help them short of breaking the law or being unethical. I believe Joe Biden feels no different than I or any other parent. The difference from Trump is that he can not envision someone not breaking the law or being unethical when given the chance. Hence, his pushing the Ukraine/Biden falsehood. The difference here is Biden's integrity and Trump's total lack of it. I ask Trump's voters and his "Republican" sycophants "is having Trump destroy our democracy worth a few judges?"
35
If this does not demonstrate why Biden is not suited for the presidency I don't know what will.
Enough of old white men with thin skins says this older white man looking for a sensible Democratic candidate of a sensible age to defeat Trump.
It is abundantly clear that Biden cannot tolerate a negative word about his son Hunter but it is also true that Hunter Biden has failed at life, in life, in business and has traded on his name and his father's political career his entire adult life.
Whether the man in Iowa was right or a little right or wrong or a little wrong, Biden did not conduct himself appropriately, with restraint, with common sense, with an appreciation for the situation.
All he needed to say is something like:
Thank you for that question. Hunter Biden is his own man. I would not be running if I did not firmly believe I am ready and able to be president.
There is a language call public speak, lost in the time of Trump perhaps, but Joe Biden ought to know it after nearly 50 years in politics and high office.
That he does not speak it or know when to speak it is -- is, as he would say, malarkey.
We can do better, we do not need presidents in their later 70s. That is simply stupid in a nation in which 95% of the people are younger than 70.
Not Biden, not Warren, not Sanders, not Bloomberg and for this and every other reason, not Trump again. No one over age 70 on Jan. 20, 2021 should be the next president.
32
Now watch the amnesiac Trump supporters blathering how someone short-tempered and calling someone names shouldn’t be president.
36
Chill out, people. No, Joe Biden is not my first choice, but by God, I will VOTE for him with a smile if he’s our Nominee. Trump does worse than this on a daily basis, and everyone is now worn out and used to it. We must get our act together and stop with the circular firing squad, starting now. Personal message to VP Biden : Don’t take the bait, just laugh. And by the way, the absolute worst thing you can do to a Trump fan is laugh at them. It makes them crazy. Or more so.
Seriously.
51
I’M RIDIN’ WITH BIDEN!
As a blue collar democrat that has watched the party play the high minded, intellectual party game for four decades, this is refreshing! It’s about time democrats start taking the gloves off, start swinging, getting cantankerous and bloodying a few noses.
If you find this is off putting, wait until you see the nonsense Trump deploys heading in to 2020.
63
@Bryan: Democrats should quit praying. It would probably only tee off a God that had to endure it anyway.
Challenging a man to an athletic contest sounds like Mandelbaum on the Seinfeld episode. For Biden, "it's go time."
34
The swiftboating has begun.
7
I don't support Biden, but good for him in this exchange!
19
Dear lord! Does anyone else see that Biden is showing signs of dementia? The aggressive responses? Confusion about where he is? Misspeaking? Kerry’s endorsing him today was disturbing. Please, someone on the campaign, have Biden evaluated before we’re saddled with another old man not up to the challenges of the presidency.
46
@Linda
You have written what many of us have been thinking.
3
Joe Biden just lost many voters with this emotional outburst. Trump will hammer him endlessly over his son, Hunter's windfall in Ukraine, if this is his response he is toast. Not too old, just not electable.
29
@Jim
Don't you think Biden will hammer Mr T on his children's behavior and corruption? Look at Jared, look at Jr, look at Ivanka, what are they up to?
4
@Jim I am seeing a lot of similar comments in various places. Are we no longer aware of how Trump's unqualified children and son-in-law are running around the world in jobs they are not qualified for and enriching their family on their father's name at the expense of the interests of the US?
2
How can the media and the democratic establishment prop up Joe as the front-runner when he has more skeletons in his closet than most others running? The electability argument goes out of the window when you really look at his past let alone his policy positions. If he cant reasonably answer this question how will he answer for his sons continuous drug use while never being punished? Especially considering he authored the 1994 crime bill. Joe needs to sit this one out... And so does Kerry and all the other perennial democratic losers.
23
Must feel great to be endorsed by a winner like John Kerry. Hopefully the endorsements by Mike Dukakis and Hillary Clinton are right around the corner. Yeesh!
10
It's hard to understand why Republicans have a problem with Biden's son. Knowing what we know about Republican's defense of Trump, none of what Joe or his father did was illegal.
But, if Biden's son is a problem, then all of Trump's family is fair game. Everyone.
The immigrant wife, with chain immigration parents.
