Where is Biden?
October 7, 2023 11:05 AM Subscribe
But actually, where is he
This is a bit of an open ended question, but I just realized that we hardly hear about Biden. I am left leaning and live in an urban city and he comes up maybe…every 6m? Maybe it’s the post Trump effect, but I rarely see him in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation.
When I think back to the Obama, Clinton and Bush presidencies, I can recall even as a younger child that we heard about them way more. Biden seems very…quiet compared to them.
This is potentially chatfilter, but I guess my specific question is - have you all come across data sources or published articles that either prove, comment on, or dispute this general qualitative observation? Are there other variables that may also impact this that also have some commentary on?
This is a bit of an open ended question, but I just realized that we hardly hear about Biden. I am left leaning and live in an urban city and he comes up maybe…every 6m? Maybe it’s the post Trump effect, but I rarely see him in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation.
When I think back to the Obama, Clinton and Bush presidencies, I can recall even as a younger child that we heard about them way more. Biden seems very…quiet compared to them.
This is potentially chatfilter, but I guess my specific question is - have you all come across data sources or published articles that either prove, comment on, or dispute this general qualitative observation? Are there other variables that may also impact this that also have some commentary on?
(Every 6 months, I think)
NPR regularly mentions that he gave a speech about this or that or visited some place. For example, in the past month they’ve had pieces on his visits to the UAW strike, Florida, and Hawaii and one about him giving a speech about threats to democracy. And those are just ones I could recall hearing.
posted by jedicus at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
NPR regularly mentions that he gave a speech about this or that or visited some place. For example, in the past month they’ve had pieces on his visits to the UAW strike, Florida, and Hawaii and one about him giving a speech about threats to democracy. And those are just ones I could recall hearing.
posted by jedicus at 11:32 AM on October 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
Months, I think. I do think this is probably hard to determine; do you have an accurate list of where/how you were hearing about the pre-Trump presidencies? Is your media diet the same now? What about internal changes at various outlets? The landscape is *absolutely* different than it was in 2016, much less 1996.
posted by sagc at 11:34 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by sagc at 11:34 AM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
He's less than one scroll window away on CNN and the Chicago Tribune today and a lot of days -I tend to peek at those sources. Like all internet, depends greatly where you look daily, I would bet.
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:41 AM on October 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 11:41 AM on October 7, 2023 [6 favorites]
I am not in the US, but I see Biden mentioned almost every day. A huge part of my media intake is our national public media and The Guardian European version, and though they aren't "pure", they are a lot less click-baity than more profit-driven media. I also watch some news on YouTube where the algorithm is my guide, and there I literally never see Biden.
posted by mumimor at 11:50 AM on October 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
posted by mumimor at 11:50 AM on October 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Yes. I read the Washington Post and they're always reporting on what he's doing and where he's going.
posted by Selena777 at 11:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
posted by Selena777 at 11:52 AM on October 7, 2023 [11 favorites]
I listen to NPR’s daily Up First podcast, and like jedicus I can think of 4-5 places I’ve heard of him visiting in the last two months or so. Where do you get your news?
posted by MadamM at 11:54 AM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by MadamM at 11:54 AM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
Yeah, I hear about him almost if not every day either in the NYTimes or on some NPR podcast.
That said, since the 2022 Congress, Biden has obviously been able to get much, much, less done, and all the chaos of the GOP has certainly gathered more of the oxygen in Washington.
posted by coffeecat at 11:55 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
That said, since the 2022 Congress, Biden has obviously been able to get much, much, less done, and all the chaos of the GOP has certainly gathered more of the oxygen in Washington.
posted by coffeecat at 11:55 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Biden's whereabouts are the subject of a major newspaper headline or column at least twice a week. Last week it was the UAW strike line. Soon it will be a meeting with Xi. Etc etc etc
posted by kensington314 at 12:25 PM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
posted by kensington314 at 12:25 PM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
I follow reporters from the WH press pool and get updates on Biden & the White House daily. Media has changed a lot since we were little.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:30 PM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:30 PM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I grabbed this link at random, but it's something that's been noted in the news several times that I've seen.
Biden’s Quiet Re-election Strategy
Biden’s Quiet Re-election Strategy
Biden has held fewer news conferences per year than any president since Reagan. Biden gave fewer interviews during his first two years in office than any president in even longer.posted by lapis at 12:35 PM on October 7, 2023 [9 favorites]
Michael Shear, a White House correspondent for The Times, says that Biden’s aides are unapologetic about avoiding interviews and news conferences. “They see these traditions as outdated and unimportant,” Michael told me. “They say that traditional media don’t have clout, and they think that there are many other ways that he can better present himself.”
