US Democrats must admit that President Joe Biden is no longer capable of defeating Donald Trump on Election Day in November, and that they need to find a stronger candidate to replace him, The New York Times editorial board wrote on Friday.
The appeal came a day after Biden delivered what was universally seen as a disastrous performance against Trump during a live presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia. Observers noted that Biden appeared frail and confused, struggling to finish his sentences and mixing up words when speaking.
In a piece published on Friday, the NYT expressed doubt that Biden can repeat his 2020 victory over Trump.
“That is no longer a sufficient rationale for why Mr. Biden should be the Democratic nominee this year,” the editorial board wrote. “Voters… cannot be expected to ignore what was instead plain to see: Mr. Biden is not the man he was four years ago.”
The board argued that Biden appeared on the debate stage “as the shadow of a great public servant,” who “struggled” to articulate his own policy position and ultimately failed to adequately counter Trump.
“There are Democratic leaders better equipped to present clear, compelling and energetic alternatives to a second Trump presidency,” the board wrote. “It’s too big a bet to simply hope Americans will overlook or discount Mr. Biden’s age and infirmity that they see with their own eyes.”
The editorial board concluded that Democrats have a better chance of defeating Trump if they “acknowledge that Mr. Biden can’t continue his race, and create a process to select someone more capable to stand in his place.”
While the board did not propose any alternatives, the US media and pundits have suggested that several prominent Democrats could potentially replace Biden as candidate, including Vice President Kamala Harris, California Governor Gavin Newsom, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker.
Leading liberal journalists and public figures have acknowledged that Biden performed badly on Thursday night. A flash poll conducted by CNN revealed that 67% of registered voters who watched the debate felt that Trump had won.
Several outlets cited unnamed Biden staffers who tried to justify the president’s performance by saying he has been suffering from a cold and was “over-prepared and relying on minutiae.”
Biden appeared to acknowledge his flaws shortly after the debate. “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious,” he told a crowd of supporters during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday. “I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to. I don’t debate as well as I used to.”
Nevertheless, he vowed to continue the campaign and insisted that he is best qualified for the presidency. “I know how to get things done. And I know, like millions of Americans know, when you get knocked down, you get back,” Biden said.
