The editorial in the Los Angeles Times, "For the sake of the nation, Biden must reassure Americans he is up to a second term," painted a bleak but somewhat optimistic image.
In the live presidential debate, Biden, who is running for reelection, stammered and fumbled.
Leading US media sites have said that Joe Biden should withdraw from the run for president in order to preserve American democracy and deny his Republican opponent a second chance, after his horrible performance in the first presidential debate versus Donald Trump.
In the televised presidential debate with his predecessor, Donald Trump, on Thursday night in Atlanta, Biden, who is running for a second term in office, stammered and fumbled, raising concerns among leading Democrats about whether the 81-year-old president can maintain his lead over the demanding months leading up to the elections on November 5.
The 78-year-old Trump, the presumed nominee of the Republican Party for president, and Biden had a heated exchange early on in the 90-minute discussion, which provided plenty material for thoughtful editorials, viewpoints, and social media memes.
The New York Times Editorial Board continued its article on Friday, pointing out that President Biden has correctly and repeatedly stated that the future of American democracy is at stake in this November's presidential election, and that Trump has demonstrated that he poses a serious threat to that democracy by "systematically attempting to undermine the integrity of elections."
"As president, Mr. Biden has been excellent. The country has benefited under his direction, starting to tackle a number of long-term issues, and the wounds that Mr. Trump caused are starting to mend. But announcing that he would not be seeking reelection is the greatest civic duty that Mr. Biden can currently do, the statement said.
It is incumbent upon President Biden to determine "no matter continuing to seek re-election is in the best interests of the country," according to the Washington Post editorial "How Biden and the Democrats should think through what to do now." The editorial went on to say, "Former president Donald Trump proved emphatically on Thursday why avoiding another Trump presidency is the important consideration."
The editorial in the Los Angeles Times, "For the sake of the entire country, Biden must reassure Americans he is up to a second term," painted a bleak but somewhat optimistic image.
"The performance of Biden would seem more impressive if all that was shown to someone was the debate transcript. He successfully questioned Trump on his involvement in the uprising on January 6, 2021, and gained a few policy points. Unfortunately, it didn't mean as much to many viewers—especially those who don't pay close attention to politics—than the fact that Biden validated Trump's portrayal of "Sleepy Joe," the statement said.
However, it also stated: "Biden should not withdraw from the race for reelection, which would present its own set of challenges for the Democratic Party, even if many Democrats were nervous after his lackluster debate performance. It does, however, imply that the president must reassure citizens who may now be questioning whether he is qualified to serve another term."
In an editorial published in the Chicago Tribune, Joe Biden and Donald Trump were united to create a melancholy joke as America slumped into the sofa. The most callous was "Enough," which said, "By all means, defend the honor and service of the man." But for four more years to act as if he (Biden) is the party's best option? It's really rich for a party that likes to call Republicans cowards."
"In case it wasn't evident, Biden ought to declare that he will serve just one term as president and that he has come to terms with his own limitations given the unique responsibilities of the office. He is the only one who is capable of doing so honorably. His family can definitely assist. However, once again, he is the only one," it said.
In its first paragraph, the Wall Street Journal described the Trump-Biden debate as "painful-for the United States."
"It became abundantly evident from President Biden's sluggish, clumsy debate performance on Thursday night that he is unable to hold office for another four years. Its harsh words were followed by a disclaimer: "For the good of the nation, more even than their party, Democrats have some hard thinking to do concerning whether they need to replace him at the top of their ticket." "This isn't a party member thought; it's a patriotic one."
Nobody also spared Trump.
Not only did The New York Times editorial expose Trump's frequent and blatant lies on several issues, but it also mentioned how he "refused to promise that he would accept defeat, returning instead to the specific type of rhetoric that incited the January 6 attack on Congress."
It did, however, offer some counsel to the Democrats: "There is no justification for the party to jeopardize the safety and security of the nation by making voters choose between Mr. Trump's and Mr. Biden's shortcomings. To just hope that people in America would ignore or minimize Mr. Biden's age and physical impairment is too risky."
"Mr. Biden bowing out would not guarantee a Democratic victory in November," the editorial board of The Washington Post said. "History does not offer exact models," the speaker said, citing instances from 1952 and 1968, when the Republican opponents won after the incumbent presidents decided not to run for reelection.
The editorials included everything except alerts to a threat that was ostensibly real and current.
"Biden needs to do more - rather than just on the stage of debate - to defend his record in the convincing way he did at this year's State of the Union address," the Los Angeles Times said of the remainder of the campaign. Too much is at risk for the country."
The NYT's warning was far more explicit.
"The NYT Editorial Board warned about Trump as well as added: "If the race comes down to a decision-making between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would emerge as this board's unequivocal pick." "If he (Trump) becomes elected to office, he has vowed to be a different kind of president, uncontrolled by the checks on power built into the American political system," the editorial board said. That is the extent of Mr. Trump's threat.
