July 2nd 2024.
After President Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance, the Democratic party is facing a difficult decision. Should they continue with a severely wounded candidate or try to persuade him to step down and replace him with someone untested in the presidential public stage? Privately, many Democratic leaders are calling this a "Code Red" situation that requires a change.
While these leaders are not speaking out publicly, the voters are making their opinions known. In a recent CBS News/YouGov poll, almost half of Democrat voters said that Biden should not accept the party's nomination in late August. A staggering 72% of respondents also expressed doubts about Biden's mental and cognitive health. Another poll conducted by Our Revolution showed that nearly 70% of progressive Democratic voters believe it's time for Biden to step aside. Even pollster Nate Silver, founder of FiveThirtyEight, expects to see a further decline in these numbers.
It's no secret that the debate was painful to watch. As much as winning the election is crucial, a president must also be able to effectively serve. The White House and Biden's allies may want to spin his performance as a one-time slip-up, but the American people have seen for themselves that Biden lacks the cognitive and physical stamina needed for a second term, especially at the age of 86.
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. He is an American hero with a remarkable legacy spanning five decades. However, as a proud and stubborn man, this is undoubtedly a difficult decision for him. He has been essentially running for president since 1987, when I met him in Iowa on the campaign trail. If high-level Democrats truly believe that Trump is an existential threat to our democracy, then they must convince Biden to step aside.
Our first president, George Washington, set a precedent by voluntarily stepping down after two terms to ensure a peaceful transition of power. He did not want to become a king. In fact, his adversary, King George III, once asked his American painter what Washington would do after winning independence. The painter reportedly replied, "they say he will return to his farm." To which King George III replied, "If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world." We have good reason to believe that Trump wants to be king. Like Washington, Biden should not seek a second term for the love of our country and the future of our democracy.
At the moment, Biden, his family, and closest aides are standing firm on his commitment to stay in the race. They are trying to downplay concerns by labeling his debate performance as a mere "bad night." In a remarkable twist, they are even privately blaming his debate preparation team for his unsettling performance, rather than acknowledging Biden's obvious decline.
The Special Counsel's report, which stated it would be difficult to prosecute Biden in a classified documents matter due to his "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" and lack of willfulness, now seems legitimate and fair. It goes against the picture that the White House has been trying to paint.
For example, Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates has claimed that "not only does the president perform around the clock, but he maintains a schedule that tires younger aides, including foreign trips into active war zones. He proves he has that capacity by delivering tangible results that pundits had declared impossible." However, behind the scenes, a new Axios report paints a different picture. The White House is reportedly shielding Biden from the public eye to avoid verbal blunders and obvious fatigue outside of the hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when he is most alert. This may be acceptable for a Walmart greeter, but not for the leader of the free world with access to nuclear codes. It's worth noting that Biden has held the fewest solo press conferences of any president since the 1980s.
It's clear that Biden's physical and mental health will only continue to deteriorate from here. In order to replace him as the Democratic nominee, he must step aside, which would release his 3,894 delegates to vote for a different candidate in an open convention. These delegates would not be 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. This includes governors such as JB Pritzker, Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Gavin Newsom, Wes Moore, Andy Beshear, Roy Cooper, and Jared Polis, as well as senators like Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
For many of us, the choice between Trump and Biden is not a choice at all. We are looking for fresh voices to tackle the country's most challenging issues. Biden's family and closest allies need to 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 America may depend on it.
Doug Friednash, a Denver native and partner at the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck, served as chief of staff for Governor John Hickenlooper.
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