Why so much talk about Biden's age and nothing about Sanders?

[question everything]

He is older, after all. And yesterday at the debate, he presented such an old testament style of fire and brimstone that I thought how un presidential he looked. Facing Biden, stooping, pointing his finger..

[JI7]

1. Biden is leading

[trueblue2007]

97. BIDEN ROCKS

DOES BERNIE DOES HAVE THE STAMINA THAT BIDEN DOES ??

[Hortensis]

107. :) Point is, Sanders and age are both weapons used by Russia

AND the Repubs to defeat not just Biden but Democrats across the nation.

The Mueller investigation definitively established their use of Sanders to throw the election to the Republicans, and that's not in doubt.

So age is only weaponized against Biden. Biden is the candidate to be taken out.

F*k them all. We know what they're up to this time.

[sharedvalues]

2. I like Sanders and would be happy with him

But boy did he look old last night.

[floppyboo]

7. He's gotta rest! Today: Carson City and Reno and the week end is still ahead! nt

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

42. Bernie is like the Energizer Bunny... the guy never stops, he's amazing!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Quixote1818]

3. Fair point, maybe because Sanders doesn't gaff as much?

Sanders is perhaps losing some cognitive abilities in other areas though.

[nini]

52. hard to gaff when you have an arsenal of the same soundbytes

for every question asked. Always answer with the same lines ..always.

[pangaia]

54. that bugs me also. ALWAYS....

[JI7]

66. and gets angry when asked for additional info on the things he himself talks about

[MontanaMama]

90. Be sure to stay off his lawn!

[True Blue American]

82. True!

[trueblue2007]

53. I think Bernie GAFF'S as often as Joe. Bernie hem andf haws ALL THE TIME.....

WE WON'T KNOW UNLESS WE START COUNTING WILL WE???

[Fresh_Start]

91. he only knows one tune

and he's practiced it for over 50 years....so he has 'muscle' memory on his schtick.

[wasupaloopa]

4. Bernie acts the same where ever he is. I cannot understand why he is where he is in popularity.

Last night he was wagging his finger and yelling at Biden. He was telling Biden what the problem is with health care, as he has done for years, as if Biden doesn't have a clue.

Personally I can't stand him. I mute him when ever I can and his team.

I want him to drop out soon so he and his followers don't pull his 2016 shit at the convention.

[questionseverything]

8. bernie knows millions were left out by the aca

and millions more have coverage they can't afford to use

and evidently biden doesn't have a clue since he thinks it is just great

I would like to see some drop out too but it isn't bernie

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

43. THIS!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Blue_true]

60. Sanders has been in Congress since the 80s.

Until the ACA, hundreds of thousands were dying each year because of lack of ANY health insurance. The ACA has made a positive difference, Biden is saying that we should build on that instead of stepping back to where we were pre-ACA.

People can pull on their rose colored glasses if they want to, but the attack on MFA will be vicious, the attack on Hillary's 90s healthcare plan on steroids. If could easily take a decade or more to get MFA, during the meantime, if the ACA is abandoned, thousands of people that are now living because of the ACA will go back to dying.

[betsuni]

62. [phone]

[obnoxiousdrunk]

65. +1.

[questionseverything]

73. i honestly think most our pols are to far removed from reality to understand how expensive and

unworkable the aca premiums are

hillarys healthcare was in part attacked because it was so complicated the aca is the same to some extent

for the older set the aca premiums are out of reach and we find ourselves paying for coverage for others when we can't afford it for ourselves

I wouldn't have a problem hearing they want to build on the aca but all I hear is how the penalty being gone is so awful



people are not going w/o healthcare for kicks it is because the numbers just don't work

[dansolo]

89. That was because of Republican sabotage

Republicans passed bills that hindered or eliminated the parts of the ACA that were meant to lower premiums. Instead of trashing the ACA, we should be reversing those changes and strengthening the protections.

[questionseverything]

98. rep sabatage when the bill was originally passed?

because for us older folks in middle income homes it has been out of reach from the beginning

[Blue_true]

104. You raise a ligitimate point.

The ACA does not work as well as it should for the people in the $55,000-$85,000 single household annual salary range - $110,000-$170,000 for couples (could be lower in some parts of the country). That is because those folks do not qualify for premium assistance like lower salaried people do. Biden has talked about that particular problem, the solution is to increase the salary range that qualifies for assistance - that is one of the ACA fixes that he has mentioned. Another fix would be to allow small companies to join the ACA in "group" plans, where the small companies buy reduced rate, high quality health insurance for employees.

