Biden's Debate Performance: Explanations and Concerns from Democrats and the Media

Washington D.C., District of Columbia United States of America
Axios reporter argued that excuses for Biden's debate performance, such as jet lag and a cold, don't hold up due to inconsistencies and timing.
President Joe Biden's debate performance raised concerns among Democrats and the media.
Some key members of Biden's party are questioning whether he should continue in the race due to concerns about his performance.
Some sources suggest right-wing commentators have been critical of news outlets for not covering Biden's frailty extensively before the debate.
White House press corps members have admitted they were taken aback by Biden's performance.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre maintained that Biden had a cold during the debate but later admitted he had no cold medication when he made the claim.
Biden's Debate Performance: Explanations and Concerns from Democrats and the Media

President Joe Biden's debate performance raised concerns among Democrats and the media, leading to various explanations for his struggles. Some sources suggest that right-wing commentators have been critical of news outlets for not covering Biden's frailty extensively before the debate. In response, some key members of Biden's party are questioning whether he should continue in the race due to concerns about his performance.

One Axios reporter argued that excuses for Biden's debate performance, such as jet lag and a cold, don't hold up due to inconsistencies and timing. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre maintained that Biden had a cold during the debate but later admitted he had no cold medication when he made the claim.

White House press corps members have admitted they were


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • The inconsistency regarding Biden's cold during the debate.
  • The timing of excuses for Biden's debate performance.

Sources

90%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Axios reporter shoots down excuses for Biden's debate performance: 'I'm not sure if there's a good one'

Fox News Media Alexander Hall Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:38
  • Unique Points
    • President Biden's debate performance caused concern among Democrats about his chances in November against former President Trump.
    • Axios national political reporter Alex Thompson argued that the excuses for Biden’s debate performance didn’t hold up due to inconsistencies and timing.
  • Accuracy
    • White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attributed Biden's poor debate performance to him having a cold and jet lag.
    • Biden did not mention having a cold during the debate until an hour into it.
    • Jean-Pierre also stated that Biden had no cold medication when he claimed to have a cold.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

66%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

WH reporters admit being 'turned off' from exposing Biden's mental decline because of 'right-wing media' hype

Fox News Media Joseph Wulfsohn Thursday, 04 July 2024 04:39
  • Unique Points
    • White House press corps members admit they were 'turned off' from exposing President Biden’s mental decline before the debate due to right-wing media coverage and accusations of participating in a cover-up on his behalf
    • Critics accused CNN of participating in a cover-up for not investigating Biden’s mental decline earlier
  • Accuracy
    • White House press corps members admit they were 'turned off' from exposing President Biden’s mental decline before the debate due to media hype
    • Biden donors reportedly 'freaked out' by his reliance on teleprompters at private fundraisers
  • Deception (30%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports on the regret of some White House reporters for not investigating Biden's mental decline earlier due to 'right-wing media hype'. It does not provide any context or evidence that these reporters had access to credible information about Biden's mental decline before the debate. The article also contains emotional manipulation by using phrases like 'political bombshell', 'chaos among Democrats', and 'flurry of calls for him to exit the presidential race'. Additionally, it uses sensationalism by implying that there was a cover-up by the legacy media on behalf of Biden.
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    • Since Biden’s shocking debate performance, the legacy media has faced intense backlash from critics accusing them of participating in a cover-up on behalf of the president.
    • By merely existing and calling a spade a spade, Conservative media ‘turned off’ legacy reporters from seriously investigating Biden’s mental acuity.
    • The right-wing media was calling him senile from day one, and that wasn’t true.
    • However, some are admitting they didn’t want to feed into the ‘right-wing talking point’ about 81-year-old Biden.
  • Fallacies (75%)
    The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy in which the author cites CNN's reporting as a source of information. Additionally, there is an example of a dichotomous depiction where the author presents the legacy media's perspective as being influenced solely by 'right-wing media' and not due to their own journalistic choices.
    • By merely existing and calling a spade a spade, Conservative media ‘turned off’ legacy reporters from seriously investigating Biden's mental acuity.
    • The entire media had no interest in investigating Biden’s obvious senility because their political opposition was accurately describing him as senile They’re just straight up admitting that they have no interest in stories that hurt their political party.
  • Bias (80%)
    The author uses the term 'right-wing media' multiple times to describe sources that have reported on President Biden's mental decline. This language implies a negative bias towards these sources and may discourage readers from taking their reports seriously.
    • > some are admitting they didn’t want to feed into the ‘right-wing talking point’ about 81-year-old Biden.<br> > The right-wing media was calling him senile from day one, and that wasn’t true.<br> > By merely existing and calling a spade a spade, Conservative media ‘turned off’ legacy reporters from seriously investigating Biden’s mental acuity.
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication

    54%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

    A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

    White House efforts to shield Biden’s missteps are unraveling

    theguardian.com Article URL: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/feb/13/ pakistan-·coalition-·agrees-to-form-government Robert Tait Wednesday, 03 July 2024 21:27
    • Unique Points
      • Joe Biden's White House staff previously limited his appearances and interviews to avoid verbal missteps and signs of aging.
      • ,
    • Accuracy
      • Biden did not mention having a cold during the debate until an hour into it.
      • Some members of the White House press corps were turned off from investigating Biden’s mental decline due to right-wing media coverage.
    • Deception (30%)
      The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of Biden's alleged mental decline and verbal missteps. The author also uses emotional manipulation by describing the president's performance in the debate as a 'horror show', implying that it was much worse than it actually was. Additionally, there are instances of sensationalism with phrases like 'spectacularly unravelled' and 'desperate damage limitation exercise'. The article does not disclose sources.
      • Carl Bernstein – one of Washington’s most celebrated journalists for his work on the Watergate scandal 50 years ago – told CNN this week how multiple well-placed sources had disclosed to him that Biden’s debate appearance was not atypical but increasingly representative.
      • For three and a half years, Joe Biden was wrapped in a metaphorical ball of cotton wool by an anxious White House staff eager to protect him from the worst of himself.
      • Now the approach has unravelled spectacularly, seemingly exposed as a desperate damage limitation exercise by last week’s floundering performance in a televised debate with Donald Trump that has left Biden’s presidential candidacy in dire jeopardy.
      • That narrative has been starkly contradicted by a wave of fresh reports depicting an elderly president whose verbal and behavioural lapses have become more frequent in recent months.
    • Fallacies (80%)
      The author makes an appeal to authority by quoting multiple sources who have observed Biden's verbal and behavioral lapses. However, the author also uses inflammatory rhetoric in describing Biden's debate performance as a 'horror show' and his candidacy as being in 'dire jeopardy'. This detracts from the credibility of the analysis.
      • ]These are people, several of them who are very close to President Biden, who love him. They are adamant that what we saw the other night ... is not a one off, that there have been 15 to 20 occasions in the last year-and-a-half, when the president has appeared somewhat as he did in that horror show that we witnessed.[
      • At two separate fundraisers in February, he described...talking to the Francois Mitterand, the ex-French president, at the same gathering. Both leaders left office and died years before the summit.
      • One of the few recent occasions when Biden spontaneously interacted with journalists came after the special counsel, Robert Hur, called him a ‘well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory’ in his report into Biden’s improper withholding of classified documents. The president tried to defend himself at a White House news conference but instead reinforced the depiction by referring to Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, the Egyptian president, ‘the president of Mexico’.[
    • Bias (10%)
      The author uses language that depicts the White House's efforts to protect Biden as a 'desperate damage limitation exercise', and quotes an unnamed Democratic senator who accuses the White House of 'lying' to them. These statements demonstrate political bias against the White House and President Biden.
      • For three and a half years, Joe Biden was wrapped in a metaphorical ball of cotton wool by an anxious White House staff eager to protect him from the worst of himself.
        • They've been shielding him from those types of settings for months and even after it became undeniable, they're still lying to us.
          • We kind of just feel lied to.
          • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication

          98%

          The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
          (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

          A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

          Did the media botch the Biden age story?

          Vox Media LTD Brian Stelter Wednesday, 03 July 2024 20:10
          • Unique Points
            • Senator Ted Cruz accused the media of being clueless or complicit regarding Joe Biden’s mental acuity and age.
            • Some right-wing commentators are criticizing news outlets for not covering Biden’s frailty extensively before the debate.
            • Key members of Biden’s party are now questioning whether he should continue in the race due to concerns about his performance in the debate.
          • Accuracy
            No Contradictions at Time Of Publication
          • Deception (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Fallacies (100%)
            None Found At Time Of Publication
          • Bias (95%)
            The author expresses a clear bias towards those who are criticizing the media for not covering Joe Biden's age and mental acuity more aggressively. The author dismisses the idea that the media was complicit in hiding this information as a 'dead-end' story and implies that those raising concerns are damning the media. The author also quotes Charlotte Alter, a senior correspondent for Time magazine, who shares similar sentiments towards those questioning Biden's age and fitness for office.
            • But I’m sorry, Ted Cruz, there are more than two options.
              • The hard thing about ‘Biden is old’ as a story is that it had a dead-end quality to it.
                • You can’t turn back time. You can’t make him younger.
                • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication
                • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                  None Found At Time Of Publication