4 ms·

I believe his faculties got substantially worse in 2024. He was a lot more present in speeches in 2021 for example. Mental decline isn't black and white, and yo

I believe his faculties got substantially worse in 2024. He was a lot more present in speeches in 2021 for example. Mental decline isn't black and white, and you tend to see people as your mental model of how they used to be, so you can look at brief moments of clarity and declare him "well", so many did that. But it doesn't work that way.

itsoktocry 2y ago
[flagged]
- asveikau 2y ago
  I've followed politics for my whole life and watched tons of Biden speeches going back decades. I was seeing his old "spark" quite a bit well into 2024. The debate, he fell off a cliff, and his follow-up interviews were even worse. 3 months before he competently delivered a barn-burning SOTU address. IIRC a few months before that, he delivered a good NATO speech. He'd slip up minor points but he also did that in 2002. Back then they used to call him a gaffe factory.
asdasdsddd 2y ago
He was cooked by 2022, Biden was stumbling over tele-prompted speeches.
- asveikau 2y ago
  The gap between his last state of the union (March 2024) and the debate (June 2024) seemed pretty big, and I'm not the only one to say that. But again, it isn't black and white. Maybe the speech format suited him better.
anon291 2y ago
Biden barely campaigned in 2020.
astroid 2y ago
"you tend to see people as your mental model of how they used to be" Pot? Meet Kettle. I worked in an advanced Alzheimer's ward for about 4 years when I was younger. There is a look that happens in the eyes which is a sure-sign they are effectively gone - it's like a light has been turned off. (even if they have moments of lucidity, there is a clear switch that is talked about in exactly these terms if you work in these places and are close to them every day.) Biden clearly had 'the look' back in 2021, and was making enough gaffes for people who maybe aren't as familiar with the signs of mental decline could clearly see it. Just because you didn't, doesn't mean everyone else was wrong and saw what they wanted to see. If you are going to argue 'well, that's just like your perspective man' you have to at least see how that same argument can be turned towards you. You are absolutely right that it is not black and white - I fully believe that back in 2021 he had enough moments of lucidity (which generally are somewhat reliable, which appear to be tied to the circadian rhythm hence 'sundowners') -- so if all you watched were his scheduled speeches I could see how you may have been left with that impression. There were plenty of other opportunities to watch his decline in real time however.

itsoktocry 2y ago

[flagged]

asveikau 2y ago
I've followed politics for my whole life and watched tons of Biden speeches going back decades. I was seeing his old "spark" quite a bit well into 2024. The debate, he fell off a cliff, and his follow-up interviews were even worse. 3 months before he competently delivered a barn-burning SOTU address. IIRC a few months before that, he delivered a good NATO speech. He'd slip up minor points but he also did that in 2002. Back then they used to call him a gaffe factory.

asdasdsddd 2y ago

He was cooked by 2022, Biden was stumbling over tele-prompted speeches.

asveikau 2y ago
The gap between his last state of the union (March 2024) and the debate (June 2024) seemed pretty big, and I'm not the only one to say that. But again, it isn't black and white. Maybe the speech format suited him better.

anon291 2y ago

Biden barely campaigned in 2020.

astroid 2y ago

"you tend to see people as your mental model of how they used to be" Pot? Meet Kettle. I worked in an advanced Alzheimer's ward for about 4 years when I was younger. There is a look that happens in the eyes which is a sure-sign they are effectively gone - it's like a light has been turned off. (even if they have moments of lucidity, there is a clear switch that is talked about in exactly these terms if you work in these places and are close to them every day.) Biden clearly had 'the look' back in 2021, and was making enough gaffes for people who maybe aren't as familiar with the signs of mental decline could clearly see it. Just because you didn't, doesn't mean everyone else was wrong and saw what they wanted to see. If you are going to argue 'well, that's just like your perspective man' you have to at least see how that same argument can be turned towards you. You are absolutely right that it is not black and white - I fully believe that back in 2021 he had enough moments of lucidity (which generally are somewhat reliable, which appear to be tied to the circadian rhythm hence 'sundowners') -- so if all you watched were his scheduled speeches I could see how you may have been left with that impression. There were plenty of other opportunities to watch his decline in real time however.