The son-in-law with felon father and phony national security clearances, not to mention being unqualified
The son of skittles fame
The daughter with her Chinese trademarks, not to mention being unqualified
28
Joe is a pseudo tough guy, who can't play the role any more.
His next appearance will be before the Senate as a witness, explaining why his son got a $50K no-work job in Ukraine.
It's a lousy script for a B-list political actor.
18
@John
If that is the case, then Trump is a gangster movie tough guy. "You talkin' to me?" type rhetoric and all.
For my part, I would like an explanation of why Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have do-nothing titles in the Trump administration.
3
I'm sure Biden is under a lot of pressure, but, geez, can't we depend on anyone for civility?
10
@Oh Gee He is running for President, should we not bother him? Are we putting Joe out? We all deserve so much better than this in spite of our general stupidity.
2
I like and respect John Kerry, but I could care less who endorses who. I believe that's the sign of a shallow person.
4
@Delores Porch
The proper phrase is either "I couldn't less" or "I could not care less".
I'm not a big fan, but I say good for you, Joe! I wish more people got angry when confronted with bald face lies and ignorance.
18
Rein it in, Joe. You're losing moderate voters like me.
10
I’m a moderate voter and this is the first sign of life I’ve seen from the old guy. Actually made me take him more seriously.
11
I am so tired of hearing about Hunter Biden's job. Can we talk about Ivanka and Jared getting a job in the White House with no political experience and getting incredible deals with other countries for their own businesses? We all know that Hunter Biden got that job because of his name. It has been reported that many businesses in Ukraine hire celebrities for their boards. Enough said. We need to move on and talk about what the real issue is. We have a president who is abusing his office for his own benefit. So New York, why didn't you stop this man while he was still swindling companies in New York and New Jersey?
763
@Ellen
Dump them all: the Trumps and the Bidens. The Oligarchs and Plutocrats never fail to stand up for their own.
I would gladly sacrifice the pawn Biden if it were necessary to check Trump. (Those of us on the progressive left see this as a win-win scenario.)
31
@Ellen
Exactly. And Hunter is not unique in any way. The sons and daughters of the rich and powerful don't need to be qualified to be given a high paying job.
19
@Ellen Or perhaps more about Uday and Kusay (Don Jr. & Eric) literally running essentially a quasi-cash business that literally has the guys name on the side of the building. Hotels and golf courses? Hmm, I would like to curry favor with the president. Perhaps I can book my next family reunion at Trump International Super Tower? Or whatever nonsense name it has. And what? It's $200 a night? Nah, make it $2000 a night. C'mon people.
25
Why don't we want moderates who emphasize electability? Not because of Trump. Because of underemployment, severe lack of affordable housing, high cost of healthcare, and the need for immediate action on climate change. It's because Trump didn't break the system; he just brought his fist down on a system that was held together with "just be patient" tape.
45
@LLS No, Trump broke the system and made it worse. Moderates are more likely to move the needle on housing, healthcare, and climate change. Americans do not want drastic options outside small progressive bubbles
4
Millennials, Independents and Progressives are the biggest voting block in the country. We have been told to wait patiently for decades, while the oligarchy increased control. No more. Enough waiting. FDRBERNIE 2020 now
3
@Martin
The system has been broken for many Americans for decades now. Trump is a symptom of both parties pretending it wasn't a problem. I think you'll find many Americans want drastic change to a system that has left mired in debt, while the richest in our society profit off of their misery.
3
The comments are a nice illustration why Donald Trump will win again. The Dems are destroying themselves and the far left is too eager to dismiss anyone not adequately 'woke.' I'm a Democrat and will happily vote for Biden. Warren and Sanders are too extreme to win and do not reflect my views in the least. Democrats need to stop with the purity tests and find a candidate who can beat Trump. Despite your fantasies, recent polls show Biden is the only one who can beat Trump in key swing states - the ONLY one.
36
@Martin
Bernie’s doing fairly good. I’m fairly sure that he still had the most campaign donations, and he is definitely not the most woke person in the world.
16
I’m an Independent, along with the Millennials, Progressives and all the other Independents, making the largest voting block in the country, and we fully intend to elect Bernie as our next president.
18
Thank you, Martin, for coming in, and some voters have had enough already with the arrogant louts and bullies, who do not miss an opportunity to throw their weight about.
A gentleman first, Biden showed the spirit of 'The Fighting Irish' with its low tolerance for being pushed around.
A professional boxer, now retired and a toiler of the soil, just called, and giant as he is, in possession of a healthy industrious family, he too is a gentleman in the right sense of the word, and will be casting his vote for Biden.