[RelativelyJones]

101. +1000

[demosincebirth]

102. medicare for all is great, but if passed, the republicans will make hay out of it and there would go

our majority in congress. Just like when we passed ACA. We should built on it (ACA) and make it affordable to all, if they want it.

[question everything]

12. This really bothers me. He purposefully is not a Democrat

and mocks all of us for inserting himself in our caucuses, our primaries, our party bylaws.

And many follow him like children did with the Pied Piper of Hamlin.

[Thekaspervote]

26. Spot on!

[Amimnoch]

96. Exactly. Any actual Democratic Party Candidate for 2020.

I’ll vote for, donate to, canvass for, volunteer phone bank for any Democratic Party Candidate in the 2020 election. As per the site rule, I support DEMOCRATS.

[demosincebirth]

103. I wonder what he has against becoming a Democrat? He ever say?

[betsuni]

105. Because he thinks there's "no substantive ideological difference" between the two parties,

they're both "intellectually and morally bankrupt."

This revelation came to him while he was watching JFK debate Nixon. They both hated the Cuban Revolution. "I was physically nauseated by his [JFK's] speech." "Seeing through Kennedy, and what liberalism was, was probably a significant step for me to understand that conventional politics or liberalism was not what was relevant."

So I guess it's Kennedy's fault Bernie thinks Democrats are gross and he will never join the party.

[demosincebirth]

106. Everybody felt like that at that time. Russian communism was creeping to our doorstep. He probably

changed his view about it long after the revolution happened.

[Botany]

78. Yup! How dare the Democratic Nomination went to a Democrat? How unfair.

And Russia helped to "egg on" the butt hurt feelings of all those Bernie Bros too.

"I want him to drop out soon so he and his followers don't pull his 2016 shit at the convention."

[betsuni]

79. +1

[Botany]

87. Bernie needs to go away

n/t

[Garrett78]

93. If he does, Warren will win both Iowa and New Hampshire.

That wouldn't necessarily win her the nomination but it would sink the Biden ship.

[floppyboo]

5. Sanders represents a generational shift and awakening

If you look deep into the polls, you'll see he hasn't lost that 85% he earned last time around (more than clinton and trump combined in the primaries)
Biden is not so popular with the future legislators and tax payers.

That's my take anyways. Biden and Sanders don't represent their physical age in the same way. Quite the opposite.

[floppyboo]

11. or to put it another way, Biden is running on restoring the past, Sanders on creating a new future.

It' a bit of a juggling act for Biden. On the one hand he speaks often of his past achievements, citing dates from before many were born, which is a really good thing, but on the other, it is a reminder of just how old he is that he himself is talking about.

It would be good to hear him talk about how the world has changed so much since 2003, and how he will find new ways to fix the broken ways - those ways that keep breaking things.

[George II]

13. A 78 year old man "represents a generational shift"?

[floppyboo]

20. Yup. He's the face of the future for the next generation.

I know, its weird. But that's where the biggest chunk of his support is!

[George II]

29. It's also the chunk that historically has the lowest voter turnout.

[floppyboo]

31. That HAS been true but it was the chunk with the largest uptick in turnout in '18.

If that trend continues, it won't just be Bernie {edit: and the young activists esp. Parksville youth] trying to change the world in future elections.
We'll just have to wait and check in on voter registration over the next few months I guess.

EDIT: Important, and I forgot! Those kids from Parksville went EVERYWHERE with captchas on t-shirts registering young people - and that horrific event and those kids' activism brought out tons of voters!

[Tarheel_Dem]

75. Donald Trump had a helluva lot more to do with midterm turnout than BS. Moderates won the day!

[betsuni]

77. +1

[JI7]

81. most of the people Sanders endorsed lost the primary . Sharice Davids for example won

and Sanders and AOC campaigned against her .

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

44. Quite the opposite indeed... Bernie has found the foundation of youth!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

76. "The foundation of youth"? WTH is that?

[betsuni]

80. Did they mean "Fountain of Youth"?

[Tarheel_Dem]

83. I was hoping the poster would clear it up. I wouldn't want the poster to be accused of a "gaffe".

[betsuni]

84. Heh.

[melman]

6. There isn't so much talk about Biden's age

Except from people trying to spin it to make it about age. It's not.

Bernie is a lot sharper. It's undeniable.

