It is becoming clear that lowering the bar so dramatically for President Biden's debate performance is a mistake. At least I hope it is becoming clear.

It's time to face the fact that no matter what happens during the first presidential debate on CNN, Biden will be declared the winner against former President Trump. Unless something drastic happens, like Biden trips and falls or completely freezes as he is speaking, he will be named the winner. 

That's politics. That is how Republicans are always treated. Presidential debates are planned and executed to benefit the Democrat candidate. Debate moderators are almost all Democrats and this debate will be no different. CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Dana Bash have been chosen to moderate the debate. 'Nuff said.

During a campaign rally in Racine, Wisconsin on Tuesday, Trump asked the crowd, “Is anybody going to watch the debate?” That question drew applause. 

With that, Trump began to lower the expectations that he will run circles around Biden. The caricatures of Biden as someone who can't remain upright or won't be able to finish a 90-minute debate are legit attacks but Trump is readying reasons he will not be seen as the winner. 

He had answers: If that should happen, it’s only because Mr. Biden will be “pumped up,” he told his followers, suggesting that the president would hoover up a pile of cocaine beforehand, since the narcotic was recently found in the White House by the Secret Service, though investigators never did figure out how it got there and it was not linked to the president or anyone in his family. (Still, it was an acutely cutting notion, coming a week after the Delaware trial that publicly aired the first family’s struggle with Hunter Biden’s addiction.)

Mr. Trump also told his followers to be suspicious of the whole debate enterprise, although his campaign negotiated the terms of his participation. They should keep in mind, he said, that he’ll be up against multiple adversaries at once — not just Mr. Biden but both of CNN’s moderators, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash, who, Mr. Trump added, were constitutionally incapable of treating him fairly. “I’ll be debating three people instead of one half of a person,” he said.

Trump's right - it will be him against Biden and the two moderators. It is fully expected that Joe Biden will be pumped up with something or the other that will enhance his performance. It will likely be whatever he was on to deliver the State of the Union address. 

An angry screaming old man showed up to deliver the State of the Union address. He trashed Republicans and Trump throughout his speech. But, he had an audience for that and he was playing to the clapping seals in the Democrat side of the House that night. There is no live audience for this debate. It will be a lot of silence.

I do worry that there is no audience. It's weird. Trump feeds off an audience. I'm not sure why he agreed to that stipulation. Trump is an entertainer. He likes immediate feedback. 

An article in the New York Times pointed out that it is true that Biden's gait has slowed and stiffened but that his doctor called him "fit for duty" in February. It went on to say that Trump hasn't produced a detailed summary of his health. So? We have eyes and ears. We can see the deterioration of Biden since his election in 2020. It is getting worse. Yesterday I watched a video of Secret Service agents helping him into his SUV when he landed back in Washington, D.C. the evening before. It was night but I could see he had trouble putting his foot on the guarding to step up into the SUV. I had a flashback to the time Hillary Clinton had to be thrown into a van because she couldn't make it on her own. 

The narrative now from Democrats is that Trump is the one in mental and physical decline. I know. The Hur Report concluded that Biden wasn't fit to stand trial so no charges were brought against him. The irony is that he isn't able to stand trial but he's allowed to be the leader of the free world and in possession of the nuclear football. That's scary. 

Trump is old, too, but he doesn't suffer from dementia. He still acts like the Energizer Bunny, up and doing his thing every morning. Joe Biden is out of sight for days on end. Today he is at Camp David for a week in order to prepare for the debate. A week. I guess there isn't anything else happening in the world or in our country that needs his attention. 40% of his presidency has been spent on vacation time in Delaware or Camp David or some billionaire's mansion in various states. 

The contrast will be apparent to all who tune in. Debates don't always get big ratings but his one likely will. Trump just has to remain disciplined, make his case on his accomplishments in office, and stay calm. Don't interrupt Biden - let Biden be the one who loses control. Biden is an ok debater after 50 years in politics but he's not a great debater. I doubt he will prove to be very good for this one, given his mental acuity and lack of stamina.