President Joe Biden has taken the week off to prepare for his upcoming debate with Donald Trump. He is spending the weekend at Camp David, where aides have arranged for a mock TV studio to recreate the debate scenario.
Biden has been reported to have practiced hard, showed up rested and ready to address both his points and Trump’s jabs.
News coverage emphasizes the depth of experience and talent in Biden’s team, intimating that they give him an enormous upper hand. According to NBC News, Biden is preparing to roll out some kind of a “sales pitch on the economy,” despite many voters not having felt his policies in their pocketbooks when it comes to everyday expenses like grocery prices and gasoline.
But Biden is not in the clear yet, as a fresh set of polls released last week found that his job approval levels on the economy are quite muddled. It raises significant questions about Biden’s economic leadership when many Americans believe they were better off financially under Trump.
The timing of the debate indicated that Biden hoped it would help breathe new life into his sputtering campaign in the face of declining poll numbers and questions about his age. With polls revealing the state of the battle between himself and President Donald Trump to be so tight, particularly in battleground states crucial for victory, Biden seeks to go on offense.
On the other hand, Trump has to hold his base and win over some of the undecideds in order to stabilize his position.
For both candidates the stakes are high, given that the result of the debate could greatly affect how the general election plays out.
