So yeah. That happened. And it wasn’t great. Most of us are probably coming away from that debate with a pit in our stomachs. And that is understandable. The stakes are very high in this election, and President Biden’s performance was underwhelming. So here is where I’ll quote former Obama staffer and Crooked Media host Dan Pfeiffer:
“Worry about everything. Panic about nothing.”
I’m not trying to sugarcoat this thing or put my head in the sand. This was not the night we wanted. I wish Biden were sharper and more energetic. I wish the debate was actually moderated by journalists willing to do a single ounce of fact-checking.
But just because Biden underperformed doesn’t mean that Trump had a good night either, and we shouldn’t let him have a victory lap.
Let’s recap Trump’s debate:
He took pride in overturning Roe v Wade and called it “a great thing.”
He refused to accept the results of the next election.
He called the January 6th insurrectionist innocent patriots.
He said on national television he didn’t have sex with a porn star, which the entire country knows is a lie.
His Roe v Wade comments are an enormous blunder, and we need to make him pay for them. Share this video far and wide. Everyone needs to know that Trump Did This.
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These two tweets from our friend and brilliant pollster Celinda Lake provide a very clear framework for how to approach this debate moving forward.
We need to make Trump pay for his comments on Roe and his vision of American carnage. The things he says are not popular, so let’s make sure people hear them.
The bottom line is: Trump is still running for president to save himself. President Biden is running to help you and your family.
Let’s focus on that and get to work.
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We need to remember that the election is about us, not Biden. We need to win for us.
Thanks for the excellent, thoughtful reframing and tools to combat the crazy media frenzy focused as usual on Biden’s age rather than Trump’s lies!