Yes, it was that bad. A crafty Donald Trump unleashed a torrent of lies, and all President Joe Biden could offer was a pale, faltering presentation that failed to refute the former presidentโs falsehoods or make a strong case for his reelection.
The American economy is the envy of the world. Abortion rights are under threat because of Trumpโs Supreme Court appointments. The sitting president is on the right side of public opinion when it comes to gun rights, health care, and much else (immigration remains a very real vulnerability), but he was less persuasive than a reasonably well-educated man on the street, offering an open bar of word salad in stammered response after response.
None of this came as a surprise. Even Joe Bidenโs staunchest supporters have known for months that he is not prepared to speak in public without a script. That doesnโt mean he is an ineffective president; he appears to understand complex issues and make smart decisions. He has a solid team around him, both in the White House and in federal agencies.
But an election is a binary contest: a candidate either wins or loses, and that victory or defeat is not based on some high-minded intellectual analysis of the quality of the job he or she does.
It wasnโt a stumble or two. The consistent, holistic impression Biden gave that night was of a man who couldnโt make a coherent case for himself, his party or his ideals. A man who at 81 is past his prime is now asking the public to re-elect him to serve until he is 86.
In fact, it would be a huge gamble for Biden to step aside. An open convention would be chaotic, and whoever was hastily chosen would have to struggle to unite the Democratic coalition, let alone win over independents and any persuadable Republicans.
But after Thursday night's debate, it's equally clear to those who fear a second Trump term that keeping Biden is also a huge gamble.
