You are also losing sight of the fact that this election is between Democracy and Dictatorship! Which do you want? Biden has many capable people around him. Trump will have only yes men. Anyone he worked closely with last time won't even endorse him. He is a felonious liar and that was on FULL display last night.
And that is exactly why we are so upset with Biden's performance and his enablers!! When there is so much at stake in this election, why did they encourage Biden to run again when he has so clearly deteriorated since 2020?! I'll still vote for Biden and I hope others do too, but I am not convinced it will be enough.
People won't vote based on his team, even if that's a valid point. And frankly, I have doubts about his team for the very reasons Chris has articulated. Biden never should have run again. Now his ego has led his party and the country to the brink of collapse. He spent almost a week on intensive debate prep. From that we got garbled answers, missed opportunities, a total inability to think on his feet and do even basic self-defense in the face of a deluge of flagrant lies. That cannot be fixed. Now that same team will dig in, blame the critics, and lead us off the cliff. Unforgivable!
Debate prep should have included facing the camera, which would have gone a long way towards making him look less confused and out if it.
And debate prep should have included some warm tea with honey and vinegar to clear up his nasal passages so he did not have his mouth hanging open the entire debate, which would have gone a long way towards him looking less confused and out if it.
And debate prep should have included some lines to push back on the popular anger against a supposed "open border" while our borders are actually the most enforced than they have ever been, and the misinformation that undocumented and legal migrants are being put on social security and medicare rolls, the maga take that as gospel truth when it is totally false. djt mentioned those multiple times and President Biden did not say even one-word to correct those lies.
Over the course of days, do you think these items weren't covered? Bottom line is Trump was outrageously horrible and Biden was unable to think on his feet. He refuted nothing. Honestly, I could have come up with responses on the spot with no coaching, and I'm no Millennial.
Yes, I don't think looking into the camera was covered. And some antihistimine or tea and honey and vinegar were not used to clear up a stuffy nose as it wss obvious he was breathing thru his mouth, a bad look.
I'm not sure if he was wanting to look more Presidential by not arguing by pointing out djt's lies, or if he is just unaware of the common perception out there about "open borders," or social security and medicare going to undocumented migrants, (borders are not open and undocunented pay into social security but can not access any benefits), pushback was certainly needed. Did he expect fact-checkers to clear all that up later? Another mistake.
He did look out if it, but I expect his campaigning, and the next debate to show a very different President Biden.
The next debate is in September, which is way too late. The Biden team chose this early debate specifically to solidify the perception that he was not capable of sustaining as President for another 4.5 years. That backfired disastrously. That team also chose to put him on the right, which was zero help. A cold does not account for his incoherence and inability to react quickly. I will vote for him because of the unique threat of Trump, but fear the election was lost last night. Instead of reassuring it confirmed an existing perception.
Yes, his team should have been giving high doses of Vitamin C if he is subject to catching colds, or if any of the leaders he met with recently were sick with colds.
He was not incoherent if you just listen to the debate and not watch it. A couple of answers were disjointed and incomplete, but djt did that several times too, djt just blusters thru it to cover it. Biden offered policy and results of his policies so far, djt offered nothing but lies about immigrants and ignored questions he did not want to answer which comes off a lot worse than Biden if you are listening and not watching.
Biden did seem slow, or unwilling to react to the lies, but, you can't spend the whole debate correcting djt's lies because then he controlls the narrative. But President Biden did need to push back on some of them. I was very disappointed. But, he will show us the more energetic Biden on the campaign trail, and in the next debate. That next debate is a long ways off, but it is closer to the election and a good performance then will stick in voters minds more than this one 5 months out from election. And djt could possibly say or do something reprehensible between now and the next debate, or at the next debate which will stick in voters minds too.
But, President Biden absolutely needs to pick it up to change the narrative now, I am sure he can.
We can’t vote for Trump. Hold your nose and vote for whatever (D) is the candidate. Staying home puts Trump in office. And just maybe, another candidate will emerge to save the day.
Last night was TERRIBLE. I wonder if Biden has Parkinson's - his walk and soft speech are often indicators (my husband was afflicted with it). Whatever, I hope Democrats find someone else ASAP to head the ticket. I cannot vote for Trump. I believe in democracy not dictatorship. But I will vote for Biden because the other choice is too awful to contemplate.
