I invited six people to Joe Biden’s post-debate rally in Raleigh on Friday. Five accepted enthusiastically. One, so disappointed with the president’s Thursday night performance against Donald Trump, demurred, saying she wanted to send a message by her absence that Biden should withdraw from the race. Attending and pretending that he did an adequate job in the debate would simply contribute to an 81-year-old man’s hubris to think he’s up to one of the toughest jobs in the world until he’s 86, she said.
Expecting a half-empty meeting hall, I was surprised to find it packed to the gills with more than 2000 supporters. “We’re not going to let any one person destroy our very high energy level,” a very tall organizer said, pointing above his nose. “Enthusiasm (among Democratic activists) is still up to here,” he said.
This campaign is not a cult of personality in devotion to one man — Donald Trump — but to ideas, principles, and policies larger than any individual. Everyone who attended the rally is encouraged to volunteer, including door-to-door canvassing in swing neighborhoods. For every 13 voters contacted, an additional Democratic vote is won, according to data from the voter activation network.
In Joe Biden, I saw not an egoist full of hubris but a humble man who admitted he had a bad night at the debates.
“I don’t walk as easily as I used to. I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to,” he said. ““But … I know how to tell the truth. I know right from wrong. I know how to do this job.”
“I know like millions of Americans know — when you get knocked down, you get back up,” Biden continued. “Folks, I give you my word as a Biden, I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul I can do this job.”
The crowd roared in empathy, approval, and chants of “YES YOU CAN. Yes, you can! Yes, you can!”
The music and the antics lifted the spirits of attendees. Supporters playfully passed around a huge replica of Biden’s aviator glasses.
Four-minute report from ABC News:
Biden left the stage to the tune of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ classic rock song, “I Won’t Back Down.”
The reviews of Biden’s Friday performance were far better than that of Thursday night, Michael D. Shear reported in The New York Times. But of course, Friday’s performance was before a relatively small sympathetic local audience, whereas Thursday night’s audience was in the millions.
I did not get the sense that withdrawing from the race is a taboo topic with Biden. If polls and focus groups show him losing ground, he might be open to passing the torch to Harris or opening up the Democratic convention to pick a new nominee.
The NYTimes editorial board called for Biden to leave the race. So did columnists Thomas Friedman, Frank Bruni, and Nicholas Kristof — all of whom are normally sympathetic to him (gift links). “For God’s Sake, Withdraw. Joe Biden cannot win this election. There is time to make way for someone who can,” writes Substack columnist Andrew Sullivan, a strong and influential promoter of Barack Obama’s candidacy in 2007-8.
Chaotic Convention?
But opening up the Democratic convention to a full-fledged competition for the presidential and vice-presidential nominations could lead to chaos, multiple ballots, and a ticket unprepared to hit the ground running as soon as the convention ends on August 22 in Chicago. It would be hard for Democrats to argue that they are strong proponents of democracy if their nominee didn’t participate in or win a single primary.
It’s also possible that an uncontrolled convention environment could degenerate into a bloodletting among Democratic factions, Jason Linkins argued in The New Republic. A brokered convention could break the Democrats, he asserts. He pointed to a new book, “The Truce,” on how the various factions within the Democratic Party have, under Joe Biden’s leadership, come to compromise and work together. The book is something Democratic activists should read. Here’s what readers are saying.
The Guardian: Deep Dive Into Democrats’ Dynamics and Divisions
NYT: Can Either Party Hold It Together Until November? Three new books look at the tensions — left, center, right, and further right — in the Democratic and Republican parties.
Ruy Teixeira reviews the book in the WSJ.
Kamala Harris for President?
Even before the debate, the Trump campaign posted an ad ridiculing Biden and suggesting that Kamala Harris would sooner or later replace him. Democrats don’t have much choice but to lean into the idea that Harris is a solid second prepared to take the helm. She did a far better job than Biden in attacking Trump in a CNN post-debate interview.
Perhaps the campaign needs to put more emphasis on her readiness.
Harris “has been a successful public servant for more than three decades,” wrote Elaina Plott Calabro in The Atlantic.
“She ran the second-largest justice system in America, in a state that is the world’s fifth-largest economy. By virtue of her position, she is among those who represent the future of her party, and she represents its mainstream, not its fringe. Of course, Kamala Harris is ready for the presidency, to the extent that anyone can be ready.”
“Kamala Harris Could Win This Election. Let Her,” wrote Lydia Polgreen in the NYT.
“Unlike a drafted candidate, she would start with low expectations she could quite easily exceed. In a world filled with peril, she has been involved in major national security issues, not relegated to ribbon cuttings. Paired with, say, a strong, centrist governor like Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania or Andy Beshear of Kentucky as her running mate, she could win this.”
Drill Deeper:
Fact-checking the Trump-Biden Debate (Politifact)
Irony
The rather incredible irony is that some Democrats are seriously considering replacing their presidential nominee because of his age, despite a very solid record, yet Republicans are not considering replacing their nominee though he clearly lost the 2020 election, had multiple impeachments when he was president, and is a CONVICTED FELON, with dozens of additional felonies pending.
Someone wisely said: Biden's opponent is not Trump but the couch..." Biden imprinted the impression of feebleness in our collective psyches at the debate. His inability to counter Trump's lies gave Trump a bonus hate rally event and prestige he doesn't deserve. There was nothing inspiring for young Americans to attach to or care about... sitting this one out on the couch is becoming an enticing alternative to choosing between either a good or a bad geriatric.
It is true that we make political decisions viscerally rather than logically. The image of a dottering, confused Biden cannot be unseen and embedded impressions are extremely difficult to modify. Realistically, there can be no "comeback" for Biden because if there is not an immediate infusion of 'new blood' in the race, the couch will win and the nation will lose by default. That Biden has become erratic - confused one day and focused the next simply adds to the anxiety and is not a plus. We need to let go of our fantasy and embrace a 'Plan B' pronto.
Yes, an open convention will be chaotic, but that can also be stimulating and exciting (the opposite of Biden's debate performance). Biden can endorse his successor and campaign for a new, vigorous Democratic leadership. The convention can be a controlled explosion and the chaotic energy channelled into voter enthusiasm rather than curled in a helpless fetal position on the couch. This is not personal... there are enough "Anyone But Trump" folks out there itching for a reason to vote. Biden has a long track record but also a lot of baggage which he added to immensely at the debate. It is time to clear the decks and give the public a youthful, enthusiastic candidate they are craving. Biden didn't "fail" at the debate, he committed public suicide. Let's honor his service with a worthy successor.
Jim, you did a stellar job of making the case for Joe Biden, and of course, I’ll cheer just as loudly for a Democratic victory in November as you will. But the Raleigh event was completely different from the abysmal debate. Let’s not forget a few words in the Times: “Over about 20 minutes — and with the help of a teleprompter and an enthusiastic crowd — he rarely missed a beat.”
My optimal scenario would be for Biden to withdraw in favor of a younger and more vigorous candidate who could govern with a high percentage of advisors picked up from the current administration. Remember, voters like Biden‘s policies more than they do the man himself, and the right successor could offer some comforting continuity. Biden would protect his impressive legacy and avoid being the presidential equivalent of Ruth Bader Ginsburg – another heroic figure, who, alas, unwittingly gave the Republicans an extra seat on the Supreme Court.
The problem with Joe Biden isn’t that he can’t govern. It’s that he most likely can’t win.