In announcing Sunday that he is dropping his reelection bid, President Biden admirably put his party and country above his personal interests. The fact that he was responding to a growing chorus within the party does not make his decision any less statesmanlike.
His willingness to step aside, and respectful calls for him to do so from other Democrats, are in stark contrast to the Republican Party, which has an almost sectarian stance on the supposed indispensability of Donald Trump.
The president’s decision, made so late in the election cycle, will undoubtedly provoke some consternation and confusion, not to mention a sense of betrayal among some of his most ardent supporters. But as Biden rightly acknowledged, the prospect of Trump returning to the Oval Office, which he disgraced, justified this historic and selfless decision. That’s true patriotism.
Trump’s continued unfitness for office was underscored in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, which after a call to heal “discord and division in our society” degenerated into a familiar litany of absurd and offensive claims, including the false and self-serving suggestion that the 2020 election was fraudulent. (“They used COVID to cheat,” Trump said.)
Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor may reduce some of the uncertainty created by his decision, and attention will shift to who Harris might choose as a running mate if she wins the nomination. If Harris is the nominee, she will need to cut through the noise and GOP talking points to highlight the Biden administration’s strong record while also articulating what she would bring to the presidency.
Some critics may argue that Biden should not only have dropped out of office, but resigned from office. But that is a fallacious argument. Just because the 81-year-old president is not up to the rigors of a campaign — and can drag down other Democratic candidates — does not mean he cannot complete his term.
In his letter to “my fellow Americans,” Biden appropriately praised his administration’s accomplishments, including the most significant climate change legislation in history and unprecedented investments in transportation, renewable energy and infrastructure. Biden was not just the man who saved the nation from a second Trump term.
It is commendable that he has acknowledged that by remaining as a candidate he could be jeopardizing those achievements, as well as the future of this country in which government decisions and policies are based on truth.
And now, with this bold act, Biden has made good on his 2020 promise to be a bridge to a younger generation of Democratic leaders. It will be up to them to reinvigorate a party that has been demoralized by fears about Biden’s suitability and re-engage voters who had been put off by discord and lack of focus.
