(Stick with me here. You're gonna agree and disagree with me strongly throughout the next few scribblings, but stick with me.)
I've been cagey, at best, about all this, so let me lay all my cards on the table here: I don't think Joe Biden should be running for a second term as president of the United States. (Remember: Stick with me.) It's plainly obvious that he's declined in the last year or so, with moments of absolute command and power (like the State of the Union, which was a long four months ago). But between the debate disaster and many other appearances where he's obviously confused or on autopilot, it's impossible to deny what's so clear. And it's kind of ridiculous to see all the praise for when Biden gives a speech with energy, yelling emphatically as if that demonstrates some kind of youthful vigor. Yes, he can read words and even mean them, but all that shows is that he's not totally incapacitated.
I'll go even further and agree with Adam Serwer and others: I believe Biden should step down now and let Kamala Harris become president. Not only does it confer the glow of incumbency on Harris, but it's an act of supreme grace. Biden's last act as a public figure would be to assure that this dumb, sexist, racist country finally has a woman, a Black woman, as its president. What an incredible exclamation point on a long, fairly distinguished (with some significant blemishes) record.
As I've said before, if you're replacing Biden, it's gotta be Kamala Harris unless she says she doesn't want it. Otherwise, Democrats will alienate the most reliably Democratic voting bloc in the country, as many Black leaders and commentators have warned. Besides, don't you wanna see Harris act like the vicious prosecutor she is against Trump in a debate? God, it'd be beautiful to see Trump have to stand there while Harris tears him to pieces.
So there you go. That's where I stand on the issue with one caveat: Biden's gotta pull the trigger. That's the price of admission. Maybe after the NATO summit. Maybe after the Republican convention so that the GOP loses the chance to spend four big days lying about Harris. If Biden doesn't walk away, however stiffly, then, fuck it, it's Biden. Any effort to remove Biden would rip the party apart. Suck it up, motherfuckers, stop sniping at each other, and campaign like you're campaigning for Harris.
But, listen, goddamnit, and this is key: if you believe that Biden can't do the job and won't last another term, then, yeah, you are pretty much campaigning for and voting for Harris. What is the qualitative difference, if you think, as I do, that Biden can't go another four years, between Biden off or on the ticket if Harris has to be the replacement? That's where my head is right now. Sure, it's not an ideal situation; I'd love to see a full-fledged Harris for President campaign and get the chance to rally around her. And it's also entirely possible that Biden does do the next four years if re-elected. But we'd have all been fine with that if Biden had had a vaguely competent debate and fewer stumbling appearances. So, again, what's the difference in sticking with the ticket we have and working to make that ticket win and shutting the fuck up about our doubts about Biden's brain?
What Democrats should do is move away from all speculation about What Biden Should Do and pivot when asked that question. It's simple. Shit, I'll give you the script, like a good PR assistant: "Well, if you believe President Biden can't work for the American people for another four years, you should be thrilled that we have an excellent vice-president running with him." There you go. Turn it around on the questioner, promote Harris, and say, in essence, "Yeah, we know what's going on. We're not fucking idiots. But we can live with it."
Hell, if you want, you could add, "Donald Trump's vice-president doesn't even support him for re-election." Or "Donald Trump sent a mob to murder his vice-president. Joe Biden trusts and respects Kamala Harris."
And then start attacking the fuck out of Trump and the Republicans. The question about Biden was asked and answered. If you (or I) don't like the answer, that's on you (or me). But our responsibility now is to take that bloated oranger fucker and his whole debased, anti-American movement down. Who leads us to do that is, frankly, far less important than that we do it. Survive the tornado and clean up after. So, yeah, fuck it, it's Biden/Harris, even if I'm leaning hard on the "Harris" part. Stop playing the fucking game that the corporate media and the GOP want you to play by engaging in endless debates about this.
Of course, obviously, major news outlets are going to keep this story alive when they should be giving at least equal weight to what President Biden has done (good and bad) and what Donald Trump did as president and the fucking insane shit he says on a daily basis. I still can't get my head around how the conversation is only that Biden is acting old and not that a convicted fucking felon, rapist, fraudster, and coup leader who is opposed by dozens of high-ranking officials who worked for him might become president with a get-out-of-jail-free card from a corrupt Supreme Court. The New York Times's editorial calling Trump "unfit" to be president is a start, but the bulk of coverage and commentary is still sharply tilted to getting Biden out. We could use a little fucking both-siderism in this case.
So take a page from me. I've said what I have to say. Barring some major new information about Biden's cognitive abilities or Biden actually dropping out, I'm done talking about it. So should everyone else. But, what the hell, take a week, until after the RNC, to make sure Biden's not just waiting to take the savage heat from that conglomeration of assholes, dickfleas, twatmites, and shitheels before dropping out. Then, when he stays in, move the fuck on to the campaign to save the goddamn country.