Democrats Should Pick a New Presidential Candidate Now - The Atlantic
By: Damon Linker (The Atlantic)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The party needs to wake up and stop sleepwalking toward disaster with Biden as its nominee.
The Democratic Party is heading into the 2024 election with a presumptive nominee who may well be incapable of defeating former President Donald Trump. The incumbent on whom the party is relying to run against Trump's dangerous threat to the country and the world currently rates at an anemic and steady 39 percent approval. Worse, no less than three-quarters of Americans and half of Democrats worry that President Joe Biden lacks "the necessary mental and physical health to be president for a second term." And those figures come from a survey released before Special Counsel Robert Hur's damning comments last week about Biden being an "elderly man with a poor memory."
Yet partisan Democrats, from the president on down, responded with anger and defensiveness to Hur's report. This is so unfair! How dare he use his office for a partisan hit job! To which I'm inclined to respond: Stop whining! The reason Hur's comments seemed damaging is that they confirmed what most of the country already believes: Biden is too old and frail for the job he holds right now. So the prospect of his serving another four years is a reasonable source of concern (especially because his vice president is as unpopular as he is).
How did we end up in this situation? The lion's share of the blame belongs to Biden himself. His decision to run for reelection, after initially indicating in 2019 that he'd probably serve only one term, is understandable in human respects but indefensible in political ones. It's very common for an aging person—especially a man—to deny the truth about his decline and the need to pull back from responsibilities. Such transitions typically involve a painful, arduous struggle for any family facing the situation.
Graeme Wood: The presidency is not a math test
A good part of it is stubborn pride. But decline itself can impair judgment. Close family members, equally disinclined to accept the reality of what's happening, can also become complicit in the self-deception. (I'm looking at you, Jill Biden.)
Whatever the source of this problem, Biden is putting his self-regard ahead of the good of the country. As a result, both he and his party are badly undermining the most compelling rationale of the 2024 campaign, which is the need to do everything possible to prevent Trump from returning to the White House. If the prospect of a second Trump term really poses a dangerous threat to American democracy, why is the Democratic Party depending on an incumbent president with an approval number lower than Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, or even Trump himself were facing at the equivalent moment before their failed reelection bids?
Many Democrats will say it's too late now. And that's true if we're talking about having an open primary season in which voters get to decide on an alternative nominee. Except for Representative Dean Phillips's quixotic primary challenge, the party has chosen to circle the wagons, angrily swatting away any talk of Biden making way for someone else.
For God's sake, why?
The Democratic Party appears to be stuck in a self-destructive contradiction, combining stupefying risk aversion (We can't change horses mid-stream! It'd be chaos!) with unjustified arrogance (Republicans are such morons to nominate Trump-the-loser again! That plus Dobbs means we're golden! We're so likely to prevail, you might as well ignore the polls!). I'd wager that precisely this unstable mixture of emotional responses helped produce the kind of unseemly displays we've seen since Hur's report, in which just about everyone on the center left has been pretending that everything would be fine and dandy with the Biden campaign if only the special counsel hadn't played his dirty tricks and the media's both-sides-ing hadn't amplified his dishonest insinuations.
Conor Friedersdorf: Apathy loses
We've been through this before. Democrats always find a diabolus ex machina to blame for failure: If it's not Vladimir Putin, it'll be Robert Hur. Anyone but those making inexplicably bad decisions in the Democratic Party.
Let me be clear: As a former conservative who hasn't voted for a Republican candidate since 2002, I am going to be voting for the Democratic nominee in November, whether or not it's Joe Biden. I would be doing that even if the party ran a potted plant in Biden's place. A potted plant in the Oval Office would be infinitely preferable to a president who embodies a potentially fatal threat to the country's democratic institutions.
But in place of either Biden or a house plant, what would I like to see?
