June 28, 2024 • 23 mins
Amy and T.J. have a debate watch party that immediately becomes hard to watch. Hear their take on Biden versus Trump and the political spin that's only complicating the real issue with this years' presidential candidates.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Hey there, folks, what do we do with Joe Biden?
And that's where we start in this episode of Amy
and TJ. Robes. I'm almost a little I'm rethinking and
a little embarrassed about how we went into watching the
presidential debate between Trump and Biden tonight. We're of course
(00:23):
recording this episode right after watching, but we went into
it almost thinking there was going to be a lot
of entertainment value, and I'm almost now, after what we saw,
I'm almost a little embarrassed that we went into.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It that way.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, well, we went into it looking at it as
political sport. I don't think that's unfair. I think that's
how we've looked at lots of debates. So we brought
our daughters into it. We kind of had a watch party,
so to speak, just bringing our kids into the political forum.
But what ended up happening was something that you and
(00:58):
I have never seen, and I think most people who
watch tonight's debate have never seen and those of us
who have covered debates. I mean, I felt like my
jaw was dropped. I actually you saw me multiple times.
I actually covered my face and went into almost fetal
(01:20):
position because you couldn't believe what you were hearing and watching.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, I think every message I got from anybody during
the debate included the word cringe in it somewhere. But
to your point, and I think you said, we've made
this kind of a communal event. It was a watch party.
We were going to watch party, like, everybody, come over,
this is gonna be crazy, right, Trump versus Biden. Finally
we're going to see these two on the stage together.
(01:45):
And USA was playing Panama in the Copa America Cup
ahead of time at six o'clock. So we actually had
a really fun evening of television watching plant and the
tone really changed in it had to be. On the
very first answer that President Biden gave, you became concerned
(02:06):
and it kind of went in line with a lot
of the concerns people have had about him for a while.
And now we all got to watch him live. This
isn't about politics and policy and where you fall on
whatever side of the aisle and trying to spend Sometimes
we all have to agree on just what we all witness.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So I was going to say something very similar. I
watched my twenty one year old daughter put her hands
over her eyes and it wasn't about your political beliefs.
It wasn't about what side of the aisle you're on.
It was about watching someone struggle as a human being
and actually feeling compassion and I don't want to use
(02:51):
the word pity, but there was there were a few
moments where you actually felt that what if that was
my dad, but if that was my grandfather? And you
kind of looked at Joe Biden in that way, or
at least I did, versus do I agree with him?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Do I support what he's saying?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It became less about who ideologically you supported, and it
became more about, oh my god, what am I witnessing?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And and help.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
We almost wanted to give him a lifeline. We've all
been in that play and it's tough to talk about.
I have no idea that I hadn't seen Joe Biden
in years, right, So I don't know. I can't speak
to him personally what he's like behind the scenes. But
we've all been somewhere with somebody who is frankly elderly
and your family and you're like, hey, come on, we're
(03:44):
going this way. Hey, hey, come on over here. No, no, no,
remember they said that thing to you oh, right over here, Grandma,
that you where you have to guide them a little bit. There,
they're there, They're still all there, but you got to
just kind of guide them or show them the way
just a little. He feels like, you're all right, come on, Joe,
(04:05):
come on, like you're almost rooting trying to direct him
as you're seeing it. And we've all been there, and
I don't know what we're doing, what we're supposed to
make of it. When you're watching the president of the
United States struggle in a way, in such a.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Way, I had so many confusing thoughts in my head.
First of all, I will say this, I feel like
former President Trump actually took the opportunity to not pounce
on what we all saw. And I will give him
credit for that on the debate stage, because I was
actually impressed by his restraint. There was one point he
(04:40):
pointed out, I don't know what he said, and I
don't even think he knows what he said, but he
said but it was valid, But it was valid.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It was what we were all thinking.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And I have to say my mind went to like
we are obviously in and a very tumultuous world, and
I kept thinking, God, what are our enemies thinking what
are the people who wish us harm thinking as they
watched this debate.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It made me nervous. It did in a way that
I've never felt before. This was.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
This was a debate I have never witnessed or could
have imagined I would have seen.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
In my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And it speaks to so many issues within our country,
like why we have the system we have in place
to incentivize or at least encourage people to run for office.
