Joe Biden still has time to redeem himself

Saturday’s editorial dealt with the disappointing performance of Joe Biden in the first presidential debate, and suggests it may be a precursor to his defeat in the forthcoming election. It proceeds to discuss how he can withdraw, or be withdrawn, in favour of another candidate.

While I agree that the president is past his prime, Trump was hardly more impressive. His serial lying and evasiveness did not inspire confidence. He has been known to spout incoherent rubbish on far more than one occasion during the course of this election. If age is the problem, he is not much younger than his opponent. Both men displayed their frailties.

There is little doubt that the outcome of a debate as important as this can influence electoral results. There is, however, a distinction between the theatre of debate and the reality of action. The fragility of Joe Biden in this debate is perhaps more than outweighed by the strength of his presidency. Every major economic indicator suggests Biden is formidable. The performance of Trump in office was very weak by comparison.