“LORD ALMIGHTY”
For now, Democrat heavyweights are largely keeping a lid on any simmering discontent with their leader – at least in public.
But with election day just four months away, any move to replace Biden as the nominee would need to be made sooner rather than later, and the party will be scrutinized for any signs of more open rebellion.
Meanwhile, for Biden and his campaign team, the strategy seems to be to ride it out.
The campaign has unveiled an intense battle plan for July, including an avalanche of TV spots and trips to all the key states.
That includes a visit to the southwest of the country during the Republican convention from Jul 15 to Jul 18, at which Trump is set to be anointed the party’s official presidential nominee.
In what had been billed as a make-or-break interview with ABC News on Friday, Biden flatly dismissed the falling poll numbers and concerns over his mental and physical fitness triggered by his dismal Jun 27 performance against Trump.
He blamed a severe cold for the debate debacle and insisted it was just a “bad night” rather than evidence of increasing frailty and cognitive decline.
The sit-down has not soothed the concerns of critics who say that – away from a teleprompter – Biden can struggle to communicate.
Some of his answers were tentative, meandering and difficult to follow, even as he sought to deflect questions about his mental acuity and dismissed the notion that his party would consider replacing him.
“If the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe, get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race,” he said.
“But the Lord Almighty is not coming down.”
