I'd begun writing this column before the failed assassination attempt on presidential candidate Donald Trump, but what I have to say remains relevant, perhaps even more so. For starters, I'm quite the political animal but, as a rule, I don't like to watch live presidential debates in their entirety. I'm usually nervous about how the candidate I prefer will do. Oh, I may tune in and out sometimes, getting drawn in enough to watch more than a few minutes. But I'd rather wait for the time immediately following the debate when the network and cable news talking heads go to work dissecting what just happened on stage. After all, their voices will play a large role in shaping all-important public opinion.
Those who know my politics will probably assume I watch only the more liberal networks like MSNBC or CNN. But truth is, I do watch Fox News coverage also. That way, I can get a more accurate take on how the media, all of them, are summing up the "who won/who lost" thing. Naturally, the usual gang of cable news pundits will travel the road that their networks require, and that their own political agendas take them. And I do consider those prejudices as I watch and listen. That goes for the cable news network I watch most often, MSNBC. I'm well aware of their leftward tilt and do find some of their hosts too far left for my tastes. Extreme ideologies from either side of the political spectrum irritate me. Oh, I get it. They're playing to their audiences and, of course, for those all-important ratings. Make no mistake, it's all about the money.
Back to my original point, I had no intention of watching the June 27th debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. In fact, this one worried me more than usual. An admission: I've never been a big fan of Biden, from his Senate career to the day he was chosen by President Barack Obama as his 2008 running mate. When Obama made that choice, my reaction could be summed up in a quizzical two words. "Joe Biden?"
So, on that stage the last Thursday in June stood the now-President Biden running for a second term against another guy, Trump, working to win a second term of his own, after a four-year absence from the White House. When the two faced off in 2020, there were already questions about Joe Biden's age, even though he and Trump are separated by only three years. Problem is, Biden comes off as ten years older than Trump. After that bullet clipped his ear at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last Saturday, Trump managed to pump a fist of defiance into the air, even as blood ran down his face. The crowd loved it, and I can't imagine Biden pulling off that tough guy act had the same happened to him.
With no intentions of watching the debate, I'd decided to spend that evening out with my friends solving the world's problems over margaritas at Fuzzy's Tacos in Midtown. I'd spoken to a dear friend of mine in Palm Springs earlier that day who happens to be less of a Biden fan than I am. She's supporting independent candidate Robert Kennedy, and don't even get me started on that one. I'd told her I wouldn't be watching the debate but, nevertheless, she chose to interrupt my evening out avoiding it by texting me a message.
In it, she said that it was a good thing I wasn't watching, sharing with me that Biden's performance was worse than lackluster, and he came off looking feeble, even confused at times. Balancing her prejudices with my own fears, I figured she had to be exaggerating. Well, as we all know by now, her criticisms were more than warranted. When I got home, with the debate still going, I could see for myself how right she was.
Biden's answers to questions were not nearly as strong as they could have been, worsened by, at times, his looking like a clueless old man. A couple of his statements trailed off into nothingness, providing Trump an opportunity to deliver one of those comebacks, zingers as they've come to be known in debate lingo. After one of Biden's answers drifted off into word salad, Trump replied: "I really don't know what he said — and I don't think he does either." Ouch!
But here's the problem. Trump's statements often end up sounding as confusing as anything Biden may have been guilty of during the debate. In fact, half the time, you get the impression that Trump is the one who doesn't know what he just said. As bad as Biden's performance was, it could be argued that Trump's was even worse. Though more fluid in his thoughts and performance, lost to the viewer is the fact that most of the former president's statements were lies, strung together one after another. A younger, more articulate debater would have been able to fact-check Trump in real time. Biden was clearly not up to the task, allowing Trump to come off as "the winner" in a debate where he spent most of his time lying.
After the debate, unsurprisingly, Democrats went into panic mode. Biden's verbal missteps and confusion became the center of attention, overshadowing Trump's lies and false claims. Democrats are still struggling with the idea of whether or not Biden should step out of the race. A growing list of prominent Democrats in Washington are calling on him to do just that, but here's the real dilemma.
Joe Biden should never have run for reelection in the first place. Had he announced a decision to step aside late last year, it would have opened the field for a fresh and younger group of Democrats to run. Those candidates would have been running against each other in primaries earlier this year, giving the winner time to establish themself with the American people. Of course, Kamala Harris would have been included in that race.
Some, especially those who want it to be true, allege Biden may be suffering from serious cognitive disabilities. But the same concerns can be raised about Trump. Truth is, we've got two old men running for the most important office in the land, if not on the planet, both showing evidence of cognitive decline.
By defeating Trump in 2020, mission accomplished, Joe. You brought us back from the disaster that was COVID and, even though inflation is slowing, it remains a nagging economic issue. But that doesn't change the fact that the United States has the strongest economy in the world. I suspect history would have been very kind to a one-term President Joe Biden, but he's risking that legacy. It's too early to tell how a Biden v Trump rematch will turn but, regardless, is it worth the risk?
There were guardrails to keep him in check during the first Trump administration, both in his Cabinet and with a handful of Congress members. Things have changed since then. You'll pardon the pun but it would seem Trump has learned "the art of the deal" with how things work in Washington. His sycophants are standing by, as he famously instructed the Proud Boys to do in 2020, to follow his orders. And it gets worse. Trump has appointed three members to the United States Supreme Court which, for all intents and purposes, has turned it into a political arm of the MAGA movement. The Trump Supreme Court is already proving their loyalty to him with their most recent rulings.
Speaking of loyalty, if all that weren't enough, the men and women serving in a second Trump administration must proffer loyalty of their own, not to the United States Constitution, mind you, but to Donald Trump. You know, like a dictator.
Even after his disastrous debate performance, Joe Biden swears he's the candidate who can beat Donald Trump in 2024. Me? I'm not so sure. I may not have watched the debate in its entirety but, like millions of Americans, I watched enough to cast my vote. My verdict on who won? I'm not so sure there was a winner, but I do know this. It sure wasn't the United States.
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Elijah Jones is a proud Hattiesburg native who enjoys writing. Email him at edjhubtown@aol.com.
