I woke up yesterday morning and started making calls.
I was scheduled to appear on CNBC at 7:30 p.m. to answer the vague question, “Do debates matter anymore?” I called national and local reporters, strategists, analysts, campaign veterans, winners and losers, Republicans and Democrats alike.
Biden's reelection chances dashed by disastrous debate
They all gave the same basic answer: With Election Day still a long way away, barring a major gaffe or blowback, he'll likely be forgotten within 48 hours — maybe even less, given the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.
And then it was 9pm. I met with some friends in the media, all from New York City, all of them from different political walks of life. We exchanged insults, but mostly commiserated about the state of the country, wondering aloud why these two people (a well-meaning, sympathetic old man with a bad memory, and a convicted felon for sexual assault) were the only options. This is America, after all. We grew up watching Wheaties commercials and expecting Olympic gold medals. And when we told Gorbachev to “tear down this wall,” we meant it. And he did.
In the run-up to Thursday's debate, Republicans have been preemptively defensive and on-message offensive, recalling President Biden's remarkable strength and persuasiveness in his State of the Union address just four months ago, with Biden likely taking performance-enhancing drugs to get “hyped” through the tightly controlled, 90-minute televised debate.
Democrats mocked Republicans, optimistic that an 81-year-old candidate could repeat his past performance and overcome the very low bar they had set for himself — after all, it was our idea to hold a debate this early.
And then the “debate” began.
And within 30 seconds it was over.
Biden's pale complexion, combined with his stumbling, incoherent speech during his first response, proved the deciding factor: People with raised eyebrows and blank looks flew around the table as messages began to pour in from their cellphones.
Jesus Christ, what's going on?
This feels like elder abuse.
Oh, this is a total disaster…
Who prepared him? Who put him on stage like this?
Is it possible for Trump to look like the president?
The verdict was swift and resounding. And as the rambling responses and open-mouthed stares grew worse, all I could think of was a statement made by David Axelrod, a longtime adviser to President Obama, about seven months ago: “Only Joe Biden can make this decision. If he continues to run, he will be the Democratic nominee. What he has to decide is whether it is wise, whether it is in his own interest or whether it is best for the country.”
I agreed with Axelrod at the time, but kept my feelings to myself when I saw the Democratic establishment quickly react to denounce him as a traitor. Seven months later, as the election went to Donald Trump, I couldn't help but think that Axelrod was right, and that we all knew it.
The mixed political group I was in agreed to switch the channel to MSNBC. If any network was going to do everything in their power to frame the debate as neutral for Biden, it would be them.
mistaken.
The debate for far-left commentators took on the appearance of a funeral, where each, presumably concerned about his reputation, was forced to publicly state an undeniable reality: Joe Biden cannot serve another four years as president. Donald Trump won the debate handily. And the longer the far-left media echo chamber continues to deny it, the more complicit they will be when the inevitable happens.
So, what should we do?
In the spring of 2020, when Andrew Cuomo was leading Donald Trump by double digits and was a much stronger favorite than Democrat Joe Biden, articles popped up online about efforts to install Cuomo as the candidate instead of Biden.
What those outside the sanctuary of Democratic politics fail to understand is that while this move may have seemed wise and electorally effective, it was not only not seriously considered, but was never even discussed. The party has always supported whoever it voted for in the primary, and the same is true today.
The only solution would be for the party's elders — in this case, Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama — to approach Biden and convince him that his term is over: “You're a true patriot, Joe. This country will never forget you, or forget you. But it's time to step aside…”
Let's suppose, in our fictional world, that this does happen, and plucky Scranton Joe agrees. What happens next?
Those unfamiliar with the Democratic Party's inner workings might think it would be easy to replace him with the candidate who is polling best, but that's a mistake.
A brokered convention would create complex political mayhem.
Kamala Harris, perhaps the only person in a weak position to challenge Trump, will campaign tooth and nail to secure the coveted position, which will likely pit gender and racial politics against her and further divide a party already divided by ongoing geopolitical issues in the Middle East.
The only option is for a party elder to step in for one term and promise to hold an open primary four years from now if that person wins. And even then, who would that person be?
Democrats woke up this morning with a collective hangover. The question is answered: debates this far into the future could be relevant. Axelrod was right. Between that and the realization that Biden is well past retirement age and can't turn things around with Gatorade and Advil, we're faced with a question: Do we acknowledge the complicated politics of the party and switch horses, or burrow under the covers and pretend it was all a bad dream?
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