Get a grip. Cut the malarkey. And get to work. Kos is right: President Biden and his team do need to fix what happened at the debate. Fortunately, they’re off to a good start. And we must help.
From Biden’s first post-debate speech (link above): “I know what millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back up.” Exactly. And this is the kind of message that can turn his debate performance into an advantage. He can show that he will not let anything dampen his spirit or bend his will. He may stumble, but he will never surrender.
The NYT editors have shown themselves to be a bunch of bedwetters. But not Joe Biden. He doesn’t just give up after a bad night. Nor will he give up after whatever stumbles may lie ahead. He does not, as some commentators are ludicrously proclaiming, need to run a flawless campaign to compensate for a bad performance in the first debate. Rather, he needs to show perseverance. And he will.
And who could fail to relate to such a message of hope and resilience? In fact, this approach could potentially turn the entire election narrative on its head. Enough with avoiding the question of age. Embrace it. Use it to show that Biden’s dedication to his country will never waver no matter how many years he has seen. He will never forsake his duty to protect and preserve this country from enemies both foreign and domestic, and that means he will never back down from convicted felon Donald Trump.
If Biden withdraws from the race now, the Republicans will spend the rest of the campaign accurately painting the Democrats as a bunch of losers who ran away from a fight with Donald Trump.
Instead, Biden can hold his head high as one of the only people to keep his cool, maintain his focus, and rededicate himself to the fight at a time when everyone else is losing their mind. If sold convincingly, and repeatedly, that’s the kind of narrative that can help win elections.
And that’s where the rest of us come in. We all have to fight the election we’re in, not the one we fantasize about. And that means cheering on Joe Biden stronger than ever. He’s an incumbent President presiding over the strongest economy in the world. He’s the only Democrat with a proven record of kicking Trump’s ass. And he’s already got his re-election campaign in better order than Trump ever will. So go get ‘em Joe. The rest of us have your back.