Biden needs to step aside

[honorentheos]

Anyone hoping to see a strong Biden wipe the floor with Trump would not only be disappointed but feel it may have gone the other way. Anyone reading the transcript of the debate will wonder what the fuss is about.and how anyone could believe a word that comes out of Trump's mouth.

I was unable to watch the debate but was reading the transcript this morning and you've nailed it. I'll need to go back and watch to get the optics piece I guess because I'm getting actual whiplash from a straight reading versus the online reactions I'm seeing.

ETA: we've seen before where part of the issue with anyone engaging Trump is one of differing expectations. At this point everyone expects him to say the wildest, most unhinged garbage you've ever heard. Meanwhile the other side (true even during previous GOP only debates) has to execute flawlessly or be lambasted. That isn't to say Biden's performance wasn't without problems, just that I'm curious how different the discourse might be if they were on an even remotely level playing field.

It's pretty bizarre, really. Trump lied almost non-stop, hardly stated a tangible policy position, and made some of the most damning statements uttered in a Presidential debate.

But folks are mad at President Biden.

It's like folks view politics as a spectator sport or something, and they don't want to face their friends at the office who cheer for the other team. I HOPE some dumbass Trumper has something to say to me today.

[Doctor CamNC4Me]

The feeling I got from the debate last night was that nobody won, but Biden certainly lost. *shrugs*

- Doc

[Morley]

It was a tough watch for sure. Not sure there is any likelihood Biden would step aside, and it would probably do damage, too. Trump would gain momentum from being seen as having taken him out.

ETA: And to be fair I think Biden was better than the optics paint. He struggled to lucidly layout his points (it would have been nice to see him get to 3 once or twice). But he was generally commenting on facts while facing a firehouse of BS that a younger, more cool candidate could have taken down with a jab or two rather than seeming baffled by it. It's one of the moments when I find myself thinking how we ended up in a system where an unfortunately large percentage of folks vote for the person they think has the nicer smile but confabulate reasons other than that for why they voted as they did. Biden isn't a good front person for what is largely a very competent administration. But we don't think about it that ways. It's still high school prom, with nukes.

Indeed.

Though it's not really germane to the election, I couldn't help but see the debate from the viewpoint of the international community. The purported most powerful nation on Earth is in the throes of an election, and each major party is represented by an elderly man, neither of whom could coherently express a complete thought. At one point, they degenerated to trading unintelligible barbs about their respective golf games.

The problem was that Trump lived up to expectations, while Biden was clearly diminished. Trump preformed as predicted: He was a bombastic, prevaricating asswipe, who whined and deflected on the simplest of questions. But because the bar was set so low, all Trump had to do was to keep from taking a dump on stage. That Biden was unable to call him out on most of it, and that Biden came across as an elderly great-grandfather who was out of his depth, was devastating. He looked like a old man who was trying to keep focused on what was being said at Thanksgiving Dinner. It was a true Michael-Dukakis-perched-in-a-tank moment. Virtually any other Democratic politician would have done better.

The problem is--what happens next? The last time that there was a late switch in US presidential candidates was in 1968, when Lyndon Johnson stepped out of the running. That did not end well for Democrats. I still think Biden needs to bow out.

[ajax18]

When yoiu've been an influence peddling crook your entire career, when you've been wrong on every foreign policy issue in your entire 50 years in Congress, when even as a young man you had a penchant to embellish and plaigarize, it becomes more difficult to cover up those lies.

Just four years ago Biden along with his deep state operative CIA agents testified that the Hunter Biden laptop was a Russian plant, that his son had never done anything wrong, when they realize you're not a nice old man but dark Brandon, a man whose party has adopted the Bananna Republic practice of taking political prisoners, when people are fact checking your lie that wages have outpaced inflation every time they fill up their tank, buy groceries, attempt to take out a home loan, how do you defend something like that.

Yes Biden is old and never was very smart. But now the liberal media lies that he is fit and able to serve because of his age are on full display to the country once again. When you're under oath by the FBI trying to figure out how to keep all the lies you've told about your own influence peddling, weaponization of the DOJ, and about your drug addict pos son, that becomes a little more challenging that just getting up at the state of union speech and spewing vitriol against anyone who disagreed with him politically. And Biden being old and demented is not the reason for inflation, migrant crime, open borders, and the decline in the American standard of living. That's all due to Democrat policy. Satan himself with all his cunning and support of the mainstream media, censorship help from the DOJ, couldn't even defend that very easily. That's not about Biden being old or off message. The blame for that rests specifically with the Democrat party.

I expected this to be a disaster for Trump. The problem for Tapper and Bash was that when they cut Trump off, they then had to let Biden talk. But the truth is that Tapper and Bash don't have any good excuses for the results of Democrat policy over the last four years because there are none.

[Molok]

Democrats need to old yeller Biden IMMEDIATELY. That was shameful and pathetic. Trump was spouting complete nonsense the entire time, and Biden couldn't take him to task because he obviously had no clue what was going on. Trump will win handily if Biden is the nominee. Take the keys from Grandpa! What is it with these boomers like Biden, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that they simply refuse to let go of power?

