Biden-Trump: A Painful First Debate

The debate was painful for two reasons. Firstly, due to former President Donald Trump, who was extremely aggressive, vulgar, and deceitful, circling around his favorite themes and shouting “America great again” to rally his core base of white, racist, and oppressive supporters, while never answering the questions asked.

Secondly, it was painful, even devastating, for Democrats to see this great public servant, Joe Biden, who is very likely one of the best presidents the USA has ever had, with an almost impeccable record. His policies were commendable, save perhaps for his stance on Israel, but he had a scandal-free presidency, a well-maintained and confident economy, as evidenced by the stock market, and near-flawless social and geopolitical management. This is why all observers had their hearts broken last night seeing Mr. Biden weakened, struggling to find his words, and it was impossible to imagine him serving a second term, as the president seemed exhausted, which is understandable at his age.

American newspapers also report this fact, starting with the Associated Press, or in this article (source https://apnews.com/article/voter-voices-presidential-debate-b220822262965fd3e48e1b47529fe983) which relays the comments of citizens across the United States. Here are some excerpts: “I’ve never seen Trump seem so coherent,” said Miller. “And I hate to say it, but Joe seemed a bit off. But I still support him over Trump because Trump lied about absolutely everything.”

Or: Virginia Lopez left not knowing whom she would support in November. She heard sharp but unsatisfactory answers from the Republican. “Trump just deflects all the answers and keeps lying,” she said. “It didn’t feel like a real debate.”

In the Washington Post, in this article (source https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/28/presidential-debate-reactions-biden/), it reads: One thing was clear at the end of this first presidential confrontation of 2024: Democrats were in panic after Biden’s hesitant performance during the debate. Their dismay spread through the halls of Congress, the wealthy coastal donor cities, the party’s strongholds across the country, and the bars and living rooms where Democratic supporters had gathered to cheer on their candidate.

After this debate, many Democratic voters are stunned and disheartened not to find in Biden the challenger hoped for to stand up to Trump’s extremist ideas and his barrage of lies. Even more concerning is that the image of these two candidates portrays an America of old men, leaving no chance for younger people in politics. Yet, in both camps, there are numerous talents completely stifled, and it might be time for the Democrats to push some of them to the forefront if they want to initiate a broad victory, which is possible since Trump has become a repellent for many voters. In politics, image matters, and last night’s image was devastating for both candidates, for obvious reasons.

Thierry De Clemensat

Editor in Chief

Bayou Blue Radio/Bayou Blue News