Democrats might want to consider stepping back from that steep ledge. The first "debate" between President Joe Biden and the 45th president, Donald Trump, is over, and at first glance, was a total disaster for Biden and the Democrats.
But at second glance, maybe not so much. Anybody who watched the debate could see President Biden looking every day of his 81 years, maybe more like 91. He appeared lost and confused, not at all like the guy we saw months earlier, at his State of the Union Speech. Chalk it up as a big loss.
But what about Donald Trump-- did he win the "debate"? Maybe not. Trump has his solid base of Republican cultists, millions of them. To them, he is a divine gift from God, and can do no wrong-- ever.
Still, his supporters do not make up the majority of the American electorate. Trump will still need Republican moderates (we will assume there are some) and independents to win the presidency. They are not in the bag yet.
While Biden lost the debate, it is less than clear that Donald Trump won. Those Republican moderates and independents had to have seen the blustery, negative, vindictive, lying and unhinged man we know all too well. I sincerely doubt he "won" many of those undecided voters, and he likely turned off more than a few.
Perhaps the debate was not a total disaster for Democrats. They still have to decide if they stick with Biden, or let a younger, more vibrant Democrat carry the mantle. The Democratic Party is split right now on that issue, and it will not be easy to fix the problem.
Fortunately, there are ways, and there is time. November 5 is more than four months away.
I believe Biden's physical and mental health has to be a major part of the decision to continue having him run. There are plenty of signs he has lost a lot off his fastball, and it will have to be determined if that is the normal aging process or some unspoken, undisclosed disability. If it is the latter, a change in candidates is imperative.
Donald Trump has plenty of his own issues. Despite his insistence that he is a genius, nobody really believes that. His numerous verbal gaffes and bizarre, unintelligible rants are signs his mind is slipping even faster than usual. (It should not be overlooked that his father, Fred Trump, had Alzheimer's Disease.)
As I noted in a previous commentary: several prominent mental health professionals have expressed concern about Trump's deteriorating brain function. Dr. John Gartner, a former professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, has been vocal about his professional analysis of Trump, asserting a stark difference between the candidates: "Biden is aging. Trump is dementing."
Dr. Elisabeth Zoffmann, a forensic psychiatrist and an Associate Clinical Professor of Forensic and General Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, believes that Trump is displaying a range of behaviors that suggest cognitive challenges if not impairment. She concludes Trump appears to be suffering from Behavioral Variant Fronto-Temporal Dementia (BvFTD), which drastically affects personality, behavior, and social interactions.
And let's think for a moment about expectations. For Biden, if he stays in, his bar is set very low, which could work to his advantage in a second debate. That assumes Biden doesn't step down, allowing a stronger candidate to take his place.
No matter what, Trump's clueless base and the moronic Republican leaders like Lindsay Graham, Ted Cruz, Speaker Mike Johnson, plus all the ones who lust for the chance to be his V.P., are going to stick with the guy, as will Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media propaganda machine.
But just as Biden cannot hide his aging issues, Trump will not be able to hide his numerous deficiencies, falsehoods, advancing dementia, and serious personality flaws. His obvious craziness will be on display for four more months, and that should give Democrats a fighting chance to win the presidency and importantly, Congress.
So, Democrats, walk away from that ledge. Donald Trump's lunacy gives voters a chance to salvage American democracy.
Yes, there is actually hope.
