Joe Biden, who has publicly stated that he would stop touching women without their permission and would respect their space, touches a young girl at a campaign rally— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) May 28, 2019
Biden tells her, “I bet you’re as bright as you are good looking” pic.twitter.com/CtAVELvYrX
I know I don't really know how he feels deep inside. I'm just imagining. I'm also capable of imagining that — having been a politician all these years — he has no deep inside. There's just a superficial style and self-presentation, and it's become instinctive and habitual, and it's worked all these years. What else can the old man do? If you don't want his bundle of instincts, you don't want him, do you?
How will he go on — with antagonists everywhere looking to take his adorable moments and spin them into stuff like "CRINGE: Joe Biden gets handsy with young girl, says ‘I’ll bet you’re as bright as you are good-looking'" — which I'm reading this morning at Twitchy.
By the way, the word "cringe" originally meant "To contract the muscles of the body, usually involuntarily; to shrink into a bent or crooked position; to cower" (OED). It was about fear. It acquired the figurative meaning: "To experience an involuntary inward shiver of embarrassment, awkwardness, disgust, etc.; to wince or shrink inwardly; (hence) to feel extremely embarrassed or uncomfortable." It's used casually in political discussions, but if you picture the reaction — a sustained muscular contraction (meaning #1) or quick spasm felt only internally (meaning #2) — the person doing the cringing looks ridiculous.
It's a vivid word worn down by overuse. The OED's examples include this watered-down use from Time Magazine in 1993: "Privately, Clinton advisers cringed at the wreckage left behind by all the U-turns." It's like the Clinton advisers are looking at dead bodies in that car-wreck metaphor and shivering in horror.
But this is the emotional politics we've created for ourselves. It's the American culture. Do you feel comfortably part of it or are you, like me, feeling distanced and put off? I'm coolly observing all this by the way. Not shivering or spasming at all.
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82 comments:
Joe had no public appearances over the Memorial Day weekend. Other than when he first announced, no appearances in Iowa. He’s avoiding the public. Nothing on TV. Worse than Hillary’s campaign.
I have questions for Joe if he ever shows up.
Profound.
"I'm also capable of imagining that — having been a politician all these years — he has no deep inside."
"But this is the emotional politics we've created for ourselves."
It's all about the feelz, much more so on the left. Immigration policy, Middle East policy, environmental issues, race issues. And it works, because so much of the education system and the media play along with it and encourage it.
But this is the emotional politics we've created for ourselves. It's the American culture. Do you feel comfortably part of it or are you, like me, feeling distanced and put off?
You say that like this is new for you...
When I go about mind reading, as I often do, I'm struck with how without fail those I broadly agree with politically have such pure intentions.
Does he do it with boys and men? If not, then it’s sexual.
Politics is all aimed at women. What will women think?
It will be superficial, whatever it is.
And now we have PDJT defending him from charges the he is a "low iq idiot" (Kim)
Per PDJT, Biden is NOT an idiot. He is a "low IQ individual"
As Scott Adams says, we are going to miss him when he's gone. Lovers and haters both. No other president has been or will be as entertaining.
John Henry
"Joe had no public appearances over the Memorial Day weekend... He’s avoiding the public."
In a kinder world, we would respect the pausing of politics while America honors its war dead and begins the summer with family and friends. But we're supposed to crane our neck, looking all around for whatever might be characterizable as a political mistake by somebody on the other side.
The knock on Biden is that he's not out on the campaign trail, running around Iowa and New Hampshire, 17 months before the election, because that's what the lesser-known candidates are doing. They are doing it because they need to. Biden's holding back could be understood as a kind of fair play — giving the other candidates a chance to show what they are, refraining from overshadowing them with his front-runner conspicuousness.
Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?
It’s Hillary's turn again, dammit. Joe needs to hang around long enough to be coronated and name Hillary! as his running mate. But he needs to remain creepy enough to stand down for the good of the country so we can vote for Hillary!
Or Joe gets sworn in but his conscience gets the better of him and he’s gone by lunch, making way for President Hillary!
Guys notice farness. I worked South Australia this morning, 10,136 miles.
My coffee-cup sized transmitter signal was reported as "weak."
Personal space not invaded.
George Washington was a politician all his adult life, but he was a leader in Virginia politics.
Joe Biden has never been a leader; just a political hanger on and gladhander - no content.
Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?
Maybe the motivation is benign.
The serious answer is news is a business based on clicks.
Biden is sick and so will die, leaving the field to the flock of women. clickbait.
Biden is a creep. All the pictures of him caressing children are disgusting. And that video of Jeff Sessions getting him away from his granddaughter speaks volumes.
