By Paul Waldman Paul Waldman Opinion writer covering politics Email Bio Follow Opinion writer April 26 at 3:11 PM Joe Biden is not going to change, no matter how many people beg him to.
The latest issue is another phase of an old issue, his handling of the 1991 confirmation hearings for Clarence Thomas’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Biden recently called Anita Hill to discuss it, and Hill has spoken to the New York Times: He just can’t get these things right, can he? Then on Friday, Biden went on “The View” and naturally got asked about Hill and the women he has made uncomfortable over the years with his handsiness.
And Biden’s excuses for the way he allowed Hill to be abused show perhaps an even worse kind of blind spot. He always talks about it as though it were something he had no role in, when he was the one in charge. As much as Biden considers himself a guy who “connects” with people, his version of connection isn’t particularly empathetic. He’ll glad-hand, or “comfort” you, but that comfort comes in the form he wants, like kisses and hugs and burying his face in your hair, and he seems oblivious to whether it’s the kind of comfort you’re looking for.
If Joe gets the win I am in.Go Joe!!!!!
3/3 removing Trump is the goal.
Democratics need to get out of their on way.Concentrate on what’s important HealthCare ,Education Infrastructure,Job training an voting rights etc. We already know he was wrong about The Anita Hill and the crime Bill now it’s time to build the people up that were effect.
I don’t think he needs to apologize for his mistakes when we know better we do better.We have all made the wrong call about something misspoke about something we need Trump OUT of the White House.
Enough of this
Biden has been a public servant since he was in his 20s. With that long a record we must look at the batting average, not at each game. The overall record makes him a Hall of Fame candidate. His opponent has widened our divided the nation to Civil War levels. We need consistency.
Why are you guys already starting on Biden!!!!!! Why don’t you stick to reporting ion our corrupt and dishonest lieing president !!!!!!Really!!!
YOU'RE DOING IT AGAIN “When journalists can’t, or won’t, distinguish between allegations directed at the Trump Foundation & those directed at the Clinton Foundation, there’s something seriously amiss'
Joe Biden is a fine person who is stable and experienced. His recent TV interview where he looked awkward apologizing was unnecessary. Give a real and sincere apology, Joe. You can move on afterward.
If trump can’t then nobody can and remember, you set this standard
Yes he can. I'm so sick of this new thing where we demonize & destroy people for missteps they made in the past. Bidens lifetime of hard work & caring support is being thrown out because of hugs he gave many years ago. It's time to stop this nonsense. Stop killing careers!
Joes past is not the issue. What he can bring for the future is!
Because we will never let him
🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️🤷♀️
So what the heck.. who’s without sin.. Trump? McConnell? Kavanaugh? Graham?
Biden isn’t Trump, he won’t lie. Many on the far left judge actions of 30 years ago with a 2019 lens.
Yea please report on Ukraine
It amazes me that JoeBiden can't get passed all the controversies but piggy Twitter fingers gets a pass.
Our you insane? Stop trashing Democrats the media does this every election & it gave us Trump. But by saying Biden isn't thoughtful or kind has to be the stupidest thing I've seen from a 'journalist' Biden voted AGAINST Thomas & defended Hill. In 2017 he PUBLICLY apologized.
JOE BIDEN HAS TO TELL THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WHAT DID HE KNOW WHEN DID HE KNOW ABOUT THE OBAMA/HILLARY/DEEPSTATE COUP THE BIGGEST CORRUPTION IN US HISTORY BARACK REDUCED AMERICA WORST THAN A 3RD WORLD COUNTRY DICTATORSHIP HE RULED KBG STYLE
Maybe because his past includes stuff like voting to go into Iraq and creating a bill to support mass incarceration. Those aren’t small things that can be overlooked.
Wikipedia must be making up the numerous Washington Post controversial incidents.
Why ? Thanks to the dishonest fake news media all democrats get away with everything they do
News you can use as toilet paper.
Because he's a creep
Maybe so, except we have a president who makes history every day by destroying our reputation, our democracy and our faith in our country. We need Biden to restore our soul! We all make mistakes, we are human.This prez enforces massive mistakes, everyday!
