I listened to the debate on WISN, which had the Fox News Radio feed. Some thoughts, but first this:
The president came into the debate with a low bar to clear, and he stumbled. He was flat. He was rambling. He was unclear.
Roughly midway through the debate, the Biden campaign told reporters that the president was battling a cold – an attempt to explain his raspy voice. That may be so, but it also sounded like an excuse.
For 90 minutes, more often than not, Joe Biden was on the ropes. Particularly early in the evening, some of his answers were nonsensical. After losing his train of thought he ended one answer by saying, “We finally beat Medicare” – an odd reference to the government run healthcare programme for the elderly.
[…]
For those of us who have been paying attention, Biden’s terrible performance was not a surprise. At least, the fact that he’s an incoherent, mumbling, liar who is clearly well down the path of mental decline, was not a surprise. Perhaps the only surprise was the degree to which that is true and the fact that he is so far gone that they couldn’t juice him up enough to even pull off the first half hour of the debate before slipping.
The most pressing concern I had throughout the debate is, “WHO THE HELL IS RUNNING THIS COUNTRY!?!?” And no matter what one thinks about how the debate impacts the election, it cannot be overstated how the world just saw that the United States is rudderless without a captain at the helm right now.
While Biden’s performance was very bad, Trump’s performance was pretty good. There were a few times when he let his temper get the best of him and he strayed, but most of the time he was measured, direct, and stayed on the issues.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the debate format and moderators. I enjoyed the way each candidate spoke with very little crosstalk. The format, with slotted time and muted microphones, ended up favoring Trump. It kept him disciplined and on message. And the questions, while slightly slanted to the Left, were not terrible. They asked hard questions about the economy, border, inflation, etc. to Biden. These are issues that favor Trump. Of course they asked about abortion and global warming too. Trump’s answer on the abortion question was quite good. It was nuanced and compassionate while Biden’s was a screed. The only hot topic that was glaringly missed was about trans issues. But given the content of the rest of the debate, it may have just fallen victim to time.
By the standard that it is very hard to win a debate, but the goal is to not lose… Biden clearly lost. But even had Biden been more coherent in his delivery, his content was also bad. He contradicted himself on raising taxes, the inflation rate when he took office, and his administration’s record. He also shamed himself by bragging about the Afghanistan surrender and ignoring the Americans who were killed. Biden repeated proven lies, like the Charlottsville claim, even though that was debunked as recently as last week. It is clear that there is a world happening in his addled brain that is a reflection of BS that his wife and staff have been feeding him, and there is the world we are all living in. We needed a president who was willing and able to address the real issues hitting Americans. Biden is not that president.
Will the Democrats replace Biden? That seems to have been the overarching question after the debate being proffered by liberals and conservatives alike. I think some might try, but it will be difficult. There are two major roadblocks. First, the Democratic Party consolidated so much power into the hands of the president during Obama that Biden holds all of the reins of power. They cannot oust him without his consent. Given Biden’s tremendous ego and seemingly sincere belief that he is doing a great job and is the best protection for America against Trump, I do not think he will abandon his campaign unless he dies.
Second, who do you replace Biden with? The only real choice is Kamala Harris. She has the national name recognition and the Democrats have been telling us for four years that she is the best person to be a heartbeat away from the big chair. But if there is any Democrats less liked than Biden right now, it’s Harris. And were she to be the nominee, she would still have to own the disastrous results of the Biden presidency. But her ego is such that she will not willingly step aside either. And the intersectionality of the Democrat Party culture will not abide them pushing aside a Black woman in favor of another candidate. Such a move would fracture their already fragile coalition.
I believe that the most likely scenario is still that Biden meanders his way to November with his staff doing their best to hide him and gaslight the American people. Then the American voters will have a choice to make. Let us hope that that choice will be accurately reflected by our questionably secure and accurate electoral process.
I don’t think that there is any way you say that Biden “won” that debate. His upsides were that he was more on point than Trump. Trump failed to answer almost any question without his normal Trumpian rambling about almost anything other than what the actual question was. Biden LOOKED and sounded old. Trump just sounded old.
And yet, after all of that. I would still vote for Biden. Because I trust the administration and people around him more than I would trust who Trump would put around him. He has a history of surrounding himself with grifters and felons. Honestly, I would probably vote anyone over Trump (including Kennedy… and that says a lot.) Biden at half speed it better than Trump.
Kamala is the only answer here if they want a replacement. And I would vote for her as well over Trump. The optics of anyone else would be horrible. I don’t think there will be a replacement. I think that Joe is too stubborn to step aside. I wouldn’t mind if he did, but I don’t think it will happen.
Well, JV, that confirms everything we thought about you.
Yes. Dad29, I don’t want an adulterous felon who seems to love dictators in the White House.
And I actually like that the President has accomplished things while in office.
