Should Biden take drug tests for the POTUS debates?

[Guitar's Cry]

Actually it seems more like you're attacking a straw man.

How so? You set up a comparison between Biden and Trump using drugs to enhance their cognitive functioning to doctors and engineers cheating on academic testing. I suggested the better comparison would be the doctors and engineers using drugs to pass their academic testing.

 

[anotherneil]

How so? You set up a comparison between Biden and Trump using drugs to enhance their cognitive functioning to doctors and engineers cheating on academic testing. I suggested the better comparison would be the doctors and engineers using drugs to pass their academic testing.

Because in your example, medical school and engineering students are doing what they do to study hard to become good, competent doctors and engineers. That wouldn't be the same analogous purpose for using performance enhancing drugs to look good to voters. The correct analogy would be medical school and engineering students obtaining their degrees under false pretenses of having done that hard work to study.

 

[Quintessence]

The article is specifically about taking performance enhancement drug tests immediately before and after the upcoming POTUS debates.

Okay, then apply what I said to this specific situation - everyone should take this drug test if for some odd reason one believes it is needed. I think this is ludicrous, considering having a cuppa would be a "performance enhancing drug" (caffeine) and that's setting aside the blatant issues with ageism and ableism when it comes to doing such tests. I don't know many US-Americans who don't take "performance enhancing drugs" like coffee, tea, or energy drinks.

 

[Stevicus]

How so? You set up a comparison between Biden and Trump using drugs to enhance their cognitive functioning to doctors and engineers cheating on academic testing. I suggested the better comparison would be the doctors and engineers using drugs to pass their academic testing.

Are there pills which can make one smarter? It would be nice if there was a pill which could double one's IQ.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

What would it prove, exactly? Like, why would he do that?... If people who don't have your best interest at heart and want to drag your name through the mud demand you to do things to clear your name from the random accusations they make up about you, do you acquiesce to their weird demands? If it were me, I'd just walk away and not waste my time

Ok, Biden can do what he wants.

 

[LuisDantas]

"Other": Trump is just doing his usual thing, accusing others of being as he, Trump, is while also conveniently creating a distraction from his delinquence and criminal behavior.

Listening to him is worse than wasting time.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Because in your example, medical school and engineering students are doing what they do to study hard to become good, competent doctors and engineers. That wouldn't be the same analogous purpose for using performance enhancing drugs to look good to voters.

It would be the same, because "looking good to voters" in this case is being able to present and argue on policy issues. If using "performance enhancing drugs" is how they are going to perform the job, so be it. I want a President that is going to do the job.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Are there pills which can make one smarter? It would be nice if there was a pill which could double one's IQ.

No, but stimulants can certainly improve a person's ability to focus and provide mental clarity.

 

[Clizby Wampuscat]

How could it make "us conservatives" look foolish, especially if they came back positive for performance enhancement or illegal drugs?

If he is clean.

Why not? If I were Biden (or a Democrat, in general), then I would want to take any and every opportunity to make them look foolish.

Because he probably would not pass.

 

[SkepticThinker]

Sure - we do want our "commander and chief" not to underperform, but do we want someone who's dependent on drugs in order to not underperform, especially when there may be someone else available who isn't?

By being dependent on drugs to not underperform, there can be problems like adverse reactions or overdoses. I don't know if anything Biden or Trump might be on can medically fit into this category, but it can still be risky to have someone with access to the nuclear button to be drugged up.

Depends what drugs we're talking about.

I mean, are we talking about like, blood thinners or anti-anxiety medication or are we talking about cocaine?

What do you mean by "drugged up?"

Now, let's discuss with this is really about, which is that some suspect that Biden isn't really running things in the Oval Office & he's only being drugged up so he looks like he has no deteriorating mental conditions to the public. Your response disregards this possibility.

Which sounds absolutely nonsensical and silly to me.

