Joe Biden to a voter:

I can't read the article. It's behind a pay wall for me. Would the OP or someone else please post a few complete excerpts from the article for me? I would like to understand its entire context more clearly.

hislegacy said:

From the “How to win votes” files:


Biden said the question was legitimate but then asked whether she had "ever been to a caucus" before.

She signaled that she had, to which Biden said: "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier." The audience laughed in response.

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?? ... can't be serious.

hislegacy said:

From the “How to win votes” files:


Biden said the question was legitimate but then asked whether she had "ever been to a caucus" before.

She signaled that she had, to which Biden said: "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier." The audience laughed in response.

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I'm a huge John Wayne fan so I immediately recognized the line. Since the audience laughed they got that he was making a joke even if they didn't get the reference. Good for them for having some fun.

Hm... I can't criticize Donald Trump for insulting someone or several people during his speeches, but then not do the same for Joe Biden. IOW, if cruelly insulting other people is unacceptable behavior for Trump, then it must also be unacceptable behavior for Joe Biden. And it is unacceptable, IMHO.

Neal82 said:

I'm a huge John Wayne fan so I immediately recognized the line. Since the audience laughed they got that he was making a joke even if they didn't get the reference. Good for them for having some fun.

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and for not being Donald Trump. Whenever Trump makes a little joke that isn't half this sharp or personal, we get several weeks' worth of analysis of everything from his posture to grammar, along with lectures about what a monster the President is, a misogynist, absolutely vile, etc. etc. etc. etc.

But this is an incident involving ol' Joe Biden, everybody's lovable uncle, so it's just...how did you put it? Oh yes, "having some fun."

To bad Biden is doing sooooo poorly in the Primaries, I would love to see the Little Drummer Boy attempt to Beat Trump like a Drum, what a show that would be.

GACfan said:

Hm... I can't criticize Donald Trump for insulting someone or several people during his speeches, but then not do the same for Joe Biden. IOW, if cruelly insulting other people is unacceptable behavior for Trump, then it must also be unacceptable behavior for Joe Biden. And it is unacceptable, IMHO.

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Biden wasn't cruelly insulting the voter. He was jokingly delivering a John Wayne line. Without an malice. This is why the audience laughed, recognizing his comment for what it was. This isn't comparable to Trump's malicious insults he's infamous for making on a constant basis. The OP misrepresents the situation by failing to mention that it was a John Wayne line delivered jokingly.

Neal82 said:

Biden wasn't cruelly insulting the voter. He was jokingly delivering a John Wayne line.

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Even so, it doesn't change a thing about this. Not given the way politics works.

Albion said:

and for not being Donald Trump. Whenever Trump makes a little joke that isn't half this sharp or personal, we get several weeks' worth of analysis of everything from his posture to grammar, along with lectures about what a monster the President is, a misogynist, absolutely vile, etc. etc. etc. etc.

But this is an incident involving ol' Joe Biden, everybody's lovable uncle, so it's just...how did you put it? Oh yes, "having some fun."

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Trump's insults are personalized and intended to be cruel and belittling. They are not lines from old movies delivered as jokes. That is not comparable at all and it's obvious if you watch the video. The voter was not insulted, it was fully recognized that it was in jest. She and the audience understood that it was a joke, and not an insult, so they did have fun with it. I don't spend much time on this forum so I'm learning about characters. I don't know if the OP of this thread is a prankster wanting to just set people up for amusement, but I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt that this was the case and there was no malevolent intent to be manipulative. If you watch the video and you have any ounce of sense, it's impossible to come to the conclusion that was delivered as an insult.

Albion said:

Even so, it doesn't change a thing about this. Not given the way politics works.

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Yes if the OP isn't just being a prankster then this is indicative of the cynical nature of politics today, misrepresenting a situation to make it seem entirely different from what it is. Have you watched the video? It wasn't invective. She laughed in response and was beaming.

Biden has long been in politics and I think he still assumes people can recognize and take a joke when that isn't the case anymore. That is naive of him but it's also refreshing to not see someone wooden. I'm not a Biden fan, so this isn't about him but just the honesty of what was said.

