Democrats entered Friday morning in a collective state of shock and panic as a product of President Joe Biden's painfully disappointing performance at the first White House debate where Donald Trump won simply by showing up and talking relatively coherently.
Trump served up countless claims that had no basis in reality - and he tried to dodge the toughest questions with irrelevant rambling that always ended with baseless attacks on the president who ousted him in 2020. Trump responded to a question on his position on climate change with wild claims about Biden branding Black men as predators.
Trump attempted to skirt questions on his role in the January 6 riot and whether he would accept the results of the 2024 election - win or lose.
When pressed by CNN's Dana Bash, Trump essentially said that he wouldn't contest the results if he approves of the way the election was conducted. Trump pursued a simple strategy - arguing that he'd been the best president in American history in every imaginable category while contending Biden had been the worst in every conceivable fashion.
But Trump emerged victorious in spite of his own uninspiring showing, baseless rhetoric and penchant for changing subjects to avoid questions that he wasn't prepared or willing to answer. This was a silver platter victory - nonetheless - in a duel on the stage in Atlanta. Biden looked unusually anemic - older than his years - as he stuttered, mumbled and lost track of his thoughts at times.
Biden came across like a robot - and after getting stronger in the second half of the 90-minute event - the president fizzled in a closing statement. The veteran political leader was a shadow of the champion he'd been throughout his career in such a setting. Democrats had cause to be hoping from the outset that Biden would be able to go the distance standing in place.
The debate that CNN conducted in Georgia could do for Biden what Trump's vintage meltdown in a debate in 2020 did to his campaign for re-election that year. Trump improved considerably during the final debate of the election season four years. Biden must do the same if he hopes to survive Atlanta.
But Democrats who think Biden may no longer be electable after the disaster would have less than eight weeks to find a replacement before they christen a nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago in August.
California Governor Gavin Newsom may have the best shot at the nomination if Democrats decided to cut bait on the incumbent in the wake of the debate. The international wagering site Bovada had Newsom ranked as the potential presidential contender with the third best odds of winning the White House in the general election on November.
Bovada had Trump as the favorite late Thursday night at -210 while Biden had sagged to +375. Newsom was next at +700 - with Michelle Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris in fourth and fifth at +1600 and +2500 respectively.
To switch horses at this point in the competition could all but impossible challenge. But some Democrats are worried they have no choice after the first debate.
more to come ...
