A few years ago, I attended the lavish White House Holiday Party. During one part of the evening, guests had the opportunity to shake hands with President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
After taking a photo with Biden, the president clasped my hand and complimented my suit. When I thanked him, he shuddered a bit, smiled and greeted the next guest. He seemed winded, but I figured that was from attending an earlier diplomatic event. At least he didn’t try to dap me up like he was campaigning in the ‘hood.
But that brief moment left me with questions about the president’s long term durability. Lots more were left with the same question on June 27 when Biden, now 81, seemingly stumbled and mumbled his way through his first debate with Donald Trump.
There’s no question he looked tired, listless, and at times unintelligible. Some tweets that suggested Biden had a cold, and others suggested that he was suffering from exhaustion. Almost immediately, waves of criticism skeptical of his fitness to remain in the race flooded social media.
We’re now at the point where political watchers like the New York Times’ Thomas Friedman and multiple Democratic legislators are openly calling for Biden to step down. Almost two weeks after the debate, headlines about Biden’s fitness continue to permeate media, forcing him to stay on the back foot in defense.
So it basically comes down to this: Should Joe Biden quit?
Tons of people have echoed Friedman’s sentiments, fearful that Biden could not convince voters in key battleground states. Others believe that the Democrats should not jump ship based on a single debate performance. After all, Barack Obama struggled in his 2012 debate against Mitt Romney, but wound up winning the election handily.
And to be clear, Donald Trump is the only participant of that debate who proved for certain that he is not fit for the presidency. This cat lied so much his nose almost cracked my television screen. Fact checking website Politifact broke down just how much crap Mr. “Black Jobs” shoveled that night and it was enough to fertilize an entire wheat field.
It’s evident that we are better off with a foggy Biden for four more years than a lucid Trump for one day. If he won’t let go of his narcissism for 90 minutes, imagine living with him until 2029. His bungling of the coronavirus pandemic should be evidence enough that he should not return to the White House.
But let’s not be naive — the debate hurt Biden at least temporarily. Confusion remains about his mental acuity, which is spurring calls for him to drop out. Also, one poll has him falling behind Trump by as many as six points post-debate, although a newer poll shows he has gained some ground.
So Biden faces an uphill battle because it’s now about more than workable plans for the economy, foreign policy, and other issues. He needs to show that he is just as cogent as he was when he took office — otherwise he’s making the case for his exit.
The president now insists that he’s staying the course. He has the support of ally, South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, as well as the Congressional Black Caucus. In an ABC News interview, he said the debate was just a “bad night.” Meanwhile, some critics are looking toward Vice President Kamala Harris as a possible replacement, but she has also insisted that the ticket would not change. And essentially, a vote for Biden is already a vote for Harris: by law, she becomes president if he cannot fulfill his duties.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed that Biden has had a comprehensive checkup, including seeing a neurologist. But none of his opponents (or really, anyone looking for more information) will be able to confirm any medical determinations on his mental acuity, so we have to take everyone at the White House at their word.
Bottom line is the only person who truly knows if Joe Biden can pull off another four years is Joe Biden. I don’t realistically see a scenario in which he actually drops out, so the only way to find out if he can handle the next four years is to hit the polls in November.
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Madison J. Gray is a New York-based journalist. He blogs at www.starkravingmadison.com.