Biden should have made this announcement last year, ahead of his party’s primaries, when Democratic voters could have had a say about who they want to run against former President Donald Trump.
Democrats voted for Biden in large part because there wasn't a robust competition, and Biden’s advisers, family and many in the media tried to hide the president’s true condition from the public.
After that, the facade was ripped away, and there was no coming back for Biden, no matter how many interviews, news conferences and other appearances he made. In fact, those just made it worse.
Apparently, Biden finally saw that reality for himself, after a growing chorus within the Democratic Party called for him to step down – and a growing number of polls showed Trump gaining steam in vital battleground states.
President Joe Biden waves on stage during the Vote To Live Prosperity Summit at the College of Southern Nevada in Las Vegas on July 16, 2024. KENT NISHIMURA/AFP via Getty Images
Democrats are only four weeks away from their convention in Chicago, and now they head into that event without the incumbent president atop their ticket.
Convention delegates will have to agree on nominating Harris. Plenty of other Democrats have positioned themselves for this opportunity, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
And actually, if Biden resigned the presidency, it could put Harris in a better position going into the Democratic National Convention as the de facto commander in chief.
Regardless, expect even more chaos ahead of and during the convention.
Biden was let down by his advisers
I’ve disagreed with pretty much everything Biden has tried to do during his presidency, and it’s been obvious to me he wasn’t up to the task of president.
Yet, on a human level, this is all very sad for Biden. His family and close advisers clearly gave him bad advice and failed to tell him the truth about his chances come November.
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