The truth is that when it comes to the issue of debates, perception is often just as crucial as reality and substance. Thus, there is no way to codify the fact that Joe Biden’s debate performance on June 27th was nothing short of dismal. The ferocity we witnessed at his State of the Union earlier this year was absent, although his performance did incrementally improve as the evening progressed. The debate was an opportunity for Biden to ask the American people about what direction they wanted the nation to go: an optimistic future or a dystopian one. Unfortunately, on both counts, the president failed to deliver.

That said, former President Trump had a poor night as well. Admittedly, in contrast to Biden, he began the evening strong, but as the debate continued, he appeared and sounded more incoherent. Every answer he gave contained a considerable degree of lying. Even more disturbingly, he steadfastly refused to state that he would abide by the results of the 2024 election. True to his traditional character, he was abrupt, combative, and ruthlessly negative. As Trump sees it, the nation is a few steps away from implosion.

Trump’s positions on anything and everything shift and slide at will, and he lies about his own past with pathological confidence - during the debate, he denied that he had sex with Stormy Daniels while alternatively praising the white supremacists who emerged on Charlottesville in June 2017. To add insult to injury, he lied - with no pushback from the moderators, except by Biden - about his role in the January 6 coup attempt. He did not answer the questions, but rather, talked about what he wanted to - asked about the opiate crisis, he resorted to stories about sex crimes, out-of-control borders, immigrants taking “Black and Hispanic jobs,” and other dishonest nonsense perversely tapping into the fears and resentments of his followers.

Not surprisingly, a number of democratic operatives went into panic mode upon the conclusion. Politicians, pundits, consultants, and a few voters across the political spectrum were calling on Biden to step down. The New York Times posted an editorial that the president must go. Certain pundits and columnists immediately took to blogs and wrote articles suggesting a list of possible alternatives to replace Biden. Interestingly, many of them did not mention Vice President Kamala Harris. This reality alone was disturbing and understandably resulted in consternation among many people of color and women.

In an effort to reassure some demoralized supporters, the president delivered an energetic speech in Charlotte, North Carolina the following day, where he candidly confessed “I don’t walk as easily as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to.” He went on, “But I know what I do know. I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job,” to rousing applause. More noteworthy, prominent Democratic operatives such as Barack Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, and the Democratic National Committee have made it clear that they stand behind the president. It is interesting to note that many of the mainstream press, save for the Philadelphia Inquirer and a small number of pundits, did not suggest that President Trump resign despite the fact that he is a convicted felon, sexual harasser, insurrectionist etc… Double standards seems to abound when it comes to critiquing both men.

The importance of presidential debates themselves is, in fact, up for debate. It has long been the fact that many credit John F. Kennedy’s narrow victory in November 1960 with the fact that he looked more appealing and telegenic than Richard Nixon. Some believed/believe that Gerald Ford may have forfeited the 1976 election when he mishandled a question about Soviet military strength in Eastern Europe. An ill-advised decision to keep looking at his watch became a memorable footnote in President George H.W. Bush’s defeat that year against Bill Clinton in 1992. Second, a first debate does not always guarantee a final outcome. Ronald Reagan in 1984, Barack Obama in 2012, and Grover Cleveland during his first presidency in 1884 (he was elected twice) were seen as the underdogs after their initial debate performances yet went on to win their elections decisively.

The truth is that it is troubling that the Republican Party has refused to deeply consider the type of person it has decided to support as its party nominee. Mr. Trump’s own behavior, past and present, should be grounds for disqualification. He lied brazenly and repeatedly about his own actions, his record as president, and President Biden. The Republican Party has been sabotaged by Mr. Trump’s ambitions. Thus, it is up to the nation’s voters to decide whether they will place the interests of the nation above the ambitions of an unhinged, immoral, and amoral man.

Fears, suggestions, decisions aside, the fact is that Joseph Biden is the first man first Vice President to serve under a President of color. He is the sole President that has served with a Black Vice President, and the only President to serve with a female Vice President. In a nation that historically has been deeply politically ingrained in racial conflict, particularly as it relates to Black/White American history, such a fact itself is glaringly noteworthy. Regardless of whether he remains the democratic nominee, this is a fact that will be permanently etched as a part of his administration’s history and presidential legacy.