Joe Biden

Volver3 just in case you missed it, Liz Truss isn’t pm. The wrong exit might have been the first alert signal.

volver3

Is this an appropriate time to mention Liz Truss not being able to find the way out of a room with one door?

Probably not.

It’s always a good time to mention that !

volver3

Is this an appropriate time to mention Liz Truss not being able to find the way out of a room with one door?

Probably not.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I think he has early stages of dementia already. He called his Granddaughter by his dead son's name and made several other similar embarrassing comments. The Democrats must be able to find a better candidate.

It's not his age I would not care about that, after all the Queen managed into her ninetys, it's his cognitive decline.

See all these people who can diagnose dementia just by watching someone on TV? Do you all offer your services to the NHS?

They're short of people you know.

Volver 3 but we watch all politicians on tv these days. It’s our only view of performance since not usually invited to tea or lunch with them. How else do politicians present themselves to the world audience? So therefore careful stage management is essential for public persona.

Is he running or crawling for presidency?

He’s pretty sprightly Gwen, trots up steps, exercises - and remember Roosevelt was in a wheelchair. It’s the brain that worries me, not the body.

Not sure an arbitrary age on who should stand for a world leader is absolutely a must, perhaps a wealth of experience might tip the balance for some, but the law of averages dictates that pushing or post 80 you are possibly on borrowed time. Into that mix comes an inevitable slowing down and feeling more fatigued. There are always going to be the David Attenboroughs of this world who are magnificent but quite possibly a minority amongst that age demographic, if indeed one makes it to that age in the first place.

I imagine many Americans may wish for a younger and more dynamic person to fulfil the role as they question Biden's mental and cognitive abilities. Then again that situation won't be unique I believe there was some suggestion that both Thatcher and Reagan had the onset of dementia towards the end of their tenures.

I still find it hard to believe out of a population of 350 million or so, it's going to be a contest between the odious Trump and Biden again! the latter who surely won the last election on "At Least I'm Not Trump" ticket. Domestically the US seems to be in a mess. Everything one reads about the opioid crisis coupled with mass homelessness, people not being able to afford basic housing so living in tents in major cities. Several people I know who have recently visited San Francisco say it has been decimated, only the highly paid techie people can afford to live there, they work from home so most of the ancillary business are suffering as a consequence of that and the population has dropped considerably under a million now as people move away. In some places small businesses can be robbed up to $1,000 worth of stock without those who do the robbing being prosecuted. Inevitably some fold as a consequence. Then of course tech industries/global conglomerates are laying people off in vast numbers so when those highly paid people become redundant and can no longer afford the high rents either, one can only ponder whether San Francisco, very much a show case city of the US, will become a shadow of it's former self the way the once affluent Detroit has in its decline. I believe the American people are pretty 50/50 as to how supportive they are as to the aid America is sending to Ukraine, particularly as some of the weaponry supplied has ended up in the wrong hands.

As to the recent visit to Ireland, I can't help wondering why the questionable and under investigation Hunter was wheeled out on the recent "aren't we Bidens ever so Oirish" tour, even though they aren't! and boy all that over the top eulogising of the Emerald Isle is so overdone. Growing up Catholic like me when every man and his dog in the parish and at school has some Irish connection and helluva lot more recent than his, no one carries on like that, some of his utterances of " like my granddaddy used to say if you're lucky enough to be Irish you're lucky enough" massively romanticised and overdone, "really we get it! we know what you're saying Joe only don't bother!"

So I'm agreeing with the OP, someone else! but that's down to the American people.

I’m still waiting for someone to provide evidence that his gaffes are worse, or more frequent, now than they were at other stages of his political career.

Not just examples of seeing them more often based on him having a higher public profile (especially in the UK) but evidence of change.

Germanshepherdsmum

He’s pretty sprightly Gwen, trots up steps, exercises - and remember Roosevelt was in a wheelchair. It’s the brain that worries me, not the body.

Yet the choice appears Biden or an unacceptable Republican liar.

Biden seems acceptable given the alternative.

I noted an accomplished Republican threw in yesterday. Perhaps former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson could win the primary?

Good post TerriBull. I was sooo glad when that over-publicised, romanticised and in parts faintly embarrassing tour of Ireland was over.

