I did have a chance to watch the whole video now.

Well, certainly he has never been the most verbally articulate of presidents...

But he responded to questions appropriately..the only real gaffe was saying 1960 instead of 1860 in reference to the Civil War.

And he successfully organized a coalition to stop Russia in Ukraine and the economy is looking solid: got out of the inflation spiral without going into a recession, unemployment is still low, growth forecast is looking up.

We're not going to give him any credit for that?

To me, he's done a good job, whether it's through his own qualities or picking good people (likely a combination of both--I certainly believe he has made unique contributions in foreign policy and getting major legislation passed). And I'll have to see clear mental decline before I make a risky bet on someone else. Especially in the Trump era...

"Debates in today's political world are not that however. It is a weak stance meant to not polarize and segment the least amount of support. That is exactly why I want a politician to voice and stand for their beliefs, letting the chips fall where they may.

Anything less is cowardice. You might as well just hide in the basement. (Intentional jab at the POTUS)."

It's a nice thought but that kind of of lack of forthrightness is essential to being a politician. I wouldn't want to be a politician and have to be evasive/ambiguous so they don't lose voters by having a concrete position that will drive away single-issue (or at least a high degree of importance for that voter) voters on that issue from voting for them, but if you're going to be a pol you have to play that game. Otherwise you lose; it's as simple as that.

Well, arent Republicans lying about blaming Biden for inflation? It was inevitable that in 2022 inflation was going to steeply rise. Compare US to European inflation:

https://www.spglobal.com/marketintellig ... feb24.html

ECONOMICS COMMENTARY Feb 23, 2024
US inflation descent outpacing that of Europe according to flash PMIs

Chris Williamson
February's flash PMI surveys brought mixed news on inflation, with European prices looking stickier than in the US. The UK was also notable in seeing a greater incidence of supply chain delays, linked in part to Red Sea shipping disruptions, which is a potential harbinger of higher prices in the coming months.

Leading indicators of inflation
A key indicator of inflation is the PMI survey data relating to average prices charged for goods and services. While some of these goods and services are offered directly to consumers, notably the latter including many consumer-focused offerings such as meals, hotel accommodation, event tickets, haircuts and more, many are also sold to other companies, meaning the PMI price data act similarly to wholesale prices. As such, the PMI data tend to change before retail or high street prices, with retailers usually passing higher (or lower) supplier prices on after a delay. Hence the PMI data tend to exhibit their highest correlations with consumer price (CPI) inflation rates with leads ranging from 3-6 months.

"US inflation
Looking at the latest data, the numbers from the United States are especially encouraging. Although the S&P Global PMI index of average prices charged for goods and services rose slightly according to February's provisional 'flash' reading, indicating a marginally faster rate of increase, the index remained low by historical standards. In fact, after January, February's reading of 52.9 was the lowest since June 2020.

Furthermore, historical comparisons suggest this latest reading is broadly indicative of annual consumer price inflation running at a 2% level, which is consistent with the US central bank's target.

The US survey data have provided a clear advance indication of US inflation surging during the pandemic, correctly signaling a peak in June 2022 and a subsequent rapid easing over the course of late-2022. After some stickiness was indicated around the 3% mark in 2023, the latest readings are an encouraging sign that inflation is cooling further to meet the FOMC's target."

If this election is about which guy is more honest, then Biden is honest Abe compared to Trump and should win in a landslide...