7
The type of response Biden have to that voter is what will be needed in our simple minded Democracy that was raised on WWE.
If he responded with some high minded intellectual response, he would have been slammed. We have to compete against the President we elected.
36
@Practical Thoughts So true, we need to keep dumbing down democrats!
@Practical Thoughts How about a civil, unheated response?
2
@Steve
Best laugh I've had all week!!
Bad move Mr. Biden. There are other ways of standing up to a belligerent voter than this. By lashing out, Biden truly is showing his age. He is being very defensive about his physicality and mental acuity. That means he is doubting himself.
As far as his son is concerned, taking that job from the Ukrainian company for 50K/month stinks to high heaven. There is just no way this looks good. The Republicans will have a field day with it. It just cannot be supported in any way that doesn't spell corruption and self dealing. It may have been perfectly legal, but it doesn't pass the smell test.
If this keeps up, Biden will self destruct. He may already have.
186
There is much evidence that Hunter kept his business to himself, intentionally NOT discussing it with his father.
There is no self dealing. Hunter simply had a job.
10
@Bruce Rozenblit - I wish more people would confront the Republicans with the fact that the Trump spawn are helping themselves to our tax dollars.
28
If you had ever heard him in person, as I did with a previously enthusiastic Biden supporter at the NH Democratic Convention this summer, you would know one hundred percent that he is far too senile to be running for office... any office.
25
How do we know this man was not a plant by the Republicans to goad Mr Biden. He refused to give his name for he knew he would be found out.
43
@Mrinal my first thought as well.
6
@Mrinal
Even if it was a plant (I don't think it was) he is going to repeatedly face this line of questioning moving forward, and in a much more blunt manner. This was simply a horrendous response. 20 years ago this would have been the end of his campaign.
50
Even if that’s the case Biden should have known better and stayed calm. Instead he just went nuts.
7
This was an absurdly tone-deaf response and if he gets the nomination we should just fast-forward to 2021 and Trump's 2nd term. He has no chance of beating him in an election. Any other politician would have taken this opportunity to address the issue in a sincere and thoughtful way. That he didn't either exposes a major fault in him as a politician or reveals that he simply doesn't have a good way to explain this situation. Either one is problematic. These questions are only going to get more pointed and frequent as the months go on.
140
@DennisMcG
I know! It was such an opportunity to discuss what everybody thinks, whether they actually say it on MSNBC or not.
This shows Biden's true ability to debate. Many high schools students could do a lot better.
9
While the question was “fair” can you think of any other time in our history where it would be ok to ask a question like that about a person’s child or family member? Were people asking Bill Clinton questions about Roger Clinton? Did people ask Dubya about Neil Bush (who admitted to several extramarital affairs)? A candidate has the right to be offended and have a pointed response and to stand up for their family.
Decency is on the decline and it’s fueled by older folks watching Fox News, not MSNBC.
25
@Dudesworth
Actually, yes they were asking those questions about Roger Clinton, Laura Bush's alcoholism, etc.
In the days of yore, peddling your office to your trainwreck relatives was considered gauche.It didn't make you likeable Uncle Joe.
6
@Dudesworth Hunter Biden did something very unwise. Taking that job may not have been illegal, but it was stupid. Burisma was shady. Hunter’s fair game in my book, unfortunately.
7
@Dudesworth
Why is the media focusing on Bidens' son and not on trumps' kids and son in law.They've made millions off trump being president yet all the media wants to talk about is Hunter who sometimes made as much as 50 G a month.Jared and Ivanka have increased their wealth by the tens of millions yet they go ignored by the media.This is exactly why trump won in 2016 and the media is doing the same thing in 2019 -2020.
5
Hunter is the iconic prodigal son with a biography so appalling it's not hard to understand why Trump suspected he was predisposed to indulge a little corruption. The kid is a fathers nightmare and the fact that Joe excuses Hunters every abomination "he did nothing wrong" is testament to a fathers unbridled love. I'm not gonna vote for Joe but I do feel for him.
24
My thoughts exactly. The New Yorker profile of Hunter Biden was a study in how privilege and race get you out of anything - drug abuse, infidelity, dating your dead brother’s wife. He may have gone to an Ivy, but that is not why he was given chance after chance after chance. If Biden can’t answer for his son honestly, he’s dead in the water.
4
Hunter Biden isn't running for president.
A parent can advise an adult offspring, but they can't control them or be held responsible for the decisions that they make. Hunter was 44 when he joined the board of Burisma Holdings. Joe had no authority to tell him that he couldn't do that. Anybody with adult offspring should understand that.
