All of us who witnessed Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance on Thursday in Atlanta were left stunned. My friends and I winced as he shuffled in, shoulders slumped slowly towards his debate podium, and cringed as he began the debate—his voice was hoarse, full of pauses, and timid. His mouth was left agape when he wasn’t speaking; he seemed unable to respond to moderator questions directly, desperately attempting to relay pre-rehearsed talking points. The president repeatedly trailed off mid-thought, unable to keep his concentration.
This can hardly come as a surprise—commentary on Mr. Biden’s decline has been consistent and accurate. I warned back in February, after Mr. Biden’s scatterbrained interview with the special counsel and his repeated confusion about the names of countries and foreign leaders, that Democrats were refusing to take the car keys away from Mr. Biden at the peril of the country, as it is obvious he isn’t able to discharge the duties of his office. Mr. Biden's diminished faculties, dismissed as ‘far-right’ hogwash and concealed by a refusal to report the uncomfortable truth, have now been shown to the public and the rest of the world. The embarrassment felt by the public at such a worrisome performance should turn to fear, for the Ayatollahs in Tehran and the Oligarchs in Russia sense opportunity and American weakness.
And though Democrats desperately try to conceal our naked emperor, the fact remains that the American public cannot forget what they saw. Fox News cannot be blamed for cherry-picking moments of weakness, nor can one allege so-called 'cheap fakes'—the American people and the rest of the world saw, with their own eyes, a rambling and incoherent president, unable to address any of their concerns and exercise the office of the presidency.
This starkly contrasted with his challenger, former President Donald Trump, who seemed atypically composed and disciplined. He calmly compared his record to Mr. Biden's, staying clear from personal attacks and pummelling Mr. Biden on the border and foreign policy. The words ‘rigged election’ did not leave his lips. Though the debate lacked substantive policy discourse, any brief fragments were overshadowed by Mr. Trump's upright, confident demeanor, reminiscent of his outsider persona, starkly contrasting to Mr. Biden’s personification of American grievances and feelings toward Washington politicians: old, out-of-touch, and incapable of offering solutions.
The country must now prioritize embracing reality over partisan policies. The president's recent performance warrants serious consideration of his fitness for office in the coming months, let alone another four years. Can anyone expect Mr. Biden to be capable of serving until 2029?