Congress returns to Washington this week following the holiday break. Various committee meetings and hearings are scheduled, but there really is only one topic for discussion, at least among Democrats: Should President Joe Biden step aside as the nominee?
Yes, he should.
Biden followed his disastrous debate performance with a less than reassuring interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos. While Biden seemed at least a little more alert, several of his answers add to the alarm.
“I don’t think anybody’s more qualified to be president or win this race than me,” he told Stephanopoulos.
If you give Biden the benefit of the doubt, and fewer Democrats are willing to do that, his answer is reflective of a fighting spirit and a history of overcoming challenges. But it is more likely now that attitude is delusional. His approval rating is in the mid-thirties and polls now have him trailing Donald Trump by six points nationally, and behind in nearly all battleground states he won in 2020. And he is the best candidate to win the race?
In the interview, Biden also danced around pointed questions about his cognitive abilities and refused to commit to taking an independent examination. “I take a cognitive test every day,” he said.
I don’t think that kind of test is necessary. Voters saw for themselves during the debate that Biden’s mental capacities have degenerated. Most of us recognize this because we have seen it in our spouses, our parents and grandparents, in close friends, or in ourselves. Many of us have personal experience with loved ones in cognitive decline and have had to make difficult decisions about their wellbeing.
If we saw a parent struggle as Biden did during the debate, the following day we would be consulting with family members about taking away their car keys.
When pressed on whether he would step aside, Biden said he would if “the Lord Almighty came down and said, ‘Joe get out of the race,’ I’d get out of the race.’
I’ll defer to each individual on how they communicate with the Good Lord, but we should keep in mind that the faithful who do not specifically hear the voice of God look for signs. And in Biden’s case, the signs are everywhere that he should step aside.
Notably, Biden has presented this race in existential terms. Democracy itself is at stake. But when Stephanopoulos asked how he would feel if Trump won, Biden gave a pithy reply. “I’ll feel as long as I gave it my all and I did as good a job as I know I can do, that’s what this is all about.”
No, it is not. This isn’t some mid-level job interview where “doing your best” gives you peace of mind. This is a critical election that is about so much more than what any individual wants for himself.
This time four years ago, Biden was up ten points. Now he is down six. Biden needed the debate to turn around his campaign. That failed miserably. The ABC interview was supposed to begin reassuring Democrats. It did not.
Although his performance was stronger, his answers simply confirmed that he is in denial about voters’ legitimate concerns about his mental acuity.