Subject: Re: A Republic, If You Can Keep It...
The post-debate landscape is one in which America has a choice between two geriatric candidates with profound communication issues.

In Biden's case, I think the debate displayed something more serious than a "communication" problem. At a minimum, Biden appeared to be exhibiting symptoms of "sundowning." It may have been an even more serious situation, perhaps an afib episode (Biden has afib). (My mother-in-law, who worked well into her 80s, had afib, and my wife said that Biden's behavior showed symptoms her mom would display when she was having an episode.)

For citizens deeply concerned about the future of democracy in America (as I am), this is not a matter of "having Joe's back." It's about how to defeat Trump. According to polls, something like 2/3 to 3/4 of voters are of the view that Biden is not medically fit to serve four more years. Many Democratic leaders and officials agree with them. They're also worried about the down-ballot repercussions of Biden wipeout.

I think it's unlikely that Biden can turn this around. I think he has maybe a couple of weeks, max, to do so; and if there's no clear evidence that he's succeeding, party leaders and donors will ask Jill to convince him to hang up his spurs and spend his remaining years with his family.

Then what? Kamala cannot win. I think that says more about America than it does about her, but there it is. Newsom has a lot of baggage. There are a number of Dem Governors and Senators, past and present, who would be solid candidates--e.g., Michael Bennet, Jay Inslee, JB Pritzker, Tim Walz, maybe Gretchen Whitmer.