It is now clear that President Joe Biden’s poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump has irreversibly damaged his campaign to the point that his chances of winning a second term have diminished considerably.

It has now been over two weeks since the debate, and Biden’s apparent cognitive and age issues are still a matter of furious debate on the airwaves and interwebs. Democrats are currently discussing how they might proceed. Some want to replace him. Others want to continue supporting his candidacy. There has even been talk of having Vice President Kamala Harris step up and take his place.

I’ll be blunt: This issue isn’t going away. Ever.

Even the media, which is typically firmly in Biden’s corner, has been floating the idea of replacing him with a more suitable – and younger – candidate. Thursday’s press conference did little to assuage concerns about Biden’s problems.

David Axelrod, former senior advisor to former President Barack Obama, has come out strongly against President Biden. He recently repudiated Biden’s claim during the press conference that “no one” and “no poll” shows that he cannot defeat Trump in November.

If what he said at the end of his presser is true, it sounds like Biden's team has not been very candid with him about what the data is showing: the age issue is a huge and potentially insurmountable concern and his odds of victory are very, very slim.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) July 12, 2024

If what he said at the end of his presser is true, it sounds like Biden's team has not been very candid with him about what the data is showing: the age issue is a huge and potentially insurmountable concern and his odds of victory are very, very slim.

Kamala Harris Would Be an Excellent Replacement for Biden – If Democrats Want to Lose

David Axelrod Throws Biden Under the Bus, Disputes Presser Claim
‘No One’, ‘No Poll’ Says He Can’t Win

As RedState’s Mike Miller pointed out, Decision Desk HQ dropped poll results on the night of the press conference showing that Biden is trailing Trump by a significant margin in several key swing states.

pic.twitter.com/Mc0cMnxxHM

— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) July 12, 2024

Several prominent Democrats have been begging Biden to drop out of the race. Former Rep. Tim Ryan recently said Biden’s issues are “going to drag everyone else down,” indicating that other Democrats running for office could be adversely affected by Biden’s situation.

The president himself has expressed doubts about whether he can still win another term.

Debates have typically not had much of an impact on changing voters’ minds. But Biden’s case appears to be an exception to this rule.

Tim Ryan on Biden Staying in the Race: 'You Throw 3 Interceptions,
the Coach Pulls the Quarterback'

Joe Biden Privately Expresses Doubts About Whether He Can Win a Second Term

The Debate Might Have Hurt Joe Biden Even More Than We Think

It appears that at least one media outlet has read the writing on the wall. The New York Times, which previously called for Biden to leave the race, recently published an editorial piece attacking Trump once again. This appears to indicate what the left’s strategy will be going forward – especially if Biden remains in the race.

Their only hope at this point is to make the public fear a second Trump term more than they fear Biden’s cognitive issues. When the campaign first kicked off, Democrats were already advancing this strategy due to the fact that Biden had few, if any, accomplishments on which to run. But now, they will kick this strategy into high gear.

You can expect the messaging over the remaining months of the campaign to be different variations of “Yeah, Biden is old and not in control of his mental faculties, but at least he ain’t a threat to democracy like Trump!”

Indeed, they have already begun pushing this tactic. You have probably already seen the hubbub over Project 2025, right? This is only a sampling of the hysterical fearmongering that will ramp up over the next few months as they attempt to paint Trump as a wild wannabe dictator who will bring about the apocalypse.

To sum it up, Biden will not be able to win this election by portraying himself as the most desirable candidate. At this point, his best bet is to convince the American people that he is the least harmful man in the race. Even then, he will probably still lose. But there is no other strategy Team Biden has at its disposal.