NYT: Biden told key allies he may not able to stay in the 2024 election

[Snow 27,838]

Biden Tells Allies He Knows He Has Only Days to Salvage Candidacy

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President Biden has told a key ally that he knows he may not be able to salvage his candidacy if he cannot convince the public in the coming days that he is up for the job after a disastrous debate performance last week.

The president, who the ally emphasized is still deeply in the fight for re-election, understands that his next few appearances heading into the holiday weekend — including an interview scheduled for Friday with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News and campaign stops in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — must go well.

"He knows if he has two more events like that, we're in a different place" by the end of the weekend, said the ally, referring to Mr. Biden's halting and unfocused performance in the debate. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation.

The conversation is the first indication to become public that the president is seriously considering whether he can recover after a devastating performance on the debate stage in Atlanta on Thursday. Concerns are mounting about his viability as a candidate and whether he could serve as president for another four years.

A top adviser to Mr. Biden, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, said the president was "well aware of the political challenge he faces."

Campaign officials were nervously watching polls, recognizing that bad numbers could fuel the crisis. A CBS News poll on Wednesday showed former President Donald J. Trump edging ahead of Mr. Biden since the debate with 50 percent to 48 percent nationally and 51 percent to 48 percent in battleground states.

Mr. Biden is slowly reaching out to Democratic elected officials and has a meeting with Democratic governors at the White House scheduled for Wednesday evening. He is also continuing to reach out to people he has long trusted and has told at least one person that he is open to the possibility that his plans to move on from his debate performance — and flip the focus back to his challenger, Mr. Trump — may not work.

One of Biden's allies said Biden was aware that the outcome of his campaign could be different from what he is fighting for. Biden, that person said, believes he is an effective leader who is mentally sharp and “doesn’t get how others don’t accept that.”

Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., said during an interview on MSNBC that Biden still must do more to address the public rather than continue to huddle with advisers. “He’s got to show the American people that he can do this job,” she said. “He can’t be wrapped in bubble right now.”

Some of the president’s advisers have grown increasingly pessimistic in the past day or so as unrest in the party has continued to grow, a reflection of unhappiness not just over the debate performance but the handling of it since then.

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[Dennis Reynolds 20,397]

Let's hope  

[Chris 59,292]

I hope we get someone better! 

I'll even take Pete Buttigieg tbh

[Snow 27,838]

2 hours ago, Chris said:

I hope we get someone better! 

I'll even take Pete Buttigieg tbh

If he is replaced, it'll likely be Kamala, which is not ideal but I'm willing to settle for 

[Princess Aurora 31,775]

Ohhhhh