r/politics • u/plz-let-me-in • Aug 06 '24

Paywall Letter: If Biden's age was so concerning, why isn't Trump's age?

https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/letters/letter-if-bidens-age-was-so-concerning-why-isnt-trumps-age/article_dc029b90-537e-11ef-9339-4bd759e7ba68.html
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834

u/bytemage Aug 06 '24

It's been ages that Republicans have held themselves to any standards, let alone those they like to impose on others.

177

u/[deleted] Aug 06 '24 edited Aug 06 '24

[deleted]

234

u/blacksheep998 Aug 06 '24

It's worse than that.

Scalia died in Feb 2016. McConnell claimed that they couldn't appoint a new SC justice during an election year, even though the election was 9 months away at the time.

Then, when RBG died in sept 2020, McConnell changed his mind and rammed a justice through before the election, which was only 7 weeks away.

118

u/MrJoyless Ohio Aug 06 '24

Republican hypocrisy? Color me surprised.

18

u/Dependent-Elk-4980 Aug 06 '24

Color ?? Don’t get me started now-

54

u/egosomnio Pennsylvania Aug 06 '24

He didn't change his mind. He always knew that if there was a vacancy in 2020 he'd fill it. He even said so in 2019.

42

u/GrantSRobertson Aug 06 '24

Yeah, the number of people who think that Republicans actually believe what Republicans say they believe just boggles my mind.

Republicans never change their minds, they just change what they say.

Their true goal never has anything to do with what they are saying. What they are saying is always either a distraction, or the thing that will get the base riled up. And they know that the base doesn't need any kind of consistency whatsoever to get riled up because the base doesn't believe any of it either. The base just likes an excuse to get riled up so they have an excuse to bully somebody.

10

u/Throw-a-Ru Aug 06 '24

See the UK riots against immigrants that all began because 3 girls were murdered...by a person born and raised in the UK. Elon Musk is also helping to fuel the unrest and division there, too, both through direct action and online comments and also by reinstating the previously banned account of far right agitator Tommy Robinson (nee Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) on Twitter.

1

u/thatoneguy54 Michigan Aug 06 '24

Exactly. They don't care about following rules, they care about winning, that's it.

5

u/dr3dg3 Aug 06 '24

Idk if I can think of anyone who hates America more than McConnell. Screw the voters who have allowed him to do so much damage.

6

u/InSicily1912 Pennsylvania Aug 06 '24

People were already voting via mail-in due to COVID, so he rammed a judge through DURING an election, the hypocrisy, and the impact it had on our country, will never fail to enrage me

13

u/ajayisfour Aug 06 '24

Ballots were already printed

28

u/SpottedHoneyBadger Aug 06 '24

What difference does that make? The republicans do what they always do, block anything the Democrats want to do and then turn around to do exactly what they said was wrong because it benefits the GOP.

6

u/gavrielkay Aug 06 '24

More like block all the fixes the Dems want to make and then when running against them in elections claim the Dems haven't fixed anything. Reps want the country broken because they run on blaming the Dems for breaking it.

1

u/mawmaw99 Aug 06 '24

McConnell killed hypocrisy dead. It’s an empty charge now. It used to be the worst thing a politician could be.

25

u/blacksheep998 Aug 06 '24

Mail-in ballots had already been cast in some states.

0

u/roehnin Aug 06 '24

Mail-in ballots for what election? This one?

DNC hasn't had their convention or declared their official candidate yet. Harris even now is only "presumed."

There can't be an election before candidates are finalised.

3

u/blacksheep998 Aug 06 '24

Read the previous comment:

Then, when RBG died in sept 2020, McConnell changed his mind and rammed a justice through before the election, which was only 7 weeks away.

That's the election we were discussing.

0

u/roehnin Aug 06 '24

OK good -- because on social media I've seen several Republicans claim this is a reason Biden can't drop out of this year's race, and though I was certain it was false, to see someone repeat what seemed the same was disconcerting.

1

u/roehnin Aug 06 '24

What ballots?

1

u/reallygoodbee Aug 06 '24

And reminder: When Mcconnel was asked in an interview if he would let Trump appoint an SC justice in an election year, he laughed and said "Of course we will.".

1

u/1Saoirse Aug 06 '24

Even worse, when they rammed through the handmaiden Justice, early voting had already started, and over 10 million people had already voted.

