Right now, the most important person in politics is Jill Biden. If they can convince her to convince her husband to withdraw, there is a chance to replace him. If not, the scenarios for ousting an incumbent who has secured nearly every delegate, are messy.
Democrats aren’t even trying to spin this. Come on, guys, let’s see some spin!
You almost have to wonder if Biden’s handlers were playing 4D chess by pushing for the debate this early, two months before the DNC, when there is time to replace him. Imagine if this happened in October.
I started off this liveblog by noting that something major would have to happen for the debate to change the race. Suffice it to say, Biden’s performance was that bad.
Van Jones: “That was painful…He did not look well at all.”
You know Biden lost bad when Biden’s team is now pushing the idea that he has a cold, which they didn’t mention before the debate.
“The panic that I’m hearing from Democrats is not like anything I’ve ever heard.” – CNN’s Abby Phillip
That was solid moderation by Tapper and Bash. Probably the fairest of any debate since at least the 2012 cycle. That’s a low bar to clear, but it is worth noting nonetheless. And the no-crosstalk, no-audience format was the only thing making it bearable to watch.
CNN’s John King reports that “very senior” Democratic political professionals saw Biden’s performance as “dismal.” They are in a “panic,” discussing efforts to push Joe Biden “aside” brewing within the party brass. This was a catastrophe for the incumbent.
Immediately after the debate, CNN’s John King reports that Democrats are in a panic and that there is widespread consensus that Biden’s performance was “dismal” and “terrible.” That reaction is absolutely warranted. Trump had far from a perfect night, but he looked like a man with the energy to be president for the next four years. Joe Biden looked like a man ready for the Shady Acres retirement home.