Another horrifying, stupid outcome of Marxist feminism, which Althouse keeps assuring us will eventually lead to more freedom.
Complimenting a little girl on her looks and giving her a little pat is a PC crime.
Where's this good shit feminism has conferred on us, Althouse? It all looks like tight assed, boring as hell honkie shit to me.
Other than you winning the S&M war of wills, what do we get out of your prissy Puritanism?
There's so many things about Uncle Joe that are his natural state of being. His 'regular guy' schtick as he simultaneously talks down to people. His preening about his expertise in this or that, when his actual record and decisions show anything but expertise. That said, he is a classic politician from yesteryear. At one time, many of them acted out like this. They were the best friend of everyone in whatever room they entered. The best politicians have always had that knack. Compare Obama to Hillary. Who could walk into a room- any room- and immediately make a connection with those in the room? Hillary was a forerunner of today's Dem field. Obama was a throwback.
For Joe the question is, is his act enough for today's voting Dems who want blood and heads on a spike? Well...Joe can also offer blood and heads on a spike. He used to be able to do that with vigor and in a manner that would make you believe he would do it. Not sure if he can pull that off any longer. But remember how he just laughed at, and talked down to Paul Ryan in their VP debate a few years ago? That's Joe in action. He did not have, nor need any actual policy to debate. He (like Trump) just beat down the presence of his opponent. On the other hand, he won only because he was clipped to Obama's jacket and Ryan was clipped to Mitt's.
On the topic of Joe's touching women. It's what he does. That's not going to stop.
we would respect the pausing of politics while America honors its war dead
Honoring the wrong thing. What's honored is getting called and going. Dead is just bad luck.
It's a vivid word worn down by overuse.
All the really great words and phrases get worn down by overuse. Marketing jerks suck for the same reason activists suck. They ruin everything they touch.
I don't think you've reported it, Althouse, but it appears that the "victims" of Weinstein are going to settle for big money.
So, it was just a shakedown.
What part of feminism isn't?
Women invade infant space. Notice the line of women edging closer to the baby in the checkout line at Kmart.
Jesus fucking Christ!
Men complimenting women and girls on their looks and giving them pats and hugs is a good thing.
Please pull your collective heads out of your asses.
Fuck feminism. That fucking evil Marxist asshole religion needs to die.
"But this is the emotional politics we've created for ourselves. Do you feel comfortably part of it or are you, like me, feeling distanced and put off? I'm coolly observing all this by the way."
Clown nose on, clown nose off.
Ann:
He’s playing defense. He doesn’t want to make a mistake. Meeting with voters is what people running for President do. He doesn’t want people to see how old and slow he really is.
Playing not to lose seldom works.
#MeToo was to keep a conservative off the court. Didn’t work. No reason to appear to punish Harvey now. He’s Hillary’s friend...
Biden is from the same generation as Trump, has much of the same "affect," but he promises to be somehow "better." He chose politics over law or any kind of private business. Does this make him a deep thinker on policy compared to Trump, and therefore less scary? Has he simply learned the appropriate arts of flattery in a way that Trump has not--or rather, arts that Trump refuses to deploy? I keep thinking of the line from "Dog Day Afternoon": people like to get kissed a lot when they're being fucked. This I think provides some insight into politics. Is Biden going to find a way to kiss more, or kiss the right people, but not, er, literally?
"Decent" people are supposed to say: there are more winners than losers in the new global economy, the leaders of high-tech companies are moral and even spiritual leaders, despite labour practices that would have been condemned by the old unions, and the Washington swamp is probably more right than wrong in wanting both open borders and endless wars. Does Biden think he can win on these issues, and then by winning more of the non-white male vote than Hillary did?
When you’re leading don’t do anything to screw it up is a classic political strategy. When you’re behind you need to do something to change it is a classic political strategy.
Biden comes off as elderly and a little muddled, but he's not creepy or pervy. I don't think he's especially compelling as a candidate, but neither is he especially unappealing. He's not in the comfort zone. He is a comfort zone for those who mourn the pure, lost days of Obama.
I actually meant to say something about "cringe." I found this at wordorigins.org
"cringe-inducing, adj. Cringe-making appears in 1969, this one in 1972, and cringeworthy in 1977. Obviously, 1970s’ culture required a lot a words for this concept."
