Stephen A's Take: Biden Says He's Confident He Would Have Beaten Trump. Stephen A disagrees.

Summary

Summary of "Stephen A's Take: Biden Says He's Confident He Would Have Beaten Trump. Stephen A Disagrees"

Release Date: January 9, 2025

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith delivers a robust critique of President Joe Biden's recent statements regarding the 2024 election against former President Donald Trump. Through a passionate and unfiltered analysis, Smith explores the implications of Biden's confidence, the strategic decisions behind his campaign, and the broader impact on the Democratic Party and American politics.

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Introduction

The episode opens with brief promotions for other podcasts, setting the stage before diving into the core discussion. Stephen A. Smith leverages his renowned candidness to dissect President Biden's assertion that he believed he could have defeated Trump in the 2024 election.

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Biden’s Confidence and Smith’s Disagreement

At [01:40], President Biden remarked:

"It's presumptuous, he said, to say that I would have beaten Trump. But I think, yes, when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him."

Smith challenges this statement by highlighting Biden's own admission of not intending to serve into his mid-80s:

"But I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old." [02:00]

Smith contends that Biden's decision to run despite these reservations demonstrates a lack of strategic foresight and honesty with the electorate.

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Criticism of Biden’s Campaign Decisions

Smith delves deeper into Biden's campaign decisions, emphasizing the contradiction between his acknowledgment of limited stamina and his pursuit of reelection:

"You knew that you probably couldn't go another four years, but you ran anyway. You didn't bow out. You didn't do what you had promised to do was to was to be a transitional president and pass the baton to a younger generation." [02:15]

He labels Biden's actions as "pathetic" and "inexcusable," arguing that the President's reluctance to step down as promised undermines his credibility and the trust voters place in him.

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Analysis of Election Strategy and Outcomes

Smith scrutinizes the Democratic Party's strategy, suggesting that internal awareness of Biden's limitations was both a liability and mishandled:

"Because, you see, if he felt that way and he had those reservations, even though he believed he could beat Trump in a runoff of the election, the bottom line is the Democratic Party knew and they tried to hide him. You don't have credibility any longer." [03:45]

He asserts that this mismanagement has long-term negative repercussions for the party, eroding voter trust and diminishing future electoral prospects.

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Comparative Critique of Republican Rhetoric

While focusing primarily on Biden, Smith does not shy away from critiquing Republican strategies, particularly Trump's rhetoric:

"We want to go call it the Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico. Really? Really. That's what we're doing. Bluster." [04:15]

Smith mocks the lack of substantive policy proposals, suggesting that such rhetoric is more about showmanship than meaningful governance. However, he maintains that both parties suffer from credibility issues, contributing to voter disillusionment.

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Impact on the Democratic Party’s Future

Smith projects the long-term consequences of Biden’s campaign decisions on the Democratic Party:

"This is the kind of stuff that's going to hurt the Democratic Party for years to come." [04:50]

He warns that continued missteps and lack of authentic leadership will further alienate the party from its base and potential new voters, making recovery a significant challenge.

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Personal Frustration and Conclusion

Concluding the episode, Smith expresses personal fatigue with the current political turmoil:

"I'm so sick of all of this, I don't even want to talk about it. No more." [05:00]

This statement encapsulates a broader sentiment of weariness and frustration among voters tired of entrenched political conflicts and perceived lack of genuine leadership.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• [01:40] "It's presumptuous, he said, to say that I would have beaten Trump. But I think, yes, when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him." — President Joe Biden

• [02:00] "But I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old." — President Joe Biden

• [02:15] "You knew that you probably couldn't go another four years, but you ran anyway. You didn't bow out. You didn't do what you had promised to do was to was to be a transitional president and pass the baton to a younger generation." — Stephen A. Smith

• [03:45] "Because, you see, if he felt that way and he had those reservations, even though he believed he could beat Trump in a runoff of the election, the bottom line is the Democratic Party knew and they tried to hide him. You don't have credibility any longer." — Stephen A. Smith

• [04:15] "We want to go call it the Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico. Really? Really. That's what we're doing. Bluster." — Stephen A. Smith

• [04:50] "This is the kind of stuff that's going to hurt the Democratic Party for years to come." — Stephen A. Smith

• [05:00] "I'm so sick of all of this, I don't even want to talk about it. No more." — Stephen A. Smith

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Final Thoughts

Stephen A. Smith delivers a forceful and articulate critique of President Biden's campaign strategy and decision-making. By questioning Biden's confidence and highlighting inconsistencies between his public statements and personal reservations, Smith underscores significant concerns about leadership authenticity and party credibility. This episode serves as a poignant reflection on the complexities of political strategy, voter trust, and the enduring struggles within American party politics.

