Biden’s cancer diagnosis fuels fresh doubts and distrust among Democrats

[Fantine]

The Republicans think the solution to the "deep state," a problem identified by a President who probably is the shallowest who has ever been in office, is no State at all. There are thousands of suffering people in Mississippi, arkansas, and Texas who are beginning to realize that no state at all means no FEMA to rescue them or rescue their towns as they try to cope with damaged or destroyed homes and lack of infrastructure. The no state solution means no healthcare for many, no medical research finding cures for deadly diseases, and many other negative things.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

Truth be told, I never really noticed that there was anything wrong with Biden's cognition.

Not sure which age group you're in, but I remember how Biden used to speak...spanning from the 80's, all the way up until VP debates he had with Paul Ryan a little over a decade ago.

Anyone looking at it objectively can see the stark contrast between that Biden, and the version of Biden we had.

And it's interesting that you brought up the topic of genocide

I have absolutely no concerns about anything that happened during the previous administration except for his not making our support of Israel conditional on Netanyahu's ending the genocide in Gaza.

...because this example will touch on both.

It seems as if that version of Biden would've had some stronger words about the Gaza conflict.


But there's no denying that what you see in the video doesn't even remotely resemble the Biden we got in the last Presidential cycle.

For all the defenses we heard in 2022-2023 of "he hasn't missed a step" "well, he's always been a gaffe machine, so this is nothing new" "it's because he had a stutter when he was younger"

None of those things seem to be applicable in the video I linked.


In fact, he still seemed to have quite a bit of "pep in the step" and was quick with sharp comebacks in the 2012 VP debates

 

[Akita Suggagaki]

Trump and his cronies are the deep state.

There is nothing deep about them. They are out in the open, in your face and flaunting it, corruption.

 

[stevil]

You will not find a liberal news reporting it because they would have to admit they have lied for at least three years-

Are you claiming that "liberal" media don't report on Biden's cancer diagnosis?

Would you consider CNN to be liberal media?

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/18/politics/joe-biden-prostate-cancer

 

[Fantine]

Not sure which age group you're in, but I remember how Biden used to speak...spanning from the 80's, all the way up until VP debates he had with Paul Ryan a little over a decade ago.

Anyone looking at it objectively can see the stark contrast between that Biden, and the version of Biden we had.

And it's interesting that you brought up the topic of genocide


...because this example will touch on both.

It seems as if that version of Biden would've had some stronger words about the Gaza conflict.


But there's no denying that what you see in the video doesn't even remotely resemble the Biden we got in the last Presidential cycle.

For all the defenses we heard in 2022-2023 of "he hasn't missed a step" "well, he's always been a gaffe machine, so this is nothing new" "it's because he had a stutter when he was younger"

None of those things seem to be applicable in the video I linked.


In fact, he still seemed to have quite a bit of "pep in the step" and was quick with sharp comebacks in the 2012 VP debates

A president needs to be competent, not eloquent. He surrounded himself with capable ethical people, and working with them he was competent.
And sandwiched between a man whose West Point graduation speech sounded like a Dr. Seuss book until it turned into the usual Don Rickles insult fest made Biden sound very eloquent by comparison.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

A president needs to be competent, not eloquent. He surrounded himself with capable ethical people, and working with them he was competent.
And sandwiched between a man whose West Point graduation speech sounded like a Dr. Seuss book until it turned into the usual Don Rickles insult fest made Biden sound very eloquent by comparison.

One fish, two fish, but I don't not like green eggs and ham.

Didn't they write a country song about him? Toby Kieth "I wanna talk about me"?

 

[ThatRobGuy]

A president needs to be competent, not eloquent. He surrounded himself with capable ethical people, and working with them he was competent.
And sandwiched between a man whose West Point graduation speech sounded like a Dr. Seuss book until it turned into the usual Don Rickles insult fest made Biden sound very eloquent by comparison.

I think even the "he surrounded himself with capable people" is a stretch... he filled out his cabinet like he was adhering to a "marginalized demographic checklist"...and he even said that's what he was going to do.

His promise was "to have the most diverse" cabinet in history, which means he wasn't looking for capable.

But in his defense, I don't think that was his idea, I suspect he was goaded into that selection process.

As much as Mayor Pete seems like a cool guy... are we really pretending he was the most capable qualified transportation secretary?

