What now?
In March 1968, President Lyndon Johnson stunned the nation while giving a speech regarding the Vietnam War, he would not seek another term. Maybe it was the turbulence of the times, it was the 60s after all. Or it could have been the pressure that Johnson felt after Kennedy’s assassination. Whatever the reasoning was had no bearing on what the situation meant. The incumbent president, who usually runs for another term, without worrying about a primary, usually wins. Still, Johnson’s decision was a long time coming. He considered dropping out back during the 64 elections. He had some health issues and there seemed to be some infighting within the DNC with regards to other candidates. In the end, he accepted the party’s nomination and went on to win the presidency. However, the seeds of not seeking a second term had been sown years before his announcement.
We’re now in a situation where an incumbent Democratic president is seeking a second term and the powers that be within the DNC, along with several Democratic lawmakers are asking him to drop out. Joe Biden has been a successful president for the past 3 ½ years. His policies have helped inflation go down, while the job market and the economy have remained strong. His policies have also help lower the cost of prescription drugs, create jobs, lower unemployment and help pay off student’s loans. All successful on so many metrics. So why the outpouring of concern over Biden? Well, that concern has always been there because of his age but the big kick in the direction of stepping down seemed to have taken place after the first presidential debate. And when I tell you it wasn’t good, it wasn’t good.
Biden seemed confused, flustered and tired. Almost like he was out of place on the debate stage. For every question he seemed to have too many answers and wasn’t sure which one to pick. Across from him, behind another podium, was the ex-liar in chief Donald Trump, whom according to fact checkers, told at least 30 lies during the entire debate. Totally unhinged and hungry to pounce on Biden, Trump seemed like a mad man who despised the man he was debating, which he does. Why shouldn’t he? After the 2020 election, he told one of his staffers, I can’t believe I lost to this guy, after seeing Biden make a TV appearance.
The calls for Biden to step down came within hours after the debate. They came from political pundits, journalists, lawmakers, governors and senators. Being that this debate took place in end of June, how could the incumbent president be replaced 4 months before the election? When Johnson made his announcement, it was before the primaries so voters decided who would be their candidate. Without a primary the DNC would have to pick a candidate. The obvious choice would be the VP, Kamala Harris but other names were floated such as California governor Gavin Newsome, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and even my state governor, North Carolina’s Roy Cooper, candidates that only people who follow politics may know but most people have never heard of. An added negative is having any candidate but Harris would mean returning all the campaign donations and start to collections for the new one. Again, with such few months before the election, how much funds could a relatively unknown candidate collect? The DNC would have to start from scratch, even with the VP to some degree which, for some reason, isn’t very popular. This must be a strategic decision considering the alternative which would be unimaginable, a second Trump presidency.
Which leads me to another alternative, one which would have Trump take the White House again. Where the masterminds behind Project 2025 can start implementing their hideous, anti-American plans and Trump can simultaneously get his Agenda 47 started, which mirrors Project 2025. Trump can start the deportation of all undocumented immigrants, their spouses and their “anchor babies,” despite the later two being unconstitutional. He can bend the laws into arresting anyone perceived his enemy. Restrict what the media can report on. Make laws regarding what schools can or cannot teach. Take rights away from women, the LGBTQ community, possibly appoint more extreme MAGA judges and strip every federal employee of their job to be replaced by loyalists, experience and education be damned.
That’s not the America I want to live in. A backsliding Democratic Republic is still a democracy. And living in a democracy is worlds away from living in an authoritarian nightmare. So, what’s the answer here? Should Joe Biden drop out or stay? I don’t have the answer to that. What I do know is that Trump must be defeated. I know that despite Biden’s age, he’s surrounded by an administration that will make fair decisions and pass more policies that help, not hinder our country. He’s not seeking retribution or trying to take anyone’s rights away. There really isn’t any choice for me. I will be supporting the Democratic ticket. Whoever that may be.