There’s a recent diary about President Biden’s 2024 plans (should he or shouldn’t he?) that’s gotten me thinking more about the inherent risks that could involve for our party, which I think people are glossing over & dismissing at our peril. Case in point: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, where the Democratic Party as a whole has completely failed in their response. It doesn’t give me much hope for the very real possibility of a similar situation if President Biden seeks 6 more years of the presidency, and the intraparty chaos that could ensue. In light of this, the best & safest course of action is for President Biden to forgo re-election & pass the baton to the next generation (ideally his Vice President & mentee Kamala Harris, an inspiring unity candidate for 2024 that the party can quickly coalesce around!)
To be clear, I believe President Biden has not only helped restore the soul of America but seems to have quite literally saved the planet/humanity. I believe he’ll go down as one of our all-time great presidents, right up there with Abraham Lincoln & George Washington (no exaggeration). I was not rooting for him to win the primary in 2020, but I happily admit I was very, very wrong. He was absolutely the president we needed in this moment of history, and his unique strengths have helped us avert catastrophe across many spheres. For the first time I’m hopeful for humanity’s future on this planet.
With that being said, the undeniable truth is that President Biden is very clearly slower & much more tired-seeming in his public appearances, vs. how he was several years ago. Yes he still gives strong speeches & is clearly still “with it”, but it is NOT ageism to acknowledge this fact in the context of 6 more years in the presidency. As a Millennial I can tell you this will be an issue in the 2024 election, especially if DeSantis or another young Republican fascist win their nomination. We cannot just put our heads in the sand & act like this won’t be an issue for many Americans at a gut level, myself included. It pains me to say that, but if we think the media & the American people at large are just going to ignore that obvious fact when the campaign heats up in the next year, especially vs. a young fascist Republican, we are being naive.
Beyond potential ramifications for the campaign itself, my main concern is how 82-86-year-old Biden will withstand the rigors & stress of the job at that point. There is no denying that health issues can rapidly develop the older humans get and we’re kidding ourselves to ignore those risks. Yes there is a line of succession & anything can happen to a president of any age, but is that supposed to be reassuring to young & independent voters?
Now to Sen. Feinstein: By all accounts, Sen. Feinstein has mentally declined & is totally unfit for office. She should have been privately, explicitly (and publicly if necessary) pressured by party leaders to not seek re-election in 2018, when she was already in decline. But even in an article from LAST YEAR, every single elected Dem that confirmed she’s unfit to the San Francisco Chronicle requested anonymity. Wouldn’t even say in public what they all admit anonymously! Cowards. With that in mind, what is the Democratic Party’s contingency plan if god forbid President Biden rapidly declines mentally, or is incapacitated by a medical event? At what threshold does the Biden cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment in case of a medical emergency? These are the ugly public discussions & battles that would ensue, and what the California senator’s “case” tells us is that the establishment of our party is completely out-of-touch, too deferential & utterly unprepared to properly handle a scenario like this for the greater good of the Democratic Party & the country.
I know I’m probably in the minority here, but President Biden should secure his gargantuan legacy by forgoing a 2nd term, retiring at the top of his game having saved the world from the forces of evil & autocracy & climate armageddon. I’m so grateful to have him as our president, but it’s time to pass the baton.