Did Jennifer Granholm have any experience at all in making energy policy?

How about Becerra...and relevant science or medicine experience?

Deb Haaland...any relevant experience for the job she ended up getting?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I think even the "he surrounded himself with capable people" is a stretch... he filled out his cabinet like he was adhering to a "marginalized demographic checklist"...and he even said that's what he was going to do.

His promise was "to have the most diverse" cabinet in history, which means he wasn't looking for capable.

But in his defense, I don't think that was his idea, I suspect he was goaded into that selection process.

As much as Mayor Pete seems like a cool guy... are we really pretending he was the most capable qualified transportation secretary?

Did Jennifer Granholm have any experience at all in making energy policy?

How about Becerra...and relevant science or medicine experience?

Deb Haaland...any relevant experience for the job she ended up getting?

A lot of these totally unqualified people recieved Republican votes for conformation. Only 13 voted against mayor Pete.

 

[RileyG]

Whoever was running Joe Biden had enough moral turpitude for a whole generation. Joe Biden was 'sharp as a tack' except that he wasn't. That was a lie, a very turpitudinous thing, with a man unfit for service being held up as fit for service. There was a lot of complicity throughout the deep state and the media repeating the lie that Joe Biden was 'sharp as a tack'.

Democrats concentrate on reviling Trump because they have no interest in self-examination. Go ahead and impeach Trump a few more times. It's all a carnival anyway.

Elder abide. His family will have to answer to Almighty God one day.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

A lot of these totally unqualified people recieved Republican votes for conformation. Only 13 voted against mayor Pete.

What was his relevant experience in the area?

 

[Fantine]

What was his relevant experience in the area?

As Mayor of South Bend he was involved with infrastructure projects, bids, budgeting, etc.

 

[Hans Blaster]

I think even the "he surrounded himself with capable people" is a stretch... he filled out his cabinet like he was adhering to a "marginalized demographic checklist"...and he even said that's what he was going to do.

So what?

His promise was "to have the most diverse" cabinet in history, which means he wasn't looking for capable.

Wrong.

First, for positions like that there are dozens of people who are capable and likely suitable to choose from. Roughly half are lost because they are part of the wrong party or won't leave their current positions in academia or business. Of the remaining group there should be plenty who are not straight, white males.

Second there is not "metric" for determining who is most qualified and the notion of "most qualified" is almost certainly a misnomer. Select some and start to interview. At this point it doesn't matter to candidate pool quality if you use a demographic screen or filter. Find some one who fits and wants the job.

Given that the Biden cabinet was remarkably stable, it must have gone well. No one was pushed out, etc.

But in his defense, I don't think that was his idea, I suspect he was goaded into that selection process.

Is this the "doddering old man" claim again?

 

[RileyG]

Biden’s cancer diagnosis fuels fresh doubts and distrust among Democrats

Former President Joe Biden‘s aggressive prostate cancer diagnosis has thrown a wrench in Democrats’ plans to move beyond his presidency and 2024 campaign.

Biden’s cancer diagnosis arrived amid heightened scrutiny of his cognitive health. The book Original Sin, set for release on Tuesday, details episodes of forgetfulness during Biden’s presidency and alleges that his aides sought to conceal these problems.

Praying for President Biden and wish him the very best for the rest of his life. God’s will be done!

 

[RileyG]

I don't care about Biden. And since I won't be voting Democrat anyway, it's completely irrelevant to me.

My concern is Trump. The dude can't stay on message for 30 seconds.

Trump is 78 and won’t be president forever…..but yes, we must live in the present.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

What was his relevant experience in the area?

Since I wasn't a sitting Republican Senator at his conformation, I don't know, but I'm sure there was enough to convince most of the Republican Senators that were there. Unless the Democrats secretly replaced them with lizard people.

 

[ThatRobGuy]

As Mayor of South Bend he was involved with infrastructure projects, bids, budgeting, etc.

Sorry, but that would be like saying "Pete Hegseth is qualified for his post, because he was in the Military and did army captain stuff"

You wouldn't accept that as a rationale, correct?

The common talking points for this current administration are that some of the picks have been "uniquely unqualified/underqualified"

Pete Hegseth is technically more qualified for the job he got than Mayor Pete was for the post he got. (that's not speaking the character of either person, merely their relevant experience)



In terms of transportation secretaries, examples of qualified people to hold the position are....

