It was painful to watch. Two men vying for the most important job in the world. And neither of them made it.
Trump was Trump — exactly as expected, boasting and blustering, lying and threatening, refusing to say he would accept the election results and defending the Jan. 6 rioters. It is no exaggeration to say he is a threat to our democracy as we know it. Even in the face of a dramatically weakened opponent, he could not find his way to dignity, to morality, to optimism, to a message beyond vitriolic attacks on immigrants and the “me, me, me” we have come to expect. A younger and more energetic Joe Biden could have eaten him for lunch. This time, he was lunch.
His voice was weak and hoarse. A cold. If that were all, it wouldn’t have been so bad. That was the least of his problems. It wasn’t just a stutter. He visibly lost his train of thought in the opening minutes of the debate. He choked on questions he should have been hitting. How could he get bogged down trying to explain Roe v. Wade? Why didn’t he just say that killing live babies is manslaughter in all 50 states? Why did he let Trump get away with it? Who cares that he was once—a very long time ago—the youngest in the room when he is now, so painfully, the oldest? How could he not be prepared for this most obvious question? How could he not have a clear and direct answer for black voters?
Biden, by all accounts, spent days preparing for this debate. He was working with a very experienced staff. This was not a personnel issue. I’m sure his debate book was chock full of clear and concise answers. There wasn’t a single question, I’m sure, that they weren’t expecting; there were no trick questions or hidden agendas. Nothing should have surprised him. Instead, he struggled with everything. Even on the questions where he won on points – and where he actually had better answers than his evasive and distracting opponent – his performance was halting and hesitant.
Being president is a tough and demanding job. Biden looked much weaker than the candidate he was four years ago. This Biden showed his age and the scars of four years in the world’s hottest seat. It was hard to imagine this Biden could have defeated strong opponents as he did four years ago and won the nomination. Had this been a primary debate, he would have lost the primary. The reason no credible Democrat ran against him this time is the popular opinion that he or she would have lost but mortally wounded the incumbent in the process. Sometimes the popular opinion is wrong.
Will someone tell him? Of course someone will. Many. The headlines after the debate say it all. “President Biden struggles while Trump blusters.” Democratic leaders were reportedly talking about replacing Biden at the top of the ticket before the debate even ended. The question is whether Biden, known for his stubborn belief in his own resilience, will listen.
Every delegate to the convention has pledged to support Joe Biden. They have all been approved by Joe Biden. Will he officially release them? What or who can convince him to do so? It would be the ultimate act of presidential leadership.
Donald Trump does indeed pose an existential threat to democracy. And Biden is right. The Democratic Party and its leader Joe Biden owe it to the country to put forward the candidate who has the best chance of defeating him.
Since June 27, that candidate is indisputably not Joe Biden. He was a good president. And the good president that he is must now resign to avoid falling into the hands of a dangerous man.
To learn more about Susan Estrich and to read articles by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.
Photo credit: Element5 Digital on Unsplash
