Atlanta Republicans, Democrats applaud debates

Another attendee, real estate agent Vashton Smith, 24, said the most important issue he would like to see discussed tonight is abortion. But he was also eager to see what Biden looked like.

“I look forward to seeing Biden’s mental and physical state during the debate,” Smith said.

Democrats gathered about a mile away on Peachtree Street in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency, where longtime Democrat Michael Cheyne donned a Biden-Harris baseball cap and said the upcoming election could “change the future.”

“Tonight, Biden must show the differences between his policies and the idiosyncrasies and madness of Trump,” Cheyne said.

Cheers erupted among Democrats when Biden entered the debate stage, followed by a chorus of boos when the camera turned to Trump. But it was laughter that filled the GOP room as the roughly 125 attendees mocked Biden’s coughing and rambling responses throughout the debate.

Trump supporters cheered when the former president touted his support for overturning Roe v. Wade two years ago and burst into laughter as he directed his sentencing in New York toward Hunter Biden, saying, “Your son is a convicted felon.”

Alan Gonzalez Martinez, videographer for the Atlanta Young Republican, pointed to the debate screen and said, “If the debate is like this, I really think Biden has a steep hill to climb.” »

Credit: Nell Carroll for the Journal Constitution

Credit: Nell Carroll for the Constitution Journal

The debate organized by CNN included new rules: the candidates’ microphones were muted when it was not their turn to speak. Some participants at the Democratic Watch evening wondered whether this measure would be effective.

“I worry that it benefits Trump because he can’t show America how crazy he is,” said Atlanta native Travis Hatt. “And so it hurts Biden that he can’t be the adult in the room as much.”

When Trump said his term had created the “greatest economy we’ve ever seen,” one attendee exclaimed, “Where’s the fact-checker?”

Applause and whistles rang out as Biden said abortion should be a matter for doctors, not politicians. Democratic attendees also expressed support for Biden when he defended his son, whom Trump has repeatedly attacked for his foreign business dealings.

As online critics questioned the president’s ability to run for another four-year term, Matthew Edwards, a Clayton County teacher, said he was impressed by Biden’s stamina. Edwards arrived at the Hyatt early to watch the president’s motorcade and planned to stay for Biden’s post-debate appearance.

“I think he needs to get away from the ‘Sleepy Joe’ stereotype – the idea that he’s too old – and I think he shows his energy tonight,” Edwards said.

Biden appeared to gain momentum in the second half of the debate, and his Democratic supporters cheered him on as he denounced Trump as the “worst president in history.” But Michelle Nyberg, a Midtown resident who attended the Democratic ceremony, said both candidates looked “pretty poor.”

“I think Biden is potentially not feeling well,” she said. “They both just don’t present themselves very well.”

Overall, Trump supporters felt the debate tilted in his favor. However, at the GOP event, Dunwoody resident Luke Griffin said he needed a fact sheet to refer to while the candidates debated.

“It’s hard to discern what each candidate is actually saying,” he said. “I have to be able to distinguish fact from fiction.”