Will the Democrats replace Biden?
In WI, they can’t. Unless they kill him. Nevada also, as of 5:00pm today. They can put forth a new candidate but can remove “Biden” from the states’ ballot.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the debate format and moderators.
You missed Bash trying to sneak-direct Biden to look at her counterpart who was asking a question, because he was staring at her.
Biden lost the debate before the first question was asked, when after being announced he walked out and waved to the audience…
… which didn’t exist.
“can’t” remove
-The most pressing concern I had throughout the debate is, “WHO THE HELL IS RUNNING THIS COUNTRY!?!?”
Nothing quite like waking up after the house has burned down around you. Now ponder why the DC Republicans have not had a problem with any of this.
Now ponder why the DC Republicans have not had a problem with this.
No pondering at all. Bannon and Navarro is the answer. Please pay at my window.
What? You were thinking “courage”?
JohnnyV, you’re a fucking idiot.
You would vote for Biden, even though you have no idea who is actually running the country, like it is now. And you know Biden is completely incompetent.
That’s what communists did with their senile leaders. I guess you have something in common with those sheep.
Instead of demanding another candidate, if Biden is in the ballot, you would still vote for a bowl of oatmeal for brains.
That’s why liberals like yourself have about 10 brain cells because you love to be led around like sheep
Come on man, as your leader would say, grow a pair of balls and think for yourself.
Mar. A poor debate performance doesn’t mean that Joe Biden isn’t leading the country. And the President doesn’t “run” the country, he leads it. And as I said earlier, if it isn’t Biden making the decisions, whoever is… is doing a fine job in my opinion. And if the decision comes down to a slower Biden and a reckless, felon, hapless, lying Trump… I would still vote for the Biden administration. Its too bad the republicans couldn’t put forward a responsible candidate.
MjM. I think you are incorrect. I believe I read it was Sept 27th or somewhere close to there that you can replace the candidates.
Well, I certainly agree with Mar.
WI Stat.Ann. 8.35(1): Any person who files nomination papers and qualifies to appear on the ballot may not decline nomination. The name of that person shall appear upon the ballot except in case of death of the person.
As I stated, they can kill him or put forth a second candidate, but in the latter case they have to nominate and secure state qualification. As Biden was already nominated, qualified, and won the Dims primary, he cannot be removed from the state ballot.
From what I can tell from Ballotpedia, in Wisconsin, the deadline to certify Presidential candidates is 5:00 PM on the 1st Tuesday of September. The party certifies who they have nominated (Republican convention is in July, Democratic convention is in August). The selected nominated person also individually certifies to be placed on the ballot.
Not sure where this is coming from, that BIden is on the ballot and the deadline to change that has passed. The conventions haven’t been held yet, and there is a primary on August 13th for offices like Congress and State Senator. Those positions must certify by 8/22/24.
file:///C:/Users/Owner/Downloads/Ballot%20Access%20for%20Presidential%20Candidates%20memo_final%20(2).pdf
3
Can’t make a link. It is at the Wisconsin Elections Commission website – Federal Candidates
Thanks Mark, I mis-remembered the date. I read it on Jay Weber’s twitter earlier this week that they were not past the time. But for some reason the 27th was stuck in my head. Clearly wrong on my part.
I think if I were a Democrat big money donor I’d be demanding a refund right about now. There’s no longer any question about Biden’s mental acuity and so far the best spin that Dem leadership has to offer is that Joe Biden’s poor debate performance is the fault of staff that failed to properly prepare the President. How the hell do you ‘prep’ someone with rapidly advancing dementia? You don’t recover from dementia like it’s a common cold.
Good luck trying to convince donors that they didn’t see what they saw. Those donations are an investment for which the investors/donors expect returns that exceed the price of the original investment. There is no longer a ROI on Joe Biden. There may still be an ongoing ROI in the Democrat brand, but the Biden brand is done. There is no longer any influence for the Biden family to peddle. All that’s left is for Dr. Jill to negotiate the best retirement package she can get. The Clintons ought to be able to provide some advice.
…Sec. 8.16(7) essentially says that the persons nominated at the national convention are the party’s nominee for President and VP,” Rick Esenberg, president of the conservative Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty told Wisconsin Right Now.
“Those candidates must be certified to the commission by the first Tuesday in September. I read this to mean that the Dems can nominate whomever they want at convention. If they nominate [California Gov. Gavin] Newsom because Biden has dropped out, then he’ll be the candidate.”
Esenberg added: “Put differently, there is currently no Democratic candidate for President in Wisconsin and won’t be until the DNC chooses one in August.”…
From WRN yesterday’s date. https://www.wisconsinrightnow.com/joe-biden-replaced-wisconsin/
N.B.: if Biden refuses to drop out, it becomes a Big Helluva Mess according to Esenberg.