Conventional wisdom suggests that President Biden needs to wait until after the mid-term elections are over to announce that he is not running for re-election for fear of being perceived as a “lame duck”. I call BS. That is absolutely wrong. We have literally never been in a situation like this. Biden’s approval rating has dropped down into the low thirties. Even a majority of Democrats hope he doesn’t run again. If the Democrats survive the midterms with their control of Congress intact it will be despite the drag of Biden’s unpopularity not because of him. The best thing that he could do for the Democrats and for the nation would be to announce sooner rather than later (and definitely before the midterms) that he will not be running again.
Only two incumbent Presidents in modern history who were eligible to run for re-election ultimately did not run and both of them waited until March of the presidential election year to make the announcement. On March 19, 1952, after being upset in the New Hampshire Democratic primary by Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver, President Harry Truman declared “I have served my country long, and I think effectively and honestly” and withdrew from the race. On March 31, 1968, after Robert Kennedy announced that he would be joining Eugene McCarthy in challenging Johnson, he ended his speech about the status of the war in Vietnam with the historic words.
“I have concluded that I should not permit the Presidency to become involved in the partisan divisions that are developing in this political year.
With America’s sons in the fields far away, with America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office–the Presidency of your country. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
President Biden should go on TV and say something like:
My fellow Americans. As it was written there is a time for every thing and a season for every activity.
It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve as your President. I offered myself as a candidate in 2020 in order to restore the soul of our country and to make America respected around the world again. I have served my country to the best of my abilities, and I believe much has been accomplished so far but still more needs to be accomplished in the next two years. I had hoped to be able to unify the country, but it is clear that that is not within my ability at this time. We have withdrawn our troops from Afghanistan after 20 years of war there. It is something that three presidents before me had promised to do and I am proud to have accomplished. We held together the NATO coalition in the face of a brutal and illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. I am proud that our relationship with our European allies has been restored and preserved after the chaos of the four prior years. We managed to push through a historic investment in our country’s physical infrastructure that will pay dividends for generations to come. But there so much still to be done that was blocked primarily because of the stubborn Republican refusal to negotiate or compromise despite their minority position.
We are at a time of crisis. Our very democracy and our basic freedoms are under attack by the extremist MAGA republicans and the unhinged reactionary Supreme Court. We are facing an existential climate crisis and still our people are hurting as too many are homeless and hungry and without medical care.
It is critical for our nation that we pass the remainder of my Build Back Better bill including the components of the Green New Deal and investment in public housing, subsidized child care and expansion of access to health care for all. and more. I want and intend to fight over the next two years for the entire Build Back Better plan.
It is critical for our nation that we preserve and protect our democracy and that means passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the Freedom To Vote Act. We must guarantee a national right to choose and fight back against the extreme and reactionary Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe vs Wade. The awesome challenges facing our country are staring us in the face as are the possibility for overcoming them. It is no secret that to do what needs to be done you must give me a Democratic majority in the House and at least two more Democratic Senators willing to change the archaic filibuster rule that has been abused by the Republican minority to prevent progress.
As President Lyndon Johnson said nearly 70 years ago, ” I have concluded that I should not permit the Presidency to become involved in the partisan divisions that are developing in this political year. With America’s future under challenge right here at home, with our hopes and the world’s hopes for peace in the balance every day, I do not believe that I should devote an hour or a day of my time to any personal partisan causes or to any duties other than the awesome duties of this office–the Presidency of your country. Accordingly, I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your President.”
Thank you and God Bless.