How long can Biden keep selling the “lunch bucket Joe” imagery?
It has been said that every politician has a “log cabin” story – a Horatio Alger-style rise from rags to riches. A correlation suggests that the more successful a politician becomes, the more humble and challenging his or her early life. President Biden is not an exception to that tradition, but he has stretched it beyond all credulity.
Let us examine the legend as we have been told it.
According to the narrative, Little Joe Biden grew up in an impoverished family – the type Dickens captured in his novels. His formative years were spent at the kitchen table absorbing his father’s words of wisdom. We know that from the many, many times Biden refers to those kitchen table conversations.
(I cannot imagine Biden spending so much time at the kitchen table unless he habitually refused to eat his spinach. But I digress.)
It is those early years that informed Biden on the plight of the common worker – a respect for the man and woman who toils in the factories … behind the retail counter … or on construction sites.
(It always seemed to me that Biden did not have as much interest in non-union workers –and certainly not those who had some measure of business success. But that is another issue, and I digress again.)
Biden’s autobiographical legacy as the friend of the working man earned him the moniker of “lunch bucket Joe.”
Biden often refers to his years in Scranton. He recently said that the 2024 election was between Scranton and Palm Beach – where President Trump Lives. That is to epitomize the Biden story – that of a man of humble beginning whose myopic – or at least major – concern is the wellbeing of the foundational working class. He is the man from scrappy Scranton.
Whoa!! That may be a nice story, but it is NOT the history of the Joe Biden we know as President of the United States. No. No. No.
Biden’s father had a number of jobs. He worked for a company that produced sealant for ships during World War II. He was a manager at an auto dealership and then in real estate. Unable to find a job in Scranton, Pennsylvania – where Biden was born in 1943 — the family moved to Delaware for employment in 1953, when the future President was 10 years old.
(Oh wait! All that talk about Scranton, and Biden was out of there by the age of 10? He hardly passed what is known as the age of reason and only a few years beyond early childhood amnesia. A little test: Go back to your own age of 10 – about fifth grade — and see how much you can remember of specific events.)
Before leaving Scranton, Biden attended St. Paul’s Elementary School – a private Catholic school. In Delaware, he attended St. Helena School – another private Catholic School. For high school, Biden attended Archmere Academy, an elitist exclusive (and expensive) private Catholic preparatory school. Just to get a relative sense of it, the current one-year tuition at Archmere is $34,000 – plus other fees including uniforms.
Biden got his undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware and a juris degree in law from Syracuse University. That is when the Biden biography first ran into credibility problems.
When campaigning, Biden often said that he was named the outstanding student in Political Science (untrue), and that he graduated in the upper quarter of his law class (untrue. He was in the lower quarter.) He claimed that he received a full scholarship. (Untrue. He got a small partial scholarship.)
Upon graduation from college, Biden served a short time as a public defender. At the same time, he joined the Democratic Party and started running for a seat on the New Castle County Board, which he won in 1970. After which he was elected to the United States Senate in 1972.
So, there you have it. For the past 52 years, “lunch bucket Joe” has operated in the sancta sanctorum of the Washington political establishment – in which he has risen in power, prestige and profit. Biden was not a product of Scranton, Pennsylvania. He and his family were never destitute. He is the product of an expensive and privileged private education.
Biden has become a multimillionaire from public service – and has enriched his family with millions of additional dollars based on their association to him and his various offices. Not that there is anything wrong with that — unless we discover there is.
Biden’s history may be apocryphal – that is bullsh*t with a college education. His “log cabin” story is entirely concocted. Or maybe it is just good old fashion malarky. But, he is not – nor ever has been — “lunch bucket, Joe.”
So, there tis.
For a guy who will vote for the consummate liar, our liar-in-chief, the greatest liar of all times, three times, that defines chutzpah.
