ZWF: Joe Biden will have to prove the doubters wrong again, if he gets the chance
Zander's Weekend Facts #125: Sunday, June 30, 2024
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, the fallout of Thursday’s presidential debate, and a look at what Zander’s been reading this past week. Plus, a compilation of the top headlines you need to know about from the last seven days.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts Podcast! Episode 139 features a preview of this summer’s major international soccer tournaments, the UEFA EUROs and the CONMEBOL Copa América, with Zander’s Facts soccer guru Emma Adams. Download the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, June 30, 2024:
What will Biden do after disastrous debate?
Not many incumbent presidents excel during the first general debate of their reelection campaign.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan held a double-digit polling lead heading into his first debate with Democratic nominee Walter Mondale, a lead that was quickly evaporated after The Washington Post reported that Reagan “suddenly looked old and frail.”
More recently in 2012, President Barack Obama put up a performance against Republican nominee Mitt Romney that Obama himself called a “stinker” and led to the Politico headline: “How Obama’s debate plan bombed.” With polls already tight, it appeared as though Obama had lost the race one month away from the election.
Both two-term presidents easily put their first debate woes behind them. Reagan delivered one of the most memorable debate lines in his second debate with his “I will not make age an issue of this campaign. I am not going to exploit, for political purposes, my opponent’s youth and inexperience” quip and demolished Mondale. Obama delivered on his subsequent debate performances and won 126 more electoral votes than Romney.
After Thursday night’s presidential debate, President Joe Biden will hope he can deliver a comeback the likes of Reagan and Obama, and not sequester into becoming a one-term president the likes of Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, and Donald Trump, Biden’s former and now once-again opponent.
From the get-go, Biden struggled. He spoke softly into the mic nearly the entire night, struggled to remember the various statistics his staff had urged him to recall, failed to finish his own thought occasionally, and oftentimes looked as though he was staring straight into the abyss when he was not speaking.
It was jarring, perhaps shocking, even for those who follow the gaffe-prone 81-year-old closely. Never had Joe Biden looked more like his age than on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday night. Of course, it may not have helped that Biden also looked pale as a ghost compared to his opponent, whose use of artificial hair and makeup would make RuPaul blush.
Yet, it was not like Biden’s opponent had pressured him into the contest last week. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was the Biden team that pushed for the earliest general election debate in modern American history. It was the Biden team that pushed for the many rule changes, including mic muting and lack of audience. Biden wanted this, and he failed.
There are many reasons to speculate as to why it was such a major letdown for the president. Maybe it was a cold that Biden aides suddenly revealed to reporters an hour into the debate. Maybe it was the preparation his team put him through, seemingly requesting he remember many exact numbers and data points in an effort to get his points across to the American public. Maybe it was the daunting task of attempting to debunk the countless falsehoods being spewed by his opponent, with a lack of assistance from the debate’s moderators.
Whatever the reason might be, it was perhaps even more shocking to witness Biden’s demeanor immediately after the debate. At a rally that was held mere moments after the debate had concluded, Biden appeared much more lively. It was like a switch had been flipped.
Biden even stopped by a Waffle House, dapping up a man in a clip that’s gone viral on social media.
And on Friday, Biden traveled to North Carolina for a rally where he sought to put the previous night’s concerns to bed, and perhaps provided a soundbite at the end of the clip that Democratic operatives may keep in their back pocket should his campaign continue.
If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would almost agree with those who believe Biden is being drugged up for performances. Of course, that would require the Democratic puppet masters to come up with the imbecilic idea of giving Biden a Xanax for the debate and an amphetamine for after. Color me not impressed by that theory.
Yet, the conclusion many in the limelight reached after Thursday night was that Joe Biden cannot continue to run for reelection. Democratic pundits on CNN’s roundtable immediately after the debate described internal chaos among their sources. Reports indicate many Democratic donors may have soured on the president after his performance. And The New York Times opinion pages were full of political obituaries, including from the paper’s Editorial Board, which called on Biden to step down from the race.
