The Witness Chronicles, July 18, 2024

Is Biden changing his mind?

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The Rumors Are Flying That Joe Will Go

As early as this weekend?

I freely admit I spend too much time scanning various news sources this election year. And after the election I hope to stop completely. At least that’s my fantasy. But one of the results of this obsession is you see rumors emerge and this morning one was widespread.

Apparently Joe Biden is now seriously considering a Kamala Harris run and her chances if he steps down. If this is true, his recent diagnosis of Covid (yesterday’s big story, along with J.D. Vance pretending he is just a regular guy who never backed abortion bans with no exceptions), may be a factor.

He did state that a medical condition would be the thing that might make him reconsider running. But unless his illness is a lot worse than anyone is saying, I doubt that’s the kind of thing he was talking about.

It’s more likely that he finally heard from sources outside his inner circle that his chances were dwindling. And those sources may have included Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, and Senator Schumer, the de facto Democratic leaders in Congress.

It would be hard to ignore their advice.

All of this is taking place against the backdrop of a Republican Convention where every speaker is playing fast and loose with the facts, that is to say, lying.

For example, the NYTimes Morning newsletter today debunked all of their outrageous claims about immigration and crime as they painted a picture of horrors beyond belief coming across the border. I would not be surprised if they claimed Biden was raising the dead from Mexican cemeteries and sending a zombie army across the border.

As fun as that would be, I doubt it would surprise anyone in an election year where we literally have a big new story every day. The most inventive political thriller writer could not have made this year up.

So Biden choosing to step down would just fit the pattern. I’ve been an advocate in my writing that he should do so, not just because he is old but because the public perception of his age is overwhelmingly negative and his attempts to allay worries are not working.

Given the frightening stakes of this election, that is not a risk we can take. Despite lip service to unity, the GOP under Trump is doubling down on hate and fear and paranoia while making plans to crush our democracy. The constant stream of speeches are far more focused on fear than unity.

The unity they preach is only MAGA unity- the rest of us are still the bad guys.

Joe Biden is not stupid or senile, far from it. But he may have been protected from the election reality by his followers until the fear of losing grew so serious that Democratic leaders finally broke through that shield. I certainly hope so.

If he steps away, a whole new challenge awaits the Party; getting Kamala Harris elected, not a given. I do think she is the only logical successor. Whitmer has categorically stated she won’t run, as has Gavin Newsom. I think they have their eyes on 2028, which makes sense.

One thing I have not heard speculation about is who Harris’s running mate might be. That would be an interesting choice and one that could tilt everything towards or away from the Dems. Pete Buttigieg for instance. He offers the gay vote, military experience, cabinet level experience, and most important, the ability to go one on one with the right.

One of his really smart preparations has been his willingness to go on Fox and confront critics there on virtually any topic. The man has been unflappable in the face of their hysterical babbling.

Of course this is all speculation, but it seems to be getting closer to reality. And if this happens, 2024 accelerates even faster into unknown territory for the future of the country.

So I guess my news habit is not going away anytime soon.

~ I write The Grasshopper, an occasional letter on the creative life and it’s sister, mostly daily publication The Witness Chronicles, a place for my articles on politics and climate. They share a free and paid subscription. I don’t paywall any content in these, however this is how I live and I strongly believe all writers and creatives should get paid, if we provide value. Your support with a paid subscription helps make that happen.

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