By David M. Greenwald
Executive Editor
In a move that illustrated how profound the dynamics of the Presidential race changed on Thursday with President Biden’s poor performance in the presidential debate, the NY Times Editorial Board called on the sitting President to bow out of the race and not seek reelection.
In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson made such an announcement after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary. That ultimately led to a series of events—the assassination of Robert Kennedy, the 1968 Chicago Democratic Convention and the riots, the nomination of Hubert Humphrey, and his narrow defeat by Richard Nixon.
The ramifications for 2024 could be just as stark, as the NY Times noted.
“President Biden has repeatedly and rightfully described the stakes in this November’s 
presidential election as nothing less than the future of American democracy,” the editorial board writing noting that “Donald Trump has proved himself to be a significant jeopardy to that democracy — an erratic and self-interested figure unworthy of the public trust.”
The Times notes that Biden has portrayed himself as the candidate “with the best chance of taking on this threat of tyranny and defeating it.”
However, the Times pointed out, “His argument rests largely on the fact that he beat Mr. Trump in 2020. That is no longer a sufficient rationale for why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year.”
The problem after the debate—in which the President needed to convince the public that he was equal to the task, is after Thursday’s performance, they argued, “Voters, however, cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago.”
The Times continued: “The president appeared on Thursday night as the shadow of a great public servant. He struggled to explain what he would accomplish in a second term. He struggled to respond to Mr. Trump’s provocations. He struggled to hold Mr. Trump accountable for his lies, his failures and his chilling plans. More than once, he struggled to make it to the end of a sentence.”
The Times charges, “As it stands, the president is engaged in a reckless gamble. There are Democratic leaders better equipped to present clear, compelling and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency. There is no reason for the party to risk the stability and security of the country by forcing voters to choose between Mr. Trump’s deficiencies and those of Mr. Biden. It’s too big a bet to simply hope Americans will overlook or discount Mr. Biden’s age and infirmity that they see with their own eyes.”
The Times continued, “If the race comes down to a choice between Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden, the sitting president would be this board’s unequivocal pick. That is how much of a danger Mr. Trump poses. But given that very danger, the stakes for the country and the uneven abilities of Mr. Biden, the United States needs a stronger opponent to the presumptive Republican nominee.”
Biden for his part emphatically pushed back on the notion that he would step down on Friday. Indeed, he displayed the energy and tenacity that was often missing on Thursday.
Nevertheless, most experts and analysts believe he did irreparable harm to his chances with his performance on Friday.
As the NY Times put it, “Mr. Biden answered an urgent question on Thursday night. It was not the answer that he and his supporters were hoping for. But if the risk of a second Trump term is as great as he says it is — and we agree with him that the danger is enormous — then his dedication to this country leaves him and his party only one choice.”
The Times proclaimed, “The clearest path for Democrats to defeat a candidate defined by his lies is to deal truthfully with the American public: acknowledge that Mr. Biden can’t continue his race, and create a process to select someone more capable to stand in his place to defeat Mr. Trump in November.”
They conclude: “It is the best chance to protect the soul of the nation — the cause that drew Mr. Biden to run for the presidency in 2019 — from the malign warping of Mr. Trump. And it is the best service that Mr. Biden can provide to a country that he has nobly served for so long.”
However, as Biden’s response suggests, the chances of that happening seem to be diminishing, unless another shoe drops.
