Things must be going badly for President Biden, because he has decided to pull the trigger and challenge Donald Trump to a debate. It’s certainly a surprise.
My guess is that Biden has seen the data from the swing states, and realised he has to make a move. This is a high risk move for many reasons: firstly, Joe has never been a good debater.
During his heyday with Barack, he was able to cultivate an image of an elder statesman; measured and experienced rather than bold and charismatic. He just isn’t super charismatic, whereas his opponent is a once in a generation phenom when it comes to attracting attention.
The biggest issue is that Biden is old, and every time he gets on stage or in front of a crowd, it’s obvious. The millions of Trump fans already know this thanks to injecting “Biden STUMBLES up WOKE stairs” videos into their veins, but those voters are a lost cause. It is the middle of the road voter, the independent, who will probably only watch the highlights and think “man, this guy is OLD”.
We all know older people in our lives. Most of them are totally capable of living full and fulfilling lives, and the occasional forgetfulness, slurring, and misremembering isn’t the end of the world. If you forget the tomato sauce from the store, that’s annoying, but you can always go back to pick it up.
Going to the shops is not the same as being president. There are two major wars going on, with significant bloodshed expected. Taiwan is constantly scanning the horizon for the inevitable invasion. There is conflict in Sudan and Somalia. The cartels in Mexico now have anti aircraft weaponry. Isis, which most people assumed had gone the way of the Easter Islanders, is back, and killing people, of all places, in Mexico.
The world is looking increasingly dangerous, and combined with a confusing economy, is it unfair to wonder whether an 81 year old is the right person to hold the wheel. Trump ain’t young, but he’s going to start this debate ahead.
We shall see. What a time line we live in.
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