My hand shook as I wrote the title to this column. I don’t think Joe Biden should run for re-election, but he is considering another term. That scares me. I fear that is a lose-lose situation. If the President is re-elected, he will, in my opinion, be too old to complete another four years in office in a successful fashion. If he loses, Donald Trump or a Trump-wanna-be may be elected.
I want to see Joe Biden announce that he will not seek another term. That would clear the way for the Democratic party to find a new leader—a leader who can run for president without Republicans shouting that he or she is too old even though most of the rest of us think the same thing.
Eighty years old is too old for anyone to be president, let alone 86, an age Biden would reach at the end of his second term if he were re-elected. The risk is too great that he may become incapacitated or, even worse, die in office.
Although Biden has been a successful president, he is not indispensable. Another moderate Democrat could assume his mantle, embrace his agenda, and carry America forward. A new face also will be more appealing to younger voters and eliminate the age issue from the 2024 race for Democrats.
Ideally, Biden would announce a decision not to run for re-election soon, perhaps in January. That timetable will give the Democrats sufficient time to determine who their candidate should be. If that process is conducted with an awareness that a divided Democratic party will pave the road for a return of Trump or another Republican, the party will be poised for victory in 2024.
Some suggest that should Biden announce he is not running, he will be a lame duck for his last two years in office. That is technically true. But the case of Joe Biden is unique. His decision will be seen as unselfish. The public will view it positively, not only Democrats but most other voters. This decision could result in Biden enjoying higher popularity ratings than he has to date for the last two years of his Presidency.
If Biden bows out of 2024, he also will be a less inviting target for Republicans. Kevin McCarthy’s House already plans to investigate Biden, his son Hunter, Attorney General Garland, the FBI and who knows who else. Maybe they will be less aggressive if their target has already announced his retirement. And the American people may resent a party that attacks a president who unselfishly sacrificed the glory of re-election for the good of the country.
Legislatively, the next two years will be challenging for Biden and the Democrats. That situation could change if the public rallied around Biden after he made his announcement. It would be naïve to expect the party to move forward an aggressive progressive agenda, but bipartisan legislation could, ironically, become easier to pass if Biden were not running.
If Biden doesn’t run, he also will be freed from the exhausting burden of campaigning. This will enable him to work not only with Congress, but also further his agenda through regulations and executive orders. A Biden focused on the next two years rather than the next six will get more done. The country will benefit.
Sometimes I am asked about my choice for president in 2024. I don’t like the question. It is too early to answer responsibly. America needs to get a closer look at multiple Democratic candidates if the right one is to be chosen as the party’s new leader. Who would I like to see in the group? Kamala Harris, of course, but also Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer, and a few more fresh faces. Don’t forget that in 2007 nobody foresaw Obama being elected president in 2008. Are there exciting new faces in the Democratic party yet to be discovered? Count on it.
President Biden can be confident that between now and when the party nominates its candidate for 2024, a strong candidate, capable of defeating Trump, DeSantis, or someone else hoping to return America to the 1950s, will emerge.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, and other subjects.
Helen Chappell says
Let me remind you Trump is 76. And, at the very least, shows signs of cognitive decline/
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. I know Trump is 76, but this article was about him. Had I written about Trump, I would also argue that he is too old to run.
Please read Rev. Hart’s comment below.
Brooke Lynch says
I agree whole hardily. President Biden is a very good person but too old! We need to get another stronger/younger candidate. If Trump would chooses to run, it may make it easier for another good candidate to rise…weather Democrat or Republican to rise up. We need a good transformational leader without super extreme leanings to be the President of all the people!
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. Much appreciated. We are on the same page.
Robert Hall says
YES, YES ad YES
BobHallsr
John Dean says
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, and THANK YOU for reading the piece. We are on the same page.
