Too Old Men

A botched debate question on childcare revealed an egomaniac candidate, and an incumbent opponent who cannot reliably beat him.

If last night’s presidential debate was too harrowing to contemplate in full, you can basically microdose the evening’s abysmal vibes by revisiting the lone question on childcare.

Asked what they would do to reduce the burden of childcare costs, Donald Trump and Joe Biden all but entirely failed to answer the question. Trump used his allotted time (twice; the moderators gave him a second shot) to relitigate a dispute about firing staffers, and Biden followed Trump off-topic, eventually devoting 22 seconds to discussing some line items in a child care bill that his administration has tried and failed to pass in congress. 

Donald Trump is a liar, a sexual abuser, and something close enough to a fascist that I’m not really interested in splitting academic hairs to award him an alternate label. But we know this. We’ve watched his aggressive, dishonest debate performances since 2015. The only revelation from last night’s debate was just how unfit Biden is—not just to counter Trump’s predictable attacks, but to clearly articulate any vision for the young people who will inherit the country after this pair of senior citizens exits the political stage.

And look, I write a political mommy blog. Of course I’m going to get above-median annoyed at the lack of substantive answers to a policy question about parenthood. But Biden’s similar lack of cogent responses on topics like climate change and abortion revealed a candidate who cannot advocate for children and families the way they deserve.

Biden’s shortcomings matter not because Trump is a viable alternative, but because a second Trump presidency is an unacceptable outcome. The climate cannot afford a second Trump term, the Atlantic described in December; already the overturn of Roe v. Wade by Trump’s first-term Supreme Court justice picks has been catastrophic to the health of children and anyone who can become pregnant. Since Texas enacted its post-Roe abortion ban, the state’s infant deaths have increased nearly 13 percent, driven largely by the deaths of babies whose health defects afforded them no chance of survival, but whose parents were forced to carry to term.

Biden’s failure to meet the urgency of the moment extends beyond a hoarse voice or a lifelong stammer. Even when they addressed real policy, Biden’s answers were inadequate. Consider his vague response on climate change, or his multiple garbled answers on abortion, during which he described abortion as a doctor’s choice and pivoted, unprompted, to talking about the murder of a woman by an immigrant. (A “a slap in the face to every woman who has spoken out and fought in court and the press for two years now to make people aware of what’s happening,” one reproductive rights attorney wrote.)

I am a registered Democrat who usually falls well to the left of Democratic candidates, but advocates for them anyway, hoping for a strategy of harm-reduction. This case does not feel the same as past elections. In the interests of sheer fucking pragmatism, replace Joe Biden with Kamala Harris on the 2024 ticket. Do I like her chances? Based on polling, I’m not thrilled with them! Gretchen Whitmer, J.B. Pritzker, Gavin Newsom, or Raphael Warnock probably more viable.

I leave the specifics to the wonks. But Biden cannot reliably talk his way out of this mess, especially with young voters.

A second Trump presidency would be disastrous for women, and for generations of children to come. We need a Democratic candidate whose ability matches the urgency of this election. After last night’s debate, I am not convinced that candidate is Joe Biden.