I think we have a broken system if these are
our choices. And I'm not even talking about politics. I'm
(05:42):
just talking about the people willing to put themselves on
the line, people who maybe have been career politicians or
someone who's obviously fairly recently jumped into the foray but
has a business resume. But I just like so many
people have said this, but tonight it was on full display.
It's just discouraging, disappointing, and frankly for me and even
(06:07):
for the younger generations, we were watching with.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Frightening. That's where I was left after tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
There will be some who will discuss incumbents losing the
debate their first debate. There is a long history of
incumbent presidents not doing well in their first debate. A
lot of that has to do with style, A lot
of that has to do with strategy, how they went
about it, and sometimes it can be about substance and
(06:39):
them how they made their points. This is not what
this debate was about at all. I have no idea
what substance was about in this debate. Style was not
an issue how he answered, how he chose to attack,
and the strategy. It wasn't that. This was strictly about
us all watching a guy who seemed to struggle putting
(07:01):
his thoughts together and at times being incoherent. You're really
not understanding what he's saying. So this debate, we are
not debating at all about who won on style or substance.
We have to talk about President Biden, and we will
(07:23):
be talking about President Biden. Do you do you see
any way that this he's had an off night? Is
there any chance of that? And I want to hold
off and maybe there's something else going on.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
You know, it's a hard thing.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
To see what somebody was even four years ago and
then to see where they are now. But I think
the thing we all have to think about is where
he will be four years from now, and what he
would be like during those four years, And those are
all real valid concerns. And you know, just as much
as we have an age requirement, you know, presidents to
run for resident you have to be thirty five, correct,
(08:02):
that is.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
The age requirement.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think this will beg the question whether or not
there should be an age requirement or an age limitation.
My father will point out he was forced in his
industry to retire at sixty five for maybe it's a
lot of financial reasons, but for many reasons. And so
if you can have an age requirement, can you not
(08:26):
have an age limitation? And this might be one of
these moments where we have to think about that as
a country, because this is about you know, this isn't
about this is above politics.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
This is about so much more than that.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
And you know, whatever you think about where each candidate stands,
competency has to be something that we can talk about
and not make it look as though it's political. But
competency is that has to be one of the stipulations
of being president.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And cognitive ability aren't necessarily always directly tied to somebody's age.
And I know you agree with this because we have
talked to so really impressive, very recently, seventy plus late seventies,
eighty year old folks who are as sharp as anything
you will ever see.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
We even talked about whether you like him or don't.
We were just actually making this comparison because we were
watching doctor Anthony Fauci talking about stepping aside.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
How old is he? Eighty eight? He's even realized he
years older.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So yes, I don't think you can put a necessary
number on any of this, just as we can't determine
whether or not somebody.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Can drive at a certain age.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
But it is and there has to be some measure
I would argue of mental cognitive ability in order to
do something as significant. I would just say, if lives
are on the line, whether you're a physician or is
someone who has lives in your hands, based on decisions
(10:05):
you can make that only you can make. I think
that it is only fair there is some sort of
I don't know, cognitive test or some sort of measure
that we can put into place when you have positions
that are of this significance, and what we saw tonight
I believe makes many people question whether or not Joe
(10:29):
Biden would be able to pass those sorts of tests.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I yes, we have to wait and see. I mean,
you know how I am. I'll give it a beat.
Let me see, right, let me see in that. I
think that came out a come out sense that he
had a cold. Not to say that. I don't know
what that.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
But I think that makes it worse when the White
House comes out after they see his performance and say
he had a cold. Because yes, his voice was raspy.
That was the least of my concerns. Yes, fine, if
he had a cold, I can I'm fine with that.
That was not what made me nervous or made me
concerned watching tonight.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
What does any American who watched that tonight and waking
up the next morning these discussions taking place, how are
we supposed to feel when you didn't maybe feel great
about your choices before, right do you? How are you
supposed to feel about them? Because there's going to be
so much on TV and the politics and the inns
and outs and the convention and who's going to step
(11:35):
in it's going to be jocking. Oh that's politics. But
how am I supposed to feel about the leadership of
this country and where we are? And the choices that
are already maybe didn't like.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
It's concerning, and here's something that you and I can
speak to directly.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So we watched.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Obviously we watched the debate, but we watched the coverage
after the debate, and I think you and I know
in a way that we can speak very confidently about.
