Analysis: Three things to watch as Biden's candidacy hangs in balance

Biden’s top campaign aides gave no indication on Tuesday that Doggett’s call had changed those plans. Their vows to go on have not stopped some influential Democratic lawmakers from describing party bigwigs and Biden’s inner circle as still deciding whether, at his age and after much personal trauma, the president has lost too many mental and physical steps to both defeat Trump again and serve another four-year term.

“There was a big problem with Joe Biden’s debate performance. … There are very honest and serious and rigorous conversations taking place at every level of our party,” Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., told MSNBC.

“We’re having a serious conversation about what to do. One thing I can tell you is that regardless of what President Biden decides, our party is going to be unified,” he added.

And Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, mentioned as a possible top-of-the-ticket replacement, did little Monday to dispel the notion he would be interested should Biden step aside.

“Only he can make decisions about his future candidacy. So as long as he continues to be in the race, I support him,” Beshear told a group of local reporters, according to clips posted on social media site X.

‘Go on offense’

Democratic power brokers and lawmakers surely watched Biden’s Monday prime-time speech closely, as well as his Tuesday remarks on severe weather. Some Democratic strategists have said publicly since the debate that the White House and campaign should quickly get the president into an unscripted environment.

Jim Manley, a Democratic strategist and former senior Senate aide, said the Biden campaign needs to realize that “real damage was done that will be difficult to overcome — but it’s possible to get back the momentum that was lost.”

To do so, Manley said in an email, “they are going to have to roll the dice and go on offense. (Biden) is simply going to have to sit down with the media and take questions. The (speech) Monday night was a start, but they are going to have to do more to show Democrats — and wavering independents and (GOP) never-Trumpers — that he still has what it takes to be president.”

Jean-Pierre vowed a publicly active president who “gets it” about his debate night. “We want to turn the page,” she said Tuesday.

_____