September 2, 2020

Biden finally did a press conference!



It was pretty dull and low energy, but the expectations had gotten so low that it's some kind of success. He talked about school for a long time before taking the questions, and the questions were softballs, but he kept up a flow of reasonable words. He should do more of these events. Make them normal. It will be boring, but he's got to show himself in action, even if the action is tedious.

From the transcript, beginning with the Q&A, I'll excerpt a few things that I found comparatively interesting:
Speaker 1: (13:04) Just probably on a different topic, there’s a new book by the New York Times by Michael Schmidt that says that when president Trump made an unannounced visit to Walter Reed hospital in 2019, Vice President Pence was told to be on standby to take over in case President Trump had to receive anesthesia. Pence said last night that he doesn’t recall being told that. As vice president, were you ever told to be on standby or given any kind of special alert when President Obama was going in for a medical appointment?...

Vice President Joe Biden: (13:45) I’m not going to speculate on what it means always, but I can say is that nothing this administration does is normal. And so I’m not being facetious when I say that. So who in God’s name knows what it was all about? I just don’t know. I don’t know. And I’m not going to speculate....
Speaker 2: (14:39) ... On your visit to Kenosha tomorrow, local democratic officials including the governor had previously discouraged President Trump from visiting and just yesterday, the president of the local NAACP said he didn’t want to see either of the candidates, including yourself visit. That this is such a sensitive situation in the city. Why is now the right time for you to go to Kenosha And what do you hope to accomplish tomorrow?

Vice President Joe Biden: (15:00) ... Because what we want to do is we’ve got to heal. We’ve got to put things together, bring people together.... and try to see if there’s a beginning of a mechanism to bring the folks together. We have to heal. This is about making sure that we move and we move forward....
He didn't answer the question why — if it was wrong for the President to override the requests of local officials — is it right for a candidate for President to go. Biden's answer was just to state his purpose for going, as if the preferences of local officials were irrelevant.
Speaker 2: (16:42) ... How far are you willing to push the envelope of what’s safe in order to get your message out and to be among the voters, speak to them directly?

Vice President Joe Biden: (17:12) ... we’ve worked out a protocol where, how I get in the plane, what kind of plane I get on, how it’s sanitized, how I engage people.... So I’m just trying to set the example, wearing the protective gear, the mask, which I have with me.
He holds up a mask at that point. He hadn't been wearing it.
I’m able at this distance to take it off....

Speaker 2: (18:43) ... Is there anything, you’ve said you’ll participate [in the debates], is there anything that could dissuade you from participating and how have you began to prepare?

Vice President Joe Biden: (18:58) Well, I began to prepare by going over what the president has said, multiple lies he’s told. What I’d love to have as a crawler at the bottom of the screen of fact checker when we speak.... Now I’m looking forward to debating the President....
He didn't address whether there was anything that could dissuade him from participating.
Speaker 5: (19:50) One of the things that I’ve heard a lot from voters across the country is that a lot of them are worried and concerned about some of the ongoing violence we’ve seen in cities in this country, including the situation in Kenosha, Wisconsin where you’re headed. I am curious, obviously you are not president now and Donald Trump is, but I’m curious if you were president, what would you do to ensure that people are kept safe in situations like these?

Vice President Joe Biden: (20:15) First of all, I wouldn’t incite violence. I condemn it when it occurred. I would move to, look, the vast majority of police officers are good, decent, honorable women and men. They pin on that shield every morning and they have a right to go home that night safely. The vast majority. But just those who are not good cops, all the police I’ve dealt with my whole life, and I’ve been dealing with, I’ve gotten overwhelming support from law enforcement through my whole career. They’re the ones that want to get rid of the bad cops, even more than anybody else does because it reflects on them. Number one. Number two, I would make sure everybody understood, if I were president, that any violence, any violence, protesting is a right and free speech is a right, but to engage in violence, burning, looting, the rest, in the name of protesting is wrong, and that persons should be held accountable for their actions. What I’d be doing is I’d be bringing people together in the White House, right now. I’d be having that Police Commission set up. I’d have law enforcement at the table. I’d have the community at the table. I’d have people and saying, “How do we get through this? What do we do to deal with this?” Because I believe the vast majority of the community at writ large, as well as law enforcement, want to straighten things out, not inflamed things, but this president keeps throwing gasoline on the fire, every place he goes. I noticed, and I didn’t watch much of it, but I watched the reports from all of you, not all, I from the press. When he was asked about what should be done with regard to a young man shot in the back seven times, in front of his children, I didn’t hear much of anything come from him. What should we be doing about it? He went down the line. I wish he’d take responsibility. As much as he’d like to be running against somebody else, he’s running against me, Joe Biden. The fact is, that he is not acting very responsible.