[Some Schmo]

What is it with these boomers like Biden, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that they simply refuse to let go of power?

Most politicians have this problem. You just don't notice it necessarily because they're still young, but obviously, the amount of lying they're willing to do to maintain power tells us all it's not about the American people, it's about their own position.

I've come to the conclusion that it's a rare politician who isn't a narcissist or psychopath.

[ajax18]

Democrats need to old yeller Biden IMMEDIATELY. That was shameful and pathetic. Trump was spouting complete nonsense the entire time, and Biden couldn't take him to task because he obviously had no clue what was going on. Trump will win handily if Biden is the nominee. Take the keys from Grandpa! What is it with these boomers like Biden, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that they simply refuse to let go of power?

If Biden let's go of power, how will his family continue to make money off the Biden brand? Can you see Hunter Biden or any Biden doing honest work for a living? No not Hunter, Jim, nor anyone in the Biden family wants Biden to step down. Their livelihood depends upon it.

Biden has been like this for a long time but your liberal media and Biden's handlers have been lying to you for just as long. Check out some of the quotes from the morning schmo prior to this debate. I can't even find them on google now because he's done a 180 but they're out there. It will also be harder for the unelected administrative/deep state to manipulate a candidate that is not mentally compromised as is Biden. A house plant figurehead with one foot in the grave is exactly what they want behind the scenes.

Even so the tragedy in this debate is to blame the results of Biden's hard left Democrat policies, which were in reality enacted by Obama and the deep state, on Joe BIden's dementia. Part of me wants Trump to win this election so we can free the political prisoners and restore constitutional principles like freedom of speech and equal justice under the law. If it were possible we could restore the idea that you can't just try to bankrupt, gag, and imprison your political opponents. But I don't want Trump to walk in and be immediately responsible for economic devastation created by hard left policies. I still think I'm going to vote Democrat. While it seems Trump is ahead in the polls, far too many people have not figured out socialism does not work. They need to suffer a little more still and be forced to realize what the consequences of their choices are.

[Xenophon]

The problem is--what happens next? The last time that there was a late switch in US presidential candidates was in 1968, when Lyndon Johnson stepped out of the running. That did not end well for Democrats. I still think Biden needs to bow out.

I guess it depends on what you think the ultimate goal for Democrats is here. If the goal is to win 2024 I don't see enough evidence that swapping this late in the game is a good idea. Standing on principle I had hoped that Biden would have bowed out almost immediately, said he had done his job in 2020 and passed the reins to someone else with lots of lead time to build up support and messaging. I think that ship has sailed though.

To me the debate only highlights that despite all Biden's issues he is still the head of an effective administration that is getting stuff done. Messaging has to focus on that good work and get the spotlight away from Biden himself.

It is a sample size of one but I think of the gentlemen that owns the house behind ours. He had a literal Trump flag flying below his US and Marine Corp flags through 2016 and 2020. When he learned that he was gaining VA health care access because of Biden he took the flag down.

I just don't think you'll ever win if it is an election of personalities against Trump. You have to laser focus on the ideas and policies. I'm not saying Biden is a great spokesperson for that, but we're at the point of dancing with who we brought.

[ceeboo]

Hey honor - Long time, no type.

But folks are mad at President Biden.

Folks are mad at Biden? I don't see that (perhaps I am not looking in the right places or maybe my vision is impaired?) - I see disappointment, hoped he would have given a better performance - saddened by the event - discouraged - but, mad? I don't see it. In my mind, that would be like being mad at a diabetic for having diabetes.

I HOPE some dumbass Trumper has something to say to me today.

Why would you hope for that?

[yellowstone123]

The problem is--what happens next? The last time that there was a late switch in US presidential candidates was in 1968, when Lyndon Johnson stepped out of the running. That did not end well for Democrats. I still think Biden needs to bow out.

I guess it depends on what you think the ultimate goal for Democrats is here. If the goal is to win 2024 I don't see enough evidence that swapping this late in the game is a good idea. Standing on principle I had hoped that Biden would have bowed out almost immediately, said he had done his job in 2020 and passed the reins to someone else with lots of lead time to build up support and messaging. I think that ship has sailed though.

To me the debate only highlights that despite all Biden's issues he is still the head of an effective administration that is getting stuff done. Messaging has to focus on that good work and get the spotlight away from Biden himself.

It is a sample size of one but I think of the gentlemen that owns the house behind ours. He had a literal Trump flag flying below his US and Marine Corp flags through 2016 and 2020. When he learned that he was gaining VA health care access because of Biden he took the flag down.

I just don't think you'll ever win if it is an election of personalities against Trump. You have to laser focus on the ideas and policies. I'm not saying Biden is a great spokesperson for that, but we're at the point of dancing with who we brought.

They could swap the VP with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and win the election even if they turned the West Wing into a nursing home before and after the election.

Trump last night was in no way the Trump of 2018 and it is showing; Biden as President just increases other super powers to start taking what they want but have been hesitant. Last night was a tragedy for the American people and watched by all leaders in every country. I can just imagine the communications going on with Putin and allies; just imagine what they are planning for their armed forces to do during the next six months.