For starters, every major figure in the party prevailing on Biden to drop out. That can be done behind the scenes at first, out of respect for the president. But if he refuses to budge, then it will be time for embarrassing leaks to the press. I would like to think that Biden will see the only way to preserve his reputation, record, and self-respect as announcing, somewhat as Lyndon B. Johnson did in March 1968, that he's withdrawing from the race. Biden should also announce that the delegates he's won up to that point in the primaries will be freed up at the August convention to throw in behind whichever candidate seems best positioned to beat Trump.
This past weekend in TheNew York Times, Ross Douthat suggested that Biden should hold off on making such an announcement until the convention itself, or at least until the primaries are over. I think that would be a mistake, because it would guarantee several more months of bad press and make the eventual announcement seem more beleaguered and desperate than it needs to be. Better that Biden drop out sooner and allow open jockeying for support within the party among multiple candidates to begin right away.
Yair Rosenberg: What Biden's critics get wrong about his gaffes
Would this be an ideal process? Not at all. Biden should have announced a year ago his intention to retire on January 20, 2025. But here we are. Better late than never remains a wise bit of advice in many situations, including this one, because it would give the party more of a fighting chance against Trump in the crucial final months of the campaign.
As for those insisting that Biden would have to treat Vice President Kamala Harris as his heir apparent for fear of alienating the party's base of Black voters, this is another good example of misplaced risk aversion. The party's message should be that no one is entitled to a presidential nomination. If Harris wants it, she will have to persuade her party that she's more likely to defeat Trump than formidable alternatives such as Governors Gretchen Whitmer, Josh Shapiro, Gavin Newsom, Jared Polis, and J. B. Pritzker, and Senator Raphael Warnock. That's how politics works—or should work.
More generally, I'd like to see the Democratic Party and its defenders spending more time running popular, charismatic candidates and less time desperately trying to work the refs—that is, more time doing whatever is necessary to win and less time trying to prove that Democrats deserve to win.
Trump is a sociopathic menace who must be defeated in November. However well-suited Biden was to the task of dispatching him four years ago, the situation has changed. Biden cannot possibly be the best person for the job today. The time to fix this mess is now—before it really is too late.
This story was adapted from a post on Damon Linker's Substack, Notes From the Middleground.
Damon Linker, a senior lecturer in political science at the University of Pennsylvania, writes the Substack newsletter "Notes from the Middleground" and is an Open Society Project senior fellow at the Niskanen Center.
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[source dissing]
That WASN'T a source dis FFS
I want Joe and only Joe as the DNC nominee.
Me too, Joe Manchin
Why don't you write him in?
Waste your vote, like you planned to anyway.
If I vote for a "Joe" it certainly will not be "Biden" and exercising one's right to vote is never a wasted vote, in democracy people are free to choose to vote for the candidate of their choice. But you didn't know that did you?
Where are the articles in the National Review or the New York Post calling for Trump to step down?
Conservative media claims that we need Trump more than ever now.
You have a comment on the actual article?
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[Member is not the topic]
A majority of the American people agree with the conservative media, Biden is a clear and present danger to our democracy, our national security, and our way of life.
Projection, deflection, and denial. What the gop/gqp is best known for.
Greg, you have to provide a list of why Biden is a threat to our democracy, national security, and way of life, and on balance why the other guy is good for the country.
No true conservative thinks that they or the country needs Trump for anything, his cult of followers s a blot on the nation, but that does not make Biden a good choice as the least smelly pile in he barnyard
That is demonstrably not true. Trump's cult is not large enough to put him at consistent double digit leads over other GOP candidates (including when Haley is the only one left).
Seems to me, a true conservative would be voting for Haley.
I am but I keep getting accused of going to vote other wise. I will, however, not vote for Biden if she doesnot prevail.
If Trump were as much a threat as they claim, Democrats would be insane to run Joe Biden for President. There actions let you know what they actually believe.
The last polls I saw between the two were virtually tied, but when broken down by districts and likely voters Biden might be in the lead. I don't put too much stock into these poll number yet, but I'm starting to pay attention to the aggregate trends.
