Jennifer Rubin, WaPo: The media finally discovered Joe Biden

[highplainsdem]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/01/06/media-finally-discovered-biden/

He was elected to the Senate seven times and served as vice president for eight years, yet it seems the media have just discovered Joe Biden.

We now see a series of forehead-slapping pieces proclaiming the former vice president is surviving because voters “believe that a Biden presidency really would lessen the anger and vitriol in American politics, bringing about a return to decency and civility.” Reporters seem surprised that their fellow citizens could believe, or at least hope, that decency begets decency.

Voters revel in Biden’s empathy and pine for the normalcy he represents. (“They’d love to scroll through Twitter without seeing angry rants from the president. They yearn for a four-year period where they can safely ignore the goings-on in the White House (a desire that’s likely been heightened by the developments with Iran),” the Atlantic reports.)

NBC News candidly acknowledges Biden was underestimated. “There were plenty of good reasons to doubt Biden. And many did — from pundits to rival campaigns — and many of whom assumed last year that Biden’s collapse was not only inevitable but also imminent.”

Biden’s decency, compassion and emotional connection to many older voters, especially African Americans, were hardly a secret. Nevertheless, the media played every Biden gaffe and noncontemporary reference (Record players?! It’s over!) as evidence of his imminent demise. They insisted that the difference among candidates’ price tags on green energy plans or the spat over fundraising practices was terribly important while the candidate’s interactions with voters were incidental to the candidate’s appeal. If you are looking at the wrong things, your diagnosis of the situation is going to be off-kilter.

-snip-

The media’s breathless horse-race reporting missed what is evident in Biden’s steady polling numbers: The fashionable cloak of cynicism, the anger of social media and the progressive world’s obsession with ideological purity are largely absent from Biden’s supporters. Instead of fixating on all the reasons voters shouldn’t remain attached to Biden, reporters and pundits might have done better listening to his supporters. They might have grasped Biden supporters’ depth of affection and their fervent desire to stop the craziness.

-snip-

[Peacetrain]

1. They are finally catching up with the voter..

[DemocracyMouse]

21. Which "the voter" doth thou speaketh?

They haven't caught up with the majority of voters who want deeper structural changes to put food on the table. Democrats have radically shifted to the right.

This voter wants a real centrist like Warren, not a smooth talking center-right candidate like Biden.

[BlueIdaho]

35. The voters that want the best shot of defeating that cancer - Trump. nt.

[DemocracyMouse]

57. Warren is the best shot at beating Trump.

If you combine all of this country's fed up voters, Sanders or Warren take the cake.

If we had a real democracy with ranked voting, explaining these polling realities wouldn't be so difficult.

One more time: The progressive votes add up to the largest percentage.

If Biden were more reliably pro-citizen and not watered down by corporate interests, I'd happily switch over.

[Cha]

84. No EW is Not.

[LongtimeAZDem]

87. It doesn't work like that

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. The lure of a return to normalcy is powerful.

[Demsrule86]

39. Obama was no Damn corporatist. And yeah, I doubt there are five

People left who remember Roosevelt contemporaneously. Obama was the greatest president of my lifetime. And most voters would give their left arm to go back to this time. Tired of the Obama bashing.

[Demsrule86]

40. Oh and how about we beat Trump. That is my concern. As for retiring poor under Biden well that is

just nonsense.

[Mr.Bill]

3. And this, my fellow DUers, is how you advance the cause of your favorite candidate.

Last edited Mon Jan 6, 2020, 11:04 PM - Edit history (1)

Not giving links to hit pieces about other candidates.

[NYMinute]

23. A truth lost on the "movement" nt

[ramen]

31. Amen.

[aikoaiko]

77. Getting love from a conservative pundit doesn't work for me.

[redstateblues]

4. There it is! Go Joe Go!

[betsuni]

5. K&R

[TwilightZone]

6. Part of it could be that he's a mostly-known quantity.

Sanders is the only other candidate who had similar name-recognition in the first few months of the campaign, so the media largely focused on the various shiny, new objects as they came and went.

The point about being able to safely ignore the daily goings-on in the WH is an excellent one. We tend to forget that many voters - perhaps a majority - are not the political junkies that we are. Some - many, in fact - are apolitical. Trump's constant barrage of bullshit simply gets tiresome to many, particularly those voters, and a return to a world where everything isn't a daily crisis would be welcome to many.

