Following Joe Biden’s disastrous performance in Thursday night’s debate with Donald Trump, the New York Times now believes that the American president should withdraw from the race for the White House.
In an editorial published Friday evening, the famous daily described Joe Biden, 81, as being “the shadow of a leader”, implying that the American president was not fit to seek a new mandate, the newspaper wishing a candidate a candidate in better physical and mental condition.
“He was an admirable president, recalls the newspaper. *”Under his leadership, the nation prospered and began to address a series of long-term challenges, and the wounds opened by Donald Trump began to heal. But The greatest public service Mr. Biden could perform today would be to announce that he will not seek reelection.”***.**
The call comes after the president’s televised appearance before millions of Americans.
Unrecognizable and clearly disoriented, Joe Biden was sometimes incomprehensible, failing to finish his sentences, while staring into space during his duel with his predecessor.
At the end of the debate, members of the Democratic Party immediately questioned Joe Biden’s ability to assume a new mandate, which sparked a storm within the party but Joe Biden assured Friday that he could “do the job”receiving in the process the support of two of his predecessors Barack Obama and Bill Clinton.
“There will be discussions about whether he should continue.”David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Barack Obama, told CNN. “I hope Biden reflects on his performance in this debate and then announces his decision to withdraw from the race.”added the editorialist of New York Times Nicholas Kristoff.
Vice President Kamala Harris tried to put out the fireemphasizing that “The end (of the debate) was strong” despite a “slow start” and calling for a focus on “the bottom” and not the form. Joe Biden himself admitted on Friday that he “didn’t debate as well as before”. But “I give you my word as Biden. I would not run again if I did not believe, with all my heart and soul, that I could do this job.”
Replacement impossible?
Problem: Four months before the election, the rules of the Democratic Party do not leave much room for maneuver. Joe Biden crushed the primaries, which began last January, with 3,900 delegates acquired out of 4,000. He therefore has total legitimacy. Of course, the outgoing president has not yet been invested; he will be officially invested at the Democratic convention which will take place from August 19 to 22 in Chicago.
In reality, Joe Biden could only be replaced if he renounces himself, which does not seem, for the moment, to be relevant. The charter of the Democratic National Committee provides many provisions in the event of incapacity, but “I don’t see who can implement this procedure”explains American politics specialist Nicole Bacharan. “No one will dare to go hostile against the president”she adds.
If Joe Biden were to withdraw, the cards would then be completely reshuffled at the Chicago convention. Each delegate would then become free to support the candidate of their choice. This scenario had already occurred in 1976, during the Republican convention which pitted Gerald Ford against Ronald Reagan.
But who could replace Joe Biden at short notice? The only certainty is that Vice-President Kamala Harris is not the favorite in the Democratic clan.