Friday Mailbag: Debate debacle edition

Here we go!

Holy crap.

HOLY CRAP.

I am still processing what I watched last night. It was, without question the worst debate performance I have ever seen on a stage that big and with stakes that high. And it’s not close.

What does it mean? Too early to know. I am very skeptical Biden can or will be replaced. But politics is unpredictable!

I am running all over today but I wanted to make sure I answered your questions in the wake of the debate. So let’s do it!

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To the questions!

Q: Given the absolute s-show last night, do you think there is any chance that Biden steps aside?

A: Yes. There is A chance. Which I would not have said before last night.

Here’s how it would happen: Prominent Democratic elected officials — think Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries etc. — come out publicly and say Biden has to step away from the race. Barack Obama would, obviously, fit that bill (although I cannot imagine him doing that to Biden).

That would likely lead to an avalanche of elected officials following suit — trying to avoid the possibility of an electoral landslide.

All of which would put a massive amount of pressure on Biden to get out — for the good of the party and all that.

Even if that did happen — and I see no evidence right now that it is — Biden could still stay in, insisting that while he understood Democrats’ concerns he also believed he was still the best person to beat Donald Trump.

The only way — short of Biden deciding himself to drop out — is for delegates at the Democratic National Convention to not vote for him. Could that happen? Sure. Will it happen? Hard for me to see — at least today.

ALL of that is to say: I think Democrats are stuck with Biden. But, as I said above, politics changes fast. The next few days will be critical to see if Biden can hang on.

Q: If Biden is replaced at the top of the ticket, should the vice presidential candidate be replaced also?

A: “Should” is doing a lot of work in that question! I think there would be plenty of people who would say “yes” — especially given Kamala Harris’ unpopularity nationally.

But you know who wouldn’t agree? Kamala Harris!

If Biden is convinced to drop out — and I don’t think, at least right now, he will be — then Harris has to be considered the favorite to replace him as the presidential nominee. She is already the vice president. And as an African American woman, I think it would be VERY hard for Democrats to pass over her.

Q: Let’s take your Fantasy Football analogy and let’s say Biden steps down, who would be your betting horse to take over?

A: I would say Harris would have a 75% chance of being the nominee — maybe higher. Just VERY hard — given the politics of the Democratic party — to keep the sitting vice president, who also happens to be a black woman, from the nomination in a situation like this.

Could I see Gretchen Whitmer or Gavin Newsom stepping in? I think there’s a chance. But not a good one.

Q: Was this Biden's fault or did his team do a bad job prepping him? I am stunned that he went into details regarding his policies rather than trying to fight back the lies which they had to know he was going to do.