USA Biden falls on stage

[Jazzy]

President Joe Biden had just handed out the last diploma after standing on stage for the Air Force Academy’s commencement ceremony for hours when he turned to his left and began to bound off stage, not noticing the sandbag below.

The subsequent moment — one many close to the president have privately feared — was captured on video and went viral online just a touch faster than the White House could respond.

There, plain as day, was the president tripping and falling on a stage. And there, within mere moments of the images beginning to spread on the internet, was White House communications director Ben LaBolt, taking to Twitter to downplay what happened.

More with video of him falling

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That sandbag is black against a black stand. I can’t really blame him for not seeing it as photos show it is actually a tripping hazard.

Your thoughts?

 

[Ammi]

I didn't know about the sandbag. Anyone could've tripped. To be honest.

 

[Lamb]

People with Parkinsons disease have poor sense of balance. My mother-in-law tripped a lot and had difficulties regaining balance, just like Biden has been doing. This as well as other things about him really build up a case for Parkinsons.

 

[Albion]

I didn't know about the sandbag. Anyone could've tripped. To be honest.

But none of the other people who walked back and forth on that same stage did so. Hmm.

To say it could happen to anyone is theoretically true, but so also is it true that anyone could trip whenever they walk on a flight of stairs, cross a street and step onto a curb, or the like. But guess what? They don't.

It's not as though this is unique with this particular president. For just one example, a while ago, he tripped three different times ascending one set of stairs, each time while holding the handrail. And the events that could be mentioned are not confined to tripping or stumbling.

 

[tango]

This sort of thing can be hard to call.

I think there's plenty of evidence that Biden is past the age he should have retired. That said it doesn't necessarily help to focus on every little thing as "evidence" - many of us trip over our own feet every once in a while.

 

[Albion]

This sort of thing can be hard to call.

I think there's plenty of evidence that Biden is past the age he should have retired. That said it doesn't necessarily help to focus on every little thing as "evidence" - many of us trip over our own feet every once in a while.

I agree. At least with the latter point.

However, I am also aware that our part-time president's infirmities do not end with tripping onstage, but yet he's given a fabulous amount of "cover" by the media and by Democrats who want everyone to think that there's nothing unusual going on there.

By contrast, remember that President Gerald Ford, who was younger, in good health, and was a former football player, was constantly the butt of jokes on every late-night show (and elsewhere) as though he was the world's leading stumblebum because of a few incidents. Chevvy Chase virtually made his reputation by lampooning President Ford that way on SNL.

 

[tango]

 

[tango]

I agree. At least with the latter point.

However, I am also aware that our part-time president's infirmities do not end with tripping onstage, but yet he's given a fabulous amount of "cover" by the media and by Democrats who want everyone to think that there's nothing unusual going on there.

By contrast, remember that President Gerald Ford, who was younger, in good health, and was a former football player, was constantly the butt of jokes on every late-night show (and elsewhere) as though he was the world's leading stumblebum because of a few incidents. Chevvy Chase virtually made his reputation by lampooning President Ford that way on SNL.

I suspect you agree with the second point too (the bit about there being plenty of evidence he should retire)?

I sometimes think it's unhelpful to focus too much on minor things as if each and every one represented some kind of smoking gun of unsuitability for a position. The man stumbled over something that apparently may not have been hugely visible. It happens.

It's a far greater concern that he seems to stumble more often than one would hope, lose his words more often than one would hope, and appear generally confused more often than one would hope. The pattern is the concern rather than each individual incident, although obviously the pattern is made up of a number of individual incidents.

But, as you say, nothing to see here, move along....

 

[Faith]

I didn't know about the sandbag. Anyone could've tripped. To be honest.

I didn’t know about the sandbag at first either, and thought Uh oh. But if there was a tripping hazard there,it could’ve happened to anybody.

 

[Faith]

This sort of thing can be hard to call.

I think there's plenty of evidence that Biden is past the age he should have retired. That said it doesn't necessarily help to focus on every little thing as "evidence" - many of us trip over our own feet every once in a while.

I agree with your comment about Bidenbeing past the age of retirement,

 

[Albion]

I sometimes think it's unhelpful to focus too much on minor things as if each and every one represented some kind of smoking gun of unsuitability for a position. The man stumbled over something that apparently may not have been hugely visible. It happens.

