Obviously because he’s a weak candidate (and has been from the very beginning) in what might well be the highest stakes presidential race in US history.

The debate didn’t suddenly create some notion of his weakness as a candidate - long before the debate, his prospects were already shaky at best, and the Dem establishment had already had to resort to basically trying to guilt trip people into voting for him.

All the debate did as far as any of that goes is drive home the point that people have been trying to make from the beginning - that he is and always has been a weak and uninspiring candidate at best.

And I’d say that rather obviously, if anyone’s repeating the mistakes of 2016, it’s the Dem establishment.

And on a bit of a side note - in response to the author’s smugly self-congratulatory view that the voters are mindless automatoms who just blindly do as the media tells them, I would just like to offer up a hearty, “fuck you.”

Biden only appears weak to those not paying attention. He has a strong record of achievements, some you may have missed., not to mention bringing chip manufacturing back to the U.S.. He has skillfully navigated the impending recession to a soft landing and his policies are preferred by both Democrats and Republicans by a wide margin. Many didn’t see him as a great president but his results may prove them wrong. He will go down in history as under appreciated president. Biden is a successful president. Will that matter?