ATLANTA — President Biden’s debate performance on Thursday has some Democrats worried about whether he should remain their nominee against Donald Trump. Biden had moments where he grasped for words and was sometimes barely audible due to, what his campaign said, was a cold he was battling.
Former Atlanta mayor Andrew Young was among the supporters who met Biden at Dobbins Air Reserve Base when he arrived for Thursday's debate. Young said he and Biden both entered Congress together 51 years ago. Young left to become an ambassador to the United Nations.
"He seemed to be in good spirits and in good shape when we met him at the tarmac, and we spoke a minute, you know?" Young recounted Friday morning.
Young said he watched highlights of the debate. The Democrat said Biden was the winner on substance. But following a performance that alarmed some of the president’s backers, Young explained Biden needs to decide if he has what it takes to win another presidential campaign.
"I’m not writing anyone off," Young said Friday. "He and his wife need to make a – you know, that’s a family decision. And a prayerful decision at that," Young said.
Young said Biden can beat Trump on the substance of the issues facing the country.
A former Georgia congresswoman is among the Democrats saying the party might need to make a decision for Biden.
"I think the Democrats need to have another nominee for president. This was a really bad performance," said ex-US Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux.
Bourdeaux was among the Democrats watching in disbelief of Joe Biden’s halting, hushed performance on the debate stage Thursday night against Donald Trump.
"I think this was a real turning point. While I personally will vote for Biden over Donald Trump -- Biden could be on life support and I would vote for him -- but I think the real challenge is for those of us who are trying to sell him as a candidate, is that it’s very hard to say that he’s going to be an effective leader after that kind of performance," Bourdeaux told 11Alive.
Bourdeaux said Biden has had a praiseworthy presidency. The Democrat from Gwinnett County was among the members of Congress at the capitol when Trump supporters attacked the building in January 2021 in an effort to overturn Biden’s election. Now, she says Democrats owe it to the country to switch to another candidate who can prevent Trump’s re-election.
"Right now, Democrats are facing a choice – losing to Donald Trump or having a brokered convention where they put forward another candidate. A brokered convention is not my top pick for how things would go. It’s not optimal. But it is better than losing to Donald Trump," Bourdeaux said.