For Democrats, Thursday night's debate was a nightmare. President Joe Biden's performance at the Atlanta face-off, viewed by more than 50 million, sparked a panic, with a flurry of editorials and commentators pleading with the 81-year-old Biden to drop out.
New York Times reporter Katie Rogers, who covers the Biden White House, said, "There is an acknowledgment writ large that the president performed badly. It went poorly. It was a bad night. But there have not been any big sit-downs, big soul-searching sessions. It's just right back to work."
Rogers, who wrote a book that deeply examines the influence of first lady Jill Biden, said she has not picked up on any efforts inside the Biden family questioning whether this run for reelection is worth it. In fact, Rogers says calls for Biden to step aside will likely only strengthen the first family's resolve for him to stay in: "The naysayers are key to understanding him. I mean, they drive him. They help reinforce his idea of who he is. You can't overcome an obstacle if people don't put it in your way, or life doesn't put it in your way."
For Biden, barreling through a thicket of pain – be it personal tragedy or political humiliation – is nothing new. After more than a half-century in Washington, he has endured setbacks time and again, including when many Democrats and pundits counted him out in 2020. Biden, of course, ultimately prevailed in that race, defeating then-President Donald Trump.
This past week made clear that winning a rematch will be no easy feat. Trump is on the march in the polls, despite making false statements, which he did at the debate regarding January 6th, abortion, and his own record.
Faiz Shakir, a top adviser to Bernie Sanders, who managed Sander's 2020 campaign when the Vermont senator ran against Biden for the Democratic nomination, said that, following the debate, Democrats are more alarmed about Trump's possible return to the White House, despite coming out publicly in support of President Biden.
- Obama on Biden performance: "Bad debate nights happen. Trust me, I know."
- California Gov. Newsom says he would "never turn my back" on Biden after debate performance draws scrutiny
"I think there's some degree of trepidation behind the scenes as people line up behind him," Shakir said. "Obviously, President Biden has to make a decision about whether he stays in this race. And I hope he does. And I hope that if he does, he has to make some changes."
Think Mr. Biden will be replaced at the Democratic National Convention this August in Chicago? Think again. The president already has won almost all the roughly 4,000 pledged delegates. Unless he withdraws, they are expected to vote for him on the first ballot.
So, is anybody making credible moves behind the scenes for a possible shake-up of the Democratic ticket? "No," said Shakir. "There's a lot of people looking ahead four years. At this point, this party is his. This nomination is his. And he's, really, the sole decider of the future course of where he's gonna go."
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu supported Nikki Haley in the Republican primary, but has since endorsed Trump. He said, "For a while, you could make the argument that, you know, 'Boy, it was tough defending Donald Trump as a Republican, that we were gonna get behind him.' But today, it's a much harder thing for Democrats to explain why they would stick to Joe Biden."
Trump has his critics, and his challenges – including a sentencing date in July for his criminal conviction in New York. But Sununu said the Republican Party is largely with him.
And after this past week's debate, they are feeling better than ever.
Sununu also doesn't believe there is a Democrat who would make a play against Biden: "No. No one, if they're smart. I think they're gonna have that kind of realization that as much as they want a new candidate, they had their shot. They missed it. They gotta ride it out, hope that there's a second debate, hope that he does much better, hope that Trump creates a bigger problem for himself."
The day after the debate, with his wife at his side, the president sought to reassure Democrats in North Carolina: "Folks, I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. And I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. And I know like millions of Americans know: When you get knocked down, you get back up."
The Times' Katie Rogers says for now the Bidens seem convinced he has one more comeback left … in what is very likely the last campaign of his long career. "Both of them, when they feel the odds are rising against him, that is when they get feistier," she said. "They view obstacles as part of his long life in politics, almost associate it with his political brand. But age is not an obstacle, it's a reckoner, and it is a different problem than the ones he has faced before."
For more info:
- Katie Rogers, New York Times White House correspondent
- Faiz Shakir, Institute of Politics & Public Service, Georgetown University
- Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire
Story produced by Mark Hudspeth. Editors: Emanuele Secci and Chad Cardin.
Robert Costa is the Chief Election & Campaign correspondent for CBS News, where he covers national politics and American democracy.
More from CBS News
Biden struggles early in presidential debate with hoarse voice
Biden says he doesn't debate as well as before but knows "how to tell the truth"
A look at international media coverage of the Biden-Trump debate
Disappointed Democrats stick with Biden after rough debate performance
