# President Biden Dropping Out of Race **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** kamala-harris\ **Created:** [July 21, 2024, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540 "2024-07-21T18:05:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/503 "2024-07-30T18:21:18Z")
So, you think Biden and some of his inner circle decided weeks or months in advance that he was going to step down, and then kept that secret from everyone else while vocally lying about their real intentions? Seems to me that meets the definition of “conspiracy”. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/504 "2024-07-30T18:27:23Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > So, you think Biden and some of his inner circle decided weeks or months in advance that he was going to step down, and then kept that secret from everyone else? Seems to me that meets the definition of “conspiracy”. - Jesus. Please quote where I ever, ever said that, or anything even close to it. As I said in my previous post, Biden resisted the change, initially. That was obvious from all the reporting. I believe it was probably Nancy Pelosi who finally brought him around to acceptance. That doesn’t have to take “weeks or months in advance.” It very likely was the last step needed in what had been quietly going on behind Biden’s back with Pelosi and Jeffries working with their members to see if they could garner a clear way forward with Kamala Harris heading up the ticket _if it became necessary_. Biden’s acceptance could have happened in a short period of time, like a few days. But once he had accepted it, the timing of the switch became important, and Biden would have seen that. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/505 "2024-07-30T18:33:39Z")
I apologize, apparently I had you mixed up with some other poster. Yes, if you’re saying there could have been a delay of just a couple days between the decision and the announcement, we are in agreement. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/506 "2024-07-30T18:35:31Z")
Between _Biden’s_ decision and the announcement, yes. I do think House and Senate leaders were concerned much sooner and had worked on contingency plans. That’s not a conspiracy. It’s simply prudent planning. I also think it’s not a big mental leap for those leaders to persuade their members of the importance of presenting a united front if plans to make the switch became necessary. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/507 "2024-07-30T18:36:31Z")
Yes, that all seems plausible. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/508 "2024-07-30T18:40:34Z")
I agree that once Biden made the decision, he would have thought about how best to time it, and how to get the party to rally around a candidate quick quickly. He’s a supremely talented politician, and if he’s going to make a sacrifice, he’ll damn well try to optimize the outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/509 "2024-07-30T18:43:54Z")
'Zackly. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/510 "2024-07-30T18:54:48Z")
I too don’t think this was many months in planning or anything, but I bet it wasn’t quite as spur-of-the-moment as it was made to seem by those on the outside. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/511 "2024-07-30T20:27:14Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > The NYT is certainly not the only source that noticed Biden had been dodging the media, nor are they the only media source he’s been dodging; he didn’t even do a Super Bowl interview! They may be narcissistic and self-interested, but this is a legitimate complaint. Yes, to a point. But if they plaster 4 “Biden is old and needs to drop out” article son the front page, and one “trump is a poor choice” on the op-ed page- along with a “biden is too old” then it is pretty obvious bias. And their recent threat to Harris made it clear- _give us special access or the same thing happens to you._ > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Nor could Biden foresee the overwhelming - almost instantaneous - outpouring of support for Harris that turned the campaign around in three days. Hold on here- now yes, Harris’s approval rating went up, and she started polling better- but Biden was polling a point or two less than trump, and now Harris is polling a point or two better than trump. Hardly a massive change- optimistic, sure, but hardly “Okay, we got this now for sure”. > [@puzzlegal](#): > > I agree that once Biden made the decision, he would have thought about how best to time it, And catching Covid again likely exhausted him, making the decision easier. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/512 "2024-07-30T20:40:15Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > he didn’t even do a Super Bowl interview! A tradition which has always baffled me. Who turns on a football game thinking “Boy, I can’t wait to hear what the president has to say”? ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/513 "2024-07-30T21:00:26Z")
