by Sven Stumbauer
It's official. Joe Biden, the figurehead of the blue Democratic Party, has raised a white flag in his attempt to book another four-year stay in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, immediately endorsing his running mate and VP Kamala Harris as the Democrats' nominee after stepping down from the 2024 presidential race. This comes from mounting pressure from Democrat leaders to step down after questions of his age and his ability to run the country came to light during his debate with former President Donald Trump where it was exhibited that his acuity and ability to engage in political discourse have sharply declined, according to pundits.
Regardless of the results in November, this decision is already historic. Biden is the first initially elected president without succeeding a former president whose term was not prematurely ended to not seek reelection since Rutherford B. Hayes in 1880. Lyndon B. Johnson and Harry Truman began their first terms due to the assassination of JFK and the passing of FDR. However, due to the circumstances of their first terms, they still would have been eligible for re-election as they were exempt from the ratification of the 22nd Amendment.
While the outlook for former president and Republican nominee Donald Trump and the future Democratic nominee is still murky since we are four months away from Election Day, this decision from the 46th president will affect both sides of the political spectrum.
What this means for Democrats
Regardless of any bias or rhetoric from either side, the Democratic Party is in a nightmarish position to be in. Biden's decision has put the onus on other Democrat leaders to unify after a situation like this and make the right choice in finding someone who can fill Biden's shoes.
While their nominee for this year will likely be current Vice President Kamala Harris, the party has yet another issue: painting her as a better candidate than Trump in just under four months. With her approval rating sitting at a less-than-desirable 38.6% according to FiveThirtyEight and her long-documented stance on abortion rights potentially offsetting voters on both sides of the aisle in the first election since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the task to make her both a viable candidate and one who can beat Trump seems almost Sisyphean.
Despite this potential consensus on having Kamala be on November's ballot, Democrats are likely going to want to gauge their options before choosing a nominee, and despite competitors for this mantle including the likes of Gavin Newsom, Joe Manchin, Josh Shapiro and Amy Klobuchar quickly endorsing Harris, other Democrats such as J.B. Pritzker and Wes Moore have potential to mount a campaign for the presidency. This, if done, can derail the Democrats' momentum as they will be stalling out on choosing a nominee, and once that nominee is chosen, the time frame to advocate their case to the American public will be even slimmer. It seems that no matter what, Democratic prospects this year are grim, to say the least.
What this means for Republicans
Biden's dropping out of the 2024 race serves as the garnish to a nearly perfect entree for Donald Trump and the Republican Party to regain control of the White House. After recently getting close to losing his life after an attempted assassination in Butler, Pennsylvania, electrifying his base/Republicans at the Republic National Convention and choosing JD Vance as his running mate, Trump is riding a very high wave of public support whereas the Democrats are struggling to keep their heads above water.
Alongside those events, without Biden in the picture, Trump is almost certainly going to have the best track record in the eyes of voters no matter what candidate the Democrats field. Because of his experience as president, and a Democrat-owned incumbency advantage now gone, Trump, in relation to his competition, will have a better and lengthier resume, potentially putting him over the top for voters who are on the fence and who value presidential experience.
However, the future of the GOP won't be all sunshine and rainbows from here. Trump needs to be proactive instead of resting on his laurels and refrain from being as polarizing of a figure to most Americans. His RNC speech signals a favorable change in that regard, but more needs to be done to further assure skeptics that he can both positively lead the country and be viewed less as an extreme figure.
Trump's downfall in 2020 was that he dug his own grave by furthering his sometimes harsh and polarizing rhetoric towards issues he values such as immigration and the economy, and for his, and the Republican Party's futures, he and his peers need to be able to unite a country in rough times, instead of sowing division. Fortunately, from his RNC appearance and his bounceback from his assassination attempt, he may be able to do it.
Final Thoughts
Despite the pressure from those around him, Biden dropping out was still an absolute shock as he was initially defiant in the face of public pressure to drop out. The Democratic Party is now scrambling to find a replacement while the GOP and Trump are in a position to potentially win this election.
But, politics, criticisms and jokes aside, America needs to take a step back and give its praise to Joe Biden for this decision. It's hard letting go of something you've worked all your life for, and it's subsequently even harder to give up serving your country at its highest level.
Yet, Joe Biden did just that. Even though he won't be in the White House after 2024, he showed just as much patriotism and service to his country at this moment as any president has throughout the nation's history. As the old saying goes, "If you truly love something, you need to be willing to let it go." And Biden did just that and in the process, has given America a chance to forge a new and better future.
Fact check before printing, please!
Biden the first to opt out of running for a second term as incumbent since Rutherford B. Hayes, 1880?
In 1952, Harry S. Truman also did not seek reelection. Lyndon B. Johnson surprised even some in his own campaign by choosing to drop out, not accepting the Democratic nomination for a second term (1968).
https://youtu.be/CJeLoMCF6Jo?si=tOB-Gp_XzN6gXJt3