Image Over Reality

Biden is clearly sharper than Trump but there's a good reason why voters think his age is a bigger problem. Also, Democrats need to stop complaining about how the press covers politics.

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Over the weekend, three paragraphs by Rebecca Davis O’Brien in the New York Times pissed off a lot of Democrats.

They come from a piece looking at the “profound differences not only between the two men, but in how they are perceived by the American public, and in what their supporters expect of them — a divide that could play a major role in the coming presidential election.”

Mr. Biden’s voice has grown softer and raspier, his hair thinner and whiter. He is tall and trim but moves more tentatively than he did as a candidate in 2019 and 2020, often holding his upper body stiff, adding to an impression of frailty. And he has had spills in the public eye: falling off a bicycle, tripping over a sandbag.

Mr. Trump, by contrast, does not appear to be suffering the effects of time in such visible ways. Mr. Trump often dyes his hair and appears unnaturally tan. He is heavyset and tall, and he uses his physicality to project strength in front of crowds. When he takes the stage at rallies, he basks in adulation for several minutes, dancing to an opening song, and then holds forth in speeches replete with macho rhetoric and bombast that typically last well over an hour, a display of stamina.

“It is the perception of how you communicate,” said Carol Kinsey Goman, a speaker and coach on leadership presence. “When Trump makes those kinds of faux pas, he just brushes it off, and people don’t say, ‘Oh, he’s aging.’ He makes at least as many mistakes as Joe Biden, but because he does it with this bravado, it doesn’t seem like senility. It seems like passion.” With Mr. Biden, Ms. Goman said, “it looks like weakness.”

I agree with every word of this. In fact, I think it's one of the better explanations for why the age issue plays so much worse for Biden than it is for Trump.

Biden looks old. When he walks, he appears unsteady. He often gazes forward in a way that suggests he's confused or unsure of his surroundings. Trump looks heartier. On the surface, he appears to have more energy and vigor, and he's in public regularly.

Just because I write this, it doesn't mean that I think Trump is cognitively sharper than Biden. I obviously don't. I strongly suggest watching John Harwood's interview with the president in October. It is an impressive display by the president. He is sharp, coherent, compelling, and well-versed in policy minutiae.

But, O’Brien is focused on public perceptions — and the polling data shows clearly that voters are more concerned about Biden’s age than Trump’s.

In a New York Times/Siena College poll of six battleground states, an overwhelming majority of voters said they had serious concerns about Mr. Biden’s age, with 70 percent saying he is too old to be president. Fewer than half of voters have expressed similar misgivings about Mr. Trump.

One can argue this is a result of anti-Biden press coverage — and that’s certainly possible. But considering the very different physical appearances of the two candidates, I doubt that’s the explanation.

I think it’s fair to say that the press is overemphasizing Biden’s age, but much of the criticism of the press coverage has gotten entirely out of hand. This is not like Hillary Clinton’s emails in the 2016 campaign. Biden’s age is a serious issue, and voters have made clear — in poll after poll — that they consider it a problem. The press can’t ignore it, and much of the criticism that the media is piling on feels more like a complaint that they’re covering the issue at all.

While one can argue that the press is not as focused on Trump’s age and mental slip-ups, part of the reason, I suspect, is that voters don’t seem as bothered about it, and, let’s face it, with Trump, there are far more serious reasons to be concerned about him having another term in office. Now again, maybe political reporters should talk more about Trump’s age, even if voters aren’t worried. Still, the problem with Trump’s negatives is that they are a target-rich environment — and I think even liberals would agree that his age and mental acuity are about the 10th or 11th best reason why he is unqualified to serve another term (and that ranking feels generous).

For Biden, his age is his most significant liability, and no one should be surprised that it receives disproportionate media attention.

Having Said That …

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