When you see broadcasters defending or at least trying to
(12:13):
massage something that's obvious to everyone who watched, that's concerning
to me. I would appreciate in these moments for people
who are journalists, whatever network you work for, to be
honest about what you witnessed and then to have a
real conversation, because that is our job. That is our
role as journalist to seek the truth right or at
(12:36):
least to point out the obvious, and not to say, oh, well,
look back in history, and every incumbent president who goes
onto their first debate falters slightly. That is not, as
you pointed out, what we're talking about what we saw tonight.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So let's all just be honest.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And I think I would appreciate that from people whose
job it is to call and put our politicians in
the spotlight, to say, hey, this is what we're seeing,
this is what we want to have answers about, and
to really just look at it from the perspective of
(13:15):
what is best for the voters to have a clear, honest,
have clear, honest answers about what we're dealing with and
who we're voting for.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I think it just in the way.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
The way we cover politics and how we cover politics
unfortunately doesn't give many voters that honest, true questions, like
where you're actually asking what did we see?
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Look, this is a rarity, right, We've been jumping around
watching everybody's coverage afterwards, but this is a rarity after
a debate that to your point, we have seen that
and not a lot of it from what were not
a lot of defense of President Biden's performance. But this
is a rare occasion where every Democrat in every Republican
(14:07):
on a set seemed to be agreeing about what we
all saw. And there's not a lot of Democrats. There's
just no denying. So it's rare to see that that
kind of agreement on both sides about the performance of
one candidate. Everybody saw the same thing tonight, and it's remarkable. Robes.
(14:29):
You remember the guy he's on the stage with just
a few weeks ago was found guilty of what thirty
four felonies.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I know, and that wasn't really even a non issue.
It was a non issue.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
A felon, a convicted felon is debating President Biden. But
we're afterwards talking about President Biden's performance and what he
did to night on stage.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
That is remarkable, it really was.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
And you know what, we did have this It seems
weird to even call it a watch party now, but
to have the younger We had several young women, one, two, three, four,
five young women with us.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
This is our life now is just right.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
From twenty one to eleven.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
But it was quiet because I think everyone was not
only shocked by what they were seeing, but didn't really
even know what to say.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
It wasn't this spirited debate where you're like, I.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Can't believe he said that I disagree with this, or
there was some sort of any conversation about the topics
or the issues. That was all lost in what we
were witnessing. And I think I just feel sad, and
I'm really curious to see what the next steps are,
(15:53):
like do Democrats and does the Biden administration actually fully admit.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
What's happening.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
What we saw that it wasn't just a bad night,
because this isn't the first time, obviously that we've seen
signs that perhaps Joe Biden isn't isn't the person who
can handle the next four years in office physically mentally.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Eighty six maybe eighty six. I mean, I know how
many eighty plus year olds you No, no excuse me,
I Am not going to get into his age's. Let's
actually not do that at all. It's we don't want
to just put it on the eighty year olds in
your life. No, no, no, that's not what we're talking about
at all. And to your point, the White House have
(16:44):
a coupled in the past few weeks came out and
called these fake videos and what were they saying? Deep
fakes and all these things. They say, oh it a
certain way and this and that. But the videos spoke
for themselves where President Obama had to kind of guy
presented by an off of stage somewhere. He seemed to
be looking off in the distance. I know. They said
(17:06):
that one was altered when the parachute guys were coming
down and all that, and then him at the concert
at the White House as well, where he wouldn't seem
to be moving to the music and seemed to be stuck.
All those things are.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Just and clearly tonight.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
You know, even in the cutaways, just there was a vacant,
absent look to his face that was undeniable, that wasn't edited,
that wasn't manufactured in any way. And I think you know,
anyone who watched that debate tonight, it's it would be
hard to have seen what we all saw and come
to any other conclusion.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So but if we for now, if we suspend some
judgment in some way and wait and wait and hear
from him, or wait for the next debate that's months away.