I agree with everything you wrote but I'm starting to wonder about that last sentence. I live in Iowa where I know my vote for Biden won't matter at all....Trump is ahead by 18 points. I will never vote for Trump but I'm starting to think about sitting out if the Democrats don't replace Biden. If Trump wins in a landslide, the Dems deserve a lot of the blame. I'm beginning to hate this whole system (especially the Electoral College).
Yes, there are down ballot races that I want to vote for. And I agree with Bill Maher...I'd vote for Biden's head in a jar of blue liquid over Trump any day of the week. But I am increasingly unhappy about our options.
I’d like to add that maybe Joe should hold a press conference and say something like: Folks, last night’s debate wasn’t my finest hour. However, I feel compelled to clarify a few things that Donald said that were out and out lies.” Then he should start listing all the things that he has gotten done and to call out each of Trump’s outrageous lies with facts. I know this won’t happen, but hell, it couldn’t make things worse.
If Biden and his handlers care so much about the party and the future of the country, they never would have let him run again. Do they think he is the only candidate who can beat Trump? It might actually be the reverse. He might be the only candidate who could lose to Trump.
This is exactly what I thought from the beginning of his decision to run again. I can also tell you older folks can be incredibly illogical and stubborn (personal experience).
President Biden had a cold! While I wish his camp had shared that prior to the debate, it doesn't change the fact that Donald lied constantly without pushback. Are we honestly going to toss aside 3 years of incredible progress because a man who's just spent the last month flying back and forth from Europe caught an ill-timed cold??
Why are you not focusing on the fact that Trump did nothing but lie the entire debate. It is not acceptable. Everyone should read Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter from last night..
Because that was a given. 24 hours ago, you could have bet $100 that Trump would lie through the entire debate, because that's what he does every hour of the day every day of the week. If he didn't lie, that would be newsworthy. The fact that he did what he always does was never going to make headlines. What we didn't know 24 hours ago was how well Biden would do. Now, unfortunately, we know. And the fact that he not only didn't have his best day, which is what he needed to have, but fell drastically short of the most minimal expectations, is the story of the day.
I total disagree with you. Trump, who shouldn't even have been on the stage, should always be called out for his actions. Biden looked old but that is also a given and should surprise no one. However his answers were on point even if his presentation was weak.
They sure as hell didn’t prepare him enough. He didn’t talk about how Trump never got an infrastructure bill passed, or the jobs from the CHIP ACT, and should have hammered home more about the debt Trump ran up. Regarding the veterans, Biden should have brought up the bill that was passed in 2014 by Obama that Trump keeps lying about. When Trump called Hunter a criminal, Biden should have asked about the 2 billion Kushner got from the Saudi’s. I could go on and on about how he should have responded. My heart sank last night. Whomever was responsible for prepping him definitely missed their assignment. Maybe the lack of an audience didn’t help or maybe it did. Trump came across as a major liar. But Joe looked weak and that isn’t a good look moving forward.
100 % correct Chris. Democrats need support from independents and high voter turnout to win elections. Last night's debate will prompt people who remain undecided (and I imagine there are a few) to simply abstain from voting, because they will not be enthusiastic to cast a vote for either the old man, or the con man. That lack of voter turnout will affect races all the way down the line, and many excellent Democratic candidates will suffer the consequences as a result.
If Biden's ego keeps him in the race, and he loses as is predicted, then shame on him and his entourage. It is not just the United States which will feel the effects of a Biden loss, but many many countries and alliances around the world.
I think independents can figure out who was lying and who has a record that is the envy of the world. I thought Joe was talking too fast to get everything in on time. But, what he said was cogent and factual. If you read the transcript without the video it’s obvious who is the better leader.
The hubris of Biden and his team since day one has been clear. He was never "the only person who could defeat Trump" as he said - if he had made his intentions to step aside clear, early on, the party would be in a far better place. But i guess he didn't actually believe that he was the "bridge to the next generation" as he said, either.
OMG, yes, THIS is exactly what I have been thinking. I doubt that most of us who voted for Biden did so because we thought he would be a great president. He was the alternative to that Orange Nightmare, and he certainly indicated that he would be a "bridge." WTH happened to that? He and his people should have been prepping and bolstering Kamala Harris at every turn, but no, they seemed to leave her hanging. I'm just furious about all of it.
