A screengab from CNN's climate forum.
Former Vice President and presidential candidate Joe Biden is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. Biden participated in CNN's climate change forum, which I didn't watch. While their his eyeball filled with blood with Joe Biden appearing to not notice at all. Fox News has some more background here.
Though the injury seems gruesome it's usually not serious. It's common among people on blood thinners and people who over-strain themselves or while coughing and sneezing. The condition isn't serious but it is fairly gross. It's called a subconjunctival hemorrhage and it's really not a problem unless there is an infection.
However, even if it is fairly harmless it's going to bring up the Joe Biden health discussion as well. I don't think that is too fair as many people have had the same condition, including Alex Jones of all people, and it really isn't an indication of poor health. Pretty much anyone can have it, especially if they are on blood thinners. I personally don't think that Joe Biden is in any worse health just because he had a bloody eye.
That being said, Biden has had some health problems in the past. He had two brain aneurysms in the 1990's. His doctor says he is fine but he's also in his 70's. His health is always going to be a concern and this eye problem will likely inflame them, even if it isn't that relevant.
What is more relevant is the fact that Biden has also been a gaffe machine on the campaign trail. He's said some very stupid, wrong or just plain confusing stuff and some people think it might be a sign of his metal faculties degrading. Nobody really thinks Biden is responsible for his gaffes but is ending up saying things he didn't mean because he's not all there.
Is there any truth to that theory? I kinda doubt it. Joe Biden has always been a gaffe machine and has never been good at public speaking. I don't really see much of a difference between this Joe Biden and the one that was Barack Obama's running mate in the 2008 election season. I don't think that the gaffes are proof of anything.
But should Biden's health be a concern for voters? Of course! Just like Hillary Clinton before him and Donald Trump on the other side, when you have an old person running for office as a voter you have to question if he or she is going to make it through a term. I don't see Biden as more of health risk than President Trump and he actually seems a lot more healthy than Hillary Clinton, who ended up fainting and being tossed in a van like a slab of beef on 9/11. But he's in his seventies and things happen.
Much like Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Biden's advanced age means that the VP pick is pretty important. Trump made a good call with Mike Pence but Hillary didn't do so hot with Tim Kaine. I am guessing that if Joe Biden is the candidate not only will it be a minority/woman it will likely be someone a lot younger than him.
I do think that Biden would be smart to get ahead of this issue, but he hasn't been doing a very good job. One of his spokespeople said he "isn't going crazy" which doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence. I also think that if he does have some kind of underlying health concern he should come forward with it. Hillary Clinton did not do so in 2016 and it cost her dearly. If Biden does have something wrong with him he can at least get points for honesty. But something tells me that Biden's not going to pull that off...
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