Rep. Newhouse “Feels Bad” for Biden After Debate Stumbles

Last night in Atlanta, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump went mano-a-mano in the first debate of the general election season.

It was a spirited, at times ugly debate rife with lurid accusations and off-color language.

"You're a sucker," Biden hissed at one point, gritting his teeth. "You're a loser."

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Neither candidate came up smelling like roses, but Trump, to his credit, was more subdued and orderly than usual (while still retaining his propensity for demagogic, histrionic spin).

As for Biden, he gave a shabby, shambling performance, according to viewers polled by CNN. Nearly seven in 10 viewers believe Trump to have "won" the debate.

Rep. Dan Newhouse is inclined to agree. Newhouse, a Republican from Sunnyside, has represented Washington's 4th congressional district since 2015.

"I would say he had more than a bad moment or two," Newhouse says. "It was more like 90 minutes of bad moments! It was hard to watch - just on a human level, I felt very, very bad that Joe Biden was in that position."

"It was obvious to me that he was struggling. He couldn't keep his train of thought or complete a sentence that made sense. I'm trying to be kind here because it was a difficult thing [to watch]."

Biden is 81 years old and sometimes slow on the uptake. Throughout his presidency, he has been dogged by questions about his mental acuity.

"Democrats need to make some big decisions quickly on [Biden's] ability to continue in this race," Newhouse says. "Can he even continue finishing his term? I think medical decisions and observations need to be made to make that determination, but it certainly calls into question his ability to perform the jobs of the presidency."

Despite all the ballyhoo, Biden has agreed to participate in a follow-up debate.