Top Malloy-Era Advisor Says Perception Is The Problem, Biden Should Consider Stepping Aside

by Hudson Kamphausen

Following a debate performance that left many questioning whether President Joe Biden should continue as his party’s presidential nominee, Democratic strategist Roy Occhiogrosso said Saturday those conversations need to happen in the president’s camp.
Occhiogrosso, who has 30 years of experience in the political sphere, said that the debate between Biden and Republican candidate Donald Trump left him with a very strong feeling.
“If the president stays in place, he’s going to lose,” he said in a phone interview, later adding, “Everybody has good days and bad days, but not everybody is 81 years old.”

Occhiogrosso worked for Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s administration for two years – from 2010 to 2012 – following advisory roles in the governor’s election campaigns. He was a founding partner of Global Strategy Group, and worked there from 2003 until he joined Malloy’s administration. He also consulted for Joe Leiberman’s 2006 Senate campaign.

Roy Occhiogrosso and Gov. Dannel P. Malloy. Credit: FILE PHOTO / CTNewsJunkie

He said his concern – unlike others circulating online – is not about Biden’s ability to function as president. As a political operative, Occhiogrosso said his concern is about whether the president is able to win the race.
Part of that feeling, he admitted, is based on the roles played by narrative and perception in politics.

“In this world perception becomes reality. The narrative has taken hold, I fear, certainly exacerbated by his debate performance,” he said, saying that the narrative coming out of the debate was “brutal.”
Occhiogrosso said that before the debate he thought Biden would win the race for the White House, but now he’s no longer sure. Leaving him to finish the race, Occhiogrosso said, is taking a big risk on the future of the country.
“No less than democracy is at stake,” he said, later adding: “It’s not like Mitt Romney is sitting on the other side.”

Screengrab of the debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. Credit: Screengrab / CNN on Youtube

The public conversation between Democrats following Thursday’s debate has focused on whether Biden should continue as the party’s candidate. The New York Times editorial board on Friday called for Biden to step aside. However, The Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board, and others, said that Trump is the candidate who should be replaced because he was convicted on 34 felony counts by a federal jury and a litany of other reasons.
CNN, which hosted the debate without challenging any of the candidates’ assertions in realtime, reported Friday that Trump had made 30 false statements during the debate. PolitiFact also posted a similar report.
So it’s not a one-sided discussion with respect to which candidate should step aside, and high-level Democrats on social media are saying it’s too late for Biden to step aside. Former president Barak Obama is still solidly on board with Biden.

Former White House official David Axelrod, who is now a