OPINION
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race
June 28, 2024, 5:59 p.m. ET
By The Editorial Board
The editorial board is a group of opinion journalists whose views are informed by expertise, research, debate and certain
longstanding values. It is separate from the newsroom.
President Biden has repeatedly and rightfully described the stakes in this November’s presidential election as nothing less than the future of American democracy.
Mr. Biden has been an admirable president. Under his leadership, the nation has prospered and begun to address a range of long-term challenges, and the wounds ripped open by Mr. Trump have begun to heal. But the greatest public service Mr. Biden can now perform is to announce that he will not continue to run for re-election. As it stands, the president is engaged in a reckless gamble. There are Democratic leaders better equipped to present clear, compelling and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency. There is no reason for the party to risk the stability and security of the country by forcing voters to choose between Mr. Trump’s deficiencies and those of Mr. Biden. It’s too big a bet to simply hope Americans will overlook or discount Mr. Biden’s age and infirmity that they see with their own eyes. If the race comes down to a choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would be this board’s unequivocal pick. That is how much of a danger Mr. Trump poses. But given that very danger, the stakes for the country and the uneven abilities of Mr. Biden, the United States needs a stronger opponent to the presumptive Republican nominee. To make a call for a new Democratic nominee this late in a campaign is a decision not taken lightly, but it reflects the scale and seriousness of Mr. Trump’s challenge to the values and institutions of this country and the inadequacy of Mr. Biden to confront him. Ending his candidacy would be against all of Mr. Biden’s personal and political instincts. He has picked himself up from tragedies and setbacks in the past and clearly believes he can do so again. Supporters of the president are already explaining away Thursday’s debate as one data point compared with three years of accomplishments. But the president’s performance cannot be written off as a bad night or blamed on a supposed cold, because it affirmed concerns that have been mounting for months or even years. Even when Mr. Biden tried to lay out his policy proposals, he stumbled. It cannot be outweighed by other public appearances because he has limited and carefully controlled his public appearances. It should be remembered that Mr. Biden challenged Mr. Trump to this verbal duel. He set the rules, and he insisted on a date months earlier than any previous general election debate. He understood that he needed to address longstanding public concerns about his mental acuity and that he needed to do so as soon as possible. The truth Mr. Biden needs to confront now is that he failed his own test. In polls and interviews, voters say they are seeking fresh voices to take on Mr. Trump. And the consolation for Mr. Biden and his supporters is that there is still time to rally behind a different candidate. While Americans are conditioned to the long slog of multiyear presidential elections, in many democracies, campaigns are staged in the space of a few months. It is a tragedy that Republicans themselves are not engaged in deeper soul-searching after Thursday’s debate. Mr. Trump’s own performance ought to be regarded as disqualifying. He lied brazenly and repeatedly about his own actions, his record as president and his opponent. He described plans that would harm the American economy, undermine civil liberties and fray America’s relationships with other nations. He refused to promise that he would accept defeat, returning instead to the kind of rhetoric that incited the Jan. 6 attack on Congress. The Republican Party, however, has been co-opted by Mr. Trump’s ambitions. The burden rests on the Democratic Party to put the interests of the nation above the ambitions of a single man. Democrats who have deferred to Mr. Biden must now find the courage to speak plain truths to the party’s leader. The confidantes and aides who have encouraged the president’s candidacy, and who sheltered him from unscripted appearances in public, should recognize the damage to Mr. Biden’s standing and the unlikelihood that he can repair it. Mr. Biden answered an urgent question on Thursday night. It was not the answer that he and his supporters were hoping for. But if the risk of a second Trump term is as great as he says it is — and we agree with him that the danger is enormous — then his dedication to this country leaves him and his party only one choice. The clearest path for Democrats to defeat a candidate defined by his lies is to deal truthfully with the American public: acknowledge that Mr. Biden can’t continue his race, and create a process to select someone more capable to stand in his place to defeat Mr. Trump in November. It is the best chance to protect the soul of the nation — the cause that drew Mr. Biden to run for the presidency in 2019 — from the malign warping of Mr. Trump. And it is the best service that Mr. Biden can provide to a country that he has nobly served for so long.
