Joe Biden's Age and Acuity Concerns: A Closer Look

New York, United States United States of America
Joe Biden is the oldest person to serve as president and run for reelection.
The Biden administration's strategy for connecting with Americans has relied on social media influencers rather than public exposures where voters may challenge him.
The New York Times editorial board has warned that President Joe Biden needs to do more to reassure Americans concerned about his age and acuity, citing a lack of substantive unscripted interaction with the public and press compared to other presidents in recent memory.
The special counsel report into classified documents stored at his home did not help Biden's case as it described him as a well-meaning, elderly man with poor memory who had diminished faculties in advancing age.
This has led to doubt among swing state voters, who agreed that more than 70% of them are just too old to be an effective president according to a Times/Siena poll conducted in November.
Joe Biden's Age and Acuity Concerns: A Closer Look

Joe Biden is the oldest person to serve as president and run for reelection. The New York Times editorial board has warned that President Joe Biden needs to do more to reassure Americans concerned about his age and acuity, citing a lack of substantive unscripted interaction with the public and press compared to other presidents in recent memory. The Biden administration's strategy for connecting with Americans has relied on social media influencers rather than public exposures where voters may challenge him. This has led to doubt among swing state voters, who agreed that more than 70% of them are just too old to be an effective president according to a Times/Siena poll conducted in November. The special counsel report into classified documents stored at his home did not help Biden's case as it described him as a well-meaning, elderly man with poor memory who had diminished faculties in advancing age.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • The lack of substantive unscripted interaction with the public and press compared to other presidents in recent memory may raise doubts among some voters.

Sources

65%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How Old Is Too Old to Be President? Biden Report Raises Uncomfortable Question Again.

The Name Of The NZ Prefix. I PWA NZI.P.Was Dropped. Peter Baker Saturday, 10 February 2024 10:03
  • Unique Points
    • President Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term as president.
    • Donald J. Trump would be 82 at the end of the next term.
  • Accuracy
    No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it presents the idea that both Biden and Trump would be the oldest occupant of the Oval Office ever by the end of their term if they were to win re-election. However, this statement is misleading because it does not take into account other factors such as life expectancy or health conditions which could affect their ability to serve a full term. Secondly, it quotes Biden referring to dead European leaders as if they were still alive and mistakes the president of Egypt for the president of Mexico. This quote is presented in a way that implies Biden's memory is failing him, but it does not provide any context or explanation for why he made these errors. Lastly, the article uses Trump's own statements to criticize his ability to remember details correctly which contradicts their claim that Biden has diminished faculties due to age.
    • Biden refers to dead European leaders as if they were still alive and mistakes the president of Egypt for the president of Mexico. This quote is presented in a way that implies Biden's memory is failing him, but it does not provide any context or explanation for why he made these errors.
    • The statement 'both Biden and Trump would be the oldest occupant of the Oval Office ever by the end of their term if they were to win re-election' is misleading because it does not take into account other factors such as life expectancy or health conditions which could affect their ability to serve a full term.
  • Fallacies (70%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by referencing Dwight D. Eisenhower's decision to run for a second term and his experience with health scares in office. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the potential consequences of having an elderly president, such as facing similar issues between now and January 2029.
    • The two leading candidates for his old job clock in at 77 and 81.
  • Bias (85%)
    The article discusses the age of President Biden and Donald Trump in relation to their potential re-election. The author uses quotes from Dwight D. Eisenhower's diary to draw parallels between his decision not to run for a second term due to his age and the current situation with Biden and Trump being older than typical retirement age for presidents.
    • When Dwight D. Eisenhower weighed the pros and cons of running for a second term, one factor that concerned him was his age.
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      Peter Baker has a conflict of interest on the topic of President Biden as he is reporting for The New York Times which has previously published articles critical of him.
      • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
        Peter Baker has conflicts of interest on the topics of President Biden and Donald J. Trump as he is a reporter for The New York Times which has published articles critical of both politicians.