As far as Hunter's qualifications, his name was undoubtedly a factor. But he has a lifetime of experience watching the American political process up close. He could provide valuable insights. I don't know if that's why they hired him, but it really doesn't matter since he isn't the candidate.
19
@David It's pretty clear that his name on the board would signal to the Ukrainian prosecutor to be careful, and in turn to reassure foreign investors. Hunter was willing to allow himself to be used that way, regardless if actual political favors were ever intended, in exchange for 50k/month. One of Joe's own aides confronted him about it and was shooed away, so yes he knew and could have done something. He chose not to.
32
@David
That said, I wouldn't take Hunter Biden's advice on anything. He has a history of making bad choices.
He is the family black sheep unlike his late brother Beau, who was their father's pride and joy and hope for the future.
He's kind of like Prince Andrew to Prince Charles.
1
@David : Joe couldn't have told Hunter not to take that board position with a corrupt Ukrainian company? Then Joe shouldn't be running for president. He should have known better.
I'll vote for him but at this point in our history, he should have been smart enough to absolutely know that this would be a mess.
Hunter is a mess. He's got a very long history with drugs and alcoholism, Burisma is not the only problem. He also worked for a company in China while Joe was VP. He had an affair with his dead brother's widow while married, then divorced, then broke up with the widow. He's been in and out of rehab and given a dishonorable discharge from the Navy. He's been in and out of rehab many times. He married a woman he met in rehab, asking her to marry him within one week of meeting her.
Joe's decision to run is all about Ego. It is an unwise decision. I know he thinks he can help us in our time of need. I think he's botched that.
He should have chosen his family.
2
Joe seems a nice guy.
But he doesn't care that 3 guys have more wealth than the bottom 50% of Americans. He never talks about the wealth gap. That means it's not a concern of his.
Obama said (in the link below) that he spent most of his time with the ultra-rich, and adopted their perspectives. Biden is the same.
Trump is kicking people off of food stamps, but I wish we could hope for more than benign neglect from the "establishment candidates" of the "party of the people".
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/01/opinion/the-cost-of-barack-obamas-speech.html
31
@Triffid
Joe works for those guys. He comes from the state that really jumped on the de-regulation bandwagon and made itself home to the most predatory industry in the country.
22
@Triffid That's a bunch of silly nonsense which shows a complete naivete about the effort & love both Barack & Joe have put into helping average people. Incremental change is hard enough & people like Warren & Sanders are clueles or dishonest.
6
Ugh - Biden's locker room tactics are such a turnoff for women.
And as much as Biden may appeal to working class men, he does not appeal to women. We won't forget his shockingly recent support for Hyde, or his weird inappropriate touching or his oddly patronizing stump speeches.
I will vote for the guy if I absolutely have to, but it will be joyless.
165
@Cousy There is always the other option, the wonderful champion of women's rights, Donald Trump.
15
@Cousy
I'm a woman and he appeals to me as well as to all my moderate Democratic female friends
26
@Cousy I am a woman and I watched his interaction with that guy. It did not offend me at all and I'm glad he stood up to the liar! It makes me like him even more.
8
"Failed Presidential Candidate Endorses Soon-to-Fail Presidential Candidate. Snooze at 11."
FWIW, I will not vote for Biden in the general election. Sorry, but Joe is a disaster.
62
@AF
A "disaster?" Compared to Trump?
If you can say that after three years of Trump's leadership, then I think you need to carefully think about your vision for America.
21
So you’re cool with 4 more years of Trump?
10
@AF I'm with you all the way. As grotesque and horrifying as Trump is, I can not and will not vote for a weak, Anita-Hill-squashing, James Eastland-loving corporate weasel like Biden. The Democratic Party assumes we owe them our vote, but we do not. No Biden no way no how.
1
Good! The Democratic field has thus far been lifeless, bloodless, inert. If Joe is getting amped, it amps me up, too.
We need someone who's going to stick it to the Russian asset in the White House, and stick it to him hard.
42
Bernie beats Trump, without having to resort to acting like a senile fool.
4
Biden’s rudeness is an abuse of power.
The farmer is clearly nervous and not used to public speaking but feels compelled to question a presidential candidate on this issue. He seems to give Biden an opportunity to address his concerns. Instead Biden calls him a liar and fat.
The last thing we need is a year of this sort of rude playground taunting.
351
@MM
When someone gets really defensive about behavior, you can be sure there's a 'there' there.