Only one 2020 candidate: Advocated for segregated schools Gave a eulogy for KKK Grand Wizard Gropes relentlessly Bullied Ukraine to drop charges against his son & threatened end of aid Authored the horrific Clinton Crime Bill Coordinated Chinese cash for his son Joe Biden.
It's the news media that won't let go of the past.
He just wants the show.
JantiMugisha Come on this cowboy is busy with the future and you with his past. Leave the man alone. Save your inkt.
He the modern day Democrat Party being an old ‘white Man’ he is prey. Might just as well have him walk into that Tiger’s pen.
It seems the leftist activist media is already picking sides for its sheep.
He helped Obama destroy this country NWO ideas
Controversies are expected now. Not a big deal.
Why doesn’t the corporate media do with Biden’s past and ignore it the way they do Trump’s? Oh I forgot: there is a double standard for Democrats that doesn’t apply to Republicans
Did he grab anyone by the p**sy
Tried & true.
Unfollowing. You guys are trying to go tabloid. Report about issues and candidates proposals. I don’t need to know about other peoples reaction to a candidate. We don’t need political gossip. We need information.
Creepy Joe
Why bother he won't change. Time for new blood. Warren/Buttigieg 2020
He is fecklessly allowing the leftist media to define & crucify him during his closing act in life. But he knew better & so do Democrats if their honest with themselves.
Funny... Trump did MUCH WORSE and his base swoon over him!
Sacrificial candidate to absorb GOP venom until primaries.
The only way he can 'escape' is apologize for doing nothing wrong, kiss up to whatever leftist activist group is accusing him and then exile himself forever from any social or political life. Anything less - and someone will still complain so the whole cycle starts anew.
Biden is trash. I would never ever vote for him.
He was trying to explain and apologize. He is a Great man! Joe is a perfect man for President!
Democrats will lose again. Now I’m almost sure about it.
Just keep it up & the GOP will win again. No candidate is squeaky clean. Damn. SMH. Seem to be acceptable ALL THE B.S. Trump has pulled off and CONTINUES to pull. But, ok. I see now, its going to be a LONG cycle.
Yeah, he has decades of service to his country and a few exercises of bad judgment. Voters would rather elect someone who has no political history, like Trump, and then act surprised when they exercise ignorance of politics and lots of bad judgment.
It wouldn't be because the media won't talk about anything else, would it? Nah, that can't be it.
... you mean his anti-desegregation policies?
Creepy Uncle Joe MeToo
while dems are trying to get a priest the devil will get re-elected
Please. You people voted in a confirmed old pervert who boasts about copping feels off unsuspecting women, obstructs justice and breaks laws NOW. Deal with that first...
Gee, I wonder who's going to get and endorsement from this paper?
He's old, popular but not progressive. So, his fellow democrats want to drag him down.
Quit trying to rewrite the past and just move forward. There are bigger fish to fry.
The dotard seems to have and he has done much worse.
Maybe because the media like you beat the stories to death. How else would they be promulgated?
Like Modern man, the Democrat Party has evolved … {The Power of Women} ((People of color)) and the energy of the ''Youth'' is driving the Democrat Party in a new direction. There is much work to be done to change the poll numbers.
Pervy Uncle Joe
Because trump was worse...
As if his controversies even begin to approach those of Donald Trump. Please.
I mean...we thought we was good enough to win be VP for 8 yrs a couple of years ago, now he's not ?The majority of the people do not care, thus his 1st day fundraising totals. The MSM is getting it wrong AGAIN. No wonder the public views of media is poor. Focus on this century
Well yeah, Joe Biden has more skeletons in his closet than Trump. Joe Biden gave a eulogy for Storm Thurman...a grand wizard of the KKK.
Who cares really? We got a criminal in the White House right now.
As like Trump, Big Mouth!
He had to know the questions going in making his rather embarrassing fumbling around for inadequate answers all the more mystifying and painful to watch. On these issues he should take a lesson from Trump - never apologize especially not mealy-mouthed semi-apologies. Sad.
