On Friday morning (Australian time), the world bore witness to the shitness that was 2024’s first US Presidential Debate. Now, in an unprecedented move by current US President Joe Biden, the debate’s definitive weaker speaker (two rhymes in a row, who is he?) has admitted he did a crap job. So what’s the play here?
In a social media published early on Saturday morning, the 81-year-old casually admitted his display against Donald Trump wasn’t up to scratch.
“Folks, I might not walk as easily or talk as smoothly as I used to. I might not debate as well as I used to. But what I do know is how to tell the truth,” he said to a cheering crowd of supporters.
Despite the lacklustre debate performance which has been widely ridiculed by the Republicans (America’s conservative party) and even some Democrats (Biden’s party), the audience in this particular clip seemed jazzed.
Biden, for his part, looked in far better form than he did the other night which saw the octogenarian stumbling over his words multiple times.
But why is it such a weird thing to see a politician admit they had a shocker?
Plainly, it’s because it never happens.
Politicians will call a spade a chisel if it means they don’t have to admit a fuckup.
Biden and his media and PR team have realised they couldn’t pretend the debate was a success without seeming inauthentic.
Moreover, Biden’s really pushing his supposed trustworthiness as a key differentiating factor between him and Trump in this election.
In the same way Abbie Chatfield (yes, this is happening) was able to utilise the negative attention she received during her time on The Bachelor and turn it into a die-hard audience who appreciates her authenticity, Joe Biden will be hoping to do the same and snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.
He’s deliberately embracing the fuckup. It’s so crazy it just might work!
If you don’t believe me, here’s his latest Twitter clip where he references getting knocked down. Except, it’s set to the tune of Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping to create a mini motivational film.
Inspiring stuff? We’ll see.
Header image via Allison Joyce / Stringer.
