July 2nd 2024.
After President Joe Biden's disappointing performance in the recent debate, the Democratic party is facing a tough decision. They must decide whether to continue with a weakened candidate or to convince him to withdraw and replace him with an untested candidate. Privately, many Democratic leaders are calling this a Code Red situation that requires immediate action.
While these leaders are not speaking publicly, the voters are making their opinions known. According to a new CBS News/YouGov poll, almost half of Democratic voters believe that Biden should step aside and not accept the party's nomination. Additionally, 72% of respondents do not believe that he has the mental and cognitive capacity to serve as president. Another poll conducted by Our Revolution found that nearly 70% of progressive Democratic voters believe it is time for Biden to step aside. Even pollster Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, expects these numbers to continue to decline.
The debate was hard to watch, and while winning the election is crucial, a president must also be able to effectively serve. Despite the White House and his allies trying to spin it as just one bad debate, the American people have seen for themselves that Biden does not have the necessary mental and physical stamina to serve a second term, especially when he will be 86 years old.
In light of this, President Biden should gracefully withdraw his nomination, take a well-deserved victory lap, and pass the torch to the next generation. Biden is an American hero with a remarkable legacy spanning five decades. This decision will not be an easy one for him, as he is a proud and stubborn man who has been essentially running for president since 1987. However, if high-level Democrats truly believe that Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, they must convince Biden to step aside.
In the early days of our republic, President George Washington chose to step aside and ensure a peaceful transition of power rather than run for a third term. Washington did not want to become a king, and in fact, his adversary, King George III, predicted that if Washington returned to his farm after winning independence, he would be the greatest man in the world. We now have reason to believe that Trump wants to be king, and like Washington, Biden should not seek a second term for the good of our country and the future of our democracy.
Currently, Biden, his family, and closest aides are standing firm on his commitment to stay in the race, dismissing his debate performance as simply a bad night. In a remarkable twist, they have privately blamed his debate preparation team for the unsettling performance instead of acknowledging Biden's obvious decline.
Biden's team also became upset when Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report stating that it would be challenging to prosecute Biden in a classified documents matter due to his "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and the difficulty of proving his mental state. This report, which initially received criticism, now seems accurate and fair, describing Biden's memory as "hazy" and "faulty" with significant limitations.
However, the White House has worked hard to paint a different picture of Biden, such as Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates praising his ability to perform around the clock and maintain a schedule that tires out younger aides. But behind the scenes, a new report from Axios reveals that the White House tries to shield Biden from the public eye to avoid verbal mistakes and obvious fatigue outside of the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when he is most engaged. This may be acceptable for a Walmart greeter, but not for the leader of the free world with access to nuclear codes. Biden has had the fewest solo press conferences of any president since the 1980s, and his physical and mental health will only continue to decline.
In order to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, he must step aside, releasing his 3,894 delegates to vote for a different candidate in an open convention. These delegates are not obligated to support Vice President Kamala Harris. The good news is that the Democratic party has a deep bench of talented potential presidential and vice-presidential candidates, including governors, senators, and cabinet members.
For many of us, the choice between Trump and Biden is not a choice at all. Voters are looking for fresh voices to address the country's most challenging issues. Biden's family and closest allies must seize this moment and speak truth to power. They must convince him to leave with honor and a legacy that he and all Americans can be proud of. The future of our country may depend on it.
Doug Friednash, a Denver native, is a partner at the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck. He previously served as chief of staff for Gov. John Hickenlooper. To receive a weekly roundup of columns, editorials, and more, sign up for Sound Off. To submit a letter to the editor about this article, visit our website for guidelines on how to submit via email or mail.
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