Long-time reader/member, occasional commenter, this is my first diary.
TL/DR: The issue is not whether Biden is too old, it's that voters THINK that Biden is too old. People thought so in 2020; he is even older now and even more people think he is too old. There is ample justification for that opinion. But correct or incorrect doesn't matter: that's what they think, and they are not going to change their opinion. Voters hate that the choice is between two old men. Are we certain that swing voters will not just not vote, or not vote for third parties? The election is close and we cannot afford to lose them. Are we sure that Biden will not flub another debate? Are we sure he will be able to campaign vigorously and aggressively for four more months? What happens to swing voters if the worst occurs, and there’s another disaster? Those concerns are legitimate, and cannot be wished away. Please read this article by Ezra Klein (link should not be paywalled). /tl:dr
The issue is NOT Biden's age and mental/physical competence. The issue is VOTER'S OPINION of his age and competence. Many, many voters (maybe a majority) THINK Biden is too old and should not be running. A lot of people thought so in 2020, and many more think so today. It does not matter whether their opinion is correct or fair, what matters is that that is their opinion. Biden apologists seem to be ignoring this.
Everyone is dancing around the fact that Biden is over 80 years old. People have had reservations about his age for years, and those worries are constantly getting stronger. The debate was an attempt to tamp down those reservations. Instead, it reinforced them. People saw what they saw, and they didn't like it. Bad camera angles? Bad audio? Jet lag? A cold? No challenges of Trump by the moderators? That makes no difference. People formed their opinion and they are not going to change it. Even if Biden does well going forward, there will always be the fear/anticipation of another disaster. You're going to tell voters they should not worry about that? On what basis?
Should this all come down to one bad debate performance? That was Biden's chance to reassure voters, and he didn't succeed. But it is NOT all down to one debate. As Biden has gotten older, the doubts have gotten stronger. Yes, videos have been edited to make him appear confused. Yes, there have been other bad-faith actions by some in the media to emphasize Biden's age. Again, this is irrelevant to the core issue: voters think that Biden is too old, and whether that is correct or incorrect, fair or unfair, is besides the point. There will be more debates in the fall. Are we certain that Biden will not flub them? I'm not. The various excuses haven't worked for the one flub. Please, let's not pretend any excuse would work for another flub.
An awful lot of people have experience with older family members. They know that old people do not get younger. They know that while some people are totally sharp into their 90s, most are not. They know that age-related decline can come on very suddenly and progress to the end with shocking rapidity, in a matter of weeks. I saw this with my mother. You're telling us that this won't happen with Biden? How can you be sure? Remember, he’s 81 years old.
Perception is everything. A lot of voters think (justifiably, in my opinon) that Biden is too old. But even if it's not justifiable, that's what they think. Lecturing voters that they are wrong, and even worse insulting them by telling them that their opinion is a result of being gaslit or believing propaganda, is not a winning strategy and will not succeed.
Voters are disgusted that the choice is between these two old men. Yes, one is a very likeable, decent guy who has been a very good president, and the other is a POS. That does not change their opinion that they think they are both too old. Loyal Democrats will crawl on their hands and knees over broken glass to vote for Biden to defeat Trump. Are we certain that enough swing voters will do the same? I'm not.
I'm reading an awful lot of groupthink on Daily Kos on this issue. Even worse is the MAGA-like attitude that because some media are taking a different side on this issue, we will just no longer read or watch them. We won't bother taking their concerns seriously. Boycotting Josh Marshall/talkingpointsmemo.com? Seriously?
People want Biden to withdraw because they are worried that too many voters will simply either not vote or will vote for a third party as a protest. The election looks like it will be close. Can we afford to risk losing potential voters? They also are not sure that Biden can campaign as vigorously and aggressively as necessary. Maybe he can do so today, this week, maybe through the convention. Are we certain he'll be able to do so up to election day? I'm not, and neither are a lot of loyal Democrats who have nothing against Biden, but are willing to look reality in the face and not whistle past the graveyard. The danger of another disastrous incident with Biden is real. Pretending that this is nothing but a personal attack on Biden, or worse, an attempt by other potential candidates to shove him aside, is ignoring the elephant in the room.
Personally, I'm a fan of Biden, but I'm very disappointed now. What I see is someone putting his own personal considerations ahead of the good of the party and of the country. He's taken the legitimate concerns about his age as a challenge, and he's determined to prove the skeptics wrong. What if they're right? He's convinced himself that he can do it. What if he can't? And he's apparently convinced himself that only he can do it. As Charles de Gaulle supposedly said, the graveyards are full of indispensable people. I, and many others, are simply afraid that the Democrats, and the country, will lose this gamble.
Yes, there are downsides to having Biden withdraw, but there are upsides as well. I would urge people to read Ezra Klein's column that sets out how Biden withdrawing would upend the entire situation, to the benefit of Democrats. I'm gifting this link so it should not be paywalled.