If Joe Biden is the Democratic nominee this fall against Donald Trump, my vote for him would be the easiest I have ever cast.
And yet, I have now joined those who believe Biden should end his re-election bid. I wish he would take a well-deserved bow and help unite his party in his convention Next month, the decision will be made on a younger, more dynamic candidate who has a better chance not only of beating Trump but also of serving a four-year term.
Opinion columnist
Jackie Calmes
Jackie Calmes brings a critical eye to the national political scene. She has decades of experience covering the White House and Congress.
I wish I could say, as others do, that it has become… absolutely It is clear to me that the weakened president must pass the torch. I cannot. I remain divided. Biden has earned reelection because of his formidable record and his restoration of normalcy and decency after Trump. Moreover, the risks inherent in the Democrats' unprecedented and uncharted process of deciding on an alternative ticket are real: the prospect of their disorganization and division, all to Trump's benefit, It stopped me from jumping right after Biden's harrowing debate performance.
Two weeks later, however, the biggest risk appears to be that Biden stays in the race, loses, and hands the keys to the Oval Office back to a man who should never set foot in its door again. “God help us,” says Retired General John F. Kelly of that possibility, A feeling that is repeated in many Many former Trump advisersIn addition, a Republican defeat could cost Democrats control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
That's not the legacy Biden wants.
The president's paralyzed brain, bumbling answers, and blank, slack-jawed face at the June 27 debate were bad enough, bad enough to overshadow the perpetually unhinged Trump's barrage of lies. But what has been maddening, and what made me decide against Biden's candidacy, is this: The utter failure of him and his staff since then to fully recognize the crisis at hand—this was not “a bad night” — and for Biden to act accordingly.
After the debate, we should have seen daily, unscripted appearances at the White House and on the campaign trail, not sporadic ones. A lengthy press conference. Immediate phone calls to leaders and allies in Congress and state capitals. And, not least, a full panel of neurological tests, after which the president’s doctors would appear on camera to describe the results and — we hope — reassure us that everything is as good as can be expected for an 81-year-old man with the most stressful job on the planet.
Biden and his campaign finally began executing such a rescue operation on Monday, With some successbut only after some elected Democrats had made public their calls for the president to drop the nomination. Biden's last-minute offensive included his letter to Democrats in Congress (“Any weakening of the resolution or lack of clarity about the task ahead only helps Trump and hurts us”); Call to the amiable hosts of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” (“I’m not going anywhere”); meetings with the House Black, Hispanic and Progressive Caucuses; a conference call with hundreds of donors; and announcements of additional campaign stops.
But Biden has declined a neurological exam: “Nobody said I had to do it,” he said. countered Asked by ABC News' George Stephanopoulos on Friday whether he had or would take such a test, he said, “Look, I take a cognitive test every day… I'm not just campaigning, I'm running the world.”
Just as the uproar over Biden intensified this week with Congress returning from a summer recess, world leaders also arrived in Washington for a NATO summit marking the alliance's 75th anniversary. Dignitaries' already high anxiety about Trump's potential return has increased, along with efforts to “Trump proof” The organization against threats that could pose him or his support for Ukraine against Russia's war. (Among the debate moments overshadowed by Biden's meltdown was Trump's nasty response when Biden asked if he would withdraw the U.S. from NATO: a dismissive shrug.)
Biden may have stopped the bleeding in Congress — for now. Scattered calls from Democrats to step aside were outnumbered by declarations of renewed support earlier in the week. I’m not convinced, though, because I completely agree with Biden: Democracy is at stake. What we disagree on is whether he can preserve it by defeating Trump.
The strategists who helped elect the previous two Democratic presidents — Bill Clinton's guru James Carville and Barack Obama's David Axelrod — no longer believe Biden can win. Carville, in Monday's New York Times, proposed a round of town hall meetings for alternative candidates before the convention begins on August 19. (First, however, Biden would have to withdraw, which is just one of the reasons Carville hoped–(Because the caper is not realistic.) Axelrod, in an interview with CNN column On Friday, citing post-debate polls, he concluded that Biden “is headed for a crushing defeat by a lawless and unpopular former president.”
Axelrod’s description of Trump underscores the tragic irony of the Biden saga. A good man and a good president are being pushed off the stage while next week the Republican Party will make official the nomination of a bad man who was the leader of the nation. The worst presidentaccording to the classification of historians. Or, as Jimmy Kimmel says Put it (because he can find humor where I can't): “The media has spent nearly two weeks calling for a candidate to drop out of the race, and somehow it's not the convicted felon.” (Who is also, I might add, a convicted sexual abuser and financial fraudster.)
I’m sad to be one of Biden’s pushers, but this election is bigger than Biden. If he were to step aside, Democrats could unite around Vice President Kamala Harris, the other half of the ticket that Democratic primary voters elected and the only alternative to Biden who could tap into Biden and Harris’ war chests. Convention delegates could choose his running mate; my pick would be the impressive two-term governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear.
Things could get complicated, but I think Democrats would come together given the stakes. And could they win? Polls of hypothetical races are a gamble, but a new, younger ticket coming from the Democrats could inject excitement into a matchup that has left half of voters unhappy with their choices.
Of course, if Biden remains in office, I will vote for him, preparing for the worst and hoping for the best: four more years.
@jackiekcalmes
