News Report: Biden Preps for First Debate as Incumbent Facing Trump
On October 4, 2012, Barack Obama’s lackluster debate performance left aides paralyzed and Joe Biden on cleanup duty, with Biden graciously describing Obama as “presidential” after his calamitous turn at the podium. Now, twelve years later, Biden is undergoing practice sessions at Camp David in preparation for his own first debate as an incumbent against former President Donald Trump in Atlanta on Thursday.
Aides are hoping to avoid the curse that has plagued incumbents throughout history, with presidents often struggling during their first debate as they defend their records in the face of direct confrontation and hostility. Notably, Trump himself fell victim to the curse in 2020 when he hector and interrupted Biden during their debate.
This year, neither candidate has recent real-world practice, as Trump skipped the Republican primary debates and both men must now navigate the debate stage without the benefit of recent preparation. With both candidates facing off on equal footing, the question remains whether they can keep the focus centered on issues rather than themselves.
In past elections, incumbents like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush struggled during their first debates, with Reagan confessing to aides that he flopped following a rambling final answer and Bush being caught glancing at his watch while onstage with Bill Clinton. However, Clinton managed to avoid the first-debate curse and secured a successful reelection.
For Obama, his disastrous showing in 2012 was attributed to a variety of factors, including being out of practice and discomfort with the lack of deference he usually received as president. This discomfort threw him off his game during the debate, ultimately leading to a poor performance against Romney.
As Biden prepares to face Trump in Atlanta, with the help of former aide Ron Klain, who also helped Obama in his debate preparations, all eyes are on the incumbent to see if he can break the curse and deliver a strong performance on Thursday night.