But now the talk is there's no way that debate
is taking place, no way. So I don't know what
(18:03):
to wait for. Do we replacing him? And there's this
new set of chaos, new jockeying, and we got to
go through more cable news debate and fighting and arguing,
And I this was a tough tough night if.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
You took the politics out of it.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I think so many I think about my mom and
I think about my dad, even who've recently lost their
parents and they're young and had older parents, but the
debates that so many Americans go through who have moms
and dads who are aging. You know, at what point
do you say, mom, dad, you know, we have to
(18:43):
make this decision for you, and it's a hard thing
to do. But I feel like that's almost what's happening
right now in the country. Looking at Joe Biden, so
many people can look to their own families and say, wow,
I had to make the same decision. But it wasn't
a matter of national security. It wasn't a matter of
presidential politics. This was about my parents' personal safety or
(19:06):
the safety of other people if they were to get
behind the wheel. I mean, this is, to me, wow,
one of those issues. That's what I saw tonight.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
To what you just said just made a light bulb
go off for me in that he didn't just have
a bad night tonight, meaning this didn't just happened to
him this evening. No, it means yesterday and the day before.
People that are around him are seeing and witnessing him,
and they put him out there tonight.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
So I to what you're saying that you're seeing a
decline like we are just seeing this with a No,
this wasn't just sprung on us this evening, and it
wasn't just sprung on the country, wasn't just sprung on
the administration. If in fact, this is where he is
and we saw who Joe Biden is on a daily
twenty four to seven basis. If that's who he is,
(20:08):
then who's responsible and responsible? To your point, You're right,
you have to speak to your grandparent or whatever sometimes
say hey, we had to make this decision for you.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't know, and then I just yes, I think
about who's responsible? Who would be responsible for speaking up
number one and number two? What message does that send
to the world? It is this to me, this was
a very sad night, a very sobering night, and a
night that I think is going to require our government
(20:42):
and the people who you know, we choose to elect,
we need to really think about what we want to
require of them in terms of transparency and national security,
and do we need to make changes in who we
elect and what the rules are around that. Do we
(21:04):
need to make some amendments. Do we need to acknowledge
that we have to make hard decisions and have hard
conversations that people have to make privately.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
In their own families. But now I think we're facing
that as a country.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well maybe that's a and again, only I'm only seeing him,
We're only seeing him robes from a distance through that
treaty screen and seeing what seemed like an off night
and a bad night. And maybe the people who see
him every day will look at that and say, like,
that is not Joe Biden. He had a rough night
for whatever reason. He's going to come back and be strong.
(21:41):
Maybe that'll be the case, and I hope it is.
But it was just it was difficult to watch. But
however we go about, like you said, the conversations we
might need to have, just please y'all be kind, I mean,
just be kind to each other. No matter where you
are on politics. You might agree with this guy on nothing,
but he's a human being, I mean, and just he's
(22:03):
got a family and everybody's going through something. He's just
going through it in front of the world.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
I feel like this was a moment where I hope
maybe we can all at this point transcend politics and
really talk about things in a real, honest, authentic way.
And if we all really do want what's best for
our country, we have those honest conversations, and that's what
(22:30):
I hope can come out of tonight because I just
don't think there was any other way to look at it.
This didn't feel political, This didn't feel ideological, This didn't
feel topical, This didn't feel I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Even know that I got anything.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Out of tonight in terms of where folks stand on things.
Were I felt about them from a where you stand
on things. It was really just about something incredibly sad
and something I felt actually angered about as an American
that I didn't know more about before tonight because it
(23:10):
was undeniable, it was not edited, and we have to
as a country, I think, address it.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Well.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Folks.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
We just wanted to hop on tonight and after the
debates and chime in about what we saw. And please,
as a reminder, as you go about your discussions with
I know which we know you will about this and
everybody we talking about it for the next several days,
we just be mindful, be kind,
Hey there, folks, what do we do with Joe Biden?
