In a stunning yet totally not unexpected turn of events, President Joe Biden announced just over an hour ago that he will suspend his 2024 re-election campaign. This decision follows mounting pressure from Democratic colleagues, top donors and Hollywood stars after a disastrous debate performance last month.
The announcement from Biden, arguably one of the worst presidents in history short of James Buchanan as well one of the most anti-gun, sent shockwaves through the political landscape.
“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your president,” Biden wrote in a public letter posted on X. “While it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interests of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
The president’s departure from the race comes after weeks of growing concerns about his age and mental fitness. The 81-year-old had been struggling to reassure supporters, especially after several TV interviews and campaign appearances failed to dispel doubts about his capacity to continue in office.
More Than He Could Bear
The tipping point came when an increasing number of Democrat lawmakers began publicly urging Biden to step aside. According to Fox News, even the support from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer couldn’t quell the rising tide of dissent within the party. Biden’s campaign faced a significant blow after his error at the NATO summit, where he mistakenly referred to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “Putin” on live television and then called his chief political opponent, Donald Trump, his vice president.
Adding to the political drama, the attempted assassination of former President Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania last week and Trump’s subsequent announcement of Sen. JD Vance as his running mate on Monday temporarily diverted attention from Biden’s struggles.
However, Rep. Adam Schiff, a perpetual critic of virtually everyone but himself, called for Biden to end his campaign in light of the near mythical hype that was surrounding Trump following his survival and now iconic response to the attempt where he raised his fist and through clenched teeth and a blood-streaked face urged his followers to “fight.” Schiff’s calls put the spotlight back on a weakened president, this week also suffering from Covid, and reignited the crisis for Biden, leading to the president’s eventual decision to withdraw.
Batter Up!
In his letter, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee.
“Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.” He praised his decision to choose Harris as his running mate in 2020, calling it “the best decision I’ve made.” Most of America would not agree, showing just how out of touch Biden is with reality, first with himself and also with his party. While pundits are initially suggesting the weight of the president’s endorsement for Harris will move most of the Democrat Party to support her as well, don’t expect the response to be unified.
Harris is seen as an extremely weak candidate, even within her party, to win the presidency with her frequent non-sensical statements known as “word salads” and witch-like cackle. She was among the first Democratic candidates running for the party’s nomination in 2020 to drop out of the race. There are certainly those within the party who will want to take this opportunity to propose a stronger candidate with names such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and even former first lady Michelle Obama and the original political she-devil Hillary Clinton. Clinton lost to Trump in 2016 despite her campaign’s funding of the creation of a report that suggested Trump had colluded with Russia to manipulate the election.
Biden’s announcement has drawn mixed reactions. Richard Hudson, the head of the House GOP’s campaign arm, told CNN, Biden’s decision is a “scandal of historic proportions.” He criticized the Democrats for allegedly covering up Biden’s incapacitation and questioned his ability to serve out his term.
Biden’s departure marks the end of a long, storied and controversial career in national politics, stretching back over half a century. First elected to the Senate in 1972, he has been a significant, and to his detractors annoying, figure in American politics, notably drafting the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act and the Violence Against Women Act as well as serving as vice president under Barack Obama.
Enter…Thunderdome: Democratic Party Edition
One senior Democratic official expressed hope to CNN that this moment would unite the party and refocus efforts on defeating Trump.
“We can use this moment to bring the party together and return the contrast to Donald Trump,” he said. Or, as is more likely to happen given Harris’s obvious weaknesses as a candidate and the ambition of other party regulars such as Schiff, it is more likely to turn into a political Thunderdome.
The 2024 election race now takes a new turn as the Democrats prepare to nominate Vice President Harris…or somebody…setting the stage for a historic and highly charged campaign season unlike any the country has seen in some time. Whatever plays out, Democrats only have roughly three months to name a candidate, raise funds that had been lagging in recent weeks and promote and sell that candidate to more than 50 percent of the American people. It’s not much time.
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