During the 2020 campaign, I remember hosting a cabinet breakfast in South Carolina when Congressman Jim Clyburn leaned over and told me he would support Joe Biden. Even then, many ignored Biden and called him too old; unable to withstand the competition or win the elections. He defeated all other Democratic presidential candidates and then defeated then-President Donald Trump. Time and time again they say Biden is not up to the task, and time and time again he delivers on his promises.
Over the coming days and weeks, there will be extensive analysis of Biden’s and Trump’s first debate of the 2024 campaign, the implications for each candidate and for the election itself. Much of the reporting has already focused on Biden’s underperformance and whether he should withdraw from the race. Not only is this premature, but it is deeply insulting to dismiss a president’s entire track record and platform because of one bad debate just months before November. Everyone is already getting involved and calling for him to step aside, but I would argue that the president himself is the only one who could even consider this idea. The real question is: hasn’t Biden earned the right to make this decision himself?
As I watch the debate Thursday evening, I am reminded of my own words at the Democratic National Convention twenty years ago: Our vote is soaked in the blood of martyrs, and it cannot be given away or negotiated; those who have earned our vote will get our vote.
It was Biden’s leadership that saved us from the disastrous Trump presidency and helped the nation correct course. In the midst of a historic global pandemic (which Trump downplayed and completely mishandled, I might add), Biden stepped in and helped us recover. His policies increased job growth, creating nearly 11 million jobs, with more people working than ever before in American history. Under President Biden, a recession was avoided and more people than ever before have health insurance. The President delivered historic student loan forgiveness, signed executive orders protecting reproductive rights, signed the Respect for Marriage Act to protect marriage for LGBTQ+ and interracial couples, delivered the most aggressive climate and environmental justice agenda, nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court, passed the Inflation Reduction Act and much more.
How can anyone who honestly examines Biden’s presidency and list of accomplishments urge him to resign over one bad debate performance? And what about all of Trump’s lies last night? In about 90 minutes, he lied about the January 6th insurrection, immigration, his handling of COVID, the economy, abortion, the list goes on. Are we really saying that showmanship is more important than substance? The stakes are far too high for people to make such rash decisions. Whether it’s voting rights, criminal justice reform, reproductive rights, representation across the board, protections against hate crimes, or democracy itself, the question is not what will happen to Biden, but rather what will happen to us?
With the conventions fast approaching and the campaigns in full swing, the president can and should remind the nation what he represents and what his opponent does not represent. He must speak to the needs of the people of this country and what is best for America’s future ― moving forward or returning to an era of division, injustice and inequality.
Have we forgotten the deaths of over a million people from a deadly pandemic that Trump mishandled, or the march in Charlottesville during his term, or his Supreme Court nominees who have already rolled back many of our gains, or the demonization of marginalized communities or the climate? of hatred in this country?
Biden has stayed true to his vision and delivered on many of his campaign promises. He is the only one who can say that they were part of two great recoveries, first as vice president in the Obama administration and then in 2020. He helped the country recover from the Bush recession and disastrous policies (both domestic and international), and then helped us recover from the Trump trauma and the catastrophic state we found ourselves in. He has more than earned the right to decide where he goes, and we should give him more than 24 hours to make such a monumental decision.
Twenty years ago, I was running for president. The country was still recovering from the worst terrorist attack on our own land and still reeling from the George W. Bush administration’s disastrous handling of the crisis, including misleading us into an unnecessary war. Although I did not win the Democratic nomination in 2004, I continued to push for the Democratic nominee because I understood what was at stake and how important this election was.
In 2004, I reminded everyone that we didn’t get this far by playing politics. Today, I say that we won’t get any farther by indulging in political theatrics. Did President Biden show up at the debate the way he did when he delivered the 2024 State of the Union address? No. But as I’ve said many times, he’s the ultimate comeback kid. I wouldn’t write him off just yet, and anyone who cares about this nation can’t afford to.