I'll vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever it is, but I'll still be angry at how this bunch has toyed with our future to appease an old man's ego.
100% agree with this. This stupid and thoroughly avoidable outcome is down to Biden's narcissism, and will now be the cultural legacy of his presidency. If he has any regard for his country and party, he will step down now and permit an open contest for the candidacy at the convention, but I bet he doesn't.
Why do we focus so much on style and miss out on the substance? Biden did have some trouble saying what he wanted to say, but did talk recount details about what he has done and what he wants to do in the future. Trump, on the other hand, said nothing of substance. All we heard was he was the best, Biden was the worst, immigrants are bad, and people that oppose him should go to jail. He also said several preposterous lies.
The debate wasn't about convincing me to vote for Biden. It was about reassuring people whose vote might up for grabs that he could do the job. He failed in that mission.
All true, but was anybody who watched last night really surprised? Only if one hasn't been paying attention could have been taken by complete surprise. I don't know if we're talking about just an old man or a sick old man, but there seems to be no way he makes it through a second four-year term.
I was surprised at how much he has deteriorated from the SOTU speech. That was a great one. Last night was a shocker. From the moment he stepped into camera view I knew we were in trouble. I felt he didn’t know where he was.
You are also losing sight of the fact that this election is between Democracy and Dictatorship! Which do you want? Biden has many capable people around him. Trump will have only yes men. Anyone he worked closely with last time won't even endorse him. He is a felonious liar and that was on FULL display last night.
And that is exactly why we are so upset with Biden's performance and his enablers!! When there is so much at stake in this election, why did they encourage Biden to run again when he has so clearly deteriorated since 2020?! I'll still vote for Biden and I hope others do too, but I am not convinced it will be enough.
No, it won’t. I feel betrayed by Biden. I won’t vote for him again
Here's your box of Depends. Go wet your bed somewhere else.
Agreed. And the "analysts" out there calling for his head should STFU.
People won't vote based on his team, even if that's a valid point. And frankly, I have doubts about his team for the very reasons Chris has articulated. Biden never should have run again. Now his ego has led his party and the country to the brink of collapse. He spent almost a week on intensive debate prep. From that we got garbled answers, missed opportunities, a total inability to think on his feet and do even basic self-defense in the face of a deluge of flagrant lies. That cannot be fixed. Now that same team will dig in, blame the critics, and lead us off the cliff. Unforgivable!
Debate prep should have included facing the camera, which would have gone a long way towards making him look less confused and out if it.
And debate prep should have included some warm tea with honey and vinegar to clear up his nasal passages so he did not have his mouth hanging open the entire debate, which would have gone a long way towards him looking less confused and out if it.
And debate prep should have included some lines to push back on the popular anger against a supposed "open border" while our borders are actually the most enforced than they have ever been, and the misinformation that undocumented and legal migrants are being put on social security and medicare rolls, the maga take that as gospel truth when it is totally false. djt mentioned those multiple times and President Biden did not say even one-word to correct those lies.
Over the course of days, do you think these items weren't covered? Bottom line is Trump was outrageously horrible and Biden was unable to think on his feet. He refuted nothing. Honestly, I could have come up with responses on the spot with no coaching, and I'm no Millennial.
Yes, I don't think looking into the camera was covered. And some antihistimine or tea and honey and vinegar were not used to clear up a stuffy nose as it wss obvious he was breathing thru his mouth, a bad look.
I'm not sure if he was wanting to look more Presidential by not arguing by pointing out djt's lies, or if he is just unaware of the common perception out there about "open borders," or social security and medicare going to undocumented migrants, (borders are not open and undocunented pay into social security but can not access any benefits), pushback was certainly needed. Did he expect fact-checkers to clear all that up later? Another mistake.
He did look out if it, but I expect his campaigning, and the next debate to show a very different President Biden.
The next debate is in September, which is way too late. The Biden team chose this early debate specifically to solidify the perception that he was not capable of sustaining as President for another 4.5 years. That backfired disastrously. That team also chose to put him on the right, which was zero help. A cold does not account for his incoherence and inability to react quickly. I will vote for him because of the unique threat of Trump, but fear the election was lost last night. Instead of reassuring it confirmed an existing perception.
Yes, his team should have been giving high doses of Vitamin C if he is subject to catching colds, or if any of the leaders he met with recently were sick with colds.
