In the wake of a verbal altercation with Winston Marshall, the banjo player for Mumford & Sons, at Oxford in April, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed her disapproval of President Joe Biden's decision to engage in a debate with former President Donald Trump ahead of the November elections.
In a recent interview with CNN's Manu Raju, Pelosi articulated her reservations about Biden's choice to share the stage with Trump. "I myself would never recommend going on stage with Donald Trump, but the president has decided that's what he wants to do," Pelosi stated. She then proposed an alternative approach for CNN to feature the two candidates, suggesting separate town hall meetings instead of a direct confrontation.
"I think you all [CNN] should have separate townhall meetings with them. Let them, challenge them with questions about the future, and let the public make its decision," Pelosi suggested.
Pelosi's skepticism about Democrats participating in debates is not unfounded. Last month, she engaged in a debate with Marshall at Oxford University, where she argued that "populism is a threat to democracy," a stance that Marshall opposed. Despite her side winning the vote 177-68, it was Marshall's remarks that left a lasting impression, while Pelosi seemed to resort to standard left-wing rhetoric.
Marshall told the audience, "Mainstream media elites are part of a class who dont just disdain populism, they disdain the people," to which Pelosi responded that populism is "the misrepresentation of people who exploit the populist attitude of I want to have my say and then use it to get elected and then hurt those people the most."
These exchanges underscore Pelosi's struggle with political theory discussions and the Democrats' shaky stance on democracy, particularly given their suppression of it.
Given her recent experience, it is understandable why Pelosi would be less than thrilled about Biden's decision to debate. However, there are two additional reasons for her apprehension.
Firstly, there are growing concerns about the president's cognitive health. His performance in the 2020 debates with Trump was less than stellar, and four years later, his condition appears to have deteriorated. Numerous instances show a man who repeats easily debunked falsehoods, slurs his words, and appears disoriented, fatigued, and unfit for the nation's highest office.
While Trump may not be the most eloquent speaker, his vigor for the executive office seems to have increased since his first re-election bid. With plenty of ammunition to attack Biden's performance over the last four years, Trump is likely to outpace the president.
Secondly, Biden's presidential record has been widely criticized. With an ongoing border crisis, rampant inflation, and reckless spending burdening American voters, the list of Biden's issues and the problems the Democratic party must address before November seems endless.
If the Democrats hope to maintain their position in November, Biden must avoid debating. The American public is already well aware of his numerous shortcomings in office, and any attempt by Biden to defend his record will likely exacerbate the situation.
Pelosi is acutely aware of this and is understandably concerned about Biden's decision to debate.
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