US election - After the TV duel: fear is spreading among US Democrats
Joe Biden struggles. With words, with numbers, with his voice. The US President stands next to Donald Trump on the television stage in Atlanta, hunching, trying to form an answer on taxes, national debt, and the economic situation. In one sentence, he confuses Billionaires and Millionaires, millions and billions. He twitches nervously. Then he begins a sentence that won't end.
"We could ensure that all the things we need to do - childcare, elder care, making sure we strengthen our healthcare system," says the 81-year-old, "ensuring that we're able to take care of every single person..." Biden has lost the thread. He closes his eyes and starts again. "Claim we have for... for what I have with, um, the Covid..." He closes his eyes again and rubs his forehead. "Excuse me, ahem." The most powerful man in the world looks down at his podium. "With handling... everything we have to do..." The Democrat looks further down at the podium. Trump turns to him, with a questioning look.
The pause, which is painful to watch, drags on. Then Biden looks up, pushes something incomprehensible about healthcare, before CNN moderator Jake Tapper interrupts him and says: "Thank you, Mr. President." Biden's speaking time is up.
Stumbling, disorganized, overwhelmed
This is just one of many moments in the first TV debate between the two US presidential candidates in this campaign, where Biden comes across as stumbling, disorganized, and simply not up to the task of the debate. And in the background, there's Trump, a convicted felon on the stage, a scandal-ridden politician who has tried to sabotage democratic elections and spread shameless lies during this debate as well.
Biden comes across as aggressive, he goes after his opponent multiple times in an unusual sharp way, insulting him as a "loser," "sorry excuse for a man," and even once as someone with the "moral integrity of a gutter rat." But it doesn't come across as powerful. With a hoarse and sometimes quiet voice, he struggles through various answers that are often incoherent. In between, there are moments where he looks blankly into space.
The reactions to Biden's performance are devastating, especially within his own party. Biden's age and the debate about his condition are already his biggest problems in the campaign. In this first encounter with Trump since four years ago, he was supposed to show the people in the country that he is capable of leading the country and defeating Trump despite his 81 years. But exactly that didn't happen.
Blank panic in the party
Even Biden's running mate Kamala Harris admits in front of the camera after the debate: "That was a rocky start, that's clear to everyone." Even political commentators who are usually favorable to Biden are shocked by the performance of the President, speaking of a humiliation and a campaign disaster. "There will be discussions about whether he'll continue," says David Axelrod, Chief Strategist of Biden's former boss, former President Barack Obama.
Democrats Discuss Unthinkable Question: Is Biden Too Weak to Be Their Candidate, Four Months Before Election?
A question that Democrats are now debating in private: Is their front-runner so weak that they need to find an alternative candidate months before the election? Most are speaking cautiously. "It's hard to argue that Biden should be our candidate," quoted CNN an unnamed party functionary. Others speak of "blank panic" in the party. But from the backbenches, there are already public appeals for Biden to step down, such as from Andrew Yang, who unsuccessfully ran for the presidency of his party in 2020. "People, the Democrats should nominate someone else - before it's too late," Yang wrote on the platform X.
A Plan B for the Democrats?
Could Biden really withdraw from the race? Theoretically, yes. The Democrats are scheduled to meet in late August for their national convention in Chicago, where they are supposed to officially nominate Biden as their presidential candidate. But the party could still make a last-minute switch and choose a new candidate. Biden would have to step down voluntarily, as he has formally won the primaries of his party, and the delegates are currently bound to the primary results. Biden could, however, invoke health or family reasons to step down publicly. Whether he would be willing to do so is uncertain.
And the bigger problem: The party doesn't have a real Plan B. They missed the opportunity to groom a successor. Biden himself must bear the brunt of this criticism. The seven-term grandfather claims to be the most qualified person for the job and the only one who can beat Trump. This now seems arrogant.
The natural successor would have been Harris. But she has remained relatively inconspicuous in her vice presidency, barely visible, and has struggled with poor popularity ratings. Given that she was the first woman and the first Black person to ascend to the office, it would have been difficult to establish a replacement for her. And now it's too late.
Even if the option of a Biden exit is theoretically possible, politically it seems rather unlikely. Establishing another Democrat as a viable alternative for the presidency on a national stage within four months, who is as well-known as Trump, seems unlikely. Trump's chances of returning to the White House have never been greater.
- During the TV duel in Atlanta, Joe Biden faced challenges with his words, numbers, and voice, standing next to Donald Trump.
- In the debate, Biden confounded Billionaires and Millionaires, as well as millions and billions, leading to a nervous twitch and an unfinished sentence.
- While Trump questioned Biden on the stage, CNN moderator Jake Tapper intervened, acknowledging Biden's time was up due to his stumbling and disorganized performance.
- Andrew Yang, a former presidential candidate, expressed concerns about Biden's ability to lead and suggested Democrats nominate another candidate.
- Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, acknowledged the "rocky start" of the debate, leading to internal debates within the Democratic Party regarding Biden's potential withdrawal.
- David Axelrod, former Chief Strategist of President Barack Obama, suggested there could be discussions about finding an alternative candidate following Biden's poor performance.
- The Democratic Party is grappling with the question of whether their front-runner is too weak to be their candidate, just four months before the US election.
- With the possibility of a Biden exit seemingly unlikely, and a Plan B for the Democrats not yet established, Donald Trump's chances of returning to the White House may increase, making the #USElection2024 a critical event for the USA.
