How Biden Failed to Contain the Crisis After the Debate

Washington Post: “It was a comeback tale, based on the notion of a single bad night. ‘When you get knocked down, you get back up!’ Biden declared, nailing the lines off a teleprompter, at full volume, to cheers. His next campaign ad was set.”

“But the crisis that may yet topple his candidacy would only get worse.”

“The speech showcased the promised candidate, but also reinforced the inconsistency. Donors, strategists, elected leaders and even some of his own advisers privately said they no longer knew what they thought they knew about Biden. Polls show that he is losing to Donald Trump, a man who almost never led polling averages until this cycle. The president needed a referendum on his predecessor. But suddenly the race was about Biden. Could he really do the job?”

“Rather than take those concerns head-on, Biden followed the speech and rally by retreating from public view — a series of private fundraisers awkwardly using his teleprompter, a retreat with his family to take pictures with photographer Annie Leibovitz, short scripted addresses at the White House — just 32 minutes of combined public comments over five days, none of it off the cuff.”

Politico: Biden tried to put his campaign crisis behind him. It isn’t working yet.