The irony, of course, is that some of Biden's detractors think "boring" should be the death knell for a candidate. I suspect a lot of people would prefer "boring" to the current situation.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Biden is a patriot, smart, and has class and good judgment

After Trump, I don't know what more you need to know.

[Dream Girl]

20. He is a gentleman. Also, very wise and seasoned to say the least.

[usaf-vet]

36. As I said a couple of days ago.

I am starting to lean towards Biden as well. At least he will put smart people around him. AND F..in LISTEN when they offer advice.

If he were to pick the right VP the Dems would be ready to compete in 2020, 2024 and 2028.

[BannonsLiver]

8. This is what the other candidates are going to have to overcome

And at this point I don’t see it happening. He’s proven to be FAR more resilient than his critics ever thought was even remotely possible. That’s why you see the desperation from one candidate in particular and that candidate’s surrogates. I don’t think it’s going to work.

[hurl]

9. Huh?

The mainstream media have been covering Joe Biden as the de-facto front-runner for months. What on earth is she talking about? In what universe would she think media hadn't 'discovered "front-runner" Joe'? This seems plain dumb, typical of GOP RWers.

[redstateblues]

12. The media has been predicting Joe's demise since he announced

Recently it's "Joe isn't the front runner because someone else raised more money". It's been a constant. Never Trumper Rubin got this right

[Thekaspervote]

13. This!

[Hekate]

15. Jennifer Rubin is actually correct, as it happens. The media as a whole so desperately wants ...

Last edited Tue Jan 7, 2020, 05:01 AM - Edit history (2)

...drama and a horse-race that they have been ignoring the truth about the electorate as well as about Joe.

And that truth is that while most of the other Dem candidates are good people and appealing in their own ways, we are living in a time of actual governmental collapse, brought about by a madman/wannabe dictator who is an obscene specimen of humanity. This is a national emergency such as we have not seen probably since the actual Civil War. Above all, we want a candidate who can win and get that hellbeast out.

Joe Biden is not just your humorous Uncle Joe who can magic a quarter out of your ear. He's not a clumsy gaffe-machine. He is in fact a supremely experienced American politician with a long, long liberal record. In addition he is a palpably decent man and always has been. Any liberal Democratic issue you care about, Joe Biden is on your side and has worked on it.

Jennifer Rubin sees it. The Never-Trumpers see it. And in fact most Democrats see it as well. That is why he started anead and stays ahead.

[Desert grandma]

26. I think so too, Hekate

And it is the reason why Trump does not want him to be the nominee. It is because he in fact, WILL kick the Orange Buffoon out of the people's house. I am sure Russia and dark money groups will do all in their power to produce a different nominee. No other nominee has the depth of experience along with the decency and compassion Biden has. He will be a formidable opponent to the Liar in Chief.

[emmaverybo]

58. THIS. And he will stabilize our foreign policy and relations. Has in-depth grasp of geopolitical

complexities.

[emmaverybo]

59. Truth.

[Demsrule86]

41. You ever see Rachel interview him...or Chris Hayes? No you don't.

I stopped watching MSNBC because of their constant attacks on Biden.

[emmaverybo]

60. Same here. They were despicable day after the first debate. Real constant Biden bashing fest

from the time before he ran, when Linda Flores aired her discomfort with him to the world, and then through Harris’s lauded confrontation to now. I hardly watch.

[maxsolomon]

10. "Voters" are delusional, then.

When was this vaunted period of decency and civility? During the Death Panel scare of 2009/10? The Benghazi investigation?

Maybe it was during the War Crimes of the Bush Era, when Libtards were traitors and pussies for opposing invading Iraq?

Oh, I know, it was during the Clinton Impeachment. Everyone was so bipartisan during that episode.

Face it, the anger and vitriol is stoked by the GOP's "Mighty Bullshit Wurlitzer", as Charles Pierce calls it, and it will never go away no matter how anodyne and centrist the Democrat. They win when Old White Pipo are angry and scared.

The sheep of America may want to go back to sleep, but they shouldn't. Fascism doesn't rest.

[PatSeg]

17. Everything is relative

There have been really bad things during every administration, but this current administration is so horrible, that people would prefer normal dysfunction. There have always been problems throughout history and there will be problems in the future, but today's problems could eliminate the possibility of a future.

People don't "want to go back to sleep", they want to fight battles that can be won with leaders they can trust.

[Demsrule86]

46. So sick of the Obama bashing.

He was the best president of my lifetime.

