OK. Bottom line reaction: what matters now is less Biden’s debate performance than how he responds to it. He did badly tonight. This is his responsibility, no one else’s. The Democrat delivering this message to the public needs to be Joe Biden. [Short 🧵]
2. The good news is that it is June, not October. If tonight’s debate had taken place in October, the race might be over. As it is, there is time for a bad debate performance to be minimized, if Biden takes responsibility for it. He has to change the story, right away.
3. Tonight, the story is Biden being old. There’s no way he wins with that, and a lot of Democrats could go down with him. Biden messing up (as other Presidents have done on a debate stage) and resolving not to let his supporters down again is much better.
4. Americans like comebacks and redemption stories. Biden can make this one. But he has to do it himself. Campaign staff and surrogates can’t do it for him. [end]