Speaker 6: (22:24) ... You’ve outlined your plan to reopen schools safely. But what about what happens in the interim? Right now, millions of parents across the country are facing this very impossible task, of trying to work full time and help their children full-time to learn virtually. What is your message to these parents and what can you do to help them while you work to reopen schools?
This question is on topic with the scripted remarks that began this press event, so Biden had a very long answer that felt rote. I'm just skipping it here, but it should be noted that this was 23 whole minutes into the ordeal and he choose to chatter away, so — some credit for energy and doggedness. There was also another school-and-covid question, which I'm skipping.

He gathers his papers and starts heading off stage, then turns back to a reporter who is calling out, and says in a slight tough-guy tone: "I know you always ask the hostile question, but go ahead." The transcript I linked to doesn't include this part, but let me summarize. Biden had said that he'd warned Trump in January that there was going to be a pandemic. "If you knew that, then why were you still hosting crowded campaign rallies in March?" The answer is that Biden had advice for the President — there was going to be a pandemic. Biden makes a distinction between the issue of whether a pandemic was coming and how it would spread, and it only gradually became clear that "We just can't continue to have these large rallies." He worked his way through the hostile question, but the most interesting revelation was that Trump asked to talk to him and the two men did talk, and Trump was "very polite."

35 comments:

h said...

Looking for guidance about what this means:

Journalist: Do you agree with her (Kamala Harris, who said that the officer who shot Jacob Blake in Kenosha should be charged)? And do you also believe the same for the officers who were involved in the death of Breonna Taylor?

Vice President Joe Biden: (12:17)
I think we should let the judicial system work its way. I do think there’s a minimum need to be charged, the officers, and as well as Breonna Taylor and I might add, by the way, I think what happened in Portland where one of the Trump guys riding along in vans and inciting responses were shooting rubber bullets, I guess, or paint balls. Apparently there was someone shot by someone in the crowd with a bullet, killed. I think that person should meet legal requirements, whatever that calls for. He should be investigated and it should follow through on what needs to be done. Let the judicial system work. Let’s make sure justice is done.

Is Biden saying that Breona Taylor should have been charged with a crime? Was somebody in Portland killed by a rubber bullet?

RMc said...

Obama never got a tough question in eight years. President Biden will uphold that tradition.

mccullough said...

If the vast majority of police are good, then it means there is no systemic racism in law enforcement.

Biden said the same thing about police as Trump said. So why the need for a Commission? That tried-and-true DC tactic wil jot olacate the rioters.

rehajm said...

Your next President, Americans. You must be so proud...

Michael K said...

I would love to see him do a debate but I'm not holding my breath.

Mark said...

More of these offensive displays of hate and rancor and divisiveness?

No thanks.

Go back to the basement Joe.

AZ Bob said...

The questioning reminds me of the Chris Farley interview of Paul McCartney on SNL.

papper said...

Yeah right. Biden told the President there would be a pandemic. I have a bridge to sell in Broklyn.

NorthOfTheOneOhOne said...

Biden had said that he'd warned Trump in January that there was going to be a pandemic.

Are we supposed to infer that he was getting intel from China that Trump wasn't?

Wonder how that happened?

DeepRunner said...

Congrats to Joe Biden for taking a few Joe-friendly softball questions, probably from pre-selected folks, and probably with the questions previously submitted. He has now met the exacting bar of...not much. Madame La Professeur is right. The expectation is so. freakin'. low. that for him to finish a sentence completely is considered a triumph. Sad really. His chance was better served in 2016, but his pal Barack, who, at the last, and at the last possible moment in 2020, "endorsed" him, made sure that Hillary had her chance.

DavidUW said...

