Joe Biden, the Dreadful Candidate of the 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary, and a Demonstration of his Importance for the Rule of Law
The problem is not the debates. It’s the debaters — and this whole wretched rematch of a campaign. Time says it’s the dread election. Across a wide range of backgrounds and beliefs, Americans describe themselves in similar terms: exhausted, indifferent, depressed. The double hater is the star of a report that describes Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump as the most disliked pair of presidential candidates in at least 36 years. It is unlikely that they will be more appealing if they watch them jab at each other for 90 minutes.
North Carolina, N.C. After Joe Biden’s disappointing performance in the debate, some Democrats were openly considering his removal from the ticket, and President Biden attempted to soothe those fears by delivering an energetic campaign speech in North Carolina.
Speaking to a crowd of roughly 2,000 supporters in Raleigh, Biden reiterated his belief that former President Donald Trump is bad for the country on issues like abortion and the economy.
The president acknowledged his poor performance in the debate and highlighted false claims he made in the debate.
“I know I’m not a young man,” Biden said to cheers. “I don’t walk as easy as I used to. I speak more slowly than I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth!”
At the debate, Biden sounded confused and raspy. His campaign said he had a cold, but the performance highlighted concerns about his age and fitness to serve another four years as commander in chief.
He hammered Trump as an extremist on abortion rights and a threat to the future of American democracy if elected again. Using a teleprompter and feeding off the energy of the crowd, he attacked his opponent in ways that were missing from the debate stage.
Voters who came to watch Biden speak ignored the debate’s under par performance, because the vice president is heavily invested in the swing state.
What Will Joe Biden Tell Us About Our Nation? What Will he Do if He Can’t Run for Re-election?
“Last night was hard to watch,” 56-year-old Simone Langely said after the rally finished. It was late for Joe and things just didn’t go as I wanted them to.
The campaign announced Friday that it saw the best grassroots fundraising hours of the election cycle come immediately before andafter the debate, as cable news panels and other left-leaning media panned his abilities and speculated about ways to replace him as the nominee.
The Biden family and the political team must quickly gather, have the most difficult of conversations with the president, and remember to love one another. To give America the greatest shot possible of deterring the Trump threat in November, the president has to come forward and declare that he will not be running for re-election and is releasing all of his delegates for the Democratic National Convention.
I think Biden has to leave. As you know, I’ve been arguing since 2022 that he’s too old to run for re-election. I wonder if it is too late when people ask about it. It would have been better if Biden stepped aside earlier and permitted a normal process for picking a successor, but this debate shows that the status quo is intolerable. And I think that’s rapidly becoming the consensus not just among panicky pundits, but among senior Democrats.
I was very struck by this statement that Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, gave to an Associated Press reporter Friday morning about Biden: “Until he articulates a way forward in terms of his vision for America at this moment, I’m going to reserve comment about anything relative to where we are at this moment, other than to say I stand behind the ticket.” If you think everyone is overreacting, then that is not something you say.
If Vice President Kamala Harris wants to compete, she should. But voters deserve an open process in search of a Democratic presidential nominee who can unite not only the party but the country, by offering something neither man on that Atlanta stage did on Thursday night: a compelling description of where the world is right now and a compelling vision for what America can and must do to keep leading it — morally, economically and diplomatically.
The Republican Party — if its leaders had an ounce of integrity — would demand the same, but it won’t, because they don’t. That makes it all the more important that Democrats put the country’s interests first and announce that a public process will begin for different Democratic candidates to compete for the nomination — town halls, debates, meetings with donors, you name it. Yes, it could be chaotic and messy when the Democratic convention starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago, but I think the Trump threat would be sufficiently grave that delegates could quickly rally around and nominate a consensus candidate.
Democrat Reply to “Decisions on Biden’s Performance” at the White House: “It Isn’t My Position”
Democrats believe that President Obama recovered from his disastrous first debate performance against Romney in order to win the re- election. Some pointed out candidates that lost the election after seeming to win the debates.
Multiple Democrats were reluctant to support a second debate, with many criticizing the format and the rules, saying the campaign should not have agreed to them.
Those who did respond, like Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-NY, took a mostly measured approach. Suozzi said one could wish for a “better performance” but said any decisions about Biden’s fitness to lead the party were “above [his] pay grade.”
House Democrats were inundated with questions Friday morning as they arrived at the Capitol in Washington. Several members refused to answer or deferred to communications staff in order to avoid directly addressing Biden’s performance.
House Minority Leader Leader Jeffries, asked about Democrats calling for Biden to drop out, says “that’s not my position.” When asked if Democrats can win back House with Biden on ticket he simply responded “yes.”