Do Anti-Trumpers Still See Biden as a Viable Vehicle?

After Biden’s disastrous debate, do anti-Trumpers still see him as a viable vehicle? This is a valid question because it hinges on who these voters see running the country should Biden win. It is also an important question because anti-Trumpers...

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After Biden’s disastrous debate, do anti-Trumpers still see him as a viable vehicle? This is a valid question because it hinges on who these voters see running the country should Biden win. It is also an important question because anti-Trumpers are perhaps 2024’s last moveable voting bloc — and until the debate, this election looked likely to be decided by a small margin.

For anyone who watched the debate, the question overriding all others is: How is Biden still viable? Biden went into the debate seeking to quell concerns about his next four years; he came out of it needing to quell concerns about his next four months, or perhaps days.

His performance was not marred by a lone gaffe — these we have come to know all too well from Biden as they occur in virtually each of his appearances as stumbles, mumbles, and bumbles. Biden’s debate held all of those and more. He seemed utterly lost and was indisputably inarticulate, factually wrong, confused, and nonsensical. It was arguably the worst presidential debate performance in American history. (READ MORE: The Biden Obsession: Should Quit, Won’t Quit, Should Quit, Won’t Quit)

And contextually it was even worse. Everything in the debate favored Biden: His ground rules, a friendly network, and moderators who had opposed Trump in the past. Despite all this, Biden could not pull himself together for 90 minutes.

While the focus on the fallout from this fiasco has been centered on the Democrats — the same people who, for three years, have assured us that all was a-okay with their standard bearer — the political epicenter lies with anti-Trumpers who have seen Biden as an viable vehicle for their opposition.

Biden Isn’t Doing Well in the Polls

To understand this group’s importance, look at Biden’s dwindling support, which is approaching his party’s political floor. According to RealClear Politics’ 7/5 average national polling on July 9, in a two-way race, Biden registers just 44.0 percent and in a five-way race, he comes in at just 37.9 percent. His job approval is 38.9 percent and his favorability rating is only 39.7 percent. All these are perilously close to the 37 percent of voters who identified as Democrats in 2020 exit polling. (READ MORE: ‘The World Needs Bad Men:’ The Good Thing About Dangerous Men Like Donald Trump)

With his ratings dramatically below the 51.3 percent of the popular vote that he won in 2020, it is safe to assume that the only people who are actually for Biden are Democrats. His support among Republicans and independents is likely all based on opposition to Trump — with little to none coming from those who support Biden himself.

Biden’s biggest concern therefore must be maintaining his viability as a vehicle for opposition to Trump. The biggest question following the debate is: How is this still possible?

Anti-Trumpers Don’t Have Another Option

Who do anti-Trumpers presume will be running the country over the next four years, should Biden win in November? Never-Trump bravado only goes so far: It is one thing to profess that you would vote for anyone other than Trump when believe you that the preferred alternative is up to the job of being president; it is altogether another when it is clear — as it is now — that the preferred alternative is not up to the job.

Do they presume that, should Biden be elected, he would immediately resign? Certainly, nothing in the Biden family or the White House’s behavior indicates this. Both camps insist Biden is capable of running, winning, and governing. Would that change should he win?

Would someone within the administration invoke the 25th Amendment? Again, nothing — and certainly no one — in the Biden administration has given any indication of being so forthright with the American people. Just the opposite. After the debate, there has been a lack of candor about Biden’s contact with his doctor.

If Biden was somehow removed while in office, Vice President Kamala Harris would take over. Are anti-Trumpers comfortable with effectively having elected Harris as president? And who would then fill the vice presidency? Anti-Trump voters would have given a new Harris administration wide latitude to put someone just a heartbeat away from the Oval Office. (READ MORE: They Lied to You)

Do they imagine that the so-called “Deep State” could somehow just navigate the ship of state in Biden’s name? For a group professing a desire to preserve democracy, this seems a strange stance indeed.

These are pivotal questions for this election’s last pivotal group. There is little if any pro-Biden vote, and Biden’s debate performance has undoubtedly diminished it. The pro-Trump vote is solid and appears to be growing: Trump won 46.9 percent of the popular vote in 2020; and, according to RCP, in a two-way race, Trump is polling at 47.5 percent.

The next biggest bloc of voters is anti-Trump voters. In 2020, they were pivotal. Then, a quarter of exit poll respondents voted against their candidate’s opponent; 68 percent of those voted for Biden. They gave Biden a 4.4 percent popular vote margin of victory. The question after Biden’s debate implosion is: Can they, in good conscience, do so again?

J.T. Young was a professional staffer in the House and Senate from 1987-2000, served in the Department of Treasury and Office of Management and Budget from 2001-2004, and was director of government relations for a Fortune 20 company from 2004-2023.

The post Do Anti-Trumpers Still See Biden as a Viable Vehicle? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.