President Biden’s lackluster showing at Thursday’s debate has sent shockwaves through Democratic ranks, with concerns intensifying among Capitol Hill Democrats, administration allies, and left-leaning media commentators. These are turbulent times for Biden and some called for him to withdraw from the upcoming November election.
Editorial boards and editors from prominent publications such as The New York Times, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The New Yorker have joined forces with well-known cable commentators and columnists to press the president aside and allow another candidate to take the lead.
Turbulent times for Biden
The Washington Post‘s editorial board stopped short of urging Biden to drop out, instead recommending he cancel weekend plans “in favor of some soul-searching.”
In an op-ed titled “To Serve His Country, President Biden Should Leave the Race,” the Times’ board criticized Biden’s debate performance, describing him as “the shadow of a great public servant.” They argued that there are “Democratic leaders better equipped to present clear, compelling, and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency.”
Following suit, pieces from the AJC’s board and a New Yorker editor echoed similar sentiments, suggesting that the current president is not the best candidate to defeat an unrestrained former President Trump. The New Yorker proposed potential Biden replacements, including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, who they believe could energize Democrats and independents, inspire younger voters, and beat Trump.
MSNBC host Joe Scarborough’s questioning of “whether this man we’ve known and loved for a very long time is up to the task of running for president of the United States” is particularly damaging to Biden, who often seeks Scarborough’s opinions on key issues.
Not Biden but Trump
New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman echoed Scarborough’s tone in a Friday op-ed, writing that watching the man he considers a friend struggle on the debate stage made him weep.
The Philadelphia Inquirer had a different takeaway, shifting the scrutiny from Biden to Trump. “The debate about the debate is misplaced,” the paper’s editorial board wrote. “The only person who should withdraw from the race is Trump.”
Source: Biden gets more media pressure to step aside in 2024 race
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