64
@MM
Thank you for articulating this. It was uncomfortable to watch, precisely because of the imbalance of power between the two men - Biden wasn't just rude to him, but seemed to be 'punching down.'
60
@MM
The so called "Farmer" probably prefers trump due to the massive subsidies Trump has decided to give them this year because of the weather. I have had jobs when I could not work due to the weather and no one ever paid me to sit around doing nothing just because it was raining. The very same farmers are the ones that deplete aquifers which should be treated as a national resource in order to sell government subsidised cheap grain to other countries. They make a profit from both the US taxpayer as well as foreign buyers on every pound of grain they sell. Meanwhile food stamps for almost one million people will be cut despite it being a fraction of the cost of bailing out farmers who could well have afforded to continue on farming with one year of weak crops. These farmers are not starving and if they are they own hundreds or thousands of acres of land. they could sell a few acres to keep themselves fed until next year.
24
An endorsement from John Kerry, the Mitt Romney of Democrats. How lucky for Joe.
61
For those individuals omitting the "look fat" part because they are alleging its unclear what he said, I implore them to watch the teenagers facial expressions. That will let you all you need to know.
He called the guy fat, old and said "ya you do" when the guy said all he does is watched T.V. and also challenged him to a weird set of competitions. After again confusing his location as well as what DECADE he was VPOTUS.
Needless to say, Joe Biden is heading nowhere FAST.
223
@B
I listened to the tape three times and did not hear what you claim was on it. And in my opinion, his response was not "weird" in any respect.
17
He says “look - fact(s)” and then cuts himself off and changes what he was about to say.
You hear what you want to hear to support your opinion. Perhaps I do, too. Pretty sure you’re wrong though.
5
And people say Trump is unhinged?
44
@Adam: The Chosen One is unhinged, and a traitor too. Whatever his negatives, Biden is neither.
I am not a fan of Biden, but if he's the one most likely to beat the dreadful incumbent come next November, Biden's got my vote then, in a heartbeat. There is simply no comparison.
9
I find this deeply disturbing. The last thing we need is a Democratic candidate for president who cannot keep his cool when challenged by a voter. So what does Biden think he will be hearing from Trump?
I will vote for whichever candidate the Democrats choose. After hearing about this encounter, I just hope we won’t choose Biden.
237
@Patricia Lay-Dorsey I agree completely. The only Democratic candidates I really, really don't want are Biden, or even worse, Sanders. Still, I'll hold my nose and vote for either of them before I even consider letting some third party candidate swindle us yet again into defaulting to a vile Republican president.
12
I agree with John Kerry's endorsement of Joe Biden. I intend to vote for Mr. Biden as well. I am 71 years old.
I do so as a Navy Vietnam veteran ('65-'69), retired federal prosecuting attorney (1995-2010) and a lifelong Democrat. My initial foray into politics was as a volunteer for George McGovern in 1972.
I applaud Joe Biden's response to the "man- who declined to identify himself . . . " Indeed, I would have said the same thing had I been in a similar situation.
Moreover, Mr. Biden did not "lose his cool." On the contrary, he merely stood up to an uninformed and ignorant individual (Democrat?) who parroted a Republican conspiracy theory.
Finally I applaud Mr. Biden's conduct with a "Bravo Zulu." In Navy parlance it means , "Well Done."
,
61
@Richard Thank you, Richard. I agree. Joe is the only candidate who might be able to defeat Trump. He is also the only candidate who can hit the ground running and restore our nation.
17
@LJ Oh yes, John Kerry's endorsement of Biden has the same feel to it as Kerry's endorsement of the Iraq war.
14
@Richard
And Bravo Zulu to you too, sir. You are right. The farmer is easily recognizable as the old retired pain-in the-asphalt rural or small town Fox news watcher.
8
good for Joe standing up for himself, he seemed sincere, but over time as republican's continue to link trumps shakedown to that of biden's (and E.U.'s) policy execution eventually the exhausted public will fail to see the distinction and expect Biden to explain it better.
4
@Curtis
The Russians and the self-interested Ukrainians with much help from the right in the USA have constructed a fantasy that no amount of explanation can even crack. The right did the same thing to Kerry and Clinton. If the Dems play the least bit fair for 2020 tRump and his minions will win. And that is before the Russian hackers and social media engineers get started.
2
I could care less about testy exchanges. Where is Mr. Bidens detailed plan on healthcare, climate change, education, infrastructure, etc. Elizabeth Warren has them, and she has explained how they will be paid.
Antics like this just don't have a place in our politics, this is 1980's malarkey.
31
@cherrylog754
Yes she has them, she just has absolutely no way to get them passed into law or paid for.
