Only 11 minutes had passed into the first electoral debate of the US campaign when Joe Biden appeared lost this Thursday. He stood frozen for the longest 10 seconds of his political life, while next to him, Donald Trump looked on. The 51 million viewers of this decisive face-to-face meeting witnessed a moment in the history of presidential debates. They saw firsthand the difficulties of an 81-year-old man who wants to carry out the most challenging job in the world for another four years.
Biden's disastrous performance, despite a week of preparation, caused a shock wave that crossed American borders. It sparked concern among foreign chancelleries and panic among voters, strategists, donors, talk shows, and Democratic politicians. Many began to express their doubts in public for the first time since suspicions about Biden's physical and mental abilities surfaced almost two years ago. The liberal media, led by The New York Times, called for Biden to step aside to make way for someone capable of defeating Trump and fulfilling the obligations of the presidency.
In Washington, Biden's role in the Atlanta debate led to emergency reports and meetings the day after the face-to-face meeting. A senior official from the Mexican Embassy summarized the 'concern' with which they are following 'the new phase into which the US campaign entered on Thursday.' This scenario pits a candidate whose team denies mental acuity problems against a Republican candidate, a convicted felon, who lied or exaggerated at least 30 times during the debate.
Internally, the United States woke up on Friday with the feeling that the country is sleepwalking towards a slow-motion disaster, trapped between two candidates who satisfy almost no one. The hangover from the Atlanta debacle underlined the frustrating feeling that everything hinges on the undecided voters in swing states. There seems to be no turning back from Trump, who will emerge as the chosen one of the Republican Party at the upcoming convention.
Those calling for Biden's resignation have reviewed the rules of the Democratic National Committee and concluded that a change is only feasible if Biden himself steps down before the convention. Biden, however, announced on Friday that he will continue forward, determined to remain in the White House for another four years. He portrayed Thursday as 'a bad night' and emphasized his capability to do the job.
Biden's closest advisors assure that only the first lady, Jill Biden, might convince him to step down. She has been by his side, trying to minimize the Atlanta debacle and project an image of confidence and normality. Public support from party heavyweights, including Barack Obama, has also been evident. Analysts are divided on whether it's realistic to replace Biden at this point or if the noise only tips the balance towards Republicans.
The million-dollar question now is whether Biden's embarrassing moment will remain a mishap or mark the beginning of the end of his era. With four months until the election, anything is possible. Georgetown professor Alfred Kazin does not see it feasible for Democrats to change Biden at the convention, noting that he has the support of progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. A chaotic convention would likely hurt them at the polls.
Despite the criticism, Biden remains the strongest chip for the Democrats. Rumors indicate that the party plans to formally nominate Biden before the convention to avoid potential concerns. There is no evidence the party would consider a change without Biden's consent, and even if it did, there is no mechanism to replace him before the convention. If Biden were to step down after the convention, Vice President Kamala Harris would not necessarily become the Democratic nominee. The party rules do not give her any mechanical benefits over other candidates.
- The liberal media joined in a chorus of voices, led by a stern editorial from The New York Times published on Friday, calling for the candidate to step aside to make way for someone capable of defeating Trump, first, and to fulfill the obligations of the position, afterwards.
- In that cosmopolitan simulation that is the city of Washington, Biden's role in the Atlanta debate also featured emergency reports and meetings the day after the face-to-face meeting, as confirmed by diplomatic sources. A senior official from the Mexican Embassy, which has the largest consular representation in the capital, summarized the 'concern' with which they continue 'the new phase into which the US campaign entered on Thursday.'
- Internally, the United States woke up on Friday with the feeling that the country is sleepwalking towards a disaster in slow motion, imprisoned by the impotence and anxiety of knowing itself trapped between two candidates who satisfy almost no one (the group of the double haters, voters who hate them equally, is already close to 20%). Two men who are united by two things: his advanced age (Trump has just turned 78) and that both consider the other to be 'the worst president in history.'
- Another argument of those who support Biden continuing is that bad debates do not necessarily lead to losing elections, but even they recognize that the president lost more than just the thread in those 10 seconds during which he froze. The million-dollar question now in the United States and in the world is whether that television moment will remain an embarrassing mishap or whether it will mark the beginning of the end of the Biden era. As is often the case with million-dollar questions, this one also lacks a moment for an answer.
