After a confusing debate between Biden and Trump.. great disappointment among Democrats: ‘I would love to replace him’

Julianna Deeley shakes her blond hair and covers her eyes with her hands. “Oh no, oh no,” she says. The debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump is barely ten minutes old, and on screen Biden is engaged in his own argument about the economy and health care. He stutters, pauses, then looks ahead in fear and defeat for several minutes. Deeley is afraid, too. She doesn’t dare look up for a moment. “It’s so frustrating,” she says later. “Biden says all the right things about the issues that voters care about, but he looks so weak.”

In the basement of the Democratic headquarters in Lancaster, Dailey and about 40 others have gathered to watch the first presidential debate of this election. There are sodas, waters, and candy. M&Ms are red, blue, and white. And there is optimism. Lancaster is a deep red constituency that is slowly turning purple. Local candidates and volunteers don’t think Trump can be beaten here, but they sense a chance to catch up to Republicans. It’s up to them to generate enthusiasm for Biden in the crucial state of Pennsylvania. A lot is riding on this debate.

Beforehand, Dailey, 40, spoke with Jan Schaeffer, 65. She’s wearing a gray T-shirt printed like a detergent logo, but with the word “VOTE” on it. “Removes stubborn orange stains” is written at the bottom – a reference to the former president’s face. They discuss how the United States is once again stuck — because that’s what it feels like — with the same candidates as it was four years ago. No one here gave a dime about the political future of Trump, 78, a few years ago after his supporters stormed the Capitol. Biden (81 years old) promised to be a temporary door that would quickly make room for a new generation of politicians.

Juliana: “He’s a white man with an ego and he thinks…”

Jane: “Yes, how are we going to get rid of this terrible man? Biden is trying to protect us.”

Julianna: “I was talking about Biden.” Silence. Sigh. “I really wish we had a fresh, exciting candidate. He’s too old.”

Jan: “He really looks like he’s having a hard time. Could he have Parkinson’s disease?”

Before the basement was packed, local party chairman Tom O’Brien, 70, listed all the reasons Biden would be a great president. But he also admitted that he sometimes fantasizes “that I’m going to be at the Democratic convention soon and Biden decides not to after all.” That Democrats could still put another candidate on the podium. “If the Republicans had a nominee other than Trump, it would be a close race in their favor,” he says. “But that’s also the opposite.”

These are Joe Biden supporters. The discussion has not started yet.

hoarse voice

Things go wrong immediately. In the afternoon, they tested whether the laptop was connected to the screen properly, but when Biden and Trump took the stage at CNN’s Atlanta studio, there was no sound in Lancaster. The debate continues for some time before the issue is resolved and Biden’s hoarse voice can be heard here as well. And then it freezes. Frustration falls like a blanket over the warm basement filled with old campaign materials. It is as if the Democrats see their electoral chances melting away.

When Biden somehow regains his bearings during the debate, the atmosphere in Lancaster lights up. There’s applause when Biden defends abortion rights, promises to raise taxes on the rich, and confronts Trump about his recent conviction for trying to influence the 2016 election, but there’s only laughter about Trump. No matter how awful they find him, he’s entertaining.

Terrance Henderson, a local doctor and school administrator, said he was “a little nervous” in advance about whether Biden would remain in office. In retrospect, he called it “not a complete disaster.” Henderson believes Biden was able to make some good points. Does this convince independent voters? If they really delved into the content, yes. When they know that everything that comes out of Trump’s mouth is a lie and that Biden is trustworthy and humane. But Trump seems sharper. “Some might consider that more important than preventing us from having a convicted felon in the White House.”

Henderson is one of the few Black viewers tonight. There are some Latinos. This is fairly representative: Lancaster is mostly white. There are many gray hairs in the group, but also twenty-somethings with tattoos and a single nose ring. Women slightly more than men. Many of them are not originally from here, but moved to Lancaster from New York, Washington and Baltimore, where Henderson grew up. They make this constituency more democratic.

Dejected – Depressed

On the table in front of Jean Schäfer is a piece of paper on which she gave the candidates points: 16 for Biden and 0 for Trump. I measured not the extent to which I agreed with them, but whether they answered the question posed. Trump never did that.” But her husband, Tim, came to a different conclusion from the debate as the two candidates couldn’t talk to each other. “I’ve never seen Trump so civilized.” Jin angrily: Yes, but nothing he says is true.

Giuliana Daily feels depressed after that. She is originally from Lancaster, but wanted to get away from “this village” and became a flight attendant to see the world. She returned for love, had two children and began studying psychology. “It’s all very little right now. I don’t want to abandon the party, but it’s very difficult to muster enthusiasm for this election. To campaign door-to-door.”

“I would like to replace Biden. Is that still possible?”

However, she leaves with some campaign signs for Biden. “The risk of losing this election is far greater than my fatigue.”

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