From CNN's Kasie Hunt
24 min ago
Biden speaks during the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday. John Nowak/CNN
Democrats are despairing over President Joe Biden’s debate performance Thursday night, a showing so halting some even privately raised questions about whether he should remain the party’s nominee.
Biden appeared onstage with a soft, halting voice and an open-mouthed, staring look. He struggled to finish thoughts at points, and ceded ground on issues like abortion where Democrats have an edge.
It took just minutes for Democrats to realize how bad it was becoming.
“Biden looks and sounds terrible. He’s incoherent,” one Democrat who spent time working in the Biden administration said.
“Horrific,” said another Democratic operative.
And one Democrat who’s worked on campaigns up and down the ballot said simply: “We are f***ed.”
The looming question as the debate came to a close was almost existential: Should someone else top the Democratic ticket?
“It’s hard to argue that Biden should be our nominee,” said an operative who’s worked on campaigns at all levels for over a decade.
This debate was historic for many reasons, but not least because it is taking place before each man is formally nominated at their respective conventions. The Democratic National Convention is set to convene August 19 in Chicago.
Democrats have spent much of the past year handwringing about Biden’s chances of beating Trump in an election many view as an existential one that will decide the very survival of American democracy. But Biden himself was determined to be the one to take on Trump, at one point even saying directly: “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running.”
No serious Democratic challengers stepped up to run against Biden, and at this point in the campaign he’d have to decide to step aside if Democrats were to pick another nominee. If Biden did withdraw, the Democratic nomination would be decided on the floor.
Democrats were even talking about who it might be instead: “If I was Gavin (Newsom) or Gretchen (Whitmer), I’d be making calls tonight,” one said.
Source (Archive)
24 min ago
Biden speaks during the CNN Presidential Debate on Thursday. John Nowak/CNN
Democrats are despairing over President Joe Biden’s debate performance Thursday night, a showing so halting some even privately raised questions about whether he should remain the party’s nominee.
Biden appeared onstage with a soft, halting voice and an open-mouthed, staring look. He struggled to finish thoughts at points, and ceded ground on issues like abortion where Democrats have an edge.
It took just minutes for Democrats to realize how bad it was becoming.
“Biden looks and sounds terrible. He’s incoherent,” one Democrat who spent time working in the Biden administration said.
“Horrific,” said another Democratic operative.
And one Democrat who’s worked on campaigns up and down the ballot said simply: “We are f***ed.”
The looming question as the debate came to a close was almost existential: Should someone else top the Democratic ticket?
“It’s hard to argue that Biden should be our nominee,” said an operative who’s worked on campaigns at all levels for over a decade.
This debate was historic for many reasons, but not least because it is taking place before each man is formally nominated at their respective conventions. The Democratic National Convention is set to convene August 19 in Chicago.
Democrats have spent much of the past year handwringing about Biden’s chances of beating Trump in an election many view as an existential one that will decide the very survival of American democracy. But Biden himself was determined to be the one to take on Trump, at one point even saying directly: “If Trump wasn’t running, I’m not sure I’d be running.”
No serious Democratic challengers stepped up to run against Biden, and at this point in the campaign he’d have to decide to step aside if Democrats were to pick another nominee. If Biden did withdraw, the Democratic nomination would be decided on the floor.
Democrats were even talking about who it might be instead: “If I was Gavin (Newsom) or Gretchen (Whitmer), I’d be making calls tonight,” one said.
Source (Archive)
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