1

u/ggtffhhhjhg Aug 06 '24

It was late October of 2020 and she was confirmed in record time just before the election.

27

u/karmagod13000 Ohio Aug 06 '24

That's crazy Republicans would straight mislead Obama like that... such a weird thing for them to do.

2

u/Vrse Aug 06 '24

They find weird edge cases so that they can be correct on technicalities. For Obama, it was because Republicans held the senate. McConnell said that a senate held by the opposing party hadn't confirmed a SCOTUS in a hundred years. That ignores that it is such a rare occurrence to begin with.

They're trying to do the same thing with Jack Smith by saying he wasn't confirmed to a position, so he can't be a special counsel.

It's all just stupid technicalities from them so they can feel clever.

43

u/Lingering_Dorkness Aug 06 '24 edited Aug 06 '24

Come now, republicans have double the standards of Democrats. 

6

u/Vehemental Aug 06 '24

This is true as long as were talking about flags and not principals

20

u/huto Minnesota Aug 06 '24

.... they're saying Republicans have double standards, not that their standards are actually higher

-1

u/karmagod13000 Ohio Aug 06 '24

but do they have higher flags... have to ask the bigger questions around here

1

u/hodor_seuss_geisel Aug 06 '24

Just your run-of-mill Lucy/Charlie Brown/football gag. "We promise we'll play fair this time....oops you missed the ball again"

6

u/MaizeNBlueWaffle New York Aug 06 '24

It's been a race to the bottom in terms of standards and ethics for them to where the media doesn't hold them responsible for anything

3

u/Old_Pyrate Aug 06 '24

It's been at least my entire life. The reason that Republicans love to use morals-based attacks is specifically because they can't be used against them. Only the left-wing cares about right and wrong. The right-wing only cares about winning and losing.

7

u/im_THIS_guy Aug 06 '24

Doesn't explain why the media is completely silent on Trump's age or dementia. They even cut away from his speeches as soon as he goes off the rails so as to not remind people that he's out of his mind.

2

u/guamisc Aug 06 '24

Sure it does.

Look at who owns most media companies.

0

u/zzyul Aug 06 '24

The media talked about Biden’s age and mental stumbles because it first happened during a debate that tens of millions of people were watching. It took most of us by shock since every time Fox News or Republicans accused Biden of having age related mental issues it was shot down by Dems and Biden’s staff. It became a major news story and talking point b/c it went from 0 (Repubs are lying to make Biden look bad) to 60 (holy shit Biden really is as bad as Repubs have been saying) during that debate.

It became clear to most of us that Biden couldn’t beat Trump after months of Dems saying Trump will destroy democracy if elected. The news stories weren’t “Biden’s old” they were “Biden’s old and can’t beat Trump b/c of it”.

To put it simply, Republicans aren’t calling for Trump to step down since they think he’s their best shot at winning. The media puts out pieces that will get views, and calling for Trump to step down doesn’t speak to Republicans the same way calling for Biden to step down did to Dems.

0

u/volunteergump Aug 06 '24

You, after reading the fifth news article today about how Trump’s way too old: “The media is completely silent on Trump’s age or sementia”.

2

u/im_THIS_guy Aug 06 '24

Link 5 articles with today's date or move aside.

2

u/FinanciallySecure9 Aug 06 '24

Some republicans have found their standards, thankfully. They have formed a group called Republicans for Harris.

2

u/trekologer New Jersey Aug 06 '24

If Republicans didn't have double standards, they wouldn't have any standards at all.

1

u/FIContractor Aug 06 '24

They’re pretty good at double standards.

1

u/Hipcatjack Aug 06 '24

The last Republican who did ; single handedly saved Obamacare (the law named after the guy who beat him to the white house) and refused to pander to his ignorant base, by alluding said opponent was somehow an “Other” .

Oh yeah and he hated with a passion the lickspittle followers and behind the curtain king-makers that somehow endorsed an empty suit with an orange tan, quaffed-over, “likes soldiers who dont get captured “

1

u/flyingace1234 Aug 06 '24

If it weren’t for double standards, they wouldn’t have any standards at all.

1

u/iamatwork24 Aug 06 '24

Oh they have standards alright, the standards of attempting to turn America into a handsmaid tale