Biden Receives Crushing Blow as New York Times Delivers ‘Walter Cronkite Moment’
After President Joe Biden’s debate against former President Donald Trump, the 81-year-old incumbent is facing a barrage of criticism and speculation about his ability to continue his presidency, reported The Guardian on Saturday, June 29, 2024.
The most scathing rebuke came from an unlikely source – the New York Times editorial board, which forcefully argued that Biden had presented such an alarming spectacle of aged frailty that the best thing he could do for the country is to withdraw from the race and allow the Democratic Party to choose another candidate.
The Times’ judgment, which evoked memories of Walter Cronkite’s famous 1968 critique of the Vietnam War, has been echoed by other respected voices, including Biden’s own favored columnist Tom Friedman and MSNBC host Joe Scarborough.
Friedman, writing for the Times, said he had wept while watching the debate from Lisbon, while Scarborough, despite professing his love for Biden and calling his presidency an “unqualified success,” joined the chorus calling for him to stand down.
The Atlantic website published six articles on Friday, all arguing for an end to the Biden candidacy, reflecting the shock at the persona Biden presented during the debate.
Rather than allaying concerns about his age, Biden seemed to confirm them with his octogenarian mien, appearing infirm and sometimes stuck for words, in contrast to the fluent, if mendacious, loquacity of the three-years-younger Trump.
Biden, however, came out swinging on Friday, appearing much more upbeat at an election rally in North Carolina. He admitted that “I don’t debate as well as I used to” but told a cheering crowd, “I know how to tell the truth … I know how to do this job. I know – like millions of Americans know – when you get knocked down, you get back up.”
Messages of public support poured in from Democratic luminaries, including Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Vice President Kamala Harris, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. However, the defiantly positive messaging is unlikely to soothe the fears that have reached into the upper echelons of the Democratic Party and even the White House itself.
Several officials in the presidential West Wing were so demoralized by Thursday’s debate that they opted to work from home the following day, Politico reported, expressing their fears on text threads.
As the 2024 election campaign intensifies, the Democratic Party faces a critical juncture, with the debate over Biden’s capabilities threatening to overshadow policy discussions and potentially impacting voter confidence.