[JoeOtterbein]

9. +1

I know people half Bernie's age who are not nearly as sharp as he is. Also, you can tell Bernie knows his stuff. Especially healthcare.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

45. Got that right, Bernie has boundless energy... the contrast between Bernie & Joe was quite evident.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[question everything]

10. I suppose being a perennial contrarian sharpened him

[JI7]

14. he isn't sharp at all . he repeats the same lines and gets angry if asked for details and

explanations.

[melman]

17. Nonsense

He's totally on the ball. Especially in comparison.

[JI7]

19. not really, he lacks depth. only shouts slogans and conspiracy theories

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

46. So true... it's almost not fair!!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[TreasonousBastard]

22. Yup. I listened to him throw out numbers with no explanation-- the same...

numbers he's been throwing out without being challenged.

Except for the ones where he was challenged, but he ignored that and kept on using the numbers anyway.

I guess the finger pointing and the yelling make up for details.

[Thekaspervote]

27. This!!

[emmaverybo]

30. True. I can barely listen to his abrasive harangues. He is rigid in his ideology and lets nothing

in. Just keeps spewing forth. Easy to be sharp when you say the same things over and over.

[betsuni]

35. "If you will ask me how much that's [Medicare for All] gonna cost, I don't have that in my pocket."

But I thought he wrote the damn bill. Doesn't like details or questions.

[Cha]

72. Cat's out of the bag?

[betsuni]

74. Meow.

[Hoyt]

18. Well, I bet when I'm 90, I'll still be able to yell about things I've been yelling about for decades

[floppyboo]

21. dunno - I think the talk is coming from Biden himself - constant reminiscence

[melman]

36. But my point is people make it about ageism as a way to deflect and shut down discussion

It's not about any particular number. It's about the individual.

[floppyboo]

39. oh ya - for sure. 'Ageism' is being used as a foil

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

47. Yeah, but look what Joe is reminiscing about?! You'd think his advisors would advise against it!

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[floppyboo]

55. Guess ya gotta take the bad with the sad if you've gotta go with Uncle Joe.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

70. True, though every candidate does have their warts... some more than others I guess.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Hoyt]

15. And Elizabeth Warren is 70. It appears voters like some age on their candidates.

[Polybius]

108. She looks a lot younger though

Biden looks younger too. If anything Bernie looks older than his age.

[Fiendish Thingy]

16. Biden's cognitive function is clearly declining, Sanders and Warren are not nt

[Hassin Bin Sober]

23. Yep!

[TreasonousBastard]

25. Warren, anyway.

[Thekaspervote]

28. You are entitled to your opinion

[Fiendish Thingy]

32. It is my opinion as a mental health professional nt

[TwilightZone]

37. Diagnosing via television?

That's a no-no, is it not?

[Fiendish Thingy]

41. Nope, not when the symptoms are so clear

Lots of professionals do tele health, including screening for cognitive functioning.

Certainly, some diagnoses require thorough interviews and testing, but for public figures, the symptoms can often be readily observed.

For example, Trump's decades in public life have provided ample evidence to diagnose him with Narcissitic Personality Disorder.

I wouldn't venture a specific DSM/ICD code for Biden, but it is clear his cognitive functioning is declining.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

49. The debate really brings out the contrast... TV is not always kind.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[4139]

24. Telling poor people: make sure you have the record player on at night

... is something the might have been said 30-40 years ago.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

50. Can't believe Joe said that... seemed a bit condescending.

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Thirties Child]

33. Sanders was my choice in 2016, not that it did much good in Georgia. No longer. He's too old.

If elected, he would be 80 when he was inaugurated. Much too old. I'm not ageist -- I'm an older-than-Sanders 84. Right now I'm for Warren, think Harris could handle 45 better in debates.

[BeyondGeography]

34. You don't want to know

[tymorial]

38. I can't speak to others but I've argued they both shouldnt be running

I don't care what their mental faculty looks like today. I'm concerned about tomorrow. Statistically it is unrealistic that a man or woman in their late 70s will be able to manage the extreme hours, travel, learning, education and time demands required of the office.

And yeah I know, some are going to call me an ageist for daring to bring up issues of health, constitution and mental acuity among geriatrics.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

51. Why so ageist?! (You were right!)

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!! or
Elizabeth & Bernie 2020!!
Either way, welcome to the revolution!!!

[Garrett78]

61. That's just a fact of life. These guys would be older than Reagan was when Reagan *left* office.

Trump's record as oldest to take office would be shattered. Not all records are meant to be broken.