[PatSeg]

48. Same here

We were lucky to have him.

[Demsrule86]

52. He was better than we deserved... if we had his back in 10 and 12, a Democrat

would likely be in the White House right now...no house investigations, no bullshit about shutting down the government...a different better world.

[PatSeg]

54. And Merrick Garland

would be sitting on the Supreme Court. There's a special place in hell for that weasel McConnell. May the man get everything he deserves 100 fold.

[Demsrule86]

55. Very true...and many who sent message votes now

complain.

[maxsolomon]

65. Show me where I bashed Obama

He was the best President of my lifetime.

[Demsrule86]

83. Perhaps I misunderstood...but the we can't go back ..back to what? Pre -Trump was

Obama's term and I want to go back desperately. I don't think it was so bad...we had a good guy in the White House, we got health care, the economy was saved, my husband's job was saved (autos), gay marriage... we did get a justice and had we had Obama's back in 14 we would have gotten two justices...the point is some are trashing Obama's administration to stop Biden...and they shouldn't...if I misunderstood, you have my apology, and it seems I did. He is my favorite president too. I do like Bill Clinton though too.

[maxsolomon]

66. YOU want to fight battles that can be won with leaders you can trust.

Last edited Tue Jan 7, 2020, 03:57 PM - Edit history (1)

I want that too. Most of DU wants that. Not every voter wants that.

Jennifer Rubin, from the the snip in the OP: "They yearn for a four-year period where they can safely ignore the goings-on in the White House."

Sure, quibble that "ignore" is not equivalent to "sleep", but who is "they", then?

[PatSeg]

69. Everyone has lives to live

families to raise and jobs to do. It is normal to pay regular attention to current events at home and abroad, but under Trump, we are more focused on the White House and his effects on the world at large 24/7. That is far from normal and extremely unhealthy.

With Obama as president, I didn't feel the need to keep up with everything he did all the time, so yes there were times when it was "safe" to ignore what was going on, as I knew the people in charge were competent and principled, not to mention sane. I may not have always agreed with what was said or done, but then I didn't realistically expect to.

So I suppose "they" are most people, who though they care about what is happening in the world, they also need to focus time and energy on their personal lives, relationships, and problems. That said, there are people who are oblivious to what is going on outside their own little bubbles and there always have been such people. I'm not these people will change, unless a huge crisis comes directly to their door.

[NYMinute]

27. Does one have to throw up every time there is a positive Biden thread?

Asking for a friend

[emmaverybo]

61. One has to try to take the wind out of supporter's sails or rain on the parade lest there be a hint

of enthusiasm or even clear-eyed review of his superior job-specific qualifications, experience, and
accomplishments because all that Jazz doesn’t hold a candle to big and bold ideas.

[maxsolomon]

63. You know, I wasn't even addressing Biden or his qualifications.

I was addressing Rubin's contention.

[emmaverybo]

74. Sorry Max. I meant to address NYminute's concern, not your comments.

[Demsrule86]

45. Obama was a great president so Perhaps some could stop acting like 2008 thru

2016 were so awful. OBAMA SAVED THE ECONOMY AND GAVE US HEATHCARE. He developed programs that saved people`s homes. He took student loans away from the banks. And Joe was by his side.

I am completely over the Obama bashing by some who support other candidates. You do your candidate no favors by attacking a popular Democratic president. And maybe if the left had his back in the midterms, he might have done more. Truth be told, Obama was better than some of us deserved.

[PatSeg]

49. Good point

Bashing Obama and his administration cannot possibly benefit any Democratic candidate. If anything it will do the opposite. Obama is a very popular president among Democrats and that's not likely to change.

[Demsrule86]

51. It makes me want to hurl when people talk as if the Obama administrarion was some sort

of hell.

[PatSeg]

53. The only hell that I remember

is the way republicans in congress treated him. The disrespect and obstruction was appalling. Just imagine what he could have accomplished if he'd had a relatively reasonable house and senate. They did everything they could to make him appear like an illegitimate president, but he still left office wildly popular with the American people.

Too many people are trying to attack Biden by attacking the Obama administration, a really, really horrible tactic.

[Demsrule86]

56. I agree and it is a horrible tactic...and those who do it will only hurt their candidate.

And any candidate that does this will lose the primary,

[PatSeg]

62. What voters do they think they

are appealing to anyway? Democrats hate it and republicans won't vote for their candidates. In a nutshell, aside from being a crappy thing to do, it is god-awful politics. Might be a good tactic for a professional troll however.

