Usually after a debate ends, a new debate begins as to who won it, or whether it will affect the election. Instead, the debate swirling after this recent Biden-Trump debate is over whether Biden should be the Democrats’ presidential nominee.

Historically, incumbent presidents do poorly in their first debates, but Biden’s performance was the worst ever in history: the weak voice, the blank stares with the mouth open, and incoherent answers like the one that ended with “We finally beat Medicare.” Trump spoke for many debate watchers when he said of one of Biden’s rambling answers: “I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said, either.”

While Biden had to show he was not infirm and failed, Trump had to show he was not unstable and succeeded. Unlike his horrendous performance in the first presidential debate of 2020, Trump did not spend his time heckling Biden or telling the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Trump was composed, sounded moderate on abortion, and usually focused on the economy and the border.

Trump dodged many questions, but these days, some consider great debaters to be great deflectors. They answer the question they want, rather than the question asked. Also, Biden failed to call out Trump for dodging questions. Trump lied or exaggerated on many occasions. Many politicians do the same. Although Biden repeatedly said Trump lied, Biden had difficulty pointing out exactly how Trump lied.

Trump’s weakest moments came when the debate shifted to January 6th and his refusal to accept the results of the election if he lost.

When Trump said that members of the January 6th investigatory committee “should go to jail,” Biden delivered his best line: “The only person on this stage that is a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now.”

The silliest moment of the debate came when Trump claimed Biden couldn’t hit a golf ball 50 yards and then Biden bragged about his golf handicap and questioned whether Trump could carry his own golf bag. I guess old men use golf when they want to challenge each other’s virility.

What is not a joke is where do Democrats go from here. I expect Biden’s poor debate performance to have a small impact on the polls and erase Biden’s small gains after Trump’s felony conviction. Because the debate was months, not weeks before the election, Democrats could still recover.

But still, it leaves me wondering if Democrats truly believe that Trump is a threat to democracy. If democracy is really on the ballot, as they claim, is Biden really the best they can do?

If this is truly the most important election in our lifetime, why are Democrats nominating one of weakest incumbents in history? If Biden remains the Democratic nominee when Democrats say democracy is on the ballot, Republicans will laugh and respond dementia is on the ballot.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Steven Frias is a lawyer, a local historian, an award-winning writer, whose campaign for state representative has been credited with leading to the phase out of the car tax, and will soon be Rhode Island’s former Republican National Committeeman.