Even Hollywood Couldn't Save Biden
Joe Biden received advice from Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg before his June debate against Donald Trump, according to a new book by Chris Whipple. Given that it was probably the worst presidential debate performance in history, it's no wonder they haven't bragged about it.
'Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History' recounts how the Hollywood moguls advised Mr. Biden over Zoom on how to answer questions. Mr. Katzenberg then spent a week at Camp David to work with Mr. Biden on his body language in front of a camera.
There's a long history of Hollywood types advising Democrats on debates. Every Democratic president since 1960 who has participated in a general-election debate has received debate advice from Tinseltown. It started with the director Arthur Penn, who advised John F. Kennedy before Kennedy's 1960 debate against Richard Nixon. JFK was smooth and effective on television while Nixon, who sounded fine on radio, looked pasty and sweaty to those watching at home.
Presidential debates then took a 16-year hiatus. In 1976 they returned, and with them so did Hollywood kibitzing. In 2004 Jimmy Carter revealed that while preparing for his 1976 debate with Gerald Ford, he watched tapes of the 1960 debate 'over and over' with Robert Redford, who gave him tips on what not to do. A grateful Carter recalled he 'didn't know what in the world I was going to do' in the debate: 'I was probably president because of Bob Redford.'
When Bill Clinton ran in 1992, he had many eager Hollywood friends looking to offer him advice. His old pals and fellow Arkansans, Linda Bloodworth and Harry Thomason, were Hollywood producers who told him how to capitalize on camera angles at the debates. Comedian and director David Steinberg suggested via the Thomasons that Mr. Clinton look directly at audience members during a town-hall debate, rather than into the cameras. Mr. Clinton did exceedingly well at that debate, especially in contrast to George H.W. Bush, who memorably looked at his watch during a question.
Mr. Steinberg wasn't the only Hollywood star to offer advice to Mr. Clinton that cycle. Barbra Streisand sent him a telegram before his first presidential debate in 1992: 'Don't be afraid to let your passion and anger show. The best defense is a strong offense. We honor your convictions and integrity and we will be rooting for you.' As Ms. Streisand described the guidance in her 2023 autobiography, 'I was talking to him like a director.'
Barack Obama also drew on Democrats' alliance with progressive Hollywood stars. They weren't shy about giving guidance after Mr. Obama's poor debate performance against Mitt Romney in 2012. Aaron Sorkin, creator of 'The West Wing,' wrote a scene in which President Josiah Bartlet advised Mr. Obama to go after Mr. Romney more aggressively next time by 'learning to pronounce three words: 'Governor, you're lying.' ' The program had ended its run, so Mr. Sorkin fed the scene to New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd, who published it.
Not all the advice heading from Los Angeles to Washington has been helpful. As actor Rob Lowe recounted on his podcast in 2021, director Rob Reiner suggested to Al Gore that he get up in George W. Bush's face during their 2000 debate. It didn't work. Mr. Gore's attempt to make Mr. Bush uncomfortable was countered with a dismissive head check that might have been Mr. Bush's best moment in that debate.
Unlike that situation, one can hardly blame Messrs. Katzenberg and Spielberg for Mr. Biden's predicament. Mr. Biden didn't have it in him to perform adequately in 2024. The best advice they could have offered Mr. Biden would have been to drop out of the race before taking the stage, but there was no way he would have taken it.
Mr. Troy is a Senior Fellow at the Ronald Reagan Institute. He served as deputy secretary of health and human services, 2007-09, and is author, most recently, of 'The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry.'
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