Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate • Hacker News Board

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#141

Post by bitshiftfaced » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:26 PM UTC

tzs wrote: post #98

The Democrats now need to emphasize that Trump, who is 78, is too old too. They can feature clips of Trump in 2020 saying that Biden at 78 was too old.

Is this the quote you're referring to (from 2019)?

> Trump added, "I would never say anyone is too old, but I know they're all making me look very young, both in terms of age and I think in terms of energy. I think you people know that better than anybody."

(I'm looking for it in old articles and having trouble finding what you're talking about.)

I also found this from an AP article in 2020:

> With Election Day less than four months away, Trump has spent more money on one television ad claiming that Biden lacks “the strength, the stamina and the mental fortitude to lead this country” than any other single ad this year.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#142

Post by tim333 » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:26 PM UTC

Timshel wrote: post #54

echelon wrote: post #28

Dang, this shouldn't be flagged. This is hugely important and relevant.

How the fuck does this end-up flagged ... There is over 90 upvotes does this not count ? Where is the mythical vouch feature I could never find ? A yes I believe it's not yet dead, so you can't vouch ?

I've been wondering how the vouch thing works? I've been on HN like forever but not noticed it.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#143

Post by luuurker » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:27 PM UTC

lr1970 wrote: post #85

ahartmetz wrote: post #41

Oof. This guy has been the biggest positive surprise of the US presidents in my lifetime. Expectations were low, but he actually turned out to be a good president (from a European perspective). No new wars, no more talk about shifting defense focus to Asia, generally nothing unreasonable. Good support for Ukraine, no doubts about NATO - rather the opposite. Basically, the rich uncle on the other side of the pond has…

[flagged]

Russia started its invasion of Ukraine in 2014, not 2022.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#144

Post by techostritch » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:27 PM UTC

shepherdjerred wrote: post #139

ahartmetz wrote: post #41

Oof. This guy has been the biggest positive surprise of the US presidents in my lifetime. Expectations were low, but he actually turned out to be a good president (from a European perspective). No new wars, no more talk about shifting defense focus to Asia, generally nothing unreasonable. Good support for Ukraine, no doubts about NATO - rather the opposite. Basically, the rich uncle on the other side of the pond has…

> I presume that his attitudes and staff selection carried the day, and maybe could have done so for another term. But his mental capacity was clearly declining, and he is in fact expected to handle some things personally. Biden's presidency makes me wonder if we really need a head of state these days. Is it really necessary to have such a single powerful figure in the executive branch? The biggest exception (IMO) wo…

I feel two ways in this, you probably need one voice for certain key tactical decisions, but the fact that everyone feels the presidency is this important in America supports the idea that the presidency has gotten way to powerful. Loosely speaking, the person who is president shouldn’t matter as much as who is in congress.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#145

Post by joshcsimmons » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:29 PM UTC

ahartmetz wrote: post #41

Oof. This guy has been the biggest positive surprise of the US presidents in my lifetime. Expectations were low, but he actually turned out to be a good president (from a European perspective). No new wars, no more talk about shifting defense focus to Asia, generally nothing unreasonable. Good support for Ukraine, no doubts about NATO - rather the opposite. Basically, the rich uncle on the other side of the pond has…

[flagged]

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#146

Post by hnarn » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:32 PM UTC

coffeecloud wrote: post #66

egberts1 wrote: post #34

[flagged]

Political parties aren’t democratic institutions. They are essentially private organizations who can operate however they want. It’s only been the last 50 years or so that either party has used primaries as anything more than a straw poll

One of the problems with the US being a two party state is exactly this, people conflate political parties with the institutions themselves, which is not great.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#147

Post by SonOfKyuss » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:33 PM UTC

apexalpha wrote: post #61

From Europe, so not as much skin in the game as others here. But jeez the Democratic party needs to new leadership. And I don't mean Harris or whoever, but the party leadership itself. The gaslighting in the past year about Bidens age was insane to watch. Literally asking people to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears.

> Literally asking people to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears

I mean, it seems to be a winning strategy for the other party.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#148

Post by maxerickson » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:34 PM UTC

tim333 wrote: post #142

Timshel wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How the fuck does this end-up flagged ... There is over 90 upvotes does this not count ? Where is the mythical vouch feature I could never find ? A yes I believe it's not yet dead, so you can't vouch ?

I've been wondering how the vouch thing works? I've been on HN like forever but not noticed it.

It's for flagged comments. If you click the timestamp link, it takes you to a view of just the comment where you can 'vouch', which is a statement you think it is unfairly or inappropriately flagged.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#149

Post by miki123211 » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:34 PM UTC

techostritch wrote: post #144

shepherdjerred wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I presume that his attitudes and staff selection carried the day, and maybe could have done so for another term. But his mental capacity was clearly declining, and he is in fact expected to handle some things personally. Biden's presidency makes me wonder if we really need a head of state these days. Is it really necessary to have such a single powerful figure in the executive branch? The biggest exception (IMO) wo…

I feel two ways in this, you probably need one voice for certain key tactical decisions, but the fact that everyone feels the presidency is this important in America supports the idea that the presidency has gotten way to powerful. Loosely speaking, the person who is president shouldn’t matter as much as who is in congress.

This is how it works in most European democracies.

The balance between the President, the Prime Minister and the Congress or Parliament is different in different countries. In most of Europe, the President is mostly a "figurehead". The President does the diplomatic stuff, wines and dines with foreign leaders, maybe has the ability to veto laws or pardon people, but it's the prime minister who actually runs the government and appoints the cabinet.

Re: Joe Biden stands down as Democratic candidate

#150

Post by shepherdjerred » Sun, Jul 21, 2024, 7:38 PM UTC

techostritch wrote: post #144

shepherdjerred wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I presume that his attitudes and staff selection carried the day, and maybe could have done so for another term. But his mental capacity was clearly declining, and he is in fact expected to handle some things personally. Biden's presidency makes me wonder if we really need a head of state these days. Is it really necessary to have such a single powerful figure in the executive branch? The biggest exception (IMO) wo…

I feel two ways in this, you probably need one voice for certain key tactical decisions, but the fact that everyone feels the presidency is this important in America supports the idea that the presidency has gotten way to powerful. Loosely speaking, the person who is president shouldn’t matter as much as who is in congress.

> you probably need one voice for certain key tactical decisions

I agree. Having a unified vision is the other key thing a president brings. Unfortunately though we barely see the fruits of a unified vision with how divided the two parties are today.