Worcester County Democrats Focus on Message, Not Messenger, at Debate

What was the consensus in the debate between President Joe Biden and his Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump? It was hard to watch.

However, Biden has indicated that he will continue to run and continue to be the presumptive nominee.

It’s hard to watch, according to Gov. Maura Healey, who spoke briefly on the subject after welcoming the group celebrating Caribbean American Heritage Month to her ceremonial office Friday morning.

“It was a poor performance and hard to watch,” Healey said of the president.

However, she also criticized Trump for his refusal to accept the results of the last election, which he lost, and for refusing to assure the American public watching the debate that he would accept the results in November.

It was also difficult to see Trump “bragging about overturning Roe and taking away women’s health care,” she added.

“It’s the same Donald Trump all over again. The stakes (in this election) couldn’t be higher. »

U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, a Democrat from Worcester, acknowledged Friday that he didn’t like Biden’s performance in the debate, but said Trump’s performance was filled with lies.

“Did I like his performance during the debate? No,” McGovern said. “It wasn’t a good night for him, but at least he told the truth. On the other hand, Donald Trump lied about everything. He’s a pathological liar. Joe Biden has not only demonstrated his ability to tell the truth, but he has once again demonstrated to the country that he is a man of integrity. While Donald Trump is a convicted felon. »

CNN fact-checkers reported that Trump made more than 30 false statements during the debate, far outnumbering Biden’s false statements.

McGovern said he wished the media would pay more attention to Trump’s false statements, saying there was “something wrong” with Trump’s well-established penchant for making false statements and that the former president showed up only to avoid prison. McGovern pledged to support the outgoing president.

“Our democracy is at stake here,” McGovern said.

The impression formed by Worcester Mayor Joseph M. Petty was difficult to observe. “I’m not blind to what happened,” Petty said, but he recalled his own debates, concluding that they “can be difficult.”

“It’s difficult to debate with someone who doesn’t tell the truth,” Petty said, noting that other sitting presidents have also had difficult performances, citing former Presidents Barack Obama and both George Bushes.

Petty suggested that voters focus more on the message than the messenger. “His message was strong,” Petty said of Biden, noting that the debate over America’s role in the world and how Biden’s unwavering faith in the strength and righteousness of the United States contrasted sharply with Trump’s description of the country as a “third world nation.”

“Could he have done better?” Petty asked, before turning to Biden’s message and the need to protect democracy, veterans and women’s rights. “I think he’ll do better in the next debate.”

Massachusetts Democratic Party leader Steven Kerrigan also focused more on the president’s message than his performance.

“In the debate, we didn’t just see two men from different parties, we saw two different realities,” Kerrigan said. “The facts are that President Joe Biden cares about our future, our health care, our education, our economy, our security, our veterans, our military, our allies and ourselves. Donald Trump only cares about himself. I look at everything that President Biden has accomplished over the last four years and the list goes on. There is still work to be done and he has proven that he is the candidate to do it.”

But even as some in the party sought to reframe the debate and focus public attention on the message, many staunch Democrats were dismayed by the president’s presentation and questioned whether the man has the stamina to run a successful campaign against Trump.

“I was disappointed by his presentation,” said Millbury Democratic Sen. Michael Moore, who believes the debate was not helpful to the campaign as a whole. “I expected a lot more from the president. »

Massachusetts lawmakers in both branches participated in formal sessions that lasted into the early evening hours. Many were keeping one eye on the presidential debate while keeping another eye on the bills up for a vote.

Sen. Patricia Jehlen, D-Somerville, did not arrive home before the debate ended. Rep. Mary Keefe, D-Worcester, filmed the second half of the 90-minute show and the political analysis that followed on her way home. Neither woman chose to comment on the debate.

Sen. Jamie Eldridge, Democrat of Marlborough, managed to watch the entire debate.

“I felt like President Biden spoke well about his record, what he’s accomplished and his goals for a second term,” Eldridge said.

Under Mr. Trump, the country has made some progress in its economic recovery from the pandemic, but working-class families still struggle with food insecurity and high housing and energy costs.

The progressive senator is concerned that many polls show Biden trailing in five key states, and not just because of his poor debate performance.

Eldridge fears there is a gap between the candidate and a large portion of the American population: young voters, people of color and the working class. The president’s shift to the right on immigration, border policies and the role of the U.S. military around the world will further alienate him from those demographic groups without making him sympathetic to the right, Eldridge said.

Voters concerned about the U.S. military and border policy will vote for Trump, Eldridge said. He fears many of them won’t vote at all.

To win the support of young voters, those who identify as people of color or as progressives, the president must show more leadership, Eldridge said.

Moore agreed.

“The president evaluates the information that comes in, discusses it with his team and then decides how to address the issues,” Moore said. The presidential administration executes policy decisions, but it is ultimately the president who sets the direction for the administration.

But being a Democrat in this election cycle, with Biden as the candidate, does not inspire confidence in the November results, Moore said.

Polls show that 70 percent of Americans are unhappy with the choices that are emerging this fall. Moore questioned why the parties have not listened to grassroots voters and put forward new candidates. He suggested that perhaps it is time for the president’s advisers to be honest about his debate performance.

“No amount of argument will correct what people saw last night,” Moore said. “This is a very important election. »

Political experts have argued for the need to replace Biden, proposing among others the current vice president and the names of the governors of California and Michigan.

Overall, Democrats give Biden high job performance ratings for his accomplishments in office, citing the infrastructure bill, student loan forgiveness, passage of the PACT Act that increased support for veterans suffering from the health impacts of Agent Orange, burn pits and other toxic substances, and lowering prescription drug prices.

As questions about Biden’s age and mental capacity resurface after his raspy, disjointed performance, McGovern said Biden remained fully engaged in their personal interactions.

“He’s fully engaged, knows all the facts and has proven himself to be a capable leader,” McGovern said. In contrast to Thursday’s debate, McGovern pointed to Biden’s speech Friday afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina, which he called “powerful.”

Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy, said, “I thought the president finished strong. No game is won in the first round, and you have to watch the whole debate. Donald Trump couldn’t have discovered the truth in 90 minutes. The choice was difficult yesterday, and it is today.