Because the media keeps beating the same tired stories. Biden is a fallible but good hearted, a seasoned, patriotic American with a shit ton of experience. Rational Americans can live with the grey areas in life. Media wants black/white, good/bad; it's how we got Trump
Look at Trump in the WH he has had numerous affairs, sex with porn stars,play boy bunnies, prostitute, 20 or more women have come forward of a sexual Harassment. State he likes to watch at the young girls undress at miss American n he can get away with it he’s the boss.
He can’t escape them, b/c he never owns them; he speaks in the passive voice: things “happened,” someone “endured “ something. It’s never “I’m sorry for what I did; I was wrong.” That why they don’t -& won’t - go away.
Because news outlets like you, desperate for clicks and views will ensure that they rehash them over and over and over again on slow news days
Damn, WAPO hates Biden. In the last 3 days I’ve seen maybe 6 hit pieces on him. Lay off!
‘Cause news outlets keep bringing it up?
Fuck you, “controversy”. That implies some kind of disagreement or dispute. You can post literally dozens of different videos and quotes from joe without comment or contention that speak for themselves about how absolutely trash he is.
Here we go again, media. Did you not learn anything from 2016? Why don't you try putting country first for a change. You share a lot of the blame for where we are today.
At least he doesn’t grab the P. My family is one that hugs instead of shaking hands. Being someone who touches is not a problem. He doesn’t grab women’s breast or pat their behinds and most defiantly does not grab the P as 45 Most elegantly stated.
In the begining of the campaign only ...
Um...the Internet?
Why can’t he just say “I was wrong, I see that now, I’m sorry for MY behavior.” Pride?
I like how Joe says we are fighting for the soul of the nation, but he is literally tied to numerous acts of racism, misogyny, and general creepiness. At least with Trump you know what you get, he has never pretended to be sometime he is not.
For about 4 more days. Then people will realize the 'controversies' aren't squat.
It's his past present & future controversies he won't escape.
Trump is president. Money launderer, sex assaulter, serial liar, racist and overall horrible human being Unless a convicted felon tries to run YOU 👏🏻 DON’T 👏🏻 GET 👏🏻 TO 👏🏻 TALK 👏🏻 ABOUT 👏🏻 ANY 👏🏻 CANDIDATE 👏🏻 CHARACTER 👏🏻 OR 👏🏻 PAST
Who the eff are you to make this determination?This just makes me want to kick the WAPO to the curb. You're Dredging!Know it, learn it, deal with it. We get that Joe isn't perfect, it's not that we don't care, it's that we know the difference between evil and good. Come on WAPO!
Haaaaaa! Poor Branch Bernidians! They’re losing their minds over every real Democratic candidate. First Harris.. then Pete.. now Biden! Too bad..
Oh stop
He's already apologized, which is more than Trump has ever done over anything. You might be fine with watching him apologize about 10,000 more times. I'm not. He gets my vote.
💩
Surely he's paying someone on his staff that has told him all that. So, I guess he chooses not to hear it.
Jackass Joe still thinks he was picked as VP for being qualified.
Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Obama notwithstanding, senators have a hard road to the White House precisely because they're usually on record on so many issues. Warren and Sanders may escape this because they've been so carefully consistently on-topic.
This seals it, my days of reading opinion pieces are officially over. Biden's past? Have you fools paid attention to the 'past' of the current occupant of the Oval Office? This drivel is intended to divide Democrats, but I'm one that's not falling for it.
'Donald Trump is Practically Bulletproof' --Paul Waldman, Washington Post, August 10, 2015.
Because he's a child molester.
Because the media sucks. Do you really think 95% of us care more about Anita Hill than we do the crook in the White House? I’m sick of apologies. I’m sick of pills a year out from first vote. Just stop!
Give me a break, don't do a Al Franken on him. He is not perfect but he is an experienced and principled man, who would be a good president to lead us out of this dark period.
Oh puleeeeeezzzzeeee
He can. We’re cool.
Because he's still just as shitty, and trying to hide from it won't get him anywhere?
Cuz this is not okay. It never has been. It never will be. We already have one letch in the White House. We don’t need another.
FeelTheBern2020
Because he keeps doubling down on them.
It's because he's creepy
Why, Trump can
NoJoe
As compared to . . . Trump?