Debate-Gate Dogs Biden Campaign

Most negative stories about President Joe Biden vanish after one news cycle. Why is the debate different?

President Joe Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Reverend Robert Wright Lee IV, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Mrs. Charlene Austin walk out to the South Lawn to welcome military and veteran families during a Fourth of July celebration, Thursday, July 4, 2024, at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Erin Scott)

All things considered, President Joe Biden has an excellent chance of achieving reelection in November. He has a decent chance of addressing key issues in the months leading up to Election Day.

But can he survive the last debate?

While Biden’s debate performance certainly left something to be desired, it was only one debate. The Biden reelection team not only agreed to the debate, they set the terms.

But while President Biden’s team obviously thought he was up to the challenge, a crisis of confidence has broken out in the press unlike anything witnessed during Joe Biden’s term.

Mr. Biden has had challenges with public speaking throughout his entire career, sometimes stuttering, rambling, repeating himself, and making off-the-cuff remarks misunderstood by the press.

Biden experienced more of these challenges during the recent G7 trip — but it did not stop him from doing his job. Almost immediately, the cherry-picked videos of Biden wandering off or looking confused at the G7 disappeared from the news cycle.

So too Biden’s performance during a glitzy Hollywood fundraiser last month.