And that's where we start in this episode of Amy
and TJ. Robes. I'm almost a little I'm rethinking and
a little embarrassed about how we went into watching the
presidential debate between Trump and Biden tonight. We're of course
(00:23):
recording this episode right after watching, but we went into
it almost thinking there was going to be a lot
of entertainment value, and I'm almost now, after what we saw,
I'm almost a little embarrassed that we went into.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
It that way.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yeah, well, we went into it looking at it as
political sport. I don't think that's unfair. I think that's
how we've looked at lots of debates. So we brought
our daughters into it. We kind of had a watch party,
so to speak, just bringing our kids into the political forum.
But what ended up happening was something that you and
(00:58):
I have never seen, and I think most people who
watch tonight's debate have never seen and those of us
who have covered debates. I mean, I felt like my
jaw was dropped. I actually you saw me multiple times.
I actually covered my face and went into almost fetal
(01:20):
position because you couldn't believe what you were hearing and watching.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Yeah, I think every message I got from anybody during
the debate included the word cringe in it somewhere. But
to your point, and I think you said, we've made
this kind of a communal event. It was a watch party.
We were going to watch party, like, everybody, come over,
this is gonna be crazy, right, Trump versus Biden. Finally
we're going to see these two on the stage together.
(01:45):
And USA was playing Panama in the Copa America Cup
ahead of time at six o'clock. So we actually had
a really fun evening of television watching plant and the
tone really changed in it had to be. On the
very first answer that President Biden gave, you became concerned
(02:06):
and it kind of went in line with a lot
of the concerns people have had about him for a while.
And now we all got to watch him live. This
isn't about politics and policy and where you fall on
whatever side of the aisle and trying to spend Sometimes
we all have to agree on just what we all witness.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So I was going to say something very similar. I
watched my twenty one year old daughter put her hands
over her eyes and it wasn't about your political beliefs.
It wasn't about what side of the aisle you're on.
It was about watching someone struggle as a human being
and actually feeling compassion and I don't want to use
(02:51):
the word pity, but there was there were a few
moments where you actually felt that what if that was
my dad, but if that was my grandfather? And you
kind of looked at Joe Biden in that way, or
at least I did, versus do I agree with him?
Speaker 2 (03:09):
Do I support what he's saying?
Speaker 3 (03:12):
It became less about who ideologically you supported, and it
became more about, oh my god, what am I witnessing?
Speaker 2 (03:21):
And and help.
Speaker 1 (03:22):
We almost wanted to give him a lifeline. We've all
been in that play and it's tough to talk about.
I have no idea that I hadn't seen Joe Biden
in years, right, So I don't know. I can't speak
to him personally what he's like behind the scenes. But
we've all been somewhere with somebody who is frankly elderly
and your family and you're like, hey, come on, we're
(03:44):
going this way. Hey, hey, come on over here. No, no, no,
remember they said that thing to you oh, right over here, Grandma,
that you where you have to guide them a little bit. There,
they're there, They're still all there, but you got to
just kind of guide them or show them the way
just a little. He feels like, you're all right, come on, Joe,
(04:05):
come on, like you're almost rooting trying to direct him
as you're seeing it. And we've all been there, and
I don't know what we're doing, what we're supposed to
make of it. When you're watching the president of the
United States struggle in a way, in such a.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
Way, I had so many confusing thoughts in my head.
First of all, I will say this, I feel like
former President Trump actually took the opportunity to not pounce
on what we all saw. And I will give him
credit for that on the debate stage, because I was
actually impressed by his restraint. There was one point he
(04:40):
pointed out, I don't know what he said, and I
don't even think he knows what he said, but he
said but it was valid, But it was valid.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
It was what we were all thinking.
Speaker 3 (04:50):
And I have to say my mind went to like
we are obviously in and a very tumultuous world, and
I kept thinking, God, what are our enemies thinking what
are the people who wish us harm thinking as they
watched this debate.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
It made me nervous. It did in a way that
I've never felt before. This was.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
This was a debate I have never witnessed or could
have imagined I would have seen.
Speaker 2 (05:20):
In my lifetime.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
And it speaks to so many issues within our country,
like why we have the system we have in place
to incentivize or at least encourage people to run for office.
I think we have a broken system if these are
our choices. And I'm not even talking about politics. I'm
(05:42):
just talking about the people willing to put themselves on
the line, people who maybe have been career politicians or
someone who's obviously fairly recently jumped into the foray but
has a business resume. But I just like so many
people have said this, but tonight it was on full display.
