Illustrating once again the deep divide in America, Democrats (and NeverTrumps) had a markedly different reaction to a video showing Joe Biden abusing a voter than did conservatives. The former were wowed by how manly and powerful a stuttering, incoherent, factually incorrect Biden appeared as he berated a factory worker in front of dozens of other workers. Meanwhile, the latter were deeply worried that Biden, the Democrat frontrunner, is showing increasing signs of cognitive impairment, not to mention the revolting arrogance of the permanent political class.

As always, the ideological divide is seen most clearly in competing tweets. On the Democrat and NeverTrump side, a series of blue-checked figures in the media, entertainment, and politics raved about Biden's alpha qualities.

Ana Navarro-Cárdenas, a rabidly anti-Trump CNN employee, was very excited about Biden's words and used them to try to cast shade on Trump (language warning going forward).

Apparently, the Trump campaign thinks this makes @JoeBiden look bad?



I love it. This is exactly the Fighting Joe I want to see show-up and tell Trump he’s full of it. https://t.co/lGiltAUOfc — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) March 10, 2020

Some of the same people who defend “Gab them by the pussy” as locker-room talk between guys, have turned into pearl-clutching, language Puritans because @JoeBiden told a guy he’s “full of shit”.



That’s really damn funny....and hypocritical. https://t.co/45BbtrnF4l — Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) March 10, 2020

Contrary to Navarro-Cárdenas's claim, there is no comparison between the two statements. Biden used obscenities to insult a voter to his face. Trump's situation was different. In a private conversation, he stated an unfortunate truth, which is that, if you're rich and powerful, women let you take liberties (and note, please, that he didn't say he took those liberties). The two events are not the same, and Navarro-Cárdenas looks foolish claiming they are.

Alyssa Milano saw Biden's abusing a voter as a sign of strength:

“That’s bullshit.”



This exchange is why I endorse Joe Biden for President. You have to be able to have the tough conversations with those who disagree with you. pic.twitter.com/wWN8Iui1TH — Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) March 10, 2020

Neera Tanden, the President of the Center for American Progress, also saw Biden’s picking a fight with a voter as a warm-up act for taking on Trump:

Most people look at this video and think he’s ready to take on Trump. — Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) March 10, 2020

What none of these people understands is that Trump always punches either up or against his own weight. That's why his targets are the media, which buy pixels by the barrel, or politicians. Biden punched down. His attacks on a voter were the equivalent of being the big fifth-grader who beats up a kindergartner for lunch money. It wasn't tough; it was bullying.

Still, Biden's campaign spokesman tried his best to spin the event as evidence of Biden's "no malarkey" promise:

When we say no malarkey, we mean no malarkey. https://t.co/1Mi2ZCJk7M — Bill Russo (@BillR) March 10, 2020

Donald Trump, Jr., however, understands what many people think when they see Biden in the grip of serious emotional incontinence. They're not thinking "strength"; they're thinking "dementia."

From the Alzheimers association webpage



"Aggressive or angry behaviors may occur in people with Alzheimer's or other dementias"



A 50 year career politician doesn't snap back this way to a blue collar guy asking him a reasonable question given his parties stance on the issue. https://t.co/A6ZOee6TkM — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 10, 2020

Kurt Schlichter homed in on Biden's outrage when the voter whom he had insulted reminded Biden that he's a civil servant who works for the people, rather than the other way around:

The gun grabbing part is bad, but the big story is how the vid illustrates Biden’s entitled sense of outrage that some mere working class citizen dared to defy him.



I’ll be asking @DonaldJTrumpJr about this tomorrow when I guest host for @hughhewitt.... pic.twitter.com/MMtdJD3OhJ — Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) March 10, 2020

Dana Loesch also understood that there was more going on here than Biden showing that he still has a little gunpowder in his geezer gut:

Voters simply concerned about their constitutional rights and private property are “hostile critics” now. The guy who *actually* proposed eliminating constitutional rights and confiscating private property isn’t the hostile figure, the person objecting is. Un-redacted-believable. — Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) March 10, 2020

With Biden emerging as the probable Democrat candidate following Mini–Super Tuesday, it will be interesting to learn whether this dialogue leads voters to see Biden as a strong, manly candidate or as a bully in serious mental decline.