No doubt having heard the criticism over their man's public invisibility as the Coronavirus pandemic hit the United States with a fury, Joe Biden's presidential campaign decided to hold a "Happy Hour" livestream on March 25. Billed as "a live, virtual roundtable on the issues Young Americans care about," the hour-long event was instead a heavily staged, weirdly wooden salute to Biden by young questioners strongly aligned with the Democratic presidential frontrunner.
Although Biden has claimed a stranglehold on the Dem nomination after trouncing Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), his last remaining challenger, in a series of state primaries over the course of March, he has been noticeably lagging in support among young voters. Rather than engage in a candid discussion with neutral Millennial and Generation Z voices online, however, the online chatfest featured an embarrassing array of enthusiastic fans heaping praise upon Barack Obama's former vice president while lobbing one softball question after another his way.
What Makes Your Greatness So Great?
As the livestream began, it became immediately apparent that "young Americans" was just another vehicle for a Democrat to push identity politics. The moderator for the event was Malcolm Kenyatta, a Pennsylvania state representative known for being "the first African-American gay man elected to a state office" in the Keystone State. Kenyatta repeatedly attempted to frame the 77-year-old Biden as a "transformational" candidate. He asked the first query to kick off the Q&A portion of the stream, and it was a real doozy: What's your guilty pleasure? A cheery Biden cooed of his fondness for ice cream and love of fast cars. The yardstick for challenging the candidate had been set. It would not be remotely moved as the sticky lovefest droned on.
Josh Coleman, President of the Alabama Young Democrats, was brought in to ask the second question of the evening. The self-described "LGBTQ activist" urged Biden to relate all the "bold" details of his heroic support for same-sex marriage during the Obama administration. More pap ensued, as Biden evoked a nostalgic vibe of rejecting past oppression throughout the course of his life. "I went to Stonewall on its anniversary. Those people [showed] enormous courage," he said at one point, to no meaningful effect whatsoever.
Biden also promised to issue an executive order upon entering the White House to protect transgender soldiers' rights to serve in the U.S. armed forces. Young Americans are struggling with serious job and career insecurities that have been exacerbated to a frightening degree by the Coronavirus scare, and this is what the Biden campaign was offering up as issues vital to their generation.
Not Real People Not Asking Real Questions
The third question was posed by Robyn Seniors, National HBCU [Historically Black Colleges and Universities] Students for Biden co-chair. "How have your personal tragedies helped you connect with everyday Americans, and how has it impacted your views on health care?" the campaign acolyte asked, reciting the words with all the spontaneity of a piece of furniture. Biden spent most of his lengthy answer, including his disquisition on his health care plans, looking down as if he were reading off a script laid before him.
"Columbia [University] Students For Biden" member Avery Kim was next, and she lost no time in letting the five-decades-and-counting career politician know that he was an absolute rock star. "In 2008, in Denver, Colorado ... I do distinctly remember when you and the Obamas came out at Bronco Stadium, and it was, like, I don't think I realized how unified America could be and how much you could just see it and feel it until that moment. And I was 8, and it was really powerful." Biden silently basked in the glow as Miss Kim gushed over him.
The flat, dull program mercifully wrapped up after an hour, but not before moderator Kenyatta floated one more butterfly Biden's way. "In your closing, can you please talk about the robust plan you have about climate change?" the state representative pleaded. "You have a $1.75 trillion plan that's gonna deal with the climate emergency. You've led on this and all the issues," Kenyatta went on to say, piling more flattery at Biden's feet.
It was one more fat serving of mush to end a bizarre performance that seemed more designed to make Joe Biden feel good about himself than reaching out in any serious way to undecided young American voters who may have had the misfortune of logging on and viewing this utter inanity.
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Read more from Joe Schaeffer.
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