Netizens Compare 2012 and 2024 Presidential Debates With a Heavy Heart: ‘USA Has Now Become a Circus'

A recent video juxtaposing the 2012 and 2024 presidential debates has gone viral, igniting intense reactions and emphasizing a dramatic shift in American political discourse. The clip, which flaunts the stark contrast between the dignified exchanges of the Obama-Romney era and the chaotic nature of the Biden-Trump faceoff, has led many to lament the perceived decline in the quality of political debate in the United States.

The 2024 debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump was a spectacle that left many viewers around the world concerned about the future of American democracy. As the two candidates traded barbs and flaunted their vastly different approaches to addressing global issues, it was Biden’s shaky performance that dominated the headlines. Many have even called for the incumbent POTUS to drop out of the race after his lacklustre performance. 

As such, netizens were quick to react to the recent debate and draw comparisons to previous debates and how it changed currently. One user wrote, “What a difference 12 years makes.” Another user added, “People realising that USA has now become a circus is my fav thing on internet this weekend.” Another user chimed in, “The amount of respect the world has lost for the US since 2016 seems to be consistently underestimated. A shame really, but at least now the Hollywood myth has been ‘busted’.”

In agreement, someone else tweeted, “unbelievable in retrospect that both of these candidates were considered extremists.” One user slammed, “So in a country of 340M these 2 fossils are the "best" choice? Apparently 12 yrs ago there were better choices…” As if this was not enough, one user tweeted, “I'm not American and this ain't my politics but... I think not everyone should be allowed to run for president, but that's just me.”

As per NBC News, Chinese nationalist commentator Hu Xijin remarked, “Personal attacks, hazy memory, mocking each other... this debate was very entertaining for many Chinese people. Objectively speaking, the low-quality performance of these two old men was a negative advertisement for Western democracy.” The view was mirrored by several international observers, who expressed dismay at the perceived decline in the quality of American political discourse.

The focus on Biden’s performance has been specifically sharp, with some within his own party calling for him to reconsider his campaign. A former senior British official, who has worked closely with Biden, expressed, “I was absolutely horrified by how poorly he performed,” the former British official said. “I thought he might have moments when he would get a name or a date wrong or use the wrong word. But that was just catastrophic.”

The British official continued, “Most people think, putting together the apparent likelihood that he will still be the Democrat candidate and the sheer dreadfulness of that performance yesterday, the chances of a Trump 2.0 presidency have risen substantially in the last 24 hours. And that really does frighten people.”