This week’s White House Report Card finds President Joe Biden’s reelection campaign in tatters following his dismal debate performance this week.
Biden tried to mount a comeback Friday at a political rally, but all social media focused on was his lost look as his overly-energetic wife yelled for support.
It sent Democrats into a panic, with several joining the New York Times in calling for Biden to step aside because they feared a political bloodbath if he remained atop the 2024 ticket.
Grader and Democratic pollster John Zogby joined in and said in grading the week an “F” that there was no way to spin Biden’s performance as just a bad day. “I saw what I saw. You saw what you saw,” he wrote.
Fellow grader Jed Babbin also dished an “F” for the week, and added in several policy failures to add to the discussion of the administration’s horrible week. He even suggested that beyond pushing Biden out of the 2024 race, unpopular Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton be the replacement. “Oh, please!” he said.
John Zogby
Grade: F
It has already been said so there is really no need for further explanation. But President Joe Biden’s performance at the debate was sad and disturbing.
He had an opportunity to negate all of the age-related issues that have dogged him for months, and not only did not rise to the occasion, he simply made things worse for himself and the party.
Some supporters are suggesting that this bad debate was a one-off. But I saw what I saw. You saw what you saw. And there is no way to spin it as just a bad day.
He lost the debate, while former President Donald Trump did not win the debate. It was a horrible spectacle.
For the good of his party, his country, and his legacy, Biden must find the courage to step down as the Democratic nominee and open up the delegate voting to a few candidates who are better able to run on his pretty impressive record.
Jed Babbin
Grade: F
Last week was one of the most feckless and possibly the most politically damaging of all for President Biden, which is saying a lot. Before we get to his debate performance, there are a couple of other things that deserve attention.
First, Biden was told — again — by a federal court that he can’t “forgive” student loans because it’s beyond the president’s power. That won’t stop him. He’s bragging about how he defies the Supreme Court so how is a lowly federal judge going to stop him? Hey, it’s only the law and the Constitution he’s violating.
And then there’s Tyler Cherry, the latest addition to the White House press office. Cherry hates cops, hates Israel and pretty much hates everything else America stands for. He’s just another radical leftie that fits very well into Biden’s White House. Cherry is busy deleting social media posts while he takes on his new job.
Enough of the normal idiocy. Biden’s debate performance on Thursday night was bad enough to force the Democrats to find a new candidate to oppose former President Donald Trump in November.
Trump, in the debate, was at ease, flinging criticisms at Biden on illegal immigration, crime, and inflation. Biden, on the other hand, just couldn’t keep up.
Biden from the outset was speaking incoherently in a rough, raspy old man voice. He looked and sounded very old and slow.
Biden seemed to lose his train of thought at least a dozen times. He spoke haltingly, struggling to remember his debate prep. And he repeated his comprehensively debunked lies about Trump’s remarks about veterans and about what Biden claims Trump said but didn’t say — “good people on both sides” — of the Charlottesville, Va. incident.
In short, Biden struck out. Trump didn’t score a knockout but uncharacteristically kept his cool, which was good enough for a clear win.
The Democrats knew, before the debate, that they needed to replace Biden because he’s not mentally competent to be president. But who can they replace him with? California Gov. Gavin Newsom? Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer? New York Gov. Kathy Hochul? Nah. Hillary Clinton, of course. She’s only 76 and, having been out of presidential politics for more than four years, she’s tanned, rested and ready. Not to mention eager. Conservatives’ reaction to another Hillary candidacy would be something like, “OHPLEASEOHPLEASEOHHHHPUHLEEEASE!!!” You gotta love it.
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John Zogby is the founder of the Zogby Survey and senior partner at John Zogby Strategies. His podcast with son and managing partner and pollster Jeremy Zogby can be heard here. Their firm polls for independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Follow him on X @ZogbyStrategies.
Jed Babbin is a Washington Examiner contributor and former deputy undersecretary of defense in the administration of former President George H.W. Bush. Follow him on X @jedbabbin.