Watching a couple segments, all Trump has to do is get him to try to talk numbers. This guy absolutely cannot deal with basic math. I'd just ask him how many Americans are there.

rcocean said...

First of all, I wouldn’t incite violence. I condemn it when it occurred.

Rioting and violence had been going on for 3 months. Biden only condemned it this this. He was NOT been "condemning it" when it occurred. He STILL has never condemned Antifa or BLM by NAME.

FullMoon said...

Yeah, he seemed normal.
I am hoping that during debates, Trump ignores questions posed to him and ambushes Joe.
"I'll answer that is a second, first I would like to ask Joe about Ukraine and --"

" What is Joe's opinion on elderly deaths due to assisted living fiasco?"

No doubt Trump can come up with a hundred off the cuff things to confuse Joe and get him so off balance he may fall over.

rcocean said...

He seemed to indicate that somehow the Trump supporter executed in Portland somehow "deserved it" because he was shooting paint-balls at Antifa. Except he wasn't. And even if he was, shooting someone with a paintball doesn't have any sort of equivalence to getting shot to death by a bullet.

And where the hell did Biden get the idea that Trump supporters were shooting "rubber bullets" we have ONE video of somebody shooting about 8 paint balls. And that's it.

Iconochasm said...

". What I’d be doing is I’d be bringing people together in the White House, right now. I’d be having that Police Commission set up. I’d have law enforcement at the table. I’d have the community at the table. I’d have people and saying, “How do we get through this? What do we do to deal with this?”"

So, Biden doesn't actually have any plan except asking other people for a plan, and he won't encourage the relevant members of his party to cooperate with the President to develop a plan.

Meanwhile, he's lying about who shot who in Portland, and implying risible, incendiary, proven-riot-causing claims about Jacob Blake.

I really didn't think it was going to be this bad.

rcocean said...

These questions were obsviouly "Teed Up" for Biden. Does anyone really think the MSM reporters didn't provide Biden with the questions they were going to ask. They did with Hillary in 2016. Does anyone doubt some mysterious someone will slip Biden the Debate questions in advance?

FullMoon said...

Joe mentioned Portland murder? This guy breaks it down as co0rdinated among several people. And, for left saying dead guy shot first, that is incorrect. Bad guy shoots twice, first bullet hits can of bear spray, accounting for cloud. Second shot in chest. Interesting in vid , among other things,how car with"medic" is stationed in perfect spot to respond immediately and how person shooting video does not want to follow suggestion of onlooker to turn vid over to police.

cacimbo said...

Biden should have been asked if he believes boulders can be racist.

NCMoss said...

What a snoozer.

bgates said...

obviously you are not president now and Donald Trump is

Obviously that's something you'd say all the time to someone whose mental competence was not in question. And the end of Sundown Joe's response:

As much as he’d like to be running against somebody else, he’s running against me, Joe Biden.

Yeah! You did it, Joe! You remembered!

gilbar said...

so,
covid is HORRIFICALLY BAD, right Now; so, we should have Jo be President next January?

How come, they NEVER panned across they audience ? Were the people in that room, or on zoom?

How many takes did Jo need to make that?

I don't believe it was live, because there didn't seem to be any witnesses

wildswan said...

"I think what happened in Portland where one of the Trump guys riding along in vans and inciting responses were shooting rubber bullets, I guess, or paint balls. Apparently there was someone shot by someone in the crowd with a bullet, killed. I think that person should meet legal requirements, whatever that calls for. He should be investigated and it should follow through on what needs to be done. Let the judicial system work."

I bet that the above is what Hidin'Joe knows about the shooting of Aaron Danielson, the Patriot Prayer guy shot down in cold blood in Portland. And what he "knows" is all wrong. Danielson was shot hours after the protest ended. He was never shooting paint balls. He was there to pray. He had no gun. He was not in an argument. He was walking out of a parking garage. An American citizen in an American city had someone walk up to him and kill him without a word because small tag Danielson wore showed that he was a supporter of the sitting US President. And all Biden knows is a vague confused story: "Apparently there was someone shot by someone in the crowd with a bullet, killed." Knowing nothing is not the way to end divisions. Supporting only one side in a conflict - how does that end division? Visiting Jacob Blake's parents but not Aaron Danielson's parents - how does that end divisiveness? And has Joe Biden asked ANTIFA if they would "come to the table" with the police and what their negotiating position would be? In Seattle ANTIFA is negotiating with Mayor Wheeler by attempting to burn down his condo- why would they sit at a table with Basement Joe. To me, ANTIFA is the Bolsheviks, Wheeler/Biden are the Mensheviks, and, in the Winter Palace in place of Czar Nicholas, we have Winston Churchill, i.e., Donald Trump. We're living an alt-history scenario.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

Joe's basement is getting flooded by Trump's goads

...forcing him to seek higher, shakier ground

Amexpat said...

