Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden’s first virtual town hall on Friday was denounced as “an absolute technical nightmare.”
Biden had been scheduled to hold a traditional campaign event in Illinois on Friday.
However, in light of restrictions on gatherings that are being put in place in response to the coronavirus outbreak, the campaign decided to make the event a virtual town hall.
As CNN reported, the event was pushed back by two hours from its original start time, and then still started 15 minutes late.
Makena Kelly, who dissected the event for The Verge, explained what greeted her when she clicked in.
“When I logged onto Joe Biden’s first-ever virtual town hall, I was greeted with one Illinois senator adjusting the angle of her webcam and another showing off an adorable (but screaming) baby in an oddly intimate video call before the former vice president even appeared onscreen,” she wrote in her piece, which was titled simply, “Joe Biden’s first virtual town hall was an absolute technical nightmare.”
“What was at first an awkwardly silent video conference evolved into a complete technical nightmare that resulted in Biden sounding as if he was screaming in TV static for the first few minutes of the event,” she wrote.
War with Iran Poised to Erupt Again After Weeks of Ceasefire If Peace Talks Fail
Car Enthusiast Jerry Seinfeld Blasts EVs: ‘It’s a Big, Stupid Virtue Signal’
Student charged after 5 stabbed at high school in violent altercation over vape pen
Activist remains perched atop DC bridge protesting Iran war, AI development: ‘The spirit moves me’
Abortion pill fight heads to Supreme Court as manufacturer warns of ‘chaos’ after ruling
Trump Talks ‘Taking Over’ Cuba ‘Almost Immediately… on the Way Back from Iran’
Bad Timing: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Ratchets Up Feud With Joe Rogan as Republicans Lead the Field to Replace Him
1 dead after car slams into lavish Portland social club with possible explosives, FBI investigating
Eric Swalwell, Man Who Quit Congress In Part Due to Improper Contact With Staffers on Snapchat, Still Contacting Staffers on Snapchat
Missing man’s body found in abandoned cemetery crypt in case tied to biker gang
Trump administration to close Potomac golf course for championship-level renovations
After Spirit Airlines Goes Bust, Remember How Biden, Warren Stopped Merger to Save Airline Because It’d Mean ‘Fewer Flights’
Trump troop cuts in Europe could be blocked by Congress — here’s how he might get around it
Democrat Arrested for Campaigning While High on Cocaine: Report
Communist and socialist groups call for ‘revolution’ and seizure of property at Minneapolis May Day rally
Those attending the event pointed out the problems.
In fact, the first question was actually a critique from a viewer who noted, “Mr. Biden’s speech was garbly the entire time.”
Biden also seemed flummoxed by the technology.
“Am I live?” he said when the third questioner of the evening was speaking.
“Am I on camera?” he said as the fourth person asked a question.
Near the end of the town hall event, Biden wandered off screen.
At one point, only the back half of his head was visible.
While he soon came back, the campaign eventually decided that was enough. The video stream was cut, and the rest of the event was audio only:
War with Iran Poised to Erupt Again After Weeks of Ceasefire If Peace Talks Fail
Car Enthusiast Jerry Seinfeld Blasts EVs: ‘It’s a Big, Stupid Virtue Signal’
Student charged after 5 stabbed at high school in violent altercation over vape pen
Activist remains perched atop DC bridge protesting Iran war, AI development: ‘The spirit moves me’
Abortion pill fight heads to Supreme Court as manufacturer warns of ‘chaos’ after ruling
Trump Talks ‘Taking Over’ Cuba ‘Almost Immediately… on the Way Back from Iran’
Bad Timing: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Ratchets Up Feud With Joe Rogan as Republicans Lead the Field to Replace Him
1 dead after car slams into lavish Portland social club with possible explosives, FBI investigating
Eric Swalwell, Man Who Quit Congress In Part Due to Improper Contact With Staffers on Snapchat, Still Contacting Staffers on Snapchat
Missing man’s body found in abandoned cemetery crypt in case tied to biker gang
Trump administration to close Potomac golf course for championship-level renovations
After Spirit Airlines Goes Bust, Remember How Biden, Warren Stopped Merger to Save Airline Because It’d Mean ‘Fewer Flights’
Trump troop cuts in Europe could be blocked by Congress — here’s how he might get around it
Democrat Arrested for Campaigning While High on Cocaine: Report
Communist and socialist groups call for ‘revolution’ and seizure of property at Minneapolis May Day rally
Before Biden signed off, he made a comment that summed up the evening, according to Breitbart.
“I’m sorry this is such a disjointed effort here,” Biden said.
Twitter was not kind to the event:
What’s he talking about? Wow.
— Scott Sheridan (@SSheridan74) March 14, 2020
This is part of the virtual town hall the Biden campaign wouldn't post
Garbled/cut out audio, blank screens, randomly going live to unsuspecting participants
A complete disaster pic.twitter.com/eLGgHyPm91
— Zach Parkinson (@AZachParkinson) March 14, 2020
War with Iran Poised to Erupt Again After Weeks of Ceasefire If Peace Talks Fail
Car Enthusiast Jerry Seinfeld Blasts EVs: ‘It’s a Big, Stupid Virtue Signal’
Student charged after 5 stabbed at high school in violent altercation over vape pen
Activist remains perched atop DC bridge protesting Iran war, AI development: ‘The spirit moves me’
Abortion pill fight heads to Supreme Court as manufacturer warns of ‘chaos’ after ruling
Trump Talks ‘Taking Over’ Cuba ‘Almost Immediately… on the Way Back from Iran’
Bad Timing: California Gov. Gavin Newsom Ratchets Up Feud With Joe Rogan as Republicans Lead the Field to Replace Him
1 dead after car slams into lavish Portland social club with possible explosives, FBI investigating
Eric Swalwell, Man Who Quit Congress In Part Due to Improper Contact With Staffers on Snapchat, Still Contacting Staffers on Snapchat
Missing man’s body found in abandoned cemetery crypt in case tied to biker gang
Trump administration to close Potomac golf course for championship-level renovations
After Spirit Airlines Goes Bust, Remember How Biden, Warren Stopped Merger to Save Airline Because It’d Mean ‘Fewer Flights’
Trump troop cuts in Europe could be blocked by Congress — here’s how he might get around it
Democrat Arrested for Campaigning While High on Cocaine: Report
Communist and socialist groups call for ‘revolution’ and seizure of property at Minneapolis May Day rally
Joe Biden is the worst presidential candidate of all-time.pic.twitter.com/rEVyjBy7hu
— Jason Howerton (@jason_howerton) March 14, 2020
“Biden’s first-ever virtual town hall was a sorry first sign for the future of digital campaigning, something that will become ever more important as the presidential race heats up and coronavirus spreads across the country,” Kelly wrote.
“Hopefully the Biden campaign and others can get it together before November, or at least until the pandemic fades.”
Story cited here.









