Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Futurity

    Why Joe Biden’s stutter is a big deal

    While many in the media focus on Joe Biden's verbal stumbles, many of these moments are a result of his lifelong stutter. An expert explains why it matters.
    by Jordan Bennett-NYU Oct 18, 2019 1 minute
    Joe Biden speaks into a microphone while holding one hand up and standing in front of a row of American flags

    Though former vice president and now Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has consistently been portrayed as gaffe-prone, many moments where he appears to struggle are due to his stutter, Eric S. Jackson says.

    Pundits and journalists describe Biden’s speeches as filled with moments of “bumbling” and “stumbling,” triggering questions about the candidate’s mental fitness and hinting at possible age-related cognitive decline. The media regularly use these theories as an opportunity to explore the issue of age as it relates to the candidate, and to question whether Biden is up to the exhaustive challenge of running for the nation’s highest office.

    “The fact that Biden still stutters and might be president is powerful for young children who speak like him…”

    While some of Biden’s comments are indeed mistakes, his stutter is also a lifelong challenge that he has openly discussed during interviews,

    As a scientist who studies stuttering in children and adults, and as a person who stutters himself, Jackson, a professor of communicative sciences and disorders at the Steinhardt school at New York University, has been frustrated by the national discussion around Biden’s speech.

    Here, Jackson explains Biden’s stuttering and the significance of having a major presidential candidate who stutters:

    The post Why Joe Biden’s stutter is a big deal appeared first on Futurity.

    More from Futurity

    Futurity3 min read
    Drug Appears To Reverse Type 1 Diabetes In Mice
    An experimental monoclonal antibody drug appears to prevent and reverse the onset of clinical type 1 diabetes in mice, and in some cases, to lengthen the animals’ lifespan. Researchers say the drug, called mAb43, is unique because it targets insulin-
    Futurity4 min read
    Alzheimer’s Moves Faster In People With Down Syndrome
    A new study shows that Alzheimer’s disease both starts earlier and moves faster in people with Down syndrome, The finding may have important implications for the treatment and care of this vulnerable group of patients. Nearly all adults with Down syn
    Futurity3 min read
    Does Your Dog Have ‘Rage Syndrome’?
    Dog aggression can be unsettling, stressful, and even dangerous, not only for the dog but also for other pets, family members, and strangers. Because some forms of aggression are rare and unexpected, such as rage syndrome, Lori Teller, a clinical pro

    Related Books & Audiobooks