Questions about Mr. Biden’s age are nothing new, but his unsteady performance on the debate stage — mute, hoarse and often unintelligible — sparked panic among some Democrats and raised new questions about his eligibility to run.
Democratic Party officials, political operatives and the president's associates who spoke to the BBC's Katty Kay painted a picture of a party anxious about its candidate's strength.
Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said it was “not a good performance.” Other Democrats, like Biden’s former communications director Kate Bedingfield, called it “a really disappointing debate performance.”
Democratic donors interviewed anonymously by various media outlets were more blunt, with one donor calling the performance “disqualifying.” “The only way it could have been more disastrous was if he had fallen off stage. Big donors… are saying he has to go.” One Democratic activist told the Financial Times:
And on Friday, the New York Times editorial board called on Mr. Biden to resign., Out. Democrats said they should “acknowledge that Mr. Biden cannot continue to compete, and he should create a process to select a more capable person to take his place.”
Despite the concerns of some media pundits, early indications are that there has been “no change” in opinion polls since the debate, Washington Post columnist Philip Bump told BBC R4's Today programme.
But Mr. Bump pointed out that no “high-quality” polls have been conducted since the debate aired.
Pollster Frank Luntz said later in the program that most Americans have already decided who they will vote for later this year.