[Demsrule86]

81. This is true.

[maxsolomon]

64. I'm not Obama bashing, or Biden bashing.

I'm addressing Rubin's notion that we can return to normalcy under Biden or any Democrat for that matter.

Obama's terms were not normal. They were marked by GOP scorched-earth politics.

[Demsrule86]

80. I would happily return to Obama's term...and it was not different than Clintons...the GOP are a

scorched earth party...but it is preferable than Trump. I would kill to go back to an Obama administration...especially tonight on the brink of war with a madman in charge of this nation. God help us.

[progressoid]

71. Where's the Obama bashing?

[treestar]

91. No way the Dotard has not made everything

considerably worse.

[Scurrilous]

11. Excellent piece hpd.

K&R

[tiredtoo]

14. So, another republican columnist likes Biden

Scary!

[PatSeg]

50. Jennifer Rubin

has been very supportive of Democrats ever since Trump moved into the White House. Her editorials are well written and very insightful. I don't know if she even identifies as a republican anymore. Awhile back she advocated "burning the republican party down with no survivors".

[tiredtoo]

68. Nice spin but she is a republican, just not a trumplican NT.

[PatSeg]

70. Hardly "spin"

She is an articulate, intelligent journalist and commentator. When she is right, I'll give her credit. There were many times pre-Trump when I found her insufferable. Its possible that post-Trump, that may be the case again, but any republican or former republican who speaks truth and makes sense will get the appropriate acknowledgement from me.

Michael Steel, Rick Wilson, Steve Schmidt, George Conway, Nicolle Wallace, David Jolly, and even occasionally George Will have all been important truth tellers in these dark times. Perhaps when this is over, everyone will go back to their respective corners and the old ideological fights will resume, but right now where there is common ground, we should unite. We can take up those fights again once the danger has passed.

[tiredtoo]

73. Ok if you want to agree with all the republicans you mentioned, go for it! EOM

[PatSeg]

75. Apparently

You didn't understand a word that I wrote. If you want to put your partisan blinders on and shut out any truth and reason that helps our cause, go for it!

Agreeing with someone when they are right is NOT a blanket agreement for anything and everything they have ever said or done.

[tiredtoo]

78. Apparently not.

I thought you we're posting a list of republicans that support Biden, sorry.

[PatSeg]

79. Oh no

Those were just some random republicans I've seen on TV who have surprised me with their uncharacteristic clarity and reason. That's something I've not been used to for many years. I so rarely saw it during the Bush and Obama years. It took an unparalleled threat to civilization to bring some rational thought out of them.

[redstateblues]

76. The enemy of my enemy is my friend

Rubin is right this time. I can guarantee you she won’t vote for Trump

[NBachers]

16. Battle for the Soul of America

[PatSeg]

18. Excellent article

[vsrazdem]

19. If she was saying anything negative, we would be told not to post rightwing trash, but because its

positive its all of a sudden, Jennifer Rubin, so smart. LOL.

[NYMinute]

25. It is from WaPo which is not a RW publication nt

[vsrazdem]

28. Well that may be, but I am always hearing negative comments about her on this board, until it is

something good about Biden. There have been numerous negative comments made about her here, and by all different supporters.

[NYMinute]

29. She is a regular contributor on MSNBC

and a well-respected journalist. Despite being a republican, she has been against Trump from 2015. She is not a whacko RWNJ. The negative statements about her come from a small, noisy quarter. The same quarter has had negative comments about Nancy Pelosi as well.

[vsrazdem]

30. And a life long Republican who likes to tell Democrats whats up with their candidates, LOL. And as

far as being an MSM contributor, so is Donny Deutsch, but I don't listen to half of what he says.

[NYMinute]

32. So what? Are we so fickle or fragile that we won't listen to a sensible, moderate republican

who is helping our cause?

[highplainsdem]

33. By that standard, I'd expect you to favor candidates who are lifelong Democrats.

[NYMinute]

24. Normalcy, decency and experience trump a trillion dollar plan after trillion dollar plan

[left-of-center2012]

34. A conservative's opinion piece

"Jennifer Rubin is an American conservative columnist who writes the "Right Turn" blog for The Washington Post."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Rubin_(journalist)

[EveHammond13]

37. media still pursing their "TO THE DINERS!" "reporting", like a busted Roomba stuck in the corner

But why can't I just keep talking to trump-voting, idiot white bigots at the local roach-infested greasy diner?