3
@cherrylog754
Most of the candidates have those plans but only Warren hangs them out as banners. Will they work? First you have to elect her--and then we'll find out.
This news report clearly highlights the issues that make
Biden a poor candidate. This is only the beginning for
Q&A events.
29
One salient point: foreign leaders may smile if Biden were to be elected, but they would not gather in groups and snicker. HOW can the majority of the Republican Party members NOT cringe at the damage Trump does himself and all of this nation every day, and does it willfully? Mr. Biden has a cringe worthy son--Trump has two sons and a daughter. Mr. Biden tangles his words and has a short fuse as does the creature who was NOT elected by the majority of American voters -- but he understands politics, has experience, understands the concept of PUBLIC service, duty and honor and is NOT a draft dodging coward. Mr. Biden may not be my first choice, but I would not be ashamed to have him as a candidate.
23
@Kathleen King
You think the Ukrainians didn't gather in groups to snicker than they have his drug addicted son in their pocket, and could use him for leverage to get the VP of the US to do whatever they wanted?
11
These are questions and accusations that will be raised repeatedly and heatedly, throughout the general election campaign, if Biden is the nominee. If this is an example of the way he will handle tough or unwelcome challenges, he should step aside now.
Incompetent and uncool.
38
@Douglas,
When fighting for his family and fatherland, Biden is one cool dude and remains chill. He knows far more about national and foreign policy than the average American, about our state of affairs with his seasoned experience and now I understand why my aunt in a December storm stayed up all night watching John Wayne.
Trump is no match for him and can shout to the rafters, while Biden will look at him in derision. John Kerry was able to establish an understanding with Iran, and he has endorsed Biden, who shows decency and not a tinge of vice in his constitution.
1
All this talk here in the comments section about Joe letting Hunter work for Burisma is playing right into Trump's hands. Hunter is an independent adult who makes his own choices. How many parents out there control their adult children? Why give this red herring any more oxygen?
22
@Gustafson
Biden's advisers met with Burisma lobbyists, and Biden himself lobbied for Burisma while he was VP.
10
@MDB: Because you can't solve a problem by avoiding it. Biden's advisors knew long ago that Republicans would seize upon the optics of this and turn it into a problem. He ignored advice he should have listened to - not a good idea for anyone who wants the complex job of governing this country. Now it is a problem, and it's not going away simply by pretending that it isn't a problem. In doing so, Biden is taking a page from the Trumpian handbook: just deny that there's any problem, then accuse your opponents of creating the problem in their imaginations. Is that tactic helping to win the hearts and minds of Democrats to Trump's cause? Obviously not. Trump employs this trick in order to pander to the rage of his base, who want to see Trump "stick it to the liberals." When it comes to reasonable people, though, Trump's denials of wrongdoing continue to anger and alienate many voters. Is that what Biden wants to engender among voters, too? If so, he's just a Trump Mini-Me. This country needs radical, systemic change, and all Biden and Trump are offering is is a cage fight between two old dotards. Be honest, Biden, and answer the man's question straightforwardly.
3
This is an object lesson in how Trump will throw Biden off balance if he wins the nomination. It's also not a good look to call a voter names, especially for petty reasons.
660
@Andrew
Wrong. The man is a liar just like Trump and the only way to beat Trump and his cult of liars is to call them out on it.
70
@Andrew I don't know, it hasn't held Trump back.
He's insulted women at large, women and men about their weight, mocked the handicapped, insulted a Gold Star family, asked supporters to beat up protesters and on and on.
But Biden's toast over one push-back?
84
@Andrew
Exactly correct. Trump is a master of ridicule, name-calling and mockery, and whomever the Democratic candidate is had better be ready to handle it effectively.
40
Kerry was a moderate who emphasized electability. Clinton was a moderate who emphasized electability. They both lost. Now The Democratic establishment is pushing Biden, another moderate who is emphasizing electability. When are people going to wake up and realize that this strategy doesn’t actually work?
528
@E
Bill Clinton and Barrack Obama were moderates and were elected a total of 4 times. Advocates of a more militant Democratic party, such as yourself, should wake yourselves up to what a center-left coalition party in a national election is about. I'm not wild about Biden, either, but I am a realistic student of US politics and the position you advocate is poisonous. It will result in another 4 years of Trump.
63
Kerry and Clinton had impressive resumes, but were not the best campaigners. Electability requires that a candidate be good who at both statecraft and politics.