The Dems don't have anyone else. Dean Philips has been a bust.
I heard Manchen is looking for a new job.
It is obvious that the D and R parties are on a trajectory to put forth horrible nominees. Of course they should pick others. Most people agree that neither of these men should be elected PotUS in 2024.
It also is obvious that these men will not voluntarily step aside. And the parties will not force them out. So short of extraordinary circumstances, we are likely stuck.
Why? Because the electorates of these respective parties are unwilling or incapable of NOT going with the flow.
The failure of the GOP is far worse than that of the Ds due to the fact that Trump is a traitor who is the only PotUS who has attempted to steal a presidential election through fraud, coercion, lying and incitement and could very well be a convicted felon by inauguration day. Unlike the Ds, the GOP has a fine alternative in Haley which they are ignoring in favor of a vindictive malignant narcissist asshole.
Opinions do vary.
Brandon has been the single worst thing to happen to this country since Bush Jr.
I guess Brandon being a career criminal traitor doesn't matter where Trump in involved.
Four more years of proxy wars all over the planet wasting billions of tax payer dollars accomplishing nothing. Four more years of record setting illegal immigrants crossing into our country unabated. Four more years of out of control government spending and waste. Four more years of two tiered justice system; and the IRS, FBI, DOJ, and now it seems the CIA being arms of the Democrat party. Four more years of Democrats working to pack the Supreme Court with however many justices it takes to get all rulings in their favor. Four more years of Democrats trying to federalize all election laws- to make people (criminals, illegal immigrants, immigrants, and children) count more than registered voters.
I can see why two of my friends who served this country renounced their citizenship and moved abroad.
Democrats are trying for one party rule- and are willing to make this country into a woke, dumber, version of China to do so.
I ignored everything after this, expecting it to be not worth my time to read.
I am with you there. Everytime I see a comment start with or include that in the first sentence I ignore the rest.
I ignored everything after this, expecting it to be not worth my time to read.
I did as well and I do the same with every comment that begins MAGA
I ignore everything from certain members. A complete waste of time.
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[I suggest you read the CoC and give a moment of reflection to the phrase] [‘thoughtful, relevant contribution’]
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It's not about Biden's age nor mental acuity, it's about the fear of an EMINENTLY QUALIFIED BLACK WOMAN being the proverbial "heartbeat away". I resent the endless pissing in my face and being told "it's raining".
It's about the inherently racist MAGA deference to its Great White Hope who provides the delusion that another term of POTUS delivers an ALL WHITE CHRISTIAN AMERICA!
What
would that be? Certainly you can't mean. kamel hairless, our current VP. She screwed up being in charge of the border situation. She is unable to make a coherent statement. No she is definitely not qualified in any way shape or form
MAGA "wit" ?
Your PRONOUNCEMENT is just that; no specifics, just allegation lacking the satisfaction of the burden of proof.
Learn. Kamala and the order situation.
"On the first day of our Administration, we sent a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress that included an increase in funding for border security and a pathway to citizenship for immigrants, such as Dreamers who have been here for years."
Republicans kill border bill in a sign of Trump's strength and McConnell's waning influence
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged GOP senators to pass an immigration and Ukraine aid deal. Just four of them supported it. In the end, even he voted no.
Another pronouncement on your part. Authoritative sounding claims without extensive, verified backup are for the willfully gullible.
And your " kamel hairless" crack is manifestation of childish name calling typical of filler for baseless rants. It's somewhat the equivalent of a child calling a target a "poopy head".
If you'd care to have a reasonable dialogue, make your case, but dismissive "arguments" (made by stating or reiterating that the argument is absurd, without providing further argumentation . This theory is closely tied to proof by assertion due to the lack of evidence behind the statement and its attempt to persuade without providing any evidence) don't cut it.
For emphasis!
Typical comments regarding women from certain members. Shocker!
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You mean like how some on the left have been attacking Nikki Haley?