It's just discouraging, disappointing, and frankly for me and even
(06:07):
for the younger generations, we were watching with.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Frightening. That's where I was left after tonight.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
There will be some who will discuss incumbents losing the
debate their first debate. There is a long history of
incumbent presidents not doing well in their first debate. A
lot of that has to do with style, A lot
of that has to do with strategy, how they went
about it, and sometimes it can be about substance and
(06:39):
them how they made their points. This is not what
this debate was about at all. I have no idea
what substance was about in this debate. Style was not
an issue how he answered, how he chose to attack,
and the strategy. It wasn't that. This was strictly about
us all watching a guy who seemed to struggle putting
(07:01):
his thoughts together and at times being incoherent. You're really
not understanding what he's saying. So this debate, we are
not debating at all about who won on style or substance.
We have to talk about President Biden, and we will
(07:23):
be talking about President Biden. Do you do you see
any way that this he's had an off night? Is
there any chance of that? And I want to hold
off and maybe there's something else going on.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
You know, it's a hard thing.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
To see what somebody was even four years ago and
then to see where they are now. But I think
the thing we all have to think about is where
he will be four years from now, and what he
would be like during those four years, And those are
all real valid concerns. And you know, just as much
as we have an age requirement, you know, presidents to
run for resident you have to be thirty five, correct,
(08:02):
that is.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
The age requirement.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I think this will beg the question whether or not
there should be an age requirement or an age limitation.
My father will point out he was forced in his
industry to retire at sixty five for maybe it's a
lot of financial reasons, but for many reasons. And so
if you can have an age requirement, can you not
(08:26):
have an age limitation? And this might be one of
these moments where we have to think about that as
a country, because this is about you know, this isn't
about this is above politics.
Speaker 2 (08:37):
This is about so much more than that.
Speaker 3 (08:40):
And you know, whatever you think about where each candidate stands,
competency has to be something that we can talk about
and not make it look as though it's political. But
competency is that has to be one of the stipulations
of being president.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
And cognitive ability aren't necessarily always directly tied to somebody's age.
And I know you agree with this because we have
talked to so really impressive, very recently, seventy plus late seventies,
eighty year old folks who are as sharp as anything
you will ever see.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
We even talked about whether you like him or don't.
We were just actually making this comparison because we were
watching doctor Anthony Fauci talking about stepping aside.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
How old is he? Eighty eight? He's even realized he
years older.
Speaker 3 (09:32):
So yes, I don't think you can put a necessary
number on any of this, just as we can't determine
whether or not somebody.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
Can drive at a certain age.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
But it is and there has to be some measure
I would argue of mental cognitive ability in order to
do something as significant. I would just say, if lives
are on the line, whether you're a physician or is
someone who has lives in your hands, based on decisions
(10:05):
you can make that only you can make. I think
that it is only fair there is some sort of
I don't know, cognitive test or some sort of measure
that we can put into place when you have positions
that are of this significance, and what we saw tonight
I believe makes many people question whether or not Joe
(10:29):
Biden would be able to pass those sorts of tests.
Speaker 1 (10:32):
I yes, we have to wait and see. I mean,
you know how I am. I'll give it a beat.
Let me see, right, let me see in that. I
think that came out a come out sense that he
had a cold. Not to say that. I don't know
what that.
Speaker 3 (10:46):
But I think that makes it worse when the White
House comes out after they see his performance and say
he had a cold. Because yes, his voice was raspy.
That was the least of my concerns. Yes, fine, if
he had a cold, I can I'm fine with that.
That was not what made me nervous or made me
concerned watching tonight.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
What does any American who watched that tonight and waking
up the next morning these discussions taking place, how are
we supposed to feel when you didn't maybe feel great
about your choices before, right do you? How are you
supposed to feel about them? Because there's going to be
so much on TV and the politics and the inns
and outs and the convention and who's going to step
(11:35):
in it's going to be jocking. Oh that's politics. But
how am I supposed to feel about the leadership of
this country and where we are? And the choices that
are already maybe didn't like.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
It's concerning, and here's something that you and I can
speak to directly.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
So we watched.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Obviously we watched the debate, but we watched the coverage
after the debate, and I think you and I know
in a way that we can speak very confidently about.
