I’m a voter not a big time pundit, and I’m also Biden’s age. Up to now I’ve backed Biden for 2024. No longer. He should withdraw, because at our age, anything can happen, as we saw last week.
It was scary. I knew as soon as he stepped on the stage that something was wrong. And yes, those of us "of certain age" have seen quick changes up close and personal.
And would that "anything" be worse for the nation and the world than another Trump Presidency? I cannot fathom that anyone thinks that. We have in Harris a fabulous VP, capable, strong, and known. If "anything" happens, there will be a strong woman there to pick up the pieces.
I really like Peter's piece that speaks my heart and mind better than anything else I've read yet. I have veteran journalist friends who are yelling as loudly as they can that the fire in the theatre of American journalism is, if it were possible, getting hotter and hotter. Without a strong media landscape, democracy (as the once-great and now in decline Washington Post declares) dies in darkness. Dana Bash and Jake Tapper demonstrated that darkness at the debate, for it was their performance, as much or more as Biden's, that was truly shocking. Veteran journalists unwilling, to call out obvious, heinous lies. Why? Meanwhile, The New York Times', Atlantic's, and New Yorker's immediate calls for Biden to step down felt like a coordinated event while only the Philadelphia Inquirer stood up and asked the obvious question: "Why not ask the felon to drop out of the race?" Harris's appearance should triple those of the President. She must come out of the cave she's been in for the past four years and be very center stage. Voters will have confidence in voting for the ticket when they know her more and see her character.
Three months ago, I noticed a significant change in Biden's gait. I believe Biden had some type of "medical event" sometime just after the State of the Union address. On the night of the debate, I recognized his gait, appearance, mannerisms, and speech as symptoms of a person who has been neurologically compromised. At the rally just after the debate, Biden really wasn't much better — I saw the same issues. There are no similarities between Biden and Fetterman — recovering from anything at 54 is much different from recovering at 81. Biden needs step aside as soon as possible. I expect the Dems will do as they always do — they will mess this up.
Thanks for laying out the issues so clearly, Peter. But about the Fetterman comparison: A senator is not remotely comparable to a president. He's one in 100, most people could probably not name more than a handful of them. Plenty of senators have been senile or demented -- Dianne Feinstein for ex. They get wheeled in to vote, and then they go back to bed. Being president means being Commander in Chief, having the nuclear codes, being the head of the Party, setting policy, making dozens of decisions every day, representing the US in the world. It's relentless. Of course I will vote for Biden -- I would vote for him if he were dead! But please don't softpedal the issue.
What's interesting to me, watching this play out in my circles (I am 66, my partner is 78) is that there are people who are realistic about age and people whose survival strategy seems to be not to think about those realities. Unfortunately, our President seems to be in the latter group, and it is enormously frustrating that all those people around him have helped to enable this. The reason you have an immensely capable Veep like Harris is precisely for a moment like this. Use her.
I’m a voter not a big time pundit, and I’m also Biden’s age. Up to now I’ve backed Biden for 2024. No longer. He should withdraw, because at our age, anything can happen, as we saw last week.
It was scary. I knew as soon as he stepped on the stage that something was wrong. And yes, those of us "of certain age" have seen quick changes up close and personal.
And would that "anything" be worse for the nation and the world than another Trump Presidency? I cannot fathom that anyone thinks that. We have in Harris a fabulous VP, capable, strong, and known. If "anything" happens, there will be a strong woman there to pick up the pieces.
I really like Peter's piece that speaks my heart and mind better than anything else I've read yet. I have veteran journalist friends who are yelling as loudly as they can that the fire in the theatre of American journalism is, if it were possible, getting hotter and hotter. Without a strong media landscape, democracy (as the once-great and now in decline Washington Post declares) dies in darkness. Dana Bash and Jake Tapper demonstrated that darkness at the debate, for it was their performance, as much or more as Biden's, that was truly shocking. Veteran journalists unwilling, to call out obvious, heinous lies. Why? Meanwhile, The New York Times', Atlantic's, and New Yorker's immediate calls for Biden to step down felt like a coordinated event while only the Philadelphia Inquirer stood up and asked the obvious question: "Why not ask the felon to drop out of the race?" Harris's appearance should triple those of the President. She must come out of the cave she's been in for the past four years and be very center stage. Voters will have confidence in voting for the ticket when they know her more and see her character.
Three months ago, I noticed a significant change in Biden's gait. I believe Biden had some type of "medical event" sometime just after the State of the Union address. On the night of the debate, I recognized his gait, appearance, mannerisms, and speech as symptoms of a person who has been neurologically compromised. At the rally just after the debate, Biden really wasn't much better — I saw the same issues. There are no similarities between Biden and Fetterman — recovering from anything at 54 is much different from recovering at 81. Biden needs step aside as soon as possible. I expect the Dems will do as they always do — they will mess this up.
Thanks for laying out the issues so clearly, Peter. But about the Fetterman comparison: A senator is not remotely comparable to a president. He's one in 100, most people could probably not name more than a handful of them. Plenty of senators have been senile or demented -- Dianne Feinstein for ex. They get wheeled in to vote, and then they go back to bed. Being president means being Commander in Chief, having the nuclear codes, being the head of the Party, setting policy, making dozens of decisions every day, representing the US in the world. It's relentless. Of course I will vote for Biden -- I would vote for him if he were dead! But please don't softpedal the issue.
Katha, how do you come down now?
I don't know! I am a useless handwringer.
You’re our age, so you know the uncertainty.
What's interesting to me, watching this play out in my circles (I am 66, my partner is 78) is that there are people who are realistic about age and people whose survival strategy seems to be not to think about those realities. Unfortunately, our President seems to be in the latter group, and it is enormously frustrating that all those people around him have helped to enable this. The reason you have an immensely capable Veep like Harris is precisely for a moment like this. Use her.