Yup. Damn that was painful.
Let’s all take a deep breath. Yes, it was a bad night. There’s lots of time left and we better make hay. There is no Plan B, despite all the chatter. Better this happened in June if it had to happen.
The primaries were a farce run by two parties that actively make America worse.
If we put all the Rhodes Scholars, generals, colonels, State Department officials, the competent-50% of Congress, good governors, good mayors, admirals, NASA scientists, Nobel Prize winners, 160-or-higher IQ folks together in a room, that would be like 10,000 people we could draw two names from out of a hat and get better candidates than Trump and Biden.
Moderating:
Let’s take this hijack discussion to a different thread. This thread is for the very narrow discussion of the debate.
Right. Yep, Biden did not do well in one debate*. So- everybody panic!!!* 
I remember having a vague feeling of dread (was it only yesterday?) when it was mentioned that there would be no real-time fact checking during the debate. Some talking head on MSNBC said something to the effect of, “Oh, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper – they won’t be able to resist fact-checking obvious lies!”
I thought, “Do you know Jake Tapper??”
For those interested Jon Stewart has posted a response to the debate:
Biden did terrible. He gets a grade of F for the night.
OK, let’s suppose he wasn’t sick and had his SOTU voice at his disposal. He seems as energetic as he did that night–but he’s saying the same words. What would the grade be? I’d say about a C- at best.
He just wasn’t saying the kinds of things he needed to say in order to pound on Trump while talking up his own record and accomplishments. He should have excoriated Trump. Indeed, his overall manner and rhetoric toward Trump had the tendency to legitimize the man, much as the reporting of the MSM does.
When he talked about his accomplishments, it was the same old weak wonk tea. There was no overarching narrative and absolutely no vision for the future.
Biden was terrible, and, as others have said, his prep team should be fired right now.
Absolutely a disgrace.
I think the Democrats and Biden should just own this and move on, and not try spinning this for something otherwise…
“Yeah, he didn’t present well in the debate, but there is no doubting his commitment to the American people and making things better for them. The delivery was uneven, yeah, but the message and vision is genuine and honest. Contrast Biden’s message with that of his opponent with his stream of lies and delusions of grandeur, and his vision of a hateful and vengeful and undemocratic America.”
(Not generating a preview for some reason)
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/27/biden-democrats-replacement-00165672
https://www.politico.com/news/2024/06/27/biden-debate-opening-concerns-00165595
Now why couldn’t this have been on the chyron during the debate?
In general, the presidential debates are just a competition to talk louder and more assertitively than the other person, while saying the least of substance of all.
I suggested, many years ago, that we switch to a format of competing slide show presentations, where each person has to run through their sales pitch and plan for their presidency. Do it in four rounds, candidate 1 gives his pitch on night one; then candidate 2 the next night; candidate 1 gives a rebuttal; candidate 2 gives his rebuttal.
Each team must put forward a header and list of bullet points related to, at minimum, each enumerated power of the executive branch, plus a sequence order. They can, optionally, include non-joke charts and citations to go with specific bullet points. They will be filmed and broadcast live, on an empty stage, no music, with the slide deck displayed behind them, and a laser pointer.
Obviously, this would result in a useful and informative outcome so it was roundly rejected as “no fun”.
I found the debate incredibly depressing but I was cheered a little by this post by a friend on Facebook:
It was a tough performance to watch and I sure wish Joe had been better rested and full-voiced, but here are some comforting facts-
Nobody who was already going to vote for Joe have any reason whatsoever to change their minds. One candidate is an authentically good man, surrounded by a team that wants to do what’s right. The other candidate is a walking nightmare, surrounded by vile monsters and assorted “deplorables”. Yes, the same people who already want to elect the nightmare haven’t changed their votes. But a lot of people who voted for “that guy” the last time have had a change of heart. I’ve not met a single Dem who plans to switch teams.
It could have been better, but I saw a black & white contrast between a good guy and a bad guy.
I loved Kamala Harris on MSNBC just now and she was great, closing with “Only one candidate on that stage tonight had the endorsement of their vice president”… Delicious line!
…and that sound just now was 98% of the electorate tuning out.
Most voters are coming into it with a “home team”, “just backing my sports team” mentality and there’s nothing more or deeper to it than that. That’s negatively impacting our country.
If you can find something bad that would happen because the boring, evidence based 2% of the population formed 30% of the total vote, you’re free to argue it.
Personally, I’m fine with skipping on the ancient Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times.”
Oh, I think it’d be GREAT if the majority of voters were interested in comprehensive discussion of policy.
They’re not, though, and I don’t think there’s any way to change that.
The Democratic hope going into the debate was that Biden could nudge that tiny percentage of undecideds. Now, the hope is that nobody was watching and nobody cares.
To those who think that replacing Biden would spell disaster: in 2016 the Democrats nominated the only possible candidate who could lose to Trump. They’re about to repeat that mistake.
A young, dynamic progressive with good ideas and no baggage would crush Trump. Pete Buttigieg or Karen Whitmer or Amy Klobuchar would wipe the floor with him.
Do you think Kamala Harris would?
Too tainted by her association with Biden. Unfairly.