Biden Claims That He's Greatly Overperformed Expectations, and The Media Actually Bothers Asking the Public: Do You Agree?

Via Ed Morrissey at Hot Air.

This was just an absolutely bizarre claim from Biden, during an evening of bizarre claims.

I know Trump really innovated and disrupted in the field of puffery -- "People are always telling me, you've done a really great job on trade, they can't believe what a great job we're doing" -- but at least those claims had some basis in reality. They were a bit exaggerated, maybe, and they put Trump's own self-assessments into the mouths of others, but they were located somewhere in the same plane of existence that most of us find our energies vibrating in most of the time.

But Biden claiming that he's outperformed all expections?

What?

What is happening?

If you can't see that, the key quote is:

Biden: "Look, I didn't overpromise, and I have probably outperformed what anybody thought would happen."

I like the "probably" inserted there. For modesty's sake.

The New York Times reports on a focus group panel with Luntz's Dunces -- I guess the NYT has accepted that Luntz is a left-liberal just like them, now, and can be trusted. This is pure happenstance that this article is written today; it's not conducted to coincide with Biden's speech.

And it's Ed Morrissey's catch to connect it with Biden's "overperformed" line. I have to give that to him. He's almost completely worthless, but this does connect up.

Here's how this group of 14 independents, who are not fans of Trump nor Biden, feels about Biden's performance:

Frank Luntz: Raise your hands if you agree with that statement, that this is the lowest point in your lifetime.

[Six of 14 raise their hands.]

Alice (60, Latina, New York, supervisor for homeless services): I think they've taken us back to cave man time, where you would walk around with a club. "I want what you have." You're not even safe to walk around and go to the train station, because somebody might throw you off the train, OK? It's a regression.

...

Dickie (38, white, Texas, financial analyst): When Alice was talking about the cave man thing, I can agree with that. I've had my bike stolen here in Austin, in a very gentrified neighborhood, four different times in the last seven, eight months. Things are kind of chaotic. I feel like there's no rules, really.

...

Patrick Healy: We're going to turn now to President Biden and want to talk about his first year in office. Can I get a word or phrase that describes President Biden?

Scott: Just calmness.

Kristine: Out of touch.

Tenae: Incoherent.

Jim: Reasonable.

Don: Functional adult.

Julia: Pathetic.

Mark: Clueless.

Nick: Detached.

Travis: Puppet.

Jules: Complete disaster.

Azariah: Spaced out.

Frank Luntz: Has Biden exceeded your expectations or fallen short? And explain why.

Jim: I think Biden is trying his very best. In these times, it's just really hard to lead, and you know, he's a nice guy, and sometimes you don't need a nice guy being president. You just need someone tough.

Kristine: I didn't think he would ruin anything, but I didn't think he would improve anything, really. It would just kind of be status quo. But instead, he's incoherent without a teleprompter. I have questions about his mental health. And you know, my dad had dementia, so I'm concerned about that.

Frank Luntz: Does anyone here think that he's exceeded your expectations?

[No one raises a hand.]

Well. So much for "probably outperformed everyone's expectations."

Little more:

...

Patrick Healy: How many of you would like to see Biden run again in 2024? Show of hands.

[Nobody raises a hand.]

...

Patrick Healy: Can I hear from someone who voted for Biden in 2020 who does not want him to run again, why that is?

Alice: He's too old.

And just a little more: Regarding the most pressing issue on most Americans' minds:

Patrick Healy: A show of hands -- are you confident that President Biden and the Democrats have a plan to improve the economy, to deal with inflation?

[Nobody raises a hand.]

Serendipitously, NBC just released a poll today, which also asked, specifically, if Biden has met, underperformed, or overperformed respondents' expectations.

The percentage of people saying the Sage of Scranton has exceeded their expectations? Five f***ing percent.

You'd have to roll a natural 20 to hit someone who actually agrees that Brandon has overperformed in office.

Bonus:

Here's a little more of that focus group.

Frank Luntz: Tell me the best thing about Joe Biden. What has he brought to Washington in the last year?

...

Kristine: Corn Pop story was funny.

Frank Luntz: Let's look towards the future. Could it be that it was just his first year and the second year will get better?

Mark: You can't really do much worse.

Nick: I would say, another year of the same -- stagnation. He had eight years as a vice president, and I figured he would have had experience and would have been able to lead and unite the country more than he has. And I don't see that happening.

I would say that Brandon has equaled my expectations.

Question for NeverTrump:

Obviously, Brandon has not met your expectations.

Given that your job is supposed to be analysis, and you failed abysmally in your analysis of Biden as a "centrist moderate" with "honor and integrity" who would "restore our norms" and "heal our country," and you also claim to be highly honorable people yourselves-- when will you be admitting, accounting for, and apologizing for your own gross errors?

You know, like you always demand that your bete noir Trump do?

And when will you be resigning from the offices which you are so manifestly unfit to hold?

posted by Ace at 02:25 PM

| Access Comments