14
Biden isn't my choice because of electability. he's my choice because Trump had destroyed our international alliances and damaged our international influence. Biden is the only candidate with the network the knowledge and the experience to do that. everyone else in the field lacks those credentials. if you like Bernie and Elizabeth's policy positions help the Senate go blue they will be committed chairs and can move the domestic policy agenda to passage.
28
Well, so much for the return of civility and taking the high road if Biden were to be elected.
88
I disagree. It’s grueling being on the road, and we are all human. The man was clearly goading Biden. For months Trump has been attacking a private citizen—something no president has ever done. Biden pushed back. He’s human. And that man in the audience?—an uninformed blowhard.
41
@Linda
Yes dems should roll over and never raise a finger to defend themselves.They should always let their repub opponent define them.John Kerry never really fought back about the swift boat lie and we all saw how far that got him.
25
"I know more than most people know"
"Look, fat, look, here’s the deal"
"He went on to encourage the man to...take an I.Q. test with him"
Joe sound like Trump here, and not in a good way. He's so out of touch and should step aside to let the candidates who care about people other than themselves compete for the nomination.
If the Democrats nominate Joe, I'll have to vote third party again. Hopefully the voters and the party are smart enough to realize that this guy is clearly not the answer.
292
@mike
Yeah put trump in charge for another 4 years by voting for a 3rd party.That worked out really great in 2000 and 2016 didn't it?
112
@mike
In other words, “I’ll have to vote for Trump again”.
Here we go again...There is no viable third party in presidential elections with three elections now proving it: Perot in ‘92 gave conservative third party voters Clinton; Nader in ‘00 gave liberal third party voters Bush and a war they all clearly embraced given their overt votes against Gore who would never had Cheney, the architect of the Iraq War, anywhere near the White House; and Stein in ‘16.
There is no constitutionally structural way a third party candidate will get anywhere near the White House and you know it. So just own it: if Biden is the candidate, you will vote to advance the evangelical theocracy already gathered and waiting in the Trump administration, destroy my rights and the rights of the women of my family to reproductive autonomy, mount a ferocious evangelically-fueled assault on the LGBTQ community, continued destruction of the environment, continued ascendancy of white supremacy, continued caging of brown children, and continued destruction of all your claim to care about as a supposed liberal. And I will never forget the privileged male name of Mike when the last ice sheet melts into the ocean.
20
@mike: If you're eligible to vote, anything other than a vote in the general election for the person (almost certainly the Democratic nominee) most likely to defeat the horrid incumbent is a vote for what we're stuck with already. Remember 2016?
I encourage you to cast your primary vote for the candidate whose views most closely reflect your own. After all, how will anyone know what matters to you otherwise?
And in case you, like me, look around our safely blue state and figure that your vote won't matter anyway, consider that Michael Cohen has already warned us that the man whose messes he used to "fix" will not leave the White House peacefully. Don't give him another flimsy excuse to ignore the people's choice. He doesn't deserve one.
18
The Hunter Biden saga makes Joe Biden damaged goods, regardless of whether there was anything illegal. The self dealing is obvious and the fact that the VP office suppressed a letter of concern from career officials makes it even more distasteful
215
@Groovygeek Agree the Hunter board role is bad all the way around.
And when I get in that voting booth next November, if my choice is Trump or Biden, it's Biden. (Mike drop...)
7
@Groovygeek Please provide evidence, any evidence at all, of "self-dealing".
10
Biden owes us a reasonable explanation as to how his son wound up on the board of a gas company in Ukraine.
Try something like:
"My son is a corporate governance expert. Burisma is trying to clean up their governance and their image. Hunter was a good candidate for that board."
Why is that so difficult?
His response to a reasonable question was childish at best.
Joe Biden is not up to the job of candidate let alone nominee.
449
@Billy
This incident is alarming in its absurdity and a veteran politician should know better. Much better. Something is not right here.
31
@Billy
"Biden owes us a reasonable explanation as to how his son wound up on the board of a gas company in Ukraine."
Why should he? Hunter Biden is 49 years old! He can make his own decisions on where to work. You may not think it looks good for Joe but there is no evidence of any wrong doing by Hunter or Joe. NONE! I have to believe Biden is sick and tired of hearing these insinuations. If you have any evidence then please lay it on us.
Let's talk about Trump. How often does Trump disparge others? Everyday. What about the Trump children and his son-in-law and their ties to foreign businesses? They take in millions! Why not ask Trump for a reasonable explanation about the foreign business his children and son-in-law are involved with? I don't see your ire directed towards them or toward Trump to explain what his children are doing internationally?
