Staff Reports
The Washington Post recently indulged in a fever dream by imagining a scenario where President Joe Biden gracefully exits the 2024 presidential race. Even more fantastical, they provided a fully drafted concession speech, helping old Joe navigate his way out of the mess his administration has created. The piece, perhaps optimistically titled “What if Biden spoke these words?”, suggests a smooth exit for Biden, who has been struggling to maintain coherence, let alone inspire his party.
The editorial proposes Biden’s hypothetical speech as a concession after facing internal pressure from Democrats frustrated by his abysmal performance in debates against Donald Trump. Biden’s scatterbrained moments and inability to effectively counter Trump left many Democrats wondering if a cardboard cutout might have fared better. A large part of Biden, according to the mock speech, still wants to soldier on. However, he apparently acknowledges that America needs a leader with the stamina to handle the rigors of both a campaign and a subsequent term – something the current commander-in-chief would admit he lacks.
Washington Post writes hypothetical withdrawal speech for Biden https://t.co/s1d149wGq5 via @dcexaminer
— Sorgatoni (@Sorghaghtani) July 4, 2024
The imagined speech took readers through a nostalgia trip of Biden’s seemingly endless decades of service in U.S. politics. It likened Biden to George Washington, who chose to step down from the presidency even though the Constitution didn’t necessitate it. One can almost hear the Founding Fathers groan from the beyond. For the cherry on top, the speech suggests Biden rally around a new process to find a successor, with debates and all the hoopla, culminating in the Democratic convention in August. And who might step up to the plate? None other than Vice President Kamala Harris, the same woman who couldn’t even secure a single delegate in the Democrat primaries.
Biden’s theoretical swan song promised that he would support the next Democratic nominee wholeheartedly and urged Americans to rekindle the energetic spirit that once built the nation. This reads like a desperate attempt to resuscitate an administration that has done more to tear down America’s energy independence and economic stability than any predecessor.
This editorial came right after Biden’s disastrous debate performance, confirming what most Americans already knew – the man is simply not up to the task. The calamity prompted significant figures within the Democratic Party, like Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX), to openly suggest Biden step aside. He was soon joined by Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Seth Moulton (D-MA), and former Rep. Tim Ryan called for Harris to take up the mantle. Ryan even labeled Biden’s debate performance “deeply troubling”, which is an understatement akin to calling the Titanic’s iceberg encounter a minor inconvenience.
Despite these internal rebukes, the White House clings to the scripted narrative of Biden’s capability to serve a second term. They shrug off any suggestions of resignation or abandoning the race, assuring the public that Biden, although no spring chicken, has got it all under control. This denial, paired with their outright rejection of claims that Biden is contemplating stepping down, paints a picture of an administration in deep denial about its glaring shortcomings.