I’m sure Biden heard some variation of “I’m not saying you should drop out but _if_ you did, the weekend after the GOP convention would be the time to do it.” It all depended on how he was feeling that weekend (like shit from all reports), and the timing may have tipped him in favor of dropping out. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/514 "2024-07-30T21:04:25Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I’m sure Biden heard some variation of “I’m not saying you should drop out but _if_ you did, the weekend after the GOP convention would be the time to do it.” Joe Biden is the one of the most politically astute people alive. he didnt really need advice like that. As you said- he felt like shit- the polls werent good, and he was being hammered. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/515 "2024-07-30T21:06:18Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Who turns on a football game thinking “Boy, I can’t wait to hear what the president has to say”? I think it depends on the POTUS. Obama’s interviews seemed to be well-received. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/516 "2024-07-30T21:13:27Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > A tradition which has always baffled me. Who turns on a football game thinking “Boy, I can’t wait to hear what the president has to say”? The existence of the tradition is baffling, but it’s a chance to speak in front of a massive audience. Why would you pass that up if you’re an incumbent running for re-election? ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/517 "2024-07-30T23:55:09Z")
> [@Atamasama](#): > > don’t think this was many months in planning or anything, but I bet it wasn’t quite as spur-of-the-moment as it was made to seem by those on the outside. It’s not much of a conspiracy I’m seeing here, mostly Biden himself, having decided to drop out about three weeks ago, and two or three of his closest political advisors, plus his wife. Once he’d reached the point of deciding it would be better if he left the race, it was agreed to keep the decision between themselves until after the GOP convention but at the same time to let it be “known” that he was adamantly refusing to step down, that he felt a strong confidence in his unique ability to defeat Trump, and so on, because by releasing the news in a tweet on Sunday July 21st, that would be the most effective timing. Not much of a coincidence for three or four political operatives and colleagues to keep something of this nature to themselves for a period of two weeks is it? You don’t suppose that Biden woke up Sunday, had a brainstorm “I’m going to drop out today” and tweeted it out early that afternoon, do you? Without a single thought about the most damaging timing his announcement could do to the Republicans? That would be political malpractice of the first order. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2024, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/518 "2024-07-30T23:56:15Z")
> [@GailForce](#): > > It’s not much of a conspiracy I’m seeing here, mostly Biden himself, having decided to drop out about three weeks ago, and two or three of his closest political advisors, plus his wife. Once he’d reached the point of deciding it would be better if he left the race, it was agreed to keep the decision between themselves until after the GOP convention but at the same time to let it be “known” that he was adamantly refusing to step down, that he felt a strong confidence in his unique ability to defeat Trump, and so on, because by releasing the news in a tweet on Sunday July 21st, that would be the most effective timing. Now see, to me, this sounds reasonable. And I agree, it wouldn’t be much of a conspiracy. We’re all just speculating of course and might not know for a while, if ever. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/519 "2024-07-31T02:47:18Z")
No, I don’t think he had a brainstorm and decided to drop out immediately. There’s a pretty large gap between keeping the decision secret for two weeks, and deciding spur of the moment. I think he took a few weeks to decide, then announced it within a day or two of the final decision. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/520 "2024-07-31T05:17:07Z")
As I’ve alluded to before, it seems like a big part of the “planned in advance” view is disbelief that the Democrats would have fallen in behind Harris so quickly and unanimously without a lot of bargaining and scheming beforehand. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/521 "2024-07-31T05:19:59Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > disbelief that the Democrats would have fallen in behind Harris so quickly and unanimously without a lot of bargaining and scheming beforehand. I mean, it’s certainly the first time in my political memory that the Democrats have gotten on the same page so quickly. Or at all. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_S](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/46a35a/32.png) [@Max\_S](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_S)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2024, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540/522 "2024-07-31T06:25:21Z")
I was listening to Politics of the United States on SXM (Julie Mason show, I think) the day after Trump’s assassination attempt when they did a segment on the Biden campaign would do. The guests noted increased pressure for Biden to drop out from within his party, but recalled that Biden seemed very against it, having just told ABC’s Stephanopoulis the last Friday he would drop out if God told him to. But Trump was soaring with the assassination attempt and things looked dire for Biden. Then they started speculating on Biden’s legacy if he dropped out of the race versus staying in and potentially losing. If Biden can rally the party behind a single candidate who can beat Trump, that seals his legacy. If Biden loses, everything he’s worked for is undone. This is his chance to be a kingmaker and really shape the party, i.e. without being in Obama’s shadow. That’s when I realized there’s a real chance of Biden stepping down. It was no surprise to me that the Democrats support Harris - I don’t think Biden would risk it without knowing he could whip the party into line. ~Max [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540.md?page=25) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-biden-dropping-out-of-race/1004540.md?page=27)