But the damage was not only to the presidential campaign. Biden’s foolishness was seriously undermining the chances of many candidates at the legislative level; the same at the state and local level.
While Biden was racking up losses and detractors, Trump was capitalizing. Despite being almost the same age, it was never an issue against him as it was for Biden. The terrible debate, which Biden himself proposed, did not make him see reality.
Then, with the assassination attempt, Trump emerged victorious on all fronts. He gave the image of a hero, of a strong man capable of surviving an assassination attempt. This further weakened Biden’s image of fragility. Even so, Biden insisted on continuing, affecting the Democrats and himself.
In politics, the most important thing is to know when to back off. Biden set a living example of not knowing. Clinging to the candidacy made him look like a foolish old man who, added to his terrible government, fatally damaged the positive image he once had before being president.
This Sunday, Biden finally faces reality, not just social reality, but the reality that many of those who once supported him en masse have now distanced themselves. And he finally decides to step aside, in good time.
While many believe it is impossible to rank anyone at this stage of the race, the reality is that it is still a very good time. It is enough to remember that at this point in 2016, Trump was not yet the electoral phenomenon that he turned out to be.
Biden, apparently, leaves the way clear for a fresher, younger, more energetic Democrat to take the reins of a declining candidacy and re-energize many Democrats who were stepping aside when they did not see a winning candidacy.
However, Biden is making a new mistake in correcting this. He is promoting Vice President Kamala Harris as his successor in the presidential race. A politician with little substance, who did not know how to grow or position herself during her four years as the number two in the United States.
Kamala is not particularly popular or electorally strong. She rose like foam due to her strident and quarrelsome speeches, but without much content. She even became offensive to Biden himself when both fought for the Democratic nomination in 2020.
But once he reached a real position of power, he did not know how to take advantage of it and stand out. His thing was rhetoric, but he had to act and he could not. The vice presidency of the United States can be a position of great strength. These four years were one of great absence.
There are those who say she was not allowed to stand out. But she had many opportunities. She simply did not have the size to capitalize on them. And now, she is being proposed as a presidential candidate, when as vice president she completely faded away.
It remains to be seen what happens at the Democratic convention in a few weeks, and how they resolve the issue of having to replace a candidate who already had formal internal support from the primaries.
But it is important for the Democratic Party to promote someone with more freshness and appeal, outside of the Biden Harris duo that has so harmed the party’s competitiveness.
Biden’s decision to back off could help federal congressional candidates, as well as the various local contests. However, to truly strengthen the party, a strong and competitive presidential ticket is needed. Kamala does not appear to be one of them.
In recent polls in the United States, Kamala has not emerged as particularly popular or strong, unlike other figures in the party who, despite not being on the current national stage, are better positioned than her.
Democrats have four weeks to define a course that neither party has had to take before. And to identify who can really be competitive. At their convention, they will have to decide on the nomination. And from there, they will work at forced marches to position it.
Trump is highly popular at the moment, even more so after the attack. But there are also large groups of the population who do not like him.
The challenge for Democrats is historic: to nominate someone who can truly reach out to these groups and inspire them. But at the same time, not someone who will deepen the polarization so that it does not lead to higher levels of social and political violence.