        70%

        The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
        (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

        A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

        Special counsel surprise triggers Dem worries, White House anger

        The Hill News Site: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate-seethe-republicans-call-for-israeli-elections/ Brett Samuels, Saturday, 10 February 2024 17:00
        • Unique Points
          • President Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term as president.
          • Joe Biden is old.
        • Accuracy
          No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
        • Deception (50%)
          The article contains deception in the form of emotional manipulation and selective reporting.
          • Fallacies (75%)
            The article contains several examples of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author cites the report from special counsel Robert Hur as evidence that President Biden's age and memory are a political liability for him. However, this is not necessarily true as there were no charges against Biden for his handling of classified documents.
            • The White House saw passages in Hur’s report describing Biden as an elderly man with memory problems as a cheap political hit job.
          • Bias (85%)
            The article contains multiple examples of ageist bias. The author uses the phrase 'age has long been seen as the 81-year-old Biden's biggest political liability,' which implies that being old is a negative trait and suggests that it should be considered when evaluating his fitness for office. Additionally, the report from special counsel Robert Hur brought attention to Biden's age by describing him as an 'elderly man with memory problems.' This language reinforces the idea that age is a liability and implies that these issues are relevant to his ability to perform his duties as president. The article also contains quotes from former Clinton White House adviser Paul Begala, who says 'What you do is attack. Change the subject,' which suggests that discussing Biden's age is an attempt to distract from other issues and undermine his candidacy.
            • age has long been seen as the 81-year-old Biden's biggest political liability
              • describing him as an 'elderly man with memory problems'
                • 'What you do is attack. Change the subject'
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                  Brett Samuels and Alex Gangitano have conflicts of interest on the topics of age, memory, president biden, special counsel report and white house anger. They also have personal relationships with Robert Hur.
                  • The article mentions that Brett Samuels has previously written about Robert Hur's work as a former prosecutor in the Trump campaign investigation.

                  72%

                  The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                  (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                  A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                  Opinion: Age matters. Which is why Biden's age is his superpower

                  The Los Angeles Times Bill McKibben Friday, 09 February 2024 11:00
                  • Unique Points
                    • The first presidential election in which Joe Biden was eligible to vote featured Lyndon Johnson beating Barry Goldwater. History remembers LBJ's presidency as chaotic because of his tragic adventuring in Vietnam, but in other respects it was remarkable.
                    • Under Johnson, the federal government took ambitious steps to advance civil rights and rein in poverty.
                    • Barack Obama first got to vote during Reagan's triumph over Carter. This altered for a long while the boundaries of our political life: When Obama was asked why his policy achievements were relatively modest despite having 60 Democratic senators at his inauguration, he cited 'a residual willingness to accept the political constraints that we inherited from the post-Reagan era.'
                    • Trump first got to vote in 1968's tilt between Hubert Humphrey and Richard Nixon. He didn't inherit any of Nixon's few good qualities, but mainly seems to have adopted his endless sense of victimization and willingness to break the law on his own behalf.
                  • Accuracy
                    • Joe Biden is old.
                    • Biden's age, often cited as the greatest obstacle to his reelection, is actually his superpower.
                  • Deception (50%)
                    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses age as a superpower to justify Biden's accomplishments during his first term. However, this statement is misleading because it implies that being old automatically makes someone capable of achieving great things. This is not true and ignores other factors such as experience, education, and hard work which also contribute to success.
                    • The author uses the phrase 'age matters' to imply that Biden's age was a superpower in his first term. However, this statement is misleading because it implies that being old automatically makes someone capable of achieving great things. This is not true and ignores other factors such as experience, education, and hard work which also contribute to success.
                    • The author uses the phrase 'his age' to imply that Biden's age was a superpower in his first term. However, this statement is misleading because it implies that being old automatically makes someone capable of achieving great things. This is not true and ignores other factors such as experience, education, and hard work which also contribute to success.
                  • Fallacies (85%)
                    The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the accomplishments of President Biden and his commitment to rebuilding infrastructure on a grand scale. This is not evidence that he has done anything wrong or that he should be trusted blindly without question. Additionally, the author makes use of dichotomous depictions when describing Trump's political influences as being Nixonian in nature, implying that there are only two options for how to approach politics and policy decisions. This is a simplification of complex issues and ignores other possibilities or viewpoints. Finally, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric by using phrases such as
                    • The author uses an appeal to authority by citing the accomplishments of President Biden
                    • This is not evidence that he has done anything wrong or that he should be trusted blindly without question.
                    • The author makes use of dichotomous depictions when describing Trump's political influences as being Nixonian in nature, implying that there are only two options for how to approach politics and policy decisions.
                  • Bias (85%)
                    The author uses the age of Joe Biden as a superpower to explain his accomplishments in his first term. The author also uses examples from history and personal experiences to support this claim.
                    • Biden is back in LBJ mode
                      • Biden's record on climate isn’t perfect, but he has helped jump-start renewable energy development
                        • Joe Biden is old
                          • Obama was at the end of his time in office when asked why even with 60 Democratic senators at his inauguration his policy achievements had been relatively modest, he cited a 'residual willingness to accept the political constraints that we'd inherited from the post-Reagan era'
                            • Trump mainly seems to have adopted Nixon's endless sense of victimization
                            • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                              None Found At Time Of Publication
                            • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                              Bill McKibben has conflicts of interest on the topics of Joe Biden, LBJ years, Third Act, climate change and Paris climate accords.

