A few minutes into Thursday night’s presidential debate in Atlanta, Joe Biden’s performance left many Democrats in dismay. A Democratic congressman close to Biden’s campaign texted, “I’m drinking to compensate,” reflecting the grim mood. There had been hope for a strong showing, but Biden’s raspy voice and wandering affect quickly turned the evening into a cause for concern. Democratic lawmakers, donors, and strategists across Atlanta and Washington were left asking: What do we do with Biden now?
By the half-hour mark, top Democrats were already expressing their frustration. One party strategist mentioned receiving calls about the feasibility of replacing Biden on the ticket. A longtime Biden ally, after calming down, estimated a 50-50 chance of Biden staying on the ticket. By early Friday morning, the pressing question was: Who can convince him to step aside, and how soon can they do it?
The immediate consensus was that only Jill Biden, a former skeptic turned biggest booster of his reelection campaign, could potentially persuade him. Barack Obama and Bill Clinton could theoretically try, but it was Biden’s close-knit group of advisers who needed to make him understand the gravity of the situation. These advisers include Mike Donilon, Jen O’Malley Dillon, Steve Ricchetti, Anita Dunn, Ron Klain, Bruce Reed, Jeff Zients, Ted Kaufman, and Biden’s sister Val.
John Morgan, an Orlando attorney and major Democratic donor, questioned whether Biden’s debate performance was a one-time issue or a sign of deeper problems. Morgan, who has known Biden for years, said he looked unrecognizable on stage. In North Carolina on Friday, Biden appeared more energetic, but Morgan emphasized that the debate performance couldn’t be ignored.
Despite the panic, no concrete plans emerged to replace Biden. The Democratic National Committee and leaders like Obama and Hakeem Jeffries continued to support the president. Kamala Harris, Biden’s would-be successor, also spoke up on his behalf. Replacing an incumbent president as the nominee is a complex and risky move that could lead to intraparty chaos and potentially doom the Democrats against Trump.
Theoretical contenders to replace Biden, including Harris, governors Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom, J.B. Pritzker, and Josh Shapiro, remained silent on the issue. Newsom, in a fundraising email for the DNC, dismissed the chatter about Biden’s future as “unhelpful and unnecessary.”
The debate was a dramatic gamble for Biden’s campaign, intended to bait Trump into exposing himself while presenting Biden as a statesman. Months of strategizing went into this plan, with senior Biden advisers believing that Trump’s bluster would remind voters why they rejected him in 2020. Biden’s task was to prove he was a competent leader, not the feeble geriatric portrayed by Republicans and social media.
However, the debate moderators did not correct or interrupt Trump’s incoherent ramblings, and Biden’s uncertain delivery style and disjointed sentences stood out. Democrats were unnerved by Biden’s lack of energy and persuasiveness, contrasting sharply with his State of the Union address in March.
Biden’s advisers had hoped to focus on the contrast with Trump on issues like abortion policy and defending democracy. They believed that debates primarily fix voter impressions of the candidates’ characters. Despite their efforts, Biden’s performance left many Democrats questioning his ability to continue.
Trump campaign surrogates quickly capitalized on the situation, insisting that Trump had proved himself presidential while Biden appeared too weak for the job. Biden’s advocates, meanwhile, struggled to defend his performance, attributing his shaky voice to a cold and emphasizing his achievements.
Biden himself tried to calm nerves by appearing at a watch party and a Waffle House, while Jill Biden pointed out that he had answered the moderators’ questions. Kamala Harris acknowledged Biden’s “slow start” but defended his accomplishments. The campaign sent out a list of 50 lies Trump had told during the debate, trying to shift the narrative.
Biden’s central political bet is that Americans will not tolerate Trump’s return. Despite his debate performance, Biden’s campaign remains better organized, especially in crucial states, and his most loyal supporters are not abandoning him. The campaign reported its most lucrative day in terms of small-dollar donations since its launch.
However, Biden’s stubborn faith in his own abilities and his dismissal of elite opinion as constantly wrong about him may no longer be enough. With the deep end looking more deadly than ever, Biden must now at least listen to the arguments that he should consider stepping aside for the good of the party and the country.
Source: Devin Yalkin, CNN, MSNBC
