One Man’s Opinion: Biden His Time

The energetic New Castle County Councilman was only 29, when he decided to challenge Republican two-term U.S. Senator and former two-term Governor, J. Caleb Boggs for his Senate seat.  The young lawyer had a beautiful family and ran on a platform of ‘change,’ while also questioning the incumbent’s age and fitness to continue to serve.

Admittedly, “Cale” Boggs was an old looking 63, and his opponent won an upset victory statewide by just under 3,200 votes, with his sister serving as his campaign manager.  That young agent of change for Delaware was Joe Biden.

Biden would go on to serve seven terms in the U.S. Senate, running for President twice unsuccessfully, before another young Senate colleague tapped him as his running mate, after beating Biden in the Presidential Preference Primaries of 2008.  Young Barack Obama needed some grey hair on his ticket and a bit more Washington know-how...so he too turned to Joe Biden.

Joe Biden at his first U.S. Senate swearing-in was 31, the 7th youngest American to serve in the U.S. Senate.  Now Biden is the oldest person to ever serve as President, with the second oldest being his opponent.  Our top four Golden Oldies in that office include Ronald Wilson Reagan, and Andrew “Old Hickory’ Jackson, who both left the White House just before turning 78.

The CNN Presidential Debate of Thursday, June 27th was of course damaging to the Biden campaign, while also like the unmasking at the end of every Scooby Doo cartoon.  Not to make light of physical or mental decline, but perhaps more damaging in the days and weeks which followed was the repeated, steadfast denials of any problems with cognition, mental acuity or even physical frailty.

The Emperor might still be wearing clothes, but he apparently needs help dressing himself.  Having met Joe Biden in 1988 and again in 2008, I can attest as many others have, that the Joe Biden of 2024 is not the same man.  Thankfully, after hearing from many voices who still have President Biden’s ear, President Biden has decided to hand off the campaign torch, and focus on his remaining work as President through the end of 2024.

Biden has endorsed his Vice-President to be his replacement as the Democratic nominee, after formally releasing his delegates, but that doesn’t mean Kamala Harris as Democratic Presidential nominee is a done deal.

President Biden, the Clintons, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leading voices including both of Georgia’s Senators, Jon Osoff and Raphael Warnock are endorsing Harris. However as of this writing President Barack and Michelle Obama, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries, as well as several leading party donors are still on the fence and may seek some sort of opportunity for others to toss their hat into this ring before or during the Democratic Convention which begins in Chicago on August 19th.

The Vice President trails Trump in Georgia, in a poll preceding Biden’s departure from the race, and Trump leads in almost every battleground state.  Harris also has low approval ratings and some of the same demographic support weaknesses as President Biden, among younger voters 18-35 and black men.  The party may need to streamline its progressive wish list and focus on core issues such as reproductive rights and other health care reforms, which the GOP has little answer to, to drive up turnout among the most loyal members of the Democratic Party base.

In the few weeks remaining before the Democratic Convention, Biden, Harris and her supporters also have the advantage of Federal Campaign Election law at their backs.  The $150-million in the 527 Super PAC supporting the Biden/Harris ticket, can continue to make non-coordinated expenditures in support of a Harris campaign.  Two new nominees make access to those funds more than a bit problematic, with nearly $100-million in donor pledges currently sitting on pause, awaiting a Biden exit.

With Joe Biden’s prime-time perhaps behind him, Harris will need to rally dispirited donors and party activists, perhaps with a less ambitious agenda, and focus on turning out the base and the Democratic vote in battleground states.  Also expect calls for Biden to resign as President, allowing his Veep to run as an incumbent, with the full power of the White House.  By earlier biding his time with the campaign decision, the President lost credibility among several key party leaders and donors, now cringing at any possibility of troubled Biden performance during the DNC gathering in Chicago.  Fickle winds blow in the Windy City.