Biden drops out

[Zach0805]

It’s officially Joever

[Crazy Anglican]

Thanks Joe for defeating Trump in 2020.

Kamala Harris for president!

[Octavious]

I'm a tad confused... Biden has said it's in the best interests of the nation for him to drop out of the race, presumably because he's mentally not up to the job, and yet he's not standing down as President? In what universe does that make sense?

[Crazy Anglican]

I'd assume that he doesn't want to put Harris in the position of learning the job in the next five months while she's campaigning for the job.

[Octavious]

She's the Vice President. Taking over if the President becomes unfit to serve is her job and her duty.

The way I see it either Biden is up to the job, in which case the decision by the Democrats to tear him down purely because he was a few points behind in the polls is reprehensible, or he's not up to the job, in which case the Vice President should take over.

Or the role of President is so irrelevant that it doesn't actually matter if they're compos mentis, in which case American democracy is a myth

[Crazy Anglican]

It's kind of soon to tell. He hasn't shown anything other than an inability to carry out a debate. I think the pressure for him to step down was unwise, but the party was worried about not only him losing the presidency, but losing seats in Congress, etc. So, yeah. It was a dick move, but it's done. There is a much higher bar that has to be met to prove he's unfit for office. Running for re-election is his choice. If he chooses not to do it, then he doesn't have to; even if the reason is that he wasn't getting the support in his party that he needed. Maintaining that support is part of campaigning too.

[Esquire Bertissimmo]

You say that the pressure for Biden to step down was "unwise" as though it were a strategic choice and not the straightforward consequence of the public finding out just how old and out-of-it he is. He became deeply un-electable after that debate. The real strategic blunder is that Biden wasn't replaced sooner.

[Octavious]

There have been a great many blunders.

Biden's choice to try to stand again was a blunder. The Democrats choosing to support this choice was a blunder. The constant lying to the people about Biden being fit and sharp was a major blunder.

The way this has been done will take a hell of a toll on the man. It would be sad to see, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn’t make it to the end of his term.

[Pennsta7]

Democratic convention: Open, or brokered
The days of smoke-filled back room may yet return.

The deadline was August 7th to get on the State of Ohio ballot - their Legislators changed that to a September date, yet the Big Brokers would like slots 1 & 2 filled by early August, to satisfy the Repub. Party's legal eagles.

Already the campaign fund for PrezBi. is transferred to THE VEEP. The filing was today Sunday(?)

The words of a failed UK PM campaign leader, in a neat Hilaire Belloc poem, concludes
(sorry, Aussies)
"Go out and govern New South Wales."
You could look it up.

One shudders to contemplate an Electoral tie; the Prez. choice then goes to the House of Reprehensile or a "Committee". Election of 1876, Hayes/Tilden; 2001, Bush/Gore - the 9 Supremes. OMG

[Crazy Anglican]

You say that the pressure for Biden to step down was "unwise" as though it were a strategic choice and not the straightforward consequence of the public finding out just how old and out-of-it he is. He became deeply un-electable after that debate. The real strategic blunder is that Biden wasn't replaced sooner.

Again, under what grounds? There are specific ways to declare an president unfit and replace him. He didn't meet the criteria. Being old and even being a bit senile doesn't qualify and it's the end of his presidency anyway.

[Esquire Bertissimmo]

I'm glad Biden is no longer the nominee because he was unelectable. The idea of four more years seemed farcical and even kind of cruel.

Whether Biden should persist until January seems debatable. If you aren't fit to run for President, are you really fit enough to be President? I suspect he'll persist anyhow.

[Jamiet99uk]

- Are you the best person to do this for the next 4 years?
- Can you manage to keep doing it for the next few months?

These are different questions which may have different answers.

[Octavious]

- Are you the best person to do this for the next 4 years?
- Can you manage to keep doing it for the next few months?

These are different questions which may have different answers.

Agreed, but whether he was the best person to do this for the next four years wasn't the question being asked. That question was asked some months ago, and the answer the Democrats bizarrely gave was yes. The question being asked instead was "is the President such an incapable candidate that we have to publicly trash our selection process, humiliate the man, and rush forward an emergency replacement?". The answer to this question should influence the answer to whether he should continue for the next few months