 Why was it a surprise? Biden's problems leave some wondering if the press missed the story. It's simply astounding for the entire country, including its most seasoned reporters, to be as shocked as everyone was by the ugly and painful reality of Biden's debate performance. That's what Jill Abramson, former executive editor of the New York Times, told the website Semaphore this week. While it was a super hard story to report, she said it could have been done.