Like the slang of the young, usually rich people in London in the 1920s, including let us say "flappers" with their cigarettes. From Joe Moran:
"A word I discovered while writing my shyness book: ‘shy-making’. In his 1930 novel Vile Bodies, Evelyn Waugh had nailed the polarising private slang of the bright young things of the previous decade, in which everything was either ‘divine’ or ‘bogus’ or socially mortifying: ‘too, too shaming’, ‘perfectly sheepish’ or ‘shy-making’. ‘As soon as I get to London,’ say Agatha Runcible in Waugh’s novel, ‘I shall just ring up every Cabinet Minister and all the newspapers and give them all the most shy-making details.’ The word reappears in Brideshead Revisited, published 15 years later. On showing Charles Ryder the art nouveau chapel at Brideshead, Sebastian Flyte says, ‘It is a bit shy-making, isn’t it?’"
"Waugh learned this vocabulary from the ‘Guinness set’. For this group of rich and fashionable young people, supposedly inedible food, or sometimes cocaine, was ‘ill-making’. The right antidote – or alcohol – was ‘very better making’. But someone opening the curtains while a bright young thing was still in bed and hung over was ‘blind-making’."
Biden comes off as elderly and a little muddled, but he's not creepy or pervy.
Well, "creepy" and "pervy" are in the eye of the beholder, but try the shit he does at press conferences on the ladies in your office and you'll find yourself unemployed tout suite. Rightly or wrongly, that type of Handsy Uncle behavior is not tolerated in American society and I don't ses what Biden had done to deserve a special exemption.
Don't see what Biden has done to deserve an exception. Need an Edit button dammit.
"Biden's holding back could be understood as a kind of fair play"
LOL!
Do you feel comfortably part of it or are you, like me, feeling distanced and put off?
I've felt distanced from the start, the day and weeks after the election, when I was repelled by the emotional freak-out.
Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?
5/29/19, 6:36 AM
Take off your clothes, Ann.
Shouting Thomas said...
Another horrifying, stupid outcome of Marxist feminism
Tom, Joe Biden is the hill you want to die on? Think this through, brother.
The greatest cringer ever was W.C. Fields.
Shouting Thomas said...
"Jesus fucking Christ!
Men complimenting women and girls on their looks and giving them pats and hugs is a good thing.
Please pull your collective heads out of your asses.
Fuck feminism. That fucking evil Marxist asshole religion needs to die."
ST, I had a creepy Uncle Joe in my life. It was a miserable time for me when he was around. It had nothing to do with feminism.
that's the thing with abusers; they won't stop, because they like doing it
In a kinder world, we would respect the pausing of politics while America honors its war dead and begins the summer with family and friends.
While running for president, John McCain paused his campaigning for several days to return to D.C. for a very important vote on the economic crisis. He was scalded for ignoring his duty.
Joe looks like Bob Barker from the Price is Right.
Biden has double the polling numbers of the next closest competitor. If this holds true over the next few months it indicates Democrats are far less “crazy” than the AOC twitter warriors. He may be the “not crazy” candidate many have said was necessary for victory in 2020.
Pursuing the “creepy Joe” angle won’t succeed. “Grab ‘em by the pussy” is not forgotten. Furthermore the commentariat here have little respect for Obamacare and Bush 2, the last two Presidents who were not “ creepy”; not “pussy grabbers”.
William said...
Biden comes off as elderly and a little muddled, but he's not creepy or pervy
William? do you find it 'not creepy' because he does it in public? Do you think that he does the handsy feely stuff Just for the the cameras?
If he was doing what he's been filmed doing to little girls in public, while he was alone with one; would that be more/or less creepy?
Specifically; If you had a elderly uncle that acted like that around your children, would you let him babysit them?
"Biden's holding back could be understood as a kind of fair play — giving the other candidates a chance to show what they are, refraining from overshadowing them with his front-runner conspicuousness."
This should make you cringe.
And Trump is doing his best to define Biden’s image early in the game.
And with Biden’s strategy of limited appearances, it’s win win for Trump.
Either joe can increase his appearances to counter attack Trump and his own chance of a gaffe, or continue to be a pin cushion for Trump, with a reduced chance of gaffes.
Reminds me of what Obama did to Romney, defining his image before his nomination.
And the branding of creepy, slow, and low iq are poison to Biden’s needed image to win.
Trump is doing an amazing Alinsky on Biden.
Not very nice of Trump, but Trump was not elected for his niceness, but his willingness to punch back.
Video accompanying a story about Trump's restating Kim's assertion that Joe Biden is not very bright shows Joe jogging up to a microphone at a recent campaign style event. As he reaches the podium he is met by a woman who has introduced him. He greets her by getting close and saying something while he simultaneously puts his hands on either side of her torso, under her arms. She reacts my grasping his arms at the wrist and pulls them away from her body. Based on that action I suspect his thumbs and the heal of his hands had come quite close, if not in contact, with her breasts.
