Subject: Re: Today's Election College Odds
I was just reading today that Reagan messed up his reelection debate in 1984, and folks were also worried about his age. Spoiler alert: he won.

He had a terrific 2nd debate, and the first was not as bad as portrayed. Yes, he “lost” it by about 20 points according to contemporaneous polls, but Biden lost this one by 60.

Worse, while Reagan fumbled, he at least spoke words and had a strong close. Biden could barely get the words out, didn’t close well (to say the least) and reinforced the idea that he’s “too old.” Reagan was telegenic, he “read” well on the screen. Biden simply looks old. He also looked pasty and feeble.

The *picture* is at least as important as the words. I recall one of Reagan’s advisors commenting, while they put him in front of Arlington National Cemetery with flags in the background “It doesn’t matter what he says. It matters how he looks.”

I think that’s true, and unless they give Joe a hair dye job, some pancake makeup, and somehow get him used to ad lib speaking without wandering, nothing here is going to change.

(Spoiler alert: not gonna happen.)