Dr Leslie Vinjamuri
President Biden and former President Trump held their first debate in Atlanta on Thursday night with the election on a knife’s edge. Given Biden’s faltering performance, this may also turn out to be the only debate.
Recent polls have the candidates tied 50-50. But 20 per cent of voters were ‘undecided’ and 60 per cent of Americans had planned to watch the debates.
In Europe, where the UK and France hold their own significant elections in July, most slept through this debate. Yet no election matters more for Europe’s security and for international order than the US vote on 5 November.
Viewers were watching…to judge if the candidates have the temperament and stamina to provide effective leadership.
In this race, the overriding issues driving voters are inflation, abortion, and immigration. Each is significant and divisive. But viewers were also watching with another issue in mind: to judge if the candidates have the temperament and stamina to provide effective leadership.
On this dimension, the debate was very far from reassuring. President Biden’s performance has provoked demands that he cede his nomination to an alternative candidate. This is unfortunate. Many of Biden’s policies have been essential, from bringing NATO together to defend Ukraine, to spearheading America’s COVID-19 recovery.
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