With honor and decency, Joe Biden exits the race | Editorial
Democrats threw the race into chaos by undermining the president, and the media hounded him from the ticket following his alarming debate performance while breezing past Trump’s lies and instability.
In the end, President Joe Biden did the right thing for the country.
Age caught up to him. Democrats turned on him. And the media piled on, helping to drive Biden from the 2024 presidential race, while largely ignoring the danger and mental acuity of Donald Trump.
With just over 100 days to go until Election Day, Biden’s sudden departure throws an already chaotic race into uncharted territory. The Democrats have a deep bench of possible candidates, but many are unknown and untested. And time is short.
The best positioned to take Biden’s place at the top of the ticket is Vice President Kamala Harris. Gov. Josh Shapiro could make for a strong running mate, given the crucial need for the Democrats to win Pennsylvania in order to keep a convicted felon from returning to the White House and wrecking the country.
After announcing his withdrawal, Biden endorsed Harris. She is more than equipped to build on Biden’s many accomplishments. Biden’s campaign apparatus and financial backing will help make for a smooth transition so Harris can hit the ground running.
The Democrats made a mess of the race by undermining Biden. The media essentially hounded him from office following his alarming debate performance while breezing past Trump’s many lies, dangerous plans, advanced age, and instability.
Despite the upheaval of the past few weeks, Biden will be remembered as a consequential president who led the country out of the deadly and mismanaged pandemic and back to normalcy following Trump’s subversive and deadly efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
In the face of a divided government, Biden passed major bipartisan legislation that was in the best interest of the majority of Americans in red and blue states, including major investments in infrastructure, green energy, and lower prescription drug prices for seniors.
On Biden’s watch, the country created a record number of new jobs, wages rose, and the stock market has hit record highs. He led the way in passing the first major gun safety legislation in 30 years and appointed the first Black woman to the Supreme Court.
Biden also rebuilt frayed relations with allies around the world, following Trump’s reckless and ignorant leadership. He stood up to Russia’s naked aggression in Ukraine and pressed Israel not to attack innocent Palestinians. Biden also confronted the existential threat of climate change — an issue that Trump and other Republicans pretend is not real at the world’s peril.
Best of all, Biden served the country with honor and decency. He respected the Oval Office and the rule of law. His service to the nation for half a century is laudable.
The same cannot be said about Trump, a draft dodger, failed businessman and reality TV show host who has denigrated America, stoked racial divisions, lined his pockets, and sided with dictators.
Trump’s one term as president ended in disaster as he lied and ignored the pandemic and then incited an insurrection in his bid to hang on to power. He appointed three extreme conservative Supreme Court justices, who then joined other conservatives to overturn a woman’s right to abortion.
Trump’s disrespect for women has long been on display. He was caught on tape bragging about grabbing women by their genitals. A jury found him liable for sexually assaulting a woman. He has been convicted of paying off an adult film actress to keep the affair from the public in the days before the 2016 election.
Trump also faces three other criminal indictments for trying to overturn the 2020 election and for stealing classified documents (the latter is on hold after a Trump-appointed judge used specious reasoning to dismiss the case). He is running to stay out of prison.
How Trump is even considered a viable candidate for president remains a mystery to anyone who believes in the Constitution and the rule of law.
His act is old and dangerous. If elected, Trump plans to order the Justice Department to drop the federal cases against him and go after perceived enemies. His allies are devising a reckless plan known as Project 2025 that would do lasting damage to the country and American democracy. The conservative Supreme Court has essentially granted him immunity to break the law.
How Trump is even considered a viable candidate for president remains a mystery to anyone who believes in the Constitution and the rule of law.
America can and must do better than a lying huckster.
The stakes in the November election could not be greater. In his heart, Biden believed he was the best candidate to defeat Trump since he beat him in 2020.
But Biden could not best Father Time. The presidency is a grueling job. Biden would have been 86 at the end of his second term.
The same goes for Trump. He is 78. If elected, he would be the oldest president at the end of his term — provided he agrees to give up power after four years. Given his track record, that is not guaranteed.
Trump’s own running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, called him “America’s Hitler.” Many other Republicans who served with Trump have said he is unfit for office.
That is what voters need to remember. Trump’s followers are blinded by his antics, but his vision for America imperils the balance of powers the Founding Fathers envisioned, endangering the American democracy for which they fought.
Biden’s departure removes the focus about his age from the race. It is not easy to give up power. But Biden did the right thing for the country.
Now is the time for everyone who believes in democracy, the rule of law, and the Constitution to come together and stop Trump from ruining the United States.