Yes, it happens, and this isn't any smoking gun, but if every "not a smoking gun" brings the same "it could happen to anybody" excuse--and we all know that it DOESN'T just happen to anybody--there is good reason for thinking that something's happened to this person, the oldest president in our history and a candidate for four more years in office, beginning 18+ months from now. That might be of interest to the American people.

 

[Ammi]

People with Parkinsons disease have poor sense of balance. My mother-in-law tripped a lot and had difficulties regaining balance, just like Biden has been doing. This as well as other things about him really build up a case for Parkinsons.

Would not surprise me.

 

[Ammi]

But none of the other people who walked back and forth on that same stage did so. Hmm.

To say it could happen to anyone is theoretically true, but so also is it true that anyone could trip whenever they walk on a flight of stairs, cross a street and step onto a curb, or the like. But guess what? They don't.

It's not as though this is unique with this particular president. For just one example, a while ago, he tripped three different times ascending one set of stairs, each time while holding the handrail. And the events that could be mentioned are not confined to tripping or stumbling.

C'mon, he's doing pretty good for an old potato!

 

[Faith]

C'mon, he's doing pretty good for an old potato!

Let’s not forget that Trump isn’t much younger than Biden and by the time of the upcoming elections he’d be around the same age that Biden was when Trump was mocking Biden for being old. Trumps too old as well, IMO. Not to mention a few other things.

 

[Albion]

C'mon, he's doing pretty good for an old potato!

If you say so. He works only half a week and not the whole day even when he IS at work. He spends more time in Delaware than in the District of Columbia, and he needs his wife to tell him which way to turn and when his time at the podium has ended. He often forgets what he's talking about in mid-sentence.

Actually, I know quite a few 80 year olds who are in better shape.

But that aside, we're glad you joined us here. Keep on contributing!

 

[Albion]

Let’s not forget that Trump isn’t much younger than Biden and by the time of the upcoming elections he’d be around the same age that Biden was when Trump was mocking Biden for being old.

And the contrast between the two men, when it comes to alertness and their ability to function, is striking, isn't it?

 

[Faith]

And the contrast between the two men, when it comes to alertness and their ability to function, is striking, isn't it?

Yes, but when it comes to trustworthiness and character, the contrast between them is striking as well. All you’d have to do is say something negative, even something minor, about Trump within his earshot and you’d see what he really thinks of you.

i doubt I’ll be voting for either one if it comes down to another Biden/Trump election.

 

[Ammi]

If you say so. He works only half a week and not the whole day even when he IS at work. He spends more time in Delaware than in the District of Columbia, and he needs his wife to tell him which way to turn and when his time at the podium has ended. He often forgets what he's talking about in mid-sentence.

Actually, I know quite a few 80 year olds who are in better shape.

But that aside, we're glad you joined us here. Keep on contributing!

And the contrast between the two men, when it comes to alertness and their ability to function, is striking, isn't it?

Warts and all, I'm hoping and praying that President Trump gets back into power. I wonder if he'll pick Kari Lake as his running mate.

 

[tango]

Yes, it happens, and this isn't any smoking gun, but if every "not a smoking gun" brings the same "it could happen to anybody" excuse--and we all know that it DOESN'T just happen to anybody--there is good reason for thinking that something's happened to this person, the oldest president in our history and a candidate for four more years in office, beginning 18+ months from now. That might be of interest to the American people.

Definitely, hence my comment about looking at the overall pattern rather than getting too caught up with an individual situation.

One situation is easy to explain away. I'm nowhere near senile (that's my claim and I'm sticking to it) but every once in a while I lose my words or trip over my own feet or something. If we focus on the individual situations it's easy to explain them away. If we focus on the pattern it becomes harder to argue that Biden is fit for another four years. There's clearly at least some doubt whether he's really up for the job now, let alone in another 3-5 years.

 

[Albion]

Yes, but when it comes to trustworthiness and character,

If that's how you assess the difference, it would of course govern whom you vote for, but the fact that Biden isn't likely to live out a second term and, in any case, is already impaired in several ways would still remain an important difference.

i doubt I’ll be voting for either one if it comes down to another Biden/Trump election.

...which probably is what a lot of other voters are thinking as well.