'Defending Biden': Democrats address voter support concerns following debate misstep

• After his stumbling debate performance, Democrats are using media appearances to change how people view President Joe Biden.
• A poll conducted one day after the debate revealed that a majority of voters' initial reaction to the debate is that Biden should not run for president.
• Since the debate, the Biden campaign has collected $33 million, with over half of it coming from small donors.

After a stumbling debate performance, Democrats are working to reshape perceptions about President Joe Biden on the Sunday media circuit, leaving his voters cringing and his party in a damage-control frenzy.

"According to South Carolina's Democratic Rep. Jim Clyburn, a close Biden ally, the recent performance was poor. He stated this on CNN's "State of the Union." He explained that he recognized the issue as "preparation overload," which was evident during the event."

The South Carolina Democrat adopted the post-debate spin strategy used by Biden supporters since the Thursday confrontation: First, he conceded the blunder and then shifted the focus to attacks against the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump.

Clyburn believes that Joe Biden's record should be the focus of his campaign, stating that when compared to Trump's four-year record, Biden is exactly what is needed for the future.

On Friday, former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton employed a similar argument structure.

On the Sunday media junket, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., all defended Biden.

Although the intense scrutiny during the Thursday debate revealed several instances where Biden stumbled or went off-topic, it has further intensified voter doubts about his ability to handle another term as president due to his age and health concerns.

A recent CBS News/YouGov poll taken between June 28 and June 29 revealed that 72% of registered voters surveyed do not believe Biden should run for president, an increase of 9% from February. Additionally, 72% of respondents do not think Biden has the mental and cognitive ability to serve as president, a 7% increase since June 9.

A knee-jerk reaction to Thursday's debate may not accurately represent public sentiment. A more accurate snapshot may emerge as the initial hype dies down and voters have more time to process. The CBS News poll surveyed 1,130 registered voters and had a margin of error of +/- 4.2%.

Biden's argument that voters are not as critical of his debate mistakes as political analysts is contradicted by new polling numbers.

"The president stated at a campaign event in East Hampton, N.Y., that he comprehends the concern about the debate and that he shares it. He also admitted that he did not have a good night. However, he emphasized that what is not being reported is that voters had a different reaction than the pundits. The president added that since the debate, polls have shown a little movement, and they have moved up."

The second debate between Biden and Trump is scheduled for Sept. 10, but it's uncertain if both candidates will participate.

The debate has sparked a Democratic reckoning about whether Biden should remain the presumptive nominee.

Some strategists and newspaper editorial boards have recommended that he resign and relinquish his delegates before the August Democratic National Convention to enable someone else to challenge Trump in November.

On Sunday, at Camp David, Biden will be accompanied by his family to discuss the future of his reelection campaign, as reported by NBC News.

Since Thursday, the Biden campaign has been receiving significant fundraising contributions, with $33 million raised by Sunday morning, including $26 million from grassroots donors, as stated by Kevin Munoz, a spokesperson for the campaign.

Nearly half of the grassroots funding for Munoz's campaign this election season was from first-time donors.