Biden’s debate woes hit down-ballot Democrats

Senator Bob Casey is one of President Joe Biden’s oldest friends in politics. The two were neighbors when the Bidens lived in Scranton and Biden knew his father Bob Casey Sr, the governor of Pennsylvania. Indeed, the president calls the younger Casey “Bobby.”

Now David McCormick, the Republican challenging the longtime Democratic senator for the seat he’s held since 2007, has begun to hit Casey for his close ties to Biden. Specifically, the McCormick campaign hopes to capitalize off of Biden’s poor performance at the debate in Atlanta.

McCormick’s latest ad highlights Biden’s disastrous debate performance on Thursday and contrasts it with previous statements by Casey saying there was “no question” that Biden was prepared for a second term in the presidency.

The attacks are not just reserved for Casey. The National Republican Congressional Committee is circling around endangered incumbent Democrats, asking them about Biden and whether they think he is fit for office.

North Carokina Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, the hard-right Republican nominee for governor, has even hit his opponent, Democratic Attorney Josh Stein, for campaigning with Biden in Raleigh the day after the debate — even though Biden gave a robust speech in the Tar Heel state.

Meanwhile, Adam Frisch — the Democrat who got within striking distance of Representative Lauren Boebert, to the point that she jumped to a different district in Colorado — has called on Democrats to name a new nominee. He may have his career future in mind.

None of this is surprising. Obvious as it may sound, the Republican Party’s job is to elect Republicans, while the Democratic Party’s job is to elect Democrats. That means that Republicans will naturally go after the