The first presidential debate for the United States elections held by CNN did not have a clear winner, but it did have a clear loser: Joe Biden. The current president started hesitantly, at some point seemed to lose track of what he was saying, stuttered, his voice was not clear, and failed to take advantage of the debate on abortion, Donald Trump’s main flank.
The Republican candidate also did not have a great performance, falling into excessive personal attacks, to the point that according to a tracking by the New York Times, he spent 18 out of the 41 minutes he spoke attacking Biden. However, when it comes to the overall assessment, his lies and gaffes were significantly fewer than those of his opponent.
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"Panic" among the Democrats
According to the analyses and comments on political programs following the debate, several officials and prominent members of the current Democratic Party are currently in "panic" due to Biden's mistakes and for showing in a debate that his age, 81 years old, could be a problem for the remaining campaign and especially for the potential four new years of presidency.
NBC News reported that, according to sources close to Biden, the voice issues were due to a cold.
Perhaps the most eloquent voice was that of Van Jones, civil rights activist and former official in the Barack Obama administration, who said on CNN that "I speak from the heart: I love this man (Joe Biden), he is a good man, he loves his country, he does the best he can, but today he had the challenge of restoring the country's trust and that of his base, and he failed." He then added that "it's not what we needed from Joe Biden and it's painful for many people."
Can the Democrats look for another candidate?
Jones himself sparked a debate that is gaining strength among Democrats: should Biden continue as a candidate? The pro-Democrat analyst commented that "many people will want him (Biden) to take another path. There is still time before the Convention and the party has time to seek an alternative if he allows it."
In the same vein, David Axelrod, senior advisor to the White House during Barack Obama's first administration, also said on CNN, "I don't know if it will go anywhere, but surely there will be discussions on whether Biden should continue as a candidate."
Although Joe Biden comfortably accumulated enough delegates in the primaries to be named the Democratic Party's candidate at the party's convention, he could still be replaced, but only if he decides to withdraw his candidacy before the event which will take place in Chicago between August 19 and 22.
Is there a name to replace Joe Biden? During the debate, Michelle Obama, the former president’s wife, was trending on social media X.