Biden Unable ‘To Compute’ That People Question His Competence In ‘Sad’ Interview, Says Axelrod: ‘Doesn’t Comport With Reality’
President Joe Biden doesn’t seem to be able to “compute” the reality of concerns people have about him, CNN senior political commentator and former Obama administration official David Axelrod said after watching the president’s interview with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos, which Axelrod said in some aspects was “sad” to watch.
Axelrod was among the panelists and commentators who joined CNN’s analysis after the interview aired, and told anchor Jim Sciutto that Biden did not do anything to “change the minds of voters” who doubt his ability to win in November or govern in a second term in office.
It’s an observation several analysts have made and seems proven out as elected Democrats continue to call for a change to the ticket despite the president’s effort in the interview.
“He seems not to be able to compute the fact that people have these questions about him,” Axelrod said.
Speaking just after the interview aired on Friday night, the analyst added that Biden doesn’t have a realistic view of where the race stands, and said “the people who love and care for” the president should be “honest with him” about it.
“His portrait of where he is in this race doesn’t comport with reality,” Axelrod said.
SCIUTTO: Did you see to anything tonight, enough tonight, to change the view that he doesn’t have to run this race and win this election?
AXELROD: Well, the question is, did he change the minds of voters who were watching that? I don’t really think so.
You know, he, Jim, I think the thing – and some of it I found sad, but he, he seems not to be able to compute the fact that people have these questions about him.
He said, I have – you know, when George Stephanopoulos asked him if he’d be willing to take a cognitive test, he said, I take a cognitive test every day. Well, the fact is, that may be true, but 75% of the American people think he failed. That he fails.
So, I mean, they’ve – And so this is a real problem for him. And it’s something that shows up in every poll. And in terms of where he stands in the race – you know, there, no politician out there will tell, has the same perception that the president does that this is a tied race, and he’s right in the hunt right now.
He was ten points ahead four years ago. He’s six points behind now. Worse in most of the battleground states. And now, in danger of losing states that weren’t thought to be in contention. So what you see, Jim, you saw it in Wisconsin today, Tammy Baldwin, the senator from Wisconsin, wasn’t at this event. Why? Because she’s up for reelection. And it’s not helpful, helpful to her to be seen with the president.
This is what’s going to happen. And somebody really needs to be honest with him about it. It’s not. It can’t be the good Lord, but it should be the people who love and care for him and his closest advisers. His portrait of where he is in this race doesn’t comport with reality.
Watch the clip above via CNN.
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