 

[SkepticThinker]

You mean other than the suspicious dual behavior patterns that Biden exhibits, where in some cases he mumbles & doesn't seem to know what planet he's on, and in others (such as during State of the Union address) he seems perfectly cognitive, alert, is able to speak loudly and clearly, and aware of what planet he's on?

What is suspicious about that, exactly?

Do you never have days where you are more tired than others? Do you ever get worn down at the end of the day? Do you need a coffee to get going in the morning? I do.

I don't see the issue here.

What drug do you think he took for the State of the Union speech that you think would allow him to be "perfectly cognitive, alert, and able to speak loudly and clearly?" What drugs do you think do that?

No one's forcing him to take a drug test & it would be in his best interest to dispel the idea that he would be on drugs during the debates by taking a drug test; it would be his loss if he refused.

The "idea that he's on drugs" is a right-wing talking point meant to discredit him and not much more, as far as I can tell.

Same could be said about Trump if you want to dismiss Biden's suspicious dual behavior patterns - either way.

I don't see any "dual behaviour patterns."

 

[SkepticThinker]

Joke and be humorous all you want, but I didn't post this thread in such forum sections. I'm not joking and who becomes or is POTUS is no joke.

This is about something that affects our lives.

If Biden is in fact being drugged up to look good to the public then I consider that a joke, a bad joke on me, my country, and the rest of the world.

What drug do you think "they" are using to make him "look good?"

 

[SkepticThinker]

Sorry, don't answer loaded polls.

However, I would ask if you (@anotherneil) or any other member knows of a drug that can be shown to be "performance enhancing" for intelligence-related tasks. Perhaps caffeine (Trump loves his cola, and that's loaded with caffeine)?

In other words -- which drugs, if any, should BOTH candidates be tested for (because the answer to the poll can never be only one of them)?

I have the exact same question.

 

[SkepticThinker]

And generally that's about drugs for enhancing physical performance in sports.

In this case, it's about drugs for enhancing mental performance in politics.

Such as?

At least in sports the only losses are trophies, medals, a prize payment, a record in sports history, but not something that affects the personal lives of voters and their families.


This is about cheating; do you want this for the individual with access to the nuclear button?

Sorry, how is it "cheating?"

Would it be irrelevant to you if your physician got their medical degree by cheating on tests, or the engineer who designed the vehicles or planes you travel in by cheating on their tests?

Where's the cheating?

 

[SkepticThinker]

If Trump and Biden did take drug tests Biden could make all of us conservatives look foolish. He won't though.

Too late for that.

 

[SkepticThinker]

How about Trump? Are you ok with both having positive performance enhancing drug test results, or only Biden?


You're either dodging or it wasn't clear to you that I was obviously referring to stealing the answer keys to the test questions, copying off of other students, looking at their notes when they're not supposed to, or using the internet on their phones when they're not supposed to; what if your physicians or engineers were cheating in this manner?

What "performance enhancing drugs???" What drugs do you think exist that help a person who is suffering from dementia, suddenly NOT have dementia anymore?

Seriously, I'd love to know, as my mother-in-law suffers from dementia. This would be a giant breakthrough for her.

 

[SkepticThinker]

This isn't about medication for arthritis pain or for treating osteoporosis.

It's not? What drugs is it about then, exactly?

Would it be different for Trump?

What if they test positive for illegal drugs? Would that concern you?

Depends on the drug.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

No. We are protected from unwarranted searches and seizures. Just being president and having a debate is not just cause or reasonable suspicion for drug use.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Who's Ronny Johnson & what does he have to do with this?

Oh, gee, this is a such a monument toughie. Could it perhaps be that bloke mentioned in the article you linked to and seem to not have read?

Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas, the White House physician-turned-House lawmaker, is demanding in a new letter that President Biden submit to a drug test before his Thursday "CNN Presidential Debate" with former President Trump.

 

[The Hammer]

Are there pills which can make one smarter? It would be nice if there was a pill which could double one's IQ.

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