It is unfortunately the norm now that comments are cut from context and presented in a grossly misleading way. I'd like to hope that there's still people logical and honest enough to learn the facts of it and take things as they were intended. To see the good. My father-in-law was told that he was a liar full of crap the other day. Had he just repeated that without any context people would have thought he'd been terribly insulted. But the reason for it was because he'd asked for a senior citizen discount and the "insult" was a compliment that he didn't look old enough for it. Context is critical.

hislegacy said:

From the “How to win votes” files:


Biden said the question was legitimate but then asked whether she had "ever been to a caucus" before.

She signaled that she had, to which Biden said: "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier." The audience laughed in response.

Click to expand...

Biden acknowledged the question was legitimate, but then made some obscure reference to something John Wayne said in a movie which no one is able to find, then he proceeded to NOT answer the question, he is a true Politician.

I would not trust the man to take care of my dog, let alone my Country.

JIMINZ said:

To bad Biden is doing sooooo poorly in the Primaries, I would love to see the Little Drummer Boy attempt to Beat Trump like a Drum, what a show that would be.

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There's something though when Biden tries to act like a tough guy....it doesn't come across well. He sort of just comes across as an angry old guy. When Trump acts tough there a feeling of humour attached with it and it doesn't come across like drinking coffee black giving one indigestion. Trump seems to have such a flare at his delivery of lines. That not to say that I really always totally approve of the things he says but there's a charisma Trump has when doing so that Biden can't match.

Bobber said:

There's something though when Biden tries to act like a tough guy....it doesn't come across well. He sort of just comes across as an angry old guy. When Trump acts tough there a feeling of humour attached with it and it doesn't come across like drinking coffee black giving one indigestion. Trump seems to have such a flare at his delivery of lines. That not to say that I really always totally approve of the things he says but there's a charisma Trump has when doing so that Biden can't match.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say.

What a delightful choice for President, who wouldn’t want a 78 year old man who insults voters, wants to give away the country, and took his honeymoon in Communist Soviet Russia as President. The Democrats have a real good chance of winning with Burnie.

How old must that crowd have been to all have gotten a John Wayne reference?

GACfan said:

I can't read the article. It's behind a pay wall for me. Would the OP or someone else please post a few complete excerpts from the article for me? I would like to understand its entire context more clearly.

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When the popup displays, there’s a link near the bottom that says “Continue without supporting “. Hit that.

Neal82 said:

I'm a huge John Wayne fan so I immediately recognized the line. Since the audience laughed they got that he was making a joke even if they didn't get the reference. Good for them for having some fun.

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Is that what it was? I thought he was trying for a trump comment and just fell way short.. lol.

Well good then if his audience got the joke.. that's what trump does, he's like the funniest president, has my husband and I laughing so hard most the time..

So if Joe pulled it off good on Him.. just different generations..

Neal82 said:

Biden wasn't cruelly insulting the voter. He was jokingly delivering a John Wayne line. Without an malice. This is why the audience laughed, recognizing his comment for what it was. This isn't comparable to Trump's malicious insults he's infamous for making on a constant basis. The OP misrepresents the situation by failing to mention that it was a John Wayne line delivered jokingly.

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From comments by the young woman who was the target of the line, she did not get the reference and wasn't amused - she found it hurtful, and was confused by the laughter. Things like this only work if the person you're talking to understands the reference - otherwise, it comes across as a cruel insult. It's important to tailor your jokes to the audience - making a John Wayne reference to anyone under 40 or 50 is a pretty risky proposition, especially if it might otherwise come off as an insult.

To me, Biden is simply: not the sharpest tool in the shed.

This is Biden being Biden. On the face of it, it's very cringe-worthy, but this is actually one of the lesser offensive things he's said to potential supporters, because on reflection it's pretty clearly a joke. But still, the attitude is wrong. You're trying to win over voters, you don't insult them. It actually forms a part of Biden's pattern of inappropriate over-familiarity with people - one that he was called out on earlier, admitted to, and said he would be careful of going forward.

The other thing Biden has been doing is to come across with a "GET OFF MY LAWN!" attitude, as obama's former campaign chief put it after the last debate., This also is part of his tendency of over-assertiveness. This is the belligerent rather than over-friendly side.

Biden is a very problematic presidential candidate. I would say he's one of the least viable I can recall. I said months ago I do not see him going the distance.