Politico and media types like to smugly dismiss election debates, frequently claiming they don’t change very much. I’ve done it myself. Well, the events of the last few weeks have rather put paid to that notion. A disastrous performance from President Joe Biden confirmed many worries about him and started a chain of events that means he is now not seeking re-election.
This decision, not unreasonably given its significance, caused a media frenzy. It was frantic, with every political commentator you can think of, and many you can’t, getting called by producers to help fill airtime provide insight. CNN’s Wolf Blitzer was reportedly dragged away from a brunch at which he was trying a cocktail named after him.
Front pages, of course, covered with the story and now turn their attention to the apparent anointed successor, Vice President Kamala Harris.
UK Coverage of Biden Debate Fallout
This is all as true in the UK as it is in the US. All the major news channels led with the development and every radio talk show I listened to had callers discussing it.
One bit of print coverage that particularly jumped out to me was the Evening Standard. The paper treads a difficult line between being a London-focussed publication and a national one. Yesterday, its splash was emblazoned with a picture of Vice President Harris and the headline “Arise, Queen Kamala”.
There’s an argument that the election of the next US President will have more significance for Londoners than Sir Keir Starmer’s appearance at the NATO summit, not least because some are American citizens who will be able to vote, However, it was still a rather interesting editorial decision. My guess is that The Boston Globe didn’t splash on the UK election results a couple of weeks ago…
Back to the debate. They are one of those things that have no significance until they do. “I agree with Nick…” and all that. The next match-up between Trump and, presumably, Harris, will be essential viewing. If she can be energetic and stand up to his bullying, she may be able to at least reset that narrative that a second Trump term is inevitable. If not, maybe we will have another Democrat panic and an attempt by them to find another candidate.
Either way, we should have learnt by now not to tell voters which media moments matter and what don’t.
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