Biden's Debate Performance Raises Concerns Over Fitness for Office
Submitted by MAGA Student
Posted 2 days ago
President Joe Biden's performance in the recent debate against former President Donald Trump has raised concerns about his fitness for office. The past 36 hours showcased two sides of Joe Biden: the veteran president rallying voters in a swing state, and an 81-year-old man struggling to string thoughts together in a debate.
During the debate, Biden often looked lost or slack-jawed, and delivered meandering answers in a hoarse voice. Some campaign aides projected calm on Friday and framed the debate as just a bad night that they'd recover from. However, other Biden aides, donors, and senior Democrats were deeply shaken, as Trump and other crowing Republicans questioned his fitness for office.
Beyond the politics of whether Biden can beat Trump again, the aides expressed new worries about whether the president can carry out his duties through another four-year term. Friday, Biden eased some of those concerns with a full-throated campaign rally, where he found a more comfortable setting with a cheering crowd and a Teleprompter.
The time of day is important as to which of the two Bidens will appear. From 10am to 4pm, Biden is dependably engaged – and many of his public events in front of cameras are held within those hours. Outside of that time range or while traveling abroad, Biden is more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued, aides told Axios.
First lady Jill Biden assisted her husband off the debate stage Thursday night after a performance that raised even more questions about the president’s fitness for office. CNN’s cameras captured the 81-year-old president’s wife taking her husband by the hand and slowly leading him down the stage’s three or so steps after his showdown with former President Donald Trump wrapped up.
Joe Biden, the oldest president in American history, repeatedly froze and misspoke during his first debate against the 78-year-old Trump. He spoke in a soft, scratchy voice throughout the night, which anonymous aides blamed on a cold.
CNN reporter John King opened the network’s post-debate coverage by describing “a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party” over Biden’s struggles. “It started minutes into the debate – and it continues right now,” he added. “It involves party strategists. It involves elected officials. It involves fundraisers, and they’re having conversations about the president’s performance, which they think was abysmal, which they think will hurt other people down the party ticket, and they’re having conversations about what they should do about it.”
The Bidens greeted supporters at an Atlanta watch party after the debate, where Jill told him, “Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question.” “You knew all the facts,” she added.
The debate has shattered the White House's efforts to show Biden at his best: a president capable of serving until 2029, when he'd be 86. The public split screen isn't new to many inside the White House, where top aides have meticulously stage-managed minutiae such as Biden's sleep schedule, his orthopedic shoes, his walks to Marine One and his climb aboard Air Force One to try to blunt concerns about his age.
Internally, many aides have seen flashes of an absent-minded Biden, but typically brush them off as ordinary brain farts because they usually see him engaged, eight current and former Biden officials told Axios. However, Thursday's debate has shattered the White House's efforts to show Biden at his best: a president capable of serving until 2029, when he'd be 86.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios that there "is one Joe Biden, who works his heart out fighting for families like the one he grew up in in Scranton, and who, because of his determination, experience and decency, keeps achieving unprecedented results for them."
However, some social media users with knee problems found the moment all too relatable. “Look, my knees are bone-on-bone at age 60, so I get it,” tweeted Paula Bolyard, who notes in her bio that she is a conservative. “The problem was the previous 90 minutes,” she added.
The debate has raised concerns about Biden's fitness for office, with some questioning whether he can carry out his duties through another four-year term. The president's performance has also caused a deep and wide panic in the Democratic Party, with party strategists, elected officials, and fundraisers having conversations about what they should do about it.
Sources:
axios.com
nypost.com
news.yahoo.com
During the debate, Biden often looked lost or slack-jawed, and delivered meandering answers in a hoarse voice. Some campaign aides projected calm on Friday and framed the debate as just a bad night that they'd recover from. However, other Biden aides, donors, and senior Democrats were deeply shaken, as Trump and other crowing Republicans questioned his fitness for office.
Beyond the politics of whether Biden can beat Trump again, the aides expressed new worries about whether the president can carry out his duties through another four-year term. Friday, Biden eased some of those concerns with a full-throated campaign rally, where he found a more comfortable setting with a cheering crowd and a Teleprompter.
The time of day is important as to which of the two Bidens will appear. From 10am to 4pm, Biden is dependably engaged – and many of his public events in front of cameras are held within those hours. Outside of that time range or while traveling abroad, Biden is more likely to have verbal miscues and become fatigued, aides told Axios.
First lady Jill Biden assisted her husband off the debate stage Thursday night after a performance that raised even more questions about the president’s fitness for office. CNN’s cameras captured the 81-year-old president’s wife taking her husband by the hand and slowly leading him down the stage’s three or so steps after his showdown with former President Donald Trump wrapped up.
Joe Biden, the oldest president in American history, repeatedly froze and misspoke during his first debate against the 78-year-old Trump. He spoke in a soft, scratchy voice throughout the night, which anonymous aides blamed on a cold.
CNN reporter John King opened the network’s post-debate coverage by describing “a deep, a wide and a very aggressive panic in the Democratic Party” over Biden’s struggles. “It started minutes into the debate – and it continues right now,” he added. “It involves party strategists. It involves elected officials. It involves fundraisers, and they’re having conversations about the president’s performance, which they think was abysmal, which they think will hurt other people down the party ticket, and they’re having conversations about what they should do about it.”
The Bidens greeted supporters at an Atlanta watch party after the debate, where Jill told him, “Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question.” “You knew all the facts,” she added.
The debate has shattered the White House's efforts to show Biden at his best: a president capable of serving until 2029, when he'd be 86. The public split screen isn't new to many inside the White House, where top aides have meticulously stage-managed minutiae such as Biden's sleep schedule, his orthopedic shoes, his walks to Marine One and his climb aboard Air Force One to try to blunt concerns about his age.
Internally, many aides have seen flashes of an absent-minded Biden, but typically brush them off as ordinary brain farts because they usually see him engaged, eight current and former Biden officials told Axios. However, Thursday's debate has shattered the White House's efforts to show Biden at his best: a president capable of serving until 2029, when he'd be 86.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told Axios that there "is one Joe Biden, who works his heart out fighting for families like the one he grew up in in Scranton, and who, because of his determination, experience and decency, keeps achieving unprecedented results for them."
However, some social media users with knee problems found the moment all too relatable. “Look, my knees are bone-on-bone at age 60, so I get it,” tweeted Paula Bolyard, who notes in her bio that she is a conservative. “The problem was the previous 90 minutes,” she added.
The debate has raised concerns about Biden's fitness for office, with some questioning whether he can carry out his duties through another four-year term. The president's performance has also caused a deep and wide panic in the Democratic Party, with party strategists, elected officials, and fundraisers having conversations about what they should do about it.
Sources:
axios.com
nypost.com
news.yahoo.com