Michael Huerta - who used to oversee NYC's shipping ports, and was an official in the FAA prior.

Anthony Foxx - who oversaw Railroad project development in North Carolina prior to landing the gig

Ray LaHood spent years as a congressman on the House Transportation Committee prior to getting the gig

Norman Mineta was exceptionally qualified: Norman Mineta - Wikipedia

Rodney Slater was head of the State Highway Commission in Arkansas, prior to becoming to the head of the Federal Highway Administration, then becoming Transportation secretary.

 

[Fantine]

He was more qualified than the Fox News host (one of 30) who now is presiding over the Newark Airport nightmare now.

Investopedia, a suitably conservatively-titled publication, has excellent reviews of Buttigieg's stint as transportation secretary. Of course, climate deniers will disagree.

Pete Buttigieg: Background and Accomplishments

Pete Buttigieg was the 19th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Previously, he was the youngest mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and a 2020 presidential candidate.

www.investopedia.com

And yes, character matters. The biggest difference between the current cabinet and the previous cabinet is the lack of character--crazed conspiracy theorists, profiteers, slavishly obsequious yes (wo)men.

In the past Republicans have put corporate lobbyists in charge of the Dept of Labor (Bush) so that the needs of "labor" were ignored. Trump I appointed someone to head the EPA who, when employed in his own state, filed suit to dismantle the EPA. The current batch is even worse--chosen, it seemed, to steer our country into numerous train wrecks.

 

[DaisyDay]

His promise was "to have the most diverse" cabinet in history, which means he wasn't looking for capable.

That's only true if you consider diverse people to be incapable. Mayor Pete was far, far more capable than Sean Duffy. Austin Lloyd is far more capable than Pete Hegseth. The current crop of appointees would be laughable if it weren't tragic to our country.

 

[NxNW]

 

[ThatRobGuy]

That's only true if you consider diverse people to be incapable. Mayor Pete was far, far more capable than Sean Duffy. Austin Lloyd is far more capable than Pete Hegseth. The current crop of appointees would be laughable if it weren't tragic to our country.

I'm saying that if diversity is the primary objective, then capable is an afterthought.

That's not to say you can't find "capable", but finding the "most capable" is going to be statistically unlikely if 90% of the available talent pool is getting preemptively screened out for not checking off one of the boxes.



With regards to Mayor Pete vs. Duffy, I'd say it's somewhat a wash since neither had hugely relevant experience.

Small Town Mayor
vs.
House Rep who sat on the Financial Services Committee


That's why in my previous reply to another poster, I provided examples of what I would consider to be good qualifications for such an appointment...

Michael Huerta - who used to oversee NYC's shipping ports, and was an official in the FAA prior.

Anthony Foxx - who oversaw Railroad project development in North Carolina prior to landing the gig

Ray LaHood spent years as a congressman on the House Transportation Committee prior to getting the gig

Norman Mineta was exceptionally qualified: Norman Mineta - Wikipedia



Even VICE (certainly not a conservative outlet) gave a "soft critique" of the appointment of Mayor Pete for that particular role

Mayor Pete’s Secretary of Transportation Nomination Probably Doesn’t Matter

He's not exactly a transportation expert or Washington dealmaker, but the position simply isn't that important to the issues that affect us most.

www.vice.com

-- albeit, they put their own particular "spin" on it to imply that qualifications don't really matter for that role. I assume their stance has pivoted since they put out this piece.


Even Slate (pretty progressive -- and a publication for which Mayor Pete actually used to write a blogger column for) had this to say:
Is Pete Buttigieg the most deserving person for this job? Emphatically not. Does he know the most about transit? I’m not even sure he knows the most about transit among former Slate bloggers. It’s a fitting turn for a man who, to his enemies, represents how America’s failing institutions reward shiny credentials and unprincipled striving above experience or demonstrated success.


And there was another piece I linked going back a few years now (I'll see if I can dig it up), but it was actually from an LGBT publication (I believe is was the one called "Out"), and their critique was that if cabinet appointments are going to issued in that manner, that could actually backfire because if the person does end up doing mediocre job (when there were better options available), the conservative media would pounce on it with "Diversity Hire" talking points, which is ultimately what ended up happening.