http://twitchy.com/dougp/2024/05/15/nancy-pelosi-among-dems-cringing-after-biden-agreed-to-debate-trump-twice-n2396258
President Biden and Donald Trump have agreed to a pair of debates. The first will be on CNN in June and ABC News will air the second in September.
One of the Biden campaign's demands was that neither debate have an audience (apparently Biden will feel more in his element that way).
The Biden campaign's sudden interest in debating Trump (another Team Joe demand is that RFK Jr. not be allowed to participate) came after a New York Times/Siena poll showed things getting worse for the incumbent Democrat:
InteractivePolls (@IAPolls2022) ~
2024 GE: NYT/@SienaResearch
NEVADA
🟥 Trump 51% (+13)
🟦 Biden 38%
.
GEORGIA
🟥 Trump 50% (+9)
🟦 Biden 41%
.
ARIZONA
🟥 Trump 49% (+6)
🟦 Biden 43%
.
PENNSYLVANIA
🟥 Trump 48% (+3)
🟦 Biden 45%
.
WISCONSIN
🟥 Trump 47% (+1)
🟦 Biden 46%
.
MICHIGAN
🟦 Biden 47% (+1)
🟥 Trump 46%
538: #1 (3.0/3.0) | 4/28-5/9 | 4,097 LV
http://nytimes.com/interactive/2024/05/13/us/elections/times-siena-poll-likely-electorate-crosstabs.html
Not coincidentally, the Biden campaign later agreed to a couple of debates with Trump, which most certainly wouldn't have happened if they'd been leading in those polls.
Democrats are cringing at the thought of Biden on a debate stage for a couple hours, but publicly they'll claim it's because their guy shouldn't "dignify" and legitimize Trump's candidacy. Nancy Pelosi would have advised Biden not to do it:
Manu Raju (@mkraju) ~ Nancy Pelosi on Biden-Trump debates: 'I myself would never recommend going on stage with Donald Trump.'
Video ~ http://twitter.com/i/status/1790783024008724561
Pelosi's so confident Biden would wipe the floor with Trump that she wishes he'd have passed up the opportunity? Sure.
Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) ~ Biden panicked and scheduled a debate after NYT polls this week. Now, top Dems are panicking that Biden panicked and scheduled a debate.
Maggie Howell (@Mar__G_3) ~ Biden team calling dem allies, right about now ...
What are the odds that Team Biden will find a way to keep Joe from sharing a stage with Trump for two hours?
Speaking of a debate, remember when Nancy Pelosi got wrecked at the Oxford Union recently?
Yeah, Piglosi is still steaming over that ass whoopin' she took from that MUCH younger, MUCH smarter Brit at the Oxford Union.