Campaign Crisis: Biden's Last-Ditch Battle for Survival

Key Takeaways: 

• President Joe Biden realizes that the next few days are make-or-break for his campaign after a disastrous debate. 
• Despite a shaky performance which has brought a host of negative reviews on his inability to communicate clearly, Biden insists that he's not dropping out of the race. 
• Vice President Kamela Harris supports Biden's determination to keep going. 
• Polls show Biden trailing Donald Trump, raising concerns among his supporters. 
• Some top donors and allies have voiced their concerns that Biden should step aside.

Biden’s Struggle to Rebound After Debate Debacle

Let’s discuss President Biden’s recent challenge. Can he recover? It would seem like our Commander-in-Chief is feeling the strain after a less-than-stellar debate showing.

Biden told his close allies that he understands how crucial the upcoming days are. He’s got to convince the voters that he’s still up for the job. According to two of his allies, he’s still “deeply committed” to the fight for re-election, but he’s painfully aware that his viability is hanging by a thread.

On a call with his campaign staff, Biden tried to project confidence, announcing “No one’s pushing me out. I’m not leaving.” Vice President Kamala Harris was also on the line, echoing his sentiments with “We will not back down. We will follow our president’s lead. We will fight, and we will win.” If you say so, Vice President Harris.

Allies and Donors Doubt Biden's Viability Amidst Falling Poll Numbers

But Biden’s allies have acknowledged that Biden has privately admitted that his next few appearances going into the July 4th holiday weekend, especially an ABC televison interview with George Stephanopoulos and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, are crucial. One ally said, “He knows if he has two more events like that [the debate], we’re in a different place.”

And here’s the kicker: a new poll from The New York Times and Siena College shows former President Donald J. Trump leading Biden 49 percent to 43 percent among likely voters nationally. That’s a three-point swing toward Trump from just a week earlier, although some insiders were concerned that it could have been worse.

 

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claims that Biden hasn’t talked about dropping out. “That is absolutely false,” she said. OK. She also called Harris “the future of the party.” Seriously?

One of Biden’s top advisers said that the president is “well aware of the political challenge he faces” and believes that he’s still a sharp leader. The adviser noted that Biden just doesn’t get why others don’t see it. Maybe it’s because he’s increasingly confused or listless?

Finally, the party donors are ringing up House members, senators, super PACs, the Biden campaign, and the White House, suggesting Biden should step down. Reed Hastings, the Netflix co-founder, even emailed The Times saying, “Biden needs to step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous.”

Conclusion:

So to sum up, Biden’s campaign is standing on shaky ground, with allies and donors whispering doubts about his ability to keep it together and the polls favoring Trump. But according to Biden, everything’s fine, and he’s not going anywhere. Let’s see how that plays out.

Source:

“Biden Tells Allies He Knows He Has Only Days to Salvage Candidacy” by Katie Rogers, The New York Times