But Biden has not replaced media conversations with other means of engaging with the public. He does not hold regular town-hall meetings, for example. And the statistics on interviews in the chart above include Biden’s recent conversations with people other than journalists, like Drew Barrymore and Jason Bateman, both actors, and Manny MUA, a YouTube beauty expert.
Biden’s strategy of minimizing unscripted public appearances suggests that his staff believes the risk often isn’t worth the reward.
Response by poster: Lapis, that’s exactly what I was looking for! It’s fascinating to see the numbers confirm what I suspected. I forgot about his verbal gaffes which the article referenced as well and is likely a variable about why he’s not showing up much.
It is also fascinating to note how many commenters thought nothing had changed because they still see news about him - it shows how data is important, and how we can over estimate our own experiences as a broader pattern.
posted by pando11 at 1:28 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
It is also fascinating to note how many commenters thought nothing had changed because they still see news about him - it shows how data is important, and how we can over estimate our own experiences as a broader pattern.
posted by pando11 at 1:28 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
But Lapis link relates to certain types of events - not news coverage of activities or activities. So it doesn't answer your question, at all, unless you specifically meant press conferences and town halls-type events instead of meeting with the Egg Council Creeps and the King Peter Pevensie.
posted by Lesser Shrew at 1:41 PM on October 7, 2023 [14 favorites]
posted by Lesser Shrew at 1:41 PM on October 7, 2023 [14 favorites]
I felt the same frustration with Obama. He was so present and vocal during his campaigns, projecting a vision about America. And then when he got elected… silence.
I think there is a feeling among traditionalists that it is unseemly for presidents to try to perpetually drive the news cycle, to govern by leading. It’s like they see themselves as bureaucrat-in-chief.
Trump was the obvious exception to this pattern. I hope one day we get a progressive president who engages the public perpetually, to help lead our country forward.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 1:51 PM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
I think there is a feeling among traditionalists that it is unseemly for presidents to try to perpetually drive the news cycle, to govern by leading. It’s like they see themselves as bureaucrat-in-chief.
Trump was the obvious exception to this pattern. I hope one day we get a progressive president who engages the public perpetually, to help lead our country forward.
posted by Winnie the Proust at 1:51 PM on October 7, 2023 [2 favorites]
What? Obama gave weekly addresses! Definitely not silence.
posted by tiny frying pan at 2:08 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by tiny frying pan at 2:08 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
One thing I've noticed: working and talking don't happen at the same time.
posted by amtho at 2:24 PM on October 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
posted by amtho at 2:24 PM on October 7, 2023 [7 favorites]
Have you seen John Mullaney's horse in the hospital skit?
I think it's just Biden is working, doesn't hold many new conferences, and isn't doing outlandish stuff.
https://factba.se/biden/calendar
posted by ReluctantViking at 3:37 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I think it's just Biden is working, doesn't hold many new conferences, and isn't doing outlandish stuff.
https://factba.se/biden/calendar
posted by ReluctantViking at 3:37 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
The Biden-Harris administration reinstated regular press briefings, which also report on his schedule.
To me, fewer interviews and soundbites signaled a re-focus on the actual work of government, while making the best use of an octogenarian politician's resources.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:08 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
To me, fewer interviews and soundbites signaled a re-focus on the actual work of government, while making the best use of an octogenarian politician's resources.
posted by Iris Gambol at 4:08 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
I rarely see him in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation. [...]...have you all come across data sources or published articles that either prove, comment on, or dispute this general qualitative observation? Are there other variables that may also impact this that also have some commentary on?
Your question is impossible to answer, or meaningless. No data source would be able to confirm or dispute how often YOU "see [Biden] in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation," which is the "general qualitative observation" your question asks about. Maybe try keeping a media diary with this goal in mind?
posted by AbelMelveny at 4:21 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
Your question is impossible to answer, or meaningless. No data source would be able to confirm or dispute how often YOU "see [Biden] in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation," which is the "general qualitative observation" your question asks about. Maybe try keeping a media diary with this goal in mind?
posted by AbelMelveny at 4:21 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
When I heard about something Trump had done, best case scenario, it would be like, he asked about using a nuclear weapon to stop a hurricane or about buying Greenland, then there would be follow-up discourse about how maybe we can use a nuclear weapon to stop a hurricane or actually it’s impossible to buy Greenland.