Of course, The New York Times Editorial Board will not be the deciding factor in whether Biden continues as the Democrats’ nominee. Nor will the anonymous Democratic sources who cannot see a path forward at the moment. The decision, at this stage in the campaign, will only be made by the president himself. Considering the president is expected to hold a family gathering at Camp David on Sunday, it will likely be soon whether we know Biden will continue on or not.
If he chose to step down, as the Times Editorial Board says, it “would be against all of Mr. Biden’s personal and political instincts.” Biden’s instincts picked himself up after his first wife and his daughter died in a car crash just after getting elected to the Senate in 1972. Biden’s instincts picked himself up after a plagiarizing scandal doomed his 1988 presidential run. Biden’s instincts picked himself up after another failed presidential run in 2008, leading to become Barack Obama’s vice presidential pick. Biden’s instincts picked himself up after the death of his son Beau in 2015 and led him to a successful presidential run four years ago, becoming the anti-Trump savior America desired. Throughout his political career, Biden has bet on himself time and time again. Those instincts are unlikely to wash away after one humiliating debate performance.
If Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, truly believe that the president has it in him to take on Trump and save America from the despotism that has consumed one major political party just one more time, then there’s no doubt that Joe Biden will remain the Democratic nominee for president.
And if he is to remain the Democratic nominee, then those privately wringing their hands over a bad Biden performance need to shape up and get to work on a plan to defeat Donald Trump. That must be the ultimate goal, no matter the nominee, in order to save the American democratic systems that the presumptive nominee of the Republican Party, and his acolytes, seek to undermine for their own personal gains.
Come November, will a bad debate night mean much in the minds of voters choosing which set of ideals should lead the world’s most powerful country into the future? Only as much as Joe Biden wants it to.
For more information on this week’s top story, here’s an article from NPR - 4 takeaways from the first presidential debate
What Zander’s been reading
When Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought the struggling Washington Post in 2013, it began a glorious age for the newspaper. Perfectly coinciding with the rise of former President Donald Trump, readers flocked to the Post for award-winning coverage of the daily Trump tribulations. Yet, when Trump left office, the Post didn’t seem to have a plan to keep its readers coming. And now, the paper is mired in a crisis of its own doing.
Check out this week’s featured article in The Atlantic - The Real Story of the Crisis at The Washington Post - (Article available for free on Apple News.)
Rapid-fire Facts
These are top news headlines from the past week in rapid-fire fashion:
Supreme Court Cases: The Supreme Court released its rulings on several notable cases last week. On Friday, the court made it harder for the federal government to regulate the environment, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protections by overturning the 40-year-old Chevron decision. The court also made it more difficult to charge hundreds of those accused of attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021 through obstruction charges. On Thursday, the court allowed for emergency abortions in Idaho to take place for now, a state where abortion has been outlawed since the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022. The court also put on hold an EPA rule intended to restrict smokestack emissions from power plants and other industrial sources that produce smog-causing pollution while a challenge to the rule goes through the court system.
Associated Press - The Supreme Court weakens federal regulators, overturning decades-old Chevron decision
Associated Press - Supreme Court makes it harder to charge Capitol riot defendants with obstruction, charge Trump faces
Associated Press - The Supreme Court allows emergency abortions in Idaho for now in a limited ruling
Associated Press - Supreme Court halts enforcement of the EPA’s plan to limit downwind pollution from power plants
Julian Assange: Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange, who gained notoriety for publishing U.S. military information on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2010, reached a plea deal with U.S. prosecutors and returned to Australia last week. Assange, who had been imprisoned in the U.K., pled guilty to a single count of illegally obtaining and disseminating national security information in a U.S. courtroom on Saipan, the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands. Assange was subsequently sentenced to time already served and was flown to Australia, where he must pay $520,000 to the Australian government for the chartered plane ride.
Bolivia Coup: A military coup in Bolivia failed last week and a top general was arrested. General Juan Jose Zuniga, who had his military command stripped on Wednesday, led military units in the central Plaza Murillo Square, home to the country’s presidential palace and Congress. President Luis Arce was the target of the failed coup, with tensions rising in the South American country ahead of elections next year. Arce’s top opponent is expected to be former President Evo Morales, who was ousted in 2019 amid widespread protests and is a former ally of Arce.
