Biden’s ‘difficult night’ during debate surprises voters who had high expectations

Before Thursday, voters were nearly evenly divided on how President Biden would perform in the first presidential debate, with 46 percent of registered voters saying Biden would do well, and 49 percent predicting he would not, in a recent Times/Siena poll. More registered voters — 60 percent — said they thought former President Donald J. Trump would do well, and 34 percent said he would not.

Steven Bergstein, 70, a Democrat living in Bala Cynwyd, Pa. lives, was among a group of voters who expected Biden to do very well. In an interview earlier this week, he said he hoped the debate would be an opportunity for Biden to create a contrast between himself and his opponent. “He’s a smart guy,” Bergstein said of Biden on Wednesday. “He’s intelligent. He’s been through this many times.”

He saw things differently on Friday morning, after Biden’s shaky, tentative performance on Thursday.

“Unfortunately, I think President Biden had a rough night,” Mr. Bergstein Friday morning. “His communication has failed.” The President did not perform like Mr. Bergstein had expected, a flawed performance that Mr. Bergstein attributed to Mr. Biden who had a cold and the president’s well-known struggle to overcome a stutter. He wished that Mr. Biden was younger, he said, if only to allay other voters’ concerns about the president’s age.

But there was no doubt that Mr. Bergstein would still vote for Mr. Biden. “I don’t think it’s really a reflection of his brain or his ability,” he said. “I think it’s a communication problem.”

Melinda Cassetta, 58, a Democrat who lives in Clarksville, Maryland, also said she was disappointed by Mr. Biden’s performance. But she worried that a flood of criticism of Mr. Biden after the debate could obscure Mr. Trump’s more alarming behavior.

“They’re going to criticize Biden and his performance, and that’s going to overshadow all the lies that Trump has told,” she said. “How many times has Tapper asked him the same question? And he still hasn’t answered,” Ms. Cassetta added, referring to CNN host Jake Tapper’s questions of Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump’s debate performances have been riddled with lies and misrepresentations. (Read The Times’ fact-check of the event here.)

Ms. Cassetta said she thought it was too late for Democrats to nominate an alternative to Mr. Biden. She also worries that it would be too difficult to find a candidate capable of maintaining the support Mr. Biden has amassed. “Who else could they put in place now to help him?” she said. “Think about it. I have no idea.”

Ms Cassetta said she felt her mood drop as she watched the debate with her family. “You know how you start something really excited? But then you’re like, ‘Oh God, please let the words out.'” she said. “I just wanted something better.”