The Democratic Party is doubting the outcome of the presidential election for Joe Biden after the debate only reinforced concerns about his age and mental capacity, Politico writes. Against this backdrop, talk has crept within the party about the need to abandon his candidacy.
The Democratic Party is so spooked by President Joe Biden’s failed debate performance with Donald Trump that it is actively discussing what once seemed unbelievable: abandoning his candidacy for president, Politico reports.
In the weeks leading up to the debate, Democrats had hoped that Biden’s successful performance could quell any concerns about his age and mental capacity. Instead, the opposite happened.
Democratic Party strategists close to the three potential presidential candidates told Politico that throughout the debate, they were inundated with messages asking for one of their candidates to appear as an alternative to Biden.
One major party donor and Biden supporter, on condition of anonymity, called the president’s performance “the worst in history,” warning that he was so “bad that no one will pay attention to Trump’s lies.” “Biden needs to go. There’s no doubt about it,” a Democratic Party donor said on condition of anonymity.
As the publication notes, while the calls within the party are unlikely to lead to leadership changes, they reflect a major turnaround in the campaign. Incoming presidents traditionally do poorly in their first debate – they are overworked and often unable to devote much time to preparation. But Thursday’s debate was unique in the sense that it confirmed an existing preconception many voters had about Biden.