'True display of strength and weakness': Locals react to 1st presidential debate

The first presidential debate took place in Atlanta Thursday night, and for some viewers the candidates performed just as expected; for others, the night was full of surprises.

“I think it was a true display of strength and weakness,” said Ron Murphy, president of the Greater Toledo Republican Club.

President Biden, 81, and former President Donald Trump, 78, took the stage in a debate hosted by CNN. For Trump, it was important to ease concerns to undecided voters that the outspoken candidate can return to office, especially because of his recent criminal conviction. For Mr. Biden, it was important to mitigate worries about his age and mental capacity, which have been a concern from both parties.

Melissa Miller, a professor of political science at Bowling Green State University, said the incumbent did not succeed.

“Biden’s halting and sometimes meandering performance failed to do that,” Ms. Miller said. “His performance appeared to confirm [voters’] worries.”

But Schuyler Beckwith, the chairman for the Lucas County Democratic Party, said she was not deflated after Thursday night.

“My grandfather always said that a good leader surrounds himself with good people that can get work done,” Ms. Beckwith said. “And I think that’s what Biden has done during his presidency.”

For Ms. Beckwith, her concern didn’t come from Mr. Biden’s performance, but rather Trump’s.

“My initial thought following the debate was that there needed to be a fact-checker in real time,” she said.

While both candidates made false claims about the work they’ve done during their presidencies, Trump dominated with inaccuracies. CNN reported that the former president made more than 30 false claims during the debate, while Mr. Biden made nine.

“The guy was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records,” said Colin Flanagan, president of Lucas County Young Democrats. “We should’ve known that he was going to keep lying.”

But for some voters, like Mr. Murphy, the inaccuracies shared on the debate stage were insignificant compared to physical performance.

“Biden’s mental decline trumped anything that Trump could’ve done,” he said.

Viewers of the debate were quick to point out Mr. Biden’s hoarse and raspy voice, but campaign staffers and aides noted the President had been battling a cold.

After the debate wrapped up, concerns from Democratic consultants and party strategists poured in, acknowledging the fact that the President didn’t perform as well as they had hoped. Now, speculation about whether the party should nominate someone else at the Democratic National Convention or if the party will throw its support behind the President are ramping up. However, since Mr. Biden is already on the ticket, he would have to decline the nomination for the party to pick someone new.

“I think Biden will be the candidate; I think he is a good candidate, and I think he surrounds himself with good people that get things done,” Ms. Beckwith said.

Josiah Leinbach, a Republican running for Ohio’s District 41 in the state House, said he isn’t sure who he is voting for between the two candidates and wouldn’t say if he thinks the party should nominate someone new.

“I don’t tell the Democratic Party what to do,” he said.

According to a poll conducted by CNN before the debate, 55 percent of respondents said they expected Trump to do better than Mr. Biden. After the debate, 67 percent of the same group said Trump outperformed his opponent.

Ms. Miller said the debate Thursday night could have an impact on other races, too. In what is seen as two of the most competitive races this November, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D., Ohio) is up for re-election against Cleveland businessman Republican Bernie Moreno. U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Toledo) is seeking re-election against state Rep. Derek Merrin (R., Monclova Township).

“There are a small number of U.S. Senate races that will decide partisan control of the upper chamber, including in Ohio,” Ms. Miller said. “Candidates like Republican Bernie Moreno no doubt feel reassured by Donald Trump’s performance, while candidates like Democrat Sherrod Brown likely feel greater concern than they did 24 hours ago.”

Josh Culling, a local Republican political consultant, thinks the Democratic Party is panicking because of the possible effects of Thursday night’s debate.

“That debate can’t help Brown, who has voted with Biden 99 percent of the time, or Kaptur, who calls for parades for Biden,” Mr. Culling said. “... I think Trump won a lot of votes last night, which helps both Moreno and Merrin.”

But state Rep. Michele Grim (D., Toledo) argued that it’s the Republican Party that should be panicked.

“Biden didn’t tell a bunch of lies that I’ll have to answer to and neither will Marcy Kaptur or Sherrod Brown,” Ms. Grim said. “The candidates that are supporting Trump will have to explain the lies he told throughout the debate.”

Although he isn’t sure what candidate he’ll support in November, Mr. Leinbach said he doesn’t expect to have to explain the party head’s false claims.

“I’m not accountable for what the former president said. I expect to only answer for myself,” he said.

At an unrelated news conference earlier in the day, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he watched the debate from beginning to end and, when asked of his thoughts on it, he responded, “interested.”

Although viewers from both parties had opinions on how the candidates did, they agreed that people shouldn’t get too wrapped up in the debate.

“Debates are a show. They are a production,” Mr. Flanagan said. “They are not a good indicator of who would be a better president.”

Mr. Leinbach agreed saying, “The purpose of debates is for media ratings. They are not helpful for political discourse.”