Harrisburg Dems react to Biden’s debate performance at watch party
People watch the CNN presidential debate between President Joe Biden and the Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump, at a debate watch party at Shaw’s Tavern on June 27, 2024 in Washington, D.C. It was one of numerous watch parties across the country Thursday. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
President Joe Biden took the stage to face former President Donald Trump for the first presidential debate of the 2024 election, and a watch party in Harrisburg got opening pep talks from Gov. Josh Shapiro and Lt. Gov. Austin Davis. The two didn’t remain at the event for the debate, leaving before it kicked off at 9 p.m.
“This election is a referendum on us,” Shapiro said at the Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center. “And this election is a choice between a man who loves this nation and wants to take us forward and help us perfect our union in Joe Biden and a person who lives in a dark place, who I believe, doesn’t love America and doesn’t want to move America forward in a more prosperous, fair way.”
But as the night wore on, the room grew more subdued as Biden gave a shaky performance that included halting answers and spoke in a raspy voice that reports said was due to a cold.
During the first half of the debate, those in the room appeared to be more engaged and responded positively to Biden’s mention of Scranton and support for restoring Roe v. Wade. But the audience reacted with surprise when Biden appeared to lose his train of thought within the first 10 minutes of the debate.
The crowd thinned out as the night and debate progressed. By the time Biden and Trump delivered their final statements, the audience had dwindled considerably.
Dauphin County Democratic Party Chair Rogette Harris told the Capital-Star following the debate that her focus was on the content, and said the candidates’ job is to make sure voters know what their records are.
“Republicans have done a good job at pushing the president’s age as a problem, he’s always had a stuttering problem and he did stutter a little bit tonight,” Harris said. “But at the same time, I like to remind people that Trump is only three years younger, so we’re not talking about a generational difference here.”
Shapiro has emerged as one of the most vocal surrogates for the Biden-Harris ticket in Pennsylvania. He joined Biden on the campaign trail in the commonwealth earlier this year and has made frequent appearances on MSNBC boosting Biden’s policies and his reelection bid. He made headlines nationwide during a June 10 appearance on MSNBC when he told Trump to “quit whining” and “stop s—t talking America.”
Shapiro reiterated that line about Trump “s— talking America” on Thursday evening.
In addition to being one of Biden’s most active campaigners, Shapiro is frequently mentioned as a possible presidential candidate for the Democratic Party nomination in 2028. He even made a visit to address Democrats in New Hampshire last year, which continued to fuel the speculation about a potential future run.
Polling has found that young voters have expressed concern about the candidates’ ages. Davis believes only one candidate in the race is addressing the concerns of these voters.
“When I talk to young people, they’re concerned about climate change, they’re concerned about gun violence, they’re concerned about college affordability and there’s only one candidate that has put positions forward to deal with those problems and that’s Joe Biden,” Davis told reporters.
Biden and Trump appear to be locked in a close race for Pennsylvania’s 19 electoral votes. An Emerson College poll released last week showed Trump leading Biden in Pennsylvania by 2 points.
Harris said she doesn’t think a debate in June will decide the election, but believes people who haven’t been paying attention will start now.
When asked how she thought ordinary voters would respond to the debate, Harris said “I think it’s a mix, I do think image matters, so how they presented themselves will matter,” and pointed to the occasional laughter from the audience at at some of Trump’s claims.
“But my hope is that they’re also paying attention to the substance of what was said,” Harris said.
This article was updated with additional details at 11:55 p.m. June 27, 2024, after the conclusion of the debate.
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