Biden uses humor to try to defuse concerns about his age

[brooklynite]

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden served in the Senate for 270 years. He used to be three years older than his sister Valerie, but now has 20 years on her. And the fourth U.S. president — whom Biden affectionally calls “Jimmy” Madison — is a good friend.

All kidding aside, the 80-year-old Biden will tell you, he is at the end of his career, not the beginning. He’s been doing this for a long time. And he’s gotten a “hell of a lot of wisdom” over those years, making him deserving of a second term.

As Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, embarks on his reelection campaign, he is increasingly musing aloud about his advanced age, cracking self-deprecating jokes and framing his decades in public life as a plus, hoping to convince voters his age is an asset rather than a vulnerability.

In short, he’s trying to own it.

“I stand here humbled being the first sitting president of the United States to have an opportunity to speak at Ebenezer Sunday service,” Biden said in January at the historic Atlanta church where Martin Luther King, Jr. was the co-pastor. “You’ve been around for 136 years. I know I look like it, but I haven’t.”

[dmr]

1. I love this wonderful man.

And, I'm so very happy he is my president.

[keithbvadu2]

2. Debate suggestion...

Biden and Trump both enter the stage... coming down a ramp.

[kacekwl]

3. Good grief, just look at his schedule for the last couple of months.

Jetting around the world doing his job flawlessly. And how about his dismantling of the gop jerkoffs at the State of the Union. Feeble and mentally unfit my ass.

[Indykatie]

4. I Believe Much of the Concern Re Biden's Age is About the Prospect of Kamala Becoming POTUS

if he dies in office. Republicans aren't shy about their fear of Kamala being POTUS if Biden dies. Unfortunately there are some Dems who wouldn't want to see her as POTUS either. You only have to look at hypothetical 2028 polls to see preferences for Pete, Whitmer, Newsom and others.

[Hekate]

6. Democratic misogyny in action -- shame on our party for that

[Cha]

5. No reason Pres Biden should Not

Own it.. it's his.

[Music Man]

7. I'd hoped this would be the approach.

There's no ignoring Biden's age, so might as well lean into it.

Plenty of opportunities to play off Trump's age, too, I'd say. "I know some people think my age is a liability. Unlike my opponent who is... let me check my notes...... 78..."

[spanone]

8. Why no media concern over trump's sanity?

Much more apparent than Biden's age.