Internet Gobsmacked by Biden's Boost in Post-Debate Poll: "Did Any of Those People Watch the Debate?"

The arena of politics has always shocked or surprised people; there has hardly been anything in between in recent times. As per Raw Story, the recent post-debate poll is one of many prime examples, as it has left many scratching their heads. A new poll suggests that President Joe Biden may have actually gained ground against his rival, former President Donald Trump. The non-partisan group Political Polls shared some totally unpredictable results on its X account, showing Biden leading Trump by a super-slim margin of 45% to 44%. This came as an absolute surprise to many, considering the previous poll had shown the two candidates tied.

Netizens were swift to voice their confusion. @Mike_Cassidy_MS tweeted asking, "Did any of those people watch the debate?" Some users took a more cynical view of the situation. @johnbourscheid commented, "Imagine being such a bad candidate. that you can't even win a congressional election as a Republican in Mississippi." A number of people who thought Trump's performance was possibly even worse than Biden's agreed with this sentiment.

@lissy1820 didn't mince any of the words, stating, "Yeah, we saw a criminal felon lying for 90 minutes and not answering any questions, complete loser again!" Many found this tweet relatable, especially those who were frustrated by Trump's performance in the debate. Then there was another tweet by @BRNDNLGH that offered a different POV: "I think a lot of people would vote for a rock before they vote for Trump." 

Not everyone was on board with the poll results though, as @BPUnion made its stance clear, tweeting, "To be clear, we never have and never will endorse Biden." This tweet captured the feelings of the groups who are not at all confused about candidates.

What's also worth noting is that the debate itself was not without controversy. @ErikTelford alluded to concerns about Biden's health, sarcastically commenting, "He had a cold. Wasn't feeling well. Contagious. That's why we took him to Waffle House in the middle of the night and had him touch a bunch of people."

As such, the reactions to this poll reflected division in American politics. Even MSNBC host Chris Hayes summed up the situation by tweeting, "Shrug emoji no one knows anything...." But netizens were still not done. Some viewers focused on the candidates' character and performance. @slanderson2474 emphasized, "Character still matters to some of us," whereas Dana_Molly_Reid said, "Yep, they saw Trump lie incessantly and never answer a question." @Thecolours suggested, "Turns out, Trump's lies and racism were more of a deal breaker than Biden being sick."

A 'philosophical' reflection was also given by @Drugged_Atlas: "All I know is that I don't know nothing." Despite such varying opinions, the poll seems to be a clear indication of how unpredictable in nature modern politics is. Debates can sometimes lead to significant shifts in public opinion but their impact is not always clear or immediate. After all, according to historical data, post-debate polling results do not always translate to clear results, as per Axios.