ROBERT HORVATH says
I agree with Helen 100%
Kim Cassady says
It appears in your view that only Democrats are worthy to be president. Sorry to inform you that there are Republicans who can lead as well or better than the woke folk. Quit bringing so biased, something you claim is a trait exclusive to Republicans.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. Please know I do believe there may be Republicans who can lead as well or better than “the woke folk.” (presumably you are referencing Democrats). My piece was about President Biden. I wasn’t comparing him to Trump and was not talking about “R vs. D.” I was simply making the point that the President may be too old to responsibly run for re-election.
In any case, I appreciate your comment (even though I don’t like you referring to Democrats as “the woke folk.”
Deirdre LaMotte says
Really? It is a totally false assumption that there is a significant difference between Trump and the rest of the GOP. The embrace of Trump is locked in by his deluded followers. Without these deluded followers, the Party cannot win elections…2018, 2020, 2022. And why? there is no platform; there is division and hate. This is the Republican Party and it does not deserve survival. Hogan and anyone else with self respect has no future with
this Party. Do what Barbara Bush did. Leave that Party, ugh.
And your slamming woke is so predictably lazy. WTH is wrong with being up on what is occurring in society
and reacting? Try being enlightened, as our forbearers were.
Sandra Snowden says
While I agree with the author, I look at the number of those in Congress that are President Biden’s age who have made no apparent decision to leave. I do applaud the Democratic leadership for stepping down to allow for the younger ones to have their time. However, the opposition party seems not so inclined. I’m also conscious of the pressures of the presidency but wisdom is priceless. Yes, I would like for President Biden to be honored for not seeking re-election; but will he?
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece and commenting.
Rev Julia Hart says
Democratic Party bias? I don’t read that at all. What I hear from Mr Dean is an honest assessment of issues within the Party. Age IS an issue. No. BIDEN shouldn’t run. And neither should Trump. The Founders never imagined people living to such old ages. And obviously that has also presented an issue throughout our Government’s Branches. Age IS an issue. That can’t be repeated enough.
John Dean says
Thank you. You have captured what I was trying to do with the article. Special thanks for this comment.
Gerry Early says
All true, but not mentioned is that if Biden is elected and dies during his second term, since he and she have indicated she would be on the 2024 ticket Harris would become president–an office for which she is clearly unqualified.
John Dean says
Thank you for the comment. I share your worry that despite his relatively good health, Biden could die while in office. I share your concern about VP Harris, but have not yet concluded she is unqualified. I continue to hope she will get stronger over the next two years. We’ll see, but your worry is valid.
John Dean says
Thank you for reading the piece. I know that Trump is 76 and shows “signs of cognitive decline.” The article really wasn’t about Trump. I do not expect Trump to be the 2024 Republican nominee. If he is the nominee, I believe there are several good Democrats that can beat him. I think the Trump circus is over.
Bob Parker says
I believe that Biden was the right person for the current times, but I would not encourage him to run in 2024. This opinion is not based on any evidence that he is declining cognitively,but rather because this will give any GOP candidate an easy talking point that would deflect the focus of the race away from important policy discussions; “policies” are those pesky things that the trump-led Republican party has no need for as they repeatedly criticize anything the Dems do w/o offering any of their own. Now is the perfect time for both parties to identify young(er) candidates who believe in policy and not merely political theater.
Jerry McConnell says
He should not run again, and he (and almost everyone else) knows it. The Dems need a candidate that’s electable. That rules out Harris and also Buttegieg—as much as I believe he might be good with more responsibility, a gay isn’t electable as president today.
So they need to find a vanilla candidate (in exterior hue and political philosophy) and get them prepared and ready for a grueling campaign against DeSantis or whoever the GOP throws up (literally). Trump might get the GOP nomination but odds presently are against that happening. They have several other possible candidates; Dems are looking at a tilted playing field right now, unfortunately.
Hopefully we’ll find an alternative to a Republican behind the wheel again—from following the Orange Dunce too closely, they’ve turned into an extremist, anti- government cabel of white Christian zealots.
And no—in my opinion, there’s absolutely, positively no Republican who would be a good President of this country.