The Conservative Publishing Industry Has a Joe Biden Problem

[TheElectoralBoobyPrize]

Hmm. It's almost like Biden has some combination of attributes that Republicans' previous hate-targets are missing, but I just can't figure out what it could possibly be.

I mean, you're not wrong here, but they did it to white male Bill Clinton too, so it's not the most unique point in the world.

If we're going down this rabbit-hole, you're forgetting one more aspect here.

Is it that in addition to being three years younger in absolute terms, he was also three DECADES younger while president? I don’t know…Clinton had ethical baggage Biden doesn’t have, and also Clinton, while a gifted speaker, came off as more phony than Biden. Clinton also didn’t have any Washington experience, but not sure if that made any difference in Republican hate toward him.

[ingemann]

To others, though, the apathy makes sense. Eric Nelson, the executive editor at Broadside Books, the conservative imprint of HarperCollins, told me that the right-wing media’s portrayal of Biden as a weak, addled old man is not conducive to book-length takedowns. “Nobody who watches Fox thinks that Joe Biden is in charge of the country,” Nelson said. The popular narrative on the right is that Biden is a kind of figurehead whose White House is actually being run by radical leftists behind the scenes. “If somebody came to me and was like, ‘I have a book on Biden’s secret plan to destroy America,’ I would ask, ‘How many times does the word nap appear in the index?’” Nelson said.

Ben Shapiro, the popular right-wing podcast host and author, echoed this sentiment. The president “has a deeply nonthreatening persona,” Shapiro told me. “You kind of feel bad attacking him, honestly, because it feels like elder abuse.”

Putting aside whether the perception of Biden as a bumbling geriatric bears any resemblance to reality, the fact that it’s so firmly embedded in the conservative media means that it will be difficult to dislodge. To gain literary traction on the right, a villain has to generate fear and outrage, not simply ridicule.

Since the right decided to portray Biden as an old geezer, it's now hard to vilify him.

Instead, the editor said, the smart money is on Vice President Kamala Harris, who could be reinvented in the right writerly hands as a devious puppet master pulling the strings of the affable, witless president. (Sound familiar?)

I am surprised that the right hasn't gone after Harris already.

They don't respect her enough to go after her, Clinton scared them Harris don't. Harris is pretty much the a female Democratic version of Dan Quayle, except that there was at least some Republicans who cared about Quayle, while not even Californian Democrats cares about Harris.

[darklordoftech]

Hmm. It's almost like Biden has some combination of attributes that Republicans' previous hate-targets are missing, but I just can't figure out what it could possibly be.

I mean, you're not wrong here, but they did it to white male Bill Clinton too, so it's not the most unique point in the world.

However, Hillary was perceived as influencing Bill’s administration.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Hmm. It's almost like Biden has some combination of attributes that Republicans' previous hate-targets are missing, but I just can't figure out what it could possibly be.

Probably because you're limited to only considering race and gender. Both Obama and Clinton came across as elitist, compassionate elitist to be sure, but definitely elitist. Joe comes across as an ordinary Joe

[Alben Barkley]

Hmm. It's almost like Biden has some combination of attributes that Republicans' previous hate-targets are missing, but I just can't figure out what it could possibly be.

Probably because you're limited to only considering race and gender. Both Obama and Clinton came across as elitist, compassionate elitist to be sure, but definitely elitist. Joe comes across as an ordinary Joe

But Bill Clinton didn’t come off as elitist either.

I guess the age/generation thing probably is the best explanation for his case.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The real reason is that Donald Trump( and his cult fan base and administration) has exhausted the country for a good while from politics. So it seems like it hard to turn up the ante after 4 years of Trump. It also helps that Biden is an older man who is more moderate than most of presidential candidates and a good chunk of congressional democrats. Lastly it does seem like the conservatism we know of is losing a bit of its flavour and steam so it has reinvent them self into something else especially the nationalist types(See Bolsonaro, Modi, Netanyahu as examples who are losing some goodwill in their own countries). Maybe try to be more like Boris Johnson but we'll see.

