Here’s my take as a Democrat: Joe Biden needs to step down from the upcoming presidential election because, after the recent debate, he can no longer defeat Donald Trump.
With Biden in the pole position, Democrats are now likely to lose both the U.S. House and Senate. This result could have disastrous implications not only for the next four years but also for our Constitutional democracy, in light of the recent Supreme Court opinion on presidential immunity and Trump’s plan to “be your retribution.”
My eyes cannot un-see what I saw in the first 20 minutes of the debate before I turned it off: Biden was a confused old man. And things would only get worse if he were elected and survived to 2028, when he would be 86 years old.
Last Friday’s interview with George Stephanopolous did nothing to change my opinion, particularly his refusal to acknowledge that he is losing to Trump in the polls and that his approval rating is, and has been, around 36 percent.
This is not about Joe Biden doing his best and losing to Trump. It’s about defeating Trump and the threat to democracy he represents.
I’d take Kamala Harris over Biden. Her chances would be better than the certainty that Biden will now lose.
And I’d prefer Gretchen Whitmer, the plain-spoken governor of Michigan who was recently re-elected by 10-plus points in a purple battleground state. At our cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I have watched Whitmer succeed even in deep red rural areas through practical policies.
The Book of Proverbs says that “pride goeth before the fall.” Joe Biden is a good man and a successful President, but his pride in staying in the race could lead to the end of democracy as we know it.
Jack Crowe
Oak Park