Joe Biden Must Withdraw Now: It’s the Only Chance for the Democrats

Joe Biden’s comeback isn’t going well. Pressure is mounting among Democrats for Biden to stand aside for another candidate. This should be done as soon as possible.

This week, Joe Biden has to prove that he can still lead the world power. He is giving brief interviews on TV and radio. At the NATO summit in Washington, Biden showed his strength. In the meantime, he is on calls to numerous important stake holders in the Democrats, members of Congress, trade union leaders and donors. It is already clear that it’s not going as well as Biden and his entourage would want.

Biden can’t do it anymore. His appearances at NATO seemed forced or unintentionally comedic. An old man flexing his political muscles and raising his brittle voice doesn’t come across as powerful. He looks desperate. Biden can certainly follow what is happening at the summit, and his opening speech went well, thanks to the teleprompter. But that is not enough. Pictures and short videos of the president’s blunders and lapses at the NATO meetings are nevertheless going viral, and they confirm what is obvious to everyone: This president is not fit for a second term in office. He belongs in well-deserved retirement by the end of the year at the latest.

Eyewitnesses to the Decay

At the same time, his campaign wants to make all of this invisible. They are trying to convince skeptical allies that Biden’s cognitive decline is merely a chimera. The Biden camp’s most commonly used argument is that the president is the best candidate to defeat Donald Trump. After all, he has already beat him once before. But they fail to provide facts to prove this claim, as concerned Democrats demand.

Furthermore, Biden is no longer the man he was four years ago, while Trump has stayed the same. More and more eyewitnesses from the inner circle, such as actor and Biden buddy George Clooney this week, are reporting on the rapid decay of President Biden. Clooney is an important Democratic fundraiser in California and recently organized a large event in Los Angeles with Biden and Barack Obama.

It hurts, of course. It hurts to watch a once-powerful man dismantle himself. To watch as he squanders his dignity and prestige because he is suppressing the reality of his age. It must be a difficult moment for all the Democrats who sit close to the center of power. The majority of Democratic politicians and officials are officially backing Biden, but the protective wall around the impaired president is quickly crumbling.

Meanwhile, leading Democrat voices are also expressing concern. The former speaker of the House of Representatives and the grande dame of the Democrats, Nancy Pelosi, is urging the president to make a quick decision. Time is of the essence, because Biden has already decided to withdraw only if God almighty commands it. It’s clear what Pelosi means: withdrawal. Her wording on MSNBC’s celebrity morning show signals to Democrats that they must publicly call for withdrawal without fear of the consequences.

And yes, the clock is mercilessly ticking for Democrats. A new candidate would have to be found and nominated at the Democratic National Convention, to be held from Aug. 19-22. With each passing day, the chance that this can be done in an orderly process gets smaller. The ramp to get out of this mess gets shorter, and the probability that Trump will be the victor in November grows.

Party Conference as an Exciting Show

The Democrats can still turn things around and prepare for the heated election campaign against Trump in the fall. A fresh candidate for the Democrats represents a real opportunity in this dark hour of the party’s history. From now until, and including, the party convention in Chicago, they can dominate the attention of the American people.

Younger Democrats would engage and debate online and on TV over who among them can defeat Trump. A so-called wild party convention would become the most exciting show of the season. The Republicans, on the other hand, would suddenly struggle to make the headlines with their well-known candidate — with headlines being the currency that Trump uses.

Trump is already celebrating his landslide victory at his election rallies. Democrats may still be able to avert this scenario, if they succeed in finding a solution to their problems at the last minute. For example, they would have to find a way to raise the profile of the unpopular vice president. The Democrats can hardly avoid Kamala Harris, a politician with Asian-African-American roots, if they want to avoid scaring away important groups of voters. In addition, Harris’ name is already on the ticket, which has received around $240 million in donations to date.

Despite many prophecies of doom, its not as if a Harris candidacy doesn’t stand a chance: The 59-year-old former attorney general of California is a shrewd debater and, together with a suitable partner on the ticket, would offer voters at least one contrasting alternative to Trump.

Ultimately, it comes down to Biden. If he withdraws voluntarily, a handover can still take place smoothly in legal and technical terms. If he refuses and the party mutinies, it will be chaotic. If he stays despite everything, the Democrats will have to brace themselves for a bitter, self-inflicted defeat.