                              72%

                              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
                              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

                              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

                              ‘He must do better’: NYT’s editorial board warns Biden campaign on age issue

                              Politico News Site Name: POLITICO Full Legal Name of News Site: Politico LLC Location of News Site: Washington D.C., USA Friday, 09 February 2024 00:00
                              • Unique Points
                                • The New York Times editorial board warned the Biden campaign that President Joe Biden needs to do more to reassure Americans concerned about his age and acuity
                                • According to The New York Times editorial board, President Joe Biden has less substantive unscripted interaction with the public and press than any other president in recent memory
                              • Accuracy
                                • Biden faced renewed criticism following a contentious news conference broadcast from the White House on Thursday night, which was supposed to mitigate concerns about his acuity following the special counsel's report into classified documents stored at his home
                              • Deception (30%)
                                The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title implies that the New York Times editorial board has given a warning to Biden's campaign about his age issue when it actually provides an opinion piece on this topic. Secondly, the author of the article is not specified and therefore cannot be considered for any potential bias or deception. Thirdly, there are several instances where statements made in the article are taken out of context to make them seem more sinister than they really are.
                                • The statement 'Biden had less substantive, unscripted interaction with the public and press than any other president in recent memory.' is taken out of context as it does not specify what was meant by 'substantive'.
                                • The title implies that the New York Times editorial board has given a warning to Biden's campaign about his age issue when it actually provides an opinion piece on this topic.
                                • The article states that more than 70% of swing state voters agreed that Biden is too old to be an effective president. However, this statement does not provide any evidence or sources for this claim.
                                • There is no evidence presented in the article of any deception or misinformation being spread by Trump's campaign.
                              • Fallacies (75%)
                                The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing the New York Times editorial board's warning about Biden's age and acuity. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when they describe Trump as 'manifestly unfit'. Additionally, there is a dichotomous depiction of Biden being hidden from the public while Trump is portrayed as attacking him.
                                • The editorial published online warned that the president is
                              • Bias (75%)
                                The article contains examples of religious bias and ideological bias. The author uses language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable.
                                • > At 81, Joe Biden is the oldest person to serve as president and to run for reelection.
                                  • More than 70 percent of swing state voters agreed that Biden is <strong>just too old to be an effective president</strong>, according to a Times/Siena poll conducted in November.
                                    • <p>President Joe Biden needs to do more to reassure Americans concerned about his age and acuity, The New York Times editorial board argued Friday. <br><em>The editorial published online warned that the president is <strong>hiding</strong>, or worse, being hidden<em></p>
                                    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                                      None Found At Time Of Publication
                                    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                                      None Found At Time Of Publication