It would be too excruciating to watch the whole thing, so I sampled a few exchanges. It was above expectations and below his previously poor public speaking skills. He could perhaps get by if he kept his answers short.

He now has the same problem that Dan Quayle had - there's a solid preconception about his cognitive ability and any fumbling of words or thought is going reinforce that preconception.

DavidD said...

“ ‘As vice president, were you ever told to be on standby or given any kind of special alert when President Obama was going in for a medical appointment?’ ”

Biden? Are you kidding?

Obama would tell Valerie Jarrett to be on standby.

Narayanan said...

sara cooper comedy videos >>>> should I hold my breath for Biden being lip synched

wendybar said...

And he reads the title of the talking points his staff left in there.

“Venezuela top line messages” he says.

gilbar said...

serious question
apparently, adderall usage among our government/media elites has skyrocketed

it seems Very likely, that many (most?) of the people Jo Biden interacts with everyday are taking adderall (Not 'cause they're Addicts! NO! But just because they like the effects)

so, my Serious Question:
Is there anyone out there, that Doesn't think one of Jo's doctors prescribed some for Jo?
To help with his stuttering?
To help with his brain damage?
To help with his (diagnosed until this point) ADHD ?
NOT! to pep him up, and help him make it through the ordeal of a 40 minute press conference

Kevin said...

Follow-up questions were not allowed.

Joe held a “press conference” where reporters asked questions, Joe rambled on about whatever, and they almost got out of the room before any “hostile” questions could be asked.

stlcdr said...

Lots of softball stuff, with non-specific answers. Lots of ‘kumbya’ comments from Joe.

With the ‘pandemic’ receding, how are people going to get back to work? How are kids going to get to school? How is this violence going to end?

Winnie said...

I watched this live. Then I switched to the various cable news stations to hear the commentary. The first line I heard was something like 'it's so nice to hear someone just politely answer questions and not get into arguments with reporters.'
I found that particularly funny because I believe it's the reporters who are behaving differently, not so much the candidate. I didn't hear any follow ups or nitpicking about the answers he gave. That is not even as tough of questioning as on Sunday morning news interviews.
Overall he performed as I expected. I don't think he is prepared for the next two months.

MayBee said...

Did anybody ask him why not one single governor has heeded his call to require masks for everyone whenever they are outside their home?

That's his big initiative, and nobody is doing it. Not even Whitmer, who won't open gyms because she won't be "bullied" or "tweeted at" by people.

M Jordan said...

I’ve got a sincere question for Biden: Why did you inaugurate and build your campaign on a lie that claims the President of the United States called white supremacist fine people?

Nichevo said...

Interesting in vid , among other things,how car with"medic" is stationed in perfect spot to respond immediately and how person shooting video does not want to follow suggestion of onlooker to turn vid over to police.


It's a pity how little it takes these days to make me spasmodically white with teeth-clenching rage.

Did you notice also how close the cops were? That was conspiracy to commit murder, and also to deprive Danielson of his civil rights, if Wheeler buries it.

If not interrogated at gunpoint, at the very least, all those people should have been info collected for later follow-up.

mikee said...

Biden has dementia. God bless his poor soul.

Adderall, maybe a bit of cocaine, some ginkgo biloba? Or is he getting shots of adrenochrome straight into his frontal cortex? Inquiring minds want to know, because Hunter S. Thomspon is dead, dead, dead, his ashes shot out of a goddam howitzer, and no reporter alive today will ask Biden or his handlers this vitally important question - what is Biden taking to appear at all normal for a half hour at a time, when he is so often exhibiting loss of mental capacity?