He was not incoherent if you just listen to the debate and not watch it. A couple of answers were disjointed and incomplete, but djt did that several times too, djt just blusters thru it to cover it. Biden offered policy and results of his policies so far, djt offered nothing but lies about immigrants and ignored questions he did not want to answer which comes off a lot worse than Biden if you are listening and not watching.
Biden did seem slow, or unwilling to react to the lies, but, you can't spend the whole debate correcting djt's lies because then he controlls the narrative. But President Biden did need to push back on some of them. I was very disappointed. But, he will show us the more energetic Biden on the campaign trail, and in the next debate. That next debate is a long ways off, but it is closer to the election and a good performance then will stick in voters minds more than this one 5 months out from election. And djt could possibly say or do something reprehensible between now and the next debate, or at the next debate which will stick in voters minds too.
But, President Biden absolutely needs to pick it up to change the narrative now, I am sure he can.
We can’t vote for Trump. Hold your nose and vote for whatever (D) is the candidate. Staying home puts Trump in office. And just maybe, another candidate will emerge to save the day.
Yea I agree but last night was a bad night for all of us who don’t want Trump to win. I don’t see any way around that point. And it’s depressing.
Sounds like Biden had Yes Men around him, too.
Chris hasn't flushed all of the DC Press Corpse mentality.
You know who else was lying? The Biden campaign! And why were they lying? To stay in power.
Last night was TERRIBLE. I wonder if Biden has Parkinson's - his walk and soft speech are often indicators (my husband was afflicted with it). Whatever, I hope Democrats find someone else ASAP to head the ticket. I cannot vote for Trump. I believe in democracy not dictatorship. But I will vote for Biden because the other choice is too awful to contemplate.
I agree with everything you wrote but I'm starting to wonder about that last sentence. I live in Iowa where I know my vote for Biden won't matter at all....Trump is ahead by 18 points. I will never vote for Trump but I'm starting to think about sitting out if the Democrats don't replace Biden. If Trump wins in a landslide, the Dems deserve a lot of the blame. I'm beginning to hate this whole system (especially the Electoral College).
There are other positions on the ticket - right down to the school board. The Party is not monolithic. Staying home is a vote in itself.
Yes, there are down ballot races that I want to vote for. And I agree with Bill Maher...I'd vote for Biden's head in a jar of blue liquid over Trump any day of the week. But I am increasingly unhappy about our options.
I couldn't agree more. Last night was a worst case, disaster scenario for the Democrats. To look at it otherwise is to not be objective.
Hindenburgian.
Now I remember why I've thought you're an idiot for so long.
TCinLA, please don't be "that person" in the comments section.
I’d like to add that maybe Joe should hold a press conference and say something like: Folks, last night’s debate wasn’t my finest hour. However, I feel compelled to clarify a few things that Donald said that were out and out lies.” Then he should start listing all the things that he has gotten done and to call out each of Trump’s outrageous lies with facts. I know this won’t happen, but hell, it couldn’t make things worse.
He did just that at a rally this afternoon. He looked and sounded 100% better and he "owned" last night.
If Biden and his handlers care so much about the party and the future of the country, they never would have let him run again. Do they think he is the only candidate who can beat Trump? It might actually be the reverse. He might be the only candidate who could lose to Trump.
This is exactly what I thought from the beginning of his decision to run again. I can also tell you older folks can be incredibly illogical and stubborn (personal experience).
Yes. This.
President Biden had a cold! While I wish his camp had shared that prior to the debate, it doesn't change the fact that Donald lied constantly without pushback. Are we honestly going to toss aside 3 years of incredible progress because a man who's just spent the last month flying back and forth from Europe caught an ill-timed cold??
It was more than a cold. He has serious cognitive decline. Not capable. He should be replaced for the good of the country
Thank you thank you thank you THANK YOU CHRIS.
I was so angry last night. Angry at the White House. Angry at Democrats. Angry at Joe Biden.
For months they gaslit us and demonized anyone who dare say he was too old. The videos were "doctored," etc. "Watch me" he said.
Well we did watch you and you blew it last night.
The reporters demonized for writing that Wall Street Journal story are owed an apology.
Why are you not focusing on the fact that Trump did nothing but lie the entire debate. It is not acceptable. Everyone should read Heather Cox Richardson's newsletter from last night..