Not sure how you can understand that not to be creepy, especially given all the recent attention on Joe and his touchy, feely habits.
All politics is emotional.
The intensity of the effort depends entirely on how much is at stake.
If some faction perceives it has a great deal to win or lose, it will apply great resources to the conflict.
Our perception of intensity comes from the effect of the use of resources.
I'm also capable of imagining that — having been a politician all these years — he has no deep inside. There's just a superficial style and self-presentation, and it's become instinctive and habitual, and it's worked all these years. What else can the old man do?
An extremely wise person once said:
"I think there are a LOT of people out there whose idea of truth is what they want to be true."
Let's not lose sight of the fact that Obama chose Joe to be his life insurance. Fatboi Kim is right about Joe and Trump is wrong. Joe is an idiot, he isn't smart enough to be a moron ( as Trump claimed by calling Biden low IQ).
Phil if Joe is what passes for not crazy in Democrat Party land the party is seriously unhinged. Joe's positions are just as looney as the rest of the other Democrats running. A folksy glad handling manner doesn't change that.
This one's for Biden:
Georgia Satellites - Keep Your Hands To Yourself
Ann, these are not "adorable"" moments to anyone but him. Have you ever been touched by someone you did not want to touch you?
While running for president, John McCain paused his campaigning for several days to return to D.C. for a very important vote on the economic crisis. He was scalded for ignoring his duty.
He was scalded because he knew nothing about economics, and because nothing came of that run back to the Senate.
To those who say that Sleepy Joe should get a pass for this:
If this latest were the only time he had done it, I would say that he should probably get a pass. It ain't right and he should not be doing it but it is not so horrible.
He should be told don't do it again.
If it were a single instance.
The problem is that it is not a single instance. It has been repeated numerous times over a long period. The other day his wife had to remove his hand when he got too gropey with her in public.
No, this pattern of behavior is creepy as Hell and he needs to be called out and chastised for it.
John Henry
The combination of being gaff prone, arrogant and nearly 80 years old makes every every public event a potential campaign killer for Biden. Throw in a large number of husbands who wouldn't allow Biden near their wives and you'll understand why he is keeping a low profile.
Please note that I could paint Biden in a much worse light.
Biden and Trump are killing off the MeToo Hysteria.
Good.
The SJW have given us years of this Woke flummery.
They can all fuck off
Child-Molester-in-Chief has a certain ring to it. Somebody has to normalize child seduction. It's the next Constitutional Right to equality of free sexual lifestyles.
The worst part of that video from a Biden image standpoint was the old guy faux 'run' back to the front at the end.
I’m reading this on my phone so maybe I missed it but has anybody commented on the fact that “sleepy Joe Biden” and “creepy Joe Biden” rhyme?
I know it seems fairly obvious but I haven’t seen anybody comment on it previously.
sdharms said...
Ann, these are not "adorable" moments to anyone but him. Have you ever been touched by someone you did not want to touch you?
Hey? Where's our psycho troll from yesterday? Hey! Jimbo? Where are you??
Because, according Jimbo, if someone 'touches' you; you have the right to KILL in 'self-defense'
Jimbo? What's Your opinion on creepy Joe? Do these women have the right of self-defense?
Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?
As if none of us have ever noticed that "the worst possible light" is exactly the standard used by the Left and the MSM (BIRM) when it comes to any action by a conservative.
Campaign meet and greets are 100% staged. The candidate is used to being in a room with -- in Biden's case -- a bunch of SEIU or AFT laggards who show up to sit on their asses there instead of sitting on their asses somewhere else.
He could punch the little girl in the face and the union shills would still clap on command.
In the bubble, there are no normal human relations.
Ha. I didn't even see the video before I posted. It was the AFT.
As above - Biden is an old man with some bad habits. Age does no favors.
He still has some old-school political skills, which account for his support.
He has what used to be common among politicians, the common touch.
That the rest of the field are so lacking in this basic skill of the low level politician is telling. They are not being raised right anymore.
So they are stuck with this relic, for lack of basic skills among the rest.
It's the difference between Willie Brown and Kamala Harris. Brown is witty, funny, self deprecating, insightful, will often tell the truth even if it seems against his interests (its not of course), and can make friends with anyone. He is personally charming. Usually. Of course, he is an utter scoundrel. K. Harris is not in this class.
I guess its because its been much more about money. These people haven't had to sell themselves, as much, to a proper diverse electorate on their way up.
