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After the heated TV debate, Biden now wants to give an interview. Will this step improve or worsen his election chances?
Hardly anyone can analyze the USA, its politics and the upcoming presidential elections better than he: the American political scientist James W. Davis. He is a proven expert on US politics and International Relations, has been teaching in German-speaking countries for decades. He regularly writes for IPPEN.MEDIA about the situation in the USA and the upcoming presidential election.
So… it’s been a week since the TV debate debacle, and the ground hasn’t fallen out from under Joe Biden’s feet. The reason for this has nothing to do with Biden’s faltering efforts to demonstrate new power and strength. Polls last week show that over 70 percent of Americans still think he’s too old to be president. The only reason Biden continues to enjoy support in the country is because a large portion of the population still rejects Trump.
US election: Everyone knows that Trump did not win the TV debate. Biden lost it
Yes, Trump is beatable. Anyone who has followed the debate on US election knows that he did not win it. Biden simply lost it. So the question remains whether the Democratic Party is able to stage Biden’s exit from the stage and nominate an alternative candidate.
The day after the debate, I wrote that party elders will play an important role in this. Although none of the party leaders has publicly called for Joe Biden’s resignation, there has been a rather convoluted choreography over the past week that suggests a lot is happening behind the scenes. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi – who is herself over 80 years old – admitted in an interview that it was legitimate to ask whether Biden’s performance was “an episode or a condition.”
Congressman Jim Clyburn – the most influential African-American politician after Barack Obama – underlined his support for the incumbent president. At the same time, he encouraged his fellow Democrats, Vice President Kamala Harris should Biden decide to step down. In a warning shot to anyone who would entertain the idea of passing over the first woman elected to national office as an alternative at the top of the ballot, Clyburn said plainly: “I will support Miss Harris.” And although all of the current Democratic governors attended a meeting with the president at the White House on Wednesday — 23 in total — only three of them subsequently stood before the assembled journalists to announce their continued support for a Biden candidacy.
Alternative for Biden or Trump in US election? “Vice President Harris is far better than her reputation”
Last week, I also argued that Vice President Harris is far better than her reputation. However, I was concerned that turning to Harris as a presidential candidate could be seen as a sign of disloyalty to Biden. Ironically, it was Harris’ robust defense of her boss in the first 24 hours after the debate that proved both her loyalty and her suitability as an alternative for the presidency. With Clyburn at the helm, the idea of Harris’ candidacy has noticeably solidified within the party in recent days.
As the second half of the Biden-Harris campaign, Harris enjoys national name recognition. Just as important, she would also inherit an established organization and a significant financial war chest if Biden were to step down. Any other candidate would first have to build a national campaign organization and solicit campaign donations. With Harris, Democrats would waste no time. The attack on Trump—which has been pushed into the background by discussions about Biden’s condition—could thus resume immediately.
After TV duel debacle: This is how Biden wants to make up for his mistake against Trump
So it’s looking more and more like Harris could inherit the top spot on the ticket. But for that to happen, Biden will have to quit. Will he? To convince Americans – and maybe even himself – that his debate appearance was actually an episode and not just a state of affairs, Biden has agreed to do a hastily arranged interview with veteran talk show host George Stephanopoulos on Friday night. But shortly after we learned that the president asked his staff not to schedule any appointments after 8 p.m. so he could get enough sleep, reports are emerging that the “extended” interview meant to kick off a comeback will last just 15 minutes!
If so, it will heighten fears that the President still does not understand the gravity of his situation. To stay on the ballot, the President must refute the widespread belief that he is unable to cope with the task of Donald Trump It seems unlikely that he could do so in an interview of less than an hour.
► James W. Davis, US-American, is one of the most renowned experts on US politics and international relations.
► He studied International Relations at Michigan State University, received his doctorate in political science from Columbia University in 1995 and completed his habilitation at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munichwhere he taught until 2005.
► Since 2005 he has been Professor of International Relations and Director of the Institute of Political Science at the University of St. Gallen.
►Davis is the author of several books and has received numerous scientific awardsincluding visiting professorships and fellowships at renowned institutions.
Given that voters have consistently signaled their willingness to support Democratic policies and other candidates, a weak or less convincing performance by Biden on Friday night could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.
So…even if she is loyal, I suspect the Vice President is already working on a list of people who could take her place on the ballot, because if she runs for President, she needs a loyal partner by her side.
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