Nobody relevant is listening to this writer, but he is at liberty to write what he wishes on the subject.
Just who do you consider relevant?
The article's opening paragraph:
The writer should not tell democrats they are 'asleep' on their party candidate for 2024. There are forces in play that regard the 2020 defeater of Donald Trump to useful to the current office he holds, despite the 'howls' of MAGAs' conservatives. That causes those who are liberal to be suspect of those are not liberal having the hubris to "pick" what's good for liberals.
This writer says Biden is too old to continue, but what else is wrong with the man besides age which is out of his control. There is no obvious mental decline which explicitly demonstrates a man unfit to serve. Especially a man, a leader, who is surrounded by great support staff!
To be fair no one knows what the "powers that be" have in-store for Joe Biden while in office another set of four years. . . we have nothing to analyze from the past presidents as indicators of significant decline by other presidents of "great age." This is a 'golden' opportunity-since we have TWO candidates of great age who we can watch and learn about the office of president and aging leaders.
BTW, we do know that some other countries have older leaders 70s and 80s, even a 90 year old leader in Cameroon. . . so there is precedent for leaders to be of "great age."
Therefore, I say that it is not relevant to not choose a leader based on a 'disqualifying' old age.
Let's see how clear-headed an Eighty years old can be. Let's go ahead: Give him, both of these men, a chance to run against each other and one defeat the other.
Finally, Biden is not my first choice for president this year. . . but as a pragmatist, I know he defeated the other guy by a lot in 2020 and it remains to be seen if he can do likewise in 2024.
Where have you been for the past three plus years? There has been plenty of evidence to show he is mentally unstable and unfit.
Yup! There is a country I want to emulate.
You claim that conservatives should not be telling liberals who they should or should not support but the left has no trouble telling the right who to support.
BTW I have no intention to vote for Trump in the primary even though it will probably not matter by then I plan to vote for Nikki Haley. If the general comes down to Biden or Trump I will vote for Trump. I will slit my wrists before I will vote for. Biden.
You know, you don't have to be insulting to Cameroon and its president just to feel good about the U.S. standing in the world. We all should have some grace towards others. BTW, the mention was of the Cameroon president's great age. . .not of any one other state affair.
The only thing wrong with President Biden is his age and only time will make us aware of how the phases of life will deal with him. I open my imagination for a look at 2028 and try to look back at Biden for the period of a second term. . . and I envision. . . too many scenarios which can be positive and/or negative. . .the effort is obscured.
The things wrong with Donald Trump are major and distractions that will eat at the soul of many men, especially one laboring to tear down a government democracy and rebuild it in his private, professional, interests.
Yet, it seems where we are headed—non-stop.
The article writer does offer an off-ramp in the future. . . Biden turning over his delegates at a future date to another democrat entering the presidential campaign frame - I have no reason to think that the off-ramp will be acceptable to Joe Biden. Now that Senator Joe Manchin has passed on the fall campaign for president. . . the other Joe, the aging one, seems to be a 'shoe-in' again from the democratic party perspective.
He is self described as a conservative liberal hiding in a dark corner of the Democat Party.
For whatever thats worth, lol.
Well, this conservative writer's potential conservative liberal "candidate," Joe Manchin, announced last evening (Friday) that he is not running for president this time around. So the writer is once again going in search of a 'winner' and we are left with what we have now to consider.
I will add this: It is interesting and. . . disturbing how closely the two political parties track each other: 1. Both parties are running men of 'great age.' 2. Both parties are running varying calibers of a presidents this time around. 3. And, character will be the 'worlds apart' that lifts one (Biden) higher than the other (Trump).
What the hell can the DNC do when they have no viable alternative? With Biden they at least have the advantage of incumbency, and I think it would be an advantage if he were to replace his V.P. because of the concern about his dying - I think the present situation is considered a negative by too many. Of course I don't have the right to vote in an American election, but if I did, it wouldn't be for either Biden or Trump.