ReutersJoe Biden’s surprisingly poor performance in Thursday night’s debate has caused panic, confusion and even sadness within the Democratic Party, including among those close to the president.
Serious discussions are currently taking place at the top of the party, in the White House and in the Biden-Harris campaign over a range of options, one of them being whether Joe Biden should withdraw from his candidacy for the presidency. presidency.
Democratic officials, political actors and those close to the president paint a portrait of a Democratic Party anxious and seriously concerned about the strength of its candidate and his ability to beat Donald Trump in November.
Among some of the president’s allies I spoke with, some expressed concern about how preparations for the debate in Atlanta were handled.
These people say that Mr. Biden was overprepared and overworked by his campaign team — and that if he had been given more time simply to rest in the week leading up to the debate, he would have done much better. Maybe there were too many voices, points of view and data in his head, one campaign source suggested to me, and it simply unsettled him.
While this analysis may be correct, the claim that the president was tired and overworked will do little to allay very real fears that Mr. Biden’s advanced age could impact his ability to win this election.
These fears about the president’s age, mental health and stamina – and the insistence that something needs to be done about them – are far from new.
Last September, famous political columnist David Ignatius, who was close to Biden, said the president should step down. In February, Ezra Klein of the New York Times made similar comments in a column that sparked both buzz and irritation within the White House.
Until now, these voices were isolated. That changed after last night’s bad debate.
In the early hours of Friday morning, a series of top Democratic strategists, experts and former officials joined the call for Mr. Biden to step down. I appeared on Morning Joe, an American political morning show that the president frequently watches. Joe Scarborough, the show’s host and defender of the president, stressed that while Mr. Biden can still govern the country, he may no longer have what it takes to win the election.
So where does that leave Joe Biden?
First of all, it’s important to remember that the decision whether to continue or not is – more or less – entirely up to him. At this point, if he doesn’t want to withdraw, it’s virtually impossible for him to be removed from the ticket. A campaign source told me that any decision to step down would be made by a very small group including the president, his wife and his sister, Val Biden.
Second, right now the discussion about whether to replace Mr. Biden is taking place in public among pundits and former officials, but it is taking place only in private among those with real influence.
Indeed, this morning, several of the president’s allies (who are also, awkwardly, presented as his potential replacements) took to television and social media to defend him.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he was “very proud of the president.” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro asked Democrats to “stop worrying.” Senator John Fetterman put it bluntly: “I refuse to join the Democratic vultures on Biden’s shoulder. »
According to my information, no changes are planned for the immediate future. The team wants to give the president a chance to come out in public and erase the memory of this debate appearance.
At a significantly more energetic rally in North Carolina on Friday, Mr. Biden sought to quell concerns about his age and debate performance. “I know I’m not a young man,” he said. “I wouldn’t run again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I can do this job.”
On Saturday, he will travel to the ultra-wealthy Hamptons region of New York state for fundraisers with Democratic donors.
A source close to the campaign told me that, for now, the probability that he will withdraw is only 5%. But if donors were to abandon him en masse, they recognize that the situation could change and lead to a quicker decision on his candidacy.
Polls on public reaction to the debate should be available in the coming days. They will also guide the discussions.
The campaign is already relying on snap polls from the debate that showed independent voters had a more negative reaction to Trump than Biden. It hopes that finding will be repeated in subsequent polls.
Joe Biden has been challenged many times in his political career. When he first ran for the Senate, he was told he was too young. When he considered running for president in 2016, he was told it wasn’t his turn. And in 2020, many felt he didn’t represent the future of a diverse Democratic Party.
He has made a habit of ignoring the skeptics. The only people he really trusts are the few close advisers who have been with him for years. I am told that these advisers, including Ron Klain and Mike Donilon (who prepared him for that disastrous debate), also believe that Joe Biden is the only person capable of beating Donald Trump.
They were right in 2020. Are they still right today?
Yes, Joe Biden has a history of bouncing back, but many Democrats fear this time will be different.
