The line Joe Biden used to put into nearly every big speech — “I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future” — is a long way from what he says in private now.The line Joe Biden used to put into nearly every big speech — “I’ve never been more optimistic about America’s future” — is a long way from what he says in private now.

These days, multiple people who’ve spoken to him over the last year say, Biden often punctuates conversations with: “You think we can actually come back from this?”

The 83-year-old Biden continues to feel out a post-presidency that may prove to be one of the shortest in history and is already one of the most complicated.

There are days when Biden is heartbroken, indignant or in disbelief about what is happening as President Donald Trump — the man he defeated in 2020 — returned and moved not just to tear down his accomplishments, but to dig in with petty insults like the autopen photograph he put in Biden’s spot in the “Presidential Walk of Fame” installed at the White House.

  • SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.worldOP
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    14 hours ago

    Biden was one of the best presidents in my lifetime and he would have been for a second run too.

    Being a white male he probably could have pulled off the win again too.

    • aquovie@lemmy.cafe
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      13 hours ago

      Uhh, I guess that really depends on how old you are? If you’re a millenial you’ve only seen 5-6 presidents and half of them are Republicans. So the “best of” list is really just like 2-3 people.

      He would have only won if his staff could successfully manage a Weekend at Bernie’s campaign. And even then, that doesn’t make him the best or right choice.

      Trump is not Biden’s fault but Biden failed to act to prevent another Trump presidency by not aggressively prosecuting the J6 coup.

    • dhork@lemmy.world
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      13 hours ago

      Not after that debate. If he had stayed in, all Trump would have had to do was play clips from it.

      I do think that he was a very good President. His entire legacy is tarnished by holding on too long. If this is it for America, historians will write volumes on how Fascist America was enabled by people like him (and RBG) holding on to power past their “best by” dates.

    • FuglyDuck@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Bro. It took Biden until October '24 to even realize that half of america lives pay check to pay check and is struggling to buy fucking food and housing.

      Biden was not a good president. he just wasn’t as bad as some of the others, and that’s an incredibly low bar.

      Also, good presidents lock up pedophiles.

      one of the reasons Kamala had such a hard time was that she wasn’t coming in on a fresh campaign, but rather trying to clean up and fix the mess Biden handed her. (there’s other reasons like not distancing herself from biden on certain issues, too. And racism. racism and mysogeny probably didn’t help, but that was surmountable.)

    • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      You’ll notice all these comments are basically a criticism for Biden not being the superhero they wish for…

      None speak to anything the admin did or what actually happened during his four years vs the four prior or after…

        • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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          8 hours ago

          LOUD NOISES!

          I LOVE LAMP!

          Plenty of things to criticize but this mindless bullshit misses the forest for the trees…

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            8 hours ago

            Oh I’m sorry, I thought your complaint was that no one was criticizing anything under his control that happened during his time in office. But it seems like you were just jerking off and now want to make an entirely different argument.

            • Beetschnapps@lemmy.world
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              6 hours ago

              No it’s that the legit issues of his admin don’t seem to be the cause of your problems. Meanwhile this is your hill to die on…