Where do you stand on Joe stepping down?
I've long said Joe's too old. Last night made the crystal clear. But what's the alternative? I don't see a good one.
Him and Kamala willingly step down. They fully endorse the ticket of Michelle and Gavin. Forget about the likelihood of that happening for a second...you would agree they would clean Trump's clock, correct?
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There is no way we stand pat. We can't. The betting markets have folded on Joes chances and as we both now know, numerous Dem insiders are telling people off the record that Joe needs to go.
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And did you see the CNN post debate poll? It was Trump 67, Joe 33. A wipe out. Joe won the two 2020 debates by 14 and I think 25 or so. He is at 38% approval and losing or tied in every 2020 swing state and that is BEFORE last night is factored in.
Not for saying Biden should step down. That’s been obvious for years now. But for how they characterized Trump.
“Donald Trump has proved himself to be a significant jeopardy to that democracy — an erratic and self-interested figure unworthy of the public trust.”
Just pure TDS insanity.
“He systematically attempted to undermine the integrity of elections.”
Here’s 24 minutes of Democrats denying election results. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=iRYB6N8fBKQ&pp=ygUmMTQgbWludXRlcyBEZW1vY3JhdHMgZGVueWluZyBlbGVjdGlvbnM%3D
“If he is returned to office, he has vowed to be a different kind of president, unrestrained by the checks on power built into the American political system.”
Biden has put American Citizens behind bars for exercising their 1st Amendment rights to protest, he tried to set up a government censorship board, and he tried to throw his political opponent in prison. One of these two candidates is a threat to democracy, but it ain’t Trump.
“this threat of tyranny”
Just TDS batshittery.
“He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans.”
The same people who keep calling Trump a liar are the same people who a week ago said that Biden being old and senile was a “deep fake”. These are the same people who perpetuated the the “very fine people” hoax, the “inject with bleach” hoax and countless others.
“If the race comes down to a choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would be this board’s unequivocal pick. That is how much of a danger Mr. Trump poses.”
The danger of what? A great economy? World peace? Deporting illegals? Getting criminal gangs and terrorists out of the country? Lowering gas prices and inflation? What the fuck is the danger here?
Maybe Biden isn’t the only one with dementia here.
Where was his wife last night? Where has his daughter been? Why has every living Republican former president, vice president and presidential nominee come out AGAINST Trump? Why has dozens of people HE selected to be on his staff say he is not worthy of the presidency? Why has his own VP, Mike Pence, turned against him?
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I await your explanation.
NY Times pieces are usually behind a paywall.
Where was his wife last night? Where has his daughter been? Why has every living Republican former president, vice president and presidential nominee come out AGAINST Trump? Why has dozens of people HE selected to be on his staff say he is not worthy of the presidency? Why has his own VP, Mike Pence, turned against him?
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I await your explanation.
We have a totally corrupt media, corrupt corporations, and most especially a corrupt government. When you have a corrupt gravy train going then you don’t want some wild card like Trump undermining your bottom line. Trump attacked the media for their ridiculous lies. So the media never stopped attacking Trump. And many of them lied themselves out of business. You have politicians who *hate* the people they’re supposed to represent. They see them as nitwits that they can freely rob and steal from and reward their buddies who pay them back in campaign donations. Trump threatens that gravy train too, so they hate him.
