Unless new polling shows a remarkable turnaround or it is technically impossible to switch candidates at this late date, and with all due respect, I believe that Joe should go.
First, let me be clear that I would vote for Joe Biden if he is our candidate and he was in a casket. Anybody but Trump. So , my viewpoint is that we must have the best candidate that we can come up with to beat Trump, so this post is not pro-Republican or anti-Democratic, or repeated RTP. And Joe has done a great job as President, far better than I expected.
My argument is based on the following
- Joe was not bad in the debate: he was decrepit, he was horrible, it was a shockingly bad demonstration mental decline. And it was not a cold, it was not jet lag (although they may have contributed), it was age related mental decline. You know it, you all know it. And you don’t recover from old age, ya know (I am 70 myself)? And he is clearly not bad all the time, but when is he? How often? And how bad will it get? There seems to be a lot of leakage indicating that this is not uncommon at best.
- He has done next to nothing to counter the image of the decrepit old man since the debate. I was encouraged with his rally on the Friday following the debate, but since then nothing, which leads me to believe that he and his team are NOT up to it. A 15 minute interview with a friendly journalist? Hardly sufficient. Remember how Dianne Feinstein and her staff said that she was fine, perfectly fine, and all the Dems supported her? I see echoes of that here.
- Now, the media’s main topic in the presidential contest is Joe’s capability or lack thereof. Its not Trump, its not SCOTUS, its not any other crucial issue. And it almost certainly will continue to be the focus, as the media will be watching every move of his like a hawk, looking for the slightest slip-up. And here is a crucial point for all you standing by Joe: If he has another major senior moment, it will pile disaster upon disaster and likely make him and our democracy irretrievable. That is a humongous risk to take. Can his supporters and staff tell us that won’t happen? That they have not seen him before like he was at the debate? I doubt it.
- Can he flip the script? Maybe, but he has not shown that ability yet in any way shape or form. If he can, he better start NOW! He needs several strong showing a week, including unscripted events at all hours like town halls and press conferences. If he is not up to that, he needs to admit it and pull out of the race.
- While he has been a great president, he is not likely the man for the moment. SCOTUS and its rulings represent an existential threat to our democracy RIGHT NOW. Saying “I dissent” is woefully short of the strong response needed. He is too much a man for the old school of bipartisanship to see what is happening.
- Finally, while I am dubious of all polling, Biden apparently is behind not only Trump but other Dems on the ballot, proving that Dems have a good case to make but Joe is uniquely unliked. I suspect that most of that is misplaced blame for inflation, but its there and he has not made it go away.
There are of course risks is replacing Joe now. Who to replace him? What baggage do they bring? But I suspect that there are enough Never Trumpers out there that if Dems offer a viable candidate, they can win. Especially someone who can campaign vigorously enough to turn the topic back to Trump and the Illegitimate 6.