Biden should be driving the Democrat bus.
Especially around winding mountain roads.
In the rain.
With knock-off four-year-old Chinese wiper blades.
I wonder if Creepy Jow suffers meteoroism? "Here, kid, pull my finger!"
I'm just imagining. I'm also capable of imagining that — having been a politician all these years — he has no deep inside.
It's just gas.
Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?
He could have had an event placing flags on graves in a Vet cemetery.
It's the difference between Willie Brown and Kamala Harris. Brown is witty, funny, self deprecating, insightful, will often tell the truth even if it seems against his interests (its not of course), and can make friends with anyone. He is personally charming. Usually. Of course, he is an utter scoundrel.
This was also true of Jess Unruh, who was the dominant Democrat in CA before Willie. I've never met Willie but I spent a weekend with Unruh and that was just as true of him.
Biden, so far, is the choice of "normal" Democrats. He will probably lose that support due to his issues.
Norman Podhoretz thinks the Democrats will eventually turn to Michelle and she will be the nominee in 2020.
Biden is a Chinese spy.
A well paid individual.
Creep can't help it. Like Peter Lorre in M.
"Why does everything have to be understood in the worst possible light?"
That's a rhetorical question, right???
Achilles said...
Biden is a Chinese spy.
A well paid individual.
Biden is not smart enough to be a spy. He is a bought and paid for agent of influence, just .like Hillary,
And Tony Benn and Michael Foot in UK
gilbar,
"Where's our psycho troll from yesterday?"
Sorry, jimbo is distracted today trying to figure out how to painlessly (because he's a coward) off himself to make up for taking unmerited advantage of his breeder* parents who selfishly decided not to abort him.
-------------------------------
*In case you missed it, 'breeders' is his #2 obsession right after 'minorities prohibited from
entering national parks'.
That's one vivid, worn-down, watered-down metaphor.
the Democrats will eventually turn to Michelle and she will be the nominee in 2020.
Good thing she used a ghostwriter to get her book done quickly, as her husband announced this week. Barry is still trying to squeeze out something that won't embarrass him and give the lie to "his" other works.
He could punch the little girl in the face and the union shills would still clap on command.
True, but can he shoot her on Fifth Avenue?
He looks old, not surprisingly. He does appear to be fit. Nekked swimming, no doubt, contributes greatly to his vigor.
Re: Michelle Obama riding to the rescue after all the other Democrat candidates flop: I don't see it. While I believe that Mrs. Obama enjoyed the imperial trappings of being the First Lady of the United States, I don't think she'd actually want to have to do the job of President for four years. She and her husband are making lots of money now without actually having to do much of anything. I think she's probably happy with that. If she wasn't, she'd be carpetbagging into a Senate race like Hillary did; Clinton did have a resume, even if it was a bit padded. What has Michelle Obama ever done, other than being married to a president, that would make people think that she would do a good job as the nation's Chief Executive?
The other thing to think about is that usually a new president is a pendulum-swing from the previous one. The current one is someone who never held any kind of political office prior to becoming president. I expect the next one (either in 2021 or 2025, hopefully the latter) to be someone totally different from Trump in that respect. Not necessarily a Swamper like Biden, but someone with previous government experience.
The only real reason I could see Michelle wanting the job would be if she needed to pardon her husband for his role in the Dossiergate scandal.
Oh, Ms. Althouse, I have never seen you write something this ridiculous:
"Biden's holding back could be understood as a kind of fair play — giving the other candidates a chance to show what they are, refraining from overshadowing them with his front-runner conspicuousness."
In what world do you live in where politicians play fair? Sure, someone extremely naive could characterize Biden's motives that way, but the chances those are Biden's motives are practically zero, and you should know better since you are not naive.
You aren't seeing Biden out there on the hustings very often because he really doesn't have the stamina to actually do it. The man is 77 years old.
What has Michelle Obama ever done, other than being married to a president, that would make people think that she would do a good job as the nation's Chief Executive?
Well; ONCE, she was proud (Maybe even, Really Proud) of her country. I doubt that she is now, though
. I expect the next one (either in 2021 or 2025, hopefully the latter) to be someone totally different from Trump in that respect. Not necessarily a Swamper like Biden, but someone with previous government experience.
Nikki Haley has previous government experience; even, Extensive government service. And i bet she would be available for, say: 2025-2033
“In what world do you live in where politicians play fair?”
Where looking magnanimous serves his interests.
someone totally different from Trump
Yeah, totally boring with perfect sentence structure. Althouse will love it, until she realizes there will be little to blog about.
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