When you see broadcasters defending or at least trying to
(12:13):
massage something that's obvious to everyone who watched, that's concerning
to me. I would appreciate in these moments for people
who are journalists, whatever network you work for, to be
honest about what you witnessed and then to have a
real conversation, because that is our job. That is our
role as journalist to seek the truth right or at
(12:36):
least to point out the obvious, and not to say, oh, well,
look back in history, and every incumbent president who goes
onto their first debate falters slightly. That is not, as
you pointed out, what we're talking about what we saw tonight.
Speaker 2 (12:53):
So let's all just be honest.
Speaker 3 (12:55):
And I think I would appreciate that from people whose
job it is to call and put our politicians in
the spotlight, to say, hey, this is what we're seeing,
this is what we want to have answers about, and
to really just look at it from the perspective of
(13:15):
what is best for the voters to have a clear, honest,
have clear, honest answers about what we're dealing with and
who we're voting for.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I think it just in the way.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
The way we cover politics and how we cover politics
unfortunately doesn't give many voters that honest, true questions, like
where you're actually asking what did we see?
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Look, this is a rarity, right, We've been jumping around
watching everybody's coverage afterwards, but this is a rarity after
a debate that to your point, we have seen that
and not a lot of it from what were not
a lot of defense of President Biden's performance. But this
is a rare occasion where every Democrat in every Republican
(14:07):
on a set seemed to be agreeing about what we
all saw. And there's not a lot of Democrats. There's
just no denying. So it's rare to see that that
kind of agreement on both sides about the performance of
one candidate. Everybody saw the same thing tonight, and it's remarkable. Robes.
(14:29):
You remember the guy he's on the stage with just
a few weeks ago was found guilty of what thirty
four felonies.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I know, and that wasn't really even a non issue.
It was a non issue.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
A felon, a convicted felon is debating President Biden. But
we're afterwards talking about President Biden's performance and what he
did to night on stage.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
That is remarkable, it really was.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
And you know what, we did have this It seems
weird to even call it a watch party now, but
to have the younger We had several young women, one, two, three, four,
five young women with us.
Speaker 1 (15:13):
This is our life now is just right.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
From twenty one to eleven.
Speaker 3 (15:18):
But it was quiet because I think everyone was not
only shocked by what they were seeing, but didn't really
even know what to say.
Speaker 2 (15:28):
It wasn't this spirited debate where you're like, I.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
Can't believe he said that I disagree with this, or
there was some sort of any conversation about the topics
or the issues. That was all lost in what we
were witnessing. And I think I just feel sad, and
I'm really curious to see what the next steps are,
(15:53):
like do Democrats and does the Biden administration actually fully admit.
Speaker 2 (16:02):
What's happening.
Speaker 3 (16:04):
What we saw that it wasn't just a bad night,
because this isn't the first time, obviously that we've seen
signs that perhaps Joe Biden isn't isn't the person who
can handle the next four years in office physically mentally.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Eighty six maybe eighty six. I mean, I know how
many eighty plus year olds you No, no excuse me,
I Am not going to get into his age's. Let's
actually not do that at all. It's we don't want
to just put it on the eighty year olds in
your life. No, no, no, that's not what we're talking about
at all. And to your point, the White House have
(16:44):
a coupled in the past few weeks came out and
called these fake videos and what were they saying? Deep
fakes and all these things. They say, oh it a
certain way and this and that. But the videos spoke
for themselves where President Obama had to kind of guy
presented by an off of stage somewhere. He seemed to
be looking off in the distance. I know. They said
(17:06):
that one was altered when the parachute guys were coming
down and all that, and then him at the concert
at the White House as well, where he wouldn't seem
to be moving to the music and seemed to be stuck.
All those things are.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Just and clearly tonight.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
You know, even in the cutaways, just there was a vacant,
absent look to his face that was undeniable, that wasn't edited,
that wasn't manufactured in any way. And I think you know,
anyone who watched that debate tonight, it's it would be
hard to have seen what we all saw and come
to any other conclusion.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
So but if we for now, if we suspend some
judgment in some way and wait and wait and hear
from him, or wait for the next debate that's months away.
