Biden Should Be Doing More Press Conferences
If these swing state voters in Michigan are any indication, it looks like Biden should be giving a lot more press conferences like the one he just gave at the end of the NATO summit.
If these swing state voters in Michigan are any indication, it looks like Biden should be giving a lot more press conferences like the one he just gave at the end of the NATO summit.
CNN's Gary Tuchman spoke to some Democratic and independent voters immediately following Biden's press conference, and a couple of them changed their minds that previously felt Biden should drop out, and not one of them was going to switch their vote to Trump:
GARY TUCHMAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Anderson, we are in the battleground state of Michigan in the western part of the state. This is the Portage Senior Center where seniors between the ages of 50 and 150 could come for exercise and fun.
These ladies, we have seven ladies here, all of them like Joe Biden. None of them are voting for Donald Trump, but we want to see how they feel about the problems that Biden has been having. And how he thought his -- how they thought his news conference just went.
Now, out of all seven of you, how many of you think it was better than you expected this news conference? How many of you think it was better than you expected it would be? One, two, three, four, five. How many of you think it was worse than you expected it would be? How many of you think it was the same?
So overall, it's a fairly positive review. I know I was -- we were watching it together. They all just got out of exercise class, so that's where they're dressed like that. I told you I would tell everybody that we're watching out together. And when he confused the names of Trump and Harris and talking about vice president, you all kind of gaps, but it got better, right? Is that what you think?
Now, four of you, one, two, three, four, all of you think that Biden should be staying in the race. You told me you think that he should pass the torch. The two of you weren't decided. My question for you, you weren't decided before this happened, if he should stay in the race. How do you feel now after watching this news conference?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Relieved and I think he should stay in.
TUCHMAN: So your opinion has changed, from not sure to he should stay in?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
TUCHMAN: OK. And how about you? How do you feel? You weren't sure. How do you feel now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Same. I think he's the logical choice. Yes.
TUCHMAN: OK. Now you thought he should pass the torch. How do you feel right now?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I still believe he should pass the torch.
TUCHMAN: And why do you say that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think he conveyed more defensiveness versus confidence. And I think we're really craving to be able to be confident about the candidate that we carry into the November election.
TUCHMAN: How did you feel about this news conference just now? Did it give you more confidence in Joe Biden?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have all the confidence that I did yesterday. So I just --
TUCHMAN: Were you confident yesterday?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because everybody has a bad day and I could see that he was sick, but for some reason, they decided to do what they were going to do, even though he was sick. And I think that might have been a bad choice. And you just saw him when he's sick and when he's tired and those sorts of things. But at the heart of it, he's a strong guy.
TUCHMAN: What do you think? Do you agree with that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I would agree with that. I think what came across was that of what he is. Joe Biden is very caring about people. He's very knowledgeable and experienced and he's not just out for himself that he really cares about the country.
TUCHMAN: And there's no chance that you would be more confident with the Kamala Harris or your governor here, Whitmer, here in the state of Michigan.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right. Yes. I think Joe Biden did an excellent job.
TUCHMAN: During this news. But was there any part of you before this that said, I'm not so sure that I can still support him and I want another Democrat.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've always been confident.
TUCHMAN: Any of you going to be watching the Republican National Convention? It starts Monday. No hands going up. Democratic National Convention, five weeks after that? OK. Not all these people are Democrats, some are Independents, but they all like Joe Biden, and it's fair to say that none of you are going to be switching to Donald Trump. Thank you all for joining us. Anderson, back to you.