TIME TO GO, JOE
We Love You, But It's Time
The debate was a disaster for Biden, revealing him to have moments of dementia going beyond “mild cognitive impairment.” Carl Bernstein and highly placed Democrats say these moments have been recurring from time to time, explaining his lack of press conferences and other unscripted events. Consequently, I respectfully disagree with a friend of mine’s assessment: ”As indicated by Biden's energy and acuity in Carolina the day after the debate, the unfortunate performance during the debate was not a diagnosis of Biden's present or future competence.” I think it is exactly that. Witnessing his decline since his State of the Union speech, I fear it will only get worse in time, leaving the U.S. in a precarious situation in an unsettled world drifting toward autocracy and violence if he wins, or, even more likely, if he fails to. I’m with Steve Schmidt, Thomas Friedman, the NY Times Editorial Board and many others calling for him to suspend his campaign.
As for who should replace Biden, I take the position of Alexander the Great, who, when asked on his deathbed who should succeed him, said, “The strongest.” If Biden suspends his campaign and releases his delegates soon, let the contenders make their case to the public and the convention. Keep in mind that both Roosevelts and Abraham Lincoln were nominated in open conventions. Nobody will make a move unless and until Biden voluntarily quits his campaign. I’d rather Trump face someone in full possession of their faculties rather than go down the ship with Biden clearly not. You know that the Republicans will load the airwaves with clips from Biden’s faltering debate performance to great effect on Republicans, Democrats, and undecideds. No amount of spin can overcome what 50 million people cannot unsee.
I think Biden has yet to realize that most Democrats are in a we-love-you-Joe-but-it’s- time-to-go mood, which will surely change if he loses, dragging many down-ballot contenders with him. Losing control of both houses of Congress would embolden Trump to even greater assaults on democracy and his opposition. Biden will then be blamed for every outrage perpetrated by Trump that, many will arguably conclude, could have been avoided had Biden stepped aside early in favor of a winning ticket. So far, he has adamantly said he wouldn’t. “I’m not letting one 90-minute debate wipe out three and a half years of work,” he said yesterday. If he loses, that’s precisely what will happen.
Leave. And have an open convention or, (and I think we have only so much time,therefore...) go with Kamala Harris.) I love seeing Trump facing a black woman. That is his greatest fear. The strongest judicial appointees and media opponents of Trump have in this generation of tears been black women. He's been faced with this righteous nightmare,and all he can do is flail about and scream.
What a fab debate that would be, and needed.
I've not been a fan of Harris when she was a prosecutor in California. But at this point, I certainly prefer her intelligence (and will ignore her word salad) to the other potential nominees --- other than a ticket of Jamie Raskin-Senator Crockett, which would be the killer combination ---
Still,the sooner Biden resigns,the sooner the democratic party can reconstitute itself, and hopefully move away from the Clinton-Bush-Big Money grope - Tsongas' 'New Democrats,' who have been nothing more than Rockefeller Republicans for the last couple of decades...!
Nobody will doubt Biden's contributions, when he retires. But if he remains, and Trump wins, Biden and the Democratic Party will share, for the history of all times, in the ignominy of America's end of democracy. So retire at once, Joe, with our love and blessings. If you love America, that's the greatest contribution you can give the world.