Last night’s debate unfolded just about exactly as one should have expected. That being the case, what accounts for the Democrats’ reaction of horror? Democrats seem to have been surprised at Biden’s performance, and now many are calling for him to step down. Why? Hadn’t they seen the dozens of videos of Biden falling down, freezing up, mumbling incoherently?
It seems the Democrats may have fallen into the ancient trap of believing one’s own propaganda. If they really thought Biden was remotely capable of functioning in a debate environment, they were deluded. And yet, Biden’s mental capacity is not a new problem. I said on television in 2020 that Biden was senile. That was why they seized on covid as an excuse to run a basement campaign: they knew, four years ago, that Biden was incapable of normal campaigning.
So their dismay at last night’s performance is hard to understand.
So why did the Biden camp agree to debate? Byron York recalls a conversation in which Donald Trump explained what happened. Trump’s explanation has the ring of truth:
Having seen last night's debate, go back to what Trump told me about how the debate came about. As Trump saw it, a Biden attempt to outmaneuver him ended up backfiring. Boy, did it. https://t.co/W850pVi2Xg pic.twitter.com/u0veJbK7jE
— Byron York (@ByronYork) June 28, 2024
Where do the Democrats go from here? On MSNBC after the debate, hosts were talking up Kamala Harris–selecting her was Biden’s best decision! It is hard to see how they can pass her over, assuming they are able to convince Biden to step down.
But who knows? We are in uncharted waters. Popcorn futures are up.