Frank Stetson … Apart from from hyperbole … your defense is that Trump is a bigger liar than you. I cannot respond since I do not know the full extend of your propensity to lie — remembering that totally made up story about the “shots” you took from police in DC. Still LMAO over that one. And besides I though Baron Von Munchhausen was the greatest liar in history — even if he is fictional. But then again, you engage in a lot of dishonest fictional lies about me through your fictional Larry Horist straw man. LOL
Frank Stetson … And what does Trump or my vote have to do with this commentary. You just like to distract with your “everything is about Trump” mentality — or even about me. At least this bit of childish venting is short.
And not even one drop of water for vile lying pure evil moron Biden’s burning tongue for all eternity when Jesus Christ burns him everlasting fire and brimstone.
Biden is probably telling the truth as he is hearing it from his mother & father everyday.
Not to mention Lincoln.
“It has been said that every politician has a “log cabin” story – a Horatio Alger-style rise from rags to riches.” Pretty sure this is not said in normal American life, just by political wonks like Horist.
“A correlation suggests that the more successful a politician becomes, the more humble and challenging his or her early life.” A correlation is not causation much less a correlation that only a political wonk would know.
“President Biden….has stretched it beyond all credulity” says the guy whose resume reads like an artifact from the land before time, before cell phones….. I guess, for PBP, having a resume is a plus in relative terms.
“Beyond all credulity” says the guy who will vote for the consummate archetype liar in chief THREE TIMES. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. From the one who gets his knickers all knotted up over a little braggadocio from “the other side.” Turnabout is fair play.
It’s just locker room talk Horist; Irish locker room talk. You know we Irish love a little embellishment, a little color, a little flare. We love our stories. We even tell stories about money. Oh the horror of it all. It’s OK to put up with your anecdotes, your family stories, who you worked with, even your Reagan and Nixon stories.
You claim he’s special because he went to Catholic Private School. You say over $30K a year now, but it was over $18K in today’s dollars if you use the actual 50’s tuition. Plus, Joe worked summers to pitch in. Today, this school averages $7K in financial assistance per family. That would be about $4K against that tuition. Do you know how many poor families have kids in parochial schools?
Joe never said he was dirt poor. He never said he was blue collar. He said they had their ups and downs; it was not all living like the Trump’s.
And then you toss in a little FUD as is your way: “Biden has become a multimillionaire from public service – and has enriched his family with millions of additional dollars based on their association to him and his various offices. Not that there is anything wrong with that — unless we discover there is.” Foreshadowing or a lie? You be the judge. Hoist as yenta casting dispersions through rumor.
Biden is worth $10M so the “middle class Joe” he has not been for some time. But he ain’t filthy rich even by Congressional standards. Especially for the “six pack Joe” Republicans with their silver spoons, private school, and Ivy league educations. Trump rich, DeSantis ivy league, Gaetz not ivy but William n Mary is close, Cotton-Cruz-Sasse-Toomey all Ivy League elitests and Marjorie Taylor Greene still dresses like a whore. Nor has Biden said he is rags to riches (I think); he has said he comes from humble beginnings — he does. He’s from Scranton, need I say more. He has seen hardship, his Dad went up and down, job to job, they moved up, they moved down, they moved out, they moved back. Dad was not blue collar. But that’s not rich. And he has some stories, some memories, some foggier than others —– what’s the fucking harm Horist? More harm than you saying: “until we discover there is?” Fucking rumor-mongered mash up that you are.
Biden is about 26th in Presidential wealth dwarfed by the men at the top; Trump is at the top, Biden is below Presidential median wealth. And 20% of his wealth in office comes from rising values on his Delaware mansion, a dream home he used to drywall sections off to save on heat bills. Rode the train to work, came home on weekends. This is not a guy living in the lap of luxury or ripping off the public coffers. That’s your problem.
Let’s paraphrase mirror back your statement: Trump has become a multibillionaire, from public service – and has enriched his family with billions of additional dollars based on their association to him and his various offices. A few billion to Jared from the Saudi Prince. Three billion for Trump overnight for his politically charged Truth Social IPO. A lifeline from mystery investors to cover his DoucheBagBank $230M loan or his “backers” for various hundreds of millions in court bonds.
