Editorial: Sorry outing for Joe Biden as he fails to put doubts about frailties to bed

If there were no handshakes to start, by the finish it was the hands of Biden supporters that were left wringing in despair. Former president Bill Clinton’s observation that Americans prefer “strong and wrong” over “weak and right” was once again being bandied about amid the Democrat’s grim forebodings.

This is in an age where the “hot take” and “spin” have reached their zenith. For Biden, the spotlight was on his age and cognition. On one level, it seems absurd that 90 minutes in a TV show could be more import­ant than a person’s character or record in office, but perception counts. Biden was not as feeble or off-point as some claim, but he needed to put all doubts about frailties and fitness to bed by knocking it out of the park. Instead, he struck out.

Whereas former president Donald Trump managed to look strong and confident, Biden looked uncertain, infirm and shaky. However, when the contest to become the most powerful person on the planet is reduced to who is the better golfer, it’s easy to see why so many may have been lost in the rough.

Nonetheless, the “undecided” US voters who are the pay-dirt when it comes to the rewards at the polls will have been reassured by Trump’s vitality and dismayed at Biden’s apparent fragility.

As will many around the world who harbour concerns about Trump following the January 6 Capitol attack and his criminal convictions. But Democrats cannot delude themselves. The former president came out on top in what was a sorry outing for Biden. The debate between the two candidates most Americans don’t want will be remembered more with pathos than pride, especially by those who rightly regard Biden as one of the most respected and experienced US politicians. Yet undeniably for him, where he had ground to make up, he actually went backwards.

And so, too, may have gone the hopes of many of his retaining the presidency. Questions about his remaining in the race from now on will not be so easily dismissed. So far, the two most viable replacements are maintaining a respectful distance.

Californian governor Gavin Newsom or Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer could be considered as substitutes. Whatever their personal ambitions, any pre-emptive move would invite immediate accusations of sabotaging Biden’s remaining chances. An open convention in August could see a replacement should Biden decide to call it a day.

America has changed much since 2020. With the attack on the Capitol, a pandemic, the fall of Roe v Wade and the invasion of Ukraine, Biden had much to contend with. Who knows what the next four years may bring, but stability in the wheelhouse in Washington may be more important than ever.