Biden’s biggest debate challenge — and opportunity: From the Politics Desk

Welcome to the online version of From the policy deskevening bulletin that brings you the latest reporting and analysis from the campaign trail, the White House and Capitol Hill from the NBC News Politics team.

In today’s edition, senior political editor Mark Murray explains why President Joe Biden’s campaign is in a fighting mood ahead of the debate. Plus, we take an in-depth look at the Democratic House primary in New York, where the Israel-Hamas war is the main focus.

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Biden’s biggest challenge and opportunity on debate night

By Mark Murray

President Joe Biden’s campaign is in a fighting mood ahead of Thursday’s presidential debate.

Active “Meet the Press” on SundayBiden campaign national co-chair Mitch Landrieu used the words “fight” or “fight” 11 times when discussing the president and the upcoming debate.

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Vice President Kamala Harris said these words many times in her interview MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Posted on Monday: “I think the debate will highlight the contrast between our president, the current president who is working on behalf of the American people, who is fighting for the American people, and the former president who has almost completely spent his time fighting for himself.”

And this the latest tv commercial Biden campaign airs battleground: “This election is between a convicted felon out for himself and a president who fights for your family.”

There’s a good reason the term is on Team Biden’s mind: Perceptions of the president’s strength and toughness are his biggest liability in the November election.

Only 28% of voters nationwide called Biden “tough” recently CBS News/YouGov pollCompared to 66% who agree for Donald Trump.

Moreover, 43% of voters said Biden is better described as a “strong leader,” compared to 53% who said the same about Trump. National Fox News poll.

This is perhaps the best explanation for why voters see an age/fitness gap between Biden, 81, and Trump, 78: One candidate is perceived as strong and tough, the other as strong. t.

Thursday’s debate gives Biden an opportunity to challenge that perception, which is why his allies are focusing on the “fight.”

“So it’s a really clear choice,” Landrieu said “Meet the press.” “You may have a great man of great character, great judgment, great wisdom fighting for the American people. Or you can have a guy who thinks about himself and just wants to hurt anyone who doesn’t like him.

But does the country see Biden’s fight in the debate? That may be the biggest question to be answered after Thursday night’s showdown.

“Staff” member’s initial speech exposes deep Democratic divisions

By Ali Vitali, Scott Wong and Nnamdi Egwuonwu

MOUNT VERNON, NY – Bernie Sanders is lined up on one side of the race, Hillary Clinton on the other. The Democratic House primary in New York is in many ways a recap of the 2016 presidential election — with much of the familiar vitriol.

On Tuesday, progressive Rep. Jamaal Bowman, DN.Y. and centrist challenger George Latimer — which attracted the most advertising spending of any House primary in history — re-exposed and highlighted the flaws of a bitterly contested race eight years ago. The divide in the Democratic Party over the Israel-Hamas war.

Bowman, one of the fiercest critics of Israel in Congress, is fighting for his political life as he tries to fend off an onslaught of attack ads and win a third term. The United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with the staunchly pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spent nearly $15 million on ads to unseat Bowman and elect Latimer, the Westchester County executive of more than three decades. in local politics.

The spending comes in a diverse region north of Manhattan that combines urban and suburban areas and is home to one of the most significant Jewish American populations in the country.

As they crossed New York’s 16th District in the final leg of the race, Bowman and Latimer acknowledged that the Israel-Hamas war and record spending had made the race a national one.

“You want to send back to Congress an educator who has spent her entire life serving children, families and babies in our community and uplifting the working class?” Bowman, a former high school principal in the Bronx, told NBC News. “Or do you want a career politician funded by right-wing Republican billionaires who are literally buying our democracy? The choice is clear.”

Latimer sought to draw a clear contrast in both substance and tone, at one point describing himself as more “diplomatic” at a campaign stop on Monday.

Latimer, who argued Tuesday that Buck Bowman’s potential success will hinge on AIPAC’s involvement, told reporters at an event with Black faith leaders: “We had some internal polling before a dime was spent on this race, and I did some initial head-to-head comparisons.” . there was and the incumbent … was ahead of me at the beginning. That is, if someone says, ‘Oh, you spent so much money, that’s why you won’, it’s not true. We were ahead from the very beginning.”

“He said, ‘I want to give you a choice, I want to give you something different,'” Latimer told NBC News on Monday, referring to Bowman’s 2020 challenge to longtime Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel. “So I don’t see why it’s any different now that I’m stepping forward.”

Read more before Tuesday’s primary election →

That’s all for the Policy Desk for now. If you have feedback – like it or not – send us an email politicsnewsletter@nbcuni.com

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