Hundreds of millions in legal fees paid by his voters. Not that there is anything wrong with that — unless we discover there is. Oh wait, his company is criminally convicted for conspiracy, criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records. His CFO is in jail. And now he’s up himself for more of the same, plus using his crimes to hide the truth from the American public rigging the election against Hilary in his favor. Lock him up.
“According to the narrative, Little Joe Biden grew up in an impoverished family – the type Dickens captured in his novels.” Impoverished. Dickens. Come on man, stop spreading the malarky. Just look at his Dad’s job titles and quit the exaggerations. He bounced to many a job, moved up and out of Scranton, moved down and back to Scranton too. Even lived with relatives.
Says Joe himself: “But, look, one of the things that I’m — I was raised in a family — we weren’t poor, but we weren’t — we were middle class and sometimes lower middle class. We lived in a three-bedroom, split-level home with four kids and a grandpop. It was a safe neighborhood, but it was — it was — you know, we didn’t have the money to make it to college. We had to go borrow the money or work through college, that kind of thing. “
Why folks have to exaggerate more than Biden himself while cursing Biden’s exaggerations and fond, but wrong, memories as something nefarious or evil is beyond me. And the same people vote for Trump three times…. In a row. A lifelong liar and Democrat.
“I cannot imagine Biden spending so much time at the kitchen table unless he habitually refused to eat his spinach. But I digress.” No you don’t digress, this is the heart of your matter and your manner. But on the money, Joe was worth $8M when he came to office; now he’s worth $10M. No “until we discover there is….” It’s the house value in Delaware, many of us had our values go way up during Trump’s pandemic.
Trump lies continually and his lies harm. He has turned loose his army on election workers, companies, whatever irks his ire. He pretended a hurricane was going to hit where it wasn’t: sharpiegate. His staff actually tried to get weathermen to agree. Covid is under control, it’s just the flu, go about your business and then 1 million died. When he said Rep. Ilhan Omar supports al Qaeda, her death threats went through the roof. He has a health care plan. It’s infrastructure week. He won the 2020 election: how many of his folks are in jail? Didn’t one get killed by police? He has harmed many a company and the people within, with just a quote. A lie. But just suck down some Clorox and shine a UV lamp up your ass and you will be just fine.
In the art of lying there is a difference in a hateful evil lie meant to harm others and a friendly spin of the truth in order to make folks feel friendly and kinder to others. Biden’s lies are the lies of my Irish grandfathers, we expect them. And we enjoy watching you kvetch about nothing. As is your way when you support the world’s greatest liar in business, in government, and in life. So cry, cry your heart out, cry me a river.
Frank Stetson … You clearly endorse lying in your posts. You say it is an Irish tradition. You say a little “friendly spin of the truth” is a good thing. Enhancing one’s biography with factually incorrect information is okay. You say that Biden’s lies are the lies of your Irish grandfather. (must be a family tradition.) Now anyone who happen to read your opinions know they come from someone willing … nay, eager … to lie. It is what you do. And you assume since you do it it is what others do — and it is okay. And by the way, the commentary was about Biden, not Trump. That is a totally different subject. I too am critical of Trump’s prevarications. But you always have to run your anti-Trump litany at every opportunity. Just more of that old Waldorf on your balcony ranting to empty space. Veritas, old man, veritas! LOL
“I too am critical of Trump’s prevarications.” But Horist will vote for him a third time. After his company is criminally convicted. His CFO in jail. His lawyer served his time. His campaign staff arrested, incarcerated and pardoned by him.
His team of lawyers just pleading guilty to trying to steal the 2020 election — he’s indicted too.. After he is liable for sexual abuse of a digital rape variety. After defrauding his University, stealing from his charity, and soon to be criminally convicted on all sorts of felonies……. Hey, Horist can vote for that and judge others for their “values” in his eyes.
But let’s get our knickers knotted because Biden gets a little off the beam with his folksy stories. Sigh.
Priorities Horist, priorities.
“I cannot help but wonder how much of it is true.” Ah, the pugnacious prick rides again… He can’t debate. He can’t respond. He must attack, damage, demean, to win win win.
