Most observers would agree that Adenauer’s seniority and vast experience have been an asset in building partnerships with the U.S. and other Western allies, the same strengths that President Biden does best on the world stage were on display at the NATO summit in Washington this week. of Biden as commander A strong opponent of tyranny and a strong defender of democratic principles.
Like Adenauer, Biden has made a big impact on the world stage and as an elder statesman, but ironically he has also recreated the situation Johnson found himself in in 1967: the US president taking a bath. He is respected internationally, Domestic turmoil.
For Johnson, the sticking point has been the mass protests against the Vietnam War. For Biden, the sticking point has been the internal Democratic debate debate over whether he should give up on reelection after his poor debate performances and falling approval ratings. And it continues.
The dangers are different, but the political sphere is the same.
Johnson solved the problem by stepping down before he was asked or forced to. Biden says he will continue campaigning “to get the job done because there’s so much at stake.”
Reactions to Biden over the past few days have ranged from sentimental to nasty to insane. I am convinced Biden will lose to former President Donald Trump in November. The panic button was pressed, demanding that he immediately withdraw from the race.
Perhaps it’s time to consider political realities.
Yes, Trump could still win if he has a weak base of supporters. Biden is running on the November ballot.
But consider the consequences of losing the Democratic nominee just weeks before the Democratic National Convention, when the convention is in uproar over the selection of a new Democratic nominee and many losers are licking their wounds. Consider the gift that would be given to Trump. They are What will happen in November?
Consider, too, the damage that could be done to a lesser candidate if the newly constituted Democratic candidate leaves the Chicago convention without the unanimous support of the Democratic Party’s core.
The last thing Biden, and the Democrats who want him out, need is a bitterly divided convention like the 1968 one that produced presidential candidate Hubert Humphrey, or the 1980 one that saw hundreds of Sen. Ted Kennedy’s supporters walk out after President Jimmy Carter was renominated, or even the 1992 Republican convention that featured an incendiary speech by conservative columnist Pat Buchanan, the losing opponent who renominated incumbent George H.W. Bush.
In all three cases, the nominating contest made the convention victory worthless. Humphrey, Carter, and Bush all lost on Election Day. Humphrey came close to defeating Richard M. Nixon in the popular vote.
So waiting for the Democratic Convention next month to decide Biden’s fate is both shortsighted and self-defeating. The only winner in the Democratic food fight will be Trump, who must be praying, “Please don’t go, Joe.”
I believe Biden, wrinkled, gray-haired and less skilled at oratory, is well aware of the political landscape, which means that even in the most optimistic interpretation of the polling data, his path to victory is narrow and getting narrower.
Biden also knows that as a party leader and a product of Congress, when a presidential candidate loses the vote, lesser candidates follow suit. Does Biden want to be the president who helped Republicans strengthen their hold on the House and flip the Senate? Will that be part of his legacy? Does he want that to be a blip on his conscience? Or does he want his opponents to want that blip on their conscience?
Biden is doing all he can to demonstrate his ability to execute, his command of the job, and his chances of reelection, and he knows he doesn’t have much time to make his case, but he does have time to make a compelling case for moving forward.
Longtime Biden adviser and former White House chief of staff Ron Klain argues that Biden still gives the party the best chance of beating Trump. In a text message to The Washington Post, he wrote: “[Biden] “Just like in 2020, Trump will win in 2024 because his personal values ​​and character will ultimately win him over.” In Klain’s view, that may be true.
However, there is a school of thought that argues Biden won in 2020 for a reason. Hillary Clinton did not fare well in 2016. Her mediocre matchup with Tim Kaine paled in comparison to the shade of the Biden-Harris matchup that faced Trump four years later. That matchup energized and mobilized the Democratic base, especially black and young voters. It is no wonder that in celebrating his victory over Clinton in 2016, Trump thanked black voters while mocking their low turnout. Think about it.
Biden’s legacy has a way forward. The contributions he made and has made will live on in a well-crafted slate of Democratic candidates. He can do a lot to build that slate between now and the convention. Trump could step back gracefully, hand the reins to Vice President Harris, who will uphold the Democratic ideals of the party, and help select the smart, strong and energetic running mate Trump needs.
Der Alte agreed to hand over power to a new leader at the height of Germany’s rise from a devastating war to prosperity, and his tenacity and reputation have never faded.
Similarly, That will happen if Biden makes smart decisions.
