In announcing he would no longer be the Democrats’ presidential candidate on Sunday, Joe Biden professed he was doing so because he believed it “in the best interest of [his] party and the country.” While Biden did not elaborate further on his reasoning, he promised to address the country later this week with more details about his decision.
When he eventually addresses the nation, Biden will likely portray himself as a modern-day hero, withdrawing from the race to protect America from the existential threat of Donald Trump. Whether Biden mentions his horrible debate performance remains to be seen, but if he does, the president will surely frame the spectacle as he has over the last three weeks: as a mistake, a bad night, or caused by jet lag or by Trump’s off-mic interruptions. Left unsaid will be the fact that party insiders and Democrat mega-donors forced Biden to step down out of fear Trump would win the presidency again.
These reasons, however, are all misdirection, seeking to distract the country from what they witnessed during the debate: a commander-in-chief suffering from a mental incapacity.
Yes, the public spectacle of the president’s cognitive impairment prompted Democrats to conclude Biden could not win reelection, and the conclusion that Biden could not win reelection led to his withdrawal from the race. But why Biden bowed out as the Democrat candidate — or why Biden or others claim he did — isn’t significant.
Instead, what matters is that Biden lacks a stable mental capacity.