This time he will have you believe he does not know the Irish, never grew up or worked with the Irish community. Any other time that it serves his narrative, he would claim he has many, many Irish friends of all political parties, worked with them a lot and even adopted a little Shamus (don’t bust another gut Horist, that’s a joke). And that he’s not a racist, he even likes the Black Irish…..
What a bunch of bullshit from Horist, but he has to win, he has to prove his meaningless personal attack points instead of toeing the line (Irish saying), and entering the real debate. May your table always be full (of it).
All you have to do is jfgi: try “are the irish known for storytelling” to see what a fool Horist is. On purpose. To make a point. To win. To demean. But don’t argue the issues, can’t enter that arena.
This time he focuses on his special pet peeve to prove I am a liar of low moral character that is beneath the great Horist himself. “Just like you spun a police officer holding a baton to stop you from crossing the street to “taking shots” from DC police while playing frisbee on Pennsylvania Ave. as part of some protest(?).” Which I painstakingly, clearly, explained, in a useless attempt after useless attempt to clarify for Horist. But the pugnacious prick has CRS, diminished cognitive capabilities, and the attitude of a pit bull on steroids. Not really. He’s more like an old broken-down snaggled-toothed junkyard dog with a bone, gonna keep gnawing at it well after the meat is gone. Why would anyone listen to a political hack that could not even beat Spanky the Clown, a guy beat by everyone. Except Horist.
Apparently, I get under his skin so he has to keep it personal. With some delusions about his love of goats. Why this guy responds is beyond me; he can’t debate on the issue worth diddley squat.
Let’s tell a family story because Horist loves to tell his but hates for anyone else to share like he does. I won’t share it now, but I might share it in my next tome. Suffice it to say neither my wife or I really know our fathers. We know our mothers slightly better, but that might just be due to longevity of their lives over their husbands. That story is entitled: If it weren’t for Hitler, we wouldn’t be here. It’s a dozy.
My Slovakian grandfather died before I arrived, my grandmother came over at 5 years of age or so, never spoke Slovakian, never mentioned it, her family — which was HUGE, just current event. My other grandparents, family here since 1866, didn’t speak much at all about anything. Pop-pop was very Irish, Uncle Cyril lived in the attic and played the Dublin ponies each weekend. He always was tweed, coat and vest. My own parents focused on what is, not what was and we were far gone from home by the time I arrived. Our parents were all depression babies, raised by European refugees, some here because the mines went bust, others due to unplanned pregnancy (and probably other stuff), only though a lot of research have I put a story together. They didn’t talk about it, it was not a fond memory. Like my Mom missing half a finger and blaming poverty so she only had bricks to play with. And what I don’t know, even though I have a million Biden-esque stories like the bricks, starts with my own parents — that I will share in the next tome. But for our beginnings in America:
My wife’s parents, mom’s side came over before the Mayflower and much is known of this family. Her dad was an immigrant in the 40’s, he was a good friend, and I probably know more of his past than my wife, more about him than my own father. It’s just not fashionable to share old-world stories with your kids in the era. Just was not seen as “cool” when they so desperately wanted to be American to the point of burying the past.
Here’s the point: I have many family recollections, and have researched a number of other families and their lore as well. 99 out of 100 times I find a different truth from the story told, but the “lie” is one of making a nice story, a positive story and only once have I found a “secret” not worth telling. I tell folks, when doing family research, “are you sure you want to know?” Not that I will uncover something bad, just not the story that they know.
I do not find Biden’s recollection disingenuous, nor purposefully misleading, except to try to set good examples. Somehow, from a guy who votes for Trump three times, I find this line of debate totally disingenuous, not even pot calling kettle black. And least Biden kept his real name.
There is no doubt that Biden did not come from money, that he has known some tough times, he does not drink for a reason, and he has never prospered from his time in office. I am sure he heard the things he says, pershaps just not in the places or times he attributes them too. So what. Also, he does have a fetish for large houses, think this stems from his growing up, both in his father taking he and Hunter on “expeditions” to mansions, his living in really nice and just OK places, and some weird desire. So he bought that Delaware mansion he really could not afford, even drywalled off sections to save money, and grew into it over time. It’s where he has made more his profit as President, from rising values during the pandemic.
