Staff Reports
As the clock ticks down to the first debate of the 2024 presidential election, the face-off between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump promises to be anything but ordinary. The American electorate, stuck between two familiar faces, appears to have dug into their respective camps, making this election cycle an uphill battle to shift the status quo.
President Biden has not been shy about pulling out all the stops. His campaign has spent millions attempting to dent Trump’s support in key battleground states—a strategy that, so far, seems about as effective as trying to bail out the Titanic with a teaspoon. Even as Trump faces legal battles, his polling numbers remain steadfast, a testament to the unwavering support he commands. With the debates looming, the big question is whether these televised clashes will move the needle at all.
Washington Examiner: Infirm vs. intemperate: The peril and promise of the first debate for Biden and Trump https://t.co/o2SG086QcD
— Ian Hansen 🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@IanHansenFeed) June 21, 2024
The stakes are especially high for Biden. Here’s an 81-year-old man who wants to continue leading the free world until he’s nearly 90, surrounded by recurring whispers about his age and mental acuity. Biden’s team hopes that branding Trump as a threat to democracy will scare voters into keeping him in office. In Biden’s corner, advisers like Mike Donilon have been peddling the narrative that Trump’s alleged dangers to democracy will be front and center as Election Day approaches, confident that it will sweep Biden back into the White House.
Yet, not everyone in Biden’s own party buys this optimism. Biden is trailing behind Democratic Senate candidates in several key states, and even during the midterms, he wasn’t exactly a hot ticket for campaign appearances. Concerns about his reelection strategy are already bubbling up, with figures like James Carville questioning if Biden should have even run for a second term. Let’s not forget the armchair strategists mulling over whether Democrats should replace Biden with a fresher candidate.
If Biden falters during the debates, these whispers could become a cacophony, further intensifying Democratic jitters. His team is clearly not sitting comfortably, as evidenced by their cautious debate scheduling and Jill Biden’s campaign trip to Minnesota—a state that hasn’t voted Republican since Richard Nixon’s landslide in 1972.
Meanwhile, Trump has his own hurdles to clear. His combative style, while energizing to his base, could backfire. In 2020, his aggressive tactics during the debates made him seem more like a bull in a china shop than a statesman. This time around, Trump seems convinced that going toe-to-toe with Biden will showcase his strengths and expose Biden’s weaknesses. However, if Trump lets his anger get the best of him, it might only reinforce negative perceptions.
As for voter perceptions, the numbers are telling. Many expect Trump to dominate the debate stage, but also to come off as unhinged. For Biden, the bar is set almost embarrassingly low. Just showing up and forming coherent sentences might be enough for him to claim a victory in the public eye. Yet, the expectations game could be tricky; more voters think Biden will falter in basic tasks during the debates than expect him to shine.
Both candidates carry plenty of baggage. Biden is seen as old and bumbling, while Trump is viewed as brash and bombastic. The debates might not change these entrenched perceptions, but in a tight race, small shifts can have a big impact. Biden’s strategy leans heavily on voters’ fear of Trump as a threat to democracy, a risky bet given the high stakes. Trump, on the other hand, hopes to leverage the debates to regain any lost momentum.
As the political circus rolls on, Americans are left to wonder whether this debate will deliver any real answers or just more of the same old song and dance. Regardless of the outcome, one thing is certain: both Biden and Trump are in for the fight of their lives.
