That’s exactly what I will expect him to say, right up until he leaves.
It is extremely disappointing that he didn’t take this opportunity to gracefully step back. People who watched the debate saw his performance and him trying to say “Nah bro, I got this” is really stupid.
If the president of the US is going to step down from an incumbency race, I’ma bet that’s an Oval Office or White House press briefing room announcement - with the full White House press pool invited. That needs as much attention as possible so the maximum amount of people know what’s up on the Nov ballot.
This is bigger than me, so I’ll step aside to beat Trump.
Would pretty much guarantee whoever filled his spot became president.
But moderates demand 100% loyalty. Even if Biden thinks they’re right eventually, he’s not going to change his mind for “the left”. Even when it’s other moderates. He’s been turning on a lot of allies immediately after they even questioned if he should stay in, and claiming CNN and the NY times all sorts of shit despite them backing him all the way up till now.
Biden has never been good at accepting criticism or dealing with confrontation. It’s what torpedoed his first primary back in 88. If someone isn’t with him, Biden considers them against him.
He’s a lot like trump in that regard, loyalty is a one way street.
I don’t think this is really a moderates thing, I think this is a Biden ego thing and the Democrats being paralyzed by their deference to established leaders even when they’re clearly in the wrong. The only Democrat on record saying he should step down is some nobody. And there’s a whole lot of moderates damning him with faint praise of “that’s something Joe Biden will have to decide” rather than “no, of course he should stay in”.
I don’t expect Biden to be replaced by someone not thoroughly bland and plotting a triangulating path through the electorate. Hell, it’s entirely possible Biden’s fits and starts of throwing the left a bone occasionally will be “the good times” for progressives. But what I do know is the Joe is almost certain to lose and we need someone who can win. Sub in Kamala or Buttigieg or (ugh) Newsome, it’ll still let me breath a sigh of relief.
Would pretty much guarantee whoever filled his spot became president.
100%. Biden is and has been the worst possible candidate.
There is literally nothing that guarantees a replacement candidate becomes president. Wishful thinking at best.
I don’t know why people are looking at both of their performances at a debate when people can look at their performances as presidents.
It’s honestly infuriating how everyone is struck on that like it means anything. All presidential debates gave always been awful. This is no exception and this time we have an alternative POV.
I think Biden would make a pretty passable president because he’d be surrounded by a competent cabinet… but my opinion doesn’t determine the president (otherwise, we’d be on like year 16 of a Sanders administration).
His debate performance was weak enough that I’m concerned Biden won’t beat Trump. Trump absolutely cannot win this election or any future one, he must be kept out of office. My concern isn’t about Biden’s performance once in office, it’s about Biden’s ability to gain the office.
Honestly, I’m not going to give Biden a 10/10, but his last administration was pretty solid, like 7/10 level. He reacted extremely poorly to Gaza and has been underwhelming on labor but he’s gotten a lot of good shit done.
You can be a good president by hiding in your office and approving good policy made by your excellent team, but you can’t become president by doing those things, especially when you’re down. The nominee needs to be able to be coherent in public a lot, doubly so after having what appears to be a very public senior moment. People who have been around old people know that a few good days doesn’t mean their loved one is better, it just means they were good days.
And who is going to take his place? There’s no Dem who could pull enough moderates at this point in the race to win. Biden never wanted to run to begin with, but was pressed into it because was the only possible candidate with enough appeal to beat trump (except Bernie, but Dem leadership messed that one up).
The only reason his debate performance matters is because all the never Trumpers who spend too much time doom scrolling are forcing it into the news cycle.
If Biden bows out now, Trump wins.
Whitehouse is my personal pick, but both Buttigeig and Whitmer seem like likely establishment picks - both have been pushing a lot of media presence lately.
Yup. You need to project complete confidence until the moment you drop out, once you say “This is a hugely important decision, the hardest one I’ve ever had to make, so I’m taking my time” Boom you have lost control and it’s over.
However it appears the writing is on the wall at this point. The next question is, once he decides to no longer run should he resign? If he isn’t up for the job of running how does he instill confidence that he can remain president? Plus it hands the nomination to Kamala no question.
Biden definitely is thinking about Johnsons disastrous late departure from the race in 1968 leading to brawls on the convention floor and competing slates of delegates that ultimately led to Humphrey getting nominated. His loss was blamed on the chaos at the convention.
if he leaves at all it wouldn’t be right before the convention.
This can’t go all the way to the convention, because they made the convention so late. They actually have to make the formal nomination before the convention, in time to meet Ohio’s deadline.
The only path forward is for Harris to take over the nomination. This is far easier if Biden resigns totally. He can say he’s doing it for medical reasons, even if all he has is a chronic case of notgonnawinatall, complicated by inflammation of the opeds.
I was thinking about Ohio too. Plus the lawsuits the Heritage Foundation is already loading to keep Biden on the ballot.
But if he resigns, it would likely make things easier.
I’m still not convinced he is going to do that though.