Because that was a given. 24 hours ago, you could have bet $100 that Trump would lie through the entire debate, because that's what he does every hour of the day every day of the week. If he didn't lie, that would be newsworthy. The fact that he did what he always does was never going to make headlines. What we didn't know 24 hours ago was how well Biden would do. Now, unfortunately, we know. And the fact that he not only didn't have his best day, which is what he needed to have, but fell drastically short of the most minimal expectations, is the story of the day.
I total disagree with you. Trump, who shouldn't even have been on the stage, should always be called out for his actions. Biden looked old but that is also a given and should surprise no one. However his answers were on point even if his presentation was weak.
They sure as hell didn’t prepare him enough. He didn’t talk about how Trump never got an infrastructure bill passed, or the jobs from the CHIP ACT, and should have hammered home more about the debt Trump ran up. Regarding the veterans, Biden should have brought up the bill that was passed in 2014 by Obama that Trump keeps lying about. When Trump called Hunter a criminal, Biden should have asked about the 2 billion Kushner got from the Saudi’s. I could go on and on about how he should have responded. My heart sank last night. Whomever was responsible for prepping him definitely missed their assignment. Maybe the lack of an audience didn’t help or maybe it did. Trump came across as a major liar. But Joe looked weak and that isn’t a good look moving forward.
100 % correct Chris. Democrats need support from independents and high voter turnout to win elections. Last night's debate will prompt people who remain undecided (and I imagine there are a few) to simply abstain from voting, because they will not be enthusiastic to cast a vote for either the old man, or the con man. That lack of voter turnout will affect races all the way down the line, and many excellent Democratic candidates will suffer the consequences as a result.
If Biden's ego keeps him in the race, and he loses as is predicted, then shame on him and his entourage. It is not just the United States which will feel the effects of a Biden loss, but many many countries and alliances around the world.
I think independents can figure out who was lying and who has a record that is the envy of the world. I thought Joe was talking too fast to get everything in on time. But, what he said was cogent and factual. If you read the transcript without the video it’s obvious who is the better leader.
The hubris of Biden and his team since day one has been clear. He was never "the only person who could defeat Trump" as he said - if he had made his intentions to step aside clear, early on, the party would be in a far better place. But i guess he didn't actually believe that he was the "bridge to the next generation" as he said, either.
OMG, yes, THIS is exactly what I have been thinking. I doubt that most of us who voted for Biden did so because we thought he would be a great president. He was the alternative to that Orange Nightmare, and he certainly indicated that he would be a "bridge." WTH happened to that? He and his people should have been prepping and bolstering Kamala Harris at every turn, but no, they seemed to leave her hanging. I'm just furious about all of it.
I'll vote for the Democratic nominee, whoever it is, but I'll still be angry at how this bunch has toyed with our future to appease an old man's ego.
100% agree with this. This stupid and thoroughly avoidable outcome is down to Biden's narcissism, and will now be the cultural legacy of his presidency. If he has any regard for his country and party, he will step down now and permit an open contest for the candidacy at the convention, but I bet he doesn't.
Chris, please do not beat around the bush; how do you really feel? 😉
As sad as I am to say it, your post seems like a very likely and accurate conclusion to draw.
Still think the comparison to the alternative s a no-brainer, however, will it be for anyone on the fence?
Tested positive for Covid last night - thought that was bad until the debate…
God help us…
Yes, God help us, please.🙏
Get well soon!
Why do we focus so much on style and miss out on the substance? Biden did have some trouble saying what he wanted to say, but did talk recount details about what he has done and what he wants to do in the future. Trump, on the other hand, said nothing of substance. All we heard was he was the best, Biden was the worst, immigrants are bad, and people that oppose him should go to jail. He also said several preposterous lies.
Unfortunately, that's the world we live in. Image is everything.
The debate wasn't about convincing me to vote for Biden. It was about reassuring people whose vote might up for grabs that he could do the job. He failed in that mission.
All true, but was anybody who watched last night really surprised? Only if one hasn't been paying attention could have been taken by complete surprise. I don't know if we're talking about just an old man or a sick old man, but there seems to be no way he makes it through a second four-year term.
I was surprised at how much he has deteriorated from the SOTU speech. That was a great one. Last night was a shocker. From the moment he stepped into camera view I knew we were in trouble. I felt he didn’t know where he was.