Biden Has a Hard Time

Anyone hoping for a speedy end to the Trump era may draw hope from this: in his first television debate against Joe Biden, the President was repeatedly and vigorously reprimanded for breaking the rules he himself had agreed to. The errors of logic in his reasoning were precisely pointed out and he was forced to take a stand on sensitive issues: Does he condemn the marches of white racists? Does he believe in man-made climate change? Is he prepared to acknowledge a possible defeat in the elections? The problem: all this was thanks to Chris Wallace, the host of Fox News. Democratic candidate Joe Biden, on the other hand, found it very difficult to counter Trump’s aggressiveness.

Whilst Trump will have appeared as shameless, disrespectful and und unpitying in the eyes of his opponents, his followers will have seen him as a man of action who does not adhere to the traditional conventions of the political establishment. Trump will not have lost many supporters or gained new sympathisers as a result of the debate.

This might be good news for Biden who is leading in the polls. Nonetheless, he cannot be satisfied with his performance either. Is it enough for the Americans to realise that Biden has the better manners? Or would they have liked to see more evidence that the Democratic candidate can also deal with the likes of Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping or Kim Jong-un? His policy plans will have done little to convince young Democratic activists. He got tangled up in contradictions when pressed on the Supreme Court or the Green New Deal, which he both set aside and defended. Unintentionally, he probably made it clear that he is all but a man of transition. A candidate without visions, who wants to reverse the Trump years and lead the country back on track.