You have fallen into the Republican conspiracy theroy trap. And I get it. You probably don't think Biden has really done anything wrong. That he just handled the situation poorly and should be calm in presenting his case to the other guy. But Biden is a human being and if you look at it from his point of view he's had enough. He wants to talk about the issues. Not conspiracy theories. If he and his son did nothing wrong why should he continually be asked to explain why his son was working for Burisma? Why should he have to keep defending himself in this situation. He shouldn't have to and enough is truly enough!
24
An answer would be nice, but it'd be nicer if it was accurate. Just acknowledge that the sons of the rich and powerful frequently get jobs they aren't qualified for and rarely face consequences for ineptitude. Then point out all the other fail-sons and daughters of Congressman and the President cashing in on their family's name.
31
I am not a Biden fan and agree his son had no business in Ukraine with no experience except using his name to get on the board of an energy company. Even though he did nothing illegal it doesn't look good and he should have known better.
155
You don’t need experience in a particular industry to sit on a board… Often board members come from diverse backgrounds that have nothing to do with a particular industry...
21
corporate boards both foreign and domestic are sweetheart deals. look at all the former Republican office holders like Paul Ryan who are raking it in from corporate boards. what qualifications do they have for the spots they get?
20
@notrace Name recognition. General Mattis made the mistake of sitting on the board of Theranos which turned out to be a complete scam and the CEO being charged with fraud.
Sweetheart deals look bad when your Dad is Vice President period.
13
Biden, "you're too old to vote for me?" Thats a bad sign for Biden going forward. The right to vote is non bias. 2 old men isn't what we need as a nation.
164
This is not good for Biden.
282
If this is how Biden respond to questions about his son in low-stakes situations, he is going to make a poor showing when Trump berates him with it during debates. "Look, fat" is not a phrase used in English. Biden's trouble articulating himself in this exchange further portends bad results should he debate Trump.
392
@Evan he said, Look, facts.
5
@Evan
Joe Biden responded to a LIE about him and what he allegedly did. Go back and listen to the dialogue and listen to Mr. Voter's accusations.
3
I'm not a huge supporter of Biden's but I'm glad he went right back at this guy!
103
@mark
LOL "that guy" is a Democrat. Just wait 'til Biden starts getting hammered by the other team.
16
Good for VP Biden. Pushing back says more about his character than trying to pander. This is a little like Senator McCain admonishing a woman for casting slurs on then Senator Obama's nationality and patriotism. We certainly don't want a cut-and-run trumpy type who fled the NATO summit at the slightest hint of discomfort. Curious how trumpy's bone-spurs didn't affect the speed at which he ran away.
66
@Cynical "Pushing back says more about his character than trying to pander."
It does indeed say something about Old Joe's "character"- not just what you think it says.
15
@Cynical
I didn't like McCain, but he actually handled that very gracefully. Unlike Biden, he calmly corrected the woman but didn't raise his voice or call her names.
'A woman came up to McCain at a rally and said, “I can’t trust Obama. I have read about him, and he’s not, he’s not — he’s an Arab.” Her comment prompted McCain to immediately shake his head and take the microphone from her.'
'“No ma’am,” McCain said. “He’s a decent family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that’s what this campaign is all about.”'
More info and the video are here: https://time.com/4866404/john-mccain-barack-obama-arab-cancer/
8
@Cynical Your comparison is wrong. McCain spoke in support of his opponent, in an effort to do the right thing and push back against conspiracy theories. Biden got testy and rude with a voter who challenged HIM personally about a matter which is of legitimate concern. Biden is going nowhere.
9
Go Joe! That's the kind of talk, the kind of spirit, the kind of tell-it-like-it-is behavior that is needed to beat Trump!
38
@GMG Um, NO!
Disrespecting those that disagree with you.
Denigrating someone who is "fat," or can do fewer push-ups or runs slower or even if they do have a low IQ?
Basically name-calling and bullying behavior that we don't even let toddlers get away with now.
Is this the Democratic Party or Trumpublicans?
This is certainly not a person that will do well in a debate....
3
"In his own presidential contest, Mr. Kerry, like Mr. Biden, was perceived as a more establishment, centrist figure, and he struggled both nationally and in the early-voting states..."
...Kerry went on to lose the general election.
This sounds like something we don't want to repeat by nominating Biden.
87
@LEM -- I disagree with the characterization in the article as to why Kerry lost. Kerry, who was fluent in French, was perceived as effete, elitist and too eager to leverage his military experience. He did not sell to middle America. Biden does not suffer from Kerry's issues and apparently does sell to those voters.
15