[Garrett78]

40. Sanders has no shot at the nomination. Anyway, I think both are too old.

We're talking about people who would be older than Reagan was when Reagan *left* office.

[democratisphere]

48. Joe Biden is the target of the "free for all".

Bernie Sanders is not, for obvious reasons.
Democrats have no God damn business attacking other Democrats, specially front runners. This is why we lose elections.

[Gothmog]

56. I was with Joe today

He is in great shape.

[highplainsdem]

63. Thanks, Gothmog! I saw some video of Biden today, too, and he looked and sounded great, very sharp.

[True Blue American]

85. I have never seen Biden not

Look sharp, but from someone who saw Joe up close that is a huge plus.

[ecstatic]

57. I'm guessing because Sanders has looked and acted old for the past 40 or 50 years.

Biden as the "old guy" is something new.

[Blue_true]

58. Someone here said that Bernie looked 1,000 years old last night. nt

[question everything]

59. Close enough.

[Raine]

71. Bernie's always looked old

even when he was young I love the guy!

[colsohlibgal]

64. One Big Reason

He makes nowhere near the verbal gaffes that Joe does, And I haven’t heard Bernie talk about record players. That said I think Bernie is too old as well

[emulatorloo]

67. Bernie talked about subway tokens in 2016, didn't know about metrocards.

He was not aware of metrocards. Thought passengers still used tokens.

Bernie makes gaffes, but they aren’t obsessively converted.

BTW I don’t care about gaffes or mistakes.

Both Bernie and Biden would make excellent Presidents.



Bernie Sanders rode the subway ‘about a year ago,’ but is not aware of Metrocards
Larry McShane
By LARRY MCSHANE
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
APR 01, 2016

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/bernie-sanders-not-savvy-subway-rider-article-1.2585761

Snip

"What do you mean, 'How do you ride the subway these days?'" Sanders inquired. "You get a token and you get on."

Snip

(More at link)

[Doodley]

68. Sanders is well rehearsed. He makes much the same points time and time again over many years.

Biden sometimes mispeaks, like many of us unpolished folk do. Some people see this as being unrehearsed, being real, being sincere. Some people want to make it about his age--they think it should be more important than it really is.
.

[NCLefty]

69. Good question. Bernie is 'allowed' to be cranky+old for some reason. :p

[Croney]

86. It is a testament to my fervent desire to see the end of our current nightmare

when I say that if BS is the Democratic nominee for President, I will vote for him without hesitation.

Do I think that might happen? Nope.

[LAS14]

88. Yep, I agree with the people who say Bernie doesn't make gaffs because...

.... he says exactly the same thing over and over, regardless of the question. Biden listens and goes for the intelligent response. Those varied responses cover a lot of niggly little facts that anyone might misstate.

[nancy1942]

92. Tired of Sanders' grumpy old man routine.

Personally...this constant irritation has gotten very old. Enough already.

[whistler162]

94. The Gerital brigade in my book

is just too old for the job, Biden/Sanders/Warren.

[Garrett78]

95. We typically elect young presidents. Rare to have a president over 62, much less 70.

[BlueMississippi]

99. BS is like one of those actors

who acts the same no matter what role he is cast in ... from popcorn salesman to Catholic priest to mob boss to a WWII fighter pilot --- the same diction, the same finger pointing, the same hand gestures and the same stoop.

In the political arena, it is also the same speech.

[myohmy2]

100. true...

...Bernie looked a little under the weather the other night but he showed and delivered...

...the age question I think is less about chronological age and more about fire-in-the-belly...as we age we all have a tendency to slow down, however

...do you passionately believe in what you're saying?...do you want others to passionately believe it too?...do fight for what's right with all your heart and soul?...are you incensed by the injustice and the evils of the world?...do wake every morning willing to give it your all?

...I'd rather vote for a vibrant, enthusiastic and passionate 80 year old for President than a laid-back coasting 40 year old...

...both Bernie and Joe has this fire-in-the-belly I'm talking about...they wouldn't be where they are if they didn't...

...I just believe Bernie has more of it and would make better President for the working class in our country...

...

[Gothmog]

109. I remember Joe Biden jogging at a JUly 4th event in Iowa

Link to tweet

[loyalsister]

110. I support neither

Age is one factor that influences me in both cases. I was frustrated by the 2016 choices for the same reason.
I would still love to see one of the younger candidates break out and solidly capture the imagination of the primary electorate. In my perfect world, they would be figuring it out behind the scenes right now.