After a very poor showing for Democrats in the first 2024 debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, three Post Opinion columnists got together on the “Impromptu” podcast to discuss whether it's time for the party to panic. Excerpts of this conversation have been edited.
To listen to the entire conversation, use the audio player or The Post's “Impromptu” podcast feed.
Jim Geraghty: By the standards of a normal presidential candidate, Trump didn't have a very good night. He was a little more disciplined at the beginning, and I think that faded as the night went on. But it shows how bad Biden was that so much of the coverage this morning was, “Oh my goodness, look at Biden. And then there's Donald Trump.”
It takes a lot of effort to outdo Donald Trump, and Biden did it — his performance was so formidable and so disturbing.
KAREN TUMULTY: So, Dana, do you think President Biden should back down?
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Dana Milbank: I've never joined that chorus before, because I've always said that's not going to happen. So what's the problem? Would it be better to have someone else as the Democratic nominee, the one person who stands up for the truth? Absolutely. I hope so. So if Mr. Biden decides that the best service he can give to the country right now is to step aside, I applaud that decision. So I think that's a way of saying yes.
But then what? Is Kamala Harris a better representative of the Democratic Party? I feel like the Democratic Party, and the country, is in a really bad place right now.
Tumulty: It's not like the old days when party leaders met in smoke-filled rooms and made choices. I have a really hard time imagining that thousands of convention delegates could make a choice that quickly and actually get across the finish line in November by choosing someone who's untested in a primary. So maybe they're on the wrong horse.
Geraghty: If Biden decides it's time to go, his delegates are free to decide who they want to vote for. They're not necessarily obligated to support Kamala Harris. They could vote for Gavin Newsom or Gretchen Whitmer or whoever.
TUMULTY: So if you were on Biden's team this morning — Jill Biden, Ron Klain, Mike Donilon, Anita Dunn — what would you say to him this morning? What's your advice?
MILBANK: If he were to listen to anybody, it would be the people you just mentioned. That's part of why I say it doesn't do us any good to say, “Yeah, this is what Joe Biden should do.” But if he's hearing it from the people around him, from his family, from his donors, then it might mean something different.
Geraghty: If I were to advise Biden right now, I would say, “Mr. President, 24 hours ago, your main achievement was to be the guy who stopped Trump. But now, your achievement is to be the guy who got Trump back into the White House after January 6th, after his indictment, after his conviction. You don't want that to be your achievement.”
You can listen to the full conversation here:
