Georgia Democrats express concern, defend Biden over Atlanta debate performance – WABE

Atlanta has repeatedly been the scene of some of the most defining moments in American politics this decade: a surprise victory by President Joe Biden in Georgia in 2020, an attempt by then-President Donald Trump to overturn that result and his indictment here on multiple criminal charges.

Thursday night’s presidential debate, the first of the 2024 election, could be another.

While Biden’s Georgia surrogates have urged voters to focus on substance over style, privately, some Georgia Democrats worry that Biden’s decision will only affirm what some voters already feel: that the president is too old to serve a second term.

In group chats and at watch parties, some Georgia Democrats are wondering whether Biden should be replaced on the ticket. Others believe voters are capable of putting aside the president’s flaws if it means keeping Trump out of the White House. “Is it harder after tonight? Yes. Does it change the mission? No,” said one Democratic state lawmaker.

But in the breakout room after the debate, Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia, a Biden campaign spokesman, fielded questions about the president’s performance.

“I would be concerned if the president didn’t have a record to go on, but the fact is this is a man who passed historic legislation,” Warnock told reporters. “The contrast couldn’t be clearer. What concerns me is that a man can stand on stage and lie down for 90 minutes flat.”

Trump has repeatedly made false claims. He has refused to say he will accept the outcome of the 2024 election, whatever it may be. And he has denied any responsibility for the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Asked what he would say to voters who believe he broke his oath on January 6 and fear he will do it again: “I don’t think many believe that,” he said. “And let me tell you about January 6. On January 6, we had a big border, nobody crossed, very few. On January 6, we were energy independent. On January 6, we had the lowest taxes in history.”

Claiming that Trump has “the morals of an alley cat,” Biden pointed to his predecessor’s felony convictions and litany of criminal cases, including in Georgia. But many Democrats nonetheless came away frustrated by Biden’s inability to more forcefully challenge his opponent’s claims.

While Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp stopped by to chat with reporters hours before the debate, no Georgia Republicans were present as official Trump campaign surrogates. Several GOP vice presidential candidates made their way into the press room after a debate watch party hosted by former Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler.

“If you watch this debate, you’re voting for Donald Trump,” Sen. Tim Scott, a Republican from South Carolina, told reporters. “This is one of the greatest contrasts between two politicians that I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. Donald Trump’s dominance was undeniable.”

Biden and Trump have also clashed over abortion rights, including Georgia’s roughly six-week abortion ban. Trump has claimed credit for overturning Roe v. Wade but has dismissed the outcry over the decision.

“What happened is we brought it back to the states, and the country is now coming together on this issue. That’s a good thing,” Trump said.

“What you did was a terrible thing,” Biden responded. “We’re in a state where, six weeks in, you don’t even know if you’re pregnant or not, but you can’t go to the doctor and have him decide what your situation is, whether you need help.”

The debate capped a series of political events in Atlanta as campaigns and their supporters worked to set the agenda for the coming months. Biden’s campaign rallied around abortion rights and democracy. Trump’s team focused on election integrity and held events to court black men.

A key question now is: Did the debates clarify the choice of undecided Georgian voters or simply lessen their motivation to vote for one of the two candidates they already disliked?

The candidates then fan out across the South, with Biden heading to North Carolina and Trump to Virginia. But if history is any guide, both men will soon be back in Georgia.