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.
WATCH: Pelosi dodges questions on husband’s new hit-and-run charge
Top Trump official makes new SAVE Act case to Republicans behind closed doors
Race-Baiting ESPN Personality Ryan Clark Learns He’s Fired During Live Broadcast
It’s Happening Again: Jews Greeted with Motor Oil, Fecal Material Outside Two NY Synagogues
Nancy Guthrie video may have been erased after FBI kept out for days, director says
Florida man arrested in IHOP restaurant after police say he stabbed a rideshare driver
Dem ‘Epstein class’ attack backfires as top candidates funded by Epstein-tied billionaire
Muslim Dem Candidate Exposes Flaw in Wokeness Allyship, Now Says She’s Getting Silenced Because She Didn’t Embrace LGBT Agenda
Cuba built covert network inside America through spies, activists and universities, State Dept alleges
Pentagon Releases Video of Latest Strikes on Iran After Trump Orders Revenge for Fallen US Troops
Two House races take center stage as conservative PAC launches multimillion-dollar Big Tech push
Jeff Clark’s yearslong disbarment fight tests reach of DC Bar over Trump DOJ
Trump’s GOP clout faces Arizona test with House majority, governor’s race at stake
DOJ’s creative solution to transgender prison case would move male inmates into specialized unit
DOJ opens probe into Harvard’s financial aid for alleged discrimination against American students
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:
WATCH: Pelosi dodges questions on husband’s new hit-and-run charge
Top Trump official makes new SAVE Act case to Republicans behind closed doors
Race-Baiting ESPN Personality Ryan Clark Learns He’s Fired During Live Broadcast
It’s Happening Again: Jews Greeted with Motor Oil, Fecal Material Outside Two NY Synagogues
Nancy Guthrie video may have been erased after FBI kept out for days, director says
Florida man arrested in IHOP restaurant after police say he stabbed a rideshare driver
Dem ‘Epstein class’ attack backfires as top candidates funded by Epstein-tied billionaire
Muslim Dem Candidate Exposes Flaw in Wokeness Allyship, Now Says She’s Getting Silenced Because She Didn’t Embrace LGBT Agenda
Cuba built covert network inside America through spies, activists and universities, State Dept alleges
Pentagon Releases Video of Latest Strikes on Iran After Trump Orders Revenge for Fallen US Troops
Two House races take center stage as conservative PAC launches multimillion-dollar Big Tech push
Jeff Clark’s yearslong disbarment fight tests reach of DC Bar over Trump DOJ
Trump’s GOP clout faces Arizona test with House majority, governor’s race at stake
DOJ’s creative solution to transgender prison case would move male inmates into specialized unit
DOJ opens probe into Harvard’s financial aid for alleged discrimination against American students
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
WATCH: Pelosi dodges questions on husband’s new hit-and-run charge
Top Trump official makes new SAVE Act case to Republicans behind closed doors
Race-Baiting ESPN Personality Ryan Clark Learns He’s Fired During Live Broadcast
It’s Happening Again: Jews Greeted with Motor Oil, Fecal Material Outside Two NY Synagogues
Nancy Guthrie video may have been erased after FBI kept out for days, director says
Florida man arrested in IHOP restaurant after police say he stabbed a rideshare driver
Dem ‘Epstein class’ attack backfires as top candidates funded by Epstein-tied billionaire
Muslim Dem Candidate Exposes Flaw in Wokeness Allyship, Now Says She’s Getting Silenced Because She Didn’t Embrace LGBT Agenda
Cuba built covert network inside America through spies, activists and universities, State Dept alleges
Pentagon Releases Video of Latest Strikes on Iran After Trump Orders Revenge for Fallen US Troops
Two House races take center stage as conservative PAC launches multimillion-dollar Big Tech push
Jeff Clark’s yearslong disbarment fight tests reach of DC Bar over Trump DOJ
Trump’s GOP clout faces Arizona test with House majority, governor’s race at stake
DOJ’s creative solution to transgender prison case would move male inmates into specialized unit
DOJ opens probe into Harvard’s financial aid for alleged discrimination against American students
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.