When I hear something about Biden, it’s about how he’s actually doing the work of being the president.
I think the fact that he makes fewer appearances makes his choices to appear that much more meaningful, like when he supported the striking autoworkers
posted by kat518 at 5:04 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
When I hear something about Biden, it’s about how he’s actually doing the work of being the president.
I think the fact that he makes fewer appearances makes his choices to appear that much more meaningful, like when he supported the striking autoworkers
posted by kat518 at 5:04 PM on October 7, 2023 [5 favorites]
With TFG, it was oh off, what now? With Biden, he is quietly getting things done, despite the opposition. Biden is a refreshing change from someone who would, and still does, do what he can to dominate the news cycle..
posted by SillyShepherd at 5:09 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
posted by SillyShepherd at 5:09 PM on October 7, 2023 [3 favorites]
but I rarely see him in media in the published newspapers, come across him in social, or have him come up in conversation.
This doesn’t match my experience at all. It’s confusing to me. I think maybe I don’t understand your actual question.
Biden is covered and quoted nearly every single day of my news consumption. Usually I start with the Washington Post, then for other perspectives and beats I go into Google News (not logged in so it’s not tailored to my preferences), follow journalists on Threads, and listen to various news analysis podcasts several times a week. I used to follow a ton of journalists on Twitter but that’s done.
A sampling (links not working on my phone, sorry):
On Friday he was at the White House talking to reporters about border walls. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/08/democrats-criticize-biden-immigration-border/
Yesterday he was at the White House talking to reporters about the Hamas attacks: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/08/biden-hamas-israel-gop-trump-desantis/d8ed94f6-658f-11ee-b406-3ea724995806_story.html
Also yesterday he was touting the jobs report to reporters and talking about perceptions of the economy https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/politics/fact-check-biden-cut-debt-surplus-corporate-tax-unemployment/index.html
Last Tuesday Biden visited Michigan during the UAW strike: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/01/biden-trump-uaw-strikers/
Also last week he made another play for erasing student loan debt https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/04/president-biden-announces-an-additional-9-billion-in-student-debt-relief-for-125000-americans/
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 4:08 AM on October 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
This doesn’t match my experience at all. It’s confusing to me. I think maybe I don’t understand your actual question.
Biden is covered and quoted nearly every single day of my news consumption. Usually I start with the Washington Post, then for other perspectives and beats I go into Google News (not logged in so it’s not tailored to my preferences), follow journalists on Threads, and listen to various news analysis podcasts several times a week. I used to follow a ton of journalists on Twitter but that’s done.
A sampling (links not working on my phone, sorry):
On Friday he was at the White House talking to reporters about border walls. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/08/democrats-criticize-biden-immigration-border/
Yesterday he was at the White House talking to reporters about the Hamas attacks: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/08/biden-hamas-israel-gop-trump-desantis/d8ed94f6-658f-11ee-b406-3ea724995806_story.html
Also yesterday he was touting the jobs report to reporters and talking about perceptions of the economy https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/06/politics/fact-check-biden-cut-debt-surplus-corporate-tax-unemployment/index.html
Last Tuesday Biden visited Michigan during the UAW strike: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/10/01/biden-trump-uaw-strikers/
Also last week he made another play for erasing student loan debt https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/10/04/president-biden-announces-an-additional-9-billion-in-student-debt-relief-for-125000-americans/
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 4:08 AM on October 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
This sounds like it is entirely determined by your personal consumption of media, which is likely different from what it was as a child given how much media have changed in our lifetimes. Like many folks in their 40s who still commute in a car with a radio, I listen to NPR daily on my commute, and they usually mention what is on the President's daily schedule during Morning Edition every day, including his near daily public appearances. The Washington Post has similar daily coverage that I often look at over lunch. There are President Biden accounts on all major social media, except Mastodon, still, sadly. If what you're interested in are seeing posts about him on social media, you can follow those accounts on the media of your choice.
posted by hydropsyche at 5:35 AM on October 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
posted by hydropsyche at 5:35 AM on October 8, 2023 [5 favorites]
Aa mentioned upthread, the White House releases daily briefings about Biden and his schedule.
posted by Threeve at 9:40 AM on October 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by Threeve at 9:40 AM on October 8, 2023 [1 favorite]
Mod note: One deleted. Please stick to the actual question; this is not a chatfilter thread.
posted by taz (staff) at 10:11 PM on October 8, 2023
posted by taz (staff) at 10:11 PM on October 8, 2023
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posted by armoir from antproof case at 11:22 AM on October 7, 2023 [1 favorite]