While the world breathlessly awaits Biden’s next gaffe, here’s what the Republican candidate was doing today. . .
Well, that’s somewhat reassuring, but I still doubt that Harris is going to clear the field as easily as some people think and an open convention is going to result in a lot of drawn-out ballots and hurt feelings that could potentially leave the eventual nominee mortally wounded before they even get to accept.
There’s this annoying fluidity to age-related arguments, where on one hand there’s the claim that Biden is normal for his age and on the other the claim that age doesn’t matter.
The problem, IMO, is that a median 81-year-old is not fit to be president. Being the median obviously puts one in the “normal” category, but that normal level of impairment is too much for a job like this. Normal levels of memory loss and a decline in fluid intelligence are simply too great.
Further, “normal” could include anyone from say the 5th to 95th percentiles. Someone at the bottom end of this is in rough shape indeed.
Of course, as you say, there are exceptional 81-year-olds that are as sharp as others at 60, and they’d be perfectly fit for the job. Biden is just not one of these.
I can’t believe anyone would suggest this or agree with it. Totally inexcusable for a political party to do this. It’s as anti-democratic as anything Trump has ever done. People vote for a candidate expecting them to serve their term. Not to get forced out and replaced with someone they didn’t vote for.
I hope the Democrats aren’t considering anything like this. It would certainly ensure I never voted for a single one of them ever again.
Why can’t you or so many others see that the Democrats have trust issues? They’ve been lying for months about Biden’s state, and have been coercing the media to do the same. Your solution is for them to put forth a candidate without any intent of them actually serving that office? Unbelievable.
The logic pretzles are truly amazing.
Black voters—especially Black women—are sticking up for President Biden. Unions are sticking up for Biden. I’m with them! The best advice I can give is: Vote like a Black woman.
Biden is not dropping out. So everybody trying to force him out needs to shut up and get in line. They’re not helping anything. They’re only making things worse. I think Biden can win this, so start supporting him already.
He might.
He could be forced out?
He cannot. Or at least not in any way that doesn’t involve a massive, acrimonious political bloodbath that would be much more likely to doom the election. Electors can ‘vote their conscience’, but you’d basically have to have an aggressive campaign to woo electors to upend and replace him in a hostile convention coup. Such would probably have little chance at succeeding and the floor fight would be extremely divisive and probably crippling to the party.
Also the campaign funds if Harris didn’t go along would be difficult to access.
Forget it! He won’t. Quit pushing him, everybody. Let him proceed.
I’m pretty sure he’s not dropping out. I don’t think he should. It’s very late in the campaign, historically changing candidates does not go well. I also believe he’s good for the job and good for the campaign.
I’m also of the opinion that he could come out do 3 back handsprings, play the opening guitar riff for Sweet Child of Mine, juggle chainsaws while on a pogo stick, and certain people would wonder why he was out of breath. They would question if he could do the same thing next time, and honestly why didn’t he have an encore. 
Are they? Really, can you please provide some polling that supports that claim?
My quick search can’t. I can find this though:
No.
When 56% of Democrats are saying he should step down, it is perhaps more appropriate for the lesser number to step in line? But I don’t ask for that. I reject any claim that this public discussion and disagreement even is harmful. Those of you with the minority view should be free to speak up too!
So when he doesn’t step down (because he won’t) what are you going to do? Vote for RFK Jr.? Vote for Trump? Not vote at all?
Each of those actions will only help elect Trump. As Michael Steele said 2 days ago it is well past time for every Democrat to shut up and get behind Biden. ANYTHING else simply weakens Biden’s and down ticket Democrats chances.
Agree! For the last two weeks the Dems have been saying Biden needs to decide what he’s going to do. He has. He’s staying in. There’s nothing anyone can do to force him out. You can like that or not like that, but that’s the way it is.
On top of that, the polls (for what they’re worth) really haven’t changed much, especially in the key states. And no other realistic alternative does any better, most worse. Victory is very much still in striking distance.
It’s time to stop all the dithering. It’s time to get behind Biden 110% and do what needs to be done to win.
I agree with it, but it won’t matter because the Democrats are about to shoot themselves in the foot. Enjoy the Trump presidency.
Us, or Americans in general? Because “not vote at all” is pretty likely among the general unenthused; I’ll vote for him, of course.
My comment was directed to Dosed, the poster directly preceding mine.
I believe he will lose.
How sad is it people will vote for him knowing he can’t do the job.
Democrats seem like magas, honestly.
I listened to the press conference and thought Biden did a great job. He had a couple of gaffes but that’s just him. You don’t declare that Stevie Wonder needs to give up singing because he’s so old he can’t even see.
His answers were good, his arguments were on point, and he seemed so much better than he did in the debate. If that’s the way Biden is going to be, I don’t see a rational reason for someone who’s not a Trump supporter to demand he drop out.
I will vote for him of course but any money I donate will do to down ballot fights that are still winnable and more important given the highly probable impending loss at the presidential level. Pretty sure that is what the big money will do as well.
ETA that I will also pray to the god I don’t believe in that I am wrong. Until the convention and him actually being the nominee I will hope that he loves his country enough to step aside.