Barack Obama’s Debate Post Raises Eyebrows: ‘Not Really Helpful’

A number of commentators have been vital of former President Barack Obama’s response to the primary 2024 presidential debate, the place his former operating mate’s efficiency raised alarm bells in Democrats forward of November.

In a post to X, previously Twitter, Friday afternoon, Obama supplied assist for President Joe Biden’s reelection run, whose demeanor Thursday evening renewed issues over the 81-year-old’s age and talent to serve one other 4 years. A Biden aide advised Newsweek that the president was affected by a chilly.

“Unhealthy debate nights occur. Belief me, I do know. However this election continues to be a alternative between somebody who has fought for abnormal of us his whole life and somebody who solely cares about himself,” learn Obama’s assertion.

“Between somebody who tells the reality; who is aware of proper from unsuitable and can give it to the American folks straight — and somebody who lies via his tooth for his personal profit,” the previous president continued. “Final evening did not change that, and it is why a lot is at stake in November.”

Thursday’s debate was the primary time that Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, confronted former President Donald Trump this election cycle. The evening started with Biden talking with a quite raspy-sounding voice and was stuffed with a number of gaffes.

Trump, in the meantime, repeated lots of the identical falsehoods that he has used all through his marketing campaign, together with relating to Democrats’ insurance policies on abortion, the economic system and immigration. The previous president is 78 years outdated and is the primary former president in U.S. historical past to be criminally convicted.

Biden’s efficiency has sparked concern from some near the Democratic Occasion, and commentators have advised that the president needs to be changed with a special candidate earlier than November. Obama’s feedback of assist have been acquired by a number of as being premature coming off such a poor debate efficiency, together with political commentator Chris Cillizza, who addressed Obama’s level about having a “unhealthy” debate evening.

“Simply to be clear: What Obama had in 2012 within the first debate in opposition to [Utah Senator Mitt] Romney was a ‘unhealthy debate evening.’ He was rusty and it confirmed,” Cillizza wrote, referring to the previous president’s debate look in October 2012 the place he stumbled via many solutions.

“That IN NO WAY in comparison with what we noticed from Biden final evening,” Cillizza added. “Biden was not rusty. He was out of it. It was a traditionally unhealthy efficiency.”

Tim Miller, a political commentator and former communications director for 2016 GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush, responded to Obama’s publish, “This could be tweet in 41 days. Not likely useful as we speak.”

Freelance author Louis Peitzman wrote, “It’s fully f***ing insane that that is the celebration’s place.”

Invoice Kristol, chief of workers to former Vice President Dan Quayle and conservative political commentator, raised questions in regards to the former president’s assertion, calling it “A curious tweet.

“1. You do not ask President Obama for this until you are seeing a meltdown amongst Democratic elites,” Kirstol wrote. “2. There’s nothing in it explicit to Biden. Obama’s standards for the anti-Trump facet of the selection he describes additionally match Harris, Whitmer, Shapiro, and others.”

Newsweek despatched a word to Obama’s workplace by way of e-mail for additional remark.

Michael Tyler, the communications director for Biden’s marketing campaign, advised reporters on Friday that there have been “no conversations…in any way” relating to plans for the president to step apart this election.

The Democratic voters nominated Joe Biden,” Tyler added. “Joe Biden is the nominee.