June 28 2024
Biden's debate disaster
1 NYT: Biden debate performance prompts ‘panic’ among Dems
2 Dems discuss replacing Biden
3 Betting market wildly diverges during debate, Trump surges
4 OPINION Last nights debate very consequential
5 OPINION Biden performance horrifying
6/28/1997 Boxer Mike Tyson bites off part of an opponent’s ear
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Ed note: I had planned to offer two different perspectives on the Presidential debate: one pro-Biden and one pro-Trump. But there’s only one perspective, Biden’s performance was a disaster for Democrats and will upend ELECTION 2024.
1 NYT: Biden debate performance prompts ‘panic’ among Dems
President Biden hoped to build fresh momentum for his re-election bid by agreeing to debate nearly two months before he is to be formally nominated. Instead, his halting and disjointed performance on Thursday night prompted a wave of panic among Democrats and reopened discussion of whether he should be the nominee at all.
Democrats who have defended the president for months against his doubters — including members of his own administration — traded frenzied phone calls and text messages within minutes of the start of the debate as it became clear that Mr. Biden was not at his sharpest. Practically in despair, some took to social media to express shock, while others privately discussed among themselves whether it was too late to persuade the president to step aside in favor of a younger candidate. “Biden is about to face a crescendo of calls to step aside,” said a veteran Democratic strategist who has staunchly backed Mr. Biden publicly. “Joe had a deep well of affection among Democrats. It has run dry.”
Article Source: NYT
2 Dems discuss replacing Biden
President Biden’s halting performance against Donald Trump on Thursday left the Democratic Party in turmoil, with officials trying to sort through the president’s prospects after an appearance in which he stumbled over words, stammered through many answers and elevated widespread voter concerns that he is too old to serve. For months, many Democrats have argued that the 81-year-old president is fit for a second term. But following the debate, some Democratic strategists, donors and advisers to donors said they were shocked by Biden’s showing, which they said had spurred private discussions about replacing him on the presidential ticket. They acknowledged, however, that the chances of the president withdrawing remained slim.
Article Source: WSJ
3 Betting market wildly diverges during debate, Trump surges
4 OPINION Last night’s debate very consequential
It was in fact as consequential as any presidential debate in history, and the worst night for an incumbent in history. It was a total and unmitigated disaster for Mr. Biden. It was a rout for Mr. Trump. It wasn’t the kind of rout that says: If the election were held tomorrow Donald Trump would win. It was the kind of rout that says: If the election were held tomorrow Donald Trump would win in a landslide. It is impossible to believe that the Democrats will continue with Mr. Biden as their presidential standard-bearer. They are going to have to do what they fear to do: make themselves uncomfortable, reveal their internal splits and brokenness, and admit what the rest of the country can see and has long seen, that Mr. Biden can’t do the job. They have to stop being the victim of his vanity and poor judgment, and of his family’s need, and get themselves a new nominee. From the moment he shuffled out with a soft and faltering gait, you could see how much he has declined. He was pale and waxy, and there was something almost furtive in his gaze. His voice was hoarse and feathery, with no projection. His answers were scrambled, halting. At some points he made no sense. At some points he seemed out of it. Mr. Trump came across as calm, sure-voiced, focused. His demeanor wasn’t insane. He was low-key but high-energy. He obeyed the rules, amazingly, to his benefit. He showed respect for the moderators. If not quite genial he was collected, and he offered a new tack on why he’s running: He didn’t want to, but Mr. Biden, unfortunately, is such a disaster that Mr. Trump has to come back and save the country. “His policies are so bad . . . he will drive us into World War III.” World leaders neither respect nor fear him.
Peggy Noonan
Article Source: WSJ
5 OPINION Biden performance horrifying
It was worse than disastrous. It was sad, it was humiliating. Biden looked like a hospice patient who got lost on his way to the bathroom. That was probably the biggest thing: He looked and sounded awful. In past debates, Biden maintained eye contact with the camera when Trump spoke; he seemed focused and strong. This time, he rarely made eye contact; he looked down, mouth slack. He gave the impression of a very old man. His voice was weak, his answers garbled and incomprehensible—certainly to anyone who doesn’t spend their life following politics. If he had effective moments, and there might have been a few, they were lost in the overall horror
Joe Klein
Joe Klein is an award-winning journalist and the author of seven books, including the #1 bestseller Primary Colors. His weekly Time column, “In the Arena,” covers US politics, elections, and foreign policy and has won two National Headliner Awards for best magazine column.
Article Source: Substack
6/28/1997 Boxer Mike Tyson bites off part of an opponent’s ear
Sources
1. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/us/politics/biden-debate-democrats.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
2. https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/democrats-privately-discuss-replacing-biden-on-presidential-ticket-73622773?st=t3lx201tcshnhga&reflink=article_copyURL_share
3. x.com
4. https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-most-important-presidential-debate-ever-89ba15ae
5. https://open.substack.com/pub/josephklein/p/debate-week-friday?r=d9vo5&utm_medium=ios
Thanks for reading!