Democrats don’t want to admit it, but Trump was right so many times, and they can’t face up to it because they mocked Trump at the time and then were made to look like dumb fucking idiots. Trump warned Germany it was too reliant on Russia. They laughed. Then they got fucked. Trump demanded that not so much money be wasted on defense and got defense contractors to deliver at lower costs. That pissed those leeches off too. Trump called out Democrat mayors for doing jack shit to stop the endless violence in their cities. That showed them up for the useless con artists that they are and that pissed them off. Trump lowered gas prices and that pissed off oil speculators. Trump said free trade was killing our domestic industry, and he was right. Biden has actually doubled down on this policy, despite that both parties hallowed out our domestic industry for 30 years. Did Biden ever thank Trump for having the balls to reverse this? Nope. After Covid does anyone with a lick of sense think it’s a good idea for China to make our medical supplies and computer chips?
Time after time, Trump reversed a corrupt gravy train that is strangling this nation and did what was right for the American People. And the people who hate the American People and get rich by robbing them blind called Trump every name in the book. That is the reality. And the only reason you don’t see it is because you’re gullible enough to still believe bullshit nonsense from the media that only a week ago was telling you Biden’s dementia was a “deep fake”. Wake the fuck up.
NYTimes editorial board askes Biden to drop out. Obama says stay the course. I think the calendar will resolve the split in favor of the Obama faction. Biden has no incentive to drop out and nearly impossible to force him. The clock runs out in about six weeks to get names on the ballots in all important states.
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Will the debate change many votes? Probably not alignment. But possibly enthusiasm.
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However the big unknown going forward is just about two weeks away -- will Trump be in prison? How will that affect his votes?
And dont take what Obama says 24 hours after too seriously. To me, he had no choice. He saw a guy who was so loyal to him floundering and he took his back...in the moment...not long term. There is no way Obama thinks Joe is the guy come the fall. He is too smart.
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Axelrod thinks Joe will lose. The NY Times has called on him to withdrawal. Thomas Friedman, who really likes Joe, is asking the same. Nicholas Kristof says it's time for Joe to go. Th Atlantic Magazine same. James Carville thinks Joe will step down.
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These are important voices. Serious people, all saying the same thing. PUBLICLY. What do you think people are saying privately? If he stays, and loses, his reputation will be tarnished and he will be a hated man. He, nor his wife, will want that. He has to go. He cant be remembered as Ruth Bader Biden.
I do not support him stepping down! On the contrary, he should continue forcefully. Don’t get me wrong … the performance of the debate is not lost on me. However, I think it has not hurt him in reality. Yes all the pundits are all saying the same negative things because they wanted Biden to be a super hero. But the public was not looking for a super hero but a decent old man who knows his policies and honest, kind and grandfatherly! Nothing wrong with that at all … especially when they saw a dishonest old man who lies his ass off and rapist convicted criminal on the other side.
Choice is simple!!
All in all, I believe the debate has helped and will help Biden by winning the hearts of the voters.
Where do you stand on Joe stepping down?
That is an all time bad and ridiculous take. If you want to say he can still win, well, ok, but it did NOT help him. It certainly hurt him. How badly? That is to be determined.
What Jill is saying today could be totally different than what she says in a week or two. She sees her husband ailing and the stump is no place to be for an 81 y.o. man who is cognitively declined. I didn't expect the campaign to curl up and die in a day. Its a big decision that needs time to sort out as it is risky.
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There is a lot of backroom talk right now and we will see how it plays out. If Obama and Bill Clinton and people like Axelrod and a few others go to Joe, I think he will step down.
White House aides now leaking against Joe. The Democratic establishment now seems to be forcing Joes hand. I love you Joe. But step down NOW so you still get that love from people you trust and admire. But if you dont...then lose...well.
The ball is certainly in Biden's court. We'll see what he decides. Interestingly there won't be a presumptive Dem nominee until August at the convention if Biden drops out, even if he endorses an alternate candidate. They also lose Ohio again, not that it matters.
We are on the precipice of a very historic moment in US history. If he pulls out, it’s the biggest story since 9/11. Bigger than the Afghanistan withdrawal, bigger than J6, perhaps even bigger than Trump’s victory in 2016.
The question is, what will be the aftermath?Does he withdraw his candidacy or does he resign from the Presidency? If he can’t run, then how can he remain in office?