Does Biden Have a Chance? Stuart Stevens on Biden's Debate Performance
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How did commentators describe Biden's opening debate performance?
Painful, disastrous, an utter train wreck. You guys know what I'm talking about. But that's the sentiment, really, the words from top Democrats, including folks in the White House. That's what they're using to describe President Joe Biden's performance at the CNN debate on Thursday night. OK, was it that bad? The answer is, yeah, I thought it was pretty bad. There's no way to spend it. Stuart Stevens is there. Stuart, I'm going to introduce you in a second, but let me just get these thoughts out. And then you have a wealth of knowledge and experience. I'm sure you're going to disagree with me, but I think Biden... President Biden failed to clear this very, very low bar that all of those MAGA Republicans, including the president, conservative media that they set for him, basically saying that he was going to keel over on stage.
He had this raspy voice. It was a halting voice. It was meandering answers. He was mumbling. It was confusing body language. He didn't inspire the country except for pity, I think, and pity and panic. Minutes into the debate, Democratic officials were already discussing potential paths forward. What they were going to do about Joe Biden. Should he be at the top of the ticket? Are they being melodramatic about this is a question. And is this a real true Democrat or American crisis for democracy? Personally, I feel that there is, I shouldn't say no chance of coming back from this, but I think the chances of coming back are pretty slim to none. From a crisis management perspective, I think Biden has no chance but to release his delegates at the convention, the upcoming convention.
We have to learn the lesson, especially Democrats, I should say, the lesson of the late and great Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It's not too late to correct course, right? I don't believe. I do believe it's not too late to correct course. I think if you go on even another week or so, it may be too late to correct course. It's going to be painful. So as I welcome you back to the Don Lemon Show, I am glad that you're here. But clearly, this may not be the show that makes you happy. But I have to tell you, this is time for some reflection, especially from not only from the Democratic Party, but from America. OK, so I'm joined now. I have the very fortune, very good fortune of being joined by a wonderful guest, the Hashing's author and the former Republican strategist at the Lincoln Project, advisor Stuart Stevens.
He is with me today. Stuart. Thank you for joining.
Thanks for asking me to the party.
Yeah, I know. I know you're probably going to slam me because you may not agree with me. But I have to tell you, I was sitting around with a bunch of folks. And quite frankly, after the sort of, if you want to call it shock of the Biden performance sort of set in, they said, you know what? I'm actually not feeling so depressed or dire about it. I think this is an opportunity. It's almost like after you said, how am I going to tell this person, give this person the bad news? How am I going to tell my wife or my spouse that I want a divorce? How am I going to talk to my kid about all of this? And then, or how do I fire this person? And then once you do it, there's a sense that sets in that says, you know what, I did the right thing.
And now we can move on to the winning plan, whatever that may be right or wrong.
Look, I think one of two people is going to be president of the United States, Joe Biden or Donald Trump. I, this, this whole kind of fantasy football scenario that we're going to draft somebody else and put them in. I just don't understand it. I, it, To me, if I were in the Democratic Party, the word I would be sending out is it's easy to be for your guy when he has a great night. And it's that you prove yourself and what you stand for when you have a bad night. I don't think that the issue terrain of this race changed at all. I mean, if I just woke up in the middle of the night, you know, five, six, seven years ago and said, look, Don, a guy from Queens is out on bail. Who's a convicted felon is running for president.
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
How did commentators describe Biden's opening debate performance?
0:12–5:12
2
What immediate reactions and panic emerged inside the Democratic Party after the debate?
5:12–6:33
3
Why do some strategists believe Biden’s debate performance is irreparably damaging?
6:33–10:52
4
Could the Democratic Party realistically replace Biden before the convention?
10:52–15:37
5
How did Stuart Stevens compare Biden’s and Trump’s debate styles and effectiveness?
15:37–27:23