A Debate - Not Something To Applaud Or Take Pride In

America has witnessed events both famous and infamous that will live on in posterity. One of those events was the first presidential debate of 2024. Up until recently, the campaigns were taking shots across the bow of the opposing candidate, and the comments and accusations were fierce and personal.

Former President Trump would on many occasions challenge Biden to a debate. The administration was hesitant at first, knowing of the debating skills of Trump, and Biden’s infirmities. At first, it was apparent the administration hoped to avoid a confrontation with the former president on the debate stage, but the pressure continued to build.

The administration, however, made a calculated move; it would agree to debate only if its demands were first met. The time, place, date, media outlet, and moderators were chosen by the administration. There was to be no audience, and there would be no interrupting each other. The microphones would be muted whenever one of the candidates was speaking. The media outlet was CNN, and the moderators were two Trump detractors, Dana Bash and Jake Tapper.

The administration thought that its demands would be considered too extreme by Trump and that he would refuse the offer. This would give them the excuse they needed to avoid having to debate, but their ploy failed, as Trump accepted. What followed was an embarrassing national and international disaster. Even world leaders spoke out and expressed their concerns.

The debate took place on June 27 at 9:00 PM Eastern Time in Atlanta, Georgia, and the rest is history. If what took place that night could be erased from the nation’s memory through some psychic event, we’d be better off not remembering. From the outset, President Biden stumbled over his answers, was inconsistent and incoherent, and had lapses in thought.

When Trump was speaking, Biden had a blank stare, as he has a tendency to do, not in deep thought, but as though he was looking off at something in the distance. The former president was calm, reserved, and energetic, and took Biden’s misstatements and personal insults, “He’s a convicted felon,” in stride. But President Biden stole the show, and his performance will haunt us as the November election approaches. In one particular case after he finished responding to a question, the moderator asked Trump to comment, and his response was “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence, and I don’t think he knows what he said.”

In the aftermath of the debate, as the dust settled, another debacle emerged that took center stage. The Democratic Party and the media had a meltdown and went berserk. There have been continued calls for Biden to step down for the good of the country. It took the debate to bring these hypocrites to their senses, although the American people have witnessed President Biden’s continued decline since he took office. 

The New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, MSNBC, and the entirety of the Biden media complex have turned their backs, and are deserting their once-preferred president like rats jumping off a sinking ship. There have been editorials from major newspapers across the country asking President Biden to step down. The White House has made every effort to dispel the fusillade of incoming fire. Biden’s family have been his most ardent supporters, and insists he will not leave office.

Texas Congressman Ronnie Jackson (R), personal physician to Presidents Obama and Trump, commented on Biden’s mental state. "This is a national security issue. As an American I think he needs to step down, and he needs to be immediately removed from office.” In a poll taken following the debate Trump won by a margin of 51 to 23%.

The so-called paper of record, the New York Times issued a scathing editorial. “Mr. Biden has said that he is the candidate with the best chance of taking on this threat of tyranny and defeating it. His argument rests largely on the fact that he beat Mr. Trump in 2020, and that is no longer a sufficient rationale for why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year; he should suspend his campaign. The clearest path for Democrats to defeat a candidate defined by his lies is to deal truthfully with the American public: acknowledge that Mr. Biden can’t continue his race, and create a process to select someone more capable to stand in his place to defeat Mr. Trump in November.”

It is estimated that approximately 45 to 50 million viewers tuned in to the debate travesty. From their reactions, the American people, with few exceptions, came away dismayed, shocked, and saddened. What we witnessed was an American president, Joe Biden, leader of the free world, confused, lost, and in the wrong place at the wrong time. The American Commander-In-Chief was diminished and found unfit for office.