Here’s a real journalist or two taking on the life of Biden. Note how little is really known by anyone, Biden, Biden family, or the world. Just like most American families, especially immigrants of around 1900. He may be providing info that Joe did not even know.
*https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/22/the-untold-history-of-the-biden-family*
* https://www.chicagotribune.com/2008/08/31/joe-bidens-deep-but-mythical-blue-collar-roots/*
Frank Stetson … Nice biography. Based on your endorsement of bs as “friendly spin,” I cannot help but wonder how much of it is true. Just like you spun a police officer holding a baton to stop you from crossing the street to “taking shots” from DC police while playing frisbee on Pennsylvania Ave. as part of some protest(?). Still LMAO on that one. You do not seem to know the difference between professional summary to establish credibility and old folk reminiscences that usually go no further than the grandkids. Your upbring is not pertinent to anything explored on this site — and I doubt anyone cares about it with the possible exception of Tom. I really should stop bicker with you, but getting your goat is too easy. I write a few words and you respond with thousands — and once in awhile, you actually address the commentary.. Thanks to you, I now have more goats than a Greek shepherd. LOL
Let’s review a little Hoirst hockey hype: “you spun a police officer holding a baton to stop you from crossing the street to “taking shots” from DC police while playing frisbee on Pennsylvania Ave. as part of some protest(?).” Asked, answered, explained, multiple times.
“You do not seem to know the difference between professional summary to establish credibility,” Wow, you are really going with your bio as “professional,” and “credible?” Please. Seen it, felt it, been there. Want me to pick out the bis points?
“and old folk reminiscences that usually go no further than the grandkids” and yet you regale readers with reminiscences ad nauseum, memoria ad absurdum.
“Your upbring is not pertinent to anything explored on this site” but yours is? That seems unfair and unbalanced.
You call me a liar, but you have one case —- taking shots —- asked, answered and explained, but the old dog still can’t give up his bone. And based on one noted lie, brands me as “clearly endorse lying in your posts,” “someone willing … nay, eager … to lie. It is what you do.”
As I consistently say: prove the lies. Show us the lies. You pull out “taking shots.” Asked, answered, explained, apparently not accepted but no pushback on the explanations every time they are posted.
Show us the lies or STFU about it. Quit whining about it and just show us something beyond “batons.”
I’ve got a hundred on you that you have been afraid to support or even respond to. You usually just ignore any but your most egregious lies and go for the personal attack response.
Any time you want to support your arguments against my critiques, feel free to give it a try. Evidence would be nice for a change.
Frank Stetson … You lie every time you make false statements about me through the imaginary Larry Horist. In your earlier posting, you even justified and celebrated lies — claiming it a feature of your half … oh .. Irish ancestry — if that is even true. You lie when you say I wrote things that I never wrote — that I believe things that are contrary to what I wrote. You lie when you write about my feelings, motivations or personality. Case closed. Guilty as charged.
Horist, Larry; While I appreciate the attempt, I had hoped for specific examples versus the generalities you provided. It should be easy for you given your feelings about my propensity to lie. Just copy/paste one where “you (Stetson) say I wrote things that I never wrote.”
Or one where I said “that I (Horist) believe things that are contrary to what I wrote.
The generalities are nice, but specifics are evidence. It appears that you feel I am a consummate and copious liar. For example, you say “You lie when you write about my feelings, motivations or personality.” While a nice generality, the possibility of my mistaking every single thing you ever wrote about your “feelings, motivations, or personality,” sort of indicates what a poor writer you must be. I mean how many folks here misunderstand you, just as you attribute to me, based on your telling them so? Half dozen? It’s like you keep writing, but nobody gets you.
Specifics would avoid all that. Should be easy for you to pick out a couple. You see so many.
I have a feeling you might be mistaking opinion for fact, but let’s see.
Would be nice to prove my lies on the issues, but alas, one step at a time.