I have no idea who else here has been watching the run-up to selection (Republican) but, I’m not sure we’ve ever seen an election with such an “interesting” set of candidates before.
And on the other side (Democrat) we’ve got someone who, while appearing to be mostly competent, is the only apparent option in town.
Who else is interested in things over the pond?
It’s going to be the most interesting run up to an election in our time, maybe even ever. You have Trump who could be in jail before the election (although i doubt it), who really is the only republican with a chance of winning. Then there is Sleepy Joe, the only Democrat candidate really, but the man is really too old for the job. Reading back over my post it’s really all about Trump, he makes it entertaining.
If Biden is too old, so is Trump. There’s only three years between them.
I haven’t followed any of the alternatives too closely yet, my usual sources have dried up.
I also ain’t read much about the other candidates yet, Trump is all you see. I ain’t a big fan of Trump or Biden for that matter but Trump is pure entertainment no matter what he says or does.
It really does feel like the last huzza for this generation of politicians. Even the most experienced candidates, like Nikki Haley & Chris Christie, feel out of touch with the social temperature over in the states. The sixth party system is fading, but there’s no clear seventh system rearing up. The pillars and points on which elections are fought have changed so much in the last decade!
The further the Reps fall to the right, the more boring the Dems have had to become. Nothing is a done deal yet, who knows what could happen with the RNC between now and next July, but what is certain is the next election in 2028 will be fought between more of the ‘next generation’. I’ve a feeling that may include a third-party that takes voted away from Reps, whether it be libertarian or MAGA. So I’d say that’s the one to watch, and for now just hope this period of transition is as stable as it can be! 
Happy to discuss politics any day of the week! I keep up as one of my best friends (and his family) are entrenched Utah-Republicans and borderline MAGA…
Oh, and Vivek Ramaswamy terrifies me more than any Trump administration could.
This dude is perhaps the most scary of all the potential candidates. He’s so manufactured I’ll bet he goes to bed each night with a speech about how he’ll reduce US debt.
I’m with @N26throwaway in that there’s no real good choice democrat wise but since that’s, currently, the only option in town and the rest are a range of “interesting” alternatives whadya going to do.
Of all the other side only Nikki Hayley seems to talk sense. But even that is beyond a point where I’d want to see her in charge.
and you thought we had a challenge
I have to agree. I have no issue with Biden’s age, but whenever I listen to him he doesn’t seem to speak very clearly, jumbled up and doesn’t seem to know what’s going on.
This isn’t about age, it’s about a clear communicator. The man is in charge of one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Here’s the important part. When you see the president, particularly of the US you essentially see the human embodiment of the country itself.
So if they’re weak so is the country. Challenging.
Thanks for giving me the biggest laugh I’ve had all night.
He did quite an interesting interview today on NBC Meet the Press, worth checking out! He’s much more palatable one-on-one, but his views on the USA’s place in the world are terrifying.
Also dumping here my crush on both Pete Buttigieg and George P Bush 
I mean people do trip, so this isn’t something to be too concerned about. Personally even physical issues shouldn’t be a barrier to politics, but mentally and being able to communicate (regardless of the message) is fundamental.
Remember the US has had a president in a wheelchair. Being able to walk up steps isn’t the issue. The Democrats really need someone possibly able to connect with the country a little better than Biden. At the moment they are relying on anti-Trump sentiment rather than pro-Democrat values from what I’ve seen.
He has a speech impediment (stutter).
Quite. Trump is a nasty piece of work, as are De Santis and Ramaswamy.
He may well do (speeches when he was VP didn’t seem to show this) but it’s not just that, he often appears confused as well. But regardless, he isn’t communicating very well in too many instances.
I don’t think Trump is mentally fit, is what I was getting at.
You mean you don’t agree with him.
That’s not the same as rambling and making absolutely no sense.
(To be clear: I dislike him immensely. In a way I have not had a dislike for a politician in a very long time, if ever. I believe he is dangerous to the US and broadly the world and I am concerned about the cult following he has and the damage he has done to US democracy)
Quite, remember when Biden broke off mid-speech to start wondering if Coronavirus could be beaten by injecting the body with bleach and sunlight. Oh, wait…
Biden has never mocked disabled people, at least.
Broadly, though, public speaking is a skill in and of itself, and it is a separate skill from those involved in governing a country. It wasn’t even a required skill before televised debates, even. So when it comes to who has run a better government, Biden wins easily for me (even if his press office seem to be phenomenally bad at getting the message over about his achievements).
And finally, Biden had a childhood stammer; Occam’s razor says it’s likely it’s this impediment coming back that is causing his speech issues rather than any mental fallibility.
I agree, it’s abhorrent. But it’s still not what I was referring to. It’s a horrid position and harmful but it’s not what I was referring to. It’s the difficulty of any discussion around Trump - you can’t have one without immediately falling into the position of being made to look like you agree with him.
Trump’s weird light or bleach killing Covid was just insane, but he was coherent. Even if he was outrageously incorrect.
Every politician has moments of a little madness or forgetfulness or just a bad interview. I accept that. Biden has had a lot, and to be honest if that’s not something you see at this point then it’s probably not something we can both agree on. That’s totally fine; I’m not suggesting it means anything about anyone’s political views.
I agree Biden’s government is better than Trump’s. I don’t think anyone is arguing that. You need to separate opinions on their policies with what the discussion is - mainly the physical and mental capacity of the individual person. Not their political views.
Personally, I do not think Biden has shown mental coherence enough - or rather he has shown a lack of it enough times - for me to confidently say he is mentally fit to be President. As much as I detest Trump I can’t say the same for him.
Some of this may well be a stutter; completely accept that. But most of what I’m referring to is more his trail of thought just not making any sense, trailing off, appear to not even know what’s going on. Only at times, but enough times that I would be concerned if he was my President.
Thankfully, it’s in no way my role, job, expertise or responsibility to in any way shape or form affect this. It’s my own little humble opinion.
(Also I can’t speak for what @ndrw was referring to so apologies if this isn’t what he was talking about)
I think that Trump has done his fair share of that, too!
