Having exhausted all other options for boosting the geriatric president's historically awful approval numbers, the Biden adminstration has finally proposed that which they sought to avoid at all costs.
Namely, a presidential debate.
Joe Biden first issued the challenge to his opponent, former President Donald Trump, via the social media platform X.
Claiming erroneously that "Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate. Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal," he concluded with a weak Clint Eastwood impression, before proposing his terms.
"So let's pick the dates, Donald," he continued. "I hear you're free on Wednesdays," he ended, a lame joke referencing the politically motivated lawsuits against Trump.
Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. Since then, he hasn’t shown up for a debate.
Now he’s acting like he wants to debate me again.
Well, make my day, pal. pic.twitter.com/AkPmvs2q4u
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
Trump then happily accepted via a post on his own social media platform, Truth Social, telling Biden and the world, "I am Ready and Willing to Debate Crooked Joe at the two proposed times in June and September... Just tell me when, I’ll be there. “Let’s get ready to Rumble!!!”"
Later on Wednesday, CNN reported that Biden returned to X, accepting the former president's terms, saying, "I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place." Another post confirmed a second debate is set for Sept. 10.
I’ve received and accepted an invitation from @CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald. As you said: anywhere, any time, any place.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
I've also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th.
Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 15, 2024
As CNN told its readers, the dates chosen for the presidential debates -- June 27 on CNN and Sept. 10 with ABC -- were historically early. Presidential debates have for decades been held in October, just weeks before the November election.
While the Commission on Presidential Debates initially proposed the more conventional dates of Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9 for the debates, the Biden administration pushed back.
Their reasons, according to CNN, were, supposedly, that those dates were "out of step with changes with changes in the structure of our elections and the interests of voters," and hosted only by the networks CBS News, ABC News, CNN and Telemundo.
Granted, the choices of venues were rather cowardly moves, as were the numerous other stipulations calculated to give Mumbles Biden every possible advantage.
Those stipulations were, according to Fox News: that the debate be one-on-one (essentially leaving Robert F. Kennedy Jr. out completely), that the debates be held inside a TV studio, that microphones automatically be cut off when a speaker goes over his time limit, and, crucially, that there would be no audience (something that has rarely happened since 1976).
But regardless of how rigged the venues and rules for the debates seemingly will be, the fact that Biden has agreed to any debate at all was, for many, an enormous shock.
Biden and his team have tried every method imaginable to reduce the octogenarian's propensity for embarrassing himself every time he opens his mouth.
A debate, even among friendly, left-wing media outlets such as CNN and NBC, where Biden must speak unscripted and off-the-cuff, sounds like a PR nightmare for his handlers.
Remember when, after Robert Hur's special counsel report came out back in March, Biden tried to hold a press conference demonstrating his mental lucidity, only to forget what church his son's funeral was held in and the name of the president of Mexico?
The moderators at CNN and ABC will probably do everything in their power to slant the debate in Biden's favor, but none of them can restrain Biden from saying something stupid or incomprehensible without getting inside his head.
But, considering how terribly Biden has polled over the past few months -- even being projected to lose swing states he handily won in 2020 -- what other choice did Biden's campaign have?
They even attempted some heavily edited tough talk from Grandpa Joe to try and make it seem as if Trump was the one hesitant to debate.
Will the debates end up happening?
Right now, it seems more likely than ever, with both parties finally agreeing to terms for the debate.
Who will end up winning?
Hard to say, with CNN and ABC heavily biased in Biden's favor. But Biden's own handicaps might end up sabotaging him.
Whatever happens with these debates, one thing is for sure: They should be wildly entertaining.