But now the talk is there's no way that debate
is taking place, no way. So I don't know what
(18:03):
to wait for. Do we replacing him? And there's this
new set of chaos, new jockeying, and we got to
go through more cable news debate and fighting and arguing,
And I this was a tough tough night if.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
You took the politics out of it.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
I think so many I think about my mom and
I think about my dad, even who've recently lost their
parents and they're young and had older parents, but the
debates that so many Americans go through who have moms
and dads who are aging. You know, at what point
do you say, mom, dad, you know, we have to
(18:43):
make this decision for you, and it's a hard thing
to do. But I feel like that's almost what's happening
right now in the country. Looking at Joe Biden, so
many people can look to their own families and say, wow,
I had to make the same decision. But it wasn't
a matter of national security. It wasn't a matter of
presidential politics. This was about my parents' personal safety or
(19:06):
the safety of other people if they were to get
behind the wheel. I mean, this is, to me, wow,
one of those issues. That's what I saw tonight.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
To what you just said just made a light bulb
go off for me in that he didn't just have
a bad night tonight, meaning this didn't just happened to
him this evening. No, it means yesterday and the day before.
People that are around him are seeing and witnessing him,
and they put him out there tonight.
Speaker 3 (19:45):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:46):
So I to what you're saying that you're seeing a
decline like we are just seeing this with a No,
this wasn't just sprung on us this evening, and it
wasn't just sprung on the country, wasn't just sprung on
the administration. If in fact, this is where he is
and we saw who Joe Biden is on a daily
twenty four to seven basis. If that's who he is,
(20:08):
then who's responsible and responsible? To your point, You're right,
you have to speak to your grandparent or whatever sometimes
say hey, we had to make this decision for you.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
I don't know, and then I just yes, I think
about who's responsible? Who would be responsible for speaking up
number one and number two? What message does that send
to the world? It is this to me, this was
a very sad night, a very sobering night, and a
night that I think is going to require our government
(20:42):
and the people who you know, we choose to elect,
we need to really think about what we want to
require of them in terms of transparency and national security,
and do we need to make changes in who we
elect and what the rules are around that. Do we
(21:04):
need to make some amendments. Do we need to acknowledge
that we have to make hard decisions and have hard
conversations that people have to make privately.
Speaker 2 (21:15):
In their own families. But now I think we're facing
that as a country.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well maybe that's a and again, only I'm only seeing him,
We're only seeing him robes from a distance through that
treaty screen and seeing what seemed like an off night
and a bad night. And maybe the people who see
him every day will look at that and say, like,
that is not Joe Biden. He had a rough night
for whatever reason. He's going to come back and be strong.
(21:41):
Maybe that'll be the case, and I hope it is.
But it was just it was difficult to watch. But
however we go about, like you said, the conversations we
might need to have, just please y'all be kind, I mean,
just be kind to each other. No matter where you
are on politics. You might agree with this guy on nothing,
but he's a human being, I mean, and just he's
(22:03):
got a family and everybody's going through something. He's just
going through it in front of the world.
Speaker 3 (22:07):
I feel like this was a moment where I hope
maybe we can all at this point transcend politics and
really talk about things in a real, honest, authentic way.
And if we all really do want what's best for
our country, we have those honest conversations, and that's what
(22:30):
I hope can come out of tonight because I just
don't think there was any other way to look at it.
This didn't feel political, This didn't feel ideological, This didn't
feel topical, This didn't feel I don't.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Even know that I got anything.
Speaker 3 (22:49):
Out of tonight in terms of where folks stand on things.
Were I felt about them from a where you stand
on things. It was really just about something incredibly sad
and something I felt actually angered about as an American
that I didn't know more about before tonight because it
(23:10):
was undeniable, it was not edited, and we have to
as a country, I think, address it.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Well.
Speaker 2 (23:22):
Folks.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
We just wanted to hop on tonight and after the
debates and chime in about what we saw. And please,
as a reminder, as you go about your discussions with
I know which we know you will about this and
everybody we talking about it for the next several days,
we just be mindful, be kind,
Hosts And Creators
Amy Robach
T.J. Holmes
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