Posted on 05/14/2019 8:39:56 AM PDT by Red Badger
Former Vice President Joe Biden’s “intellectual acuity” in potentially leading the nation seemed a cause of concern for a former Obama administration official.
Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates did not exactly give the 2020 Democratic contender a glowing reference as he simply said he “didn’t know” if Biden would make an effective commander-in-chief, telling CBS News’ Margaret Brennan on “Face The Nation” that he stood by his view that Biden has “been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue” in the last 40 years.
Brennan read from Gates’ comments on Biden in his 2015 memoir:
Joe Biden is impossible not to like. He is a man of integrity, incapable of hiding what he really thinks and one of those rare people you know you can turn to for help in a personal crisis. Still, I think he’s been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades.
After reminding the highly respected former Defense Secretary of his own words, the CBS News moderator and senior foreign affairs correspondent asked if he thought Biden would make a good president.
“I don’t know. I think I stand by that statement,” Gates said.
“He and I agreed on some key issues in the Obama administration. We agreed on, to oppose- we both opposed the intervention in Libya. We both opposed the way that President Mubarak was handled- the situation in Egypt. We disagreed significantly on Afghanistan and some other issues,” Gates explained.
“I think, as I say elsewhere in the memoir, I think that the vice president had some issues with the military. So how he would get along with the senior military, and what that relationship would be, I just- I think, it would depend on the personalities at the time.”
“You think he’s right for this moment?” Brennan asked, noting that the 76-year-old former vice president is one year older than himself.
“I think I’m pretty busy and pretty active but I think- I think having a president who is somebody our age or older, in the case of Senator Sanders, is – I think it’s problematic,” Gates replied.
“I think that you don’t have the kind of energy that I think is required to be president,” he added. “I’m not sure you have the intellectual acuity that you might have had in your sixties.”
Gates noted that it was just his “personal view” but that the “thought of taking on those responsibilities at this point in my life would be pretty daunting.”
He also pointed out that, even though he has had his “issues” with Biden on foreign policy, “I’ve hardly heard a word out of any of the other 20 candidates on foreign policy at all. I have no idea what any of them think about any of the issues you and I have been discussing.”
Gates’ reply on Biden’s foreign policy history has been noted by others as well, with former assistant secretary of state for President George W. Bush calling out the Democrat who has “empirically had poor judgment particularly on foreign policy.”
Robert Charles cited Gates on “Fox and Friends” last week, pointing out how Gates “criticizes almost nobody” but called out Biden for his foreign policy failures, which Charles then began to address.
“If you go back in time this is a guy who wanted to divide up Iraq. He opposed the Bin Laden raid. In favor of the phony Iran deal and sending cash to them,” he said. “Back in 1979, this is a guy who celebrated the Ayatollahs coming to power because he thought that was going to bring human rights. This is a guy that opposed the defense buildup of Ronald Reagan. He opposed the B-1. He opposed the B-2 that brought down … that policy direction brought down the Soviet Union. He opposed the MX missiles.”
He also condemned Biden’s recent comments on China, which is “truly our number one potential adversary and our number one competitor in the world,” and Biden thinking otherwise is “beyond naïve.”
John Wayne Gacy was well-liked too, but we know how that turned out ...
Its going to be Michell Obama
Be funny if someone were to pull an "Animal House Omega" trick on Biden and switch his debate questions.
Hilliary - Moochelle 2020.................
Seems like Slo Joe is just as big an asshole as we always thought he was.
Biden is nothing more than a creepy old sock puppet with a big ole’ sock puppet hole.
I wish Trump would return to WA and rally in Everett again.
It might inspire some GOP opposition to our wretched Congressional delegation in 2020.
Several have suggested Michell Obama as the possible last minute candidate. I don’t know if she will be or not but if so the Democrats are not understanding the Dynamics going on in our nation, nor have they fully understand that President Trump is not your “father’s Republican”.
Michelle Obama may win the popular vote (California and New York) but that pesky electoral college is the road block.
America had eight years of Obama. If they wanted Obama 2.0 they would have voted in Hillary. Michelle offers nothing other than she is married to Obama (and I think that is a negative out side of Democrat strong holds).
Her “magic shield” is that she is a woman and black. Normally that would be a force field set on 11.
President Trump has shown he does not care. He would go after her as much as he would an old white dude. Many Americans are tired of being called racist simply because they don’t like a person’s politics.
The Democrats are big on glitz but small on subsistence.
if you like your kids, you can keep your kids.
Just imagine what the great, Washington, Oregon & California states would be without the “Socialist, Communist, Hate America” Democrat Party “Scum & Vermin “ humanity running them. Shucks, they all would be top notch, number one leaders of the country and the world.
The California of “The Beach Boys, the Aerospace Industry, the Aviation Industry, the tourist attractions, The great cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Deigo, etc., are long gone.
Now, thanks to the Democrat Party Scum & Vermin humanity, we are left with drug gangs, child traffic dealers, druggies all over the streets, shooting up in public view and getting rid of their human waste on the open street for all folks to see. I say....thank you Democrat low life and thank you to all the West Coast, idiots that vote for these America destroyers...the Democrat Party!!! Case closed!!! I mean...shucks...how dumb can you be?
Joe would fit right in with the scary Halloween House crew as he looks like a living corpse.
This is more of the DNC conspiracy to oust Joe Biden so they can put one of the younger flakes up as their candidate. Just remember who Robert Gates is before you listen.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.