Democrats felt despair over President Joe Biden's performance in the debate on Thursday, when he stumbled in answering some questions raised about whether he should remain the party's nominee.
 
Biden appeared on stage with a soft, halting voice and a gaping, wide-eyed stare.

The 81-year-old struggled to maintain focus at some points, conceding on issues like abortion where Democrats have a clear advantage.

It took only a few minutes for Democrats to realize how bad things had become.

David Axelrod, former senior advisor to Obama, said that if the debate were assessed based on policies, Biden scored points on issues like abortion and the economy.

However, he performed extremely poorly, and there should be discussions about whether he should remain on the Democratic Party's ticket.

Axelrod added, "There's a sense of shock about how he appeared at the beginning of this debate. About how his voice sounded. He seemed a bit confused."

He continued, "There will be discussions about whether he should continue," adding that he didn't know "if it will lead to anything."

Prominent Democratic figures are having talks about what to do regarding the current situation.

Some of these discussions include whether to go to the White House and ask President Joe Biden to step aside.

Other talks involve whether prominent Democrats should publicly announce this, given how poorly Biden performed in this debate.

One Democrat who spent some time working in the Biden administration said, "Biden looks terrible. He is incoherent."

Another Democratic activist described Biden's performance as "terrible."

One Democrat who has worked on campaigns up and down the ballot simply stated, "We've lost our minds."

The looming question as the debate drew to a close was almost existential: should someone else lead the Democratic ticket?

One activist who has worked on campaigns at all levels for over a decade said, "It's hard to say that Biden should be our nominee."

This debate was historic for many reasons, not least of which is that it occurred before each man was officially nominated at his own convention. The Democratic National Convention is scheduled to take place on August 19 in Chicago.

Democrats have spent most of the past year worrying about Biden's chances of beating Trump in an election that many consider an existential one that will determine the survival of American democracy. But Biden himself was determined to be the one to face Trump, even stating at one point quite directly, "If Trump isn't running, I'm not sure I would run."

No serious Democratic challenger has stepped forward to run against Biden, and at this stage of the campaign, he will have to decide to step aside if Democrats choose another nominee. If Biden does indeed step aside, the Democratic nomination will be decided on the ground.