Massachusetts Democrats mostly stand by Biden, despite bad debate reviews

Many Massachusetts Democrats were disappointed by President Biden’s halting, hoarse performance in Thursday night’s presidential debate.

State Rep. Jason Lewis, a Winchester Democrat, was so frustrated he called for Biden to step aside in the race.

"After last night's debate, I think it was just very clear to me that the Democratic Party needs to put forward a different nominee for the presidency,” he said.

Lewis said he was already nervous that former President Trump might win another term because he has been leading Biden in the polls. But he called Biden’s debate performance the “last straw.”

“I have enormous respect for Joe Biden,” Lewis said. “I think he's had a very successful presidency, but now it's time for him to gracefully step aside.” Lewis said he hopes other Democratic leaders will urge Biden to withdraw from the race.

But a number of leading Massachusetts Democrats voiced support for Biden despite his debate performance, including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Congressman Jake Auchincloss.

"Biden won the Democratic primaries throughout the country,” Auchincloss said. “The work for Democrats right now is not hand-wringing, it's campaigning.”

A CNN quick poll found most voters who watched the debate thought Trump won. Auchincloss argued both candidates did poorly.

“Joe Biden was halting. Donald Trump lied so much I think the CNN fact checker melted,” he said. But come November, he said he doubts that debate will matter.

"Voters don't have to rely on 90 minutes," he said. "They have four years because both men have been president."

Both candidates are unpopular with large swaths of voters, though Trump holds a small lead in most national polls and appears to have the edge in a majority of battle-ground states.

Gov. Maura Healey said she also thought both candidates performed poorly. "It was tough to watch," she told reporters at the State House Friday.

She said Biden had a bad debate, but also saw Trump lie and "brag about overturning Roe once again," referring to the landmark Supreme Court ruling on abortion.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu defended the president, saying she plans to back Biden as a delegate at the Democratic National Convention. Wu called him a “wonderful partner” to the city.

“Our administration is in touch with the Biden team every single week on one issue or another, and the scale of infrastructure funding and programmatic support …  has been incredible.”

The Massachusetts Republican Party, in a statement, said the debate showed Biden was "unfit to participate in a debate, let alone continue to lead our country as President." The statement did not address complaints that many of Trump's claims during the debate were untrue.

Biden, at a rally Friday in North Carolina, appeared to have regained his usual vigor. He drew applause and shouts of "four more years" on his campaign talking points. And in a self-deprecating moment acknowledged, "I know I'm not a young man, to state the obvious." He said, "Folks, I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to. But I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth, I know right from wrong, and I know how to do this job."

US Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the New Hampshire Democrat, on Friday told WBUR’s Radio Boston, "obviously Joe Biden didn't have a good night." She said it was disappointing to have the president’s performance overshadow what she described as Trump’s shortcomings and lies. "I think last night's debate showed just what the high stakes are in this upcoming election."

Lewis, the state senator, said he hopes Biden will give Democrats a chance to pick a new candidate at the coming convention to increase the odds that the party can beat Trump.

“We need a candidate who's going to inspire excitement and enthusiasm, especially from young people,” Lewis said. “That's what we need to ensure that we can win the election in November and make sure that Donald Trump doesn't get back anywhere near the White House.”