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Note: This summary focuses solely on the substantive content of Stephen A. Smith's analysis, excluding promotional segments and unrelated podcast advertisements. All quotes are attributed with corresponding timestamps for reference.

Transcript

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up everyone? Julie Swerbinks here along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSP on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Political Analyst]

With less than two weeks remaining in his presidency, Mr. Joe Biden, President Joe Biden sat down for a wide ranging interview with the publication USA Today. Biden made several headlines during the conversation, but I want to focus on a few things that stood out, okay? The President says he still believes he could have defeated President elect Donald Trump in the 2024 election, based on the poll numbers he saw at the time. However, Biden expressed no such confidence when asked whether he had the stamina to serve another four years in office. It's presumptuous, he said, to say that I would have beaten Trump. But I think, yes, when Trump was running again for reelection, I really thought I had the best chance of beating him. But I also wasn't looking to be president when I was 85 years old, 86 years old. And so I did talk about passing the baton, but I don't know if I could have served another four years. Who the hell knows? End quote. First of all, that quote is verification on several levels. It's validation on several levels. Why President Biden should have bowed his ass out of the race. You see, you can't let him off the hook here. So let me get this straight. You knew that you probably couldn't go another four years, but you ran for election. You didn't bow out. You didn't do what you had promised to do was to was to be a transitional president and pass the baton to a younger generation. You didn't do that. Then you rent. Then you sat up there and you avoided primaries. And then you went and showed up on June 27 and looked lost. As Anthony Scaramucci on News Nation, political analyst, former Trump guy said this about Joe Biden. At the time, he looked like a patient in a nursing home waiting for his apple sauce. But you're saying that before that you knew that you probably couldn't give us four more years, but you ran anyway. That is pathetic. That is inexcusable. But by the way, let me take it a step further. It's also delusional that you would have beat Trump. Let's state that for the obvious, because clearly the American people were spoken. And if they spoke against Kamala Harris, the likelihood is that they would have spoke against you because of the things you yourself just mentioned. This is the kind of stuff that's going to hurt the Democratic Party for years to come. Because, you see, if he felt that way and he had those reservations, even though he believed he could beat Trump in a runoff of the election, the bottom line is the Democratic Party knew and they tried to hide him. You don't have credibility any longer. Now, that's not to say the Republicans are rife with credibility themselves. I mean, I'm listening to the pomp and circumstance that Trump is throwing out there. Greenland, I want that. I want that. Not a bad thing. Not a bad thing to bloviate about, because you're competing with China and Russia. And so we talk about commerce there, we're talking about national security issues there. I get that part. Okay. We want to go call it the Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico. Really? Really. That's what we're doing. That's what we're doing. Bluster. How much is that going to amount to? What does that really, really mean? So we gonna see more of it, and Trump's gonna be Trump. But when I saw that quote from Biden, I said, thank God he's leaving. Thank God, I've had enough. No, I'm not gonna pardon Hunter. And I don't mind you, if it was my son, I'd have pardoned him. Oh, I'm not gonna pardon. We made decisions. Not gonna happen. Then you went against. It happened. It happened. You're about to rule the law. We're about to rule the law. Yeah. Really? Really. But then you're not. I'm so sick of all of this, I don't even want to talk about it. No more.

[Greg Rosenthal]

What's up everyone? It's Greg Rosenthal and I'm teaming up with the King of Spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're going to be bringing you 40s and free agents, the only podcast you'll need this NFL draft season. From DJs mock drafts to my top 101, free agents will have it covered for you with all new episodes every Thursday keeping you up to date as we head to the NFL Draft. Listen to 40s and free agents starting on March 6th on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Julie Swerbinks]

What's up everyone? Julius Ripps here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson.

[Nate Thompson]

We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go.

[Julie Swerbinks]

The name Energy Line with Nate and jsb.

[Nate Thompson]

Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey life. All topics are fair game, right?

[Julie Swerbinks]

Exactly. And you'll never know who will drop by to join us.

[Nate Thompson]

Julie is pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe.

[Julie Swerbinks]

Listen to Energy Line with Nate and jsb on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.