OPINION: It’s time to go, Joe

If Joe Biden truly cares about democracy, then he should do the right thing and drop out of the race.

As a Democrat and as an American, nothing pains me more than the current state of the Presidency.

In 2008, I eagerly rushed to the polls to cast my vote for Barack Obama, the young senator from Illinois who would go on to become the first African-American president in US history.

In 2012, I again ran to the polls to re-elect President Obama to his second term.

In 2016, I threw my lot in with Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. When that didn’t pan out, I reluctantly cast my vote for Hillary Clinton because hey, at least it was a vote against Donald Trump.

In 2020, I voted for Joe Biden without a second thought, because again at least it wasn’t a vote for Donald Trump.

But after watching June’s debate, I don’t know if I can vote for Joe Biden again. And I’m not the only one, many of my fellow Democrats feel the same way. Citing concern over his mental health and age, Biden has faced growing calls from inside his own party to drop out of the 2024 Presidential Election. Biden has so far refused these calls, even going so far as to say during his recent interview with George Stephanopoulos that only God will make him drop out.

President Biden has denied the claims that his mental health is failing, but still refuses to undergo a cognitive evaluation. If there was nothing wrong, then why not undergo the evaluation? We’ve all seen the clips of him appearing confused and disoriented, attempting to leave the stage in the wrong direction or shaking hands with people who aren’t there. While some of it is obvious disinformation and a skewed interpretation of the truth from MAGA Republicans, we can’t ignore the growing mountain of actual evidence that something isn’t quite right with Joe Biden.

Joe Biden is very obviously unfit to run this country for four more years, and the Democratic Party can and should replace him as a candidate. Continuing to run with Biden will only guarantee a Trump victory in November.

There’s been much discussion of who could replace Biden in the election. Suggestions for possible replacements have included California governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, current Vice President Kamala Harris, former candidate Hillary Clinton, and even Michelle Obama.

The problem with most of the potential replacement candidates is that at best they only poll equal to or worse than Biden against Trump. A recent poll by Reuters/Ipsos showed only Harris as doing better than Biden, but still losing to Trump. The only potential candidate to best Trump in the poll was Michelle Obama. However, the former First Lady has repeatedly said that she has no interest in running for the presidency, or even holding any political office.

California governor Gavin Newsom was previously seen as a favorite to replace Biden in the event the latter dropped out of the election, but many Democrats have spoken out against this. Their issue isn’t with Newsom so much as it is with not giving Kamala Harris a chance. And they’re right. After all, Harris is the current Vice President, Biden’s designated successor in the event he can’t fulfill the duties of his office. This line of succession doesn’t apply to the election, but we shouldn’t overlook it. Harris has served under President Biden for his entire term so far, so why should we dismiss her in favor of Governor Newsom? Wouldn’t it only be appropriate to promote the current vice president as the best replacement candidate to Biden?

Then of course there’s the obvious problem of skipping over a woman of color to nominate a white man. A recent study by Pew Research Center showed that over 80% of registered black voters are Democrats. Overlooking Kamala Harris in favor of Gavin Newsom would certainly cost the Democrats votes from the black community. Likewise, the same study showed that the majority of women also vote Democrat, though the results were closer at 51% of female voters. By not running Harris in Biden’s place, the Democratic Party would risk alienating two of their most important voter bases, and pretty much hand Trump the election.

The most ideal Democratic ticket for 2024 would be Harris/Obama. A Kamala Harris and Michelle Obama Democratic ticket would be historic and leave Donald Trump in the dust. Unfortunately, Mrs. Obama doesn’t appear to be interested, so perhaps the next best ticket would be Harris/Newsom.

One thing is certain though, and that’s that Joe Biden needs to step aside. Not only for the sake of his party, but for the sake of his country. You did your part, Joe. Now it’s time to hand over the reins to someone else. Preferably someone younger and in better health. By stubbornly staying in the race, you’re only guaranteeing the re-election of Donald Trump and subjecting this country to four more years of crony capitalism and destructive ideals like Project 2025 that go against the very foundation of this country.

Do the right thing and withdraw from the race, President Biden.