What am I missing? --- Peter Baker, NYT

[highplainsdem]

38. LOL at the Roomba-stuck-in-a-corner comparison! Perfect!

[RhodeIslandOne]

42. Rubin: I'd prefer John Kasich or Mitt, but Biden will do.

I'm pretty sure she trashed Biden when she was begging for Romney to defeat Obama.

https://www.heralddemocrat.com/opinion/national-commentary/jennifer-rubin-bogus-excuse-obama

First, Obama has surrounded himself with sycophants who won’t tell him he is wrong.

Screw Jennifer Rubin.

[Gothmog]

43. Great editorial

Link to tweet

[Quixote1818]

44. Jennifer Rubin is a Republican

[Demsrule86]

47. So was Warren at one time...

[Blue_Adept]

67. Rubin being one NOW says far more than Warren being one in the 80s or 90s

[Demsrule86]

82. She was one until 96 by her own words...just think all through the Reagan years and GOP attacks

on Clinton...but now she is a Democrat and I applaud that. However, she was one at one time...so I fail to understand why you can't accept a Republican who hates Trump might just might have an interest of ridding us of Trump.

[Cha]

85. Fail at your "distraction".. she's a NEVER

trump and she want to WIN.

[treestar]

92. Which does not affect her point

That we've all had enough of the Dotard's constant drama.

[Gothmog]

72. Biden builds primary strategy around general election

Link to tweet

Former Vice President Joe Biden is running a general election campaign during the Democratic primary.
While other presidential candidates are running campaigns tailored to the Democratic base, Biden's message, for the most part, is targeting centrists and independents, a move typically reserved for the general election.

While the strategy can be risky for primary candidates, Democrats say the strategy works well for Biden. He is currently well-ahead of his competitors.

“Biden’s strength has always been to fuse pragmatism and progressivism,” said former Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), who has said that the former vice president has the best chance among all the Democratic candidates of defeating President Trump later this year.

“And the polling is pretty consistent that most Democrats want a candidate who can defeat Donald Trump and reflect their core values at the same time. Biden is trying to dominate that lane.”

A survey from Harvard CAPS/Harris Poll out on Friday showed Biden receiving the support of 30 percent of Democrats. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), who along with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has drawn support from progressives, came in a distant second with 17 percent.

[Hortensis]

86. Sure! Biden's always spoken to rescuing America from the threat

of RW authoritarian takeover. From the very beginning his huge priority has been to lead Americans to restore stability and the decency that is always a goal of liberal government. The "soul" of America as he describes it.

Joe said right out of the gate that he's focused on doing that by returning power to Democrats and would refuse to engage in petty squabbling. So hardly a surprise that he's kept that promise, focusing on the existential battle ahead in the GE, and will continue to.

[R B Garr]

89. Great article, Gothmog. Biden does look to be thinking bigger than his colleagues who

are engaged in the same petty insults/squabbles from 5 years ago now. Biden is actually looking presidential in that process.

[R B Garr]

88. Oooh, Rubin really has their number here:

"The media’s breathless horse-race reporting missed what is evident in Biden’s steady polling numbers: The fashionable cloak of cynicism, the anger of social media and the progressive world’s obsession with ideological purity are largely absent from Biden’s supporters."



She has nailed it with this piece.

[Gothmog]

90. Biden in many ways appears to be in a stronger position now than he was when he entered the race,

Link to tweet

Less than four weeks from the Iowa caucuses, former Vice President Joe Biden in many ways appears to be in a stronger position now than he was when he entered the 2020 presidential race.

Biden has defied perceptions that he is a weak front-runner, retaining his strength with non-white voters and ranking consistently as the candidate likely voters believe has the best chance to defeat President Donald Trump. Predictions that his age, penchant for gaffes and lengthy record would be his undoing have not come true.

Now, a confluence of events in the lead-up to the first primary votes being cast are playing to Biden's strengths.
National headlines have been dominated by the turmoil in Iraq and Iran, amplifying Biden's core message that he has the most experience on the world stage to be president.

"There is a smart way to counter them, to counter Iran -- and a self-defeating way. Trump's approach in my view is demonstrably the latter," Biden said in a foreign policy speech Tuesday in New York.

And with electability remaining at the forefront of Democratic voters' minds, Biden is racking up endorsements, including several from swing-district congressional Democrats this week.