I think this thread is a perfect example of how little most of us understand the equality act. It is not ageist to think a man, who will be 86 at the end of the next presidential term, is too old to stand for a second term. It is merely an opinion and like it or not, we are still entitled to have an opinion. Nothing that is said on this forum would have the slightest influence on whether or not Biden is the Democratic nominee so there is no discrimination either direct or indirect, it wouldn't fall into the category of harassment either. I think it can devalue the equality act if it is used to put people down and shut up opinion. GSM was absolutely correct when she mentioned "objective justification" and if there was a list of competences for the role of POTUS I think it's likely that Biden's age could be used against him quite legally, but there isn't. Judges have to retire at 75 (used to be 70) which seems very sensible to me, so it would seem equally sensible to have retirement ages for everyone who hold positions of power and authority but that is just my opinion.

It is not ageist to think a man, who will be 86 at the end of the next presidential term, is too old to stand for a second term.

Yes it is. It may be your opinion, but its an ageist opinion.

Makes me wonder what other inappropriate "opinions" people hold that they think are completely acceptable but are actually discriminatory.

If an opinion doesn’t match the opinions of one particular poster, take it for granted she/he/they’ll say that opinion is wrong, whether it is, or not.
An opinion is an opinion and most opinions, on any topic, could be given an ‘ist label by people who disagree.
It’s a fact of life.

volver3

^It is not ageist to think a man, who will be 86 at the end of the next presidential term, is too old to stand for a second term.^

Yes it is. It may be your opinion, but its an ageist opinion.

Makes me wonder what other inappropriate "opinions" people hold that they think are completely acceptable but are actually discriminatory.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it. It is impossible to stop people having opinions, however, what you can prevent or at the least legislate against is allowing people to turn those opinions into action which are discriminatory (either directly or indirectly) or which harass people. That is my understanding of what the Equality Act does. Perhaps you could explain how my opinion that Biden is too old to stand for a second term discriminates against him or is a form of harassment, my opinion has absolutely no effect on him.

I'll try an analogy. A trivial one, by comparison.

A member of my family, thought that my academic speciality must be domestic science, because girls don't do actual science. It was quite a while ago! So, that is sexist.

Was it against the law, did it prevent me doing anything, did it discriminate against me in the world of work? No, to all three.

But however you want to cut it, it was sexist. He made an assumption about me because of a characteristic I have, that has nothing to do with my scientific ability.

So if you make an assumption about somebody because of their age, something that is not true for everybody of the same age as them, then it is ageist. I don't understand why anybody is disagreeing with that.🤷🏼‍♂️

volver3

Hesitant as I am to argue with a lawyer...

Age discrimination occurs when someone is unfairly disadvantaged for reasons relating to their age which cannot be objectively justified. It has been illegal in the UK since 2006, with the law now incorporated into the Equality Act 2010. People of all ages can be affected, including younger and older workers, and the growing number of older people in employment makes this group a key focus.

www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/emp-law/age-discrimination/factsheet#gref

You brought up the equality act. I'm just saying that expressing an opinion regarding Biden's suitability to stand for a second term because of his age, is not contrary to the act. It is merely an opinion as was your relative's comment. My parents thought similar things, thankfully we live in more enlightened times. I think it's telling that the Judiciary has raised the age of compulsory retirement of judges to 75, this reflects the fact that many of us are remaining in better health (physically and mentally) for longer but there is still a compulsory retirement age. Would you consider this is ageist?

You brought up the equality act Yes I did.

is not contrary to the act. Agreed.

there is still a compulsory retirement age. No there isn't.

🤦🏼‍♀️

Oh, sorry, you mean judges...

My mistake.

Why do judges have to retire at 75 when the rest of us can work till we drop?

Volver 3 maybe your family member thought you were a very good cook? Perhaps you are? What characteristic do you have?
As for your last paragraph, that doesn’t make much sense. There’s only one potential 86 year old in the whole world who is hoping to remain as president- basically all 86 year olds are well past their prime. I think the scientist in you must be in denial.

Volver 3 maybe your family member thought you were a very good cook?

So he was not only sexist, he was deluded too. 😉

No Volver3 more likely old fashioned. How old was this person?

volver3

^Volver 3 maybe your family member thought you were a very good cook?^

So he was not only sexist, he was deluded too. 😉

My parents wanted me to get married, I suspect they just wanted me out of the way!