Hurricane Beryl: Hurricane Beryl became the first Atlantic storm to be named a hurricane in 2024 on Saturday. Beryl, currently located north of Brazil in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane and target the Caribbean later this week. The island of Barbados is currently under a hurricane warning. Beryl is just the second storm to ever become a hurricane east of the Caribbean, with the National Hurricane Center saying that the first hurricane in the Atlantic usually forms in mid-to-late August.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
Here are the top headlines from the sports world in the Sporting Club:
NHL Stanley Cup Final: The Florida Panthers avoided disaster and took Game 7 to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Panthers beat the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on Monday night to win this season’s Stanley Cup Final. The Panthers initially held a 3-0 lead in the series, but the Oilers won the next three games to send the series to a Game 7. Florida became the second team in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup after giving up a 3-0 series lead. Despite starring for the losing side, Conner McDavid won the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the MVP of his team during the postseason.
UEFA EUROs: Switzerland and Germany became the first two nations to qualify for the Quarter-finals after defeating their opponents - Italy and Denmark, respectively - in Saturday’s Round of 16 matchups. The Round of 16 continues later today at 12:00 pm ET, with England facing Slovakia and Spain playing Georgia at 3:00 pm ET on Fox. On Monday, France take on Belgium at 12:00 pm ET with Portugal playing Slovenia at 3:00 pm ET on Fox. Tuesday’s matches conclude the first round of the knockouts, with Romania facing the Netherlands at 12:00 pm ET on FS1 and Austria taking on Türkiye at 3:00 pm ET on Fox. The Quarter-finals begin on Friday.
Copa América: Argentina and Canada became the first two teams to advance to the knockout rounds of the CONMEBOL Copa América. Group A finished on Saturday night with Argentina beating Peru 2-0 to finish with nine points and in first place, while Canada’s 0-0 draw with Chile was enough to put Canada in second. Group B’s top two teams will face Argentina or Canada in the Quarterfinals. The final Group B matches take place tonight at 8:00 pm ET, with Mexico-Ecuador on Fox and Univision, and Jamaica-Venezuela on FS1 and UniMás. The United States face Uruguay on Monday at 9:00 pm ET on FS1 and Univision, likely needing a win to advance to the Quarterfinals after losing to Panama 2-1 on Thursday. At the same time, Panama play Bolivia on FS2 and UniMás. To close out the group stage, Brazil face Columbia on FS1 and Univision, while Costa Rica take on Paraguay on FS2 and UniMás, with both games beginning at 9:00 pm ET on Tuesday. The Quarterfinals are set to begin on Thursday.
NBA Draft: Zaccharie Risacher was taken with the first overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Risacher joined last year’s #1 pick, Victor Wembanyama, as the first #1 overall picks to come from France. The draft’s second pick also hails from France, with the Washington Wizards selecting Alex Sarr. Reed Shepard from Kentucky was selected third by the Houston Rockets, while the San Antonio Spurs picked UConn’s Stephon Castle with the fourth pick, and Ron Holland II from the G League Ignite being picked fifth by the Detroit Pistons. In what would normally be an unmomentous second round of the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers took Bronny James, the son of LeBron James, with the 55th pick.
NFL Sunday Ticket Trial: A jury ruled against the National Football League in a case involving the league’s ‘Sunday Ticket’ television package last week. The NFL was found of violating antitrust laws by distributing the package, which provides out-of-market games on Sunday afternoons, on a premium subscription service. The jury found that the league should pay out over $4.7 billion in damages to subscribers who paid for the package while it was a part of DirecTV from 2011 to 2022. Under antitrust law, the amount of damages could potentially triple to $14.39 billion. The league announced that it would appeal the verdict.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts Podcast. Download and listen to the latest episode of the podcast, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts.
You can also listen to every episode of the podcast on this very website. All Zander’s Facts podcast episodes are now available on zandersfacts.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The facts in print return next Sunday, July 7, 2024.
