Democrats began sounding the alarm before the debate was over.
All eyes were on Georgia yesterday as an estimated 61 million Americans tuned into CNN studios in downtown Atlanta to watch this year’s first Presidential debate. Americans are exceedingly familiar with both men but tonight offered each an opportunity to remake his image and answer concerns from the almost 25% of voters who view both unfavorably.
Almost immediately, the Biden campaign felt pressure to release an announcement that the President was suffering from a cold, quelling concerns about the Presidents’ raspy voice. Within the first 10 minutes of the debate Biden faltered and Democrat leaders began sounding alarms.
MSNBC host Joy Reid said her phone was buzzing all night from concerned Democrat insiders whose reactions were “somewhere approaching panic.”
CNN Polling revealed that 67% of those who watched the debate believed Trump won while 57% said they did not have confidence in Biden’s ability to lead the country. For Biden, this debate offered a high stakes opportunity to try to stem the surge of support Trump has had over the last few weeks. Trump currently leads in the national polling as well as in the battleground states.
Longtime Democrat strategist Van Jones said the President “had a test to meet tonight…and he failed.”
Candidates will have the next few weeks to regroup before the two spar again during the ABC News debate September 10.