This is a interesting take from the article

And there’s another problem, Goldberg told me: “Most of the good ammo against Biden—which I’ve deployed in the past—isn’t as effective after four years of Trump. He says crazy things! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! He has a ridiculous ego and lies about his brilliance and expertise! All of this is true. But all of that has been normalized by Trump.” To a conservative movement that has been “mainlining crazy for five years,” it’s hard to get excited about measured criticism of Biden and his policies

The highlighted sentence is simply not true.

Whatever Biden may believe as a person, he's governing the farthest left Administration in my lifetime.

But you were alive for LBJ, JFK, and Nixon.

Hell, pretty sure even Carter is a better case for "left" than this current neoliberal, living off the fumes of the same far-right governance largely in place since 1976.

If Biden updated Humphrey-Hawkins and repealed Taft-Hartley...I mean that might be a case...but being left of conservatives like Obama and Bill...it just doesn't pass the muster.

I'll bite on the latter. 

Of course, if I buy into your point of view, it begs the question as to why repeal of Taft-Hartley is not on the front burner of the current Democratic agenda.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Of course, if I buy into your point of view, it begs the question as to why repeal of Taft-Hartley is not on the front burner of the current Democratic agenda.

Not necessarily. I'm sure you'll be the first to agree that traditional pro-labor legislating is not at the forefront of the stereotypical "woke" agenda.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Of course, if I buy into your point of view, it begs the question as to why repeal of Taft-Hartley is not on the front burner of the current Democratic agenda.

Not necessarily. I'm sure you'll be the first to agree that traditional pro-labor legislating is not at the forefront of the stereotypical "woke" agenda.

Sadly, that's true.

That speaks volumes about the Work Ethic of the Woke!

[darklordoftech]

why repeal of Taft-Hartley is not on the front burner of the current Democratic agenda.

Historically, a lot of Southern Democrats were DINOs on labor issues. Today, it’s because of the fillibuster.

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

The real reason is that Donald Trump( and his cult fan base and administration) has exhausted the country for a good while from politics. So it seems like it hard to turn up the ante after 4 years of Trump. It also helps that Biden is an older man who is more moderate than most of presidential candidates and a good chunk of congressional democrats. Lastly it does seem like the conservatism we know of is losing a bit of its flavour and steam so it has reinvent them self into something else especially the nationalist types(See Bolsonaro, Modi, Netanyahu as examples who are losing some goodwill in their own countries). Maybe try to be more like Boris Johnson but we'll see.

This is a interesting take from the article

And there’s another problem, Goldberg told me: “Most of the good ammo against Biden—which I’ve deployed in the past—isn’t as effective after four years of Trump. He says crazy things! He doesn’t know what he’s talking about! He has a ridiculous ego and lies about his brilliance and expertise! All of this is true. But all of that has been normalized by Trump.” To a conservative movement that has been “mainlining crazy for five years,” it’s hard to get excited about measured criticism of Biden and his policies

The highlighted sentence is simply not true.

Whatever Biden may believe as a person, he's governing the farthest left Administration in my lifetime.

But you were alive for LBJ, JFK, and Nixon.

Hell, pretty sure even Carter is a better case for "left" than this current neoliberal, living off the fumes of the same far-right governance largely in place since 1976.

If Biden updated Humphrey-Hawkins and repealed Taft-Hartley...I mean that might be a case...but being left of conservatives like Obama and Bill...it just doesn't pass the muster.

I'll bite on the latter. 

Of course, if I buy into your point of view, it begs the question as to why repeal of Taft-Hartley is not on the front burner of the current Democratic agenda.

The Democratic Party, on the whole, is small-c conservative. Most of the elements of the party you hate most are tolerated by the party apparatus at best and silenced at worst.

And it has to be conservative, because whatever the Republican Party pretends to stand for now is not conservative; it's reaction, grift, and off-the-wall conspiracy theories.

