Pitiful
This is from the Daily Beast today:
President Joe Biden’s dire debate performance didn’t just worry Democrat lawmakers. Some of his aides were so concerned by what they saw that they made sure to get their LinkedIn pages updated Thursday night “just in case,” according to Politico. The president’s error-prone and occasionally incoherent showing against Donald Trump on the debate stage set off a firestorm of questions about Biden’s fitness and the possibility of his party finding another candidate in time to fight the election in November. Several media outlets have cited campaign sources saying that Biden had a cold, potentially explaining his hoarse voice, while one White House aide told Politico that the lack of an audience—which Biden’s campaign had demanded—was to blame for his poor performance. Regardless of the cause, Biden’s missteps immediately caused such concern among lawmakers that one unnamed House Democrat quipped to Playbook: “I picked the wrong day to stop sniffing glue.”
This is also from the Daily Beast today:
Asked by a reporter how he thought he did during Thursday’s night debate during a post-game stop at a Waffle House in Atlanta, President Joe Biden said, “I thought we did well.” Pressed further to respond to growing calls for him to drop out of the race after a performance that has been widely characterized as an “unmitigated disaster” by pundits, Biden said, “No. It’s hard to debate a liar. He also addressed rumors that his hoarse voice was due to cold symptoms by acknowledging, “I have a sore throat.” During the 90 minute debate on CNN, Biden repeatedly appeared to lose his train of thought, stumble over words and make embarrassing gaffes that have caused renewed panic throughout the Democratic Party and prompted even strong supporters to wonder aloud on cable news coverage whether it’s too late for him to exit the race and get replaced by a more vital candidate.
Donald Trump lied, lied, and lied last night.
President Joe Biden’s performance was pitiful. It was painful to watch. He didn’t do himself any favors. He looked like he was struggling to look alert. He looked like he was struggling to piece together a thought.
I can’t argue with fellow Democrats who are now calling for President Biden to step aside. The stakes are too high.
I was glad the talking heads on MSNBC last night didn’t sugarcoat the debate. Same thing with Joe and Mika this morning.
Biden’s former chief of staff Ron Klain oversaw debate prep. They spent a week prepping. And what did we get? Come on. Ron Klain is overrated in my book.
I get that First Lady Dr. Jill Biden has to stick with her husband. I get that Vice President Kamala Harris has to stay loyal. Every other Democrat should be very concerned and alarmed.
This isn’t how I expected to feel this morning. It is going to be a long campaign. Sigh. Pitiful.
_____
We are at Citi Field this weekend to take on the Mets.