The Democratic Party is Pitching a Return to Normalcy
But Is It What the People Want?
In the days following the June 27, 2024, debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump, there was a sense of hopelessness on the Democratic side. Biden exhibited a clear decline both mentally and physically, stumbling over his words with an apparent lack of energy.
Next to him, an energetically incoherent Trump looked like a more plausible president. The alarm bells started ringing, as there were immediate calls for the president to step down from the race.
I thought Biden should stay in the race. In interviews and other formats, he gives coherent answers and appears by no means senile. Old men occasionally make mental mistakes, but there is nothing in this case to indicate Biden can’t do the job of president. He has also demonstrated by direct evidence that he can beat Donald Trump in an election.
But the stance I’ve come around to is that Biden can do the job of president, but not while campaigning for president. Father time must collect its debt in some way, and in this case Biden clearly cannot handle the stress of what are effectively two very arduous full-time jobs. I still fully believe he has been an excellent president, possibly the best foreign policy president since George H.W. Bush, and that…