[Da2017]

To others, though, the apathy makes sense. Eric Nelson, the executive editor at Broadside Books, the conservative imprint of HarperCollins, told me that the right-wing media’s portrayal of Biden as a weak, addled old man is not conducive to book-length takedowns. “Nobody who watches Fox thinks that Joe Biden is in charge of the country,” Nelson said. The popular narrative on the right is that Biden is a kind of figurehead whose White House is actually being run by radical leftists behind the scenes. “If somebody came to me and was like, ‘I have a book on Biden’s secret plan to destroy America,’ I would ask, ‘How many times does the word nap appear in the index?’” Nelson said.

Ben Shapiro, the popular right-wing podcast host and author, echoed this sentiment. The president “has a deeply nonthreatening persona,” Shapiro told me. “You kind of feel bad attacking him, honestly, because it feels like elder abuse.”

Putting aside whether the perception of Biden as a bumbling geriatric bears any resemblance to reality, the fact that it’s so firmly embedded in the conservative media means that it will be difficult to dislodge. To gain literary traction on the right, a villain has to generate fear and outrage, not simply ridicule.

Since the right decided to portray Biden as an old geezer, it's now hard to vilify him.

Instead, the editor said, the smart money is on Vice President Kamala Harris, who could be reinvented in the right writerly hands as a devious puppet master pulling the strings of the affable, witless president. (Sound familiar?)

I am surprised that the right hasn't gone after Harris already.

They don't respect her enough to go after her, Clinton scared them Harris don't. Harris is pretty much the a female Democratic version of Dan Quayle, except that there was at least some Republicans who cared about Quayle, while not even Californian Democrats cares about Harris.

They are upping their attacks. Female version of Dan Quayle? not even close.

[Pericles]

Odd that statistically Biden doesn't seem to be less polarising than Obama or Clinton, 62% of Republicans strongly disapprove of him. This is much closer to Trump's strong disapproval ratings among the opposite party than any other 21st century President in their first six months.

[Bootes Void]

Odd that statistically Biden doesn't seem to be less polarising than Obama or Clinton, 62% of Republicans strongly disapprove of him. This is much closer to Trump's strong disapproval ratings among the opposite party than any other 21st century President in their first six months.

What about later on? Especially Obama's second term( or Bush's for that matter), I can't imagine it being good

[AtorBoltox]

Odd that statistically Biden doesn't seem to be less polarising than Obama or Clinton, 62% of Republicans strongly disapprove of him. This is much closer to Trump's strong disapproval ratings among the opposite party than any other 21st century President in their first six months.

This kinds of seems like going through the motions and answering strongly disapprove because they feel it's expected

[Mr. Smith]

Hmm. It's almost like Biden has some combination of attributes that Republicans' previous hate-targets are missing, but I just can't figure out what it could possibly be.

I mean, you're not wrong here, but they did it to white male Bill Clinton too, so it's not the most unique point in the world.

If we're going down this rabbit-hole, you're forgetting one more aspect here.

Is it that in addition to being three years younger in absolute terms, he was also three DECADES younger while president? I don’t know…Clinton had ethical baggage Biden doesn’t have, and also Clinton, while a gifted speaker, came off as more phony than Biden. Clinton also didn’t have any Washington experience, but not sure if that made any difference in Republican hate toward him.

DING DING DA DING you win the prize.

Turns out a base consisting of old phoegeys and codgers just don't tend to like being told what to do by younger people, be it an actual younger person, or someone who wholly represents their ideas of younger.

Biden made back a lot of slack on the +65 crowd for a reason, and afaic, it's pretty much the reason he took back "The Blue Wall".

[Progressive Pessimist]

I suppose the situation with Biden could be summed up as Republicans detesting the idea of Biden's presidency, with the Big Lie and all, over himself as President. Perhaps that's the best the GOP can do in the face of someone as benign as Joe Biden. Don't get me wrong though, while it may not be as deranged with the personal attacks on Obama, it is even more deranged as an attack on our republic.