On Sunday evening, the remaining candidates with a real shot at the Democratic nomination will meet in Washington amid a pandemic to state why they should be chosen to lead the nation. In many ways, the debate will vary from all others held since last summer. Instead of a large and diverse field of candidates, only two old, white men remain. And instead of testing their styles and one-liners in front of a crowd, this meeting will lack an audience. With so much stripped away, the candidates will either shine or fail.
At this moment, it seems that the nomination is former Vice President Joe Biden’s to lose. After a sensational Super Tuesday, both he and his campaign recovered. Not long after his historic turnaround, former candidates and other politicians endorsed the elder statesman, cementing him as the party’s leading man. But with months to go until the convention and a powerful incumbent to beat, Biden has his work cut out for him. His debate against Sen. Bernie Sanders will reveal much.
The last time the nation saw Biden engage in a one-on-one debate was against Paul Ryan. The year was 2012, and Biden was riding high as President Barack Obama’s first term came to a close. If the Democratic duo was nervous about their reelection chances, they didn’t show it. In the end, Obama and Biden won an easy victory against Romney and Ryan. But now, things are different.
Joe Biden is several years older and isn’t ensconced in the security that Obama’s partnership and leadership brought him. He is all alone in his quest for the White House. Even though his campaign is doing well, there are serious concerns simmering. Now, it’s difficult to believe that the same man who often seems easily flustered and confused during debates once treated Paul Ryan with such confidence that the Guardian wrote the following headline: “Joe Biden’s alpha-male display leaves Paul Ryan overwhelmed in VP debate.” Times certainly have changed.
The Trump administration and the Republican Party as a whole should pay attention to Sunday night’s debate. Bernie Sanders, while possessing some debate strengths of his own, is no President Trump. With the latter, all bets are off as soon as he walks onto the stage. Sanders enjoys diverting attention when questioned about his specific plans and their funding, but he doesn’t insult and belittle to score points.
If Biden either fails or barely maintains a strong performance against a doddering Democratic socialist, then his chances against Trump don’t look good at all. And with no other candidates to hide behind or banter with, Biden is left more exposed than ever.
In previous years and on other debate stages, Joe Biden had the upper hand. Since the start of the 2020 election season, Biden has been the one who, though seemingly inevitable, must prove himself. His debate performances, many lackluster and often riddled with displays of jumbled exhaustion, didn’t match up with his near-constant lead in the polls. On paper, he looked good. In person, however, the vision of a strong, coherent leader often failed to shine through. Being surrounded by so many other hopefuls in earlier debates helped to cover up many of his weaknesses. With no shield of any kind to speak of on Sunday, it could be Biden’s worst performance yet.
Sunday night’s debate between Biden and Sanders will be less about who is victorious in the present battle and more about how similar behavior would translate to a stage with Trump as the opponent. If Biden is looking to reassure Democrats and potentially sway independents to his side, he’ll have to be strong and assured throughout. Recent history is not on his side, and any failure to deliver will only embolden his ultimate rival.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.
