Joe Biden’s graceful exit

“Old age,” lamented Trotsky, “is the most unexpected of all things that can happen to a man.” Joe Biden knows the feeling. Straining against every instinct of the career politician, not to mention human nature, he gave up the trappings of power for the good of the country on Sunday. It was the honorable choice.

Little doubt remained that he was simply too old for the fight ahead. Following his calamitous performance at the presidential debate on June 27, a steady stream of leaks attested to Biden’s diminished capacities. His polls cratered. Donors revolted and allies wavered. Even party eminences like Nancy Pelosi could offer only the most tepid support. Spin from the White House, increasingly tortured, fooled no one. The public saw what it saw, and the president was done.

There’s no shame in that. Time comes for us all. More to the point, Biden has served the country for half a century, often at personal sacrifice. His career — spanning 36 years in the Senate and almost 12 in the White House — has few equals in American history. Not least: Democrats will always remember him as the man who prevented a second disastrous term for Donald Trump in 2020.

Biden’s continued candidacy was putting that accomplishment at risk. Trailing nationally and in almost every significant battleground state, the president had only the narrowest path to reelection. His obvious decline was going to be the main story, perhaps the only story, of the remaining months of the campaign. For a party that views Trump as a one-of-a-kind threat to the nation, Biden’s persistence was coming to look more like selfishness. In declining to pursue a second term — just the seventh president to do so — he has put the country first and done the right thing.

What now for the Democratic ticket? Open debate should be the priority. Vice President Kamala Harris is the obvious heir to Biden’s nomination. But the top contenders should be free to make their case, now and at the party’s convention on Aug. 19. That may make for a more chaotic nominating process than expected, but such was the norm in this country for 140 years. Less stage management and more substantive negotiation would be salutary, both for the party and for American politics.

Whatever candidates emerge, they should articulate an agenda that responds to voters’ stated concerns, notably on inflation and immigration. They should emphasize that Donald Trump’s ideas — on those issues and many others — are likely to make matters worse. They should also resist the urge to indulge in culture-war theatrics, which the country has had all too much of in recent years. Optimism might be worth a try.

As for Biden? He should see out the rest of his term with pragmatism and accept the caretaker’s mandate with grace. Then he can walk away, confident that history will judge the most consequential decision of his presidency as the right one.

The Editorial Board, Bloomberg

Courtesy Bloomberg